06/18/2008 | VE3/KC8QVO WOW! WOW! WOW!

What else can I say? This was a really GREAT contest! I worked some spectacular openings and had a blast!

I operated from EN39 at my family's place on Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada. I have not worked a contest from up there until now, so this was a first!

I started right as WWV's tone struck 1800. No one on the bands. Nada. I called CQ for a good hour or so and didn't get a whisper. Then I went to hunting other CQ'ers. My first contact was on 6m with K5QE (and it was actually Marshall on the other end for a change HI) a couple hours in to the contest. After that, the fun really started!

I was on 50.125 listening for the band to open up when I started hearing some BIZZARE noises coming out of the radio - almost like static. So I tuned around trying to figure out what it was and it kinda sounded like CW. So over to CW I went and picked out KM0T in EN12 off the side of the antenna - no tone, all static crashes. I spun my antenna down South and he went away! This got me really curious. I turned the antennas around to find out where the signal was coming from. When I hit North he was blasting through the speaker! Again, no tone. It wasn't quite 100% static but it wasn't a tone either. I snagged a QSO and on I went racking some more up before the opening stopped.

A friend of mine, Steve KA1VHF, told me a year or two ago to try and work some Aurora propagation while up north. I have never experienced it before - but once I heard KM0T I knew thats what it was! No other explaination - he was due South and my antennas were due North; and there was the tell-tale sign of the warbly/staticky signal.

My Aurora opening lasted from KM0T at 2159 to N0UR at 2346. I was GLUED to the radio the whole time!

Another unusual set of contacts I made was on 50.150 just after 2100 Sunday. I heard W1XR in Maine CQ'ing. So I called back several times and couldn't get through. Then, WB6AAG in California popped in right on the same frequency. He was weaker, so I turned the antennas over his way. BINGO! Snagged CM95. Back around the antennas went. The band picked up and BINGO! Snagged FN55. The contacts were a bit rough, but I made it! California and Maine on one frequency directly back-to-back in the log! COOL!

I worked one station on 2m and nothing on 70cm. I tried numerous occasions. When 6m died off I would switch around between 2m and 70cm calling CQ a few times, turning the antennas, and repeating. Nothing.

Thanks to all of those who I got a chance to work in the contest! Send an SASE to my posted address for a QSL card if you want one. I will need some time to get one made up, though. As was my previous card this year's will be of pictures taken during the trip - the station inside on the front and the antenna farm outside on the back.

73,
Steve, KC8QVO -- KC8QVO