[MiQP-Mail] Post-partum ramblings

[Todd Fonstad]

Greetings!

It was a great day in the UP Saturday ... to stop at waterfalls, see 
ice-covered lakes, and sit on a lichen-covered boulder in the cedar forest 
and listen to the sounds of awakening spring. Temperatures were in the 
glorious 70s. Then there was the contest .......

How bad was it?  In the mid-to-late afternoon, I would have taken the 
straightest road home to Oshkosh B'gosh, except there are no such roads! :) 
Last year in Baraga (BARA), I worked over 70 stations in 50 minutes: this 
year I worked 33 in twice the time! Nobody wanted Baraga ... boo hoo!

My strategy of driving solo mobile in only 7 counties to minimize 
unproductive time spent on the road was sound ... but not for conditions 
that all of us experienced. My plan was to have spent quality time on 80 
through 20M CW and 40 and 20M SSB.  Once I got into a new county I seemed to 
be able to work 10 to 15 stations right away on 40CW, then got about the 
same on 20. And that was it. Stations asking me to QSY to 20 phone had no 
trouble copying me, but I never got an answer to a CQ on that band/mode. 40 
phone was marginally productive but my signal was obviously at QRPp levels 
most of the time.

However, the last hour or so almost made it worthwhile. I parked in a 
darkened grocery store lot in Channing (DICK) and ran 80 meters as if I were 
at the home station. Unbelievable what a short-masted Hustler atop the van 
can do under the right conditions. The bar across the street was hopping 
with rusted, noisey pickup trucks and 4 wheel off-road vehicles coming and 
going. Such is life in the northwoods.

At the end of the test, I drove south to Iron Mountain at about 45 mph in 
rain and dense fog . Gassed up (cheap at $2.29!!) and grabbed a bite to eat 
there at about midnight (CDT) and continued over-driving my headlights at 45 
to 50 mph through the semi-wilds of northeastern WI until the fog finally 
lifted near Green Bay. Got home just before 3 am and was up at 7:30 am for 
church. Last year I drove home in a tremendous thunderstorm for three hours.

Consistently loudest stations heard were K8XXX and K5OT (TX). Strongest 
mobile was W1NN (great solo job, Hal!). Thanks to all of you who pulled me 
through despite the bad conditions.

I'll be back!!

This year: 7 Counties. 332 CW Q's. 54 PH Q's. 92 Mults. Score = 66,056 
(before log checking!)
Last year: 9 Counties. 448 CW Q's. 60 PH Q's. 87 Mults. Score = 83,172 
points (ditto)

73
Todd
N9NE