[CQ-Contest] July/August NCJ

[Mark, K5ER]

         I got mine the day before the contest. We had one of the Grand 
kids, so I didn't get to crack it open until nearly 11PM. As I sleepily 
read through, I found the schedule, clearly showing a start time of 8AM. 
Half asleep, I promptly got up and reset the alarm for 7A. The next 
morning, I got up and had coffee and breakfast, but felt something just 
wasn't right. About 35 minutes after waking, it suddenly dawned on me - the 
schedule was in EDST, while I am in CDST. A rookie mistake, which 
re-enforces the advice - don't make changes the day of (or night before) a 
contest, especially when not fully awake. I missed about 45 minutes of what 
turned out to be a great 15 and 20 meter opening to EU. Still, the opening 
was good enough, and maybe the adrenaline rush from being late helped, that 
I topped my previous best by 25%.

          I thought the bios were nice, personalizing the competitors. The 
articles were well written and informative. While IARU/WRTC is already one 
of my favorite contests, the magazine helped build a sense of urgency and 
camaraderie, making me want to participate even more. Congrats to all the 
competitors.

73,
Mark, K5ER

---------------------------------------------------------
>On 7/21/2014 10:06 PM, Tim Duffy wrote:
>>Hello Ron:
>>
>>My July/August NCJ WRTC2014 issue arrived 8 days before the contest started
>>- via first class mail. Quite a difference in delivery time for WPA QTHs.
>>
>>It is a shame your mailman decided to read your issue before he delivered it
>>to you :-)
>>
>>WRTC2014 was an awesome event!
>>
>>73,
>>Tim K3LR
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: CQ-Contest [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Ron
>>Notarius W3WN
>>Sent: Monday, July 21, 2014 6:54 PM
>>To: cq-contest at contesting.com
>>Subject: [CQ-Contest] July/August NCJ
>>
>>Have to admit, the July/August issue of the National Contest Journal, a
>>"Special WRTC 2015 Commemorative Edition", is really something.
>>
>>Biographies on the competitors and referees.
>>
>>Antenna design
>>
>>Schedule of Events.
>>
>>A Great Circle map centered on the WRTC locations.
>>
>>Real-time scoreboard information, so you can follow along at home.
>>
>>Participation Awards check-list to be used while operating.
>>
>>Great issue.
>>
>>Of course, it would have been a lot more useful if it had arrived before the
>>event.  Not 8 days after the event ended.
>>
>>Too bad all that hard work on this special issue went for naught.
>>
>>73, ron w3wn