[CQ-Contest] Your 3830 posting

[James Cain]

Jim, WX3B: 

Thanks for your very interesting posting and comments on 3830. Maybe you should post it on cq-contest, too, so more people will read it. 3830 is a wonderful resource and, as you say, a good way to record history; let's hope that the site stays up forever. While you "only" posted six contacts, they were memorable ones and I really enjoyed reading about them. I'm sure CQ magazine will want your Soapbox comments for their magazine report. 

One thing that amazes me is the people who make huge scores and post them on 3830 but do not make a single comment about their operation. Not a word. I've seen multi-op scores posted without even a "thanks" to the operators, not a mention of who helped do what, and so on. 

And then there are the people who make big scores and don't even post their numbers on 3830. To me, posting on 3830 is a way of showing support for contesting, our sport, just as important in its own way as sending in your log to the contest sponsor. I post my pathetic scores for just that reason, to show my support. 

As for the 15 Meter long path opening you and W3LPL and others worked, what a goof! Here's a twist:

It brought back for me a fond memory from November 1974. I flew to Curacao for the CQ WW CW at the ripe old age of 26, invited to join a team there. There's a photo of some of us on the current PJ2T Caribbean Contesting Consortium web site under "Our Signal Point House Home Page." Joeke, PA2VDV, had been on island for several years operating as PJ2VD and he gave us some band-opening tips (this was near the bottom of the sunspot cycle). He said to check for LP to Asia on 15 Meters around 0800Z. This seemed silly, until I heard it with my own ears. 

I was the 80 Meter operator but when the 15 Meter opening happened I went over to listen. I don't remember who on our team was operating. The opening was to the Soviet UH, UI, and UJ countries, good catches on any band at any time. 

The twist is that Frank, W3LPL, was one of our team members. 

Cheers,

Jim Cain
At The K1TN Superstation
Atlantic City