[3830] TBDC N9ADG Single Op LP

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                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge

Call: N9ADG
Operator(s): N9ADG
Station: N9ADG

Class: Single Op LP
QTH: WWA
Operating Time (hrs): 1.4

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 38  Total Score = 154

Club: Western Washington DX Club

Comments:

I 'Reserved' the 2005 SPTBDC weekend with my wife months ahead of time -- and in
November our plans 'changed' so 
 that we'd be away that weekend skiing in Whistler, BC, with her father. We'd be
leaving during the contest day
 on Saturday, arriving at the ski area about dusk. A week before the Stew, I
scrambled to find a station that
 would allow me to operate in BC, and was able to do so -- thanks Bob Eldridge
VE7BS, only about 45 mins from the 
 ski area.  Three days before the contest an inspiration hits me that perhaps I
can just run my home station 
 remotely through the internet; I make sure the firewall is set up, get a
dynamic DNS entry, install some 
 software to manage the dynamic address, and set up a RealVNC server on the
laptop controlling the computer.
 I set up two free VOIP accounts, and use VOIP Soft-phones on my laptop at home,
and the one I'm taking with me. 
 I spend Wednesday night testing. I use a USB relay control interface (Ontrak
ADU-200) to control an Ameritron 
 RCS-10 switch to allow changing the receive antennas under computer control.
THE ADU-200 even has a watchdog timer
 function! I modify the nice Windows application to control the antenna
switches, watchdog, and PTT. I test it.
 Alot. I call the Hotel on Thursday ot verify that they have high speed
internet, and they do.  I use the setup on 
 Friday night, testing to make sure there are no RF problems with the internet
connections etc. On Saturday morning,
 I work the first 1.5 hours of the contest until the band shuts down (last
station heard (but not worked) KH6ZM, hearing 
 him work NL7?). I test my remote setup again after the band closes. My son has
a birthday party to attend, until 
 1pm. We get on the road at 1:15. I stop at work to get a keyboard and 'real
mouse' so I don't have to work the
 contest with a laptop touchpad. We drive from Seattle through Vancouver, where
'we' get a little lost as we try 
 to get from 91 to Route 1 (our map is from 1988). As the sun sets in the
distance across Vancouver Island, I
 think "the band has been open for at least an hour". We arrive at our hotel at
6:20pm, which isn't bad. 
 With three kids, unloading the car takes about 30 minutes. Oh, I need to go to
the ski rental place for skis 
 for our youngest who is going into ski school the next day. That takes 25
minutes. Back to the room. I unpack
 the laptop, verify that the internet connection works, and I actually log into
home, enable VNC and call myself on 
 the VOIP phone. I hear that the band is open. I hear a K9 calling CQ about the
time my wife says dinner is ready.
 I resist the urge to work the K9, but, satisfied everything is going to turn
out, I disconnect, and have a leisurely
 dinner. While my wife is helping the kids brush their teeth, I explain to my
father in law what I was planning on
 doing, and catch him up to the story to this point. He's known me for a number
of years, so has considerable 
 skill in expressing interest in this 'hobby' while remembering the other
potential suitors for his daughter.  
 My wife sits down, and joins the conversation. I am able to get the laptop to
the table, where I expect I'll be
 spending the next few hours. I click on the connection to home, which worked 30
minutes before -- nothing. I 
 try another method to see if the machine is reachable -- nothing. I am puzzled
-- everything worked just a 
 short while before. I try a few more times; I traceroute. I call our answering
machine at home -- works ok. 
 What could it be? It's 9:20pm. I am reluctant to do so, but I call a neighbor
to enquire if they might go over
 to check on why nothings working. I envision a freak failure mode where the
watchdog timer has failed, I'm
 transmitting, which despite my testing has killed the internet connection. I
have to explain (condensed version)
 to this neighbor where I am, why I'm calling; His wife answers. Explaining my
call, she cackles with laughter,
 since she already thinks I'm an incredible nerd, and this just confirmed it
again.  She also laughs because 
 she'd be glad to go over and do that, but the power to our entire neighborhood
is out due to high winds... The
 double whammy is that my wife was listening to my side of the conversation, and
knew exactly what had happened.
 Turns out the power was off for a number of hours -- enough to deplete the
laptop batteries, and cause it not 
 to come on again. My wife mentions that if I had been home, I may have just
been sitting in the dark anyway. 
 I wisely didn't point out I would have likely got the generator out of the
shed.  Lessons learned: Test all
 failure modes; know what you're dependent on; if Murphy really wants you, he's
going to get you.
 
 I did get to meet Bob VE7BS in person on Monday, and had a great time chatting
about 160m and a bunch of other
 topics.
 
 See you next year. I've already reserved the weekend with my wife, whatever
weekend it happens to be. She's  likely already planning something else for us
to do.


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