WHAT A BUMMER!
Made all the arrangements, got the permits, got all the gear together &
tested, drove 11 hours down, like 15 hours back, from EM85wx Mt. Mitchell,
NC.
We left around 1 am on Friday morning from the Rockville (FM19) area with 5
aboard the van; ONLY 2 were drivers and neither one of us had much sleep
during the day..
Got to Mt Mitchell around 12noon (spent about 2 hrs on the road for pit
stops, food & Ice shopping for the 100 qt cooler and of course the never
forgetting HIGH priced petrol for the van tank and generator).
Started the set up and finished about 8pm. Of course that also included
lunch and dinner.
For chagrins, I cranked up the 6m station, (we were able to install the 6m
antenna 150ft away from the rest of the stack), and I worked a few stations
on double hop. It was great to see 6m open again and was hopping the
opening would extend thru the contest period.
I am guessing for some it did!
2 MINUTES before the start of the contest, the HEAVENS OPENED! And it was
MISERABLE! The lightning and thunder danced all around and over us! The RAIN
fell straight down, at a 45 degree angle, and at a 90 degree angle from top
center, and the wind was gusting around 40- 50 mph, the FOG swept in and we
couldn't see 15ft in front of us, from 2pm till about 6pm. We were able to
get the gear under plastic protection, then We got the CHANGED WX report
that we were gonna get this garbage (100 percent chance) through out the
weekend, and decided to tear it all down and GO HOME! At 9:30pm we finished
packing it all up and left! We were all cold and soaked to the bone, even
though we had rain gear.
We made a total of 4 contacts on FM via a 5w HT to the locals on 146.55.
WHAT A BUMMER FOR A FATHERS DAY GIFT!
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