[ADXA] Thrill of Victory - Agony of Defeat

Sun Jan 24 11:26:00 EST 2016

Hi!

That or he will just say "Thanks little buddy!"

73

UZ

-----Original Message-----
From: ADXA [mailto:adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Joel Harrison
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2016 8:42 AM
To: David Norris <k5uz at suddenlink.net>
Cc: 'adxa' <adxa at qth.net>
Subject: Re: [ADXA] Thrill of Victory - Agony of Defeat

You don't need to work one for Rick.......He would say "I don't need it,
already worked it.....barefoot!!!!   :-))))

ZN

> 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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