[UK-CONTEST] RSGB LP 2008 and contest activity comeback progress!

[Paul - G4BXT]

Have been reading the postings on the list for a while and decided it was time to join in. However, with all the other things currently going on in other activities - further postings may be spasmodic (or should that be sporadic?)
   
  Have been inactive for about 3 decades. Last serious contest entries were RSGB 1.8 s and CQWW single band entries in the late 70s. So things are all a bit different now! 
   
  RIG: I am not a technophobe having been employed in telecomms for MOST of career 
  New rig is a bit of a challenge to master after an FT101B and and FRDX400. But the Elecraft K3 is fantastic.
   
  ANTENNA: This are a compromise compared to what I had at my parents' QTH. Not so physically agile these days but with the help of a TV antenna man have managed to get a pole on the chimney stack wth pulley and rope. (Took the opportunity to finally lay the old terrestial TV antenna to rest. This is an LF locality and subsequently UHF and VHF operation is and always will be useless!) Decided on a 40m Delta Loop currently vertically polarised which is pretty good for N and S America at night but a bit lacking for EU and UK.
   
  NOISE: Did not realise how much noise there was during the day! This has changed from the unsupressed electric drills, washing machines (etc etc) of the 70s  to the crud from IT and electronic entertainment.
   
  LOGGING: Persevering with Paul's excellent SD on the hoof and trying to convert myself from an operator in the old days used to logging all the contacts on SINGLE bits of paper to use in the 'check log and write up process' at the end!!!!
   
  OPERATING (during the LP 2008)
   
  Ran 10 watts. Started out mainly on searching out the /P s and did most of the operation on 40. When it dried up a bit in the afternoon session did a bit of CQ ing and was most surprised to get a couple of pile-ups (if the definition of that can be two or three stations calling at once!). Apologies to any really QRP stations I did not manage to hear, but at times the local noise was dismally loud.
   
  KEYING AND READING SPEED: I think the speed is starting to improve a bit. Purposely called CQ fairly slowly which maybe encourages people to call who are having a go for the first time.i 
   
  ONE HOUR LUNCH BREAK! : Had a great HAM sandwich! Amazing how short an hour seems for lunch!!!! Worked 50 stations. (Entry still to be made)
   
  Great to be back. After all these years it gave a real buzz.  Looking forward to the next contest activity. Don't think I will be able to get on for IOTA. If so, will be from a /P locality and QRP. 
   
  Paul