[WriteLog] 2000 NAQP RTTY - KC4HW

[Jim Johnson]

Here is my score--such that it is:

10M		2 		1
15M		40		23
20M		181		45
40M		26		14
80M		0		0

Total		249		83

Points: 20,667

Station:  Tribander and 40 Meter Delta Loop.  FT1000D and FT990. 
Two - AF4Z Multi Modem.  Two - YO 100 Monitor Scops, Computer 
is a K6-2-400Mhz with 6 comports, etc.

Soap Box:  (Long Version)

Well, I for one had a good time!  Have been spending way to much 
time working and NONE playing radio.  Was nice to have a 
Saturday to do just that!

First of all this started coming together around 5:15AM Saturday!  
Accumulated the stuff to install my 40 Meter delta loop on the 
tower.  I had been trying a HyGain 40 Meter Dipole, but it fell out of 
favor because I could not get enough seperation between it and the 
tribander.  Also, the  threat of the upcoming Hurricane season, 
gave me serious concerns about keeping that antenna in the air.  
So I had had pretty good success with the delta loop during ARRL 
RTTY ROUNDUP, so decided to go with it.  All went as expected.  
Had to take down the HyGain and put up the delta loop, then trimm 
trees and such to install the loop.  Finished all that around 10PM 
and sorted out the coax, so felt pretty good about making the 2PM 
start.  

Had to purchase a new monitor, daughter had taken the one on the 
contest computer and would not let me borrow it back--Kids!  
Anyway, after a quick trip to several stores I secured a 17" Flat 
Screen from KDS. I had never heard of them, but the darn thing 
look pretty impressive.  Also had to make a trip to "Billy Joes 
Wings" place (the place for wings in Melbourne) and by the time I 
got back home with all, it was a little after Noon.  First order of 
business eat the wings!  after that got the monitor hooked up and 
started the computer around 12:50.  Called my ole buddy Bruce 
(Thumder Dog) to help with the adding the additional comports.  
Got all six of them up and running.  Could not get the network 
going.  Had all the programs and stuff backed up on another 
computer--but the network would not cooperate.  So burned a CD 
with all the Writelog stuff and transferred it over to the new 
computer.  NO WINZIP.  So had to download it from the web.  Now 
it going on about 1:50PM.  Just now getting the software installed, 
tried upgrading the version, but could not until I input my 
registration information.  So now it is getting exciting, it is 
2PM and I am tearing through everthing I have to find my 
registration code, finally I found the code so input it at blazing 
speed and of course made typos!  The darn thing would not work.  
Finally got my old bifocals in the right place and got the registration 
code right!  It came up and ran,  forgot about the upgrades!  Now it 
about 2:10PM and still have not defined the port setting and rig 
control.  Could not find my record of what I had before.  Finally, I 
found some scrap of paper that I had began  outlining what the 
comports were suppose to go to.  Nevertheless after several 
frustrating minutes of try this and that, the modem started 
decoding.  At 2:31PM I made my first qso!!!! still did not have rig 
control.  So try to get rig control working during my first 12 qsos.  
Fiddling with the rig controls and their power supplies caused the 
computer to hang up dead.  No Crtl-Alt-Del or nothing.  Had to hard 
reset the machine, with Win 98 complained about, before I could 
get it going, but finally, got it figured out and everything started 
working.  

Band conditions were terrible, but I kept digging the ditch.  Around 
9PM I personally began to run out of gas!  Took a short 30 minute 
break, and after a shower I came back and worked anohter hour 
and half, but by that time I was DONE!  

Anyway had a good time and appreciate the QSOs.  Even the guy 
that thought my CQ was too short, complaining that it was difficult 
to tune me in...  Funny he was perfect copy here, so some how he 
managed to get me tuned in, but would not give me a report--I 
guess that he was just policing the contest!  I guess everyone has 
to have a purpose in life!  So your are NOT in the log buddy!  The 
score is nothing to brag about but what the heck!  Because the 
band was so stinky, several of us were on our local 2Mtr simplex 
freq chit chatting.  Made the time past quicker.
  
Our team the FLO BOYS (short for Florida Boys) had a nice 
showing, so what the heck--all in all a pretty good day!

I really wish we would start this thing around 10 AM, of course I 
would have to start around 1AM, provided I waited to the last 
minute as I did this year.  

CU next year!



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