[PaQSO] NK8Q, Cameron County Confirmed

[Mark Schreiner]

I just got back from my short investigative trip to Cameron County.  This
was my first time to investigate that part of the state and it was
absolutely beautiful, especially along the Quehanna Highway & Wykoff Run
Road to PA-120 along the Driftwood Branch of the West Branch of the
Susquehanna River (I hope I got all those branches right!).  Anyway, I was a
bit worried about the possible QTH being down in a deep valley while I was
driving down along Wycoff Run Road but luckily it opened up a bit and gained
elevation heading north between Driftwood & Emporium.

So, long story short, I am confirmed for my annual portable operation from a
"rare" PA county for the PA QSO Party.  This was about a 1-1/2 hour drive
from home, which is now here in State College for the past year.  The drive
was a bit longer than last year's trip to Clinton County, but last year it
was not too many miles off of I-80, while this year there are not too many
roads to get me up to that area for the Cameron County operation.  I better
not forget anything or find that I need a quick run to Radio Shack or Best
Buy like I did last year!

The QTH is on a hillside which has been opened up and most trees removed for
a good distance from the operating QTH.  I'll be taking some extra supports
& rope with me for this trip rather than relying solely on trees as I have
typically done.  At least it makes it easier raising of the dipoles if I
don't have to work the wires around other tree's branches!  If the WX is
good I should be able to set up on an open deck to operate (I'll bring a
covered canopy along as well), or worst case if the WX is poor I'll operate
from inside.  I'm hoping that I'll be seeing some Elk as it was reported
that they were walking around on that property last year during the PAQP and
have recently been heard bugling not from away.  If I see any elk and I can
get a good photo I'll make up a special QSL card for sure!

I'll be on 80, 40 & 20m for sure, probably on 15 & 10m as well, operating CW
& SSB (probably more CW than SSB), and trying to hold a frequency for
calling CQ as much as possible.  Last year I put up dedicated 10m SSB & 2m
FM rigs but they seemed useless, even though I was hoping to catch a mobile
passing by on I-80 while in Clinton County.  Clinton was one of the counties
I missed last year, similar to two years before that when I missed Snyder
and the year before that I missed Mifflin, each the county I was operating
from!  I also put up a 6m dipole the last two years but last year that also
seemed useless.  Given the lack of supports for these sort of things this
year I will not operate 6m & 2m unless there is a mobile station planning on
coming through that has 2m FM as well.  I think I'll also forgo 10m, at
least as a dedicated set-up.  Last year having two antennas that could do
multi-band 80 - 20m seemed to work out well so I will plan on that again.
It is likely that those antennas can also do 15m and 10m as well.

73 and looking forward to a great PAQP again.  Let's hope that Ol' Sol
behaves to give us all good conditions this year!

Mark, NK8Q