[ILQSO] KJ9C/m should be QRV at 1700

[Mel Crichton]

Got up at oh-dark-thirty and let the dog out. At least the dog likes to get up early, as long as he can go out and patrol for terrorist squirrels. He hasn't yet learned that squirrels, even the terrorist variety,  keep more civilized hours.

Almost thru the first pot of coffee and the pain pills haven't kicked in yet, but they should be doing their job by kick-off time at 1200Z when the old 4-Runner takes off for its last-ever QSO Party...It's a 5 hour drive to Hardin County from Indy, and the last thing I want is for the back pain to slow down the QSO rate.  I vowed after last INQP to retire from mobiling, but somehow it's tough to say no.  Masochism runs in my family.... maybe I should do the mobile thing QRP.  

Anticipating 100-plus rates .... yeah, right.  Forget that. Target this year is not a win, but to put those 7 orphaned counties on the air. The last guy to speak up with plans gets the counties that are too inconvenient for the first guys who speak up.  As usual, it's a long (270 mile) circuit to connect those 7 counties.... and there's another 450 miles to/from Illinois... at least oa half tank of gas..... But I get gas points on my credit card so I may drive around a bit more if there's time. I hear Missouri is pretty this time of year.

All the gear SEEMS to work, but for some reason ILQP has a habit of breaking my set-up within the first hour. One year it was the rig keying jack, another year the computer died and I had to hand log. Got spare antennas, spare K3, spare computer, spare cabling,... let's see what Ol Murphy tries this year... Wait! I just figured it out... I don't have a spare driver.... (It's another solo effort.... Makes logging slow while moving, so be patient). 

I forgot how much prep work it takes for a mobile/portable/rover to go out for 8 or 12 hours of ham radio. Already invested about 12 hours into this ILQP (rig setup, route planning, logging config files).... add five more hours to get there and 3 hours to get back, and it's a 28 hour event. Others have even more time invested.  So when you are sitting there in your shack and flick the switch on the rig to participate in ILQP, don't get ticked off if a mobile is tough to work or has a weak signal. You are lucky, so invest a few extra hours yourself.  The most you have to invest is 8 hours....Make your presence known.

Contrary to what I posted on the county hunter website and here, if I can break Illinois' speed limits in those non-orphaned counties (and maybe go 66 MPH on the interstate) I should be able to arrive EARLIER than posted by a few minutes. My goal is to be all the way thru Lawrence county at 0100Z. (and a bit closer to home)

Hope to  give a report tomorrow. 

KJ9C/m