by Vince (VE6LK)
Area Day 2024 began out with the perfect of plans to be spent with the perfect of mates and ended up completely completely different – and, unexpectedly, I had a hoot! With my rigorously made plan behind me, my new last-minute plan was to run solo for Area Day within the backcountry of Kananaskis Nation and convey alongside my new-to-me Nikon D3400 and lenses and rekindle my curiosity in (D)SLR pictures similtaneously doing a little experimentation with radio gear.
I grew up in a house with a scratch-built enlarger and a darkroom, so a love of taking photos has been with me for a very long time. My Father taught me endurance to get the shot as he would arrange a 120 format bellows digicam on an air-triggered distant launch to get closeups of chipmunks whereas we had been tenting, a course of that took hours and yielded wonderful outcomes. My Brother, AG7GM, has tried to instill inside me the fundamentals of composition, rule of threes and such and his great talent in enhancing each stills and stay video. Whereas I’ve loads of endurance, with composition I believe I’m truthful to middling at greatest.
Thus pictures has at all times been on my thoughts.
With a latest sale of some ham radio associated gadgets, I had enjoyable cash, so only for enjoyable I began trying [on Thursday before I activated] at used DSLRs and was shocked at how a lot digicam I can get for such a comparatively low price in comparison with new. I had stated as soon as, 25 years in the past once I divested out my 35mm package, that once I may get a DSLR with a 25 to 300mm lens for <$500 I’d bounce in… and eventually that day is right here, even when it means carrying two lenses. After all, I began trying on the day earlier than Area Day for offers – and scored them too! 🙂 Round these elements, good high quality pre-owned shopper grade DSLRs are simply accessible. I bought this as a lot for nonetheless pictures as for means in capturing high-quality video for my YouTube channel.
For me, Area Day has at all times been concerning the experimentation somewhat than chasing factors. Making an attempt new issues. Altering up from the conventional method I function within the subject. Evaluating, analyzing and making notes as I’m going.
For instance, and as a tribute to Chip Margelli K7JA (SK) after corresponding together with his brother David, final 12 months I tried to moist a bit of string and see if the KX3’s tuner would match it and radiate a sign. Chip was recognized for a lot of issues, amongst them his proficiency in CW as he demonstrated on The Tonight Present with Jay Leno in 2005. David instructed me that he and Chip would do loopy and enjoyable experiments like loading up clotheslines and moist string to experiment .. and it fostered a brand new course I may take every FD and on some days between. The string experiment was a failure final 12 months however I haven’t given up but!
This 12 months, I needed to work with just a few completely different antennas and a Charmast 100W battery pack from Amazon together with a USB-C PD 12v energy cable for my KX3 [note: Amazon affiliate links!].
I needed to know, in no unsure phrases, that the Charmast would or wouldn’t be as quiet as my trusty Talentcell LiFePO4 pack. The Charmast can also be utilized in my subject soldering package with a Pinecil because it delivers USB-C PD. What higher solution to take a look at this out than to move as distant from noise sources as attainable, see the Canadian Rockies of their early summer season glory with snow on the peaks, rivers working excessive (and chilly) and the solar within the sky? Only for grins I might be sure that I used to be in POTA entities whereas doing Area Day.
Kananaskis Nation is one among my favorite areas because it’s fairly accessible, presents quite a lot of out of doors actions, and it’s enormous, protecting an space of 2500 sq. miles (about half as large as Yellowstone NP for comparability) with a plethora of day use and in a single day tenting spots. A lot of the street system that runs by this space is closed in winter. There are virtually a dozen street entry factors so it’s simple to get to from many elements of the province. Every entry level presents completely different views and terrain to expertise.
On Saturday, with my new-to-me mid-focal size lens in hand to accompany the new-to-me digicam, I headed west on Freeway 66 into Okay-Nation. My goal was the visually gorgeous Neglect-Me-Not Pond, however this being the primary very nice heat climate day of the season, it was jammed with others that had the identical thought. After a little bit of native exploring, I landed up at Cobble Flats and was capable of finding a small spot beside the river. I arrange my KX3, AX1 and battery pack but it surely was sluggish going and the solar was excessive within the sky and I used to be feeling a wee bit sunburned.
After 3 hard-earned contacts I relocated to a shadier spot and arrange my 35′ trapped 20-30-40m EFHW I’d just lately constructed from a Spark Plug Gear EFHW transformer and N7KOM microlight traps. It labored like a champ! An inventory of elements for the antenna may be discovered within the YouTube description. I set it up with my carbon fibre mast and propped it up with my tripod in order that I used to be as minimal with my set-up as I could possibly be. An hour and a dozen contacts later, I used to be on the street as there was no extra shade remaining.
So far, I had been at round 5000′ ASL, low relative to the peaks surrounding me, and once I headed eastward on Freeway 66, I made a decision that I needed to rise up good and excessive to mitigate takeoff angles from the mountains and hills round me. I grabbed the photograph beneath once I was between Cobble Flats and Moose Mountain.
Almost an hour and 1500′ increased, I used to be as close to to the summit of Moose Mountain as I’d get and I set as much as work off of my truck’s tailgate. At this website, I deployed a VE6VID OCF Dipole for 40-20-10m with the feedpoint at 28′ on my Flagpole-To-Go push-up mast and drive-on base. The brief finish of the OCF was sloped downwards and anchored off the entrance of my truck, and the lengthy finish sloped downwards to only a few ft off the bottom, and away from any of the quite a few mountain bike trails that run within the space.
A dozen contacts in a while 40 and 20m, however none on 10m FT8 (I think I used to be having FT8 software program points) and with no person on 10m CW -yes, I attempted calling- I packed up for the day.
Whereas it was solely 6 PM, I needed to be on the street the following day at 0430AM to catch the morning gentle hitting the mountains with my new-to-me digicam! There’s something magical concerning the cotton-candy colored clouds in these first jiffy of the day, proper? The street up and right down to Moose is basically tough, so I used to be blissful to be again on paved roads as I headed dwelling for the day.
On Sunday, I headed out at 0430h and watched the Moon setting within the west as I travelled between Longview and Highwood Junction.
Not lengthy after I took the photograph of the Moon, the solar was beginning to come up as I turned northwards from Freeway 541 onto Freeway 40. The day’s aim was to function at Highwood Cross and benefit from elevation relative to the encircling peaks to maximise takeoff angles and propagation. The go is Canada’s highest paved roadway at 7238′.
I landed up at Highwood Cross on Sunday as there was a big working relay race taking place the day earlier than and visitors could be a slog with zero probability I’d discover a parking area. Strategically, I additionally chosen that spot as I might solely be 3500′ beneath the peaks round me and my takeoff angle would have a greater probability. That technique performed out properly with my indicators heard throughout with solely 5W on SSB and CW. A number of folks I labored remarked to me that they might not consider I used to be working solely 5W on SSB and being heard as much as 2000 miles away. Additionally, the paths within the space had been closed resulting from runoff and snow pack so I had the car parking zone just about to myself.
I’ll repeat this go to in future at an identical time of day. I want to determine if the elevation, the antenna or the atmospheric circumstances had been contributing to the success I had. Little doubt it will likely be a mix of all three.
The photograph beneath exhibits my setup. One truck, one picnic desk and one seating bench together with my Flagpole-To-Go 28′ mast and drive-on base, carbon fibre mast on the desk, and snow brush on the bench all served fairly properly to carry up the VE6VID 40-20-10m OCF. Snow brush? Sure because it’s important POTA gear! It was fairly chilly upon my arrival at 5:30AM, 46F, so I used to be working with gloves on sending CW. I attempted the entire keys I introduced and landed up with my CW Morse because it had the largest finger inventory items to work with my gloved palms 🙂
4 and a half hours and two dozen contacts later, and with the solar now shining on my desk 4 hours after dawn, I used to be sarcastically chilled sufficient to pack it in and head for dwelling. The OCF carried out splendidly and I’ll be utilizing it extra usually sooner or later.
Let’s have a look at my guidelines for a second:
- Attempt completely different antennas and locations
- Sit at tables contained in the Rockies
- Take a look at my principle that peak helps takeoff angle
- Play Radio
- Attempt completely different keys (I attempted all that I introduced)
- See some spectacular surroundings
- Catch the “cotton sweet clouds” within the early morning gentle
- Take a look at a battery pack (can affirm, the Charmast is noise-free!)
- See some wildlife, together with one curious chipmunk
What’s not on the guidelines:
- Make a bazillion contacts
One final photograph – the “cotton sweet sky” seen round Mist Mountain (10,060′) as seen northwards from Lineham Creek only a second after dawn. Subsequent time I’ll depart a half hour earlier in order that I’m capable of see extra of those within the transient window of that morning gentle and never taken unexpectedly from the roadside.
Record of substances used for these activations:
Word: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity hyperlinks are affiliate hyperlinks that assist QRPer.com for free of charge to you.
72 and dit dit,
…Vince
First launched to the magic of radio by a member of the family in 1969, Vince has been energetic within the passion since 2002. He’s an Accredited examiner in Canada and the USA, operates on virtually the entire modes, and is frequently engaged on making his CW proficiency suck much less. He participates in public service occasions round Western Canada and is energetic on the air whereas glamping, cellular, at dwelling or doing a POTA activation. You possibly can hear him on the Ham Radio Workbench podcast, comply with him on Twitter @VE6LK, try his YouTube channel, and view the initiatives and articles on his web site.
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