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Zombie Shuffle Recap – 2014
8 November 2014 | by Tough work week and last night, I felt like a Zombie!
Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].I joined the Zombie Shuffle, already in progress at about 0020 UTC (7:20 PM Local Time). I got on 20 Meters and worked four fellow Zombie Hunters in pretty rapid succession. I thought it was going to be a great night.
I was a tad mistaken.
From there, it got slow - real slow - shuffle slow - slower than shuffle slow. This Zombie ended up doing a moon dance - looking like he was walking backwards. The perceived lack of participation or lack of good band conditions was a bit of a disappointment.
I stayed on for two hours and worked 13 stations - which somehow seemed appropriate. At that point, while the KX3 was merrily calling "CQ BOO" for me, I actually started to nod off for a few seconds. Being the conscientious, law abiding Amateur Radio operator that I am, I decided it was not a good thing for the Control Operator to fall asleep behind the key. So I accessed the local control point, pulled the big switch and made my way upstairs to get some much needed ZZZZZZZs.
Thanks to fellow Zombies WA5TCZ, KG9DW, KA5T, N5GW, N8RVE, W3KC, W1PID, W3ATB, AB9CA, N1ABS, VE3CBK, WA8REI and WB8WTU for the contacts - lotta good friends there, It was a pleasure to work you all! Five on 20 Meters, six on 40 Meters and two on 80 Meters (which was beautifully quiet without hardly any background QRN - oh if there had only been more Zombies there!).
By the way, I was one of the Elvis stations again this year - so if you worked me, I was worth extra pointage. And as always - special thanks to Paul NA5N and Jan N0QT for running another spectacularly fun event, my own tiredness notwithstanding!
4 Responses to “Zombie Shuffle Recap – 2014”
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I had been looking forward to the Zombie Shuffle for weeks Larry, but it all got messed up for me so I didn’t even participate. I had sat up pretty late on Thursday night until around 3 AM and then yesterday morning, after only 3 hours sleep, when my daughter got up to go to work at 6 AM, she has to be there at 6:30 AM, she had a flat tire on her car and no spare tire! I wound up taking her to work and then took the tire from her car and went later that morning and got her a new tire and then had to go pick her up from work at 5 PM. After all that and only 3 hours sleep the previous night by the time the 6 PM start time for the Zombie Shuffle rolled around I was so sleepy I could barely keep my eyes open! I said forget it and went to bed! Seems like my luck runs that way a lot, especially when I have some CW event or QRP outing planned. Oh well, maybe it will work out next year for me. Very 72 from Cliff KU4GW QRP Zombie #867.
Larry, it was good to make contact with you during the Shuffle! Of course, I got completely flustered when I realized I was finally going to be able to work THE W2LJ…the man, the myth, the legend! Sorry about missing the exchange the first round. I was giddy… Thanks for the 2-way KX3 5w qso!
Mike,
No …. thank YOU for the QSO! It was much appreciated and shucks, pshaw – you’re making me blush. Thanks for the kind words.
73/72 de Larry W2LJ
Hi Larry (aka Elvis),
It was great to work you during the Zombie Shuffle 2014. Glad to be a DX contact.
I had a great time. Hope that you had a great time.
73
Chris VE3CBK