[Microwave] UHF Contest Result

[Jesse J. Alcorta]

The last time I went roving, starting in WY, I found out my 6M radio was
only semi-functional.  I got a flat tire.  A bird hit my antenna and
doinked a couple of elements.  A piece of road debris (a half sheet of
plywood) was kicked up by a semitractor and hit my car.

I figured that I would have better luck this time.  Guess again.....

I came upon a family from Michigan who decided to hunt antelope with the
family station wagon.  I had to put the animal down myself.  The wife
was mad, ,the kids were upset and the husband was pretty much in shock.
Had to unload all my gear to take the wife and kids 25 miles into town.
Left the husband behind to stay with my gear and their wagon.  Offered
my bottled water and sodas to the husband.

Take the folks into town and help them arrange a tow truck for their
vehicle.  Then provide direcctions and GPS coordinates for th etow truck
driver.  Return to the scene to recover my gear and get back in the
contest.  The husband tells me my CB don't work.  I didn't know I had a
CB.  Turns out he tried to get my 440 FM radio operating to call for
help.  Wiped out the finals I think as the radio has no output now.

I pack my stuff and head for my operating spot.  Upack the truck again
and set everything out in order for set up.  I hear something like a
person walking on tree branches.  I look arouund and see a bear.  I drop
everything in my hands and run and get in the truck.  I watch the bear
charge the truck smashing my new newly built HB 16 element 222 yagi.  I
managed to build this antenna Friday afternoon.  The bear stepped on the
driven element and crushed it and tore off the balun.  He/She/It stomped
some of the loops on my 1296 antenna also so I could only runn one of
the loop yagis instead of the pair.  Thankfully he didn't stomp the 432
yagi or it would have been all over.  I sat in the truck for about 30
minutes wondering if he was gone.

Once I got everything set up I worked a couple of stations and then took
everything down.  This is a roving station mind you.  I checked my grid
map and pickeedd out a nicee spot around 6600 feet just north of
Cheyenne.  Most of these spots are private property and unfortunately I
couldn't get anyone to give me permission to set up for a couple of
hours.  Someone also called the local police....

So I explained who I was, produced all the usual documents and showed
all the things that Johnny Law wants.  This was not the first time that
I have had dealing with them but this guy was more curious than usual.
He made me unpack the truck so he could see all the equipment.  Then he
wants to search my truck.  Wants to know what the tools are for.....At
this point a Camaro with no hood and no roof goes flying by with another
constable in hot pursuit.  I'm told to wait until he gets back and then
he takes off.

After 30 minutes he comes back and tells me I can go.  I can tell this
one is not the sharpest tool in the shed.  I did find a nice place just
northwest of Cheyenne at about 7700 feet.  I couldn't get to it because
it was getting too dark to be fooling around.  And considering my recent
spate of luck decided that roving in WY is bad juju......

73 de N0SWV   Jesse