KX0R was a 100% solo 1B-Battery operation, as for many past years. QTH was a forest site on a ridge at 7800 feet elevation in the Laramie Mountains of Wyoming, about 10 miles east of Laramie.  I drove a 41-year-old VW bug loaded with radio gear and camping equipment to the remote site, set up three big wire antennas in the trees, and ran 5W on 5 bands (80-10M CW) with solar-charged battery power.  

The antennas were a 20 & 40M wire Bird Yagi pointed east, an 80M FW loop for SW & NE, and a 40M FW loop for NW-SE.  All three antennas were fed with homemade open-wire line and were used on several bands.  The feeds all came to the operating position at the car, and each antenna had its own tuner.  With three directional patterns instantly switchable, the 5W from the K3 was used efficiently to make many contacts.  

10 was OK, 15 was great, 20 was really nice, 40 was fun, and 80 was QRN city due to local thunderstorms out over nearby Nebraska.  I made 469 contacts after removing dupes; 47 states; and many sections.  I got VI, PR, PAC, AK, many VE/VA stations, and US Q's all over the map.  I never got WY, even though I was there and gave WY to many of you.  WY is such a rare FD section that many otherwise competent ops asked me for many repeats on my SEC.  I think they want it to be WNY, ENY, etc.  The western stations never asked for repeats, except for in CA, where I think maybe they aren't sure where or what WY is.  

Thanks for those of you who hung in there to complete contacts that were barely there - we completed almost every one that we tried!

The best contacts were other 1B stations - I imagined all of you out there in tents and vehicles, with your batteries and QRP gear - just amazing!

For those of you who have never operated with good antennas at a quiet site, miles from development, you absolutely MUST try this some time.  It's a magical experience.  On 10, 15, and 20M I could have heard a pin drop... The bands were so quiet that I couldn't match the tuners just with noise.  

The mosquitoes were horrible.  Everything else worked out really well this year - there was a bit of rain, but not enough to shut down for - and the wind was welcome.  There was coyote QRM, but only for about 1 minute.  

With a little luck I'll do it again next year.  Listen for the weak ones...