Pastoral tranquility pervades the scene at the N4IR FD-2000 site.
Then some idiot blew the whistle.
OBSERVATIONS, CLAIMS, LIES and BS
Last year ('99) we decided to try Class 1A Battery (5 watts max) for the first time. By the grace of God, and with the help of some baling wire, we managed to swing first place in this historically difficult category. This year (2000) we have boldly tried for a two-peat and so far the results look encouraging. Head-master N4IR (who failed high school General Math 3 times) would have us believe that initial computations show a score of 10,900 points, a mere 60 points shy of the Class 1A Battery all-time record tally.Caveat emptor and all that stuff - you know the old saw about liars and figures SEE UPDATE BELOW ! - but it does make the mottley little crew feel rather good for now. We have no information on how the "competition" fared, so who knows where it will all end up, but ya gotta be encouraged about the effort.
The operation, and undoubtedly the score, was helped along by the absence of perennial grouch and nay-sayer N4TN. Those who did show up were the usual suspects: the hard-core, x-rated, adrenalin-intensive etc nerds: Czar Jim N4IR, Big Dennis N4DD and his jr. op Dennis II, Luther (Mr. Dependable) N4UW, Dave (old Pro) N4DW and Baron Rotenberry K4DR. A mighty welcome visiting dignitary to the site was none other the His Imperial QRPness, Dan N4ROA, who showed up with a 500 milliwatt, 8-band, multimode transceiver (complete with a telescoping 160 meter vertical affixed to the cabinet) which fit neatly into his shirt pocket (along with the 4 AAA battery power supply, paddle, keyer, and computer). His mere presence on the FD site caused our signal to go up 30 db according to a Macquarie Island station.
Once again, head cook/computer guru/generator mechanic/photographer/skilled operator Luther N4UW delighted the attendees on Saturday evening with an encore presentation of his site-famous "Dawn-Comes-Up-With-The-Roll-Of-Thunder Stew" (AKA "20 db Over S9 Goulash"), aided and abetted by corn-on-the-cob and garlic bread. On Sunday morning he pumped new life into the walking wounded with a delicious "Country Boy Gone Wrong" breakfast of Sausage, Bacon and Eggs, accompanied by leftover Garlic Bread (hmm-mmmm good). Thats our kind of restructuring! And lets not overlook the sterling contribution of our landlord K4DR - Dave improved the self-perceived fists and computer keyboarding skills of the gang by 63% simply by serving generous rounds of his silk-smooth Margaritas. Atta'boy Dave!
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Once again, it WAS Field Day. Glorious, wonderful, miserable, fatiguing, bug-bite scratching, can't find that roll of toilet paper, need a shave and a bath, can't-possibly-get-along-without-it, FIELD DAY! As always, we did have an unforgettable weekend - fantastic food, awesome operating, negligible sleep, lotsa lie-telling, great socializing with the best of buddies..... Folks, it just don't get no better'n that! |
IN A NUTSHELL
1999 2000 CHANGE QSOs 835 1020 22% increase Qs/HR 35.0 42.5 SCORE 8820 10900 23% increase 
BEST HOURS: 1800z (73 Qs); 1100z (54); 1900z (52); 0200z (49); Several 47 Q hours.
WORST HOURS: 0900z (26 Qs); 1700 (27); 1400 (34).
REMEMBER: These are all PRELIMINARY, HIGHLY SPECULATIVE NUMBERS!
(Even worse, they were calculated by N4IR)
THOSE NUMBERS STOOD UP !!!!!
FINAL TALLY: QSOs - 1020 TOTAL SCORE - 10,900
#1 - TOP DAWG - FIRST PLACE
IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE
CLASS 1A BATTERY
WE DONE DONE IT AGAIN !
N4IR FD 2000 ALBUM
Instead, this was taken on setup day, and simply shows ole Jim, lost in daydreams of being asked to go on an expedition with OH2BH and P29JS. Well.... that, and maybe a few 807s too many.... Not to fear, Jimbo arises from the dead on command and promptly lays into the Bencher with immediate gusto. Thats why we call him 'Yore Esteemed Highness'.
On the other hand, there is N4IR (rapidly fading away in the lower right corner). Is there a Doctor in the house?
For those of you who don't know your country music, the words to the background song say
"What can I do? YOU WIN AGAIN!"
It would be very nice to say that this picture (of our esteemed FD Tyrant, N4IR) shows poor Jim nearly dead after a sleepless night of 93 Qs/hr on 40 CW.
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Shown here are the two most dangerous men in Indian Springs, TN - Dennis N4DD and his son, Dennis 2. They represent the peak of physical fitness, resulting from proper diet, regular hours, vigorous exercise and clean living.
