[MiQP-Mail] MiQP N1IW/8 Single Op LP

[Mike Bernock]

Michigan QSO Party 2011

Call: N1IW/8
Operator(s): N1IW
Station: N1IW/8

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: MTMO
Operating Time (hrs): 12

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs
--------------------
   80:   66     77
   40:  145    210
   20:   72     53
   15:    9      2
   10:            
--------------------
Total:  292    342  CW Mults = 68  Ph Mults = 91  Total Score = 147,234

Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club

Comments:

One man/one radio/one dipole
Radio: IC-7000
Antenna: Home brew 80M off-center fed dipole at 30'
Logging: N1MM Logger w/Dell laptop and Microham Microkeyer

First, thanks to the Mad River folks for hosting another great MIQP.

Another fun one! Reminded again why I love to come back to Michigan and put
Montmorency county on the map for the MIQP. Arrived Thursday afternoon from
NH with temps in the 40s and no evidence of snow. Set up the IC-7000 after
unpacking and stowing the vittles, and soon realized that the 80M off-center
fed dipole needed some work; high VSWR on all bands. Up on Friday at abt
0800, sunny and 29F. After breakfast I made a quick repair to the OCFD (one
end had become disconnected from the balun) and quickly got on the air and
checked out the bands. I called CQ on 17 CW and SSB and was answered by
Europe... Cool! Connected up the MicroKeyer and PC and set up my CW macros
and recorded wave files. A few ferrites on the cables (paddles, audio, coax)
to clean up some RFI issues and I was ready to rock-and-roll. From 0000Z to
0100Z had a nice round table chat with friends back in New England on 40M
SSB; they also confirmed that my wav files and audio balance were OK.
Conditions were excellent, like chatting on 2M.

It was raining when I got up on Saturday morning and it eventually turned
over to light snow after dark on Saturday night. (BTW, 2" of snow on ground
this Sunday morning with off and on squalls all day.) Good day to play
radio. At 1200Z, I opened up on 20M CW like I usually do trying to build my
mult count from west of the Mississippi, and posted a 57 hour. I soon
realized that 20M probably wasn't going to have the legs it did in the past
with the higher solar numbers making the band a bit long. I had a total of
31 DX QSOs this year down a bit from past years but OM2VL managed to track
me down for 6 band/mode QSOs, tied with KO7X (WY) for most QSOs in log. Best
DX was Z31A on 20CW.

During the next 2 hours I stayed agile between 40M and 20M keeping in sync
with the CW/SSB mode changes recommended in the rules. Picked up Alaska
(NL7V) at 1723Z for what I believe was my first AK in the MIQP; still
looking for that first HI. The 1700 and 1800 hours both netted 69 QSOs, at
which point I thought maybe 60 QSOs per hour might be a good rate goal to
shoot for. Unfortunately while grabbing a quick snack during the 1900 hour I
got distracted by the Red Wings game on the tube and only put 13 QSOs in the
log that hour. I also spent some time checking out 10M and 15M. Guess I'll
blame NBC for that hour as we only have off-air TV at the cabin, no cable or
satellite. The Wings did win (the end of the game was a nail biter) and now
lead Phoenix in the playoff series 2-0. OK back to radio...

I was back in the groove in the 20Z hour with 82 QSOs (best hour). 40M
remained most productive until 0100 when I switched my focus to 80/75. My
rate was pretty consistent thru this transition with the last 4 hours
netting 57-49-48-51 QSOs. I blew through last years score (~125k) at around
0230Z and knew then that I would likely make my 600 QSO goal. Final QSO in
the log was with OK1AOV at 2359Z on 40CW. I spent more time running this
year and less time chasing the mobiles; I nabbed K8IR in a couple counties
and K8MR in only one county. I didn't feel the need to go county hunting as
I knew my county numbers were up from the great local conditions on 40M most
of the day. I made a point, especially on SSB, to give our friends up north
(Ontario QSO Party) the correct exchange for their logs too. Was also happy
to work my own county this year, with K8CIT over in Hillman stopping by
during one of my 40M CW runs.

Final Stats: 634/159/147,234
2011  634 QSOs, 58 Cty, 45 sta/prov, 10 countries
2010  570 QSOs, 42 Cty, 46 sta/prov, 15 countries

Finally, special thanks to fellow YCCCers back east who searched me out and
likely kept the spots fresh. KB!

Best 73 and see you all again next year!