WAE DX Contest, CW (2018)

WAE DX Contest, CW

Call: NR4M
Operator(s): N2YO NR4M K4GM W7IY
Station: NR4M

Class: M/S HP
QTH: VA
Operating Time (hrs): 38

Summary:
Band QSOs QTCs Mults
-------------------------
80: 101 40 92
40: 534 570 135
20: 694 773 98
15: 72 34 54
10: 13 0 10
-------------------------
Total: 1413 1417 389 Total Score = 1,101,259

Club: Potomac Valley Radio Club

Comments:

Contest started out well enough, I suppose. With a new rule this year that
requires competitive stations to have an audio file of their operating
AVAILABLE, if needed, I suppose. I used Audacity (freeware from the web) and it
seemed to work well enough, but it each computers on-board sound card, were 'all
over the place' as far as getting settings correct, and, hopefully, the same.
We'll see...

Conditions sere poor enough that it made it a real drag at times. There were
long stretches where signals were in and out of the noise, with fast QSB. A
signal that actually moved the S meter was a welcome event.

It was N2YO and NR4M for the whole contest with W7IY and K4GM, pitching in for
several hours during the daytime. These 'break times' were welcomed.

Kept my fingers crossed that 10 meters would provide at least SOME Q's, and they
did happen on Sunday. Just after local noon, I believe, 10 opened very briefly
to EU, but only DK's and F's were heard here. I was actually able to RUN 10
meters, but only for a few minutes, then it closed up as fast as it opened.
But, it was an exciting few minutes while it lasted and did break the boredom.

I am always amazed at how well some of the fine EU op's can receive QTC's.
There were a couple of times that I came across QTC's being sent/received, and I
took a few moments to just listen. Great job, EU ops.

Late Sunday, severe storms kept us off the air for 2 1/2 hours due to nasty
lightning. I was told this morning by a neighbor, that we got 2 inches of
rain.

Unfortunately, one of my friends, and Goat Farm op, Mike, K4GMH, lost his whole
140 foot tower when a neighbors tree came down across one of his guys, during
some sort of 'severe wind event' in his neighborhood. He said utility poles
were snapped off, leaving power lines in the road. Apparently, a real 'mini
disaster' in his neighborhood.

Thanks to everyone for the Q's sent our way.

73 de Steve, NR4M