In about 1968 I operated FD portable with a simple home brew RX and TX which put out about 5 watts on 40 meter CW. I was at a mountain campground in southern California. I think I made around 150 QSO's, but this was no record back in the days when sunspots actually existed. I only had one key, my bug with me, and discovered that the monitor function in my RX completely failed. Ever try sending with a bug and no monitor ? I had no spare parts or soldering equipment, so improvised. I found where I could place a spit wad, and get just enough signal to monitor. It was very dry outside, so I had to keep wetting the wad just a bit, if too much my eardrums were compromised, if not wet enough I was sending blind, but it worked just fine, and I am still proud that my "McGuiver" worked. Two hams at the other end of the campground had a complicated antenna, a big generator, and perhaps 100 pounds of equipment. I walked down a few times, and they were always fooling with the generator, troubleshooting their equipment and antenna and doing lots of swearing. I doubt that they even made 50 QSO's and even offered to loan my humble equipment and inverted V to them for a few hours so they could actually make some QSO's, but they were not pleased that my less than $100 (junk) station and small battery pack out performed their big station by perhaps 6 to 1. I have been FD chairman for big FD efforts, but most often I just run 5 watts in the woods by myself. That day the KISS principle really demonstrated that it is valid. I had fun, and tried not to gloat, but think that may be their final effort in that contest. Long live KISS and QRP. Rick KL7CW Palmer, Alaska