[Elecraft] more Kixie field fun!

[Lloyd Lachow]

   I haven't had much time to play with Kixie, but
this past weekend the family took a trip to Ocean
City, Maryland, for some r&r, so I threw old #11 into
a small insulated lunch pack with her accoutrements,
just in case.

   Our room, unfortunately, was only on the third
floor, facing not the sea but the parking lot. I
tossed a 42' wire out the door, over the balcony and
into a convenient palm tree, and snaked a 16' rf
ground along the floor. It was an enjoyable
alternative to reading in bed, but nobody, seemingly,
heard me with my 1.5 W and that "antenna." Good SWL,
though!

   The YF was, strangely, not as thoroughly excited
about all this as I was, though, so she was able to
provide another bit of data: the Koss "The Plug"
earbuds, with their squishy earplugs and 112 dB/mW
sensitivity, not only sounded very good, but allowed
not the merest peep of sound out!!!  Very important in
small tents and/or marriages.

   The next day, Saturday, saw us all going for a walk
along the boardwalk. I brought the bag.  Constantly on
the alert for a place to set up, and a spot of time
when doing so might not be viewed as too much of a
social aberration, I finally was able to carpe diem:
it was late in the afternoon, I was left with two of
my children on the beach while others straggled back
to the hotel...but nowhere to put my wire.

   Then, I noticed that the fence along the dune was
composed of vertical wooden slats held together by
three sets of twisted wires!  Using a clip lead, I
loaded up the top set of twisted wires...about three
feet off the ground, and several hundred yards long,
maybe 100' from the water. With my rf ground on the
sand and Kixie's internal Lithiums (she's bipolar) at
about maybe a watt and a half, I worked Chet, K1IQI,
in Monson, MA. My sig was very weak, and he gave me a
429 RST...but that was big fun! 

   This is my future: Travels with Kixie! Loading up
all that can be loaded, and maybe some things that
shouldn't...

  ese,

  LL

=====
73, 72 es oo, Lloyd, K3ESE - Reisterstown, Maryland
 KX1#11 - multiPIG+#14 - K1#379 - 20/40M RockMites      
  EDZ - Longwahr - Begali Magnetic Classic Paddles
      ARRL - ARS - QRParci - QCWA - FISTS #8774
             FPQRP #476 - QRP-L - BORG #2
                 Fun = Skill / Power !           8^D

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