(PART III)
Scotty and I start off the contest as Jim and Jeff are still wandering out
in the woods with Randy putting up the fourth beverage. We are eager for
some big runs and lots of signals. Nothing heard, where are the signals ?
We check everything out, drop down on the broadcast band and check out the
beverages, everything is OK. Scotty then askes me "Do we have the wrong
weekend" ? Oh, great, I am suppose to be the team leader and I am thinking
did I really screw up and lead these guys up here for nothing ? I run and
get a CQ magazine out of my pack and relieved that at least we have the
correct weekend but where are the signals. About ten minutes into the
contest we hear our first signal, a weak AZ station. Quickly in the log and
continue to call CQ and search with the other receiver. It is almost 30
minutes into the contest (3:30 PM local time) before we start hearing more
then a few signals and start to get answers to CQ's We kept checking to
make sure the damn balloon is still flying and not on it's way to New
Mexico. As sunset approaaches we start to hear the band fill up with
signals and QRM. The DX window is useless, one dude on 1835 another on 1830
and nothing but slop in-between. The rate is still poor and it is not fun.
I am starting to ask myself "Why am I here", "Why am I doing this","This is
not fun because it is not CW" I can tell Scotty is thinking the same thing
but he doesn't say it. I start to have visions of getting bored real quick
and use this as a training session and take it easy and for a change get
some sleep. At this point in the CW test we had over 200 QSO's versus the
56 Q we have now. Finally as the sun goes down and it is dark the rate goes
up. The adrenaline kicks in and I have my best hour of 112 QSO's not bad
for a "Left Coast" station, life is good. Shortly we run into our first big
problem. Somebody tells us that our voice keyer sounds like "Crap", we
monitor and Yep, it sounds like Crap. Rf is getting into the voice keyer.
Shut the linear down and it is fine. Move the mic cables around and try
dressing up the leads and it still sounds like crap. Choice is run the 1500
watt amp and call CQ the old fashion way or run low power. No "brainier" we
plug on calling CQ the old fashion way. Nobody has any ferrite beads or
chokes in our stuff to try and fix the voice keyer. In the morning, Jim and
Randy will go into the nearest town, some 15 miles away and try to find a
"Rat Shack" or something at K-Mart that has some beads in it to try and fix
the voice keyer. Scotty and I trudge on calling CQ the old fashion way and
it sucks. After about three hours I have had it, my throat is sore and I
yield to one of the other guys and take a 60 minute nap. I get back up
around 5 AM looking for VK/ZL's and the other pacific stations that we knew
were active. Gee, maybe even talk the ZL7 boys into switching to SSB.
Where are the signals ? Nothing from the pacific except for three KH6's who
are quickly added to the log. Scotty keeps calling CQ, nothing from the
pacific and work just a few 6's & 7's everybody else we have already worked
- bummer. We keep plugging away. I get bored and get relieved and go fix
everyone breakfast. About 9 AM the band is dead, no signals. Randy, Jim
and Jeff go to town to get water and to look for some parts to "bullet
proof" the voice keyer.
CONTINUED IN PART IV
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