[CQ-Contest] Stimulating Participation - Murphy comes Calling

[BDaniels01 at aol.com]

Well I thank the many folks on the List who sent me e-mails encouraging me to 
get involved with some RTTY contesting or CW contesting instead of trying to 
fight it out with the big boys in SSB contests.

This weekend I thought I would put a few hours towards the TARA Melee RTTY 
contest.  Not to big  a contest and it  gave me a chance for a few good runs 
instead of just S/P.  I must admit I completely enjoyed myself.  I was using my 
Kenwood TS850 into a ground mounted 10-40 meter antenna.  I made several 
hundred-state side contacts and quite a few DX QSO's as well.  I was using MMTTY 
running in contest mode for logging.  That's when "Murphy" struck  (Although I 
didn't know it for a few hours after the Contest).  At about 2318z - 12/04/04 - 
I logged my last RTTY QSO with a "YS1" when my trusty old computer hic-upped 
and I got the blue screen of death.  I thought "oh well, now is a good time to 
stop anyway", so I pulled the switch.   

Latter that night I couldn't sleep so I came back to move the MMTTY log over 
into my regular log book and then into LoTW.  I pulled up the MMTTY Log list 
and there were only four QSO's in the log.!!!  I LOST AT LEAST 300 QSO's!!!   I 
seem to remember exiting MMTTY after the first few QSO's to chase a DX 
station on 17 meters for a bit, then I came back to MMTTY.  It looks like I lost 
everything from the point I came back.  The big loss was PY0S/PS7JN on 20m. - 
Sorry to those guys that send logs to LoTW.

As I sat there at the computer really ticked off  I fired up the TS850 and 
listened  a bit on 30m.  Heard a VP8 so I thought I would give him a try.  
That's when I discovered "Murphy" wasn't done with me.  The TS850 was only putting 
out about 30 watts.  Checked it into a dummy load, and sure enough 30 watts.  
What did Murphy do to my shack !!

In a fit of pure masochism I jumped to 160m and loaded my 10-40m Gap 
Vertical.  The meter was peaking at about 20 watts out.  I called the first big 
station I heard and actually managed a contact.  In a 40 min span of time I managed 
about 25 QSO's with 13 states and a VE3.  So if any of you guys worked me 
during the 160m contest this weekend THANKS.  You've got great ears.

Today will be spent trying to figure out what happened.  So I can be ready 
for the next contest.  Hopefully Murphy won't feel the need to make another 
appearance.

Bob K8KWT