[3830] CQWW CW KB1H M/2 HP

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                    CQ Worldwide DX Contest, CW

Call: KB1H
Operator(s): K1EBY KB1H KM1X NB1U NR1X W1UJ
Station: KB1H

Class: M/2 HP
QTH: CT
Operating Time (hrs): 46

Summary:
 Band  QSOs  Zones  Countries
------------------------------
  160:   65    11       37
   80:  518    22       94
   40: 1276    34      123
   20:  908    38      132
   15: 1450    36      128
   10: 1122    30      115
------------------------------
Total: 5339   171      629  Total Score = 12,300,800

Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club

Comments:

This was a CQWW for the Barnstormers to remember!

Conditions were amazing, Yes-
The Station Played well and nothing blew up!

But not the events that led us to have this on our minds for a long time.

We were having nothing short of a record-breaking weekend for our team. 
Watching the cqcontest.ru website and the real-time score reporting had K9CT
moving ahead of everyone at a pretty good clip, but we were neck-and-neck with
N0NI- True to it's original intention, kept butts in the chair.  Congrats to
those teams!

We were running like the devil on Saturday Morning, NB1U and W1UJ were in the
Sat AM run chairs with the rate meter always above 200 for the dynamic meter
and witnessed 210 for the 'last 10 min' rate meter.  The conditions kept us
running!

During this weekend, preceeding our Thanksgiving holiday, Barnstormer Station
owner, and founder KB1H and his family and friends had their annual harvest of
the ~30 home-grown and raised Turkeys for friends and family's holidays.   The
Barn was a bustling place for sure!  We get to witness this only when the  WW
CW falls outside of Thanksgiving weekend or we are at the Barn preparing for
the contest. We all enjoy the company of many of these folks only on the days
of the harvest, so it is a treat for the Barn Ops as well.  Not everyone knows
the process and effort that it takes to do something like this, but It makes
you appreciate the meal that much more.

I (W1UJ) left for a couple of hours to 'freshen up' and detach from the
contesting scene for a little while. K1EBY, NR1X, KM1X, NB1U, KB1H and mascot
Nemo and Kolby were there to keep things 'running'.

As I was driving back on the 25 mile ride from home to get back to help beat on
40m and close up the high-bands, my cell-phone rang with the familiar Caller
ID/Ring tone in Morse Code..... NB1U  NB1U.  Thinking to myself, great caught
me in time if there was something to pick up from the market...  
"Hello?"

1U, slightly panicked; 
"Dude, we have major problems at The Barn"

Thinking immediately, Amplifier blew up or a computer crashed-  These things we
can fix... maybe the SO2R box was not switched correctly...????

1U- Calm, and panicked;
"Dick (KB1H) fell down the barn stairs he is at the bottom, not
moving,
not responding, not sure if he is breathing" 

"oh-no"

1U- Hurriedly;
"The ambulance is here, later.....<click>" 

As I approached The Barn, the driveway was blocked and at least 3 emergency
vehicles out on the street and heavy rescue, paramedic and ambulance were in
the yard.

Before then, K1EBY will note that calling 911 near a different state (RI is
about 1000 yards away) will likely get you to the wrong dispatchers.  They even
directed him to call 911 !  Eventually getting to the QV911 dispatch center who
had the troops at the door and KB1H in the ambulance in less than 20 minutes of
the fall. Thanks to the Killingly Rescue!

Reports of 'Cap'n" regaining consciousness and communicating with the
emergency responders, while we heard the familiar "TA*****K!"
emanating from the ambulance as they were closing the doors! 

NB1U accompanied Dick's wife, Mary to the hospital in nearby Putnam, CT while
the rest of the team secured the house and pets while exchanging cell
text-messages with bits of information.

We debriefed each other after this event and decided to press on and
"Win
one for the... tripper!?"

When we sat back down at the radios, it was not very comfortable for a while
after this mortality check, there was :59 minutes since the last QSO logged on
the N1MM screen, We still had goals.... Press on (Or Dick will be Pissed!)

We kept at it and tried to catch N0NI on cqcontest.ru real-time scores for the
rest of the weekend.It took a couple of hours, but our heads went back into the
game once we felt Dick was safe.

Conditions were remarkably awesome for sure, it was a great contest with a
great crew.  It felt more like family this weekend for sure.  Dick's wife Mary
thanked us for being there and getting help as quickly as possible. We thank
you for letting us play in the Barn for sure Mary.  She brought us an awesome
egg dish and KB1H report for breakfast Sunday morning, and Dick was asking how
we were doing in the contest.   We are kicking butt Cap'n!

 Dick suffered serious injuries and is recovering comfortably at home.He had
returned home before the end of the contest on Sunday. Likely cause was Dick's
Champion Springer Spaniel/Barn Mascot Kolby tangled up in feet at the top of
the stairs. 

Drop Dick an email, I am certain he will appreciate that I am suggesting this
on 3830! KB1H -at- ARRL.net should work. Response may be delayed.

Thanks for the use of the KB1H Superstation!

The Barnstormers


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