[3830] ARRLDX CW KQ2M SOAB HP

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                    ARRL DX Contest, CW

Call: KQ2M
Operator(s): KQ2M
Station: KQ2M

Class: SOAB HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 10.9

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Mults
-------------------
  160:    0     0
   80:    0     0
   40:   38    20
   20:  668    69
   15:  624    60
   10:   68    35
-------------------
Total: 1398   184  Total Score = 769,488

Club: Frankford Radio Club

Comments:

I became extremely ill in mid-September with a nasty chronic illness and was
able to operate for only very short periods of time until recently.  Five
months and 30 lbs later, ARRLDXCW was a "breakthrough" in that I was able to
operate for 4 hours straight (one radio). I was elated that I could operate for
that long but saddened to realize that I might never be able to operate
competitive SO2R again.

The 61" of snow that we had in Newtown, CT in January alone! (and 30" on the
ground before the contest) made it nearly impossible for me to fix any of the
broken/missing antennas.  There was no 80 or 160, the 40 Meter wire beam was
shredded on Saturday night, the top 20 was wind rotated - direction unknown and
changing constantly - and the top 10/15 had no rotation indication.  But, the
icing on the cake was the severe line noise that I could not filter out even
with the noiseblanker.  If you weren't at least 579, I couldn't copy you.  Many
times there was a raucous pileup of EU stations calling but I couldn't copy -
very sorry to be such an alligator!

This winter has really been hellacious in Connecticut - in mid-January I
actually had to shovel off 2 FEET of snow from both roofs. (Seriously, there
were hundreds of roof collapses in CT this Winter!) and I had left a 24'
aluminum extension ladder (folded into two 12' sections) on the deck.  It was
frozen solid into two feet of snow and ice.  Saturday night during the contest,
the winds were so ferocious, that even though the top of the ladder was less
than 2' above the roof line, a monster wind gust actually tore the ladder out
of the 2' of ice/snow and blew it off the roof and across the deck!  I heard
some loud bangs at some point during the night but had no idea what happened
until the next day.  The same windstorm also tore two previously bent
reflectors off my lower 10 and 15.  They were stuck in the snow like javelins.


The 40 meter wire beam was shredded earlier on Saturday evening during a
European run.  Wind gusts were well into the 80 mph range. It was a pretty
humbling reminder of what Winter can be like in extreme Western New England!
 
There were some bright spots...

15 WIDE OPEN TO EUROPE!  GO CYCLE 24!!!
A 206 hour on 15 cw on Saturday!
Apparently I still remember the code  :-)
Lots of old friends to say hello to

It was great to read the Admiral's writeup, Scott K0DQ, and see his terrific
score.  If he can put up such outstanding numbers as a guest op at sge 66,
maybe I will have enough time to beat this damned auto-immune disease and still
make a comeback to competitive SO2R.  I am inspired by his accomplishments and
will remain optimistic.  

73 and thanks for all the q's!

Bob KQ2M

kq2m at kq2m.com

www.rlsfinancialgroup.com


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