[RTTY] Low Scores - Low participation 2002 ARRL RU?

[Hill, Don]

>From looking at all the scores posted, it appears I'm not the only one that
will
post a lower score for this year's Roundup.  I had anticipated a lower score
than
last year as I watched one of the biggest storm areas I've seen in some time
approach Saturday morning.  However, despite 13 hours of storms and rain
static,
I was only 50 QSO's off last year's pace when I took my rest period.  This
gave
me some hope that I could keep pace with last year's score.

With excellent propagation on Sunday, I figured I shouldn't have trouble
keeping pace.
But that was not the case.  The lack of EU stations on 10 & 15 meters Sunday
was a great cause for alarm.  The weather had cleared and condx were ripe
for
good solid runs on 10 & 15 meters that never happened.  Where was everyone?

15M should have been open to EU later than 1900Z and I think it was, but
there
were no EU stations to be found.  Endless unanswered CQ's after 1900Z
convinced
me that not too many NA stations were available either.  With 5 hours to go,
I was
getting the feeling that I had worked everyone.  I suppose a jump in the
K index to 3 had something to do with DX paths closing down earlier.  I
don't remember
this contest ever slowing down Sunday like it did this year.  Several
stations
were missing.  Where was W6/G0AZT, K3MM, WT4I & others?

I have to think that participation was considerably lower than last year.  I
only missed
NV, YT and NU which isn't bad but I also missed ZS6RVG whom I normally
always work.
In all, I worked every multiplier I heard and still came up 10-15 mults
short of last year.
I left an antenna pointed at Nevada for the last 5 hours to no avail.

I don't ever recall having to deal with weather in this contest before.
Being in January,
it's rare we get thunderstorms.  In 14 years, I guess the law of averages
caught up
to it.  With thunder, lightning, high wind popping the antennas and two
power
disruptions, I guess I feel pretty lucky nothing really bad happened.  I
rarely experience
"rain static" at my QTH, but it was with me for 13 straight hours Saturday -
yech!

Do you think activity was lower this year?

73, Don AA5AU