First Leg (28-29, Oct.2023)
Plan was to participate only on 23 cm, because all was perfect: RIG and the dish.
My 70 cm array (2×19 el) was damaged 2 weeks ago by a strongest storm.
But Mr. Murphy was waiting for me this time!
After the first 9 QSO, I heard an unpleasant sound inside my 1 KW SSPA, similar to the sound of a welding arc. That’s all. PA died…
After a couple of hours I grabbed from the shelf a spare 200 W SSPA and tested my echo.
On average, I’ve got -21 dB (it was -11 dB before) and continued. Before the Moon was hided behind the trees, I completed 29 QSO. All were digital. No one CW QSO, because I couldn’t 
hear my echo. Big stress…
When I open my PA (this is not a home built, but Kuhne, (MKU PA 23CM-1000W CU), I saw a terrible picture. And absolutely inexplicable: a lot of dead insects inside!
How they could get inside a completely closed amplifier is impossible to explain. But they were there!
However, later I saw a small hole (2mm) in the lid. Why was it made? Who made it? I did not purchase this amplifier new. The previous owner had it located outside, next to the parabola, but in a completely closed box. Of course, the box was not hermetically sealed. This amplifier worked for me for a year and a half in light mode . No more than 20A at 50 V. The SWR (cable + septum) was 1: 1.17 (checked immediately after the accident).
Could these insects be the cause of the accident? Maybe… I have no idea whether such extensive damage to the board can be repaired? Need to ask any advise from the EME community.
The result after the 1-st Leg: 48 QSO, all Q65 mode. Much less, than 1 year ago…
2nd Leg is finished (25-26, Nov, 2023).
Added 21 QSO more (+3 CW). Total result – 67 QSO only on 23 cm. Sure, to work with only 150 W at the feed is not the same, as 700W@feed… But still possible! I was happy to get new DXCC – 4W8X (Timor Leste) during this contest. This is the big DX-Pedition to Timor-Leste. They are on the all HF bands + EME on 50, 144, 432 and 1296 MHz! More information regarding to this great DX-Pedition is here.
And below my ARRL EME Contest 2023 QSO-Map:
