Hi Gang
I was as excited as could be as the evening of my second try at being the
"Fox" approached. Checks of radio conditions an hour or so before my 0200
start were very promising. WWV was 20 over S9. W1AW was stronger than I had
ever heard it. 40 meters was filled with lots of loud signals. W6 and W7
stations were booming in. I told my 13 year old son that this could be my
lucky night - I might really be able to make 100 contacts. Boy was I wrong.
Things started out great. I was working stations at the rate of 1 a minute
for the first 18 minutes or so. I worked a couple CA stations early on. Then
some digital junk started up too close. I moved up a bit. My rate started to
slow. I moved up to 7.042 for a while but that didn't improve things much. I
only managed 11 contacts between 0230 and 0300. At 0300 it was as if someone
turned the lights out on 40 meters. I called and called. I tried finding a
better frequency. Nothing worked. I made only 5 contacts during my entire
second hour.
So I didn't make 100 contacts. I didn't double my total from last time. I
didn't even match it. With my fox tail dragging, I report the following
meager results:
1 0201 AA0XI 559 579 CO MARSHALL 153
2 0203 N6XU 559 449 CA STAN 66
3 0204 N6MM 559 569 CA HARVEY 318
4 0205 KA1AXY 559 559 MA PETER 260
5 0206 W5TFB 559 579 TX JACK 282
6 0207 KE4YH 559 559 FL STEW 590
7 0208 N1QQV 559 589 CT KEN 400
8 0209 K5ZTY 559 559 TX BILL 473
9 0210 W5OWV 559 569 TX KEITH 5W
10 0211 K1OJ 589 579 TX OJ 732
11 0212 WA8GHZ 559 449 TX JACK 619
12 0215 W5XE 559 459 TX RAY 256
13 0216 N4JS 559 579 NJ JOHN 884
14 0217 W5FN 559 559 TX TIM 586
15 0218 W1HUE 559 539 ID LARRY 228
16 0223 KJ5VW 339 579 TX GARY 227
17 0229 KC1FB 589 599 CT JIM 29
18 0231 KA5T 559 559 TX LARRY 89
19 0232 AB7TK 559 339 ID RANDY 102
20 0241 W5UXH 559 539 NM CHUCK 5W
21 0243 WA1QVM 559 579 MA JOEL 337
22 0244 AA2QO 559 559 NY MIKE 2W
23 0246 KF2PH 559 579 NY NICK 13
24 0248 NQ7X 559 559 AZ FLOYD 343
25 0249 N7VE 339 229 AZ DAN 4W
26 0251 NQ7K 559 559 AZ MIKE 47
27 0254 WD4MSM 559 599 IN BARRY 642
28 0257 K5OI 559 559 NM TIM 73
29 0302 K5GQ/M 559 459 TX MARK 479
30 0310 WB4FCO 559 579 FL ED 70W
31 0317 KU7Y 559 339 NV RON 17
32 0325 AB7TT 449 229 AZ JOE 191
33 0346 AB7MY 559 449 AZ GARY 571
The Big Game:
TX 10, AZ 5, CA 2, CT 2, FL 2, ID 2, MA 2, NM 2, NY 2, CO 1, IN 1, NV 1, NJ 1
In hindsight, it would have been much better to have started at 0100. I might
have missed some West Coast contacts, but I would have had a much better
chance of working the stations that were on.
Thanks to everyone. This foxhunting stuff sure is fun! I printed up some
special Fox Hunt QSLs for this occasion. Just send me your card (SASE
appreciated) and one will be on the way.
73,
Tom N9DD
South Bend, Indiana
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