“Storm Watch”

Newsletter of NZ1U – The Barnstormers Contest Group

                                                            Volume 13 No.2, September 1,2008

 

 

A Very Short Window of Opportunity

 

 

I think it is without saying that we have lost some of our “contesting fire” this past year. I take most of the blame and it surely is represented in the fact that this is only the second Storm Watch of the year!

 

Maybe it started with the Christmas party where I failed to award the “K1GX” award. After receiving the September CQ magazine with the CQWW CW results for 2007 it looks like the fire began to dim earlier than Christmas. We placed 10th in that contest, probably our worst showing in many years.

 

My question and/or challenge to the group are this:

 

Are we getting too old or not interested anymore?

 

Are we ready to recommit to striving to do the best we can?

 

Are we willing to spend sometime getting ready for 2008-2009?

 

 

Again all this applies to me more than any or you. We all have had legitimate excuses for lack of time. Some of us have multiple excuses, but are you ready to quit doing what we all love to do? I’m NOT!!! Contesting is probably the most fun some of us have all year. 48 hours with the gang does wonder for mental wellness.

 

My answer to the above challenges is I am ready to do what needs to be done. Of course I can’t do it alone and not even with one or two of you. We need the team to do what we have always done in the past and that is work together and “git er done”!

 

Most of you know I have knee surgery scheduled for October 7th. I can guarantee one thing is that if we are going to compete the station will be totally checked out by October 25-26 as long as I can crawl up the stairs in the barn. This leaves a very short time to get everything done.

 

Are we ready to get some excitement back?

 

 September is here! We have to start now!  Please let me know if you are with us. I hope we all are still contesters and members of the team.

 

 

Other news….

 

Kim has installed new large windows in the barn. Really nice!! The place is bright again.

 

Jay has officially become the log submitter for KB1H/NZ1U. It will be his chore to make sure logs are submitted to the appropriate contest sponsors.

 

Tom, W1TJL, has taken over the job of submitting our QSOs to LOTW and eQSL..

 

If I hadn’t mentioned it earlier, Kim, Jay and I replaced Vic’s rotor and he is all set for winter.

 

Mike, W1MKM, is selling a MFJ VersaTuner V, a TS-2000 with TH7 handheld, a brand new Yaesu EL/AZ rotor and control box, and eventually a Ten Tec Centurion amp. I believe this is a tube amp with two 872 finals. Contact KB1H if interested.

 

We have a fairly new P4 computer for station 3 as soon as Jay finishes the configuration. No Frank, it is not a dual processor!

 

 

Brush Clearing a Priority!!!

 

In order to go any further with the new tower we have to clear a way for the guy wires and anchors. An additional benefit is also that the radials on the 80M 4-square need repair and probably replacement.  Can we schedule this for September 13th?

 

 

DX Engineering Listening Antenna

 

As I reported earlier, with the two $100 certificates that Kim and I won at Dayton in 2007 I bought a vertical listening antenna. This can be used as a single antenna and eventually expanded to a listening 4-square. We need to install this antenna.

 

 

Bulletins to come fast and furious

 

I promise to put out bulletins on work details and progress over the next 7 weeks.

 

 

I hope you are all with me!!

 

73 Dick