*** EDIT – Photos! Thanks to Steve VK2ZSW/VK2WYN & Richard VK2CHC! ***
A big thank you to Steve VK2ZSW/VK2WYN for the following excellent recap of what was a very enjoyable event. Steve writes:
Remembrance Day Contest 2016 at the farm of Larry Lindsay VK2CLL
The day started well for those of us that were there, CLL, VIV and ZSW, we waited for Henry ZHE to arrive so he could tow the van into situ. But having left home around 0900 Henry arrived closer to 1200 than 1155 so we were a little late getting started. Henry detoured for breakfast at Maccas, I think he was buying a new car while at it, how many hours does it take to travel to Wauchope, unless you come via Taree?
Richard CHC arrived and began to setup for lunch, then Lyle SMI arrived and we began to setup the trailer mast and the caravan while Richard started the obligatory sausages and onions for lunch. Very hard to concentrate on antennae while the smell of snags and onions were wafting through the air. To cap it off Larry, being the generous host that he was, brought out some ‘soft’ drinks for us over worked, hot antenna setter uppers. We had to have a break and a rest, how can anyone keep going minute after minute in the hot sun when there are coldies waiting? Now where was I, something about a contest, oh yes, we had a break then back to work. Something like an hour later we finished erecting the trailer mast and aerials. I mean that was surely coffee time, so Larry, again to the rescue, made brewed coffee and supplied a variety of home-made cakes and biscuits, we needed the sustenance if we were to get on air and slave over a hot radio.
Someone mentioned something about a contest so Henry went to work, warming the seat in the caravan, while racking up the contacts. Henry likes to do his own logging so the rest of us were busy eating cakes and drinking coldies and coffee, no not at the same time, fair dinkum, well maybe the coffee and cakes were consumed at the same time.
The caravan generator sprung into life, quietest it ever was too and funny but it did not use a drop of fuel, maybe because we tapped into Larry’s mains supply for the van. I think the biggest power drain would have been the radiator Lyle had on while trying to catch some zees, alright zeds, during the night, while he was supposed to be operating 160m. It was a cold night, I know, because Richard and Lyle told me. Richard spent some of the night in his tent, I am shivering thinking about it.
Larry had turned on a magnificent day of sunshine with a gentle breeze, and did I mention the brewed coffee, ‘coldies’ and cakes.
Sunday turned out another brilliant day, I arrived around 0830 while everyone was getting ready for another day of coldies, coffee and cakes, oh and contesting. Richard had the sausages, bacon and eggs on the barbie while someone toasted the buns. Later in the morning Larry brought out the brewed coffee and cakes again, it was hard work but someone had to do it.
I was a little peeved while contesting, I knew we were there for something, a good 25% of my contacts called me Henry, obviously re contacts from the day before, enough to give a guy a complex, anyway I got my own back by telling them Henry was outside having a coffee, this must have been for an hour, so everyone now thinks Henry takes hour long coffee breaks. Beside me was Rob CRF ably handling the logging software. Being a male, I am always being told (by the wife) I can only do one thing at a time so Rob did the logging. I will not comment any further on the one thing at a time issue. It was so hot in that corner of the van I wondered if Lyle left the radiator on or the van was on fire. I hope it was the latter, otherwise Larry is going to have a massive power bill.
After it was all over, we had to have a coldie and some lunch before pulling everything down, and apart, so Richard did it again, sausages, bacon, eggs and onions went down well. Then it was time for deconstruct which took a tenth of the time that it took to construct. However it did take another hour for us to pack the van the way it should be done, said Henry.
Overall a great weekend, great fellowship and great food, oh and some contest contacts too. The views at Larry’s are as good as it gets and so is the hospitality, thanks Larry.
Looking forward to the next contest at Larry’s.
If I’ve learnt anything for Steve’s very humorous read, it’s that I should get there earlier! I arrived as Larry was heading to bed and missed out on all of the foodstuffs and beverages! I did eat my fair share of biscuits while operating through to 1am though! The club also had a guest operator, Craig VK2F??? who thoroughly enjoyed the experience and good conversation.
