My third year participating! I would have liked my q's in the upper bands, but propagation spoke
otherwise. 

I beat my score from last year. For me—an overall success. 

Thanks to all my contacts!

On a bright, sunny afternoon it was fun to get on for a couple of hours and work some Rookies (and
some OTs, too) with slow-speed CW.  Nice to hear all the activity mixed in with POTA and RG and some
ragchews.  Happy Holidays to all!  73, Ward N0AX

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)