Happy Independence Day! 

Full disclosure, I’m more Texan than American.  My values and priorities are seldom aligned with those of our government, and apparently, are not aligned with the visible voting Americans.  I definitely have more in common with Ham Radio Operators than with the clowns on the left and right coast.  I believe when they crafted the document we celebrate today, they specifically and intentionally made room for idiots.  It’s their country too.

So I spent a federal holiday on federal property – US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.  It was a beautiful scene, but looked better from inside the car.  Outside the airconditioned car, it looked a little like Okinawa with 99 degrees and 47% humidity.  So I made it a short one – more accurately, the heat didn’t take long to run me off.

Loadout:

• FT-891
• Bioeno 20Ah LiPo battery
• MFJ-904 Travel Tuner
• Sparkplug EFHW
• Spiderbeam 10m
• Begali Expedition

Activation:

I sat around all morning watching WW II documentaries and regretting not getting outside.  When I couldn’t stand it another minute, I grabbed a radio and pointed my wagon North. Knowing I’d need some shade, but too lazy to make my own, I chose Hagerman.  The refuge offers pavilion options and some of the picnic tables are in the shade most of the day.  To my delight, the Day Use area was completely empty – I could beep as loud as I wanted.

I raised my Spiderbeam mast and EFHW wire, pulled the mast over like an idiot, set everything back up and pinned the base of the mast, ran feedline and was ready to go.  I called QRL a few times, spotted using the POLO logging app, then sent CW POTA with 30w at 1905 UTC.

W9AAT from Illinois was the first to come back.  Set for 30w, I wasn’t exactly booming across the world, but folks came back to me pretty steadily.  I think that’s a testimony to Morse code and CW mode.  All told, 20 Qs in about 24 minutes.  And that’s how long I was willing to sit there and sweat – 24 minutes.

My copy is better. Sitting at the same picnic table six months ago I might have copied one in twenty call signs the first time heard. It’s starting to turn for me. Today, pileups aside, I had to ask for one repeat. I’m proud of that. Not because it’s any kind of skill, but just because I’ve worked at it.

I think I’ll try and get out earlier tomorrow morning.

TNX ES 73
KA5TXN
DitWit