[ILQSO] N9JF short comments

[James Funk]

My six-year-old granddaughter recently had a birthday party.

After everyone left, her dad asked, "Was it a good party?"
She hesitated.  "I guess so."
His response.  "If your guests had a good time and were unhappy that
they had to leave, then it was a good party, even if you didn't get
everything *you* wanted!"

Sage words.

I would have to apply his advice to the 2008 ILQP. Otherwise, I could
have become frustrated.  My antennas are NOT making the grade.  I felt
"weak as mouse milk" all afternoon, and my score is about half of what
it was last year.  

Positive notes:
1) It sounded like there was a LOT of activity
2) The "Maritime Swarm" was awesome.  At least 11 VE1/VE9/VY2 stations
on.
3) The mobiles I heard seemed to be busy.
4) I think every county got covered.
5) Over half the logs received so far are from stations that have not
sent in logs before.
6) My noise-canceling headphones with a built-in pre-amp are *stunning*.
I can copy stuff that is completely inaudible without headphones.  I
think that's why it seemed so bizarre that most stations could not hear
me calling.  Then I would look at the meter and realize many of them
were not moving it.....
7) I've not heard of anyone who got hopelessly lost, hit a deer, got
arrested, gagged on a ladybug or froze to death.
8) Twenty meters was surprisingly good.  I worked Europeans from each of
the first five or six counties.
9) I was able to walk after not moving from the seat for eight hours.
Melba stopped once (MASN) and returned with a milkshake. Nice.
10) I could read my log when it came time to type it into Excel. Glad I
didn't wait another couple of days, though.....

Other notes:
1) Forty was useless from 2300Z to 0000Z due to RTTY. After that contest
was over, nobody came back to 40????
2) I was weak.



More later.

73, Jim N9JF


 
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