[SCCC] Bermuda Perspective (A Novel)

[W6ph at aol.com]

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."  It was a   
different 
weekend.  My log is on another computer and I have to  transfer it after 
I run maytag,exe and createmoreqsos,exe on it.  Bottom line was  about 
3400 Q's and 285  mults for 2.89M SOAB LP.

Saturday was very weak propagation wise and everyone was on 20  meters.
It was the proverbial zoo and I couldn't find a frequency to call  CQ.   I 
tried S&P but every station I heard had been worked or  was a European.   
I had a couple hours in the middle of the day that were less than 20  
contacts. Fifteen meters was only open to stations from Texas to 
Minnesota and you run out of answers to CQ's real quick.  I almost  quit 
but the US Airways flight had already left to PHL.  It was cruel  and 
unusual  punishment.

After the Europeans were gone from 20  meters, things really picked up
and I ended the first 24 hours with about 300  less contacts than my
previous recent effort.  I remained 300 below for  the rest of the  contest.

Sunday was a much better day.   Fifteen had not opened up and I was 
hearing only Texas stations.  I  would check 10 meters often but not
hear anything except an occasional S1  South American station.   But
I started hearing pings from K3LR  calling CQ about 10 am EST.  I called 
him and he came back S9.  I  went back to 20 meters and found KC1XX 
at his proprietary frequency and told  him to listen for me on 28500.  
They said they had to wake someone up  to go there and he answered
my CQ at S9 despite them only ESP strength  on 15m.  It was a good 
Es opening to W1,2,3 and I worked about 60  stations.  I could  have  
worked more but no one was  there.  I was told that I was being
spotted but I didn't get a lot of  calls.  I needed VY2 and went back 
to the Canadian phone band and  found VY2ZM and told him. He came  
up on 28495 and we worked there and moved to 21195 where he was  
considerably weaker.  Fifteen finally opened up to all areas west of  
the Mississippi plus the New England area.  I think that it was Es  
on 15m to W1 and F2 to the west.  But I never got the volume that  
the Caribbean stations got and I ended up with less than 200 contacts 
on  15m.  Twenty was less crowded and I was able to get answers 
to  CQ's.  I ended up with 61 mults, an all time high for me just missing  
VE8 and VY0.  Reading some of the comments showed that VE8 was  
active.  I got a call from VY1CQ which was a surprise and we chatted  
for a minute or so as I had driven up the Alaska Highway last summer.
My  last mult on 20 meters was NM at 2230z.  Ten minutes later I 
got an  "insurance" contact with a second NM.

The low bands were great.  I  worked the west coast on 160M
with ease and only missed a couple mults.   My last one was 
SD after the sun had just risen Sunday morning.  I was  just 
getting ready to go to 80m and thought I would do one more 
CQ when  W7XU called.  He was so strong that I thought it was 
a W7 in NC or VA  when he called.  I almost fell out of my
chair when he said SD and I  asked for a repeat.

I still have to figure out 40 meters.  As  someone said, be careful
what you ask for. The frequencies from 7125 to  7200 are like
20 meters and above 7200 is full of broadcasters.  The  couple
frequencies that are clear are being used by stations  below
7100.  I tried both simplex and split with equal  results.   I
know that I have a good signal on 40M from comments  that
are made.  The antenna is a dipole at about 20 feet.

Eighty  meters was very good and I still haven't figured out
where to be.  K1RX  moved me to 3655 from 160 and I called 
CQ afterward on that frequency and  had about a 20 minute 
run before it dried up.  Both 160m and 80m were  extremely
quiet and you could hear a frog fart from California.

I got  cranky toward the end of the contest from being tired when 
the rate meter  was in the 200s and spouted my disdain for using
phonetics on the air.   Most states have less syllables in their
names than the corresponding  phonetics and I felt that it was
affecting my rate.  Right after that  outburst, KA9FOX gave me 
59 Whales Island.  Of course Scott knows me  and I got a chuckle
out of  that.  I received an "explanation" this  morning on why 
everyone uses phonetics.  My retort is that I probably  wouldn't 
say in a casual conversation, "I was born and raised in Charlie  
Alpha but have lived in November Hotel for the last 35 years."  
I  like the sound of the states and it is easier for me to copy in 
QRM.   End of discussion, I know when I'm beat.

Lots of  6 banders because  of the Es opening on 10m.  I'll
try to make a list later.
 
I didn't work a lot of California stations.  The ones I worked 
weren't their usual strength.  The exception was K6NA on
160m.  Glenn was the loudest top band station from the
west coast.

Equipment same as always:  IC-7000 CT-WIN
A4S at  25 feet, 40m KickAss Dipole at 20 feet, 80m extended
G5RV (210 feet long) at  30 feet, 160m inverted L (50 feet
vertical, 75 feet horizontal) w/ five  radials.

One last comment.  I have been trying to talk up HF  operating
and contesting to my local club in the Owens Valley in  Charlie
Alpha.  The main interest is the repeater on the  mountain.
While calling CQ on 40m, I received a response from W7WOW,
a  local guy who is a retired pilot also.  It was a  complete
surprise.  And this morning, I got an e-mail from  another
member of the Bishop Radio Club who is a fairly new ham
and was  thrilled to work 154 stations.  So maybe there is
hope for sparking  interest in contesting.

My thanks to Ed Kelly, VP9GE, my great host.  He is one
of the finest gentlemen I have ever met.

It was a good weekend in Bermuda.

73, Kurt,  W6PH