[Wswss] CM79 activation

[kr7o at vhfdx.com]

If you haven't seen this.  Russ is flying out from MI to activate this grid 
solo.  I am sure he would love to have help/company.  I would love to see 
222/432 activated on this trip.  I have 222 gear to loan if someone wants 
to join the expedition and wants to carry it.  To my knowledge, CM79 has 
never been activated on 222 and only a few dozen 432 contacts have been 
made from there.

If you are interested in helping to activate one of California's rarest 
grid squares please drop me a note and I will forward on Russ' contact info.




CM79/CM89/CN70/CN80 activation plan

I've got most of the equipment ready for a backpack portable 
grid-expedition to the north east border of CM79 and have bought an airline 
ticket.  I'll be flying into Eureka, CA June 16 and departing June 23.  I 
won't be on the first day since I'll be collecting the gear, buying 
groceries, driving to the campground, etc. and only till early afternoon on 
the last day.  If anybody else wants to go you're certainly welcome, even 
if it's just to stay back at the campground and heat up some food at the 
end of the day!

The plan:
I'll have a moxon rectangle on a short push-up mast, an IC-706 and two 21 
amp-hour lithium ion batteries.  A battery and the main body of the rig 
will be at the grid intersection.  The front panel to the rig, the antenna 
and yours truly will be on a ridge line roughly 70' away.  I'll hike out 
there from the campground once a day and operate until the batteries, food 
or water for the operator are depleted, sunset nears or rain 
threatens.  I'm guessing it will take me 1 to 1.5 hours to hike there from 
the campground.  I don't plan on operating in the rain so we'll see how it 
goes.  I may get too sore from hiking or otherwise change my plans on a 
whim so I'm making no guarantees as to exactly when I'll be on.  WSJT 
operation is a possibility but it is a huge battery drain so it will be a 
low priority; probably only on the last day.  I plan on operating SSB and 
CW on 6 meters only (no 2m). 6m Frequencies TBD, initial thoughts 
are  50.147 SSB 50.099 CW.  Also CQs on 50.125.  I like to go above 50.210 
if the band gets really busy.  Less QRM yields more QSOs.

Progress so far:
I tested the battery, front panel cable and power supply, coax, antenna and 
battery charger.

To do:
Build, borrow or buy a CW keying cable and a light weight key for the MIC 
jack on the 706 (UP/DOWN mic button keying menu setting).  Ditto a sound 
card interface.  Borrow or buy a 12VDC-110VAC inverter to power the lithium 
ion battery charger.  The charger says it draws 102 Watts max but the 
inrush current may be more.  Also need a cable to wire it to the rental 
car's battery.  I also need a portable push-up mast.  I'm thinking of 
buying a cheap painters pole when I get there unless someone has a better 
idea.  If anybody can help with these items, please let me know.

Operating tips:
Do: work me on only ONE mode so I can conserve battery power.
Do: tell me the band is open again to you if I'm not getting any responses 
to CQs.
Do: tell me me if there's double hop Es I'm not hearing because of a pile-up
Do: stand by if I'm calling for double hop Es and you're single hop.
Don

I'll send out more details as they finalize.

Russ  KB8U

73, Robert KR7O/YB2ARO, DM07ba/OI52ee  (ex.  N7STU)
kr7o at vhfdx.com

www.vhfdx.com (KR7O/YB2ARO homepages)