[3830] RTTY WPX VA3DF SOAB LP

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CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest

Call: VA3DF
Operator(s): VA3DF
Station: VA3DF

Class: SOAB LP
QTH: ONS
Operating Time (hrs): 

Summary:
 Band  QSOs
------------
   80:  188
   40:  323
   20:  303
   15:  236
   10:     
------------
Total: 1050  Prefixes = 582  Total Score = 2,170,860

Club: Contest Club Ontario

Comments:

Everything started out OK  - but that was soon to change....

Always compare this year's progress to last year's benchmark figures, and as I
expected, the decrease in sunspots was negatively impacting my ability to match
last year. Although, I must admit that 15 was much better than I had expected.
No massive world-wide opening but still a significant contributor. As of Sunday
morning, I was about 200 qsos behind last year.

"Oh, if only I had a brain" - the Scarecrow from The Wizard of OZ

So, I'm trying to work this W5 station on 40 and I'm getting nowhere! Blood
pressure is rising and what started out as a minor annoyance soon becomes a
personal quest to complete the qso! I try everything in my bag of tricks but to
no avail. After wasting waaaay too much time I swallow my pride and walk away
only to discover a few minutes later that I'd been calling him on the wrong
antenna.

" Medic! I'm hit, you guys go on without me!" - pick any WWII movie

Sunday morning I'm running EU and patting myself on the back for how well it's
going, when Murphy fires a bullet! All of a sudden I become aware of a strange
odour - the smell of plastic insulation burning. Investigation revealed that
the power supply was the likely culprit but since there were no flames, I
decided to ride this horse until it dropped - I positioned a fan to blow on the
power supply and continued - however - at a much less reckless pace than
previously. Got about another 30 minutes out of the supply until it went to
that big shack in the sky.

" I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more" - the movie
"Network"

I'm sitting there wondering why me and trying to figure out what options I had
if any, when,in one of my more lucid moments, I recall that I have another
power supply. Problem is, it's not as big as the failed supply and I won't be
able to run 100W.

So there I am, laying on my belly under the desk swapping out a supply in the
middle of a contest when I'm supposed to be working EU while it's open, I hate
Murphy!

Finished the last 7 hours of the contest running 50 watts and nursing the
supply along i.e. no sustained runs.

I had a great time!

As usual, it's a jungle out there....

Doug
VA3DF


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