I decided to go on my first backpacking QRP adventure into the mountains above Ogden, Utah. I had everything, right?? I found a good spot with a tall tree into which I threw up an EFHWA (end fed half wave antenna). It loaded up very well and I heard G3BTM loud and clear. I reached into my pack to find the key....... NO KEY. NO PADDLES either!!! ARRRGGGGG!! Since my MFJ-9020 has a speaker, I decided to use the earphone plug as a key to tune up the tuner. Then I tried calling G3BTM by moving the plug in and out of the key jack. It was slow and sloppy. I think he heard me, but since I sounded like a pre-novice, he was not about to entertain a QSO with THAT fist.

So I decided to tune up to the QRP freqs and found SM4CAN/qrp calling a weak CQ. I answered him with my "plug fist" and lo' and behold, he came back to me and gave me a 449. I about died!! Kent was running only 5 watts to my 2 or so (low batteries).

It jus' shows-ta-go-ya that you should nevvva give up!! (or "where there's a will, there's a way).

72 , Neil, W0YSE since '54

Thanks Neil for sharing this with us.

Frank, G3YCC