[CQ-Contest] Multi-Multi Memories - 1977 K1BVL/W1RR ARRL DX - Part II

[K1ZM@aol.com]

Hi Gang

There is more to the story of the 1977 W1RR operation at Ted Gamlin's place 
in NH and I'll relate some more highlights now:

Ted had a very OLD farmhouse with one bath and a tired old septic system to 
boot.  The shock of 10-12 guys using it soon caused it to totally OVERLOAD -and 
I remember ROGER BIRT, N4ZC, literally bailing out the toilet with a ladle at 
various points in the contest - plus the well ran dry.

When the well ran dry, we were melting snow to make coffee.  Someone handed 
me a cup and it tasted kinda funny - and then the room erupted in laughter 
around me.  My coffee had been made with YELLOW SNOW!

There was a problem with the 40M yagi (SWR was high) and at sunrise W1RR was 
SCREAMING W1 radio RADIO - RADIO RADIO - R A D I O!!!  at the top of his lungs 
to try to work a JA for a mult on 40 phone. His yelling was so loud, I could 
not hear the Europeans calling me in my 20M pileup - and I sorta wished John 
had just opened the window facing NW in the room - and yelled RADIO RADIO over 
there - as it would have probably been more effective at working one (said 
tongue in cheek!)

Midway through the second phone weekend, Ted went up the big tower to align a 
rotor and managed to actually get the wrench used to tighten the rotor nuts 
STUCK TO HIS TONGUE.  It was near zero that day, and he mistakenly put it into 
his mouth - and then could not pry it off until he came into the house and 
poured some warm water on his tongue.

On Sunday morning K1XX came in and said "Hey Jeff - QUICK - look up the big 
tower!".  I looked and said, "Ok - I see Ted up the tower - okay - thanks."

Charlie then said "put your glasses on and look again - now what do you see?" 
 I looked again and saw TWO figures at the top of the 165 foot tower.  It was 
Ted and his NEW GIRLFRIEND - also named KATHY - so we called her from that 
point Kathy #2.

Remember, Kathy #1 had split with Ted for allowing the multi to take place 
two weeks before - throwing me off the couch where I had crashed - so Ted had 
found a replacement - and when she later came down - I saw that she was a real 
FOX - and she climbed towers too!  Some guys have ALL THE LUCK!!!

After the PHONE contest second weekend, there was supposed to be a CW effort 
(the second weekend of ARRL CW) - but it never happened as a guy anchor pulled 
out on the 165 foot tower and it fell down - unbelievable?  Yep, but true.

Ted collected from his insurance agent for a new replacement tower - then 
RE-USED almost all of the downed sections - except for 1-2 that got mangled in 
the fall.

Epilogue

About two years later, there was a MYSTERIOUS FIRE that burned down the old 
farmhouse.  Ted used the monies to build a magnificent new home with skylights 
from which all the ops could see their tower tops from their operating 
positions in the daytime.  While no one knows for SURE - there were rumors floating 
around NEW HAMPSHIRE that summer that Ted actually had set FIRE to the old 
farmhouse - in order that he might build a BETTER multi-multi hamshack.

And that's a wrap except to note that one summer somewhere in there Ted and 
K1XX were up a new Rohn 45 tower that Ted was erecting.  He was holding a rope 
with his arm outstretched - and said "Hey Charlie, do you mind holding this 
rope for a second?"

Charlie obliged and when Ted let go, Charlie was almost pulled off the tower 
from the weight on the rope.  He looked down and saw there were (2) two Rohn 
45 tower sections at the end of that rope - and Ted had been holding it 
effortlessly with one arm - like it was nothing!  Man that guy was STRONG!

73 JEFF

K1ZM at aol.com