[3830] TBDC K4TD Single Op HP

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                    Stew Perry Topband Challenge

Call: K4TD
Operator(s): K4TD
Station: K4TD

Class: Single Op HP
QTH: EM64
Operating Time (hrs): 1.75

Summary:
Total:  QSOs = 172  Total Score = 661

Club: Alabama Contest Group

Comments:

I like the format and exchange associated with this contest; my compliments to
the designers.  I had planned to spend at least 12 hours in this one, but that
was not to be.  Right off the bat, I ran into problems with my Win-Test logging
software not wanting to properly execute the macros that I had in the message
buffers...  Not sure what the problem could be as I wasn't trying to do
anything fancy at all...  I also had a feeling that the QRN was going to be a
problem, which was confirmed after I had to ask for repeats on each of the
first 10 QSOs of the contest...

There seemed to be plenty of interest from the DX side in this one as I was
called by P43JB, OM5ZW, HP3XUG, S57M, 9A5Y, OL0W, CU2/G7VJR, YV1NX, and DL1MGB.
 It is truely a testimony to the excellent capability of their 160M stations for
me to be able to hear them through the noise I was experiencing.  It was very
disappointing to realize there was other very nice EU DX calling me but be
unable to pull anything but a prefix through the atmospherics.  To those who
called but didn't get through, I wanted to let you know it wasn't a problem on
your side.  The signals I heard between crashes would have been EASILY workable
on anything resembling a normal winter night...

At the 1.75 hour mark, I had had enough of the misbehaving S/W and QRN thus
deciding to take a break.  I called KY5R to see how he was coming along in the
contest.  Tim wasn't feeling well and had decided to watch the Patriots vs.
Giants.  He mentioned that he thought the Penn State vs. Texas A&M game was
also on TV.  Being a Penn State alum, I thought I should at least investigate
that possibility.  It turns out that ESPN was broadcasting that game in HD
-AND- that Penn State was ahead 17 to 14 at that point.  Well that was the
straw that broke my Stew Perry back, and I settled in to watch the game.  The
Aggies gave us everything we were looking for in a football game, but we were
able to hang on and win.  It was good to see JoePa collect his 500th career
victory.

In any case, I plan to be back for the 2008 running of this fun event.

73,

Rick
K4TD


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