[PVRCNC] K4TMC 2021 ARRL 10M Contest – NOT

[Henry Pollock - K4TMC]

Twas the day before the contest… the sleigh (utility vehicle) was all
filled with goodies packaged and wrapped, stuffed into the rear of the SUV,
and the trailer-hitch-attached cargo carrier was heavy with a bulging Roam
Adventure 93L box.  And the jolly-old contester was psyched and ready to
run.  The new X1 Nano laptop was loaded with software, files and the latest
trusty N1MM+ logging program.  The disassembled newly-designed ‘high gain’
short-boom 4-element low profile yagi was bungee-strapped to the cargo
carrier along with its 30 ft aluminum telescopic mast and the 51 ft carbon
fiber mast for the elevated 10M end-fed halfwave vertical.

Normal departure from Cary, NC for such portable contest events at the
Atlantic Beach house is on Thursday.  Unbeknownst to me, this time the XYL
had schedule some last-minute pre-holiday home updates, of which the
contractor did not get finished until late Thursday afternoon.  So, now I
have lost a half day of antenna work.  I check the beach weather for Friday
and note that the temperature will be great for work outside, so the
adventurer in me says I can make that up if I leave early, do not make any
emergency trips to Ace Hardware, Harbor Freight or Lowes, and fore-go lunch
at my favorite Eastern NC BBQ (brisket) joint. (Wait a minute…great beef
brisket at a beach town in Eastern NC!??...it’s a long story.)  So, the
plan changed to an early departure Friday morning, still giving me enough
time to get the vertical and one yagi erected.  Friday morning…I wake up
before the puppy barks to go outside, get a text from daughter that the
3-year-old twin grandsons are on the way over for breakfast before leaving
to see Disney On Ice at the local arena complex.  Twins play with puppy a
little before heading off to save Tinker Bell.  All is good.  It’s
10am…3-hour drive (plus lunch and puppy pit-stops)…I am just about finished
packing the personal items for myself, XYL and puppy Zoe, when the XYL
steps into the garage and asks if Zoe has been acting OK this morning.  I
go back into house and see that Zoe is a sick puppy.  Phone call to
vet…bring her in…yes, something is wrong…run tests…keep her for observation
rest of day…5pm puppy pick-up.  Now too late for Friday trip…wait and see
how Zoe is on Saturday morning. 10 appeared to be closed Friday night based
on listening with house vertical gutter antenna.  Saturday morning and Zoe
is better but not 100%.  XYL does not want to be 3 hours from vet if there
is a repeat. 10 appears to still be closed. Decided to take a hint from a
well-known politician…claim victory and call it a day…end of story.  There
is always next year!

Based on scheduled business trips in January, looks like I will miss NAQP
SSB and Winter Field Day.

Good luck to those waiting for a significant 10M opening.  May you be
blessed with high rates.

73 & Happy Holidays,

Henry - K4TMC