[LCC] NAQP RTTY AA5AU Single Op LP

[Don Hill AA5AU]

                    North American QSO Party, RTTY - July

Call: AA5AU
Operator(s): AA5AU
Station: AA5AU

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: LA
Operating Time (hrs): 10
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
   80:   80    30
   40:  160    44
   20:  310    53
   15:  225    44
   10:    2     1
-------------------
Total:  777   172  Total Score = 133,644

Club: Louisiana Contest Club

Team: LCC #1

Comments:

Wow, 133k is pretty darn good for a July contest. A thunderstorm formed right above me at the start of the contest and I dared it to
stick around. To my huge surprise it moved off and despite there being a 50% chance of thunderstorms today, the weather cleared into
a pretty good pattern for contesting the rest of the day.

The first hour was tough through the static crashes and I wasn't able to get into a rhythm. But once the weather cleared, conditions
picked up on both 15 and 20 meters. 15 was really good to nearly all parts of NA. I kept checking ten meters and found Bob, K0RC
with a good signal at 2146Z. So I went just below him and called CQ and was answered by another MN station N0OK. Stayed for a few
more minutes but nothing else. Kept checking and checking on ten but just no signals there. What a shame! So it was 15 and 20 nearly
all day.

I could tell the A and K indices must have fallen because I was hearing EU late on 15 and worked several EU stations on 20 meters
even with the beam to the west coast. Thanks to all the EU stations that called me.

I think I had more stations move bands for me in this one than any other NAQP.
Seems like well over 50% of requests for another band were worked. The best was my friend Dallas K1DW across Lake Pontchartrain. I
tried to work him on 15 early in the contest but he did not hear me. Later on 40, I asked him to QSY to 15 and he did. I forgot to
change antennas from the 40 inverted vee to the beam, but I was still able to work him. I needed LA on 15. Thanks Dallas.

Having not operated RTTY in a long time this year, I was very happy that the station performed well. The rotor on the 2 element
SteppIR has been out of service for some time, but with it pointed due north and it performed great on
15 meters but only because conditions warranted it. It was even with the 3 element on 20 meters through the first five hours of the
contest QSO vs QSO.
Again, it was just the way conditions were.

When I got to the low bands I was expecting the worse. Static crashes were abundant on 40 and 80 but I have certainly seen worse. I
was able to do very well on the low bands; making the same number of mults on 40 as 15 but with 65 contacts less. Just not a lot of
stations on 80 but the mult count was decent.
I went back to 20 after spending some time on 80 and the rate was better there but I felt I needed the mults on 80 so decided to go
for mults on 80 instead of rate on 20. Since I don't have as good of an antenna on 40 as I am used to, I am very happy with the
results there.

I am very happy with my results. I would like to thank all who changed bands for me and everyone who worked me. No matter how many
of these things I've operated, or how many years I've been contesting on RTTY, I feel so lucky to still be a part of it all.

73, Don AA5AU

Equipment
Icom IC756 PRO III
Kenwood TS870

Antennas
3 element SteppIR at 45'
2 element SteppIR at 35' fixed due north
40 meter inverted vee
80 meter inverted vee


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