SOTA summit: Temple Hills W6/SC-369
Activation Date: January 1, 2024
Unique: No
Call sign used: W6PNG
Portable operation: Yes
Radios: Yaesu FT-857
Antennas: Buddipole dipole
Band/Modes used: 10m SSB (voice) and FT8
Operating highlights:
- See my first sunrise of 2024
- Added (I hope) NV and NM to my 10m phone WAS award (3 states remain)
- 77 contacts!!
Pack weight: Approximately 20 lbs
Drive: Car
Hike: ~1/4 miles R/T with 0 ft ascent.
Hike and AZ profile:
- Trail is easy to follow and if you get lost what can I say….
- Picnic bench with drop off to east
Recommend: Absolutely
Solo operation: Yes
Cell Coverage: Good cell coverage
10m SOTA challenge: Yes, activation #1
Photos: Copyright Paul Gacek 2024
The Internet is a double edged sword being both great and terrible at the same time. Somewhere on that spectrum lies Instagram’s impact. Ten years ago, Horseshoe Canyon would get 3,000 visitors a year, today it gets almost 5,000 a day courtesy of Instagram.
While not quite in the same league as Horseshoe, my local peak has gone from sleepy backwater into a “destination” every weekend and seemingly this holiday Monday. Hordes of happy people look east and await sunrise.
I shuffle by, smile profusely and engage the couple occupying by favorite picnic bench about a happy 2024. Thinking permission might be the best way to go, I ask and up goes my antenna.
It’s a very slow start and I’m wondering about the virtue of this early morning adventure.
Two voice calls into the Carolinas are all I can muster
Breaking out the laptop and cranking up the much loved, much vilified digital FT8 program, doesn’t seem to yield much but I’m reluctant to call it quits.
This is day one of the all year 2024 SOTA 10m challenge. The vagaries of the sun cycle make 10m only truely viable in the peak period which is pretty much now and so a little more perseverance is required. Seven (a measly count by all counts) is all I manage on FT8.
Bands and propagation are fickle. Sometimes from this same location, I seemingly have worked all of the UK by now.
Things pick up and my two voice contacts bloats into seventy and all in all I’m a happy camper.
The Yaesu 857 has proven its worth as a “light” feature packed 100w rig despite some limitations such as being noisy. That noise has swallowed Jamie’s (N6JFD) summit to summit attempt from 4-land.
A good start and I have the rest of 2024 to refine, add and do better on 10m including morse.
Happy days!!
Nicely written up Paul, as usual. Bravo. 73 Eric KG6MZS
We should ask Anne & Rebecca if beguiling is the right word.
Elliott, K6EL
She says yes!!
Paul,
Very nice. Hate that I slept in (the crud, not too much fun) and missed catching you up there. Great pictures and write up. Glad it was a fun trip.
Happy New Year,
Mike, N4VBV
Sumter, SC
Good luck! Seems like 10m takes more hours of sunlight to really get going, so 10m at dawn is really handicapping yourself. At dawn, I’d more likely see if the last bit of 40m is still viable, then work down to 20 (or 30 if you do that), then 15, and probably not try to get much out of 10 until late morning when the ionosphere has gotten nice and “hot”/activated. Anyway, you’re off to a great start for 2024! 73 de NN6U