AQP After Action Report - KB4KBS
Well, it turned out to be more of a love of labor rather than a labor of love.
The first bad omen was our tardy departure enroute to breakfast with friends in
Chattanooga. The meal was great, the friends were gracious, and the
conversation lively. We said our goodbyes, got the antenna in place and then we
took off headed for Alabama with the countdown timer to 11AM CDT ticking loudly.
Lesson One: Trust your GPS
On the way there, instead of following the GPS-determined fastest route, I
decided to "cut the corner" and shoot down I-65 to make up for lost time.
(Strike One) I then got my time, space, distance, and exit numbers confused and
we got off one exit too early (but we didn?t know it at the time.) (Strike Two)
Following the logic that if you are going South and you want to go West, your
turn right, we took off to the right and soon found ourselves meandering
through the remotest parts of NW Georgia, not NE Alabama. Finally after many,
many, more minutes had passed; we came upon the I-65 exit that we should have
gotten off at originally. From there we were able regroup, gather our loose
bearings, and race for the Alabama line. We finally slid in to DeKalb County
about 11:15 CDT.
Lesson Two: Love your Pilot
My original plan was to come into Alabama from the North on Highway 72 and
spend 90 minutes in Jackson County first. Now, at T-plus 20 minutes, I was in
DeKalb County which was my planned second stop, and my timetable was hosed.
Fortunately, my wife reminded me, I was nevertheless officially in Alabama and
could start CQ-ing. While I did this for a few minutes, my darling spouse was
able to look at the AAA Atlas, figure out where we were, and how to get to
where we wanted to be (Scottsboro). We set out for Highway 72 in Scottsboro,
and after about fifteen minutes I was finally in Jackson County. We made it
into Scottsboro without an issue and dawdled there for a few minutes while I
kept calling for contacts.
We discussed heading straight for Albertville in Marshall County, but I really
felt that I needed to give DeKalb County its full shake. Since my navigational
abilities were totally without merit in the mind of my pilot, it took a great
deal of pleading and coaxing to get the vehicle headed east toward Rainsville
and back into DeKalb. Finally she relented. We "dragged anchor" a bit as we
went eastward and before long, at almost the exact 45 minute mark, the "Welcome
to DeKalb County" sign appeared. Not only did she get me "unlost" from the
wilds of NW Georgia, she even used an undiscovered road-rally talent to hit
"the marks" right on time. Thanks sweetheart!
Lesson Three: When your Roving Efforts Flounder, At Least Take Time to Enjoy
the Scenery
As we passed through Rainsville and started south toward Albertville, I was
starting to get frustrated at the lack of contacts in the log. The first two
had been rather quick to reply, but then there was a dry spell that made me
wonder if something had broken. I was so intent on getting "Qs in the Log" I
almost missed the beauty and splendor of NE Alabama?s rolling foot hills and
beautiful lakes. We paused for a while at a boat launch and took in the
lake-side view between switching from 40M to 20M and back. Alabama truly is a
pretty place; from the beauty of the NE where we traversed, to the locks and
dams of the Tennessee River in NW Alabama, to the pristine sands of Gulf Shores
and Orange Beach, there is a lot to enjoy. I say this because by the time we
hit Albertville in Marshall County at T-plus 4 hours, I had logged a whole 8
whopping contacts - but not from a lack of trying however. The radio said I was
transmitting 100W, and I had a very low SWR on the antenna, but there was
definitely no joy in the logbook. The wonderful views were a welcome soothing
salve for the wounded spirits of this fledgling contester.
We finished out the tour; hitting Etowah County (Gadsden) and Cherokee County
(Centre) before slipping safely back across the Georgia border at T-plus 8
hours, and shut down the rig and logging computer with a grand total of 12 SSB
contacts. Was I disappointed in my score? Yes, but this was only my second
attempt at being a rover, and I had all manner of gremlins to fight - engine
noise, inverter noise, computer noise, and poor band conditions (as well as
Wrong-Way Corrigan-esque navigational skills); not to mention pretty weather
that lured potential contacts outdoors and away from their radios... I could
come up with a million excuses, but they won?t change my score. Was it worth
it? YES. Even though the cost of gasoline is sky-high (but cheaper in Alabama
than in Georgia), I got to spend time on a pretty day with my lovely wife, a
rare privilege for someone who works three jobs and spends at least one or two
nights a week in a firehouse. Will I do it again? Well, next year, I say we
rent a houseboat on Guntersville Lake and moor it just off shore from
Wentzell?s Oyster House in Guntersville... anybody for a Multi-Multi effort?
Thank to the "Elite Eleven" in my log book (N2JEN hit me twice - once on my way
out of DeKalb the first time, and again 45 minutes later during my tour of
Jackson).
73,
Scott, KB4KBS
Scott Straw, CTS-D, CTS-I, EMT-I
Roswell, GA
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