FOBB 2009 N7OU

From Adventure Radio Society

I look forward to this event each year because it covers so many of my ham interests--portable operation, QRP, CW, and contesting. I enjoy the hiking part too.

Again this year I operated from the Bayocean Spit on the Oregon coast, a site that allows me to shoot eastward over salty Tillamook Bay. From a trailhead I hiked 2 miles, schlepping about 25 pounds of gear. I set up a vertical dipole on a 10m DK9SQ pole just above the high tide line. With open wire feedline and a 4:1 balun my K2 found a match on 40-15m. The last couple of years I used a 20m vertical Moxon at the same site, but that requires 2 poles and this year I decided to simplify.

I worked 34 BB's and 30 non-BB's, a result that was a little down from the last 2 years. Maybe it was the lack of a gain antenna, or maybe it was just conditions.

Whatever the score, it was fun sitting back and looking out over the beautiful bay. Herons nearby were doing their own kind of fishing. I remembered to use sunscreen on my arms and face but still managed to get sunburned on my ankles where my pants had hitched up.

73 and see you next year, Bill N7OU