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BUT ONCE I FINALLY WORKED NEW JERSEY AND PENNSYLVANIA, I NEEDED ONLY
DELAWARE AND GEORGIA FOR THE CLEAN SWEEP.  I TRIED TO WORK THEM FOR
2 HOURS WITH NO SUCCESS.  THEN, I CHECKED DX SUMMIT AND FOUND THAT
GEORGIA WAS SPOTTED ON 40 METERS.  I QUICKLY TUNED MY BUDDIPOLE FOR
THE BAND AND MADE TWO CALLS AS THEY WERE ANSWERING OTHER STATIONS.
GEORGIA CALLED ME BACK AFTER MY THIRD CALL WE SUCCESSFULLY MADE THE
EXCHANGE AND ENDED THE CONTACT.  WITHIN 15 MORE MINUTES OF WATC
WORKING THE ANNUAL 13 COLONIES SPECIAL EVENT PORTABLE THIS HAM
BROUGHT RADIO EQUIPMENT ON HIS FAMILY TRIP IN ORDER TO CONTACT
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS WITH A HISTORICAL THEME.  BRIAN D. KARCHER,
KG5GJT  FOR 7 DAYS BEGINNING ON JULY 1, THE ANNUAL 13 COLONIES
SPECIAL EVENT WWWR13 COLONIES.  US FEATURES SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS
IN EACH STATE THAT WAS ONE OF THE FORMER 13 COLONIES.  EVERY YEAR,
IT HONORS THE ORIGINAL COLONIES, AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, ACTIVE
MILITARY PERSONNEL, AND VETERANS.  THE SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS CAN
OPERATE ON ANY MODE MOST WORK SSB, CW, AND DIGITAL.  THEY CAN USE
ALL OF THE HF BANDS OTHER THAN 60 METERS, AS WELL AS VHF, UHF, AND
AMATEUR RADIO SATELLITES.  THE STATIONS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING
STATES INCLUDE NEW YORK, K2A VIRGINIA, K2B RHODE ISLAND, K2C
CONNECTICUT, K2D DELAWARE, K2E MARYLAND, K2F GEORGIA, K2G
MASSACHUSETTS, K2H NEW JERSEY, K2I NORTH CAROLINA, K2J NEW
HAMPSHIRE, K2K SOUTH CAROLINA, K2L, AND PENNSYLVANIA, K2M.  THERE
WERE THREE BONUS STATIONS IN 2022 GREAT BRITAIN, GB13COL
PHILADELPHIA, WM3PEN, AND FRANCE, TM13COL.  THE EUROPEAN STATIONS
WERE FEATURED FOR THEIR HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION AND ADDED DX DIFFICULTY.  WM3PEN REPRESENTED THE CITY IN
PENNSYLVANIA WHERE US INDEPENDENCE WAS FIRST DECLARED IN 1776.  EACH
OF THE 16 STATIONS HAD A UNIQUE QSL CARD, AND MOST OFFER A NEW CARD
EVERY YEAR.  THE EVENT ALSO OFFERS A NEW CERTIFICATE EACH YEAR TO
QUALIFY, OPERATORS NEED TO WORK ONLY ONE STATION.  PLANNING THE
OPERATION I PARTICIPATED IN 2022, THE 14TH YEAR OF THE EVENT.  I
CONDUCTED A PORTABLE OPERATION BECAUSE IT COINCIDED WITH MY FAMILYS
ANNUAL FOURTH OF JULY VACATION IN DESTIN, FLORIDA.  THIS SCHEDULING
CONFLICT LEFT ME LITTLE CHANCE TO OPERATE, BUT MY GOAL WAS TO WORK
THE EVENT AS TIME PERMITTED.  AS EXCITED AS I WAS ABOUT THE SPECIAL
EVENT, I LOOKED FORWARD TO THE WHITE SAND BEACHES, EMERALD WATERS,
AND ABUNDANT COASTAL WILDLIFE OF THE AREA.  THE VIEWS, ALONG WITH
THE SOUND OF WAVES BREAKING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, ARE KNOWN FOR
THEIR RELAXING QUALITIES.  WE PLANNED TO STAY AT A BEACHFRONT
CONDOMINIUM, ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR.  RAINSTORMS WERE FORECASTED FOR
THE FIRST SEVERAL DAYS OF JULY, BUT I ANTICIPATED OPERATING FROM THE
BALCONY OF THE CONDOMINIUM.  WITH AN OPEN VIEW TO THE NORTHEAST, THE
SPOT WOULD BE PERFECT FOR WORKING THE SPECIAL EVENT.  MY NEXT STAGE
OF PLANNING FOCUSED ON EQUIPMENT.  FOR MY ANTENNA, I DECIDED ON A
BUDDIPOLE DELUXE IN THE HORIZONTAL DIPOLE CONFIGURATION SEE FIGURE
1.  I WOULD ALSO BRING MY ICOM IC 7100, AN HF/ VHF/ UHF AND D STAR
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