[FQP]K5WA Summary SOHP Mixed

[Bob Evans]

Since I don't have TR Log loaded at home where I'm sending this email,
my summary is by memory.

         CW       SSB
40       101        1
20       270      130
15         5        0

Total    376      131 =  507
Mults     67       49

Approx score: 200K (I think) 


Another great event even with incredibly bad conditions on Saturday
between Houston and FL.  My last and most difficult county, believe it
or not, was OKA.  When all the mobiles went through OKA early on
Saturday, I couldn't hear a thing.  On Sunday, when W5WMU was 60bd over
and flying across I-10 to the west, I thought, no problem, I'll get Pat
for a sweep on CW, but the later it got and the closer he got to OKA, he
just disappeared to nothing.  Many thanks to Charlie, NF4A, for pointing
me to W5RE in Crestview who got on 40M for my ONLY OKA qso with 30
minutes left in the contest.  Charlie also tossed me several counties on
SSB, which made the occasional attempts on SSB seem not so painful. 

The Toadmobile, N4TO, gets my vote for most consistent mobile.  Always
signing their call/county (a MAJOR timesaver for us non-FL guys chasing
mobiles; hint-hint to the guys signing /M), able to copy well during
weak conditions and staying near a single frequency. I think I worked
them in every county they traveled on Sunday and 75% of Saturday's
counties.  Saturday would have been 100% if conditions weren't so bad
from here.  They just set the perfect rhythm to follow (including a very
entertaining CW note).  W5WMU and NF4A tied for second easiest to
follow. 

As far as the dirt road to Monroe County, it is probably a good thing
some of you didn't find it.  From the FQP a couple of years ago when
N6MU and I used a GPS computer to locate it, we found and drove it, but
it was a road only fit for HumVees and wildlife.  My car still shudders
at the thought of trying that road again!  I'm glad we didn't see any
gators when we stopped and took pictures.  By the way, I worked MON a
total of 8 times!  There were several non-contester contacts from the
Keys that I never expected.

K4FCG and K4FQP set CW speed records, I believe.  George, did you know
that FCG and FQP sound exactly the same to us dyslexic guys that can't
copy code at 45wpm?  I hope I got half of those contacts logged
correctly.

As bad as Saturday's conditions were from here, Sunday was incredibly
good for a large part of the day.  All the mobiles east of the panhandle
and south were at least 20-40 over, but it seems that most of the fixed
stations had their antennas pointed North or Northeast.  I called N4BP
until I was blue, but the EUs were much louder for him, apparently.

FCG, thanks again for such an awesome event!  I'd love to have been
screaming down the Florida backroads myself, but it was almost as good
to hear you guys having such a good time.  Keep up the great work!



Bob K5WA
Houston, Texas