Final numbers 1B 2ops (W8TK & WD8AUB) are 1434 cw qsos, 27 ssb qsos (all
on vhf) for total qsos of 1,461. 800 bonus. Total score 6,590.
This was a new best score for us. We beat last year by just 11 qsos.
At one point, we were about 100 qsos behind last year. Tom and I have
been doing this at his farm for 15 years. Missing only two of them (the
year I got married, and the year his father passed away)!!
I think we finally hit a groove. I had a terrible performance out of
the gate. We go in 4 hour shifts. With me starting, and Tom
finishing... with me taking the last hour. It works out to 11 hours for
Tom, and 13 for me. My first 4 hours totalled 243 cw qsos. With the
first hour a deplorable (for us) 56 hour. Then Tom put in the two
highest hours we have EVER had in FD. 79 followed by an 83 hour!!!
Then, if Tom didn't embarrass me enough (I am nearly 20 years his
junior), he had another 82 hour on Sunday on 20 meters. We were using a
dipole at 25 feet. Who needs a beam???!!!
But as Fred, K3ZO has coined... "don't tell me what your best hour was,
What was your worst hour...?" Well, our worst hour was 43 at 7 am.
Then 44 at 3am. Then 2 hours of 51 (including the last hour). Not too
shabby for a CW only operation.
We missed the record, though. I think we need to be on the west coast
to do it. Or Texas. But, Ohio is good. We don't do much VHF. In
fact, Tom doesn't do any. What VHF we do, I do while he operates.
Maybe if we get out a mic, and push harder on VHF we can crack the
record...? (It's about 800 points higher than we scored)
Anyway, that is the W8TK FD. We had a ball. No real Murphy. Just the
same old (comfortable) routine. 4 to 5 hours to set up. 2 or so to
tear down. And a pleasant "Well, partner.... see you next year!"
15 years contesting together. Looking forward to another 15.
Very 73,
Doug WD8AUB
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