06/19/2008 | KA3ZLS Had alot of fun during this contest. I was actually able to get off of work on time on Saturday to be home for the beginning of the contest but had to shut everything down for a couple of hours on Saturday evening due to thunderstorms. 6 meters wasn't all that good it seemed on Saturday so I spent alot of time on 2 meters and up. I finally hit the sheets at around 2 in the morning and was
back on the air at about 8 sunday morning just in time for the great opening down to the south and west on 6 meters. I spent several hours on 6 for the first part of sunday racking up qso after qso. It seemed like every other contact I was logging a new grid. Then things slowed down on 6 in the late afternoon so I was bouncing between 6 and 2 for the rest of contest running qso's up the bands. I credit the success on 6 this contest with the new M2 5 element antenna that I put up on the Thursday before the contest. It replaced the cushcraft 5 element. Anyone want to buy a cushcraft 5 element yagi. Haha. My contacts on all the other bands were down due to the fact I spent more time on 6 meters. I did manage to triple my score from back in december so I was happy about that. The only thing that seem to went wrong this contest besides the thunderstorms was my 1296 amp crapping out on me. Other then that everything else worked OK, knock on wood. Highlights for the contest was working Cuba on 6 meters and AA4ZZ down in EM96 on 2, 6 and 432. Couldn't get it done on 222 or 1296. I just want to say thanks to everyone who got on during this contest and to the rovers for getting out there with the gas prices as high as they are and will be looking for everyone in september. Thanks again, Chris, KA3ZLS. -- KA3ZLS