02/17/2003 | K6III Well, I didn't plan to work at this activity. Got on Friday before the start with the QRP Elecraft K2 rig running at 5-watts. I was tuning the bands before the contests looking for friends on DXpeditions and adding to my DXCC totals for QRP. Contest started and I just left the K2 on line.

In the 1st hour I busted pile ups and worked P4, D4, JA, UA9, KP2, LU, PY0F, KL7, KH6.
2nd hour added XE, KP4, VP5, ZF, PY, TG, TI and A35.
By 0230 I added HL, VK, T88, XT2, ZL and PJ2.

It sure is gratifying to bust these pile-ups with the K2 rig. Lots of MOJO working there. Most difficult to break was the KL7/N1TX on 15m in the 1st hour. Larry (Fairbanks, AK) was working East and Mid-West stations at that time. I worked at it for about 15-minutes before he finally picked me up. Later, Larry had a small fire at the QTH which put him off the air!

I took a break at 0230z for a social obligation (Valentines day party). Back on about 0600z, but this time was QRO at 500w on 40m.

The last hour of the contest, I went back to QRP and added DU, KH0, KL7, FM5 and FO5. Finished off the last 10-minutes with a run at the JA's.

Totals = 318-Q's x 163-mults, 10-40m, all Hunt-n-Pounce, 12.5 Hours.
Antenna is a Force12-C4 at 50ft in the flat-lands of Silicon Valley.

See ya next year.
de Jerry
San Jose, CA -- K6III