2020 Kansas QSO Party

Results

A big THANK YOU to Bob for his organizing and letting Jay and I participate in our first in-state KSQP. We have done the 7QP and Salmon Run mobile several times, but nothing as far east as KS. Quite different propagation conditions compared to the Pacific Northwest. For both days one of us would operate for two hours then switch driver and operator.

We managed 1308 Qs with 53 mults for a claimed score of 207,972.  The band counts were 570 on 40 m and 738 on 20 m.  N1MM reported that we operated for 17.25 hours of the possible 18.

We started Saturday on the CHY/RAW line with S9 power line noise. After five minutes with only one Q, we headed back into CHY for a somewhat quieter location. For the day we gathered 745 Qs from 18 counties as we zig-zaged in the northwest portion of KS. We felt like conditions were good on both 20 and 40 with QSB especially on 20.

Sunday’s start was on the RUS/BRT line without any power line noise. After 30 minutes there we did 25 minutes on the BRT/RIC/ELS border which was a great deal of fun handing out triple contacts. The pileups in the last three counties, SMI, PHI, and NOR, were way beyond anything I’ve ever been on the receiving end.

There are 433 calls in our log with twelve folks contacting us 15 or more times. Our most regular customers were K1RO (NH) with 25; W6OAT (WA) with 24; NS2N (NY), N8II (WV), and K4XU (OR) with 20; N6MU (CA), KI6RRN (CA), and KA6BIM (WA) with 18; N6RO (CA) with 17; N6GP (CA) and KV8Q (OH) with 16 and K4BAI (GA) with 15.

The mobile was a 2002 Ford Ranger with a KX2 and KXPA at 100 W to a Scorpion 680 mounted in the center of truck's bed.  Logging was done on with an HP laptop running N1MM+.

Some random thoughts and observations.

• The lowest gas price we saw was $1.98 in NE.  At home in Moscow gas is $2.49.

• Kansas roads are much smoother than the ones in WA or ID.  In addition to a nice ride, it keeps me from accidently hitting the wrong keys when copying a call.

• In the Salmon Run and 7QP I usually have time to watch the scenery.  Not so in this year's KSQP.  Only sightseeing I got to do was when driving.

• Total miles for the trip to KS, the two days of the party, and back home was 3,591 and well worth the effort.

It was a great deal of fun and adventure and we thank all who contacted us and all who tried but were unsuccessful. Next up is the Salmon Run.