Call: KE3X
Operator(s):  
Station: KE3X

Added: 08/Aug/2010
Contest: NORTH AMERICAN QSO PARTY, CW - AUGUST
Class: SINGLE OP LP
QTH: Washington, DC
Operating time: 8.0

Summary: 
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:  105    27
   40:  109    32
   20:  101    29
   15:   39    19
   10:    0     0
-------------------
Total:  354   107  
Total Score = 40,002
Club: 

Soapbox: 

Last time I entered this contest was
from Mexico City in 1992 using
XE1/NV1P.  
Clearly been away too long
- that was LOTS of fun!   NAQP is just
long enough to feel like a 'real'
contest, has the 2-hour off time to
ferry kids or the XYL from weekend
activities, and you don't have to stay
up much past midnight.   
Once I hit
40,000 points at 11:45PM I pulled the
plug.

Highlights were:

- Working all
the NCCC Thursday Sprint folks:  those
exchanges were always the fastest, and
my callsign is starting to be
recognized the first time.
- Having a
nice run for an hour on 80-Meters
using a dipole up 30 feet at 9PM local
time - even worked 4 guys in a single
minute once.   Last time I did that
was using MorseRunner - Being part of
a team (PVRC 1) again for the first
time in 19 years.   Last team was the
'MUF Divers' in the 1991 Sprint.   I
had forgotten about the added
motivation 'kick' that comes from team
participation - Nice to see the DX
participation (ZF2DO, XE2MX, HK1R,
EC5CR)

However, this contest showed
much work still to be done here:

1.  
Need an antenna for 160-Meters.  
Probably heard 30 stations all S-9 but
no QSO's.  Loading the 80-M dipole
just does not cut it.  Time to build
the 'Spud Gun' with my son K3ODY and
lob a wire over the 80-foot willow oak
tree in the backyard, and put up the
Inverted-L.   Lost 15 easy multipliers
that way.

2.   Need to make the N1MM
interface work.  All 8-hours of CQ'ing
and S&P were sent by hand using my
N3ZN dual level paddle (imagine no
'F1' key at all -
YIKES!)   No wonder
I can barely hold the coffee cup this
morning.   Great transmitting practice
for HST 2011 but it got really old
after the 6th hour.

3.   Integrate
the new DX Doubler that arrived last
week.
4.   Sell the second IC-735 and
upgrade to a better first radio.
5.  
Set up the Cushcraft R-7 vertical
somewhere that does not need a
permit.

Thanks for all the QSO's and
see you in the NCJ Sprints!

Ken KE3X

50x200 city lot Icom-735 at 80 watts
N1MM Logger Wires for 40 and 80 at 35
feet Transworld TW-2010 vertical
dipole at 35 feet