[UK-CONTEST] CQWW SSB SOSB 10m LP de G0AEV

[Steve Reed]

G4DHF's story sounds familiar...  Also operated 10m SO unassisted but low 
power - when I had power.

Saturday was reasonable - 650q 105c 30z in the log -  ionosphere slightly 
disturbed (band was still open at midnight on Friday, but closed 19.30 
Saturday).  The beam was happily guyed at 70' but at 20.00 I wound 
everything down to ground level as a pre-storm precaution.  Several trees 
(one only 20m from the shack) came down overnight, but no aluminium!

Up at 0500 on Sunday repositioning the beam from the top to the base of the 
stub mast (the weakest link) before raising the tower at minimum height - 
and guyed well.  Just got back to the radio for band-opening at 0600 when 
the mains supply went, flickering on and off for an hour before dying 
completely with a bang as a tree went down into a nearby pole-mounted 
transformer (with spectacular arcing).  Supply resumed mid-morning but the 
voltage was too low to power the radio.  Curiously the house supply (300m 
away - the shack is in a field) was better and enough to run a computer and 
an IC706 with switched mode PSU.  So I moved station, used a vertical for 
an antenna, and got on the air again at the "temporary location".  Made a 
total of 5 Qs when the power went off again.  Much gnashing of teeth! 
 Normal supply didn't return until midday with 25% of the contest down the 
drain.

The rest of Sunday was OK considering the beam was at low level throughout, 
but I reckon by then I'd lost a good number of Asian/Pacific mults.  Didn't 
capitalise on the early afternoon runs to USA as I was constantly looking 
back to the east.  Managed to pick up a few late ones (eg YB at 1500), but 
still can't believe I missed zones 26 & 29.

Not going to break any records: raw score 963 Qs, 130 countries, 32 zones, 
391230 pts

Steve G0AEV