Texas QSO Party 2003, by NØRQ

Though I have done very little HF mobile, I decided to try going mobile for the Texas QSO Party on September 27 and 28, 2003.  I enjoyed operating TXQP a bit last year from home.

The mobile setup isn't anything extraordinary (other than perhaps the # of antennas).   A 2002 Chevy Prizm (same thing as a Toyota Corolla), a Yaesu FT-900/CAT, 100 watts, Heil Proset & footswitch, old B&W coax switch, and these Hamsticks:

(Also 2 meter 5/8 wave for 2m Yaesu FT-2500M, and a small magmount for 2m APRS tracker.)

I'll be driving and operating -- and will remember to drive carefully -- and will stop on some county lines and try to do a lot of the operating there.

Check out this site -- NT5TU 's attempt to track and map the mobiles/rovers during the contest!  http://w5ac.tamu.edu/~nt5tu/tqp_rovers/

Sept 28:   TXQP is finished!... had lots of fun, and learned some things as well.  All contacts have been entered in WRITELOG, and the count:  884 QSOs, I worked 103 Texas counties (yes!!!), 33 states/provinces, no DX.   I was mobile in 25 counties and covered 672 miles.   Thanks to everyone who contacted me!  Results are on the TXQP web site!

Oh yes, 2 pics...  maybe I could win the "most antennas per square foot of vehicle" award?   ;-)

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