11/24/2004 | W6ZF Missed a sweep by 2 sections: NT and MAR. During the last 15 minutes
of the contest heard a Maritime ham on 75 in QSO with an Ontario ham.
They were discussing how popular they would have been earlier in the contest. Trying to be a somewhat courteous ham I waited until their QSO was completed then keyed up and exclaimed, I need that Maritime station! Too late, he disappeared into the ether. I had already worked the Ontario station so we discussed that for a brief moment.
Oh well. My last Almost sweep was in New Mexico in 1991 where I missed it by one section...which was one closest to mine in NM... missed WTX. Back then, in the spirit of the contest, you could not use another means to ask someone in a needed section to come up on frequency. I would have gotten on the .33 machine in El Paso had it not been for that rule. Hey, I worked them this contest, Doh!
No tower this time, just wires...a Romex 14/2 [210 feet of wire within each 70' leg] and an OCF [Fritzel] dipole.
This was my first SS since '91. Was a whole bunch of fun. Don't think I'll wait 13 years to work another SS though. Hopefully next time the tower and directional hardware will be up. -- W6ZF