As a contester, I’ve been known to do some crazy stuff/things. This weekend’s trip to the Jersey shore, to join the W2GD multi-of effort in the CQ 160M DX Test, may qualify. Not that contesting, per se, nor the 2-land FRC guys, are unworthy or qualify as crazy, but just that CONDITIONS, from the weather & the distance traveled & the time of year & so forth….just might qualify me a someone a tad obsessed (crazy) or otherwise devoted to too much zaniness. But I digress, a swell time was had by all, to just over 1M in points when the dits ‘n dahs had faded away. Traipsing around in the muck Friday was a hoot, as was wandering among the woods to check the Beverages & the vertical RX antenna. The K3s in full diversity mode truly made a difference. I had fun, although catnaps on a couch are not my choice for rest & relaxation. The whole experience was the closest thing to something I miight have done (heck, actually DID) once upon a time when I was in my 20s in college! The sense of that was very strong. Yet, the conversations (among the crew, when NOT operating) was decidely different. I spent offtime w/N2OO & K2SG having swell conversations. W2GD & I are a good team operating, having as much fun at that as tower climbing. N2NT came up with a couple of good funny lines in the midst of pileups and problem-solving. All in all, wouldn’t have missed it!
Drove home in terrible NC conditions. All the overpasses on I-85 carried warnings: STAY HOME, etc. No Southbound traffic. Charlotte is still essentially closed. Having grown up in the Midwest, all I can say is: What a hoot~!
Tower work up in MD cancelled, of course. That’ll all get rescheduled sometime next month.
stay tuned
