[CQ-Contest] 48 hours and health

[Alan Zack]

I can tell you that sitting in the seat of a C-130 at the radio 
op/navigators position for hours and hours, having the Loadmaster bring 
you a box lunch and eating while operating and only getting up long 
enough for a head (toilet) call and hoping no one is calling you while 
you are away for 25 years gives you hemorrhoids.  Then there are the 
search missions when you are at 100 ft with two engines shut down to 
save fuel and slow you down in rough weather and the CW you are sending 
starts to get a little choppy and you have to make repeats.  Sure was 
happy when we installed RTTY to work the USCG COMM STATIONS instead of CW.
But then you land in Bangkok, Manila, Palau, Tokyo, Seoul, etc, and it 
makes it all worth while.
Been to every Pacific Island and Asia LORAN Station in the world, some 
in Europe and North Africa, and crossed the Arctic Circle from 3 
different countries, and crossed the spot where the Equator and Intl 
Date Line intersect, boy did the INS go crazy for a couple of seconds 
when that happened (changing from 179.9E to 179.9W and 000.01N to 
000.01S all at the same instant.)

Thanks for the 2005 CQWWDX SSB Contest Mult and QSO.

73

Tonno Vahk wrote:

>hny to all,
>
>wanted to ask from the ones who have opertated 48 hours straight several 
>times if that has caused any problems to health or sleeping habits.
>
>Being 28 years old now I have done it for 3 years now without any sleep in 
>CQWW twice a year and also a lot of 24 hour contests. I have seen that I 
>tend to wake up more often at night and don't get sleep so easily. I don't 
>think it is definitely connected to contesting but still maybe tens of years 
>of those efforts will have it's influence eventually.
>
>People and some doctors tell that a few weekends a year staying up 2 nights 
>in a row would not harm much. Can anybody say opposite? Do some of you, old 
>timers, think that it has affected your health in some way?
>
>With admiration and some anxiety I read about John's almost full blown 48h 
>effort from P40W 19 days after heart attack! Crazy people:)
>
>73
>tonno
>es5tv 
>
>
>  
>

-- 
Alan Zack
Amateur Radio Station K7ACZ
Official USCG Auxiliary Comm Station
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Quality Engineer, The Boeing Company, Retired
Aviation Chief Warrant Officer, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired
U.S. Coast Guard, Always Ready, Always There
Every hour, Every day, Around the Clock and Around the World
SEMPER PARATUS 
http://gocoastguard.com
http://www.uscgradio.net
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