One of the local beady-eyed QRPers came by last week, the flux being down and the Ap index up and he having little to do. But he had a worry and he got right down to it. "What are the possibilities of another St. Paul and Sable Island effort?", he asked and that got our attention. "We thought you worked them last October and November", we said, "why do you need them now again?" The QRPer was ready and kicked that one right back. "Sure, I worked them", he said, but I worked them too early. It was VX9A on October 30th and VY0A on November the 9th. Now the ARRL says that they will only accept credit for contacts made on or before November 15th and that cuts me out. Completely!"
We had to have a bit of thinking over this item for it did seem that the answer was too easy. "But that date was November 15th 1945", we said. "1945 . . . not 1975!." If you would think this was the end, it was not. The QRPer was ready all over again. "We were talking this over on seventy-five," he said, "and one of the fellows said that he knew someone who had talked to someone in Connecticut and they said that 1945 was a misprint and it should have been 1975. And, you know how those fellows back there in Connecticut have all the answers, don't you?"
At this point there was more than one matter that needed clarification and we decided to stick with 1945. November 15, 1945 and the return of DX after the Great War. "Look", we said to the QRPer, "November 15, 1945 is the day we celebrate Guy DX Day. And to be a genuine true-blue DXer, you must believe in Guy DX. Be a Believer!, we said to the QRPer. The date is 1945 and your QSLs will count and the sunspots will return someday. And don't believe anything you hear on seventy-five metres."
The QRPer was quiet for a bit but not through with his questions. "But what about the fellows in Connecticut knowing everything all the time." Son of a Gun! There are days when we cannot end the questions or the QRPer stories . . . and on these days when the QRPers are still persisting and the answers are often hard to understand, we suggest they check Mike D'Alto, K2CD's web page at URL:
There you will find the answers to the Eternal Enigmas of DXing, a few of the answers to the Mysteries of the Ages . . . and some of the reasons why the QRPers are sure the fellows in Connecticut have all the answers!! And maybe the flux will be over 150 next month, too!
73/DX Paul VE1DX
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