WRTC-96 Compendium/Chronicles (tongue-in-cheek)

[HENRYPOL at aol.com]

Coming soon to a ham radio bookstore near you....for only $59.06 (sorry, no
charge cards)....

"WRTC-96 CONTEST Compendium/Chronicles"

Everything you wanted to know about WRTC-96, but were afraid to ask!  1000+
pages in paperback format; easily taken anywhere.  Just the thing to read
when the bands die at 0400 local time during the next contest.  Buy extra
copies and hand out at next year's Field Day to the shack-on-a-belt crowd.

WHAT YOU GET:

Fold-out map of ITU Zones, plus an extra page map of the state of Wisconsin
with KA9FOX's QTH clearly marked!

Collection of all postings from CQ-Contest and 3830 reflectors related to
WRTC-96.

Not only do you get the lists that have already been posted, but also the
following details:

Photos from all of the pre/post parties and banquets;  photos of each team
(including judges, official and casual observers) and station;  transmission
line brand/model/length/age/number of connectors & type (UHF, N, BNC,
solder/tape, etc.);  speech processor levels; antenna height (to nearest 6
inches);  brand/model rotator & age;  power supply brand/model and line input
& DC output voltages (to 3 digits past decimal point);  SWR curves for each
antenna/band;  3 mile radius topographical map of each station;  GPS and
LORAN coordinates;  pests encountered and solutions;  quantities and brand of
coffee/drinks consumed;  hosts' XYL's and harmonic's call and name;  hosts'
pet's type and name;  type and brand of snacks consumed;  team members'
hobbies/interests (other than ham radio);  shack size in feet/meters;  type
of shack lighting - natural (sun/stars/moon/city glow), incandescent,
florescent (sp?), amp tube filaments (oops!), or candles;  distance to
nearest Radio Shack and Ham Radio Outlet stores (in tenths of mile, plus
number of stop lights/signs);  list of options/modifications that have been
added to the main rigs;  brand/model of operating chairs, antenna switches,
headphones, boom mic headsets, microphones, keys, keyers, keyboards,
computers, monitors, pens/pencils, notepaper, clocks, etc.;  types of clothes
worn during contest period (if different from when team photo taken); and too
much more to list here....

Other items:  Bay area restaurant listing and ratings (from WRTC
participants);  beer/wine brands and ratings;  team members' favorite
recipes;  seismic graph of all earth tremors in the Bay area during the
contest period;  tour bus line and drivers' names;  temperature/humidity
graphs from numerous locations in the area;  for the contest period -
sunrise/set times, moon rise/set times, moon phase, local high/low tide peak
times, horoscopes for each team member, and number of falling stars observed;
 complete rig/antenna pedigrees - purchased new/used, from where/whom, when,
price, serial number, last time checked/cleaned by service lab/owner,
non-working features;  calls, names, addresses, phone/fax numbers (both home
and work), and e-mail addresses of all judges, observers, and supporters of
WRTC-96....

And for those who want to do their own analysis of each stations'
strategies....for an additional $73.88, you can get CD-ROM disks with all 54
WRTC-96 stations' logs, plus video clips and audio excerpts of interesting
QSO exchanges and party/banquet quotes.

If you order both, you get FREE, an empty beer can, or wine bottle (your
choice) with at least one set of finger prints from one of the 108 team
members, "guaranteed"!  Some of them even have cigarette butts and ashes
inside!  These will be rare collectibles one day.  These cans/bottles were
meticulously gathered by the children of some of the WRTC-96 committee, and
placed into individual virgin ziploc bags.

And if you order 10 or more copies of the book, you get an extra copy that
has been signed by the five top CW operators who have been booked to appear
in the upcoming movie "Independence Day - The Aftermath"; and, direct from
the White House basement fileroom, a copy of the FBI's secret file on W4KFC.

Get your copy of the book and CDs and figure out how the winning team got
those extra multipliers.  You'll want to review this data over and over,
especially if you are selected to participate in the next WRTC.

Operators are standing by!  Call 1-800-WRTC96, NOW!!!!!!

Tongue-out-of-cheek:

OK, that's all.  This was a lot of fun to write, but obviously not as much
fun as actually having been there.  Congratulations to all of the winners and
the runner-ups; and a JOB WELL DONE by the other participants and the WRTC-96
committee.  When is the next one????

73,
Henry Pollock - WB4HFL
henrypol at aol.com

P.S.  I just tried to order my copy, but the line was busy..... 

>From thompson at mindspring.com (David L. Thompson)  Fri Jul 19 04:00:06 1996
From: thompson at mindspring.com (David L. Thompson) (David L. Thompson)
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 23:00:06 -0400
Subject: Best keyer paddle?
Message-ID: <199607190349.XAA15483 at answerman.mindspring.com>

The best keyer paddles are the Profi and the portabel from Schurr.   Schurr
also make a complete set of unique presentation hand keys for the collector.

Many contesters have "all" of the Schurr line.

One contester told me at Dayton last year that the Profi was the only key he
had used that had exactly the same feel each time he used the it.

Want to drool some....look at the following web site:   http:www.eswitch.com
BUT you can't have my Profi...you gotta get your own!

Dave K4JRB