CQ 160-Meter Contest, SSB
Call: K3ZJ
Operator(s): K3ZJ
Station: K3ZJ
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: WV
Operating Time (hrs): 13
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 287 State/Prov = 51 Countries = 9 Total Score = 41,040
Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club
Comments:
Late start Friday, after 0100 Z, in part because the laptop took an hour to
reboot when I finally was ready to go. Then near disaster Saturday. The laptop
hung for HOURS when I tried to start it. After 4 or 5 hours and several restart
tries, it magically displayed a message that something is wrong, it is taking
too long to boot, and did I want to reload Windows �" doing so will
permanently delete some files. I decided to try it, even if it meant losing
the last night’s log. Spent the next hour+ going through this process. When
it finished, everything seemed fine except, of course, the logging and Flex
software was gone that I require.
The WV cabin is in a remote area, without Internet access. The wired Internet
available through the phone company proved insufficient even for my light
business needs on weekends, so I canceled it years ago after a trial. But I do
have a neighbor who has it, since it’s the only wired Internet available. So
I called them and invited myself to download the needed software at their house.
There’s been no improvement however. The download from Flex terminated
several times and just wouldn’t finish. Had some good social time anyways,
and they told me that they get a $10. discount every month by order of the
State commission because service is so bad.
I could operate without the Flex software since I have a non-SDR backup rig in
the cabin, but I would have to log by hand. Decided no. But then I remembered
MacDonald’s free Wi-Fi, and there is a MacDonald’s down the mountain. A
quick call confirmed it. Five miles and 20 minutes later I’m having coffee
while the files download. Slow by my city standards, but solid. Everything
downloaded successfully, and when I checked N1MM+, all my old files were there,
including the last night’s log!
Back up the mountain, I’m on the air a little before 0100 Z. Almost 9 hours
dealing with the laptop problems, lots of operating time lost �" but back
on the air! And I don't have to worry about bringing the laptop to the repair
shop.
Guess I’m a REAL single operator, no one to do repairs when something breaks
during the competition.
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