[COham] Pre-Field Day Results, 28 June 25.

[Paul Signorelli]

It was a clear and cool day on Saturday morning.28 June 2025
My Pedestrian Mobile radio is a PRC319 and it only works one frequency at a time (it is not tunable).
i frequently operate just before FD because there are hundreds of guys just itching to get started and to work someone.
My location was the 'Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park'. It is at 8200 feet elevation. The trails are smooth and not many overhanging trees. No snakes or mosquitoes at this elevation.
 https://www.nps.gov/blca/index.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Canyon_of_the_Gunnison_National_Park
 The Canyon is about 2200 feet deep, Straight down. It really gives your knees a weak feeling when you look over the edge.
You don't want to go near the edge with a heavy backpack because you could stumble right over the cliff.
The rocks are very angular and are very uneven.
The propagation was pretty good so i punched in 14285.0 and found it to be clear and started calling CQ.
The PRC319 runs 50W and i was using my 10 foot whip and 13 foot drag wire as a counterpoise.
i worked Coast to Coast and North to Alaska. Over 50 stations all on one LiIon battery.
Here is my log:1500z.
KC3NCS Tim PA
KK7DVO Ben WA
K5VOP Paul TX
K8OJR Olivia NC
VA6MBT Brad  Alberta
W7AWE Tracy AZ
NC4LB Larry NC
N5BLM Rich MS
KG5UN Ed MS
K7K Jeff (K2DEF) Kiska Island Expedition - Aleutian Islands, Alaska
W5JLH Jerry LA
K5BLZ Paul TX
 ??7CTA  Lost
KM4LLW Bob NC
Ki5iTN Alan TX
K5QGL Carl TX
KT4OO John SC
K4JAT Tag NC
K5PAT Pat LA
KF0UJP Chris MT
WC4EOC Trent TN (Emergency Op Center)
N4TNA Chris KY
KG5BLV Lost
W1ECC Malcolm VA
KC2TEB David FL
W6ZXY Brad CA
W6AGZ Tom OR
KD2CZT/ VE3  Donna ON
KC2VAW/ VE3 Joel
NE5TX David TX
W3FF Bud CA
KW7EET Ed MT
WB5JZP Bob LA
N7AWX Barry WY
K0ITC  Mark NE
KJ7SSS  Spencer MT
KL7IZH Steve AK
N0CVP  Craig AZ
KQ4QMA  Joe SC
KJ7UTC Eric OR
W5CKK Dan TX
N7IDX Jody AZ
WB5TRX Todd TX
K5ARE Jeff MS
AG6NL Tom ID
KB5LYR Steve LA
Ki5ERG Steve MS
K0PPE Elias SD
NZ2S (Ki7NOO) Matt
N5BIG Curtis TX
AA4CW Ernie AL
W5DOC Dock TX
Ki5YXE Linda TX
K7CQX Woody AZ
K5VWZ Tom TX
N4BJA Brian, met along the trail.
----
KO4JRT Philip TN
WV7HS Carl AZ
KE9BCI Emilio WI
W5MCT Mark TX
KA5ZZN Bruce OK
WR7G Lenn WA
W1BMG/m Romeo RI
KN6MSC Jesus CA
KE6VRL Victor CA  USMC
W6DRY Tom CA
WB6SQA Dave CA
i am getting really dizzy with all these call signs.
After lunch,  FD had started,  i got back on 14285 and called W4BO.
He could not hear me and was then  working a guy in WI, A W6 also came on frequency and was calling,
 He could not hear W4BO, i could hear all of them but when i tried to call they were jamming each other out.
i  never worked a single station during the contest, Not a single 59 Contact.
My 50W radio just didn't have enough power to hold a clear frequency.

It was a great Pre-Field Day operation.
Ps: There is a fee ‘loaner’ PRC319 available to USA amateurs.
73
Paul  w0rw