[PaQSO] 2004 PA QSO Party

[Ron Notarius]

Had a great time, as usual.  Just wish I had been able to operate longer...

Didn't get off work until 3 on Saturday, and then due to a misunderstanding, KQ3DX didn't arrive to pick me up until 5 -- and then we had another delay, so we didn't get on the road until 5:40.  Thought our trip to Ryerson Station State Park, to hook up with N3SH / Greene, would take a little over an hour; it was just shy of two (in part because the "short cut" to the cabin was washed out, so we had to go around the long way).  We ran 40 meter mobile the whole way down, until we started getting worried that not only were we lost, but we were in "banjo" country (as in the Dueling kind).  It also didn't help that no cell phones work in Ryerson, so we couldn't call the N3SH team, and because we were running so late, they'd given up on us and had quit listening on 2 meters!

Fortunately, with about 7 minutes to go before we reached the "fail safe" point where Greg would have HAD to turn back (he had to be at work at midnight), we reached cabins!

Took over as the "night" op on N3SH, along with K3VX.  Proved interesting, since W3WH / QRP was in the next cabin, and intermod made for some creative listening methods, but we got through!

Had to wrap up just shy of noon (that's check out time for the cabins), so N3SH ended up shy of a sweep -- 62 out of 67 counties, about 411 Q's, and a bunch of W3UU contacts.  Still was a lot of fun!

Came home with K3VX, also running 40 meter mobile.  Proved very interesting in another way... you see, Greg has his IC706 permanently mounted in his truck, complete with an MFJ tuner and a complete separate station for packet, including a laptop.  But Larry hadn't gotten his 706 completely installed yet, so there I am, sitting in the passenger seat, the 706 basically tucked under my left arm, the mike in my right hand along with my pen, and my log sheets draped on my right knee.  Must have looked totally ridiculous... but it worked!

Of course, we ran into the late evening yahoos on 75 phone.  Not worth arguing with them, especially since many of them are just LOOKING for that argument.  Ran into one or two Sunday morning on 40... really liked the frequency cop who gave some poor soul a 5 minute lecture on ECARS and MidCARS (how DARE he fire up on 7256 prior to the two nets starting up!), who later tried to chew out stations as high as 7263 claiming that they were splattering MidCARS on 7258.  Guess he didn't know that not even KDKA gets a clear channel anymore!

Looking forward to next year already.  I'm tempted to book one of those cabins myself, in the club decides to go elsewhere next year!  (And set it up so that after I have to vacate the cabin at noon on Sunday, just move to an adjacent picnic table & battery for the duration!)

73, ron wn3vaw