[OhQP-mail] K8AAX--OQP--We were there

[Paul Valentine Jr.]

Hello,
 
It was my first ever mobile operation.  I intended to cover 6 counties--we only did 4.  I thought that the set up was working when I left home but I should have paid more attention to the fact that I had not actually made a contact with it.  I did not make the first contact until almost 3 PM local time.  
 
What I learned after about 2 hours was that I could not run more than 40-50 watts without overloading the tuner and radio.  When I unplugged the tuner and turned the drive down I started making contacts.  I also had to use a clip lead to patch around a broken connection in my computer interface.  So there was lots of troubleshooting and driving and not much operating.  I should have re-connected the tuner but I had lost interest in tinkering.
 
At the last minute my sister K8OVV decided to make the run with me so we had a few laughs along the way and she did some driving which helped.  She is already talking about next year and doing better.  She knows her way around Northern OH--I do not.  So there will probably be an improved K8AAX/K8OVV mobile operation next year.
  
We operated from 4 counties:  Worked 20 states and 3 OH counties--All CW
Fulton:  23 Q's
Williams:  17 Q's
Defiance:  2 Q's
Henry:  16 Q's
 
Closest we got to another mobile that I know of was W8CAR we worked him when he was in Defiance county and we were next door in Henry County.  We worked quite a few NJ--a few FL--one CO.
 
I think that I will continue my troubleshooting of the mobile and plan on next year.  It was actually a pretty good day.
 
Paul  K8AAX
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