I “accidentally” worked the California QSO Party this past weekend. By accidentally, I mean that I wasn’t planning to contest until I found myself in the middle of it. I had spent Saturday morning working a pair of public service events in central Kentucky, then spent most of the afternoon helping some friends set up a field radio station at a campsite in the Jefferson Memorial Forest. (I’ll camp with you guys next time!) As we were setting up the last antenna, one of the guys started tuning around 10m and the band was alive with CQP calls. He then proceeded to work Los Angeles on 10 watts. (Los Angeles is approximately 2100 miles/3380 km from Louisville.) I decided to head home and try out 10m for myself.

I’m still new to working HF. I got my ticket during the bottom of the solar cycle and don’t have a fixed shack or antennas, so I’ve not had many opportunities. I set up my station in the back yard and started tuning across 10m. When I knocked shut down a short time later, I had 14 contacts across 12 counties in California. I wasn’t able to operate on Sunday, so I’m only claiming a score of 336.

This was the first HF contest I’ve worked. I’m still amazed at how little QRN there was. Every other time I’ve tried to work 10 meters, the background static has been deafening. Signals were so strong from the west coast that California may as well have been across the street. I’m starting to enjoy my hobby more and more.