Posts Tagged ‘great outdoors’
FYBO 2015 – this Saturday!
February 4th, 2015 | 
Author: Freeze Your B____ Off 2015 is this coming Saturday - the opening event of the 2015 Outdoor QRP Operating season! If the weathermen are correct, and these days, who knows? Anyway, if the weathermen are correct, Saturday will be the last day before a significant three day snow event here in Central New Jersey. As of right this second, the forecasted high temperature for Saturday is expected to be 39F (4C), with overcast skies. That would be a 4X multiplier at the very least.
So I have several options. I can operate from outdoors - probably the picnic table in the back yard, but that's still covered with ice from last Monday's ice storm - it's never gotten above freezing since that nasty little clipper came through here. I can also operate from inside the Jeep. The advantage there is that all I have to do is plop the Buddistick on the roof - after I chip away the ice that's still on the top of it! But, with the heat off, the temperature inside the Jeep will be the same as the outdoors. Operating in this manner wouldn't qualify for the Mobile category, but it would be much dryer than the picnic table. I have time to decide - there's no hurry, and it will depend how adventurous I feel and how clogged up my head is on Saturday. Don't want this slight head cold that I am dealing with to develop into bronchitis or something worse.
FYBO rules haven't changed much, with the exception that this year, teams are being allowed. Here's the URL for the page with the latest rules posting: http://www.azscqrpions.com/fybo2009rules.html
I guess I should make sure all my batteries are charged up for this weekend!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
So I have several options. I can operate from outdoors - probably the picnic table in the back yard, but that's still covered with ice from last Monday's ice storm - it's never gotten above freezing since that nasty little clipper came through here. I can also operate from inside the Jeep. The advantage there is that all I have to do is plop the Buddistick on the roof - after I chip away the ice that's still on the top of it! But, with the heat off, the temperature inside the Jeep will be the same as the outdoors. Operating in this manner wouldn't qualify for the Mobile category, but it would be much dryer than the picnic table. I have time to decide - there's no hurry, and it will depend how adventurous I feel and how clogged up my head is on Saturday. Don't want this slight head cold that I am dealing with to develop into bronchitis or something worse.
FYBO rules haven't changed much, with the exception that this year, teams are being allowed. Here's the URL for the page with the latest rules posting: http://www.azscqrpions.com/fybo2009rules.html
I guess I should make sure all my batteries are charged up for this weekend!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Making like Jim W1PID
I don't live in the rural areas of New Hampshire like my good friend Jim W1PID. No, look up "suburbia" in the dictionary, and there's probably a picture of South Plainfield there. Standard 100' X 50' suburban lots dominate the landscape in this area. Not only is New Jersey the most densely populated state in the Union, but Middlesex County is the most densely populated county in New Jersey. So to find some rural beauty, one has to drive a little bit from here. Unfortunately, it's not a bike ride or hike away. It used to be, but that's another story.
So I did something this morning that I wanted to do for a very long time. I took a ride up to Washington Rock State Park in Greenbrook, NJ, which is about two towns over from South Plainfield.
It was from this vantage point that George Washington kept tabs on British troop movements during the Revolutionary War in 1777. Today, it's a state park with a monument.
To give you an idea of the view:
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This gives a view towards south and east. Again with a "spy glass' it was possible to keep tabs on Sandy Hook.
There's lot of picnic tables that are just perfect for setting up a portable station, And that's exactly what I did. I launched the PAR END FEDZ into a handy tree and proceeded to go to town.
On 20 Meters, I worked W5AHP, Joe in Texas, and then WN2DX, Marty in Somerset, NJ. We were probably line of sight communications! After Marty, I worked Kurt W8IQ in Toldeo, Ohio. Before QSYing to another band, I snagged W1AW/4 in Alabama.
The lower end of 20 Meters and most of 15 Meters seemed to be wall-to-wall Work All Germany contest stations, so I sidled on up to 12 Meters, which was open! I worked 2SZ, the special event station in London, PA1CC in the Netherlands and finally GB0GDS, a JOTA (Boy Scout Jamboree on the Air) station from Scotland.
So it was a good day and I enjoyed myself immensely, even though it was only about a 90 minute adventure. The best part was when a gusty breeze would blow, sending a cascade of leaves down. It was like being inside a snow globe of falling Autumn leaves. I am taking another vacation day from work next Friday, so if the weather is good .......
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
So I did something this morning that I wanted to do for a very long time. I took a ride up to Washington Rock State Park in Greenbrook, NJ, which is about two towns over from South Plainfield.
It was from this vantage point that George Washington kept tabs on British troop movements during the Revolutionary War in 1777. Today, it's a state park with a monument.
To give you an idea of the view:
Looking slightly north and east, with a "spy glass" you can see the Manhattan skyline easily.
This gives a view towards south and east. Again with a "spy glass' it was possible to keep tabs on Sandy Hook.
There's lot of picnic tables that are just perfect for setting up a portable station, And that's exactly what I did. I launched the PAR END FEDZ into a handy tree and proceeded to go to town.
On 20 Meters, I worked W5AHP, Joe in Texas, and then WN2DX, Marty in Somerset, NJ. We were probably line of sight communications! After Marty, I worked Kurt W8IQ in Toldeo, Ohio. Before QSYing to another band, I snagged W1AW/4 in Alabama.
The lower end of 20 Meters and most of 15 Meters seemed to be wall-to-wall Work All Germany contest stations, so I sidled on up to 12 Meters, which was open! I worked 2SZ, the special event station in London, PA1CC in the Netherlands and finally GB0GDS, a JOTA (Boy Scout Jamboree on the Air) station from Scotland.
So it was a good day and I enjoyed myself immensely, even though it was only about a 90 minute adventure. The best part was when a gusty breeze would blow, sending a cascade of leaves down. It was like being inside a snow globe of falling Autumn leaves. I am taking another vacation day from work next Friday, so if the weather is good .......
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
