[South Florida DX Association] The "Die Hard" DXer...

[Bill Marx]

The "Die Hard" DXer...
By: Clinton Herbert -- AB7RG.

5:00 AM - Fellow DXers arrive. Crawl out of nice warm bed.
5:30 AM - Toss all gear into truck.
5:45 AM - Get gear out of neighbor's truck, and put it in own truck.
6:00 AM - Get speeding ticket while hurrying to get to the mountains.
7:15 AM - Get to "The Site", near top of mountain.
7:16 AM - Start unloading gear.
7:20 AM - Get poked in eye with 20M vertical by fellow DXer.
7:50 AM - Arrive at hospital to get eye patched up.
8:30 AM - Get another speeding ticket while heading up to mountains.
8:45 AM - Arrive back at site. Unload antennas alone this time.
9:45 AM - Hike up to mountain top. Pass out from exhaustion.
9:50 AM - Wake up to smelling salt, and laughter from fellow DXers.
10:00 AM - Put up antennas, and set up rigs.
10:15 AM - Fire up rig, call CQ for half an hour; no replies.
10:46 AM - Hook up coax to rig...
10:48 AM - Realize that finals are wasted in main rig.
10:50 AM - Hook up back-up rig, this time with coax.
11:00 AM - Yell CQ, rare P5 comes back; antenna falls down...
11:15 AM - Wake up to smelling salt, fellow DXers shaking heads.
11:30 AM - Guy antennas.
12:05 PM - See long list of QSO's made by fellow DXers.
12:06 PM - Notice rare P5 in logbook.
12:07 PM - Beat fellow DXer over head with logbook.
12:09 PM - Restrained by rest of DXpedition team.
12:30 PM - Back to rig for another attempt.
12:35 PM - Nearby lightning strike kills receive. Notice wet pants...
12:36 PM - Look for shelter.
12:38 PM - Find cave!
12:41 PM - Watch antenna get struck by lightning while hiding in cave.
12:42 PM - Wish it was fellow DXer's antenna, or fellow DXer that was
struck...
12:45 PM - Realize not alone in cave...
12:46 PM - Pick up really big rock...
12:47 PM - Mauled by large angry bear.
12:50 PM - Get pulled out of cave by fellow DXers.
1:05 PM - Finally get talked into receiving medical treatment.
1:30 PM - Arrive back at hospital.
1:55 PM - Receive series of painful rabies shots, and multiple stitches.
2:30 PM - Get out of hospital and return home.
2:35 PM - "Explain" stitches and eye patch to wife.
3:00 PM - Realize gear is still up on mountain, with bear.
3:01 PM - Wish fellow DXers were still up on mountain, with bear...
3:03 PM - Consider taking up drinking.
7:00 PM - Get phone call from DXer buddies.
7:05 PM - Agree to go on DXpedition again tomorrow...