[PVRCNC] NN3U SO(A) 15 QRP WPX CW

[Mike Barts]

                     CQWW WPX Contest, CW

Call: NN3U
Operator(s): N4GU
Station: N4GU

Class: SO(A)SB15 QRP
QTH: NC
Operating Time (hrs): 12:45

Summary:
  Band  QSOs
------------
   160:
    80:
    40:
    20:
    15:  258
    10:
------------
Total:  258  Prefixes = 237  Total Score = 151,917

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments: Did not have the time or motivation for a serious effort, 
so picked a category that looked like easy pickin's. With the 
addition of Assisted to all the categories, WPX is starting to look 
like an elementary school awards assembly. 15m has always been my 
favorite band and after having so much fun at Dayton, figured I could 
use a little suffering as penitence, so single band QRP. This was the 
first outing for the new club call, NN3U. Figured if I was going to 
torture the other ops with a QRP signal, at least I'd give them a 
relatively rare multiplier rather than another N4.

Band was in excellent shape and Friday night worked several JA and a 
couple of BY's. With 5W. From the East Coast. I've struggled to work 
JA's with 500W on 15m and have never worked a BY from here on 15m 
before. Running QRP means you get to go to bed earlier and sleep in a 
bit since you aren't going to be closing or opening the band. 
Conditions were just great overall. I could really tell who among the 
Eu crowd had good ears and who were just loud (gas, anyone?). I was 
surprised at some of the Russians and 'Stans who copied me with ease, 
and disappointed at some of the well know stations that were 
seemingly deaf. I'll chalk most of that up to the crowed band in Eu.

Sunday morning, blew past the NA record for this little category and 
ended up almost tripling the score. Was it fun? Sorta. Amazed at what 
all I did work on 5W. You quickly learn to pick your battles and get 
used to being ignored. It was all S&P except for one measly Q. P3A 
found me one of the few times I did try to run. May have to try this 
again sometime. But not too often.