[Elecraft] [K3] ZL8X on 160 from Arkansas

[Nick-WA5BDU]

I've been turning on 160 the first thing in the morning for a couple 
weeks, ever since putting elevated radials under my inverted L, and 
hearing nothing but noise and a couple U.S. super stations calling CQ 
DX.  Did I mention there was a wasp on the window outside my room yesterday?

So this morning the cluster reported that he was on 1.826.5 and 
eventually I was able to barely hear him.  Using every trick in the K3's 
tool box including APF, I could finally make him out sending his call, 
but he was ESP level.  I put in my call a few times without much hope of 
working him.  After one last time, I decided to go cook some oatmeal and 
maybe check again in 30 minutes, so I pushed the TX standby switch on 
the rig as I always do when I walk away from it. I don't want the cats 
working DX with my call.

Just as I was pulling the phones off, I heard: DU?  So I mashed the TX 
standby switch for the eternity of one-half second it takes to go back 
to active.  While doing this, I felt a tiny breeze on the back of my 
hand -- that red wasp was attempting a landing.  I heard the beep and 
moved my hand to the paddle, the wasp landed on the K3's display, and I 
sent 'WA5BDU' a couple times.  He came back 'WA5BDU 5NN' and naturally 
he was 5NN too.  New 160M country in the log and another thing to be 
thankful for.

73-

Nick, WA5BDU