[CQ-Contest] W7RM memories

[Dan Eskenazi]

The time was the mid 1970s...the place W7RM...and the time was pre-contest
Friday morning.

How can one describe what it felt like on this crispy fall morning driving up
the curvy road towards that perfectly selected finger of land, 300 feet above
salt water in all the directions that mattered....Foulweather Bluff.... and
making that final turn where you suddenly spot the outcrop of giant yagis 
towering over the forest
ahead!!!   WOW!!!.

Exhilaration and anticipation of the wild pileups of Euros and JAs calling
us!  Piles so thick you could peel your way thru them....from the obvious 
KWs down to the city
bound dipoles and 50 watt stations...to the mobiles... piles and 
piles.....on and
on....seemingly never ending. It was the magic of the salt water, the 
antennas and the callsign....W7RM.

Knowing that you would soon be sitting side by side with THE ACE CREW of
multi-ops: Stu VE7ZZ (N7ZZ), Homer W7EXM (K7RA SK), Chip K7VPF (K7JA), Dale 
VE7SV, Rex W5QQQ (K7QQ), Paul K7HTZ (K7CW), John W7YGN (W7XR) and Super 
Novice Johnny WA7OTT (KE7V) and on occasion a lucky East Coaster or W6 guy 
that Rush had invited up for the weekend.

There is no way to fully thank Rush for providing SUPER STATION W7RM for
our team..... we operated knowing we were in the cockpit of the finest 
station in the hobby!
And the wins were SO exciting!   The likes of K2GL W4BVV W3AU N5AU
K6UA N6DX W0AIH K0RF and more, were the competition......it was a magic time!

We had the station, the location, and the GUY HIMSELF....and that confidence
showed on the air...worldwide!!

We drove home Sunday after the wind-down dinner... and we all knew we had
experienced the BEST of the BEST.
Going home to our tribanders and wires at 50 ft was of course a big let
down.... but we all knew it wouldn't be too long before we
were once again behind the wheel of the greatest of the multi multi
stations.. W7 RADIO MEXICO.

Thank you RUSH from all of us on your team. Not only for your drive and
dedication to the contesting hobby, but for letting us cut our teeth
at your dream station and then all go on to our own contesting
careers....while never forgetting our roots.

It was a time like no other....

You will be missed but not forgotten!!

73 to  W 7 RADIO MEXICO

de Danny K7SS (K7JCA)