I think the only reason I do this contest is the saying:
NO PAIN, NO GAIN. I really don't like it but I do it.
I might as well face it that I'm a very mediocre contest
CW op, even if I do think I can pull dx calls out of the
mud on 40 and 80 well. Thanks for everyone's patience.
call/name/QTH: WB4iUX, "Elf", South Carolina
team: Watt Me Worry #1
logging: pen and paper (will put into NA later)
rig: one TS930 xcvr with NO NARROW CW FILTER
(TS690 with cascaded narrow filters doesn't have tuner that
I needed for 20 and 80)
antennas: two --
40 M dipole (for 40 and 20): fell to the ground sometime
during the test -- amazed that G4BUO and CT1BOH
heard me -- I thought I wasn't being heard because I
was running 100 watts
80 M 'gamma' antenna: the quickie pseudo inverted
L....a 67 ft piece wire hooked to the ground post and
laid out in the yard; a 67 ft piece of wire soldered to
a PL259 and plugged into the so239 on the 930....
radiator thrown up through couple of limbs with end hanging
down...looked like the Greek letter gamma...thus,
The GAMMA antenna! Wife thought it was a hoot.
I had to 'splain it was a 'speriment.....
WB0O and N6TR were both loud on the GAMMA
antenna.
score: pitiful:
20 M / 12 Q / 4 mults
40 M / 21 Q / 8 mults
80 M / 12 Q / 10 mults
45 Q / 22 mults (of course not counting 2 DX qso's)
Lowlights:
Had to quit on 20 because no one could hear me (antenna
must have been on the ground already). Had to quit on 40
because almost no one could hear me and I was tripping the
GFCI breaker for some of the kitchen appliances. Had to quit
on 80 because I was trashing the VCR playing the movie
(Waterworld) I rented that my wife wanted to watch. I worked
N6TR on 80 as my last QSO while my younger son was carefully
explaining that I was ruining the color on the TV. This was a losing
battle all around. At least it was all my fault.
Totally disappointed the Watt Me Worry #1 team -- sorry to all
of u.
Highlights:
1. The GAMMA antenna worked better than I had any idea,
and will be remade into a full size elevated vertical suspended
from the 90+ ft oak behind the house. I could have made many
more Q's (in spite of my poor ability) on 80. I think the key is
'full size antennas rule even if they are bent'!!!
2. Wife just called and I got an unexpected bonus -- I will have a
C3 on order this weekend and use it while I get all the other
yagis rebuilt. Time to start the first tower hole...
Livin' and learnin'.....
73, tom WB4iUX
WB4iUX@AOL.COM
HUMILITY IS A CRUEL TASKMASTER.
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