DARC WORKED ALL EUROPE CONTEST -- 1998
Call: WD4AHZ Country: United States
Mode: CW Category: Single Operator
Time: 21 Hours
BAND QSO QTC Cty Mult
160 0 0 0 0
80 0 0 0 0
40 20 20 11 33
20 212 209 34 68
15 208 208 31 62
10 0 0 0 0
================================================
Totals 440 437 76 163 = 142,951
Equipment Description:
Kenwood TS-930 @ 100W
Cushcraft A4 @ 37'
Center Fed Zepp @ 35"
Club Affiliation: Florida Contest Group
Comments: My first attempt at this contest ... and one that won't be soon
forgotten! Friday night, logging program crashed, and spent several hours
trying to fix it. Gave up in frustration. Spent Saturday morning
re-entering my log and QTC's. Played around all day Saturday with no
problems. Sunday afternoon, was running on 20 and working guys between
the static crashes. Suddenly, in mid-QSO, I see a flash, hear a BOOM
and a snap ... all at the same time ... scared the **** out of me!!! OH-UH
... not good! Wrap up the current QSO, and promptly go QRT, and start
pulling coax and plugs (of course, it's probably too late anyway!). After
unplugging things in the the house, I go out and take a quick peek at the
antennas. I notice thick smoke starting to billow across the yard, from
the next street over! From my vantage point, I can't see exactly where
it's coming from, and it's pouring rain with lightning flashing all around.
Hear the Fire Trucks arriving, with more on the way, and then see flames!
Once the rain let up, went out to take a look ... one of our neighbors
house got struck by lightning and caught fire!!!!!
Tried to get back on after the storm passed, but the QRN was too bad and
another storm was moving in. I wasn't about to push my luck (again!), so
wimped out, and called it quits. I'm sure glad to be here though, after
thinking about what could have happened if the lightning struck 100 feet
in another direction!
OH, and the contest was fun too. Heard the South Americans working EU on
10, but only heard an EA8. Maybe next year!
73, Ron
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WD4AHZ Homepage - http://home1.gte.net/wd4ahz/index.htm
Sarasota Emergency Radio Club - http://home1.gte.net/wd4ahz/serc.htm
Florida Contest Group - http://www.4w.com/deemer/fcg.htm
Florida QSO Party - http://home1.gte.net/wd4ahz/fcg/ssqp.htm
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