[ADXA] ADXA] Thrill of Victory - Agony of Defeat

[hamop1]

Absolutely great article as usual, Joel. So well put, the victories and defeats and how they run in cycles. I scheduled a guy on 20m from South Sandwich in late 1979, the LU3ZY, to meet me and try 3.8 and if contact made, try 160m. We made both contacts, guess it was the first So. Sandwich on 160m, since they did not operate that band anymore in the late 70s to my knowledge. But in those days things were done by schedules on the air and phone calls late at night  and doing a lot of listening. No DX Summit ‘real time’ spots and no up to date newsletters like W3UR and no emails! The military part time radio guy on So. Sandwich had remembered working me at D68AF for a new one and that is the only reason he agreed to a schedule on 80m later at night. If I remember it was at an unusual time for him to be on the air at all, after his other duties on the base that day on Corbeta Uruguay, Thule Island. Likely my most unusual and rare contacts on 80 and 160m. Again, no real time information to be shared anywhere except by telephone. I had called a W4 friend who listened and barely heard the So. Sandwich station but no contact, tho he did work him on 75m as I remember. Victory and defeat as you say, Joel.... 37 long years ago, half a lifetime.

I can relate how many times you and K5UR have worked low band DXpeditions since the early to late 1980s and my small 160m antenna in Paris either barely heard the station or not at all. At that time I knew my low band fun was over... at least til 1993 to 1995 out in the country in Springdale. Then for two seasons I worked some good ones on the low bands with a “T” antenna on those bands and full 1/2 wave or 1/4 wave slopers turned by my going outside and carrying an old rubber tire from one direction to another with the slopers attached. A good 2 S units better to the direction I was pointed.  But the towers were 110 and 80 feet!!  Then in 1995, moving to town to a subdivision and having only a 38 foot tower and trap dipoles at 35 feet for 160/80, I knew my 160/80 days were over, all signals going straight up and down, no low angle enhancement, just marginal. Our HK0NA trip saw me needing Malpelo for a new one on 160m, and I had to make a SCHEDULE, since I was the pilot for the HK0 operation, and then it was still just a weak contact. I have been lucky a couple of times late in a DX operation when the pileup was way down and I caught a 2-3 MINUTE peaking of the DX station and got through. I was given a 599 standard report and I gave the guy a 339 most of the time..  

So, victories at times and defeat most often now. But I DO get more sleep now and do not worry that I  only have about 200 on 160m now, whereas you and K5UR are the kings in mid America on most all bands along with K5RK, my friend in south Texas. I admire you 3 for the efforts and successes you all have had these past years. I can only wish and wish and wish, get mad at my station and myself for failure to not “get thru” the pileups at times. I am at the right place and call at the right time but seems like so many times the station answered is RIGHT ON my calling frequency, beating me out again. So, it more Defeat now than Victory, and its lasted 21 years at this small lot QTH with a 38 foot tower and small 23 foot vertical with 3 elevated radials for 30/40 meters. Still I foolishly call and call, and after an hour or so, just turn the rig off, sulk and then go to bed. HI HI   Like the Sun Spot cycles, ups and downs, but that is DXing and has been since 1958 for me.

Sorry to be so long, but it is nice to share with you some moments in DXing and hope that other ADXA members will share their stories in later ADXA “updates”. DXing keeps me out of pool halls, off the golf course and from being on the lakes fishing all the time. I keep reminding my wife of that!!
73 to all, 
San K5YY
-----Original Message----- 
From: Joel Harrison 
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2016 6:44 AM 
To: adxa 
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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