[ILQSO] KJ9C/m should be QRV at 1700

[Craig Thompson]

Mel

Have a safe trip! I am hoping to get you in the log A LOT. I hope Murphy
leaves everyone alone for at least 8 hours.

Thanks for driving! It sounds like fun but obviously I have not tried it.
May the pileups be fast and furious.

73, Craig K9CT


On Sun, Oct 20, 2013 at 6:44 AM, Mel Crichton <kj9c at iquest.net> wrote:

> 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
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