[PaQSO] First time

[Robert]

This was our first effort in participating in the "Party, and although not uneventful it was enjoyable.
After securing the results of last years activities, I selected 6 counties in north western PA to operate from. Since the counties selected were all in a neat cluster, my goal was to operate "County Line" from three locations.
After several hours of driving from York, my first setup was along route 219 on the line between ELK and JEF.
>From here I relocated to the Cook Forest State Park headquarters just off route 36, which put me on the line between FOR and CLA. I wanted to try for a three county line since JEF joins up in the immediate area, but the State Park people told me that line was in the middle of the bridge over the Clarion River on route 36 at Cooksburg.
Sunday we started toward home with a planned stop on the ARM and INN county line.
For this operation we found a spot along route 422 between Kittanning and Indiana. I was able to get sufficiently far enough the road right at the county line sign.
I was accompanied on the trip by my wife and logger, Mary.
Our plans for our first try were to make it a leisurely event. We wanted to do some sightseeing and to visit Cook Forest State Park where we camped with our two children on several occasions in the mid to late 70's.
Saturday night afforded us the comfort of a motel in Brookville.
The equipment positioned in and on my Ford Explorer consisted of an ICOM 706 MK II G and a mini "screw driver" type antenna. The screw driver was equipped with a 54" whip which made it functional on 80 through 10 meters.
Since I had nothing to compare the antenna with, the best I can say is that it worked well enough for me to give out a few contacts.
When I bought it I was looking for one antenna that would give me coverage on multiple bands, which this does.
I also took along but never set up my Hustler mast and resonators for 10, 15 and 20.
Although I had checked other bands on at least one occasion, I ended up on doing all of my contacts on 40 SSB.
I am sure both Mary and I will want to participate again, but not sure what format it will take.
I drove just under 600 miles, and I found fuel costs to be from $1.99 9/10 and $2.01 9/10 per gallon.
I think I would like to perhaps rent a cabin at a State Park or in a private camp grounds and set up there. That would not give me the flexibility of operating from multiple counties, but it would be a lot less hectic.
I only know of one "sin" that I committed. From the ARM/INN location I had a contact from an out of state station and when I gave him "County Line ARM/INN" he said that his logging program would not allow him to enter county line information, so I offered to give him a second serial number for the second county.
I now know that I was wrong.
Oh well, I have a whole year to think about it.
Thanks for allowing us to join in your fun and we look forward to seeing you again next year.

Bob and Mary Gundlach
N3NBT and N3RBT
York, PA