[3830] CQWW CW VA7RN(@VE7UF) M/2 HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: VA7RN
Operator(s): VA7RN, VE7FO, VE7SQ, VE7UF
Station: VE7UF

Class: M/2 HP
QTH: Courtenay BC
Operating Time (hrs): 40

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:  122    12       14
   80:  515    20       33
   40:  803    28       57
   20:  630    32       75
   15:  416    23       52
   10:    1     1        1
------------------------------
Total: 2487   116      232  Total Score = 1,983,252

Club: British Columbia DX Club

Comments:

Been a while since a VE7FO story appeared on 3830.  Been too busy to even do
much contesting this season, let alone write stories.

First time for VE7FO to be involved in a full-out CW multi-op.  This was at
VE7UF using VA7RN's call.  Great fun but a few visits from Murphy.  Kind'a neat
turning the stack of 3 TH6's on the 150 ft rotating tower compared to turning my
TH3 at 50 ft.

We had 4 ops which made it possible to keep both positions working full time
and to schedule op times.  We did 4 on and 4 off.  I was pretty dubious as to
whether I would be able to handle such short sleep periods but it worked out
just fine.

DAY 1
Things hummed along pretty well for the first 13 hours where we maintained an
average of 100 Qs/hr.  Not a really good rate but not too bad for the
conditions.  900 two pointers and 400 three pointers.  145 mults.  Hours 14 (6
am local) to 23 really sucked for Qs (421) but picked up 142 mults.  Guess we
were doing a lot of S&P'ing.  The Eu opening didn't happen.  A total of 19 Eu
during this period including a couple on 40.

2359Z  1726 Qs, 4028 points, 188 Countries, 99 Zones,  Score - 1,156,036

Should end up with 3M easy and maybe up around 4M

DAY2 - Hubris
Next six hours were rather pitiful
0606Z  1876 Qs, 204 Countries, 106 Zones  We're actually making rate on 160

0607Z  (2207 local) Snow and freezing rain build up on trees plus wind knocks
out power as trees switch their polarization from vertical to horizontal. 
Bye-bye 160 rate
0700Z  Still no power

0806Z  Power comes on.  Should be able to work Carib on 80.  4 square seems to
have no directivity as I switch through the 4 directions.  Go outside to see if
it's now a 3 square.  Still 4 elements but control cable has broken due to
weight of snow.  Default direction is Eu.  Bye-bye Carib mults.  160 wire is
also broken.

1127Z  1997 Qs, 213 Countries, 111 Zones
1128Z  Power fails
1200Z  Still no power.
1349Z  Power comes on.  

2000Z  2427 Qs, 231 Countries, 116 Zones
VA7RN and VE7SQ leave for home (somewhat more than an hour away) as snow is
getting worse

2022Z  2487 Qs, 232 Countries, 116 Zones.  Hmm..  60 Qs in 20 min.  At this
rate we might make 720 Qs before the end.  Plus the fact that there are 19 easy
Eu mults we haven't made on 20 yet and only have 4 Eu mults on 15.  Both bands
are busy.  So, if make an additional 700 Qs at an average of 2.29 pts/Q we
could have 7166 pts.  30 more countries plus maybe 2 more zones would give us a
final score of about 2.7M.  Hoo boy.....let's go.


2023Z  Power fails
2100Z  Still no power
2110Z  VE7SQ calls on his cell phone to say that we must be really raking in
the Qs and mults as both Eu and Ja are pounding in on his mobile on 20 and he
wishes he were with us to share the fun.  VE7UF and VE7FO shiver a little
beside the cold radios
2200Z  Still no power
2300Z  Still no power
2330Z  VE7UF and VE7FO, having shown admirable restraint up until now, crack
open a couple of beer
2359Z  Still no power.  Have more beer and then go out for a good feed.  

Lost a total of 8 hours to power loss.  Bummer.

Great fun.

DAY 3
Spend a bunch of time trying to get the frozen doors of VE7FO's car open and
then get it lined up with the driveway for an attempt at reaching the road
early the next morning.

Thanks to Duane and Peggy for their hospitality.  I was there from Thurs to
Tues, having arrived early to get N1MM functioning on the newly upgraded
computers (been using CT up until now) and get networking, radio control and CW
keying functioning.

Thanks for all the Qs, everyone.  Felt really good to hear all those familiar
calls, as well as the ones I never hear at my home station.

73, Jim	VE7FO


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