This weekend is RDXC – one of my favorite contests. Yet I’m considering of taking a raincheck. Here’s why:
- I’ve got so much on my mind for my job and I’m quite stressed out because of that. So I’m not in a ham radio mood. Haven’t been for over 2 months for that matter.
- WX has been horrible lately and I’m really not looking forward to putting up tower and antennas in the pouring rain.
- We’ve had a major storm yesterday and have another minor one coming tomorrow. I count 5 storms (100km/h) already in less than 4 months. I really don’t want to risk a repeat of the 2007 scenario where I needed to lower the antennas Sunday morning because of sudden gales. Forecast for the coming weekend is rain and wind…
- Conditions and propagation on HF, or the lack thereof. I’ve done both UBA contests and ARRL DX CW and worked little or no DX on 15m. I’m not even counting 10m. But 20m let us down too. I’ve read the comments about propagation in ARRL SSB. I don’t want to end up on a weak 20m AGAIN after CQing in vain on 15m.
Each of these four reasons would not be a show stopper. However the sum of all this makes for a total lack of motivation to enter a great contest. My biggest problem is that it’s the first time I have this feeling. I’m really a contest addict and I enter most major as well as minor contests. I’m trying to convince myself that I’m not a wuss or a slob because I skip one contest and that I’m not letting anyone down. My ever-so-lovely XYL put it pragmatically: it’s a hobby and therefor it should be fun. If it’s no fun, just don’t do it. I hate it when she’s right…