12/22/2025
Captain's Log:
21 December, in the year of CW 2025.
Preparations went well for the CWRR contest. Time was set aside, station was prepped, and everything went well. Keeping my eye on the Contest scoreboard provided that urgency and drive, but the QSOs never flowed as strongly and quickly as expected. Spent most of the time running, hoping, praying for Samuel Morse himself to bless my radio and bring me a higher rate then 14/hr.
It was not to be.
A lot of QSB prevented more distant contacts and I was unable to hear anyone west of the Mississippi River, and DX was rarely heard, and when they did respond, they didn't know the exchange.
Overall, it was a good contest, but I have a few complaints. One being that we do a complicated exchange that (in a lot of cases) required more then basic CW skills and one might say delved into advanced/expert conversational CW for a contest most didn't know was happening, or even knew existed. In the end when the scores are submitted, there is no ask for a Cabrillo log, no verification of exchanges... why? If that's the expectation then to make this contest more "Rookie" friendly, it should be an easy exchange like 599 and state or something along those lines. It seems like a lot of input for nothing.
Alas, it is what it is. I wish my shack in the basement was warmer then the 50 degrees (No amplifier running to keep me warm during the long hours of CQ'ing) yet I shall return upstairs to my fire and commence running FT8 remotely from my office PC.
Until next time, NV1U signing off.
73.
(OOC: Thanks to the other rookies who fought through tough conditions to make for an exciting contest! CU next time! dit dit)
