WQ6X does WPX-Cw as a Multi-2 - despite K-Index of 5

 

My last visit to Fallbrook was for CQ W.W. 2012 SSB.  Earlier this year WQ6X made a WPX-RTTY showing as Multi-2 and WPX-SSB as a single operator.
Because of Fallbrook's excellent DX location (900' above sea level), it made sense to run a Multi-2 from the former W6HCD location (now known as Nashville).
We ran two operating positions and two antenna towers.
We had multiple operators, including: NN6X + N6EEG, K4RB, N6KI, myself and a newbie operator KE6A, who made his contest debut Friday night on 80-meters from Station #2 while I ran pileups on 20-m & 40-m.

Station #2 Kenwood TS-950SDX  & Centurion Amplifier

Station #1 Elecraft K3 & ACOM 2000 Amplifier

For WQ6X in 2013 WPX Cw we had numerous visits from Murphy, not to mention a K-Index of 4 & 5 throughout the weekend. As I write this 2 weeks later, the K-Index is still roaming around a 3 - it has yet to drop back to zero for over two weeks.
We managed 1,790 actual QSOs and 666 Multipliers, for 2.5 million points,
putting us in last place of the highest-scoring Multi-2 high power operations.

Even with Mr. Bill on our side, Murphy showed up in many different ways.  The ACOM 2000 developed a bad transmit relay so we swapped it out for a replacement ACOM 2000.  Using the Centurion amplifier for station 2 required rewiring the amp for 110 instead of 220.  The 12-v power supply for the K3 took a dive requiring we swap in a replacement.  The low antenna tower developed a stuck rotor, requiring that we bang the tower bottom to free it.  And of course operating 160 for our whopping 9 QSO's RFI'd the internet router, requiring a reset after each stint of time spent on 160.  At times it seemed that the TS-950 front end had been fried (no signals on 10m & 20m).  We finally concluded that the main problem was the K-Index and not the receiver; altho excessively tight Cw filters may have contributed to the quiet signals.

Dennis N6KI made another YouTube video of our operation.
If you look closely you can still see my 4-element Inverted Vee Slinky antenna hanging from the tree.  (It has since been removed for use in Field Day with W6SW on Mt. Abel.)