NCCC Sprint - August 21
Call: W1NN
Operator(s): W1NN
Station: W1NN
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: OH
Operating Time (hrs): 0.4167
Summary:
Band QSOs Mults
-------------------
160:
80: 13 11
40: 16 13
20: 6 6
15:
10:
-------------------
Total: 35 30 Total Score = 1,050
Club: Mad River Radio Club
Comments:
Missed the first five minutes! Here's why.
High wind and heavy rain most of the day here at Dipole Acres but things
finally cleared up around 7 PM. I had lowered my dipoles to protect them from
the severe tree swaying but forgot to pull them back up while it was still
light. Two of the ropes supporting my wires are located quite a distance
behind the house in the middle of the woods. I try not to go back there at
night because there are who knows what kinds of animals back there including
really nasty mosquitos and ESPECIALLY skunks. I've seen Mother Skunk followed
by several Baby Skunks several times (and smelled them at least once per week)
and I really didn't want to stumble across them during their dinner hour, so as
the evening progressed I pondered giving up the NS this week. Most of you
reading this realize that this is quite out of the question ("My name's Hal and
I'm an adict") so at 10:15 I dressed up in my raincoat (just in case) and boots
and donned this mosquito net/hat thingy that I found on some camping website
and set out for the back woods.
I've always read that you never want to surprise an animal - you're supposed to
beat some pots and pans together or something to let them know you're coming. I
thought about carrying the flashlight in my teeth and banging pots and pans
together but it didn't seem practical, so I decided the next best thing would
be to sing something as I walked. Something loud and vigorous. I recently
acquired a CD of old Russian folk songs by The Red Army Choir and have been
playing the old Soviet National Anthum every morning to get the day going right
(I'm not a Commie but who can't be stirred by that piece of music?) and I
thought it or my voice would scare off just about anything, so that's what I
did.
I know that this would be a much better story if I could recount some sort of
close call with the skunk or some other beast of the wood, but the Soviet
National Anthem did its job! I could hear the animals skittering off as I made
my way back to my ropes. I managed to make my adjustments and get out of there
with only a few minor mosquito bites on my unprotected arms.
Well, I see that the main point of this story - why I missed the first five
minutes of the contest - has gotten completely obscured, but that happens a lot
in these postings so I'm not too concerned. Anyhow, the past is the past and
next week is a new week. I'll have my antennas ready for NS on Thursday and
until then be thinking about another excuse why my score is so crappy. Hmmm, I
wonder if I can use the skunk excuse a couple more times.
Back to preparing my route for the Ohio QSO Party this weekend. Hope to work
many of you fellow adicts.
73, Hal W1NN
Dipole (Skunk?) Acres
Medina, Ohio
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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