[CQ-Contest] SS02CW and VY1JA

[J. Allen]

To all:

I was very pleased to see well over 400 QSOs get through.  The rig was
acting up... cutting in and out, and shifting frequencies, I was sick as a
dog, we had an earthquake in KL7 which shook our house quite a bit, (I am
subject to motion sickness!) and to top it off a loader operator came by on
Sunday??? afternoon to level our yard and I had to be with him.

An unusual number of people did not listen to the pileup and asked me to
stop and give them the QSO number, Check or Section and hold up the pileup
instead of them just listening.

I feel that they should get it from the next exchange, or better yet, have
the information typed into their logger by listening to the previous QSO and
just have the number ready in case I call them.

This SS was a very maddening experience and many of you almost lost out to
frustration.  I was ready to give the Omni-V the 18 wheeler instruction set.
If all of the wheels that are in a row on the left side roll over the rig,
it is sure to remember how it made me feel.  One of these days...  (Chen,
don't worry, I'd send it back to you instead)

Many station ops did not listen to my requests.  I stood by for QRP, usually
near the half past window and had M, U, A, and B give me calls, and it was
amazing how many people who hear my request for 8A? understand it to be
their call which has neither an 8 nor an A in it.

Some of the callers have, over the years, become my good friends.  It puts
me in a dilemma when I have to embarrass you in front of the whole pileup.
I do not know how to handle these things without causing someone upset.  I
have an enormous amount of gratitude for what everyone has done for me, and
still must manage the pileups.

I am normally much more patient, but with the illness, and the rest of the
things I was fighting, it was very difficult for me.

For those I was rude to, I apologize, for those that I helped, you are
welcome.

J.
VY1JA