WQ6X works a Woefully Weird NAQP Ssb contest and RTTY Rookie Roundup

Normally I find it relatively easy to write-up a radiosport weekend after the fact.  However for the NAQP GiGs this last weekend, from the beginning, everything was just a bit ODD (or is that off?), initially leaving me with nothing coherent to say.

The original plan was to attend an online Toastmasters meeting at 8am (why so early?), slip in an appearance at an ARCA (Amateur Radio Club of Alameda) board meeting (a good idea since I am vice president), continue with the Toastmasters until 1:00 and then spend the rest of the day/evening working the NAQP Ssb contest, interspersing my WQ6X operating time in Concord with a couple of remote stints into NX6T in Fallbrook.  It kinda went like that, if you ignore all the visits from Murphy throughout the weekend.  In preparation for this weekend, I wrote a "Blast from the Past" Blog about the NAQP Ssb contest.  ([CLICK HERE] to read this.)

I mistakenly thought the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend event would also be running this weekend as it used to always coincide with the NAQP Ssb contest.  Evidently this year, the ILLW GiG is a week later than I am used to.  That is actually exciting as I have a second shot at finding Light Houses - AWEsome Dewwwwd!

At NX6T, we started the contest with a well laid-out operator plan.  By the time of my 6pm takeover shift it had been tweaked and twisted, almost to the point of no recognition.  At NX6T that happens
a LoT; especially with remote operating being more-or-less the norm these days.

Murphy was ALL OVER this contest, on both ends of the circuit for me; in Concord as well as Fallbrook.  In Concord, the signal-suck vortex was clearly in effect, as you can see from the dismal WQ6X stats on the right - sorry about that SCCC Team #2.  In Fallbrook, we had internet hiccups (requiring rebooting Stations #1 & #2 twice) as well as some last-minute operator re-shuffling. 

The internet outage prolly cost our Multi-2 operation 100 QSOs from the overall downtime

needed to resolve it.

This was one of those contest weekends wherein Sunday sometimes brings us one-more-shot at "radiosport glory".  Seeing the ARRL Rookie Roundup RTTY Contest on the calendar, I thought it would be a good gesture to spend some time with rookie operators.  Not only was I a rookie in my Novice days, it wasn't until 2010 that I had the courage to attempt RTTY; in 2010 I was clearly a RTTY Rookie.  Thanks to my partner (er, operator) in crime N6GEO, I found RTTY contests to

be an incredible JoY!  When you come right down to it, we are ALL Rookies at various points

in our Amateur Learning Experience - chronological AGE has nothing to do with it.

This guy could be 10 years old, 20, 30, or even 65 years old - we've ALL had that bewildered look while sitting in the operators chair.  Repeated radiosport operating allows us to perfect our innate operating abilities, becoming the best that we can be.  Before you know it, the space clears and
You da-Man!  (or, You da-Gal!)

Unfortunately, the overall station turnout for the ARRL Rookie RTTY GiG was HORRIBLE.
A Sum ToTaL of 7 QSOs made it to the 20-meter log, and only 2 Rookies.  Near the end of the contest, one of the Rookies worked me again on 40-meters for a ToTaL of 8 QSOs for the entire
5.5 hours of operating time.  HuH?  We are more than happy to play with the Rookies but they have to let us know they are ready to play.  Radiosport is about Actual QSOs, not about smoke and mirrors.

What about You?
DiD YOU work the Saturday NAQP Ssb contest or the Rookie Roundup on Sunday?

If NoT, WHY Knot?

If SO, is WQ6X and/or NX6T in YOUR LoG?