Top Banders,
Well, an eventful night, and to paste an extract from .cbr file:
CATEGORY: SINGLE-OP ALL LOW
CLAIMED-SCORE: 925
OPERATORS: G4VGO
SOAPBOX: Tuning knob on the FT1000D froze (Fixed at 14:45), the keyer power
supply blew up (Changed while in QSO with G3SED using my bug), the balloon
antenna (190 feet) was tossed by 30 mph winds all during the test, the QRN
came up to the west just as the W/VE path opened, and occasionally the TR
Log seemed to have a mind of its own (later found to be finger trouble). The
shack temperature never rose above 2 degrees C! Also, QSB to North America
was murder....but a good contest.
Other Comments after the contest:
Cold fingers don't send good CW, a small fire in the keyer (filter cap)
caused some excitement, the balloon was up 190 feet and the winds
occasionally did a number on it causing QSB (but the 3/8 wave helped a lot),
and QRN came up to S4 on the west pennant as the band opened to NA.
Longest distance I think was Tom W8JI as the propagation of last year to
Asia and Australia didn't happen in Eastern England this year. All in all,
an interesting night.
All the best for 2002 and I hope we get better conditions in the New Year!
Bob G4VGO
|