[3830] WPX CW KG0F(@K0RF) M/S HP

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                    CQWW WPX Contest, CW

Call: KG0F
Operator(s): K7NV K0RF W0UA W0ZP
Station: K0RF

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

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
  160:     
   80:   63
   40:  461
   20: 1253
   15: 1596
   10:  103
------------
Total: 3476  Prefixes = 1210  Total Score = 10,732,700

Club: 

Comments:

We had a great crew for this one. George and Wayne, W0UA and W0ZP Were nominally
the High Band Team and Kurt and I ran the low bands and performed relief efforts
at times on the high bands. We battled very local storms for almost all of this
one until we were pretty used to the high bands sounding like low bands and the
low bands being mostly impossible until well after EU sunrise. We didn't have
our usual compliment of 40M EU stations and that really hurt the score by
depriving us of those all important six-point QSOs. The high-band propagation
was very good, but to add to the very high noise level, the signals on the low
bands from EU were way down.

We are happy with the score and we had a great time. The team is really tight
and we thoroughly enjoyed operating together.

On Saturday night I finally decided to take a few minute nap but was almost
immediately awakened by loud rain hitting the roof.  At first I thought it was
hail but it was just a cloud burst. As I was looking out the window to see the
rain there was a blinding flash followed almost instantly by a deafening crash.
I started out to the shack and almost ran into George and Wayne coming out
looking like they had just witnessed the beginning of the end of the world.
They explained that when the lightning struck, a ball of white light came in
through the window and almost knocked them off their chairs. The ball crossed
the room and quickly disappeared. It left in its wake the following
destruction:

One Alpha 87A, One six over six 20M stack, control boxes for both six element
20M yagis, direction control for 40M 4-square, video driver board for skimmer
computer (we were lucky that the computer stayed up and continued to deliver
spots to the network for the remainder of the contest, because I wouldn't have
been able to reconnect because it had a black screen. The room smelled of fire
and components but I have yet to check out the other unused multi-multi
operating positions, but I fear that there will be other casualties because one
Alpha 78 spontaneously turned on and refused to be turned off.  I had to unplug
it to return it to its dormant state.

I was amazed at the commitment of George and Wayne. They were back operating on
the left rig as we swapped out the Alpha 87A with my only other 87A spare and
redistributed antennas so the dual position could continue to be used.
Lightning and thunder was still very close.

Thanks to all for the QSOs and all the fun. Maybe it will be less unsettled WX
for the next one.


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