Doldrums....

Well, here it is the weekend after Sweepstakes and while everyone else is banging out CQ WW DX, I was trying to get things caught up around the house.  I am bummed out that I don’t have enough time to do all that I would like to do.  One of the first orders of business is to get the tower up.  The goal is to get the foundation for the tower poured by the end of the year, if at all possible.  Since my time is somewhat limited, I am going to ask a friend of mine how much it will cost for him to finish digging the hole.  He has a mini-excavator and could probably finish it in an hour.  The two yards of concrete are going to cost about 300 dollars. 

 

I have a Ham III rotor and control box here that I bought years ago.  I am praying that it will work.  I need to do some testing on it to make sure that all goes well there.  The antenna spare parts are here in a box and once I get the tower base poured, that moves to the forefront.  The antenna should be as good as new with a new boom section, all new plastic and rubber boots for the traps.

 

I am still trying to get space set aside to make a good operating position.  I have some ideas on how to do it, I just need to draw them out and do some measurements.

 

Another thing on the agenda is my desire to get a PVRC chapter locally.  We have a number of members here and have the start of a good group.  Jim, WX3B, has been working with me on this and it is my hope that 2008 will bring this goal to a successful conclusion.

 

I would have loved to be in the CQ WW DX (CW) portion this weekend, but my CW skills have been lost over time.  I passed my code test back in 1993 and barely used them at all.  It was my goal to update to General, but then life got in the way…..John came along and then the divorce…then no place for radio for a while.  Then I had space for a radio, but no time…..Then finally in 2005, I made time.  That was a decision I am glad that I made.  Radio has given me an outlet to relax.  I know, it sounds silly thinking that hustling for QSOs and staying up lots of hours is relaxing, but it is.  Of course, I will probably never be on the scale of the big guys like K1AR, K1DG, W6OAT, W4MYA etc, but it is my goal to work all that I can and have fun while doing it.  So far, it is just that, and I intend to keep it that way.  One day I will get back with CW and get the speed up to play with everyone on CW weekends, but for right now, I will just have to accept that I can only enjoy half of the contesting experience.

 

 

OK, enough of my rambling on at 4am.  From 3830, I see that I am still hanging on to being in the top 20 for SS as SOLP.  We will see how long that survives.  I have not seen anyone from VA yet that has announced a score better than mine, but they don’t have to announce on 3830.  So, it is just a wait and see until the results are announced.