RTTY. Not really my mode of choice. But a major DX contest is a major DX contest and why not join the fun? My fun began Friday afternoon. The fun was in the amazement that my setup worked in RY when I loaded the software and switched the K3 to FSK data mode. I only do RTTY once or twice a year so each time, due to the weird and complex behaviour of the Windows-N1MMLogger-MMTTY-microHAM USB router combination, I spend an hour cursing and swearing to set all parameters the way there were left a year ago. But not this time. It worked right away. Nice DX was worked on both 15m and 10m. I was in doubt for a casual SOAB or SB15.
Saturday started hectic and it didn’t improve later on. I made about 80 QSO on 15m when yet another T-storm emerged. Global warming is a killer! 😉 It turned out to be a small and short lived one, unlike the ones that forced me off the air this summer. Yet I unplugged all coax and control cables. I couldn’t be bothered to reconnect it all later on so I threw the towel. In stead I baked a cake to serve my visitors on Sunday. In the evening I didn’t return to the shack either. I put the icing on the cake – litterally. Exit CQ WW RTTY.
On Sunday it was hamfest time. I only do 1 or 2 ham fairs and this one is the biggest. But many people had the impression that it was less than other years. Granted: they were in a totally new location because the other halls are torn down and rebuilt. But it seemed there were less stands and less visitors.
We had some problems finding the entrance and it was quite a walk from the parking lot, especially if there is no indication of where to go. In itself not a problem but in the pouring rain… Once inside I didn’t have much chance to look at the goodies on display. Not a problem, I mostly go there to shake hands after all. I never look too well at all the junk that is being sold. I only bought a pair of bias T’s for future use. And a dipole center piece ‘just to have it around’.
I had the chance to meet some friends and catch up. Karel ON5TN told me all about his adventure on Antarctica as OR4TN. I learned that some of Belgium’s finest formed a posse to activate Congo as 9Q50ON later this year. I’m planning to hunt ‘m down early December. Let’s hope propagation will cooperate!