BARS Brunch, August 27

Herbert AF4JF, Rich, N0PQU, Debbie, KC9ULA and I, KO0Z all arrived at the historic Wittmond Hotel Restaurant in Brussels, IL, Calhoon County around 10:30 am.  We waited outside until opening 11:00 am and reviewed our performance a week earlier in the ARRL 10 GHz and up contest.  We poured over tropo maps of our various locations and analyzed what went right and what went wrong.  In some spots such as Danville, MO to just outside of Kingdom City, MO there needs to be a little enhancement to assist the signal to get past the hill to the west which is roughly 30 feet higher about two-miles away.

Inside this quaint, over 100 year old hotel, the atmosphere was very nice and the home style food was excellent.  We did not walk away hungry!  Although we made reservations for ten, only four of us showed up.  Too bad, for the weather made it a wonderful day for a Sunday drive.  Herbert and Rich came over from St. Charles County via the Golden Eagle Ferry.  Ron and Debbie crossed over the Illinois River via the Kampsville, IL ferry and drove south to Brussels.  It was about a two-hour drive for us.  It was great seeing Herbert and Rich.

We discussed our plans for the second round of the 10 GHz contest and we plan to end up at Stone Hill winery in Herman.  We haven't decided which route we will take, but leap-frogging will be involved.  Over the next few weeks, we will pour over terrain maps and Google maps and decide a course of action.

Herbert and Rich planned to return to St. Charles County via the Golden Eagle, but Ron and Debbie completed their circle home by recrossing the Illinois River at Brussels and then touring Pierre Marquette State Park, Grafton and then to Dow, IL, Shipman and finally home to Girard.

Ron and Herbert discussed the idea of getting a few more inexpensive 10 GHz rigs together, use a FM HT as an IF radio and equip them with a feed horn to make things simple and have others join us in the contest.

All in all a very nice day.

                                     Waiting for the Kampsville ferry across the Illinois River 

                                     Almost across the Illinois River to Calhoon County 

                                        Historic Wittmond Hotel-Restaurant  in Brussels, IL

                            Rich, N0PNU and Debbie, KC9ULA enjoying family style cooking  

                                         Herbert, AF4JF and Rich N0PNU enjoying lunch 

                                       Check out the cuisine!  We didn't leave feeling hungry! 

                                             Inside the Wittmond hotel, a walk back into history.

                                                  The antiques were interesting 

                                         Check out the old pharmacy inside the hotel.

                                                            An interesting curio

 

                                                           Dow, IL EM49 ua is still up. 

                                        Boat passing by the Brussels Ferry on the Illinois River

                                           

  

                                       Alexander Graham Bell communications technology