Ham 2m contact in the Sierras

[george_tlc]

Just back from a week in the Sierras just off hwy 50 near Twin Bridges. Family 'camp' which was fun for the kids and not 1/2 bad for me either. Did some exploring on forestry roads/tracks and at ~8000' I figured I'd turn on the radio and search around. I heard traffic on N6NFI which is a repeater in Palo Alto and so I figured I'd try to see if I could work the repeater. Sure enough I had no problems talking to locals in the bay area from my 8000' perch

I just checked on my laptop with my mapping software and it is basically 140 miles as the crow flies from the repeater to where I was, pretty neat.

A picture to appease the picture lovers:

cheers,
george.

 

[Miescha]

Awesome to have such great unobstructed range. What is your output power on 2m? I'm recalling that your using the Yaesu 857 so 50w on FM 2m sound right?

Also, I'm sure your antenna is helping.

Is there an IRLP repeater within range that would allow you to reach 'the world' on 2m?

 

[Shipwreck]

Funny you post this.

I was camping this weekend with my son up at Lake Alpine on the summit of highway 4 and was able to hit the same repeater with my little 1/2 wave antenna and Yeasu 7800. IIRC that repeater is mounted up on the ridge above Stanford near "the Dish". It's got great coverage of the Bay Area, however on my drive home I wasn't able to hit it in the central valley since it is probably shadowed by the east foothills.

 

[Cabrito]

That repeater does have some great coverage. I can hit that from San Francisco and up in Lake County

-m

 

[FJ40_owner]

With the right band conditions you can almost work the world.

I worked my friend who was the smoke tower attendant at the Sierra Buttes lookout. (10,000 ft) He was using a 5 watt hand held into a home brewed 300 Ohm J pole.

I was mobile in my car in Modesto CA running 25 watts into a Larsen 5/8 wave mag mount.

Probably a 180 mile QSO.

 

[mrlocksmith]

I have forgotten the miles but I worked N6NFI and even Mt. St Helena on 5 watts with a 4 element beam from the top of Morrow Rock in Seqoia Nat Park about 10 years ago. No one could belive it until I nabbed a ranger walking by and had her talk. I have not been able to do that again but conitions were right for Troposheric ducting at the time as there was a big inversion layer.

It caused a bit of a stir and even one of the most avid fox hunters I know Andy KR6DD has is direction finding equipment trained on my signal. What a hoot that was !!!!!

Mark