Texas QSO Party 2009

As in 2008, I operated from the Pine Top primitive camp site, in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, in Culberson County. I remained in the park for a little over a week, and went on three short backpacking trips.

Loading up the backpack prior to beginning the hike.

Rock formations along the Tejas trail.

Another view along the Tejas Trail.

Dawn at Pine Top camp site.

If you look closely, you can see the vertical antenna wire to the left of the tent.

My camp at Wilderness Ridge.

I camped there later in the week, after the QSO Party.

My transceiver was an AT Sprint 3, a QRP kit designed by KD1JV. The antenna I used was a 44' inverted L, fed against a system of radials. In the evening, I attached an extension to the wire to lengthen it to 66' to improve the radiation resistance on 80 meters, then shortened it back to 44' the next morning.