[EIDXA] Fwd: Dispatch 3 from Christmas Isd

[Tom]

#3:  9PM Thurs Oct 23 (HI day)

Hey Guys,

Late yesterday afternoon we operated using the "hernia" battery from
 the Tiki Station for several hours with a tremendous pile up on 20m.
 Our furthest station worked was Siberia. Carrying the 180Lb battery
 back to the bungalow in the soft coral sand in the dark was about all
 we could do!

We have been getting on 40m at dawn in CR or about 11 to 12z.(about
 1:30am here) Condx have been poor so far. Daytime prop today was not
 good either. US stations quite weak. But, towards SS here we had good
 condx into HI, NZ, Australia. Best DX just before dinner was 2 stns in
 Ukraine...we think from over the antarctic.

Dinner tonight was a salad, Wahoo (fish, of course), potato's and (get
 ready) large octopus tenticles. Two gals from Tarawa health ministry
 came down on the plane. One is the pharmacist and the other her asst
 who works...guess where....the hospital at Bonriki!  They also know
 Mote Terukaio...but they were not there i Apr 2006 when we last
 visited the hospital.

Another bit of excitement today, the owner here, Jim, drove us to John
 Bryden's get borrow a battery charger. On the way back we saw a column
 of smoke rising in the distance. As we drove closer, we saw that it
 was a ground/brush fire burning palm trees along the way. It was about
 3mi from where we are staying, but the wind was driving it in the
 direction of our lodge. Jim was quite concerned (as were we).  We kept
 a close eye on it. Some crews set a back-fire and stopped it about
 1.5miles from us. Our action plan was to grab all our gear and head
 for the beach! Fortunately, we didn't have to use it.

We are staying at the shark lodge. But, you'll never find a sign around
 here with the name on it! Our cabin number? dunno! There isn't one.
 But, there is a small piece of coral by the front step with its name:
 "happy camp"...and we are happy campers!

Rod and I plan to rack out and then try to wake up at 11z to work cr.
 I'll start by calling on 7028. We may try phone if the band is good
 enough... like around 7068, qsx up around 7172....then hit the rack as
 the contest starts tomorrow at 2pm our time...

Also, I did work W9KNI an K7JA today on a good CW run.

Hope to catch you guys on from here sometime!

73/ Tom and Rod.

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