[3830] ARRLDX SSB K1RU SOSB/20 HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, SSB

Call: K1RU
Operator(s): K1RU
Station: K1RU

Class: SOSB/20 HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:           
   80:           
   40:           
   20: 1640   118
   15:           
   10:           
-------------------
Total: 1640   118  Total Score = 580,206

Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club

Comments:

So here’s what happens when you neglect everything in the radio room until
the
hour just before the contest.  As you read this, you can see that I like to
treat the radio contest as a true survival exploit.  The kind where you go in,
not knowing what lurks or what may happen.  In other words, totally unprepared.

It’s more of an adventure that way.

First, you have to re-learn all the crazy connections that were made last year
that are, of course, unlabeled, and don’t seem to make much sense.  Wires
everywhere between coax switches, radios, computers, etc.  Hard to convince
the
XYL that your hobby is “wireless.”

Then you fire up the radio, only to find out that even though you’ve had
that
boat anchor for the past 27 years, you still hesitate when you need to tune
the
amp. After a while, it seems good to go. 


Then there’s the contest software.  I’m thinking to myself only 30 minutes
before the contest that I probably should have familiarized myself with the
680
pages that make up the manual that have been so graciously provided. 
Frantically, I’m trying to remember the few hot keys I need to make the
thing
work.  Got the basics down by 5 minutes till the start, but still hadn’t
gotten
around to getting the messages recorded.  That’s what breaks are for during
the
contest.

So the trusty TS-940 worked for the first 20 hours when the VOX suddenly
stopped
working.  No problem, as I have a spare I picked up for just this occasion. 
The
swap was successful and off I went, until during Sunday afternoon, no one was
responding any longer.  I did notice the lights starting to dim on the thing
as
I was transmitting.  So I listened to the audio on yet another spare radio and
found the audio was horrendous.  Swapped in the spare TS-850, that promptly
blew
a 12 volt fuse for which I had no spare.  So I swapped back in the original
radio and operated PTT for the rest of the contest. 


I wasn’t always like this.  Years ago, we spent every waking hour plotting
and
planning for the big event.  These days, there just doesn’t seem to be the
time.  But even though there were anxious times this weekend, I try to
remember
that it’s really a hobby, and that as long as there’s fun hidden in there
somewhere, it’s all good.  It’s also great to know that you can reconnect
with
old friends anytime with this great hobby. 


73, Gene, K1RU


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