W2IK - MISC STUFF

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>>> W2IK's WEB PAGES <<<
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If You Don't Like My Peaches Don't Shake My Tree

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This site series will give you a listing of most of my webpages. I have created this webpage list to take the place of my "AOL Hometown" pages. It will take me time to get "up to speed" with posting my webpages, so please come back soon. I have combined pages to be listed in 4 subjects: ECOM, FAMILY PREPAREDNESS, ANTENNAS AND MISC.
All rights reserved - Bob Hejl - All web info written by Bob Hejl.
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W2IK - MISC "STUFF"

UNDER CONSTRUCTION:
Ham Radio Among The Alligators
TEXAS QSO PARTY 2004
Bexar Operators Group (W5BOG)
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W2IK's - McMullen County Activation

"Ham Radio Among The Alligators"

by Bob Hejl W2IK

(Also published in June 2004 "WorldRadio")

On April 12th, after careful planning, packing and cursing, we set out on a 100 mile trek south from San Antonio, Texas with a plan: To activate McMullen County. We picked this county after snooping around in the resource area of the "Texas QSO Party" website. In September 2003, we operated our station in the hill country during the Texas QSO Party making 460 contacts in 18 hours. Looking up scores, and the counties that were activated, we saw in the resource section that there were currently NO HAMS residing in McMullen County. What a chance to combine both a vacation and offer "county hunters" a chance to bag this county! Upon investigation we found an area that would best suit our needs. The Calliham Unit of the Choke Canyon State Park is located in McMullen County and offers many sites to camp in either an RV, Tent or Screened Shelter. A short pre-visit to the park to check it out was an experience unto itself. When we paid our day-trip fee of six dollars and drove past the management building we were met with large signs that announced "ALLIGATORS EXIST IN THIS PARK". ooookay... Driving along the park roads to see the different areas available for use we saw other signs advising the same thing and "NO SWIMMING" signs also posted by the tent camping areas. humm.. Planning to take our small dog with us, we thought that he might make a tasty treat in that area, so we continued on to the screened shelter area. This area had a choice of 20 cabins with windows, electricity and water. The jackpot! We had planned to be there over a weekend, but had to defer our operation to a non-weekend because all campsites were reserved. So, with credit card in hand, we took the plunge reserving a screened shelter for April 12-14th.

Our dog a.k.a

"alligator snack"

Figuring out what to bring can be a chore as you can't go back home if you forget something. I decided to bring two HF rigs that I normally use for special event stations and three antennas. Two of the antennas that I brought with me were my "IK-STIC2" all-band verticals. They are over 25 feet tall, yet weigh under 5 pounds. The other antenna packed was my ladder-line backpack special that covers 40 and 20 meters without a tuner. The IK-STIC2s require tuners so I brought along two MFJ mobile tuners. Various coax and power cables, headphones, mics, a hand key, better speakers, two AC power supplies and three deep-cycle emergency batteries (one weighing 75 pounds), log books and pens finished most of the major components needed to operate. I had two complete stations in case invited ops stopped by. The cabins have nothing in them except a cold cement floor, so we used a blow-up air matteress, sleeping bags, folding tables, chairs, food, coolers, clothing and other camping items to make it easier on my old bones. With the back of the cab and the bed of the truck fully loaded off we went to our destination.

A 13 Foot ex-resident of the park, removed last year for being anti-social. This park is the western most range of the American Alligator. Millions of years ago, this area of south-central Texas was the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico!

If Javelinas (a type of wild pig) are guarding their young they can be dangerous if approached.

all I need is a little gravy to go with that and my life is complete

The state park is located on the south side of the 26,000 acre Choke Canyon Reservoir which explains it's attraction to fishermen and vacation folk. The 1100 acre Calliham Unit is one of several areas operated by the state as campgrounds and incorporates many features including a large bird sanctuary. It is home to many animals including alligators, deer, wild turkeys, foxes, skunks, "javelinas", which are wild pigs, and many other creatures.

After reaching the park and signing in, it was just a short, slow drive down a winding road to the screened shelter section of the park. Along the way we spotted many of the residents of the park. They do not fear man because no hunting is allowed in this park. Eager to get on the air, we parked next to our assigned cabin, and carefully unloaded our gear. Our cabin was only about 200 feet away from the area restrooms and showers. As I posted that our start time would be 2030 UTC, we were ahead of schedule. One of the easiest parts was erecting the "IK-STIC 2" antenna. In about 5 minutes the 25 foot antenna was up and ready to go. I didn't use the mounting system that I brought but rather lashed the antenna using bunge cords to a 4x4 pole that stood about 8 feet tall by the campfire pit. I lashed the antenna up higher so it had an additional 6 feet of vertical length. Even with the winds coming off the reservoir gusting at almost 50 miles per hour I had no problem with the antenna. There had been a cold front moving through the area that caused the high wind. The winds calmed down later in the day. Being a bright, sunny day I decided to operate outdoors and set up my ICOM 728, power supply, tuner, etc. on a picnic bench in the sun with the shelter blocking the winds. Testing the assembled station I could hear many stations on 20 and 40 meters. Tuning up the antenna wasn't a problem and soon I was "good to go". Now it was time to setup the rest of the campsite! (I do know my priorities...lol) The park, itself, is clean and very well landscaped. The park personnel were very friendly, making our stay more enjoyable.

We had everything in place and were able to begin operating three hours earlier than expected. My first call was on 20 meters and as quickly as I finished my initial call a VE3 came back to me. His 5/9 report told me that my antenna system was working flawlessly. I am not a "59-bye" kind of operator. My way is telling about our operation, exchanging names, etc. I was told in an indirect way I wasn't welcomed on the "county hunters net". I decided that since it was MY time, money, and effort I'd rather camp out on another frequency and let hams who needed this county find me. And find me they did, to the tune of almost 300 contacts.

The complete setup of the station was so fast that Murphy never had a chance to strike. Setting up the antenna is a one-man job, made simple by it's extremely light weight. 5 pounds for a 25 foot self-supporting antenna is one of the "IK-STIC 2"s many features. It stayed aloft and operational through wind gusts in excess of 50 mph. When we were done it disassembled down with the telescoping section nicely nestled in the 6 foot PVC coil section for storage.

My partner in crime, KD5YTN, without whom 300 hams would not have McMullen County in their logs

There were many other nets that did welcome us and allowed us to stay on their frequencies for a spell to see if any of their ops wanted to contact us. Many did. Some of them were the 20 meter YL ISSB Warm up Net (each morning) and the RV Net to name a few. On 40 meters several of the traffic nets, after their work was done, were more than happy to welcome us.

Our operation was a delight and all of those we contacted were happy that we made our journey to hand out McMullen county. Whenever a QRP station was contacted I reduced power so they'd capture a two-way QRP contact. I was amazed at the lack of QRN from man-made sources. It made digging out a few weak stations easier. I don't think there was a single station that I couldn't "pull out" and give a contact to, although a few times I was tempted to break out the headphones

There were many inquiries as to our setup which I was glad to explain, including endless requests about our IK-STIC 2 antenna system. We explained a bit to each who asked and also pointed them to the construction website I have on making the antenna. I was very pleased at the IK-STIC 2's performance on all the bands we operated. In the evenings we moved our station indoors thinking there would be hundreds of bugs bothering us. We were wrong. The dozens and dozens of small bats flying around the area took care of that problem. "Nature's insecticide", they were like dive bombers swooping down with such speed and grace you had to stop and watch them in action. Sadly to say, they must have been "camera shy" because they never stopped long enough for me to capture a picture.

When the bands seemed to be slow or closed it was a joy to exchange contacts with hams who seemingly came out of no where to work us. Very late on the second night, the last contact of the evening came from a ham operator in Alaska on 20 meters! That kind of contact, when the band was "closed" keeps you coming back, like a golfer who birdies a putt on the 18th hole. Quiet walks at night had us spotting families of javelinas walking within the campsite, bats busy at work and deer cautiously poking around. During the day, wild turkeys strutted their stuff near the shoreline and birds of every color and size could be seen overhead. Although there is another 13 foot alligator around the tent site area, alas, he eluded our eyes. The reports from park personnel were that there are many more alligators in the swampy areas of the park. We decided not to press our luck and gave those areas a wide berth. The trouble with seeing too many jungle movies is that it had me keeping at least one eye on the area where the landscaping ended and the under-brush began, just in case a "lost" gator decided to stop by for lunch. When I awoke each morning, the sky was such a brilliant blue that from the inside of the cabin it seemed as if the windows had been covered from the outside with the brightest of blue tarps. I had to look twice to believe the color was real.

The contacts were endless, as were the states. The only states not worked were Hawaii and a handful from New England. In the past, I have visited many locations to setup and operate and have done first-time activations at three different lighthouses (making over 600 contacts at each lighthouse location during "International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend"), activating new VHF grid squares and operated in dozens of special events, JOTA and demo stations all of which were exciting and rewarding for myself and to the operators who contacted me. You don't know the joyous thrill involved in activating a lighthouse until you have to climb up 130+ steps to the top, assemble a Cushcraft "R5" antenna (and it's 10 foot aluminum mast), slowly extending it out the access door until you have to follow it likewise outside and clamp it to an iron railing, hoping that until it's secured it won't fall into the glass panels surrounding the light, all of this with winds that could easily gust and throw both the antenna and yourself over the edge of the railing. It was at that point that I told myself I needed a light weight all band antenna! I never came up with a good idea until several years later when in 2002, I devised the "IK-STIC", then later that year the light-years better "IK-STIC 2".

Our McMullen County operation, however, was by far the easiest and least stressful from a setup and operational standpoint. Setting up and packing at the end of our visit went very quickly. Perhaps this was due to my experience at doing many such operations or the team work of KD5YTN. I just hope that all my future operations run just as smoothly.

I am not a county hunter, but I can imagine the thrill of filling in a space in my logbook with a "new one" and it was my pleasure to be a new one in so many logs. I will be back in McMullen county again. I am also planning a trip to West Texas, where I will be operating from 4 counties in 3 days and will make it a point to operate from the viewing area for the "Marfa Mystery Lights" (click on title) which are floating lights seen for well over 150 years! At least in West Texas I won't have to deal with alligators... just rattlesnakes, coral snakes, gila monsters, scorpions, tarantulas and a pain inflicting plant that almost seems to attack you with sharply barbed needles as you walk by, called "Jumping Cholla". Wait a minute!! Maybe the alligators weren't so bad after all. I think the dog will stay at home. I will NOT be on the county hunters net frequencies but will be close by. I am sure that if you tune a bit you'll hear me camped out on a clear frequency and we can exchange more than a "59". I enjoy telling other operators where we are and what's going on around us. Maybe, if you contact me at the right time, I'll give you a "play-by-play" of the Marfa light display. I hope you can catch up with me.

Until then..Happy Hamming!

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                  W2IK's Personal Saga Of:

The TEXAS QSO PARTY

        "FOUR - WHEELED COWBOYS HIT THE TRAIL"

I may not know all the songs that the cowboys know, like the big corral where the doggies go, but I did operate a radio.... this time for the 2004 Texas QSO Party. It's a yearly event where operators attempt to contact as many counties in Texas as they can. With that in mind, there were many ham operators who literally took to the "trail" to activate hundreds of counties. The mobile operators drove from county to county, stopping long enough to hand out a plethora of contacts before driving to the next county on their route. If you've ever been in this contest it isn't unusual to work the same mobile station a dozen times or more as they circumnavigate the state. In some cases these mobile ops plan their trips like a general would plan a major invasion! Sometimes they even park on a county line and to contact you twice at that stop so you could gather two counties at almost the same time. The rules state that you had to make two contacts, one for each county. Those mobiles I've worked who were straddling county lines were careful to do so. Each mobile op is usually part of a team with a radio op, a driver and a logger. Every ham who has been involved in the Texas QSO Party owes them a debt of gratitude. I'd hate to have to pay their gas bill! I am not that ambitious, so I chose to drive to one location about 100 miles from my home to camp out and activate a county where no hams currently reside. This was the same county (McMullen), and the same state park, where I operated in April (see "Ham Radio Among The Alligators" by clicking on the red title) or by reading about it in June 2004 "WorldRadio".

Since the contest started at 9 AM local on Saturday and the spaces that campers could use were not officially available until 2 PM, we decided to go there a day earlier. The park people are very helpful and within minutes we had signed in and gotten the same screened cabin we used in April. The screened shelters that were right by the shoreline were all taken by the many fishermen who visit that park. I wanted to get on the air as soon as I could, even though the contest didn't start until the next day, so I could give out some casual county contacts and "shake the cobwebs" out of the setup. I decided that I'd concentrate operations for the contest on 40 meters. Since we were in south Texas, I thought that rather than use my "IK-STIC 2" antenna for the contest I'd use a standard 40 meter dipole. I did, however, setup the "IK-STIC 2" (click on red title for plans) for making contacts on the other bands. I had brought enough equipment and antennas to operate three complete 100 watt HF stations should any members of my local club, Radio Operators Of South Texas or "ROOST", decide to join us. I say "us" because my XYL, Krissy KD5YTN was also with me. We make a great team because before you knew it we were all set up both radio-wise and camping-wise. We would use the cabin for sleeping, storage, etc and use a screened canopy for operating in the fresh air. Thank God for the invention of the "EZ UP" type of canopy or I'd still be fighting with a ba-zillion pieces of short metal tubing trying to assemble a cheapie canopy that would probably fall down in the middle of the contest.

The day before the start of the contest we worked many stations, including DX, using my "IK-STIC 2" antenna. The antenna system and my Kenwood TS-680 worked well. Often the contacts evolved into ragchewing sessions with explanations of where we were and what our set up was. In the evening, around dinner time, the "locals" showed up in an attempt to mooch a meal from us and the other campers. The rules state that feeding them is not permitted so they left to find other suckers. Sorry guys, no hunting allowed in the park.

That first day was much warmer than I had expected. Some of the left over rain from hurricane Ivan was slated to invade our area but it remained sunny all weekend. It was in the upper 90's which soon sapped a little energy from us so our pace slowed. (Mental note to self: They allow you to bring air conditioners to put in the cabins - next time I bring one..) I continued to make casual contacts well into the evening and checked into a few nets like the "ole Miss" and "Good Old Boys" nets. I also made contacts into Europe until 20 meters started to dissolve and then switched back to 40 meters in an attempt to work Europe via split. Not many active hams from "across the pond" were heard. I had a trusty yellow "bug light" so operating after dark would be easier. The bug light worked wonders ... attracting thousands of insects, some I have yet to identify. A few were so big I swear they had airplane markings on them. Where were all the bats that came to our rescue in April? Duh.. I had no idea that bats migrate. They should have migrated TO here, not to Mexico. I lit "Off" coils in an attempt to discourage the blood-thirsty hordes from coming around, but it was to no avail. Ever the inventive ham, I pulled the bug light out of the screened canopy area and lashed it to a tree behind me so the insects followed but I still had illumination. I stopped operating in the late evening and transferred all the equipment to the cabin for safe keeping. No sooner had I broken down the station and started taking the short walk to the restrooms/showers than I spotted many wild pigs "javalinas" converging on my area scrounging for food. They even came onto the porch. The moment they left the porch to continue their quest, I got a flashlight and my digital camera in a vain attempt to capture them on disc. It must have looked to others like I was one of the Three Stooges, running around like some inept spy, following the pigs with a light shining on them so my viewfinder could center their image. No dice. Every time the flash went off all I got were pictures of grass and scrub. Were they that elusive or was I that bad as a wildlife photographer? I also spotted other night creatures like an armadillo, a skunk and even stray cats snooping in the refuse cans. It was like a buffet line at an all-you-can-eat restaurant with each animal patiently waiting before taking their turn. It kind of reminded me of all those strange looking relatives that you never see except at wedding receptions.

We turned in for the evening after making sure that all our gear was properly stowed. I also wrapped up the coax cables and hung them high enough so the park animals wouldn't think they were licorice. Sometime, in the middle of the night, the temperature dropped like a stone and the hot sultry night we went to sleep in quickly changed to a "grab the sleeping bag and zip it up" night. We awoke to a fresh, crisp morning. The deer were already looking for breakfast. I fought with an antique Coleman two burner stove we had borrowed. It was so old that I remember reading "Methuselah Edition" inscribed on the side. For some reason it didn't wish to comply with the simple laws of physics or I was an idiot. Either way I couldn't get it working. It's a good thing Krissy started a fire in the pit and began cooking breakfast. After what seemed an hour of cursing and getting drenched in stove fuel, I gave up. My next task was much simpler... setting the station back up. In about ten minutes my blood pressure returned to normal as I began making test contacts on 40 meters. After wasting time with the "stove from hell" I quickly ate a filling breakfast of eggs and sausage. Then a quick trip to the men's room and I was good-to-go. (pardon the pun) The Texas QSO Party runs in two parts. The first started at 9AM local and ran until 9PM on that same Saturday. Then a break before resuming at 9AM Sunday until 2PM. I think the break is so the mobile ops have daylight to traverse unknown areas and highways in a safe environment. It made sense. At least it made more sense than that Coleman stove.

The FCC would not approve of the language used when I tried to start a borrowed stove

Our faithful dog checked the log for "dupes"

At 9AM it was as if 40 Meter activity was shot out of a cannon. The band erupted in "eager chaos" as billions of operators started calling "CQ". Okay, maybe not "billions", but a lot. I had camped out on a frequency before contest time and was making casual contacts, so in effect I had staked out my little piece of the band. Unlike last year, when my operating frequency seemed to get crowded and I moved so many times to find a clear spot that I almost ended up operating out of band, this time I stayed put and fought back the QRM. When it came time for the contest to begin, I let loose with a barrage of prerecorded CQs thanks to a small device I had picked up at a surplus store. It was a GE Memo Reminder that pre-records a 20 second message for parents to leave their kids to play back. It even has a magnetic strip on the back so you can mount it on the fridge. I had a short message recorded and started hitting the play button with the mic pressed on the PTT switch and held close, but not too close, to it's speaker until I received a reply. One of the keys to operating in such an event is a balance in timing. If you don't show activity by either communicating or sending "CQ" then someone will grab your frequency or tuning stations will pass you by. You also must leave a gap so any station can answer your call. Last year I got up for all of 30 seconds to get a soda and when I did another operator grabbed my spot! When a station answered my CQ, I gave the standard exchange and got theirs. Let me tell you, that memo thingy was a God-send. It saved my voice. I think everyone, if you don't have a built-in voice keyer, should get one. It doesn't run on button batteries. Instead it uses "AAA"s so you never run out of steam in the middle of a contest. Stations quickly started coming back and I joyously started writing them in my log. Krissy was double checking my work and marking down on a list the new counties or states worked. An extra set of ears was also invaluable in picking out the callsigns "in the mud." The day seemed to move by quickly and the mobile ops were quickly moving from county to county. I would give a few a short remark to spur them on and I know they appreciated my comments. Around noon other locals waddled into view. The wild turkeys made an appearance, probably to tease us by showing what we won't have this Thanksgiving... them! In the late afternoon we were visited by two members of ROOST who stopped by for about an hour to say hello and show their support. Marie and Andy Meyer are great people and I am so glad they came. After they left we went back to work making contacts. You'd be amazed that after logging the same mobile callsigns again and again, as they drove from county to county, how easy it became to drag calls out of the static when their signals weakened from being at a new location.

Have you ever salivated at the sound of a few simple words? Krissy announced that for the evening meal she was going to make "hobo dinners". A hobo dinner is sliced up carrots, onions and potatoes all in chunks and about a half pound of chopped meat all wrapped in heavy duty foil and put on the grille to cook in the meat juices. Mind you that serves ONE person. This is a real "pig-out" meal. All was good with the world...camping, ham radio and hobo dinners. What more could anyone ask??!! Like a little kid, I kept asking "Is it done yet?". Of course she had it well planned and the meal was fully cooked after the 9PM cutoff time of the contest. By that time I had made about 275 or so contacts. After a meal like that...it was tough to move. Okay, so I was forced to share it with our dog in order to completely finish it. All I know is that night there were three more piggys in the park. Oink.

I made a few more non-contest contacts on 40 and 20 and then wrapped up the gear and called it a night. Sunday morning wasn't as brisk as Saturday morning and after breakfast I opted to finish the contest by operating at a picnic table under the cabin's covered porch, not under the screened canopy. Since checkout time was the same time as the end of the contest, we packed all we could and broke down the canopy and loaded the truck except for contest essentials. I didn't expect to make too many contacts that day but after a slow start it picked up and I made many more contacts. In total I made about 400 contacts, down from my last year's total, but it was nice to compete from that locale using a dipole that wasn't too high above ground level. Last year I used a 40 meter inverted "V" that was apexed at 60 ft. and I operated from a much higher location up in the hill county. The dipole used this time was barely 20 feet above ground level. We had fun operating and contacting so many fellow Texans who were "radio cowboys" in the true sense. Thanks "pardners", for spending your weekend making mine memorable. And another big thanks to the NORTHWEST AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY of Houston, Texas for running and supporting this great event.

By the way... anyone want to buy an antique, cursed, Coleman stove?

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Using the club vanity call sign, W5BOG, a small group of amateurs in the Bexar County area have formed the "Bexar Operators Group" whose main purpose is to operate at various locations during all times of the year to test antenna designs, equipment, investigate propagation patterns, participate during standard operating events and either prove or disprove various theories about radio wave communications. This is an investigative communications group, not a social radio club.

There are unannounced/un-posted operations throughout the year with details sent via membership email. This is not a club like most hams know it, but rather an operating group dedicated to using field events and testing to improve the hobby. There are no dues and no required meetings. Members are requested to "bring to the table" support items when coming to an event. Our field operations, which will not be limited to Bexar County, are ALL CURRENTLY CLOSED EVENTS thanks to a few unprofessional acting hams located in Bexar County who spoil it for others.

Examples of operating events we participated in included the July CQ WW VHF 2007 Contest at a picnic/rest area in Leakey near the HEB Foundation Camp, the Texas QSO Party 2007 in September at Choke Canyon State Park, where we operated from a screened cabin. We also have tested special NVIS operation, in the field, with ARES and MARS groups from out of the Bexar County area. We also were active at the N5D operation in May 2008.

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JUMP TEAM BOOT CAMP - 2008

The Bexar Operators Group W5BOG (ex-KE5PKV) conducted "Jump Team Boot Camp 2008" which was held in March at a local military base. The purpose of this event was to teach basic skills concerning Ecom Jump Team Deployment. ("Ecom" is the MARS equivalent of "EmComm". Hams, years ago, also called their operations "Ecom" until the ARRL butted in.) Attendees learned basic rustic camping such as setting up shelters and preparing meals in an outdoor atmosphere. They were exposed to the techniques used in erecting several types of antennas where there are no support structures and putting complete stations on the air in the shortest amount of time possible. There were lessons on the basics of creating EEIs and traffic handling on behalf of "agencies" and "victims". Practice messages were exchanged to out of area stations. Also included were practice search drills using W2IK's VHF "man pack" radio gear and a portable Ecom repeater.

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W5BOG - FIELD DAY EXPEDITION 2008

Our 2008 Field Day operation was held at a MUSTANG ISLAND location, which we had never been to, as we feel that clubs going to the same location and setting up the same stations year after year is a farce, if you think it tests ANY skills about emergency communications.
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BEXAR OPERATORS GROUP

TESTS NVIS ANTENNA THEORIES

DURING THE TEXAS QSO PARTY

A group of hams representing the Bexar Operators Group drove over 100 miles to Garner State Park to operate during the 2008 Texas QSO Party (September 27-28) and handed out contacts from Ulavde County. While we were there, we also tested our camping/deployment abilities and did some tests of NVIS antennas at different heights. Not wishing to get "soft", we reserved a tent site to operate from rather than a cabin. Krissy, KD5YTN, set up the eight man tent while Bob, W2IK, began the station set-up using a 10x10 screened "EZ Up" as the main operating area.

The antenna system was specially designed to allow us to operate from various heights by either running the center point up or down like raising or lowering a flag. The ends ran on a weight system to keep the antenna taut. By varying the height of the antenna you could easily hear the noise floor lower or increase. When a frequency was selected with an active station, you heard little in the way of signal degradation when compared to the lowering of the noise floor. This experiment proved once again that even if your band of operation doesn't allow for true NVIS signals to be generated, the increased readability was a positive factor for using NVIS antennas all the time for reliable short range communications. We also noted that with nightfall, the international broadcasters were kept "at bay" by lowering the antenna from it's maximum height of 27 feet to that of 5 feet.

   On Sunday, several other hams dropped by to see us and operate. Yogie, KC5MIP, and Steve, KE5QFC, had been at the park as part of "A Night With The Stars" sponsored by the San Antonio Astronomical Association that Saturday evening and stayed the night. Frank, KE5RYJ, from Uvalde and the Coyote Amateur Radio Club also came by to see our operation and get a firmer grasp on NVIS antenna design and operation.

Using our club call, W5BOG, we casually managed several hundred contacts while testing our theories concerning NVIS wave propagation on both 40 and 80 meters.
While we were camping, it was a great chance to try out the new Coleman burner/grille. This had recently been purchased to replace an older two-burner unit. The built-in grille made cooking burgers a snap. No more fighting with my antique stove.

Below are a few assorted photos of the operation. Everyone had a great time and exchanged ideas and took turns operating during this event.
We will be returning to this park for future operating events as it gave us the space to put up different antennas and had both water and power at each site.

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