RadioBanter - View Single Post

Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names · June 29th 10, 02:51 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.moderated

On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:37:20 EDT, wrote:

I operated Field Day from opening until around midnight EDST Saturday.
Did not operate at all Sunday due to family obligations.

Now, a few minutes before the end of FD, I tuned around 80, 40, 20,
15, and 10 -- NOTHING. One CW station on the low end of 40 and
possibly a couple of South Americans on 20 SSB.

Are the bands that dead?

I operated 1B-Battery using a solar panel to charge the battery.
Equipment was a 1-watt QRP rig for 40, antenna was a dipole that I
lashed together and hung up about 15 feet off the ground. Operated in
the shade sitting in front of my garden shed-workshop.

Operated only 40, everything manual -- straight key, paper log and
dupe sheet, all by myself. Temp was in the 90's so, in keeping with
the battery-solar theme, I kept myself cool with an old muffin fan
running off the battery.

Made 250 contacts between start of FD and midnight Saturday when I
shut down. All my contacts were east of the Mississippi, probably due
to my QRP and dinky antenna -- it was FUN -- every contact was an
adventure.

Had family obligations so did not get back on until a couple of hours
before the end Sunday and found 40 dead as a doornail here in Eastern
Virginia.