01/20/2003 | W1MRQ Anybody reluctant to try microwaves from home read on! This is the first time ever I had so many bands AND working at 2:00 PM. This was a maximum effort for W1MRQ. Has anyone mentioned yet how cold it was in the NE? My shack is in my bedroom in my apartment, that has a tiny third floor deck outside. I had to erect my entire antenna farm on a 8 X 4 deck. I have 1 section of Rohn 25G tower standing on the deck and bracketed to the building. I have 4 yagis on that for the bottom 4 bands. I have a seperate mast for the loop yagis tied to one rail as far away from the tower as I could get it. Actually the top antenna is about 45 feet above ground level and the terrain around me is best described as pretty flat, nothing blocking me locally. The antennas are up in the clear and there is no trees around me. But, living in-town, I have a bunch of local QRM from computers, sdnow mobiles, and scanners! I ran 6 thru 2304 and had a ball running the bands. It is always amazing that you put all this crap together and it actually works. I had 10 watts on 903, 18 on 1296 and 4~5 on 2304. I couldn't work everyone and frasnkly didn't try much beyond New England, because I knew the odds were against me. The most memorable was a long QSO with W1FKF in FN42 on 2304 with S9 sigs both ways. Conditions were pretty flat except for some e-skip Sunday afternoon on 6 Meters. Each year it just gets bigger and better. Wait till next year. -- W1MRQ