I had decided Randy would start the contest, while I was on the listening radio and in charge of the steering wheel. Steering wheel? Yes, our armstrong antenna rotator was an old Audi steering wheel, with a mechanical transmission connecting it to the mast. A piece of string hung from the shaft between the wheel and wall with a little pointer that moved up and down as the wheel was turned to show direction. It was very confusing because the Slovenian word for North began with an S. We made our own markings to make it easier to track which way the tribander was pointed. This device proved to be the most annoying part of the contest since we had constant winds upwards of 50 mph the whole weekend. The wind would make the tribander swing, which would make the wheel rotate. It got to the point where the 2nd op had to hold the wheel with one hand and tune with the other. A lot of torque was generated, and it was actually tiring to hold the antenna in the right direction. I would also like to point out here that the Windom antenna at about 36 feet played amazingly well. There were times where it was so good we had to check which antenna we were using. It being on a 674 meter hill certainly helped. Also, since one end of the Window was tied off the tribander tower and extended out from there, we were able to use it as a listening antenna with virtually no interference while operating on the tribander in conjunction with the WXØB filters I just bought.

We debated whether to start on phone or CW. It was our original intent to start on CW since we felt there would be more phone QSOs than CW QSOs, making each incremental CW QSO worth more in the unusual standings scoring system. That assumption proved to be wrong, as did our decision to start on 15 phone. After CQing to no response and after only four S&P phone QSOs, Randy moved to 15 CW. He couldn't get anything going there either, and it was on to 20 phone, 20 CW and back to 15 CW in short order where the last-10 rate meter finally got over 100, but not for long. Still in the first hour, we paid a visit to 10 phone before going back to 15 phone. We finished with a very disappointing 85 QSOs in the first hour when we traded places following our one-hour shift game plan. I spent most of the hour on 15 CW, but we wound up with an even more disappointing 76 QSOs. I felt pretty nervous, and I'm sure I busted a few calls as our referee was making a lot of notes, which made me even more nervous.

For the 3rd hour we continued to bounce all over the place, including a trip to 40 meters to pick up some easy HQ mults. In retrospect, we probably should have waited, because 40 turned out to be QRNless and not as crowded as we had expected at night. After three hours we were well below expectations with 253 QSOs.

Things finally picked up in the fourth hour on 15 phone when a packet pileup pushed the last-10 rate meter into the 300s, peaking at 375, the highest I've ever seen while operating. Unfortunately, once the packet pileup was worked out, it took a while to get rate going on 15 CW, though the last-10 did get up to 180. The 140-hour was our best of the contest.

By this time the threat of electrical storms had materialized, though still distant. The static crashes increased, as did the winds. Though not enough to interfere greatly with copying, the static crashes seemed to come just as the other station was giving a repeat of the same letter the previous static crash had caused us to miss. The time between the flashes of lightening and the roll of thunder increased until at 1918 Randy took a look outside and came in telling me the storm had breached the next ridge and was now all around us. We turned off the radios, disconnected the coax and sat out on the porch of the inn next door watching what was one of the most incredible displays of lightning I've ever seen. Flashes came from every different direction. Though we saw no direct hits, we were pleased that a cell antenna tower stood much higher on our hill than the tower supporting the supplied tribander. After about 30 minutes Uli and Randy climbed the ladder to the loft for a nap. I took the opportunity to copy the mult list from the computer to paper for the 2nd op to use while S&Ping.

As the offtime approached 90 minutes, the storm seemed to move off, and I woke Randy and Uli. We stayed on 15 and 20 for the next two hours averaging close to 90 QSOs per hour. In the 2200-hour we made our first foray to 80 meters, which was better than expected, and then started running on 40 CW at close to a 100 rate. We bounced between modes on 40 and 80 the next hour picking up many mults. Early in the 00 hour 80 CW rates hit the mid 150s before playing out. A short trip to 15 meters produced many far-east mults.

Beginning in the 02 hour we headed back up to 20 meters. Finally, we were able to get a good rate (300+) going on 20 phone. That was needed, as not too long before when we hit 1000 QSOs, about 700 of them were CW, and we knew we needed to raise the phone QSO total. At 125 QSOs this was our 3rd best hour of the contest. The 03-hour was also over 100, but the 04-hour dipped to 73 followed by a 66. During this period I suggested to Randy we think about another offtime. Randy was concerned that activity at the end of the contest would really tail off, so we continued with a 76 total in the 06 hour and made 75 QSOs in the 07 hour.

10 meters finally opened late in the 07-hour. We made 127 QSOs, our 2nd best hourly rate, in the 08-hour. We ran out of time and pulled the switch on the transmitting radio at 0930. It was painful to listen the last two hours as 10 was hot. I even heard our competition work zones 7 and 8 on 10 meters, mults that we didn't have in our log. Not saving time for the last hour of the contest probably cost us a place in the top 10. At the end of the contest, I was not happy with our results, but Randy guaranteed me we'd be in the top 20, although he wouldn't guarantee the top 10.

After packing up the equipment, our hosts prepared another delicious Slovenian BBQ feast, once again featuring meat, meat and more meat. As we drove back to Bled, I played with making a spreadsheet that would be able to give us a rough estimate of the standings. When we got to the headquarters hotel, I wrote a large 3830 Scores sign and hung it on the wall over a table on the patio where war stories were starting to be heard. This was great for my social life as I was surrounded with contestants (especially those we thought were up there) eager for a preview of the results. I collected about 20 scores there and about another 20 sitting outside the dinner hall.

My spreadsheet proved pretty reliable, as I nailed the top two spots and nine of my 3830 top ten actually finished in the top ten after the pile-up contest and log checking were factored in. Randy and I finished a respectable twelfth, though we both had hoped for a top ten place. Randy finished tied for number 2 in the pile-up competition, reinforcing my decision to have him do both elements. It is interesting to note that his number 2 finish didn't move us up any in the standings as everyone who finished ahead of us had a higher WRTC operating score and everyone who finished below us had a lower WRTC operating score.

The day after the contest, I was up at 4:30 AM to get to the train station to pick up my XYL, Heidi, who came in for the closing ceremonies and then a Greek Island vacation. We spent the day visiting the Postojana caves and a procutio drying farm, where we were served lunch, you guessed it, a plate of ham. We got back and went to the closing ceremonies, which were short and sweet, before heading back to the ice hall for our final WRTC dinner.

Overall, this was the highlight of my contesting career and an experience I'll never forget. Thanks to SCCC for selecting me, thanks to Randy, K5ZD for being my partner, thanks to the Slovenian Contest Club for an incredible job well done, and thanks to my family for allowing me the time to participate.