I am in Oxnard California for a business trip. It just happens that the QRP Afield contest was on my day off Saturday September 21st. The Oxnard Beach Park is a 1 kilometer walk from my hotel and a great venue for portable operations. I hiked over and found a picnic table. I setup the Alexloop and the LNR Trail Friendly End Fed. I used a palm tree support the end fed and sloped it generally East. The end fed was handy for 40 meters and 20 meters. I used the Alexloop a some on 20 and for all the 15 and 10 meter contacts. All contacts were CW at 5 watts using the KX3.
I started on 40 meters where my four contacts were not QRP Afield participants. So I took some time with them as the hams you run into would like to rag chew. One ham queried me on why QRP folks are QRS. Well that is different story. It is key to talk them out of the power they are using for the exchange. I did not run into any New England QRP Club hams. They sponsored the event.
Then, I worked a half dozen on 20 meters around 14.060. Among those were W0RW pedestrian mobile in CO and AB9CA in South Alabama, and Steve AA5TB in TX. I went up to 15 meters for a three including N1ABS/1 running 2 watts in New Hampshire. Then I checked out 10 meters and worked AA6CA. I think he was nearby and said I was rare DX. A couple more on 15 meters and back to 20 meters for a string of four. Next was the highlight of the day, I snagged JA3FCG on 21.055. Tosy gave me a 579 on the Alexloop at 5 Watts. Very cool my first JA. I wrapped up with a couple more on 20 meters. The summary is:
40 meters ID, CA, CA, AZ
20 meters CO, WA, CO, AL, CO, TX, TX, CO, KS, UT, BC, CO
15 meters NH, ME, OH, NJ, Japan, CO
10 meters CA
The QSO total was 23 over about eight hours in the park. I did have to work and connive for them but it shows what QRP can do.
I must say the Oxnard Beach Park is a nice one. It filled up in the course of the day and had a steady stream of joggers, bike riders, and many other interesting conveyances. The dog owners were out with all types. There were BBQers and I was really tempted to beg a burger but I didn't. A birthday party had a pinata which I had never seen one in person.
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| KX3 and Alexloop at picnic table |
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| Palm tree supporting far end of Trail Friendly End Fed. |
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| JA contact on HCT I used for logging. |
