ADDING QRP HIGH ADVENTURE TO HAMCOM
Special to The ARS Sojourner
At HAMCOM in Arlington Texas this June we are concentrating on trying to bring youth into amateur radio. Accordingly we've invited every scout troop in the region and expect to have hundreds of boy and girl scouts present. Home schoolers have been invited, too, and just about every other youth organization the HAMCOM committee could think of.
I will be presenting a program titled "QRP High Adventure" – the thrust will be to show how much fun and safety QRP can add to human powered adventure via foot, horseback, paddle, etc. with the hope of passing the enthusiasm on to newcomers – and maybe a few old timers, too.
Here's where I'd like to ask for your help as one of those of us who take QRP rigs on our outdoor adventures, would you take a few minutes to organize and email me:
1. A few of your favorite photos showing you operating in the field, the scenic view from your operating position, your field setup, antennas, extras, etc., (be sure to tell me with each set where you were, when, how you got there, what you were running and perhaps a few of your favorite memories of the trip and your QRP operation. GIF or JPEGs are best but I can use Photoshop to bring just about anything into PowerPoint.
2. Tips for field operation: rigs, antennas, accessories, power, packing, logging, time keeping, light, operating surface, safety . . . whatever you'd like to pass along. Pictures illustrating these would be a big help too but are not required.
I've been taking QRP rigs on hiking and paddling trips for 35+ years but I believe the greater the variety of photos and tips I can give the more likely we are to excite some of the kids and get them to give ham radio a try. So please don't be shy – if you want to send more than one trip or tip that's excellent.
We'll really appreciate your help!
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T.E. “Doc” Drake, W5TB, is a longtime and avid QRPer living in Arlington, TX. His web site can be accessed via: http://www.qsl.net/w5tb