[ADXA] Thrill of Victory - Agony of Defeat

[David Norris]

Good words from Joel!

I heard similar tales and frustrations last night on K5P and VP8ST when I
spoke at Fort Smith.  These guys are not easy to work, but when you think
about it, it is RARE DX.  Ii is the effort that makes DXCC an award worth
EARNING and why we are so proud of the accomplishment of snagging that rare
one.  Joel talks about not giving up and that's the key: don't give up!  K5P
has presented a unique set of challenges for K5UZ mostly due to my schedule
and thunder snow popping resistors and a key relay, but I am still getting
them where I need them (Palmyra is not an ATNO for me so I'm not too
stressed).  Tomorrow is 160m day for me and they will be worked by K5UZ.  I
think about VK9CD on Cocos Keeling some 10 years ago when the 160 op running
EU at our sunset decided to call NA, and after calling some minutes through
K1's, W1's, W2's, W3's and a few VE's of various stripes VK9CD sent "K5?".
Oh it wasn't done yet; I replied with a slow "K 5 U Z"  three times and
damned if he come back with "K5UR?"!!  Sorry Rick, I'm not working this guy
for you!  Again Slowly I sent "NO NO NO DE K5UZ K5UZ K5UZ K5UZ UZ UZ UZ"  He
returned again K5U?"  ARGHHH!  Again I fire my call several times and he
sends "SRI QSB K5U? AGN"!  WHAAAA!   Once more I slowly dump my call four or
five times then I speed it up for three more and the miracle ensued as he
replied- "K5UZ K5UZ QSL 5NN 5NN TU"!   A nice grey line QSO on 160 to a very
rare one indeed and persistence was the key.   No, I did fret about the
Aluminum Curtain from the NE, I just kept calling.  Also, the other key
factor here is LISTENING.  If I wasn't listening for the DX I can promise I
would not have worked him.   That is one of three framed QSL's in my shack:
JY1, K7UGA and VK9CD- the best hard earned DXCC victory.  

DXCC is a long-haul game of attrition played out over decades as many of us
well know.  How do you get these big totals over 300?  Stay in the game and
don't quit; it is just that simple.  

Tonya, my last piece of advice in the pile-ups:  When you get frustrated,
regroup, take a couple of deep breaths, stand up and shake it off, don't
lose your head, and get mean, plum mad-dog mean in that pile-up and call
with authority!  You'll put 'em in the log that way.   

Now I hear VP8STI on 15 CW - a needed band!  Don't quit- stay in the chair!


73 ES DX

DE K5UZ

-----Original Message-----
From: ADXA [mailto:adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Joel Harrison
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2016 6:45 AM
To: adxa <adxa at qth.net>
Subject: [ADXA] Thrill of Victory - Agony of Defeat

Tonya, KE5SNS, brought up a good point about the frustration we have all
experienced in trying to work a significant DX station, especially a
DXpedition that is only active for a very short time and won't be back for
possibly a very, very long time.

For those of us who have been in this hunt for several years we can sit
around and tell victory and defeat stories all day.....sometimes we do,
especially the "victory" stories when our buddy was defeated! :-))

If this were easy, we wouldn't be so proud to hang our DXCC certificate on
the wall or walk around at a ham gathering with our DXCC pin on our shirt,
cap or jacket. From my perspective, it makes us who we are as DX'ers in
amateur radio. To share a current victory and, so far, defeat I was ecstatic
to be able to work VP8STI on 160 meters. A proud accomplishment for me but I
also need them on 12 meters and I am yet to work them. There has been no
propagation here on 12. Yesterday, I was all poised to nail them on 12 if
the band opened. Reviewing the prop charts for when they had worked U.S.
Zone 4 the target time was around 2100 - 2300z. So, being that I have been a
bit of a horse's behind ignoring my wife the past two weeks with K5P and
VP8STI both on the air I thought I would be nice and take her to lunch
yesterday, especially since she cancelled a "shopping trip" due to the snow
and bad roads. So, we're at lunch, I come back and check in with Rick K5UR
who was also on "12 meter watch" and guess what? There was a very brief 2
minute opening at 1730z. Rick snagged 'em, I snagged a hamburger at the
"Highway 55" restaurant!! DEFEAT!!!

I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening glued to 12 meters but
no cigar. I got so frustrated I finally had to just walk away from the
shack....maybe today!

J, N5LKE, has been pounding away for K5P since its start and finally nailed
them on 17 meters yesterday for an all time new one for DXCC - VICTORY!!!

As I said, the list of experiences can go on forever. San K5YY has been
relating some of his experiences as of late from his current QTH with a
smaller antenna installation for the low bands from what he had for several
years.

We still have a couple of days so do NOT give up!!! Every time I'm ready to
do so I remember the FT5ZM Amsterdam op a year or so ago. Our window on
160 meters was very short and we had to fight through that darn east coast
wall. A number of us kept plugging away and on the very last QSO on 160 my
buddy down in south Texas, K5RK, nailed them....the very last stinkin' Q
!!!!! I was "defeated" in my attempt but Larry never gave up and did the 3
point shot / hail mary pass at the buzzer and won.

Don't give up !!!!!!

73 Joel W5ZN



www.w5zn.org






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