[PVRCNC] VP5M M/S LP - AA4NC K4QPL

[Jim K4QPL]

Call: VP5M

Operator(s): AA4NC K4QPL

Station: VP5M

Class: M/S LP

QTH: VP5

Operating Time (hrs): 47.5

Summary:

Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries

------------------------------

  160:  116     8       25

   80:  581    19       74

   40: 1136    23       82

   20: 1595    27       94

   15: 1774    24       78

   10:   44    10       13

------------------------------

Total: 5246   111      366  Total Score = 5,642,433

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments: After some local "Turks Head" 807's and a great steak and potatoes
dinner prepared by my son neutralized the caffeine and sugar of 48 hours we
reflected on a really fun and mostly successful contest in the beautiful
Turks & Caicos Islands. 

Station set up started great raising the AB577 with SteppIR 3el and 80-40
trap inverted V, a halyard for an inverted V 160M with two elevated radials
through the bush, and an all band doublet as inverted V on a fiberglass pole
above the pergola and swimming pool. Computers synchronized with N1MM+ and
all looked great. We commented that Murphy was nowhere to be seen. Alas, he
arrived in the Turks & Caicos Islands in stealth mode disguised as a common
insect which in North Carolina we call a "dirt-dauber" or "mud-dauber".
After one or two band changes with everything looking good, the SWR in the
SteppIR went out of sight. Getting the antenna down through the undergrowth
was a tough Thanksgiving day job. A tap on the fiberglass tube to hear the
copper tape rattling inside when the elements were supposed to be "Home" was
an ominous sign. Won't bore you with the gory details of removing, splicing
copper tape and rebuilding a Steppir EHU in the field with no spare parts or
special tools available. Bottom line we succeeded in patching it together
with guesswork reel tensioning in the EHU and synchronizing the 3 elements
without using the Home and Calibrate functions on the driver. Before
reinstalling we checked the tubes to find the foam plug had been chewed
through and said dirt-dauber aka Murphy had deposited an impenetrable
mixture about 2' into the tube which had blocked the travel and caused the
tape to flex and break. We think we have now invented a new tube venting
system that will keep out the most determined varmints. K7IR, we'll license
it for a small fee and some barter!!

The mults-only second radio was helpful, but without another gain antenna on
the high bands we had difficulty breaking through pileups and our
zone/country total suffered. Don't think 10M was very good and being closer
to the US and Canada than the ABC island  pretty much eliminated a
significant contribution to our score. Not to mention we only get 2 points
per Q. The other antennas played well. Nothing above 35' but being on a
sandstone ridge about 100' ASL north facing over a 180 degree sweep of the
ocean has to help! Plenty of EU and West Coast on 160 and even ZL and JA on
80 Saturday night. 

Watching Will break the rate meter was a learning experience for me. Been a
great week so far. A couple more days to relax and unwind on the island.

73,

Jim, VP5/K4QPL