Perry notes

Perry notes.




Yesteraday I got a visit from a sergeant of Special Forces that wanted to see my rig and how I have managed to keep the thing running with no backup electricity. His timing was perfect as I had my solar array out charging my batteries. I had figured that I'd be getting a visit from someone in Special Warfare before this was over.



This green beanie guy was interesting. His second language is Arabic, as all Special Forces types have to have a second language under their belt.



He seemed pretty impressed that I could run a 30 watt radio station for as long as I do, transmitting as often as I do.



While my solar panels are fairly inflexible and would be hard to pack around, they do make them now that are flexible and can be roled up and I hear the services are now using them.



He vaguely told me a few things about his commo and it was interesting to say the least.



in other news an old shooter dropped by to shoot the $hit last night and he was funny. The subject of what we tell people that call us here came up. He recounted how his boss called him up for something during a rapid prone string of firing.



I guess his boss wanted something or another. Just then the entire firing line opened up, the .30 caliber gunfire could be clearly heard by his boss.



"Hey, I'm the only black guy here and there's 200 white guys here with guns! Gotta run!" he snapped.



Then he hung up.



I got a call from work here a couple of years ago and when they asked me where I was I told them that I was in a prisoner of war camp. That cause some consternation and disbelief so through the miracle of the cell phone camera I shot a couple of pictures of the hutments and sent them off.



That got their attention and they texted me to see if I would be returning on schedule. I told them i ought to have no problems as I was on the escape committee. Now when I tell them I am coming here they know better than to call me.



Yesterday was the vintage sniper rifle match and by all accounts it was pretty good. The match is 10 rounds at 300 yards and another 10 at 600 yards and the collection of old workhorse rifles was something to behold. I didn't get to watch things too closely but I wonder if anyone was shooting an Arisaka.



Probably because the vintage matches bring out all sorts of stuff out of the woodwork. One guy was shooting a K-98 mauser his grandfather brought back from WW2 and I guess he did OK.



My guess is that there were a lot of Russian Mosin-Nagants out there because you can snag a sniper model still for around $500 and ammo is readily available.



Speaking of ammo, this is the first year that the CMP isn't making people shoot issued ammo as they are not issuing it anymore. Expect higher scores as this means people will be using handloads.



I met an old friend yesterday. He's a Marine that lost both legs above the knee from an IED. We met on the firing line some years ago when one of the NRA idiots on the line started hassling him about not shooting the offhand out of his wheelchair during the Garand match.



If you shoot a Garand from a wheelchair you get pushed back pretty good and if you lock the wheel-brakes you get knocked back over. The NRA range guy was trying to make him produce proof of his handicap which made no sense as the absence of legs is it's own proof.



I was next to him scoring and dryly offered to 'push him into bay after each shot' and the NRA idiot got mad at me and told me to stay out of it. Just then one of the CMP range people showed up and I snapped to them to 'get this idiot out of here' and the NRA guy DQ'd me. The CMP person took over and told me to ignore the NRA clown that he had just taken over for so I fired the match. I later heard the NRA guy had his ass chewed out royally.



Some of the NRA range guys keep forgetting that they are not the ones that set the rules for CMP matches.



Anyway, it was good to see him and we laughed about the incident. He's doing well.



I asked him if he's playing wheelchair basketball these days and he isn't because he thinks the game is insane, which in a way I suppose. The amputees have taken a sport that isn't too rough to begin with and they have turned it into a contact sport. I watched a match once and I swear it was like watching Australian rules football. I think you have to have a special wheelchair made of solid steel or something to last the game. It's brutal.



I have done a pretty good job of policing my station area and keeping it from getting trashy which is agood thing.



Yesterday I didn't make very many QSOs so at 0200Z I checked in on the Milpack net and pleaded for help. A bunch of the guys made contacts with me and upped my QSO count.



Today or tomorrow someone else should show up to spell me for a bit. Last night someone else offered to spell me if I would allow him to run a CW key. I had to refuse him because I do try and stay on or near the published frequency. Propogation has been lousy.



More tomorrow as I gotta head to the S-3 shop with my records.




my other blog is: http://officerpiccolo.blogspot.com/ http://piccolosbutler.blogspot.com/