Hey de Jack W4TJE in Fancy Gap, VA. Radio-wise, today has been a blast. You
know it’s going to be a good radio day when ur working a strong Russian station
on 15m cw just after ur sunrise, and he tells you that he is running a ten tec
stn (Omni V). I think in all my years on air, that is the first Russian ever
worked running Ten Tec gear. Note to Ten Tec: Send me an e-mail, and I will
send you his call sign. He deserves a mug, or at least a cap.
Then, at mid-morning, my buddy Todd, N4LA, drove up from NC with his backpacks
and portable gear, and he and I then drove a few miles up the road, parked, and
climbed to the top of Buffalo Mtn in Floyd County, VA. Todd and I are the same
age (49), from the same town originally in NC (Siler City), grew up together,
both learned radio together, and even have common relatives by marriage. After
school, he joined the Navy, while I joined the Marine Corps, so it did my heart
proud today to show the U.S. Navy how a Marine humps to the top of a mountain
peak (SINGING THE MARINE CORPS ANTHEM WHILE CARRYING BOTH BACKPACKS).
So a full hour after I (USMC) had made it to the top carrying all of the gear,
Todd (Navy) finally arrived, and we were ready to get on air. We set up at the
summit at 3970 feet, with me (USMC) doing all the work, while Todd (USN)
drinking coffee and telling sea stories (LIES) about how rough life at sea was
for him.It was then that I was introduced to the world of the Summits On The
Air (SOTA). IT WAS AWESOME.!! We operated both phone and cw and put that peak
on the air for only the second time. We had stns calling us from Europe to the
West Coast, and put over 70 of them in the log before shutting down and
climbing down the mountain ( I had to carry Todd, he had ran out of both coffee
and sea stories ((LIES)) by then).
So now, I’m all pumped about operating SOTA, and checking their web site
tonight tonight I see that there are quite a few peaks near me that are rare or
have never even been activated. I’ve never been into qrp, but am intrigued by
the Argo 6 for use as a SOTA portable rig, but am also interested in the Eagle
for the same use. So any Argonaut 6 or Eagle owners, pse tell me any pros and
cons for portable use. I am very interested in knowing what ur opinions are,
esp with respect to battery use/power drain.
And finally, tnx to Todd for introducing me to SOTA today, and don’t get mad
when you read how I picked on you here on this reflector.
73 de Jack W4TJE
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