[OhQP-mail] oqp 2009 @ w3hkk-LICK

[w3hkk at roadrunner.com]

Goals at W3HKK  are primarily to work all 88 Ohio counties.  Hence, 80-40 tend to be the  favored bands. Operations are maybe 2/3rds SSB and  1/3rd CW, most years.  

Next year  should see a new tower ( better than a tree) and some better antennas, since I now have 3 acres to play with, 
and no deed restrictions (yeaa!)  but only one 25 ft tree (boo!)  So I dug out the old 80M Field Day delta loop and hung the corners at 25' - 5' -8'.  With 90w, it  did pretty well on 80 where I made 113 of 115 qsos, 109 on SSB   Never got in the cw groove this year for some reason. Maybe a new rig will help in that regard!

Conditions this year  were a pleasant surprise on 80M, especially after the poor conditions  just a few days earlier. Almost no signals were heard for long periods of time on 80-40  on Wed.  Thursday was slightly better, and Friday started to  rebound significantly. As Jim said,  in the evening conditions really perked up with some 59+30 signals and minimal noise.  


40 never seemed to  sound good here in Licking County, and a couple of looks on 10 and 15M on the hour didnt turn up anything, so I spent the day on 80, taking  hour breaks and coming back to find a small, new batch of  good signals.  The lack of QRN was a blessing, and sure makes the  contest FUN.  Though Im still looking for the great  40m runs and nice steady activity during my all time high of c. 400 qsos back in 2003-4.  A few openings on 10-15m  would spice things up as well.

73 Bob