Eighteen Years of CQP from Imperial County

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Eighteen Years of CQP from Imperial County
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The general vicinity
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A little closer
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Desert View Tower 3000 feet
Elliot Mine 4010 feet
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The Operators

• Fred, K9VV (5 years)
• Bud, N7CW (18 years)
• Harv, K6QK (13 years)
• Jim, K6ZH (8 years)
• Kurt, K7NV (1 year)
• Rick, N6ND (1 year)
• Bruce, N7TY (3 years)
• Paul, NN6X (3 years)
• Terry, N6CW (1 year, by callsign only)

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Elliot Mine is located about 5 crow-fly miles
south of I-8, on a 4WD road.
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Before 4WD, we had to haul the equipment and 5 KW
generator up the hill
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This is rugged country, 100 yards North of the
Mexican border
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We thought we might work 2M into San Diego, but
the antenna made a better tarp support than than
radiator. The sunspots were up, so were brought
a 10M monobander (in the background). This is
K9VV operating true Field Day style with a KW.
This was also before computer logging!
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More Fans
Rock on Fan
Beer
CQP, 1988 - a young N7CW knows how to use that
microphone!
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Nighttime operating, probably K9VV.
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The antennas and operating site.
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We borrowed a 4WD truck to avoid schlepping the
equipment, the tarps a little more
professional, but the yagi needs some work.
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Most years the wind blows gt20 knots and keeping
the antenna pointed and together is a full time
chore.
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Getting the antenna up was cause for celebrations
and pictures.
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We have advanced to computer logging (note the
squint) and boom mikes.
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K6QK tries to read the computer screen.
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Beer
With the wind blowing, some years it got cold.
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Beer
We could work EU on 10M until 4 PM. Its still
pretty rugged operating.
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The CQP from Hell We tried operating from the
Salton Sea.
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We were located next to an inlet of the Salton
Sea, at the south end, at Red Hill
Marina. Immediately behind the tent was the
largest pile of bird dung known to man. The
wind direction was over the pile, into the tent.
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Beer
Looking north, from the bird dung pile.
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The very top of the hill at Elliot Mine required
serious 4WD.
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Every set up task was a challenge, due the
constant wind.
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Even when its finally up, it needs to be guyed
against the wind.
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Putting up the 80/40M vertical - the highest
accessible point in Imperial Co.
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Look carefully, the Salton Sea bird dung pile is
in the distance.
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The vertical broke in the wind, so we put up
80/40M dipoles.
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Beer
The site from below.
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One year, everybody had a conflict I put in
about 4 hours from the truck.
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2001 Single op by N7CW
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I forgot boom pieces, so I rebuilt the yagi as 2
elements. Vertical in the background, with an
American flag on top (3 weeks after Sept. 11,
2001).
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Beer
My helpers were party animals, but whatever it
takes to get antennas up in the air.
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We finally got smart The view from the Desert
View Tower.
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A big tent, toilets, 220V from the mains,
toilets, the tower trailer, toilets it was
heaven.
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With Harvs trailer, antenna erection is a piece
of cake.
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In 2002, we used a 40M dipole, a 6M beam and
tribander.
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Cranking it up.
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2003 tribander, 2 elements on 40, the 80M
vertical and 6M beam.
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2003 with the Desert View Tower in the
background.
Can you see the tribander and the 40M yagi are
pointing 180 from each other? We couldnt
either. It took 4 hours to figure it out that
cost us 400 QSOs and the category win.
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Not Beer
N7CW coaching N7TY
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K6ZH
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N7CW and K6QK
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Ben owns the Desert View Tower. Hes a great
guy, but he is nuts. With K6ZH.
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The Scores
1989 N6CW (N7CW, K9VV) 2390 QSOs 58
mults 1990 N7CW/6 (N7CW, NI6W, K9VV) - ? 1991
KD6QK (N7CW, KD6QK) 1334 QSOs 56 mults 1992
N7CW/6 (KD6QK) 1974 QSOs 58 mults 1993
Cant find the records 1994 Cant find the
records 1995 N7CW/6 (KD6QK) 1175 QSOs 58
mults 1996 N6ND (N6ND, N7CW, KD6QK) 1821 QSOs
58 mults 1997 N7CW/6 in San Diego county
955 CW QSOs 57 mults 1998 N7CW/6 (KD6QK)
647 QSOs 56 mults 1999 W6PT (N7CW, K6QK,
K6ZH) 1759 QSOs 58 mults 2000 W6PT (N7CW,
K6QK) 1118 QSOs 56 mults 2001 N7CW/6
(N7CW) 2100 QSOs 58 mults 2002 W6PT (N7CW,
K6QK, K6ZH) 2249 QSOs 58 mults 2003 W6PT
(N7CW, K6QK, K6ZH, N7TY) 1866 QSOs 57
mults 2004 W6PT (N7CW, K6QK, K6ZH, NN6X) 2064
QSOs 58 mults 2005 W6PT (N7CW, K6QK, K6ZH,
NN6X, N7TY) 1979 QSOs 58 mults 2005 W6PT
(N7CW, K6QK, K6ZH, NN6X, N7TY, N6EEG) 2043 QSOs
58 mults Red Green We won our category.
Green Record set and still stands - Imperial
County and California Single Op County
Expedition - California Multi Op County
Expedition
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Other Data
The K6NA station with N6TR as the operator holds
the San Diego County single op record, from
1989, with 2928 QSOs and 58 mults. K6AM holds the
California Low Power single op record, from
2002, with 1805 QSOs and 58 mults.