02/21/2005 | YI9VCQ This was my first ARRL DX contest as a DX station. My duties as a radio operator in the U.S. Army limited my available operating time, but I had a blast nonetheless.

My station is an Icom IC-706Mk2G at 100 watts, Ten-Tec 247 tuner, and 160m Windom. I used N3FJPs International DX Contest (DX Version) logging program that made scoring and automatic keying a breeze.

I thought I was finished on Sunday at about 1500 UTC, but some friends of mine in Pennsylvania asked me to try one more shot. Boy, it seemed like the entire states of PA, MA, and NC could hear only me on 15m. RF got into the computer and locked my transceiver into transmit. So, I broke out the external keyer and sounded quite sloppy for a few contacts while readjusting to sending manually. Then, I moved to 20m and, unbelievably, it stayed open until 1800 UTC, which is about 2 hours past its normal closure point for my QTH. My thanks to the guys in the Franklin Radio Club for urging me to get back on the bands! I gained 47 QSOs in a few hours time.

Totals were QSO-107, Mult-45, Points-14445

Im looking forward to the Phone section.

73 DE Korey in Camp Cooke, Iraq -- YI9VCQ