2. Ham Radio

Webber Peak (W6/NS-163), Pt. 7860 (W6/NS-177) SOTA Activations 8/3/2013

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Since this was the W7 Summit To Summit Party Day I brought my IC-706 instead of the KX3 for a little more punch on SSB. The IC-706 doesn't have an internal ATU so I had to pack an external LDG IT-100 tuner. It also has no memory keyer, so I brought along a XT-4 external keyer from United Microsystems. To handle the 100W from the radio, I packed a heavy 2kW 4:1 balun instead of my usual QRP one. All of this extra gear made for quite a rat's nest at my operating position, and added a ton of weight to my pack, especially since I also needed a heavy 9 AHr gel cell battery to power it all! However, it was fun to run 50W instead of 5W for a change.
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Since this was the W7 Summit To Summit Party Day I brought my IC-706 instead of the KX3 for a little more punch on SSB. The IC-706 doesn't have an internal ATU so I had to pack an external LDG IT-100 tuner. It also has no memory keyer, so I brought along a XT-4 external keyer from United Microsystems. To handle the 100W from the radio, I packed a heavy 2kW 4:1 balun instead of my usual QRP one. All of this extra gear made for quite a rat's nest at my operating position, and added a ton of weight to my pack, especially since I also needed a heavy 9 AHr gel cell battery to power it all! However, it was fun to run 50W instead of 5W for a change.

  • The SOTA Northern Sierra region logo. This logo is available on Northern Sierra T-shirts, sweatshirts, beer steins, mouse pads, etc. for SOTA participants who qualify for the Northern Sierra Award (offered by yours truly KU6J). The award rules are linked to from my page on QRZ.com.
  • To get to Webber Peak, travel on Highway 89 between Truckee and Sierraville and turn onto the paved Tahoe National Forest road 07 that runs to Jackson Meadows Reservoir. A sign at the turnoff points towards the reservoir. Go past Webber Lake and watch for the signed turnoff for Meadow Lake Road near Henness Pass. Continue past this turnoff and turn left onto the unsigned dirt road (TNF road 07-55) that is approximately 200 yards past the Meadow Lake Road turnoff. The point where you turn is shown as F07F0755 above and it at 39.50058N, 120.43847W.
  • At F075501_1133 (39.4971N, 120.44089W) bear left onto a rougher dirt road. Turn left at F075501B_943 (39.49213N, 120.44408W) and proceed to the WEBBATV_603 point at 39.48752N, 120.44204W. A 2-track ATV trail leaves the road and climbs up to the saddle that is approximately 230 vertical feet below and to the east of the summit. If you don't have a 4x4 ATV park here, hike up the ATV trail, then up to the summit. The hike is approximately 0.75 miles long with an elevation gain of about 600 feet. The dirt roads leading to the bottom of the ATV trail should be manageable for any 2WD vehicle with decent ground clearance. Note that the ATV trail may no longer be open to motorized vehicles when Tahoe National Forest eventually issues issues their currently nonexistent Motor Vehicle Use Maps.
  • The summit of Webber Peak has no shade, so I chose this operating spot that is down from the summit in the direction of the saddle. I used my 88' doublet and 28' Jackite pole.
  • Since this was the W7 Summit To Summit Party Day I brought my IC-706 instead of the KX3 for a little more punch on SSB. The IC-706 doesn't have an internal ATU so I had to pack an external LDG IT-100 tuner. It also has no memory keyer, so I brought along a XT-4 external keyer from United Microsystems. To handle the 100W from the radio, I packed a heavy 2kW 4:1 balun instead of my usual QRP one. All of this extra gear made for quite a rat's nest at my operating position, and added a ton of weight to my pack, especially since I also needed a heavy 9 AHr gel cell battery to power it all! However, it was fun to run 50W instead of 5W for a change.
  • Standing near my operating position on Webber Peak with a nifty Northern Sierra clipboard.
  • Pt. 8740 (W6/NS-132) to the southwest. White Rock Lake is down below it on the other side. <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-Pt8812-W6NS130-2013">I just activated the higher Pt. 8812 (W6/NS-130) on the other side of White Rock Lake a few days ago</a>.
  • Also to the southeast is Mt. Lola (W6/NS-111).
  • To the WSW is English Mountain (W6/NS-151), <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-EnglishMtn-W6NS151-2013">another fun one to activate.</a>
  • Page 1 of my SOTAWatch spots from when I was on Webber Peak.
  • Page 2 of my SOTAWatch spots from when I was on Webber Peak.
  • My log sheet for Webber Peak. I made 42 contacts including 11 summit-to-summit QSOs with 9 unique summits. 12m had a nice opening (rare these days) and RA3BY/3 called in from Russia. Among the other callers on 12m was John K1JD who made it into the log 5 times, including once when he actually used a microphone (didn't know he owned one) to work me on 20m SSB. Jordan KJ6NHF activated 4 Northern Sierra summits this day, and I worked him on two different ones from Webber Peak. He's a mad dog for doing 4 in one day and he moves fast too! :-)
  • Later in the day I headed over to Pt. 7860 (W6/NS-177) and created yet another rat's nest of gear on the ground. For maps and directions to Pt. 7860, see my <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-Activation-882012-Pt-7860">SOTA Activation 8/8/2012 - Pt. 7860, CA (W6/NS-177)</a> activation album from last year. Note that the street map up above in this album shows the turnoff to Lake of The Woods from Tahoe National Forest's paved road 07: it is at F07LAKEWOODS (39.48566N, 120.3897W).
  • My 88' doublet towering above the summit.
  • To support the mast I grabbed a dead tree limb, braced it against a limb poking up from a downed log, and bungeed the mast to this combination.
  • The Sierra Valley in the distance to the north.
  • <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-Activation10142012-Pt">Pt. 7282 (W6/NS-226)</a> and <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-Activation-W6NS262-2013">Pt. 6815 (W6/NS-262)</a> to the south of the Sierra Valley. See my activation albums for those summits for more info.
  • On the skyline to the east is Peavine Peak (W7N/WC-011) over in Nevada. I've activated that one twice before and <a href="http://www.grizzlyguy.com/HamRadio/SOTA-Activation-Peavine-Peak">one of them was my first ever SOTA activation</a>.
  • SOTAWatch spots from when I was on Pt. 7860.
  • My log sheet for Pt. 7860. I made 27 contacts including 3 summit-to-summit QSOs that were all unique summits. Thanks to everyone for all the QSOs!
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