February 17th /18th: Lead Mine Conservation Area; Tunas, MO

There is one camp site on the map with a privy. That is the location. https://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/2023-09/8024map.pdf

Tentative Schedule;

Saturday 17th:

Noon - 4pm: Training session on the basics of handheld radios, HF radios, antennas and radio wave propagation.

4pm - 5pm: Construction of field antennas. This will depend on the number of people who show up. We will build one or more antennas out of a US Army field manual. Either a VHF Jungle Antenna or an HF dipole. Maybe both.

5pm-6pm: Use of HF Radio to make voice and data contacts. We will be trying to setup scheduled contacts with APC folks from other states. Or maybe we will just talk to random people, who knows. lol

6pm: Dinner.

After dinner: Optional Night Vision Hike.

Sunday 18th:

Breakfast at dawn

9am: 6 mile Hike. (The standards set by APC are 35lb plus rifle or 45lb with no rifle in 2 hours.) Even if you do not think you can meet this standard, please join us for the shared experience of hiking and fellowship.

Lunch after hike.

Maybe some people will go to the shooting range on location after lunch.


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If you are interested in a printed reference guide to accompany the training material, please post that you want that, so I know how much printed material to bring.

All material necessary to build the field antennas will be provided by me. If you happen to have about 100 feet of speaker wire or some random, thin wire, let me know and bring that. We can use it I am sure.

If you do not have a ham radio license, do not worry, you will be able to participate 100% without one.

Any further questions, let me know.

@TrashWrencher
@Bye_Felicia
@zapthycat

@Notcalifornialegal
@GordonFreeman1
@HighPlains1911

@kc215
@watsamatau

I am sure I forgot people. I think most other people have been notified directly.

@HurleyS
@lomshek
@warsparrow

I should be available as a contact for HF. My qth will either be NE MO or central il.

Thank you for the heads up.  I will do everything in my power to be there. Hopefully I can test for my Tech before then.

I should be able to make it.

Would like to make this, its about 5 hours from me. Will reach out to you @Notcalifornialegal for a little more info if that's ok since this would be my first APC event.

Well, crap.  Just like that, I’m out. Son’s birthday party is on the 17th. I’m spending the previous weekend in TN, so it’d probably be poor form to be gone that day.  

Bummer.

Hopefully once 2024 gets rolling we can get some dates put out in advance.

That’d be awesome. I test for tech in Jan 20.

Bump.

There might be an evening / night hike added Sat for people who dont want to stay until Sunday.

If people show up wanting to do that; I am sure it will materialize. Seems like a couple people can only do Sat.

No night vision required. Maybe eat a couple carrots for good measure.

Man, I’m really sorry that my wife scheduled our son’s birthday party for this weekend. I just got my callsign from the FCC and this event sounds like it’s gonna be baller

Long term forecast is looking good for a mid-Feb event. (knock on wood)

It'll be fine. Cold is just another learning experience.

Are we doing a night hike?  I can’t stay for Sunday but I’d like to do some more night vision hiking

I think there are a couple people not staying overnight to sunday. So adding an evening / night hike looks to be on the table for everyone interested.

I'm going to bow out on this. I have to work that Friday (usually off) and it's the wife's birthday weekend.
I wanted to make it work but isn't going to happen.

Bummer. Hopefully you can make a future event.

Bump:

One week out. Weather looks nice for a campfire and hike through the woods.

I'm off all summer and will have zero excuses.

Looks like a night hike will be happening for sure multiple people only able to stay Saturday and not Sunday.

Antenna supplies to build the HF antenna.

Attached File

I’ll be there and will be staying the night for the Sunday morning ruck, but would be down for a night hike as well

Cool. I am bringing chicken fajita stuff for dinner and will have eggs/bacon for breakfast.

We might just do the main ruck Sat evening / night if thats what most people want to do.

Cool, let me know if there’s anything I can pick up on my way for the group. I’m assuming there’s a fire pit or something at the site, so I’m bringing some good firewood.

Some dry firewood will be handy to get the fire going. Everything there is gunna be wet.

Excellent time tonight gentlemen. Sorry I couldn't stay for the morning. I wish you well on the day hike.

I need thermal

When Flak-Magnet is making the fajitas, he has less time to setup ambushes. Lol

Huge props to Shootindave for organizing this.

This was a wildly useful weekend where a wide number of questions and scenarios were answered.

Communicating with people several states away with speaker wire is one of the more interesting things I've seen.

Also I need to invest a fancier sleep set up.

@HurleyS has the right idea.  

Thanks man, it was nice to meet you on Saturday.  Three of us had a good ruck on Sunday!  Thanks for letting me hang with the Missouri crew, hope to be back up there soon!