Call: K3LR
Operator(s): W2GD
Station: K3LR
Class: Single Op LP
QTH: PA
Operating Time (hrs): 34
Location: USA
| Summary: Compare Scores | |||||
| Band | QSOs | QTCs | Mults | ||
| 80: | 59 | 0 | 28 | ||
| 40: | 253 | 306 | 38 | ||
| 20: | 546 | 568 | 41 | ||
| 15: | 483 | 468 | 45 | ||
| 10: | 7 | 0 | 7 | ||
| Total: | 1348 | 1342 | 412 | Total Score | 1,108,280 |
Club: Frankford Radio Club
| Comments: 2024-08-13 03:20:03 |
| The past four days have been one of those contesting adventures that will be long remembered. WRTC 2026 qualifying is a driver of some unusual behavior. This time what otherwise should have been a routine contest weekend was thrown into total chaos by weather events. Plan A - Operate WAE CW from K8AZ SO HP hoping to max out WRTC 2026 qualifying points. But severe T-storms and four tornadoes ripped up the area around Cleveland, OH on Monday night. One of the tornadoes touched down just a half mile from K8AZ. The area looked like a disaster area with roads blocked by trees and downed power lines everywhere. Commercial power remained off at Tom's until last night. Plan B - Operate K8AZ SO Low Power using his gasoline portable generator. Arrived at AZ late Thursday afternoon. Tom had come down with a stomach virus and fever, literally too weak to assist. Did an assessment of antenna status (found mostly minor damage except for a broken 20m driven element on the top 20 meter beam on the 140' rotating tower, and a few disconnected 80 meter four square wires). The real challenge would be to rewire Tom's MM shack layout for generator power. Decided that task was too complex and infeasible for me achieve alone. Friday morning, with assistance from K8MR, installed a temporary guy at 100' on the 140 foot rotating tower as a safety precaution - a tree had been snapped off by the storm and was leaning toward a top guy wire. Plan C - receive an invitation to operate the K3LR Multi/Multi in SO mode (using musical chair techniques). This was my first opportunity to operate Tim's place and I accepted immediately. Arrive at LR early Friday afternoon. Spend an hour or so being oriented to station features before heading off to bed for a much needed pre-contest siesta. Conditions were quite good the first 36 hours and then turned absolutely horrible the last 12 hours when the K index went up as high as 6. Rates seemed on par with expectations Friday night and most of Saturday. Unable to complete any ten meter contacts the first day but 15 was terrific. Operating K3LR definitely lived to my long-held expectations. The 40m stack was every bit the death ray it is supposed to be, even running only 100W. The 20/15/10 four stacks also made low power mode competitive but an amp would have been welcomed at times. Biggest disappointment of the weekend was ten meters - the SFI of 300 didn't produce a lick. The seven EUs worked on ten were all via skew path and very weak (the only EU stations heard all weekend to boot). A shame conditions went very deep into the propagation dumpster on Sunday. Thanks again to a special friend Tim, K3LR, for coming to my rescue! 73, John, W2GD/P40W |