Mis-Adventures in mobile operaton
On my first attempt at mobile operation, Jan. 14 to 16 . The XYL (L. C. Hayden) was doing autograph sessions in Grapevine, Plano, Grand Prairie and Lewisville, Texas.
Plano
The first session was at a large mall in Grapevine. I delivered L. C. to the bookstore then moved off to an open area of the parking lot. This was about 7pm local time. As I was assembling the antenna, I noticed the mall security truck pull into the other end of the lot. He stopped and looked over at me. I kept right on working, mounting the 40 meter hamstick to the top of a large camera tripod. As I was tightening the butterfly nuts connecting the radials to the mount, I noticed security was sneaking around between the lanes of parked cars keeping an eye on me.
I just finished settling the tripod on top of my Suzuki Sidekick and spreading the radials out when security did a 360 circle around me then moved off about 40 yards and parked facing me. By now, I am wiring the Oak Hill Research 100 20 meter rig to the double 6v. lantern batteries, hooking up the ZM-2 and making final connections with the antenna and counterpoise. I figure that I am five minutes away from my sked with W5XE in El Paso, Tx. (this will be my first long distance qso going QRP-hey, 650+ miles was big time DX to me. Come to think about it, with my luck-it still is!!)
I didn't have time to waste. I waved the security man over, introduced myself and showed him the station. He looked on appreciatively, nodded as if he knew what he was doing and said, ok. He was worried that I might be a terrorist up to something. ME! A teacher, parent, and loving husband-although my only nephew refers to me as Wierd Uncle Rich.
OH, did I forget to mention that I finally noticed that I was under one of the approach lanes for DFW?? The funny thing was, he didn't ask for my ID, my license, or anything of that nature.
Grand Prarie
The next autograph session was down in Grand Prairie. Across from the store was a large empty parking lot with a grassy knoll behind it-nope, not that one, it's further to the northeast.
Anyway, I pulled the jeep over to the knoll and started to set up. NO ONE was around. By the time I finished organizing the station on top and inside the Suzuki, a man was standing close by with a Doberman by his side. He was wearing a ball cap that said RETIRED NAVY on it.
"Hey there, is that a Cee BEE Raydeo?" "No, it's an amateur radio." "Well, how do you taok wit that? It don't have no mikerfone?" "I'm using a telegraph key and morse code." "Well now, you know, when I was on the (name of a ship) some of the radio guys used that stuff. Me, I was a boilerman." "Oh, hey, I was a radioman in the Navy."I said foolishly..... "Did I tell you that it is a small world?"
This went on into the time of my sked with Ray in far west Texas. The first effort, neither of us heard the other, now this time, I hear him calling, but cannot return the signal. His Doberman was trying to smell me and climb into the back of the jeep to smell around. The kindly gentleman continued to talk the whole time I was working on the radio, relating several stories to me that are also interesting.
Lewisville
Later that afternoon, I was in the parking lot of a huge mall in Lewisville. Again, I look for an area away from other cars, people and dogs. Halfway through setup, a school bus pulls up two lanes away from me. Two men get off and walk over to a Blackeyed Pea restaurant. Looking back to the bus, I see a young head appear and disappear a couple of time watching me. Then, a healthy young man (highschool soccer) looks at the restaurant then dashes toward me. "Excuse me, sir. A couple of my friends and I were wondering what you are doing." I explain the whole set up, briefly about ham radio and qrp then start listening for Ray again. A few minutes later, the men return, lecture the boys on the bus and start heading them to the Blackeyed Pea. As they get off the bus, instead of making a bee line for dinner, each one swings wide and walks passed me. They all look at the radio and say "Howdy...Hello...Cool...or something similiar" I heard him again, but still couldn't get my signal back to west Texas.
After returning home, we critiqued the trip and decided that the next effort would be on 30 meters, although I was only going to be in Odessa, Midland and Abiline.
Odessa
I set up in the parking lot behind the Hastings. It is very large and very empty. Although the weather
is warm, a gentle breeze is blowing across a large dirt area upwind from me.
Finally, I'm set. The radio, battery pack, ZM-2 and a notebook are on top of a tv tray outside
the car. The key is strapped to my knee, earphones settled over my ears and a baseball cap scrunched down
to shade my eyes from the sun-I'm all set! As I start tuning around on the OHR-100A 30M, I look up to see
two young teen boys watching me. They want to know "waz up?" I tell them briefly what I'm doing,
they say cool and walk off. Then, just about the time I hear "wa5rmh de w5xe' (my sked from El Paso), a
cloud of dust rolls over me. Again, I look up and see a large pick-up truck doing wheelies in the
dirt. Suddenly, he stops, looks over to me, waves feebly and slowly drives off.
Great! My first good contact (well, contact anyway-Ray gives me a 349 and I give him a 239) as there is a
lot of Q-stuff (qrm, qrn, and qsb) competing with us. After exchanging qth-location, weather report, we cancel the
rest of the schedule. Later, I learn that there was a big geo-magnetic storm going on at the same time.
Ps. The two teen boys did not leave, they just moved out of the way and when I started packing up, they returned and wanted to talk some more. I hope that I gave them a good basic introduction to ham radio. We listened, I copied some code, explained some stuff and they left happy.
Round Rock-near Austin
L.C. is set up at the Hastings, I nipped a cup of Kookie-Doodle coffee and am off across the street to a large
empty parking lot, although it was near an unnamed fast burger joint. Another mystery author was signing with
my wife and she brought her husband along to keep me company. Both of us appreciated the effort, as we were
both becoming 'signing ghosts'-you know, we just sorta hang around the bookstore while things are going on
up front.
Amyway, I'm set up, tuning around waiting for Rays call, while a slow train of cars swing by. All
asking the same thing, all with a load of drinks, fries, and greasy burgers, did I not mention the faces
of kids looking through the windows munching. By now my response has been fine tuned about amateur radio,
qrp and skeds. Although I'm tempted to bring along my 'grandsons' laser pistol and start mumbling
about capturing aliens!!
Again, a successful qso! Durn we're getting good at this. My new acquantence is ready to head back to the book
store, so we cut it short again. But now, I've established a new record (for me) of 650 miles on 2.5 watts.
If I keep this up Wooozer I won't be able to live with myself!! Great!
I'm still looking forward to getting all the equipment fine tuned so that this summer, while we are
going all round the western half of the United States, I'll be able to not only reach home, but will hopefully start
contacting many new friends across the U.S.