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160 17 x 15
80 80 x 41
40 123 x 48
20 311 x 63
15 216 x 64
10 431 x 68
1178 x 299 1,056,666
22.5 hrs op time.
About a month before the contest, everything was set for a serious 2 =
radio effort. That was a month before the contest. Took a day of =
vacation Friday before the contest to rest up. Ended up watching 2 sick =
kids all day wife was sick too but couldn't find a substitute teacher so =
she toughed it out at school. I ran out to do a few errands mid =
afternoon to beat a rain storm that was on the way while my mother in =
law was watching the kids. I ended up at the cleaners about 6 miles =
away from the house when the tornado warning sirens went off and we were =
in the projected path. The girl at the cleaners was on the panicking on =
the phone and was in no hurry to give me my clothes so I could get home =
to my basement.
finally leave cleaners, pick up wife's grandfather to get to the storm =
shelter. We only get wind and rain
here. We did see the funnel cloud go about 5 miles NW of here. K4AB =
lost power over in his part of the county and didn't get it back till 2 =
hours into the contest. He is rumored to be generator shopping this =
week.
Wife comes home sick and goes straight to bed. I go buy dinner for the =
kids and get ready to start the contest. I am going to check on the =
kids every 30 minutes or so. I start with one radio on 10 the other on =
20. I did not check the low bands as I figured it would be very noisy =
with the storms. Thing go as planned, working a few folks on both =
radios. The goal was to beat my 1991 ARRL CW DX LP score of just under =
1.0 m points when I was KC4ZV. I finished 5th in the country that year, =
W4AN (KM9P) finished first LP that year with a new all time LP record (I =
think). I finally got to 40 meters (0330) and I'm working everything =
first call, the DX stations are loud and the band is quiet. major =
mistake not checking sooner. Run 40 S&P go to 80.Same thing, low band =
conditions are incredible. Somewhere in this mix,
time gets away from me and I miss a 30 minute check. I go up stairs at =
0430, everybody is asleep. This is good. Still on 40/80 for the next =
hour or so with checks of 15/20 to see what is there. Finally make it =
to 160. DX stations are loud, band is quiet and I'm on the 40 meter =
dipole (which I don't realize for a while) but I'm working a few guys in =
the Caribbean. Finally figure out my blunder at 0600Z and switch to the =
inverted L. I start working EU with LP. OZ, SM, DL, G, this is fun. At =
0646, I hear somebody walking around upstairs and the washing machine =
start. My son has just thrown up, has a fever and we are out of =
medicine. =20
Jump in to the car go to Kroger where all dads that are out buying =
medicine for their sick kids after midnight get free donuts. Well not =
exactly free but we were going to need breakfast food. Get back home, =
unload the medicine, and head back to the radio room to turn everything =
off for the night.
Sat morning, I get the green light to get back on the air so at 1349, we =
have radio one on 10 meters and radio 2 on 15 except radio 2 is not =
transmitting. There is an intermittent problem when switching from SSB =
to CW with the radio and it can quickly be fixed by talking on ssb and =
then switching to cw. This time, its not a quick fix. it takes almost =
1.5 hours of playing with the radio between QSO's on 10 to get it fixed =
and it only started transmitting on CW when I went to the FM mode. I =
know what the problem is and will have it fixed. Operate till 2338 when =
I have to leave to go to my mothers birthday dinner. Get back on the =
radio at 0455 and operate till 0722. The plan was to go all night till =
church time but as I get older, I don't recover from long periods of no =
sleep as I used to and I have a major customer due in Tuesday morning at =
8:30 AM. Go to bed, both kids are up and down the rest of the night.
Go to church Sunday morning. Get back on radio at 1736 to 2145. Get =
spotted on packet on 10 meters and have the biggest pile up I think I =
have ever had in my life calling me. they are all about the same signal =
strength and I'm only able to get 2 or 3 letters at a time. I go back =
to what I have picked out of the pile and that only reduces the number =
of callers by half. A better op would have been able to pick out a =
complete call and sped up the rate but I don't have that much practice =
with large pileups.
Rate meter last 10 and past 10 both got into the 140's but it was as =
frustrating as it was fun.
Left for church at 2215 for a meeting before services and that was the =
contest.
Lots of fun, need more antennas for 2 radio operation. Still missed alot =
of easy mults even with 2 radios.
Always fun to contribute numbers for the club.
Greg K4NO
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<HTML><HEAD>
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>160 17 x 15</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>80 80 x =
41</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>40 123 x 48</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>20 311 x 63</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>15 216 x 64</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>10 431 x 68</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>1178 x 299 1,056,666</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>22.5 hrs op time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>About a month before the contest, everything was set =
for a=20
serious 2 radio effort. That was a month before the contest. Took =
a day of=20
vacation Friday before the contest to rest up. Ended up watching 2 =
sick=20
kids all day wife was sick too but couldn't find a substitute teacher so =
she=20
toughed it out at school. I ran out to do a few errands mid =
afternoon to=20
beat a rain storm that was on the way while my mother in law was =
watching the=20
kids. I ended up at the cleaners about </FONT><FONT size=3D2>6 =
miles away=20
from the house when the tornado warning sirens went off and we were in =
the=20
projected path. The girl at the cleaners was on the panicking on =
the phone=20
and was in no hurry to give me my clothes so I could get home to my=20
basement.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>finally leave cleaners, pick up wife's grandfather =
to get to=20
the storm shelter. We only get wind and rain</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>here. We did see the funnel cloud go about 5 =
miles NW of=20
here. K4AB lost power over in his part of the county and didn't =
get it=20
back till 2 hours into the contest. He is rumored to be =
generator=20
shopping this week.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Wife comes home sick and goes straight to bed. =
I go buy=20
dinner for the kids and get ready to start the contest. I am going =
to=20
check on the kids every 30 minutes or so. I start with one radio on =
10 the=20
other on 20. I did not check the low bands as I figured it =
would be=20
very noisy with the storms. Thing go as planned, working a few folks on =
both=20
radios. The goal was to beat my 1991 ARRL CW DX LP =
score of=20
just under 1.0 m points when I was KC4ZV. I finished 5th in the =
country=20
that year, W4AN (KM9P) finished first LP that year with a new all time =
LP record=20
(I think). I finally got to 40 meters (0330) and I'm working =
everything=20
first call, the DX stations are loud and the band is quiet. major =
mistake=20
not checking sooner. Run 40 S&P go to 80.</FONT><FONT size=3D2>Same =
thing, low=20
band conditions are incredible. Somewhere in this =
mix,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>time gets away from me and I miss a 30 minute=20
check. I go up stairs at 0430, everybody is asleep. =
This is=20
good. Still on 40/80 for the next hour or so with checks of 15/20 =
to see=20
what is there. Finally make it to 160. DX stations are loud, =
band is=20
quiet and I'm on the 40 meter dipole (which I don't realize for a while) =
but I'm=20
working a few guys in the Caribbean. Finally figure out my blunder at =
0600Z and=20
switch to the inverted L. I start working EU with LP. OZ, =
SM, DL, G,=20
this is fun. At 0646, I hear somebody walking around upstairs and the =
washing=20
machine start. My son has just thrown up, has a fever and we are =
out of=20
medicine. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Jump in to the car go to Kroger where all dads that =
are out=20
buying medicine for their sick kids after midnight get free =
donuts. Well=20
not exactly free but we were going to need breakfast food. Get =
back home,=20
unload the medicine, and head back to the radio room to turn everything =
off for=20
the night.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Sat morning, I get the green light to get back on =
the air so=20
at 1349, we have radio one on 10 meters and radio 2 on 15 except radio 2 =
is not=20
transmitting. There is an intermittent problem when switching from =
SSB to=20
CW with the radio and it can quickly be fixed by talking on ssb and then =
switching to cw. This time, its not a quick fix. it =
takes=20
almost 1.5 hours of playing with the radio between QSO's on 10 to get it =
fixed=20
and it only started transmitting on CW when I went to the FM mode. =
I know=20
what the problem is and will have it fixed. Operate till 2338 when I =
have to=20
leave to go to my mothers birthday dinner. Get back on the radio =
at 0455=20
and operate till 0722. The plan was to go all night till church =
time but=20
as I get older, I don't recover from long periods of no sleep as I used =
to and I=20
have a major customer due in Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM. Go to =
bed, both=20
kids are up and down the rest of the night.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Go to church Sunday morning. Get back on radio =
at 1736=20
to 2145. Get spotted on packet on 10 meters and have the biggest =
pile up I=20
think I have ever had in my life calling me. they are all about =
the same=20
signal strength and I'm only able to get 2 or 3 letters at a time. =
I go=20
back to what I have picked out of the pile and that only reduces the =
number of=20
callers by half. A better op would have been able to pick out a =
complete=20
call and sped up the rate but I don't have that much practice with large =
pileups.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Rate meter last 10 and past 10 both got into the =
140's but it=20
was as frustrating as it was fun.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Left for church at 2215 for a meeting before =
services and that=20
was the contest.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Lots of fun, need more antennas for 2 radio =
operation. Still=20
missed alot of easy mults even with 2 radios.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Always fun to contribute numbers for the =
club.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Greg K4NO</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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