Information and Rules for QRP Afield

I operated from atop Wagon Wheel Hill in forest wilderness of Ogemaw County, Michigan. The hill is elevation 1500 ft. ASL, and is one of the highest hills in the area. Rig: FT-817 at 5 watts; battery power; tuner: MFJ-941E; antennas: 80 m. dipole (used on 20 m.) at 55 feet, and a 40 meter inverted vee with apex at 40 feet and ends around 20 feet. Wx was cold and windy for QRP Afield. I wore several layers of clothing plus hooded winter jacket and Thinsulate gloves. Wx was overcast, rain showers and 40 F at the start of the contest to bright sunshine but very windy and 50 F in mid afternoon.

I made a total of 25 QSOs, operating for a duration of 4 hours.

My only suggestion would be to make this a 4 hour contest rather than 6 hours. 6 hours is a very long time when outside in the cold, or standing on top of Pike's Peak as W0RW did! You New Englanders are today (Monday) beginning to experience the wx I had on Saturday.

A thrill for me for the entire wilderness camping trip of 4 days was working 3B7C on St. Brandon Island in the Indian Ocean via QRP on 30 meters CW on Friday!

73, 72
Ken, WA8REI
Home QTH: Freeland, Michigan
QRP Afield QTH: 5 miles WNW of Rose City, MI or 12 miles NNE of West Branch, MI

Running KX1 to EFW thrown in tree from campsite in Pomme de Terre State Park in ozarks of Missouri. Ran a casual contest with lots of family activities at the same time. Highlights included working Paul W0RW/PM and Ken KA8REI camped up in MI. Total of 8 QSO's on 20 and 40 meters. Great fun, thanks. John N0EVH

I wasn't afield.

My late morning window of operating opportunity was washed out by a deluge. I stayed home and dry. Tried to make a few QSOs from my shack during the first hour, but found no QRP Afield signals. Tried again in mid afternoon and worked 10 stations in 50 minutes running my K1 at 2 watts on 40. Worked just one QRP station on 20 (W1FMR, NEQRP #1!) before calling it quits.

Congratulations to all who went afield. Next year I hope to be in that "10 class" again.

Barry AB4QL
On Friday night before the Qrp Afield event, I put together a 44' flat top fed with 300 ohm ladder line.
I had decided to set up in the back yard and operate from a deck about 50' away from the house.
Saturday morning I had no trouble flinging the line up to about 30' for one end of the antenna. I threw the line up over the deck and over another limb for the other end of the antenna. I set up a ladder to reach the end of the line hanging from the limb. Now, I am on top of a ladder on top of a deck reaching too far for a string. I managed to snag it and start down the ladder when it happened!!! Something slipped and down I came. The main impact was on my right hip. Much pain when I tried to move. I knew it was broken. It took quite a bit of effort to drag myself about 20' to a small stool. I waited there for my wife to do as she does every morning. She opens the back door and asks if I'm ready for coffee or breakfast.
About 1/2 hour later she stuck here head out and asked if I was ready for coffee. I responded that I needed some help. She came out and called 911 and an ambulance arrived within 5 minutes. I was hauled to the local hospital and was there for a while only to find there was no bone doctor available. I was shuttled by ambulance to Huntsville (Only took a little over an hour with that ambulance). It was late Sat evening before they operated on me and did a "heal with steel" operation.
Now I am home and trying to repair. It's been rather painful. I guess I can't complain much at 63 this was my first ride in an ambulance and my first operation. I don't care to have any more.
I'm sure most qrp operators enjoyed the weekend more than I.

That's terrible, Barry. Hope you heal quickly and the pain fades soon!

Hello all of you,
Just a few words to let you know that there will be two qrp station taking part of the QRP Afield contest on 20 sept.
One will be VE2EZD (Louis) assist by myself VE2GHI our call will be VE2EZD.
We will bring our QRP station (FT-817) on the top of mount "La Crapaudière" 46°28'53.21"N, 70°42'6.87"O.
One of our friend Jean-Pierre (VA2SG) will be on the top of mount "Orignal" 46°24'40.28"N, 70°35'39.58"O about 10 km SE of us.

We wish to all of you as much fun as we will have to climb those mount with antenna, food, radio, keyers, tuners and.... battery

Happy contest to all
72#73 de Jean(VE2GHI)

While at http://statelinecampresort.com/ tomorrow.
If u r in the area, stop by...site # 203 on the lake

72's de Randy
Argo 515,IC703+,RM-40

I was using my Elecraft K1 at 5 Watts on 40M and 20M with a doublet antenna up in the trees here on Brush Mtn., just north of Blacksburg, Va. My P/S was a rechargeable lithium-ion nanophosphate (4 batteries) battery pack, that I had bought at Dayton this year from the good folks at Buddipole. Fighting the persistent cloud of gnats was a big problem, but the day was beautiful at the start, and cloudy after 3 1/2 hours, when I started to take everything down.

All the signals were down with the exception of Bob N4BP in FL (the loudest), Sam N4SAM in AL (next loudest) , and Ron WB3AAL (589) on the Appalachian Trail, in PA, It was great fun hearing Bob W3BBO in PA (579) again after a long time no-hear. Other stations I worked were AF4O in TN (229), and AA5TB in TX (559), K8VFR in MI (559), and Phil AJ4HJ in VA (449). The only band on which I could hear Jim W1PID in NH was 30M (449).

Beside Jim W1PID in NH I heard absolutely NOBODY at all from New England. Where were they all? Or were they there and I just couldn't hear them? Or maybe they were on SSB? I was on CW only...

72,

Carter N3AO
Blacksburg, VA

Carter...sry i didnt hear you ; I was on!
And N4BP is always the loudest in a qrp event :) We both worked K8VFR.
I was using an IC703 at 2w and a RM-40 at considerably less than 2w. Tried a few diff antennas supported by telescoping mast, lashed to campers' ladder.
'hope it's not to cool in Oct so i can get another radio-camping trip in
72's de Randy
Argo 515,IC703+,RM-40