2. Ham Radio

Prosser Hill (W6/NS-236) SOTA Activation 11/4/2012

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A bungee running down to a manzanita bush (my favorite BBQ wood) tensioned that end nicely.
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A bungee running down to a manzanita bush (my favorite BBQ wood) tensioned that end nicely.

  • For maps and directions to Prosser Hill, see <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-ProsserHil-W6NS236-2013">this album from a later activation</a>. The forest service used to allow ATVs and dirt bikes to go all the way to the top of the hill. Those routes have now been closed to motorized vehicles, so I parked my 'SOTA steed' at the closure berm and did my hike to the top from here. It turned out to be an easy-peasy 1 mile hike with an elevation gain of only about 400 feet.
  • What made the hike especially easy-peasy was having a trail to follow all the way. A bunch of my recent activations involved bushwhacking and it was nice to not have to whack any on this trip. Bushes have feelings too! ;-)
  • There were patches of snow along the way.
  • This pine tree is about 2 vertical feet below the summit (that is near the dead tree) and made a fine center support for my 88' doublet. I set up the doublet to run north-south so that the biggest lobes would be to the east and west.
  • I used my Jackite pole to support the north end of the doublet.
  • A bungee running down to a manzanita bush (my favorite BBQ wood) tensioned that end nicely.
  • I tied the south end off to a convenient pine tree branch.
  • Modeling my new SOTA Northern Sierra sweatshirt while standing next to my Zing It line that is holding up the antenna. You too can have a SOTA Northern Sierra sweatshirt/T-shirt/mug/beer stein/etc. All you have to do is to earn the SOTA Northern Sierra award that I sponsor. Each successive level of the award enables you to purchase (at my cost) cooler and cooler Northern Sierra schwag.
  • The SOTA Northern Sierra logo that is on the sweatshirt and other Northern Sierra items.
  • I ran my doublet's 300-ohm twinlead over to this cozy little spot that was my operating position. I'm holding the KX3 and ready to roll!
  • Nearby SOTA summits include Castle Peak (W6/SN-038) to the west on the Sierra crest. Pacific Crest Trail passes by below it.
  • To the west-southwest is W6/NS-181 Donner Ridge. See my activation photo album from earlier in the summer.
  • To the south-southwest is Tinker Knob (W6/NS-121). Pacific Crest Trail runs along below it.
  • To the south-southeast is Mt. Pluto (W6/NS-138), the highest peak within the Northstar ski resort. I have a season ski pass there and hope to activate it once or twice this winter.
  • To the east is Mt. Rose (W7/WC-001) in Nevada.
  • To the north-northeast is Sardine Peak W6/NS-160 (skyline on the left) and Babbitt Peak W6/NS-132 (skyline behind the fir tree just right of center). See my activation albums for those.
  • Logbook page 1.
  • Logbook page 2.
  • Logbook page 3.
  • Logbook page 4. I made a total of 32 QSOs including 3 summit-to-summits. Thanks to all the chasers who stopped by to give me a call!
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