WAE DX Contest, CW
Call: 9A7P
Operator(s): 9A6XX
Station: 9A7P
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: Pazin
Operating Time (hrs): 36
Summary:
Band QSOs QTCs Mults
-------------------------
80: 16 0 40
40: 61 120 72
20: 273 736 110
15: 174 549 106
10: 37 20 36
-------------------------
Total: 561 1425 360 Total Score = 714,960
Club: Worldwide Young Contesters
Comments:
TS440S+2 el QUAD (20,15 and 10m)+40/80m dipoles
In past 4 days I had one of the most incredible contest advanture so far.
After this I can say, Murphy makes a normal man crazy, but what does it make to
a lunatic? Nuttin!
I almost made my goal 2000 points+400 mults! But the hell this way it's much
better. You wanna know why I'm so happy? Just read the next few lines.
Around tuesday one of the storms going on whole past week threw my 40/80m
antennas down, so I almost start to think about quiting the contest as rain
followed with lightning was going on for whole week. God has sent me some
no-rain space on friday right before the sunset. With a help of 9A6NCM I managed
to put up antennas. We managed to put wires up but dark was already there so had
no capabilty of resizeing wires or anything, God sent us new gift of SWR on both
on 40/80 CW 1:1.5!
Also K1EA sent me an email with corrected CT bug from v9.80 right before contest
(ALT+K didnt work in ALT+L mode). Great, finnaly I felt kinda cool that I'm
starting contest with not so much troubles.
0000z, OK I saw the lightnings somewhere in far distance, but as soon as 15
minutes big storm crashed on my little town. "Nice start"! From 0015z-0115z I
was off (I calculated this to those 36 working hours tho I was not on air as
only 3 breaks are availeable, I just didnt want to miss the night and took
longer break).
I got back but rain and lightning were continuously there. Never had so much
problems with such a hard QRN and noise on low bands. In this conditions I
managed to get even 10 QTCs from ZL6QH on 40m.
OK advanture has started, in early morning I was trying few times to climb up
the QUAD tower but rain was too strong, I was too wet and I could've end 30
meters lower on parking spot easly. Couldnt rotate QUAD at all. So I took my 1st
real break (2.5hrs). Just couldnt work anything.
I was back around 08z starting to work first JAs on 15m (they were loud) but
rain was still falling followed with big lightnings, at around 12z I took my 2nd
lightning-break as I already saw sparks comming out trough coaxes. I was lucky
enough to go up the roof and rotate QUAD into direction JA.
Came back after hour or so, and at that time 9A5Y reports me he's working USA on
15m quite normal with same antenna (2 el.QUAD), but I heard noone. Just loud
JAs, but running JAs is impossible for me. Till late afternoon managed to get
some USA but as previous years this year also shows sunday's condx much better
and I was expecting that so after I made some JAs on 15/20m I took my 2nd real
pause (3 hours). I was back for the good US opening on 20m and started to run
extremly good and was already closing 1000 QTCs (00z), but then just when I
planned to switch 40/80m for more mults there was a big power blackout, whole
town was with no light. Really scary; rain, lightnings and total dark
everywhere. At 0120z (0320 am) I was with my friends talking scary stories for
next hour near the candle. We decided all to leave the place at 0240z (0440 am)
but finding a home was quite messy thing to do when everything you feel is wet
rain while trying to find home. I'm lucky to live only 300m from 9A7P. After
half hour of crossing this 300m I managed to find home and prayed that power
will be back untill morning. I can just imagine how many mults I've missed on
40/80m.
Great, after everbody going off after FB night on 20-80m I just arrived on the
bands. It was 08z and said to myself "at least I handled all the breaks and now
I can operate untill the contest end". Was 3-4 more times on the roof rotating
the QUAD while rain was constantly falling almost all 48 hours with lightnings
at 2/3 part of it. I can say I'm no longer afraid of lightnings. After watching
lightshow whole week, nothing special, like being in disco watching strobe light
:-)
Luckly at least condx were much better the 2nd day but not much people active,
while on 10m I heard no US signal. 9A5Y worked K1-K5 on 10m with same antenna I
had, 2el QUAD and nice sunshine (400km east from me).
Contest end was quiet and nice, but after 00z another storm passed us by, but I
was no longer interested in that.
Today reading the newspapers, watching the TV, reports from my town shows 136
liters of rain on square meter (116 gallons/sq feet), which is nr.1 on the list
in Croatia, followed with Pula - 40km south from my town (only 73 liters/sq
meter).
Few houses in the lower part of my town ended below water level, and main road
in this part was closed due to river water level that went up about 20 meters.
Never ever such thing happend to Pazin in the middle of August.
But the advanture; wetness and tiredness (50+ hours awake stuggling the
antennas, working contest, fighting the dark) was unforgetable. What would it be
in field day style??? WOOOOOA!
I enjoyed 30hrs clx talking to 9A5Y, we agreed it's best to be under (whatever
comes to your mind now :-)) )
Finnaly I managed to beat S56A what was my wish for some time, as WAE is his
favorite one. Of course he's too old for LP, but pushing on HP didnt help :-)
My QTC subject contribution: There's no QTC then fast QTC. This year very few
QRQ, H2G fastest? But I appriciate W2MUM's 10 QTCs! It's amazing to see some
people on straight key giving QTCs while people having over 100 QTC never even
try to send with computer. They dont have to receive them, where's the
problem?
CU next year! New rules seemed more fun then previous ones, at least for me.
73 de 9A6XX@9A7P.
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