BINGO!

Well, last night was fun.  Listening to stations come in from all over the Southeast US then one DX comes in and I started hearing stations from all over the lower 48 come out of the woodwork.  Tonight, I had to listen again and try to capture my first QSO.

Listening on 40m, I was again excited to hear a station in Queen Creek, AZ pop up calling CQ.  I tried for about 15 minutes to pull him in, but it was not to be.  Then I scanned around some more and heard stations in FL, GA, SC, OH and TN all coming in pretty strong, but again I could not get through.

I decided to de-tune the antenna and head on up to 80m to see what I could get there.  I heard a lot of net traffic coming through loud and clear, but I would again be snookered.  Because I am tuning the antenna by ear (and not a lot of practice at it), I was thinking that maybe I was doing it wrong.  Well, lets head back down to 40m.

Arriving at 40m., I re-tuned the antenna to get the most noise, then found someone that was doing a little rag chewing.  I tuned for the best sound and dropped to 7.175MHz where it was quiet.  Changing modes to AM and lowering power to the lowest setting, I checked SWRs and I was pulling a 1:1 - perfect. 

Scanning through 40m and I hear a station calling CQ.  Now is my chance.  I shoot my call sign out there and that I am mobile in Iowa, and he answers back that he has two of us doubling up - he takes me first.  I reply with my call and that I am indeed mobile.  I give my grid square (EN42 pm) and give his signal report - 5/9.  He comes back and tells me my signal to him, that he is in GA.  I announce to him and the whole world that he is my first QSO and about that time, my brain is gone - I cannot remember what to do next, because I was so elated that I had finally made my first HF QSO!

Somewhere in the process of him calling CQ and me losing my marbles, the phone rang.  It was my wife and all I could do was hit send on the phone and set it down.  She was able to listen in on it and was pretty happy that I got it.

So, now I am totally hooked on the HF bands.  I am also at a little delima - how long is it going to take me to get my WAS award?  I only have to work 48 more states.  :)