[Elecraft] QRP Afield Afoot

[W0rw at aol.com]

QRP Afield Afoot  -  de w0rw/pm (Pedestrian Mobile)

i will be out hiking in the foothills of Pikes Peak (9500 feet) during this 
upcoming
QRP Afield. i will be hand holding my Elecraft KX1 (s/n 292) running 3W 
on 14,060 +/- 5 kHz.
My antenna will be an 8 foot whip and a 15 foot drag wire for a counterpoise.

The QRP Afield contest starts at 0300Z Sept 18th.
See Sept. 2004, QST, p.98 or
www.qsl.net/wq1rp/main.htm for more details.

Things to avoid while operating pedestrian mobile:
Deep valleys (they are always -20 dB)
Low hanging branches
Counterpoise eating thickets
Bears
Other hikers who step on your drag wire, 
(i tell them i am operating a wireless radio).
Tripping (causes extra dits to be sent in your call sign)
Static electricity (Precipitation or Triboelectricity-put a100K bleeder 
resistor across antenna terminal to ground, and remove antenna if a storm 
approaches) 

Things to do:
Use safety lanyard on radio to avoid dropping on rock
Make time for lunch, (i will be on 14342.5 at lunch time)
Bring extra batteries
Check out radio/battery/antenna before starting out on the trail
Bring a 2nd operator for logging

CU  on the trail....stay out of the valleys.
Paul  w0rw/pm