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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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