[Microwave] UHF Contest Result

[Wayne Dahl]

On Sun, 2003-08-03 at 00:41, Jesse J. Alcorta wrote:
> 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

I know it wasn't funny at the time, but I about laughed myself silly! 
This sounds like my luck!  You oughta send this to a magazine and see if
they'll publish it!

Thanks for the laughs.

Wayne
WD5W