WHERE HAVE ALL THE SUNSPOTS GONE? LONG TIME WAITING...

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A SERIOUS INABILITY TO
COMMUNICATE.

CONDITIONS ON THE ARRL SS PHONE ABSOLUTELY
SUCK. AND THAT'S BEING POLITE.

I DID MANAGE TO WORK THE LONG HAUL STUFF
EARLY ON, BUT THE CLOSE IN WAS REALLY
TUFF.

80 METERS WAS SO LONG I COULD WORK INTO
SIX LAND EASIER THAN NORTH TEXAS. FORGET
TEN. FIFTEEN WAS JUST BARELY THERE.

ABOUT ALL THAT WORKED WAS 20 AND 40, I
WORKED THE PACIFIC AND ALASKA ON 40 AND
OF COURSE 20. BUT WHILE SEARCHING FOR
SOME LOCAL STUFF INTO LOUISIANA I HEARD
THIS SUPER SIGNAL COMING IN FROM, ARE
YOU READY? MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA. OVER
THE POLE, LONG PATH 20/9 AND HE HAD A
DECENT ANTENNA ... ARE YOU READY? A
STACK OF 5 OVER 5 OVER 5 OVER 5...TOTAL
OF TWENTY ELEMENTS ON 20 METERS, AND HE
WAS ONLY RUNNING 100W. CAN'T ARGUE WITH
ANTENNA'S.

MOST FOLKS HAVE GIVEN UP ON THE CONTEST.
THINK I WILL TOO. WELL AT LEAST THIS
MESS SAVED ME SOME BUX. I DIDN'T GET A
SWEEP ON EITHER PHONE OR CW THIS YEAR.
THAT'S ALRIGHT, I'VE GOT A BUNCH OF THOSE
CUPS THAT YOU HAVE TO SPEND FIFTEEN BUX
AFTER WINNING THEM. YEAH, YEAH, BUT IT
IS FUN....I THINK.

END OF THE MONTH IS THE CQ DX CW. I WILL
CERTAINLY BE THERE (I HOPE).

Dan/W4NTI