01/22/2008 | K1JT An unusual operating style led to an all-time high (for me) of 61 multipliers on 2m, more than half of which came from random EME QSOs using JT65. My log includes DXCC prefixes W, VE, RU, UA9, S5, OH, DL, HA, G, OZ, YU, F, I, EA, OK, PJ4, and SV. RoverLog kept nattering at me that the callsigns being worked appeared to be invalid, hihi.

On the other hand, I rather neglected 222 and 432, and missed a bunch of generally easy grids on the low four bands. Or was it that activity was that much lower than usual? The Sunday football games didn't help.

Tropo propagation in this region was poor. E-skip openings on 6m both afternoons were brief and very spotty ... but very nice to have.

Several failures of recently built station hardware were (more or less) coped with ... thanks to emergency repairs featuring wire cutters and clip leads. (Not a recommended procedure unless absolutely necessary!)

Nostalgia Department: My first VHF SS was, I believe, 52 years ago in 1956. I was then K2ITP, just starting high school. Two years later, in a multi-op effort together with my brother Hal, K2ITQ, we set an all-time scoring record that I think lasted for ten years or so. Of course, it helped that we were then near the peak of sunspot cycle 19 -- and 6 m was open coast-to-coast for many hours on both Saturday and Sunday. Won't it be nice if cycle 24 comes anywhere close to cycle 19?

Lots of fun again this year, as always. There are many ways to enjoy this great contest! Many thanks to all for the contacts. -- K1JT