[3830] IARU K8DX SO CW HP

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                    IARU HF World Championship

Call: K8DX
Operator(s): K8DX
Station: K8DX

Class: SO CW HP
QTH: Ohio
Operating Time (hrs): 24
Radios: SO2R

Summary:
 Band  CW Qs  Ph Qs  Mults
---------------------------
  160:    10            7
   80:    26           15
   40:   349           40
   20:   935           59
   15:   850           58
   10:    15            8
---------------------------
Total:  2185    0     187  Total Score = 1,680,195

Club: North Coast Contesters

Comments:

Usually the station is torn apart for upgrades/ repairs during the
Summer, but was in better shape than most since we just operated a 3 position
multi here for Field Day a few weeks ago.

One of the projects here this summer is point-to-point wiring for 
All the rotator and control lines.  Since it wasn’t quite finished,
I hard wired one rotator for 10-40M.  I hoped to finish everything Friday night
after taking the kids to one of the local carnivals.  

By Midnight I thought everything was ready to go, but I started having an RF
problem that “chattered” the relays in the Dunestar and WX0B SixPack when
transmitting on 15M.  I tried grounding things better, .01mf capacitors to
ground, and re-configurations.  Nothing seemed to help.  At about 2:30AM, even
with the headphones on I heard a big bang and could smell the smoke coming out
of the SixPack.  I threw in the towel at three and decided I’d forego my serious
IARU effort and just work the WRTC guys.

After just getting to sleep, my five year-old son came in to say his
“tummy hurts”.   He was sick for the next few hours, but finally 
went back to sleep a little after 5AM.  I slept for about another hour
until it was time to have my three year-old daughter start my day.

I headed down to the shack at 7:30AM, a half hour before the start
to see what could be salvaged.  I decided to by-pass the WX0B box,
and just hard wire antennas.  The only problem is that it is a long walk out of
the shack and around the back of the radios to change 
bands.  

I started the contest already feeling like Sunday morning of CQWW
without taking a sleep break.  After a 154, then 142 hour, I decided to switch
from WRTC to IARU.  Without much practice of SO2R 
lately, I found it difficult to get into the groove of cheking the second radio.
 Maybe it was not starting off fresh, or knowing I was
limited from doing quick band changes,  but I feel I really blew it
by not working the second radio more, and my multipliers show it.

This was my first 24 hour effort in this contest, and I’m definitely 
planning another one for next year!


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