07/06/2007 | WA4UF My usual custom was to spend one day on my inlaws' back porch in Largo, FL and one on Indian Rocks Beach, collecting stares from passers-by and grilling myself to a Maine-lobster red. This year I thought to escape the heat, humidity and sunburn and run the event from the back porch of the inlaws' vacation cabin in the Smokies, up in the hills behind the TenTec factory in Tennessee. So NATURALLY the temperature and humidity were both in the 90s, and I acquired another beauty of a sunburn.

It was worth it, though. The FT-100, deepcycle battery (bought right as the event was starting due to all four of my UPS batteries crapping out at once), and assortment of wires in the trees were good enough for 2-1/2 log book pages or about 80 contacts, roughly double my result from last year.

Next year I'll have the antenna situation better sorted out ahead of time - no throwing hastily-built dipoles up halfway through! -- WA4UF