[JMS] W1HRX report for AWA AM QSO Party

[JAMES HANLON]

It was a great thrill to be able to sign Jim Millen's call, W1HRX, for the AWA AM QSO Party.  Doc Khalsa, K7SO, a fellow James Millen Society member, came down from Espanola, NM to help out.  On Saturday evening we were on two bands at the same time for a while, with Doc doing the honors on 20 with a Viking II and an NC-303 and I (Jim, W8KGI) on 75 with a Valiant and HRO-50.  Lots of guys were looking for the W1HRX "Flagship Station," so we had no trouble making contacts.  75 meters was particularly awesome on Saturday night, with one roundtable QSO including at one time or another in addition to W1HRX in New Mexico Bob, W2ZM, in New York, Dick, K5RB, in Dallas, Steve, KL7OF, in Washington State, Lum, K5AYD, in Oklahoma, Terry, KF0HR, in North Dakota, Gary, W6GY, in Idaho, Lock, W1ZD, in Phoenix, Don, W6DCN, in California, Paul, VE7KHZ, in British Columbia, Gary, WA4IAM, in North Carolina, Herb, K2VH, in New York, and Dave, W6TSS, in California.  In total we made 18 contacts on 75, 9 contacts on 40 (using a DX-100 and HRO-50), and 35 contacts on 20.  Our total number of points was 311.   

We had planned to put a very special NCX-30 transmitter on the air that had started out its life belonging to Gene Sims, James Millen's personal assistant at National and at the James Millen Company, and then had passed through John Nagle to Bill Fizette and finally to me, Jim Hanlon.  But at the last moment something emitted a puff of smoke and the final stopped drawing current, so we had to go to the fall-back Valiant and DX-100 rigs for 80 and 40 meters.  Murphy permitting, the NCX-30 will be fixed, burned-in and ready for the Party next year.  

So special thanks to Gary Carter, WA4IAM, and to the others at the AWA for organizing the party and adding the Flagship Stations this year, to Don Buska and John Zitzelberger and the James Millen Society gang for the use of the W1HRX call sign, and to everyone in the contest for looking for and working W1HRX.  And for a W1HRX QSL commemorating our contact, please send your card and an SASE to W8KGI.

73,

Jim Hanlon, W8KGI