[UK-CONTEST] 2003 AFS CW - G3LET

[Peter Hobbs]

Boy, what a panic, having switched on the rig for the first time in 9 months to find S9+ hash all over the band.  Several kitchen appliances were replaced in the summer and so (jumping to conclusions as one does) they were the obvious culprits.  All big switches having been thrown, back upstairs to find no improvement.  Grabbed the feeder lead-in to check for a noisy contact and received an almighty static belt, with instant silence from the receiver - bingo!  A string of 47K drain resistors was hastily assembled, but this was the first such occurrence in 10 years at this QTH.

As usual I had difficulty in holding a run slot and the contest was very bitty with more than 50% S&P.  Returned to "proper" hand logging this time, resurrecting the cardboard dupe/station list from previous years but so many QSOs didn't get entered, I must apologise to all those dupes that I called.

The band really opened up in the last hour and I felt the rate ought to have improved, but it was tough going to find any available unworked stations.  Thanks to 5B4AGN and several public spirited europeans for bailing me out a little.  Total, a rather pathetic 217 QSOs with 7 dupes = 2100pts.  

Also learned after the event that today's fridges / freezers seem to tolerate c. 4.5 hours without power reasonably well . . .

Regards

Peter G3LET