For Field Day weekend this year, I started off by activating 8013’ Frazier Mountain for SOTA on Friday afternoon.  Then I headed to my campsite at 7400’ in the Los Padres National Forest to operate as a solo 1B in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) Section as I had done in 2013.  My goal this year was to make 400 contacts so I worked only 20, 40, and 75/80 meter SSB and CW.  My longest run when I called CQ was 93 contacts on 40 meter SSB which entailed a lot of fast scribbling since I log everything on paper.  I succeeded in 401 QSOs, a new personal record!  My set-up was a Yaesu FT-897D, purchased at this year’s Dayton Hamvention swapmeet, to single band end fed dipoles.  It was fun running into ham friends from across the country and chatting for a few seconds before continuing on with serious contesting.  As usual, I collected bonus points for copying the ARRL FD message on CW and sending a radiogram to the SEC on 80 meter CW.  The weather was sunny and hot during the day but cold at night since no campfires were allowed.  A new menu item was frozen shrimp which I defrosted in a pot of water, cocktail sauce, and cold beer.  In 2015, my goal will be 450 QSOs.

 CUL de Scott