Well, I did it! I finished CW Ops’ CW Academy, Level 1. I even got a certificate. I’ve made a few QSO’s and although I struggle to copy full sentences, the world of morse code / CW operation is now a whole lot less scary. This was a really enjoyable course, and I strongly recommend it to anyone starting out with morse code / CW operation.
| Activation Date: 21 October 2017 | |
| Transport: Hike | Distance: 1.25 miles |
| Elev. gain: 230ft | Time: 25-30 minutes |
| Rig(s): Yaesu FT-817, VX-2R | Band(s): 40m, 20m SSB, 2m FM |
| Antenna(s): Linked Dipole, 12.5-inch whip | |
| Cell Service: Strong (T-Mobile) | |
| Parking: Seaview Trailhead | |
| Trailhead: Vollmer Peak | |
| Fees/Permits: None | |
| Route: Vollmer Peak Trail | |
| Dogs: Yes | Toilet: Yes |
After attending the SOTA lunch at Pacificon, I wanted to go grab a quick/easy summit. Vollmer Peak has been on the list for a while. It’s a very short hike and it was relatively close to San Ramon, where lunch was. It’s not the most exciting summit, but it does have a couple of nice views.
| Activation Date: 14 October 2017 | |
| Transport: Hike | Distance: 22 miles |
| Elev. gain: 6200ft | Time: 12-16 hours |
| Rig(s): Yaesu FT-817 | Band(s): 40m, 20m SSB |
| Antenna(s): End-fed half-wave | |
| Cell Service: Marginal to moderate (T-Mobile) | |
| Parking: Whitney Portal | |
| Trailhead: Whitney Portal | |
| Fees/Permits: $15 – lottery/quota system | |
| Route: Mount Whitney Trail | |
| Dogs: No | Toilet: Yes |
Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). Last year, I summited it by doing it as a trail-run, getting the round trip done in 9 hours. This time, I wanted to experience it as a more traditional hike, with an overnight stay with friends along the trail before going up the summit. With the exception of losing my antenna to the mountain, it was practically a perfect trip.
I’ve been doing CW Academy for about 4 weeks now—I’m officially at the half-way point. We’ve got most of the letters/numbers, and we’re starting to move into prosigns and typical QSO lingo. Having recently gotten my end-fed antenna back up at my house, I saw a SOTA spot on 40 meters last night, Keith KR7RK on CW. I figured I’d give it a shot!
| Activation Date: 30 September 2017 | |
| Transport: Hike | Distance: 1.8 miles |
| Elev. gain: 300 feet | Time: 40 minutes |
| Rig(s): FT-817, VX-2R | Band(s): 2m, 70cm FM |
| Antenna(s): 12.5-inch flex whip | |
| Cell Service: Excellent (T-Mobile) | |
| Parking: Small lot at trailhead, or side of road | |
| Trailhead: Fairmont Ridge Staging Area | |
| Fees/Permits: None | |
| Route: Fairmont Ridge, stay right of eucalyptus trees | |
| Dogs: Yes (off-leash area) | Toilet: No |
Well, it finally happened: I forgot a critical component of my system. I hiked up to the activation zone, got my antenna nicely set up in a tall tree, hooked everything up and went to turn on the radio—no power!