Topband: Another "I got 'em!" post

[Charles Bibb]

Like Phil, K5PC, mentioned a couple of days ago, the TY5 would start to 
become readable here (MS) just at my sunset. We got a slight sunset 
enhancement, then very soon they would either QRT or we would lose 
propagation. Very frustrating.

Sunday night, however, they stuck around - and had a good signal to 
boot.  I heard a friend about 100 miles away work them and was just 
settling in to do battle in the massive pileup that had gathered when I 
began noticing a "funny" smell. (By funny I don't mean "HA HA" funny, I 
mean "Oh, s--t!" funny, which is, of course, not the least bit amusing). My 
amp was on the Fritz.

Knowing that the XYL had volunteered me for a short social engagement in an 
hour or so, I shut the rig off and resigned myself to having missed another 
new one on topband.

After I got back home around 9:00 (0300Z), I found the TY was still going 
strong.  I took stock of my situation and considered my options:  I could 
either (A) pull the amplifier apart, try to find the problem, fix it, put 
it all back together, and then (hopefully) work the TY, all before their 
sunrise around 0550Z) of (B) try to work them "barefoot". Neither option 
seemed destined for success.

Long story short, I chose "B". Mainly because my homebrew amp is only a 
single 3-500Z, so my Mark V at 200W output would be less than a single 
S-unit down from my full power.

Put them in the log at 0443Z. Woohoo!

73,

Charles - K5ZK