ARRL Sweepstakes Contest, CW
Call: N8IE
Operator(s): N8IE
Station: N8IE
Class: Single Op QRP
QTH: OH
Operating Time (hrs): 23
Summary:
Band QSOs
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160: 0
80: 25
40: 157
20: 73
15: 91
10: 61
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Total: 407 Sections = 79 Total Score = 64,306
Club:
Comments:
What a blast!
The bands were fair in SW Ohio and I got to run WriteLog for the first time.
Mr. Murphy paid his respects but thank God it was a short one!
Wrote this up on Friday night as I was trying to get things ready, hope you
enjoy!
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The Night Before Sweeps Stakes!
Twas the night before Sweep Stakes and all through the bands,
Not a signal was Q'ing, not even VE-land.
The dipole was hung by oak trees with care,
In hopes that all 80 would hear me out there.
The rigs were all ready their LED's glowed red,
While visions of plaques and awards ran through my head.
And my Elmer in the kitchen, and I in my FISTS shirt,
Had just finished arguing who would come in first.
When out in the yard there arose such a clatter,
We sprang from the table to see what was the matter.
Away to the screen door I ran like a flash,
Caught the stove corner and my leg got a gash.
The sparks of the power lines and the new fallen dipole,
Gave the luster of mid-day as we both said "Oh no".
When what to our wondering eyes should we see,
The body of a dead squirrel at the base of the tree.
With little time left we had to act quick,
I knew right then we needed our friend Nick.
More rapid than code we called and he came,
He brought over his buddies and yelled out there names.
"Now Bubba! Now Fred! get the rope and start swaying,
Come on John! stop that Ralph, put down that squirrel and stop playing!
To the top of the trees! tie them ropes well,"
Bubba broke wind, and Fred nearly fell!
With leaves that crackle and winds cold and dry,
When they meet with an obstacle, obscenities did fly,
So up to the trees and the roof the cursers ran quick,
With a hand full of tools, except for Nick.
And then in a twinkling I heard on the roof,
The slipping and scraping of shingles that was loose.
As I covered my mouth and was turning around,
Down the chimney came Nick with a thud to the ground.
He was covered in leaves from his head to his foot,
His clothes were all ripped and smeared with soot.
He landed on his back, just missed the front stoop,
But he managed to land right in my dogs poop.
His eyes glassed over, his expression not merry,
His cheeks were like roses, in his nose was stuck a berry!
His mouth was drawn up as tight as a bow,
Then he spit out two teeth right in the snow.
The stump of his cigar he had in his teeth,
Was now lodged in his hair and smoked like a wreath.
He brushed it out, it fell to his round belly,
As he cussed it shook like a bowl full of jelly.
He was a sight like a plump jolly elf,
And I laughed as I saw him in spite of myself.
A twitch of his fist and a twist of his head,
He gave me a look I knew I would dread.
He spoke not a word and went back to work,
He got the dipole up and muttered "there you jerk".
Laying his fingers aside his sore nose,
He told me I owed him some new close.
He sprang to his pickup and gave his team a whistle,
And away they flew down the driveway like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim as his tires squealed like a pig,
"Good luck tomorrow, and I left the squirrel on your rig"!
73
Dan, N8IE
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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