Hi Tom,
Congrats on your 3rd place 2A-Battery! As a side note to yours, I was
operating with W3GS for the QCWA Chapter 17 group at the QTH of W3TDF
just outside of Coopersburg, PA. We came in 4th place, 20 points behind
you, in the 2A-Battery competition with 8 operators including the GOTA &
VHF stations (both of which were "free"). The way we interpreted the
rules both of the "free" stations also had to be QRP which was quite
frustrating for both of those stations. I disagreed with the
interpretation, at least for the VHF station which I think should have
been allowed to run greater than 5W, and possibly (although not so
strongly) the GOTA station as well due to one clause that stated
essentially that the category was set by the highest power that "any"
station was running, but I figured the "free" stations were excluded.
Not very clearly written rules and maybe we would need clarification
from ARRL if doing so again in the future. Anyone have any comments on
these rules? I know we interpreted them "safely" but did we
over-restrict ourselves?
We in the past had run 1A or 2A with a 100W rig(s) and the full sized
dipoles & triband yagis, however this year we also decided to do
"something different" by operating with my K2 (S/N 4786) on SSB and the
K2 of W3LR (S/N unknown, but shortly before 4786 by about 1 month or
less). There was a great deal of skepticism that the QRP gear would do
well. I think those operators who used the K2s (I was the ONLY one to
use mine on SSB except for a few Q's that W3TDF made early on even
though I offered others the opportunity as well, and I think the
operators on CW were W3LR, W3TDF & K3ANS) were quite impressed compared
to the TS-940S rigs that had traditionally been used previously. The
sensitivity and selectivity was equal if not better. There was
initially some disappointment in the score, but I reminded them that we
were operating in a different category. Also, band conditions seemed
strange in the very beginning of the event so that didn't help.
However, when it was all said and done I think the operators of both the
SSB & CW stations ended up being fairly impressed. I know that both
W3LR & I were happy with the results of our K2 rigs for the first major
event. Unfortunately I don't think that W3GS will be doing the same
again next year, opting instead for the traditional 100W rig(s) which
will allow the GOTA & VHF stations to run higher power (which does seem
to slightly make up for a lack of experience, but not completely). That
leaves me in a quandry of whether or not to take my K2 along with me to
the EPA QRP Club instead. We'll see, depending on who bribes me best, I
guess, HI HI!
I haven't done quite as complete an analysis of our efforts as Tom has
done below, but I know that we were only 20 points shy of being tied
with his score. Tom, didn't I see that you had 20 operators? Too bad
our QCWA group is losing more members that are becoming Silent Keys
compared to the few new members that are joining. I and two other
operators (who did the VHF & GOTA) are only "associate" members until we
become official, in a couple of years yet for me anyway. Getting the
few operators out for the event that we did was already tough! Of
course, those of us that were there gave it our all.
In any case, the K2s did respectable, as well as the operators!
73,
Mark, NK8Q
K2 S/N 4786
Tom Hammond wrote:
Hi Folks:
Well, since the posting of FD results has begun, I guess I'll
post ours as well.
This year, the MID-MO ARC (Jefferson City MO) decided to do
"something a bit different" from our past 20 (or so) years of
operating class 2A 100w w/beams on towers, etc.
It was decided that we'd still operate class 2A, but this year
it'd be class 2AB (battery), all K2, all 5W or less, and all
wire multi-band dipoles at 30 feet. One station on CW, one on
phone, and a GOTA (Get On The Air) station for our seldom-active
and newly minted ops. The GOTA station was a 'freebie' and not
added to the class '2' count.
Here's a reprint of the report just received from our 2005 Field
Day Chairman, K9ZTV... who, I think, probably for the first time
in his LIFE, operated QRP for more than one QSO!!!
Our showing wasn't anything terribly extraordinary, but it was
fun, and very educational, esp. for those operators who had
previously always just staked out a frequency and called "CQ"
until they were blue in the face... this year they had to learn
to SEARCH 'N POUNCE if they were gonna make Q's... and they did!
And I quote...
If I'm reading the results correctly (and I think I am) . . .
BY SCORE, AMONG CATEGORY 2AB (5-WATT) STATIONS:.
3rd ... in the USA (out of 28 stations, placing us in the top 10.7%)
1st ... in the Midwest Division (out of 3 stations)
1st ... in the Missouri Section (out of 2 stations)
BY SCORE, AMONG ALL 5-WATT STATIONS (regardless of category):
21st ... in the USA (out of 257 stations, placing us in the top 8.2%)
1st ... in the Midwest Division (out of 9 stations)
1st ... in the Missouri Section (out of 3 stations)
BY SCORE, AMONG ALL STATIONS (regardless of category, regardless of
power):
181st ... in the USA (out of 2,206 stations, placing us in the top
8.2%)
4th ... in the Midwest Division (out of 118 stations,
placing us in the top 3.4%)
3rd ... in the Missouri Section (out of 50 stations,
placing us in the top 6.0%)
BY NUMBER OF QSO'S
5th ... in Category 2AB (out of 28 stations, placing us in
the top 17.9%)
27th ... in the USA among all 5-watt stations regardless of
category (out of 257 stations, placing us in the top
10.5%)
725th ... in the USA among all stations, regardless of
category, regardless of power (out of 2,206 stations,
placing us in the top 32.9%)
CONCLUSIONS . . .
Not too shabby, gentlemen, not too shabby at all!!
Our contest score is terrific and, as contests go, the final
score is what wins the prize. Clearly, anyway you dissect it,
we distinguished ourselves on points.
To me, however, the NUMBER OF Q's is the most important
indicator of the "mettle of the men." In analyzing this year's
Field Day strictly from that point-of-view (number of
contacts), to be in the top third of ALL Field Day entrants and
run only 5 watts is nothing short of fantastic. To be in the
top ten-percent of ALL 5-watt stations is equally amazing. And
to be in the top eighteen percent in our chosen 2AB category is
wonderful.
I congratulate all of you who fought the 100 degree heat, 90
percent humidity, stifling tents, noisy and unshaded location,
and Murphy's annual appearance. He managed to break one of the
CW antenna leads which went unnoticed until it was 30-feet in
the air. He somehow turned down the RF output on the K2 in the
CW net to 100mw for the first hour of operation, but we made
contacts anyhow. And he seduced N0MV into moving to New Mexico,
thus transferring the club's "stuff" from Dave's basement to
mine. But all things being equal, it was a great Field Day.
We proved to ourselves we can rough it, operate it, and win it.
What more can you say!
73,
Kent K9ZTV
2005 Field Day Chairman
The K2's (of NN0B, W0ESE, and N0SS) did it once again.
73,
Tom Hammond N0SS
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