[UK-CONTEST] HF NFD M0RHI/P (QRPeeeee) (bit long and waffly)

[Royce Hunt, M0RHI]

Well, it was going to happen eventually, the rambling nonsense that is 
one of my writeups of a blurry, damp, muddy field day. Anyway, so you 
can ignore the rest, I'll post the results first :)

    Band      QSOs       Pts

    160m         8        32
     80m        52       200
     40m        26        88
     20m        24        88
     15m         1         1
     10m         0         0
                 111         412

Yes, quite aware this isn't quite a groundbreaking score, nor even a 
respectable score for even QRP section. However, I'll still amuse / 
annoy you with ditties and anecdoes of the contest.
Firstly, I entered QRP section, as there aren't many active CWers at our 
club, and the ones that are willing to join in aren't up to contest 
standard. No amount of sitting with them, pointing out CW stations 
managed to stop their pupils dilating and them breaking out in a sweat. 
There was my first chance to drop people in at the deep end gone. 
Secondly, our field days are a matter of see who turns up, and steal 
them for as long as possible. Total CWers that turned up. 0. Just me 
then, ah, it's gonna be a long night.
Thirdly, the reason I chose QRP was it was only 12 hours, and the evils 
of work meant I needed to fit the contest around it. Anyway, I sprinted 
home at the speed of light at about 1600, aware the contest was just 
getting underway, got home, pulled at leads, grabbed bits of the 
station, rang the club members on speakerphone while I was getting ready 
for them to get the antenna up in the air, and check the generator was 
working. All was going well. In fact, when i got there, the caravan was 
ready, the Union Flag was flying alongside the antenna, and the smoke 
from the burning charcoal was rising at a bit of an angle. Great support 
team I had! Anyway, a quick install of the software onto the laptop and 
I was away. It wasn't until I was underway, and I stopped for 5 minutes 
to grab a burger from the barbecue and a can of Tetleys from the carrier 
bags (support team again, bless 'em) that I realised that I was the only 
CW operator there. Anyway, I plodded on for a hour and a bit, jumping 
around, S+P all the time. I decided to have an hour off after about 2 
hours, as the generator needed refuelling by this time, and someone had 
produced a box kite that looked suspiciously like it wanted flying 
(whoever said radio wasn't fun)!
When I came back on, I managed a little bit of a run, and the barbecue 
and beer continued to flow. It wasn't until about 0100 that I next 
decided to have a rest. One of the support crew had just been home to 
defrost vital supplies (read: more burgers) and we continued, after 
about a 45 minute kip. In fact, I fell to sleep in the operator's chair, 
and managed to evacuate the caravan. Apparently the old thing has a 
resonance at my snoring frequency. Anyway, the next few hours went 
pretty normal, apart from the poorly regulated generator, that was 
guzzling fuel at a nice rate. Sorry if I was 593 with quite a few 
people. I managed to pull the last dregs from 80 and 40 just as the last 
dregs from the generator ran out, and that was the end of my contest. I 
got about 9 or 10 hours contesting in all together, on 10W into a 
doublet at about 28ft.
I'm aware it isn't going to win me any trophies, but I thought it wasn't 
all that bad for my proper attempt at NFD, single op. Last year, we 
harvested the same number of Qs, but with a few more operators. Anyway, 
all in all, a thoroughly enjoyable contest. We packed all the stuff 
away, in the glorious sunshine, and I was home for 8am. I thought to 
myself that I should get a hour and half's sleep in before I go off to 
work. Twenty minutes in, my plan was foiled as my shoulder rather rudely 
decided to dislocate itself and wake me up. Day laid up in bed for me. 
Contesting most definately is an extreme sport!
Anyway, apart from that, great contest, and a valiant effort, with power 
supply problems, lack of operators and all the other bits and bobs and 
mud against me. I'll see if I can find any photos.
You might just, might *just* have converted me, y'know!

Royce, M0RHI(/P)