[3830] ARRLDX CW KB1H M/M HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: KB1H
Operator(s): KB1H NB1U K1EBY K1GX N1GKI AA1CE K1IN
Station: KB1H

Class: M/M HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 48

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:  163    60
   80:  540    86
   40:  672    96
   20: 1290   105
   15:  494    92
   10:   24    14
-------------------
Total: 3183   453  Total Score = 4,314,825

Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club

Comments:

I should have known this was to be a difficult weekend! 

After our ice storm Wednesday the winds came and the 3 element 40M beam
became a 2 1/2 element antenna. We lost half of the director.  Early on Friday
I slipped on the icy surface and smacked my head as I fell backwards. Seeing
stars I then went to a customer site for a service call but felt awful with a
slight vision problem. NO! Not on the contest weekend! K1EBY came early
and let me know that most of the rotors were frozen. By afternoon we got
the 10M and 15M rotors turning but not 20M That thawed out Saturday. The
barn was about 20 degrees.

Three of our 4 stations were not set up yet. As we got them in order we
found more problems with equipment. The Comtek box for the 40M
4-square was not working. Found and fixed a blown full wave bridge in
the DC supply section.  The 80M 4-square did not seem to be changing
direction. Found squirrel damage to the control cable.  By 5 PM we were 
ready to go.

Equipment actually performed well all weekend. Small problems but
no major failures. The new (purchased used) Titan amp worked
flawlessly. 

Lack of operators is a different story. I knew we were going to be
short and then we also had a cancellation by one of the three
major operators. During Saturday there were times when we
had only one chair filled out of four. Then again at this point in
band conditions you can almost get by with two operators. Sunday
was more of the same. Lack of fresh or mostly alive operators. K1EBY
and NB1U did yeoman's work this weekend during the busy daylight
runs. K1GX and K1IN did Saturday overnight with the Friday night
crew (KB1H, AA1CE, N1GKI) 

Recently we had a donation of a 19" flat screen monitor for the 
main operating station. This was given to us by Howie, K1OTW,
a close friend of Jay, N1GKI. During a brief trip home Saturday Jay
learned that Howie had passed away. Obviously upset, Jay
spent the remaining weekend with family . Our sympathies to his
family and Jay. 

We will always need operators and it seems harder to find them
each year. One comment was why don't I run a Multi-Two or
Multi-Single entry. A number of reasons. First, the M/M setup makes the
most points for the YCCC effort. Next, there is usually always a chair
available if someone wants to operate. Not always the most productive
chair but one where someone can tune the band, call CQ, or send out
spots. Finally, keeping a Multi station with in the rules of M/S or M/2
requires everyone to be aware of the band change rules. Sure the
software helps and notifies you of violations but by that time it is
too late. The calls become highlighted in red and you are now in
the M/M class. 

It's Monday and I have a doctor's appointment to get his opinion
on my poor head. If he ask if my ears are ringing I can honestly
say "yes, but it sounds like morse code!"

Thanks for all the QSOs and see you in a few weeks.

Dick - KB1H


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