CQ Worldwide DX Contest, RTTY - 2021
Call: AA5AU
Operator(s): AA5AU
Station: AA5AU
Class: SO(A)AB HP
QTH: LA
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Summary:
Band QSOs State/Prov DX Zones
------------------------------------
80: 0 0 0 0
40: 0 0 0 0
20: 730 55 81 30
15: 302 15 69 20
10: 14 2 7 5
------------------------------------
Total: 1046 2292 157 55 Total Score = 650,928
Club: Louisiana Contest Club
Comments:
I love RTTY contesting so it was important to me to be able operate this contest
despite being antenna-limited. I needed to get back to some sort of normalcy
after Hurricane Ida. The storm damaged some of my antennas, but that doesn't
really matter. Others in this area weren't so lucky. They had their homes
severely damaged or destroyed. I lucked out this time. With only minimal damage,
I can only count my blessings and pray for those who suffered much more. I got
to operate the biggest RTTY contest of year so I couldn't ask for more.
I choose to live in hurricane alley so don't feel sorry for me. Ida did a number
on my antennas but that's on me. It's my own fault. I know better. I should have
taken them all down. At least I fared much better than Katrina 16 years ago when
I lost everything (and Ida was stronger than Katrina supposedly). Katrina was a
few miles closer to me than Ida, but I think better guying of the towers and
having a better roof on my house helped this time around. Phillystran really
works!
With an hour to go before the contest started I was able to get my main SteppIR
yagi back with all the fiberglass poles reinstalled. I had left the boom and
EHUs on the tower hoping they would survive. It appears they did.
After getting off the tower, I tested the antenna with the amp on 20 meters when
all of a sudden the SWR shot up to infinite and the receiver went silent.
Luckily it was just a bad coax cable between the amp and SixPak antenna switch
but the emotions I went through during that troubleshooting session are
indescribable. That jumper has been in use for a hundred years and why it chose
to go south then is a mystery to me. It was a test of my psyche for sure.
The contest? I don't remember much really. I know it was fun. It was therapy
actually. Since I only had the high bands, I was able to operate during the day
and sleep at night.
I got to do things during a major contest that I normally don't do. I watched
LSU win Saturday. Then watched the Saints win on Sunday. And I got to drink
beer! Yes, I got to enjoy my favorite brew - Dos Equis Ambar throughout the
contest. What a treat! All were ingredients to a great weekend.
This contest helped me recover from Ida. I can deal with broken antennas and a
destroyed fence this time. I will take it as a win. Hopefully there will be no
more storms this season and I'll be back in full for the RTTY Roundup. But how
many more of these will I be able to endure? Climate change is real. These
storms are getting worse. I'm not getting any younger and my tower climbing days
are numbered.
These are all things to ponder. But for now, one more Dos Equis, dinner and a
good night's sleep feeling that I'm not done just yet. I'm looking forward to
rebuilding my antennas because it's a hobby and that's what we do, right?
Thanks for all the contacts. I really needed them.
73, Don AA5AU
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.3830scores.com/
______________________________________________
3830 mailing list
3830@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/3830
|