[FQP]N1XC 2004 FQP Comments

[Steven Blary]

First a big THANK YOU to all the stations, both in and outside of
Florida, for a FUN weekend!  I had a great time and I am already
looking forward to next year's running of the FQP. 

I operated as a single operator mobile from my Dodge Caravan.  My
Icom 706mk2g and tuner were sitting in the passenger seat, mag mount
with 20 meter hamstick on the roof, and a Wally World special deep
cycle marine battery in the front floor board.  Logging was with
paper - maybe next year a computer with voice recognition Hi Hi!

Much of my time was driving which meant that I wasn't calling CQ much
so  my QSO total is low.  Some one else commented on the line noise
-- so I guess I wasn't the only one hearing it.  In South Florida
there isn't too many choices on how to get from point A across the
swamp to point B.  The powerlines tend to take the same path <G>. 
Where I stopped in Glades county was terrible.  I couldn't even hear
the loud out of state stations over the noise!

Highlights of the route:

Martin County -- my home county.  Started the trip ar the Martin
County EOC  we a couple og ARES members had shown up to operate
WX4MC.    I had my 6 year daughter dressed in Mom's finest attire
decked out for a tea party.  Delivered her to the tea party and off I
went.  

Monroe County -- The 26 mile drive on Loop road was fun. I dips down
into northern Monroe county and cuts through the Big Cypress Nation
Park.  The park service suggests alloting yourself 3 1/2 hours I did
it in about 2 1/2.  Road was in very good shape and the wildlife
views werre excellent.  Saw alligators, fish, alligators, turtles,
alligators, herons, alligators, owls, eagles or ospreys, deer, and NO
snakes!  The alligators were everywhere.  Many were laying on the
roadside and you could drive up to and stop within 3 feet of some. 
Maybe they were lazy maybe they were hoping I was dumb enough to open
the door ... 

Lee County --  Arrived in Ft. Myers around 10 pm and stayed night
there.  Sunday morning I headed north and about half way across
Charlotte county I decided to visit the Boca Grand Lighthouse  on
Gasparilla Island.  To get there you have to go through Charlotte
County.  I visited the museum spent some time walking the beach and
enjoying the sun shine and activated 2 lighthouses.  If you worked me
from the Boca Grand Lighthouse I gave out the wrong ARLHS number.  It
should have been USA-910 not USA-066.  If you worked me at the second
lighthouse the Boca Grand Rear Range Lighthouse then the number you
should use is USA-066

The rest of the trip was a nice weekend drive through the interior
sections of South florida -- a mixture of everglade type swamps, pine
wood flatlands (or scrub), orange groves, and small towns.

I had hoped to operate picnic table portable with better antennas at
a couple of spots this year but did not stuck with the mobile and
hamsticks.  Next year I plan to stop more work pile ups instead of
driving and practicing search and pounce.  Instead of driving through
counties  I think I will head for intersections of multiple counties
and drive to just inside the line of each one.  After that group
drive to the next group.  I only missed Hendry county but added 2 un
planned counties SAR and STL.

Again thanks for the wonderful weekend!
Steve, N1XC
http://www.geocities.com/sblary


	
		
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