[3830] WD4AHZ WAE CW SO/LP

[Ron Wetjen]

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          


-- 
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



--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/3830faq.html
Submissions:              3830 at contesting.com
Administrative requests:  3830-REQUEST at contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-3830 at contesting.com