[PVRCNC] SS SSB K4TMC SO QRP

[Henry Pollock - K4TMC]

Call: K4TMC
Operator(s): K4TMC
Station: K4TMC

Class: SO QRP
QTH: NC
Operating Time (hrs): 8.5
Radios: SO1R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:
   80:
   40:  69
   20:
   15:
   10:
------------
Total: 69  Sections = 28  Total Score = 3,864

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Yes Virginia, you can operate QRP in phone sweepstakes…but it is brutal and
humbling.

I took a collection of radios (K3+/100, K2/100, KX3, SG-2020 and the newest
toy – Lab599 TX-500) to the family beach house at Atlantic Beach, NC not
really knowing which one I would use during the contest.  I had two
objectives – to play with the TX-500 some before the contest and try out my
new 43 ft end-fed quad (40 – 10) vertical.  I spent Saturday morning
getting the vertical up on the rear deck…thank goodness for no wind.  Then
decided to also place a horizontal end-fed quad antenna at 25 ft oriented
for the NW at the front of the lot, hopefully far enough apart to not
interact on 40.  In the hours before the contest started, using the TX-500,
I worked a number of the POTA guys on 40 fairly easily.  So, with the
successes experienced with the POTA stations, I elected to do the contest
with the TX-500 with a separate powered speaker and its stock mic.  40
filled up quickly with contesters and I tuned the band S&Ping.  With the
band crowded, I quickly found out that QRP signals were not making it
through the pile-ups.  Then the band seemed to go long early and the only
stations I was hearing were west of the Mississippi and no one out there
could hear me.  I did manage to make 2 contacts in MN.  So I finished
Saturday night with only 16 contacts.  Sunday morning at 1300 and things
were much better, my S&P rate tripled.  I worked a number of PVRC members
in VA and MDC, thanks!  The few times I checked 10 and 15, they were quiet.
20 did not sound promising for QRP.  In retrospect, I should have operated
the K3, but it was fun using the little TX-500.

QRP lessons learned – antenna gain is your best friend when operating
QRP.  Second
closest friend is short low loss coax.  And with the TX-500 you need to
know a better mic and PTT switch.

Rig: Lab599 TX-500

Antennas: 2 PAR Quad End-fed, one vertical and one horizontal