Antennas up despite the storm

3-band, two-element yagi; three-element 6 meter beam and 43 foot vertical antenna set up in the wind. 

Waiting out the storm in the motorhome.

Time for soup and hot drinks

Happy New Year

We are updating the blog to get ready for our 2016 QRPeditions. Thanks for visiting. If you would like to follow our adventures please use the FOLLOW US BY EMAIL tool to the right.

More pictures...

Posting from campsites using smart phones is a challenge. It helps to be 3 miles from a cell tower with 12 mbs down and 13 mbs up. And smartphones take great snapshots. These were taken by Dave, W6VYC. It's been warm and sunny with highs in low 70s. Williams Hill campground is about 2300 feet. It lies to the west of the Salinas Valley.

posted from Bloggeroid

Antenna secrets & experiments

1. Find a garage sale where there's a $5,000 military crank-up mast and 40-foot push-up fiberglass mast and pay $150 for both.

2. Take a 4' X 50' roll of chicken wire and use it as a counterpoise. Voila, the vertical and inverted L antennas work like magic. Next time will use two rolls in a cross configuration.

A beam antenna helps with QRP ops.

A Mosley TA-32 Jr beam at 35 feet enabled contacts with every continent except Antarctica. The rotor failed the first day and rain got into the tuning traps but workarounds kept us on the air.

DX and other highlights

W6VYC worked South Korea, Thailand, Patagonia (island off), Bora Bora and many more with 10 watts ssb (KX3). Got to test new 160 meter inverted L using chicken wire counterpoise. Worked into Nevada, Utah and southeast Arizona on ssb and into the San Joaquin Valley on AM--not QRP!  WX was perfect for the third day.