Mt Pilchuck Radio Trip

On Thursday, Bob - AD7BP, Tess and I went to the mountains to play with Radios. We drove up to my favorite place on Mt Pilchuck (at 2500') and set up our stations. The road was a bad as usual with large chuck holes and rocks, which helps keep traffic out of the area.

For Radios, Bob had his FT-817 and I had mine.

Station Setup

We set up the Shade or Rain shelter as the weather was uncertain, We then put up my 36' vertical. Bob strung up a long wire into the top of a small tree. He was ready and on the air within a few minutes.

Bob on PSK

The bands were quiet, but Bob snagged a nice PSK QSO and several other. I was not so lucky, but one local 6m contact. I did try my hand at SSB and CW on several bands.

Calling CQ

Bob's Longwire

As shown, Bob's long wire went from the tree top down to tuner on the table, and a short counterpoise laid out on the ground.

The Loop

Bob also tried his Loop, but I do not think he had much luck.

Two Rangers stopped by while patrolling the area. We had a nice chat, and they through Tess's Ball for her, which is always a real treat for her.

Tess - Waiting to play Ball

It was a good trip, I am ready to go again.

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Dog, Radio, Vistas, and Photos

This afternoon, we had a bit of a fall wind storm role through the area. The lights went out in my Shop, and did not appear to be returning soon. So, I decided to take the opportunity to go play Radio and take photos in the Mountains.

A stop in route at Verlot,
along the Mountain Loop Highway

One of my favorite destination is a Rock Quarry on the east end of Mt Pilchuck range (2600'), actually it is on Bald Mountain. It is up a long winding graved access road, about 5 miles off the highway.

We stopped several times along the Loop Highway, to take photos and use the facilities.

On the way up, I heard several QSO's on 6 meters and then more on 10 meters. They were saying that 10 meters was open and I would have to agree - there was a lot of SSB chatter.

Tess at the edge of the cliff
at the Rock Quarry

Once parked at the Rock Quarry, I set up and configured the radio and antenna for 10 meters. I made several QSO's with people calling CQ, and answered many more that just did not hear me. My 5 watts was just not making it. I also rechecked 6 meters with only a little luck.

The Northwest Puget Sound Fall weather was great, it was a little damp and smelled of fresh rain. And of course, rain keeps the dust down on the mountain roads, which is nice. The weather was very unstable, one moment it was dark and threatening, and then next is was full of sun.

From the Rock Quarry,
looking Northeast, at Threatening Rain, . . .  

and then, the same area a few minutes later,
I was standing in warm sun.

We stayed at that the Rock Quarry for about two hours. I saw only two cars on the mountain, and one of them was the local Sheriff.

Hey, with a Dog, Radio, Vistas and Photos - What more could you ask !!?

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Skunked on 6 Meters

Today was a nice Warm Pacific Northwest Day, I had a few errands to run. While out and about, I decided to take a trip to the mountains; Green Mountain and Mt Pilchuck, they are only about 30 minutes away. My goal was to get high enough to work some of the locals on 6 meters, and just maybe work someone outside of the Puget Sound area. My three favorite operating vista's on the mountains are all about the 3000 foot level.

After leaving the highway (at a low 1200 foot elevation), and now on a dirt road, I put up my long whip on the Hustler HF Mount on the top of the VAN. The long whip can take the occasional whack of the low hanging tree branches over the mountain dirt roads. I was immediately encouraged, I could hear several QSO's on 6 meters, a sign of good things to come when I get to higher ground.

The ride up to the first vista is about 15 minutes and 6 miles. My VAN's ignition noise obliterated the QSO's as I drove (I really need to fix that).

End of the Road, Blocked by Snow

At the first location on Green Mountain, I did not hear anything on 6 meters while still connected to my VAN's whip, but I set up my BuddiPole as a 6 meters dipole. Surely I will hear something? This location (North View) was not my goal, but I had to settle for it as the slightly higher road was still blocked with snow, as shown in the photo.

But, NO, nothing on 50.140mHz or any other freq on 6 meters. I was high enough that if anyone was on 6 meters in Puget Sound I would have an almost  line of sight path to their QTH.

I had some luck working the other bands and I retried 6 meters off-and-on for several hours. but still nothing on 6.

I could hear and work most of the 2 meter repeaters within the Puget Sound area, but that was NOT my goal.

Mt Pilchuck (in the background),
and the Upper Parking Lot

I packed up, proceeded to the second vista at the upper parking lot on Mt Pilchuck which has a North-Northwest view and about 5 miles away (as the crow fly's). But, NO, still nothing but bugs (for some reason there is always lots of bugs there?).

Mt Pilchuck's Upper Parking Lot,
at about 3200 feet

On this Forth of July weekend, the parking lots on the mountain were full of cars, I am sure the high land trails were very active. The snow looked spotty above the parking lots, with most upper ridges clear.

Again, I packed up proceeded to the third vista with it's line of sight, 220 deg view of Puget Sound, surely someone would be on 6 meters. But, again, Nothing, Nada!

(Sorry, no photos)

So, I got Skunked on 6 meters today.

But I had a great time out in the sun, and on the mountains with Tess, and we had fun talking with the many hikers along the roads. Tess is very much a people-dog, but she really enjoys being out with all of the playful kids.

Note: I just discovered there are "two" Green Mountain's which are near each other (25 miles) in Washington, shown on the map link each at the end of the connecting line. The one that I frequent is the lower southern mountain.

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The Drive Cycle Reset for the OBD

While running errands and trying to find a place to "Drive Cycle Reset" my VAN's On Board Diagnostic Computer (OBD) today (see previous post), I drove East along the Mountain Loop Highway, which is just North of Mt Pilchuck. Of course Mt Pilchuck is my favorite QRP Operation site (see previous posts).

Today was a really nice day, the first of hopefully many to come this summer.

The Mountain Loop Highway is a great place to be when it is HOT in the low lands. The following are some of the pictures that I took along the highway

Cool and yet, Warm, Very Nice
Northwest Weather

A Side Tributary for the River Below  

 I Should have Brought a Fishing Pole

When is Fishing Seasons?

A Hot and Cool Spot

An Old Log Provides for the Ferns

A Sunny Spot in the Under Growth

Another Sunny Spot

Of Course,

Tess is Always Up for 

a Ride In the Mountains

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Another Trip to Mt Pilchuck

Jeff - KO7M and I went to Mt Pilchuck for another great Radios on the Mountain Trip. We had several interesting QSO's - more later.

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Return Trip to Mt Pilchuck

A email to local HAMs

I am planning a return trip to Mt Pilchuck (because it is there) to work some Phone, CW and Laser Line-Of-Site (LOS) contacts. The preferred operating site is at the 2600 ft level on the West side of the mountain.

For LOS, I am planning on taking Binoculars, a Small Keyed Laser Pointer, Tripod and a Key. UPDATE: to avoid public laser concerns, I will leave the laser at home and do the LOS experiment with a normal flash light or signal mirror.

For RF, I am planning on taking HF IC-730.

Local HAMs that have a clear view of the mountain and want to participate in a Laser LOS contact should send me their GRID square with at least eight digits of resolution. Zoom in and click on the following map to find your LOS operating GRID square:

http://no.nonsense.ee/qthmap/?qth=CN98BB96KO&from=CN98BB96KO

Zoom in even closer to get Ten Digits of GRID location resolution. 

Note: my location on Mt Pilchuck will be at the other end of the provided line on the map.

Here is the Map SkyLine View of Horizon from the Mt Pilchuck Bench; http://www.heywhatsthat.com/?view=BNMK950H, Note: the view to the East is eclipse by the mountain, as expected.

I am trying to arrange to be on Mt Pilchuck on Aug 7th or maybe the 8th.

Anyone interested on going on the trip should let me know. For access to this special operating location, a higher than normal clearance vehicle is required, but the upper level can be access with a normal car, but with more BUGs.

It should be a fun day.

Eldon - WA0UWH

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UPDATE
I am planning on leaving one of my; 9 Volt, 30m, 43uW, QRSS Beacons -  hidden on the mountain for a few days, details will be provided.

If I can find a good hiding spot, with supports for the Beacon and Antenna, the Beacon will be in the centre insulator of a 30m 1/2 wave dipole (see previous post), otherwise I may use just a stub antenna.

UPDATE
Planning on working mostly the following bands near the frequencies indicated:

• 40m -   7.030mHz,   7.240mHz
• 20m - 14.060mHz, 14.240mHz
• 30m - 10.136mHz

UPDATE

I have cleared my schedule and ready to go for Saturday Aug 7, so I will be on Mt Pilchuck and should be setup before 11:30AM.

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The Trip to Mt Pilchuck

Yesterday, Jeff - K07M, and I went to Mt Pilchuck as planed in the previous post. The road into the selected spot was reasonable, with the standard large mud puddles but mostly dry. The one bad spot on the road-spur was a short run of large down-slopping moguls near the end. Going down the moguls is easy, coming back out will be fun.

On the way in, Jeff related a poem that one of his relatives kept to remind himself of his work and adventures on the long rugged Alaska Highway - similar to the road-spur that we were on;

Winding in, and winding out,

Leaves my mind, in serious doubt,

As to whether the man, who built this route,

Was going to Hell, or coming out.

by: Troy Hise, a pioneer on the Alaska Highway
(as per Google)

When we arrived around 11AM, the up-slope fog was damp, chilly, and obscured the view.

The first activity was to erect Jeff's fiberglass 42 foot vertical and cut and install six, 60 foot radials. They were laid out only on the east side of the base, because the brushy cliff side did not provide access. Jeff used a 1:4 balun at the feed point.

We now have a long pointed wire sicking straight up, on a landing, at the edge of a cliff, I remember thinking; "what would I be doing if I wanted to attract lightning to this place? . . . Nah,   just don't think about it!"

It is hard to see, but the 42 foot vertical is shown in the next photo (upper left), on the edge of the brush which is near the edge of the 1000 foot cliff. We had to find a place where there was enough top soil into which we could drive the "T" post support.

Note: only on the "Terrain" view of the included google map link is the significants of the cliff shown (see upper right display mode on the map).

The operations table was setup and my IC-730 was connected to the 12 Volt battery and the vertical, which by the resulting sound, provided a promise of good contacts.

The other 30m vertical (with 4 radials) was installed and Jeff's other radios were connected for some serious radio work - or for us just setting in the fog.

About an hour after arrival, the fog thinned, the sun came out, and it was too hot to stay in coats, and without a sun shade. We installed a pop-up cover, and spent the rest of the day chatting, working the radios, and looking at the Breath-Taking View.

Late in the day we had a few Bugs, but very tolerable.

Jeff is much better than I at this "contact and contest" stuff, as I normally use my radios for impersonal digital QRSS and WSPR work, where the computer does most of the control.

Via his Yaesu FT-817, Jeff reported our GRID square (CN98bb) for several local pileups on 6 and 2 meters. On other bands he worked other spots around the world, using only two watts (I think).

I spent my time listening and trying to work 40 and 20 meters on the IC-730.

The radios were connected to a 95 Amp/Hr Deep Cycle Battery,  it started out at 12.65 Volts and went down to 12.26 Volts by the end of the day - not bad for a days use!

Next time we will plan to instrument the battery-use better.

Tess, my dog, enjoyed the trip and spent most of the day guarding and playing with her Tennis Ball, only occasionally diverting her attention to alerted us to hikers or campers coming down the road.

I think we packed-up and left for home about 8PM - it was a Great Day in the Sun, with Radios, and a Great View. These photos do NOT do this location's view justice.

While leaving, driving back up the moguls was not that bad, but it was necessary to carefully drive the crests.

Note: the included QTH/GRID map links are provided by the good folks at http://no.nonsense.ee/qthmap/ - Thanks.

Our radio contact list will soon be added.

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A follow-up e-mail from Jeff to our pQRP group:

Sorry for the late posting, but I had a great time up on Pilchuck last Saturday. We set up at the 2600' level. I brought my FT817ND and eldon had his IC730. We had two verticals, Eldon's copper pipe vertical that he brought to Salmoncon and my fibreglass 43' pole.

The bands were not bad at all and the location was super. We had an operating station with nearly a 180 degree panoramic view of the valley to the south-west. The day started in the clouds but as the morning wore on, the clouds subsided and we had a gorgeous, albeit hazy view.

My operations focused on 17 and 20 metres earlier in the day an then switched to 6 and 2 metres in the afternoon. We were a hot commodity given the grid square (CN98BB) for the VHF contest going on that same weekend.

First contact was my neighbor, Jeff W7BRS in Fall City. He was booming in on 20 metres. I then worked the USS Midway in San Diego on 7 watts on 14.325.

I heard a lot of CW beacons on 10, 6 and 2 metres.

On 17 metres I did pretty good using the FT817 at 2.5 watts.

• IK4UPI - Santo in N. Italy near Parma 
• KH6CB - James 16 Mi from Honolulu 
• JA6RCH 
• XE1WFG 
• JA2JRE 
• JA1HHP 
• AE7EV - Tor in Lake Stevens. We could see lake stevens from our site. 
• ZP6CW - DJ in Paraguay 

On 6 metres (50.125 USB) I worked the following:

• VE7DXG Gabor CN88 
• N6ZE/rover Peter CN88 
• W7CE Clayton CN87 
• WB7FJG Mike CN87 
• K7CW Paul CN87 
• KB7GQH CN87 
• W7FI James CN87 
• VE7CP Lawrence CN88 
• VE7LSE Devan CN88 
• N6LB Lisa CN88 
• K7YDL Greg CN85 - CW 

On 2 metres (144.200 USB) I worked the following

• VE7DXG Gabor CN88 
• W7PG Paul DN76 
• K7JX Ed CN87 

All-in-all a great day out. Thanks Eldon!

Jeff ko7m

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Radio Trip to Mt Pilchuck

A copy of an e-mail that I sent to my local HAM Friends:

Hello All,

On Saturday July 17th, I am going back up onto the side of Mt Pilchuck to try some radio operations.

The view from the Pilchuck's overlook is fantastic, if you have never flown in a small airplane - this is as close as it gets!

The drive to the upper parking lot (at 3200ft) is a little dusty/dirty but easy, this overlook provides views to the Northwest-and-West, but with Bugs.

See Map: http://no.nonsense.ee/qthmap/?qth=CN98CB47AQ

To get to the slightly lower (at 2600ft) overlook that I plan to use, the road is a little rougher and a low vehicle is not appropriate. But the full view is from this location is North-to-West-to-South, and with NO Bugs (without wind or at least yesterday when I was there).

See Map: http://no.nonsense.ee/qthmap/?qth=CN98BB96KO

I plan to leave from Granite Falls McDonalds (west of town center about 4 blocks) at 10:00AM - if I remember it is about a 20 mile drive from there.

Bring Radios, Antenna Materials, Camera, Binoculars, Lunch, Windbreaker, Sunblock, Bug Spray (hopefully not needed) and come join the fun. It is not a Real Field Day, but it is in the Sun, with Radios, and a Breath-taking View - what more could you want?

Note: it would be fun to try some Laser Communication with someone down below!?

Please let me know if you can join.

Regards, Eldon Brown

72 - Eldon - WA0UWH - CN97xc - http://WA0UWH.blogspot.com/ ( 72 is a qrp 73's )

UPDATE:

Note: the top of Mt Pilchuck is about 5200 ft as shown here. Check out the new "Terrain" key mode on the map (upper right) - it was recently added at my request.

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