As I type this, the video is 50% done uploading to YouTube and I'm not sure if it will ever be made public. Nothing bad happens, just I will be sure to receive some flack in regards to the drinking. I'm sure some will not approve of two drunk guys activating a POTA park. Although we did not receive any complains from the 60+ hunters we had in our nearly continuous pileup that evening. In fact several let us know either during the QSO or after via email or Discord that they were having as much fun with our pileup as we were.
It started off innocent enough.
After a fun day of some causal amateur radio play, nice hike around the park by the Cedar River, and a dinner of brats cooked on an open fire; Greg and I decided to try our luck at a Late Shift activation on 40 meters.
We put my Packtenna linked EFHW on the end of my 12 meter Spiderbeams telescoping mast, and connected it to Greg's Icom IC-706 and started calling CQ on 40 meters.
Then Greg got a craving for some Fireball whiskey...
Greg also thinks it is rude to drink shots on a picnic table with another POTA activator and not share. And share he did.
Wether we indulged in adult beverages or not, the laughs and the fun would have remained the same. We still would have missed up most of the callsigns, for we do that on all activations (at least I know I do). The wisecracks would have also been just as constant. Greg has a great sense of humor and we play off each other's jokes all the time.
It was a great weekend with the "Shacking Off" brothers
Greg and his brother Norm have the fun YouTube channel "Shacking Off" which I've enjoyed for a long time now. I've gotten to know both Greg and Norm through the YouTube comments, live chats, and the ham radio Discord forums.
For a few months before this trip we, along with a few others decided to plan a trip that was somewhat centrally located between us. Iowa turned out to be a good location and Norm picked out the park that we rented a cabin at.
Unfortunately a few others could make it do to work and other commitments, but we still had fun. We will definitely be doing this again!
QSO map of the Late Shift activation Greg and I did.
Total QSO map from my POTA activations during the weekend.