[PVRCNC] 2022 W/VE Islands QSO Party - K4TMC – SOLP SSB

[Henry Pollock - K4TMC]

Call: K4TMC

Operator(s): K4TMC

Station: K4TMC



Class: Single Op QRO (>5W)

QTH: NC010S (Bogue Banks – NC)

Operating Time (hrs): 13



Summary:

 Band  QSOs  Mults (states/provinces/islands)

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

  160:    0       0

   80:     0       0

   40:   109    11

   20:   290    52

   15:    0        0

   10:    3        0

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

Total:  402    63

Island points: 13 X 5 = 65

Total Score (claimed) = 28602



Looks like a number of PVRCer’s did some digital contesting this past
weekend, and I am sure there are those who played in the KS and OH QSO
Parties.  Again this year, I chose the 15-hour W/VE Islands QSO Party
sponsored by the US Islands Awards Program (USIslands.org).  I operated as
an Island Expedition from the family beach house at Atlantic Beach, NC on
the island of Bogue Banks (NC010S, also IOTA NA112).  Since the rules allow
for a 30-day window for setup and removal of the station, I left the 3BMOX
tribander up from last weekend’s aborted NAQP SSB effort.  And, this time I
had the whole place to myself…no other adults, toddlers or pets.  In
addition, having just received one of the new Buddipole BuddiHex antennas,
I set it up Friday on one of the MastWerks 10 meter rotatable masts on the
upper deck of the house. (Note that right now, the BuddiHex antenna can
only be mounted to a MastWerks mast.)  With an early morning (1200) start,
I first tried 40M using the low dipole to see what I could do there.  After
working only 5 stations in 20 minutes, I decided it was time to move.  10
and 15 were dead.  So it looked like 20 was going to be the ‘money’ band.  With
one of W4MYA’s RUN’EM stickers laying on the operating table, I held court
on 14.250 from 1240 to 2000, with only a few short breaks for food and
water/coffee and an occasional departure up to 10 and 15 to see if I was
missing anything.  At 1650 during one of my brief trips to 10, I heard a
strong station finishing a QSO, and I answered his QRZ.  Imagine my
surprise when it turned out to be HZ1SK.  I immediately moved up a few
clicks and called CQ and quickly worked a F1 and F5.  Then, after about 10
minutes of unanswered CQ’s, it was back to 14.250.  Later in the day 10 did
open to South America (DX stations only count 1 point and no multiplier),
but since I was still doing good on 20, so stayed there to try for those
missing state/province mults.  Finally moved to 40 after 2000 and worked a
lot of 8 and 0 stations who were operating the OH and KS QSO Parties.  For
the rest of the afternoon and evening I bounced between 20 and 40 running
until I ran out of energy at 0130.  There were no really outstanding runs,
just steady…averaging 1 QSO every 2 minutes.  I came close to doubling last
year’s QSOs, but more than doubled the claimed score with more
state/province/island multipliers.

Rig: Elecraft k3+/100W with Heil HC-4 mic

Antennas: EAntennas 3BMOX at 30 ft pointed NE,  Buddipole BudiHex at 35 ft
pointed W, 20/40M trap dipole at 30 ft oriented E/W.

BTW, there are a lot of designated islands within the PVRC circle (VA-77,
MD-61, DC-6, DE-16 & NC-67 (not all within the circle)).  How many could we
activate for a summertime vacation/expedition effort?

73,

Henry - K4TMC