KX6A - Page 3 of 6 - Michael's amateur radio and SOTA site.

Yaesu FT2DR SOTA Trail Card

2/4/2017 by Michael — 5 Comments

About a year ago I posted my Trail Card for the FT1D. However last summer I upgraded to the FT2DR. I found posting APRS SOTA spots much easier with the touch screen on this HT. I really like my Yaesu FT2DR. It has been a solid performer and accompanied me on every SOTA activation since last summer. It is the HT I use for all my 2-meter activations.

I find the menu system much easier to navigate on this unit. That said, I always pack my SOTA Trail Card (cheat sheet) just in case I forget one of those rarely used features hidden deep in the Yaesu menu system. Short of using the radio everyday, it is easy to become lost navigating some of the less used features.

If you find Yaesu FT2DR SOTA Trail Card it useful, you are welcome to it.
[Read more…] about Yaesu FT2DR SOTA Trail Card

KX6A Amateur Radio Goals – 2017

1/18/2017 by Michael — 2 Comments

My 2016 goals worked out pretty well so I am continuing the program and posting my Amateur Radio Goals for 2017.

1. 500 SOTA Activator Points – Half Way to Mountain Goat

SOTA_small_x I am starting the year with 212 total activator points. Last year I earned 211 of those. Now that I have some experience I am going to aim for earning at least 288 more points this year. My goals is to be halfway to Mountain Goat by 2018.

KX6A Radio Goal Results for 2016

1/15/2017 by Michael — 1 Comment

When I got excited about ham radio again I decided to start setting some goals for myself. Time to review my goals for 2016.

1. Earn 100 SOTA Activator Points – ACHIEVED!

My 2016 total for Activator Points was 211. I had a terrific time activating with my sons Nick N6NGG and Will N6WMG. Avid mountain hikers, we were not shy about going for some of the tough summits locally including Iron Mountain W6/CT-056 and San Gorgonio W6/CT-245. I also met some of the folks who are involved locally with SOTA here in Southern California. Finding like minded peak bagger/radio enthusiasts is great and I even ended up doing some joint activations with Paul W6PNG. I look forward to doing more in 2017.

One of the highlights of 2016 was activating Mt. Whitney W6/SN-001 with my sons.

SOTA W6/CT-010, Mount Islip

12/23/2016 by Michael — Leave a Comment

SOTA Summit: W6/CT-010, Mount Islip

Trail: Short steep use trail and traditional trail.

Hike: 3.0 miles round trip.

Elevation gain: ~1000 feet

Self Spot: AT&T with some effort

2-meter FM: Yes

Files: GPX / CalTopo map

Plenty of trip reports have been written about W6/CT-010, Mount Islip but I wanted to post the route that cuts the hike down to roughly 3 miles round trip. I had heard about the shortcut but was not able to find a quick how-to with maps. So here it is: [Read more…] about SOTA W6/CT-010, Mount Islip

CW Academy Level 2 Complete

11/1/2016 by Michael — 1 Comment

CW Academy Level 2 - KX6A Continuing to work on my goal for 2016 to copy and send CW at 20 WPM I’ve just completed Level 2 of the CW Academy. It was a great experience and helped me to get comfortable operating at 18-20 wpm. We also worked contest speeds at 25 -30 wpm+.

As I’ve posted before: the Academy is free and taught by instructors who are passionate about helping people learn to operate using CW. Classes were held twice a week online with the instructor and a small group of students. There are three levels in the program with the ultimate goal of 25 wpm head copy. I’m not there yet but I am well on my way. My Level 3 class starts in January. Thanks to my Instructor Rob K6RB who did a great job!

If you want to get started using CW or improve your skills check out the CW Academy.

SOTA with Paul W6PNG

7/21/2016 by Michael — 1 Comment

2016-07-19_activation

Earlier this week Paul W6PNG and I spent a day activating three local peaks: Throop Peak W6/CT-005, Mt. Baden-Powell W6/CT-004 and Table Mountain W6/CT-067. It was a beautiful day in the mountains and we had a great time.

Of note for me is I activated all three using only CW on the HF bands. After months of practice using Morse code I have finally graduated to the rank of a SOTA CW Activator.

Paul put together a nice write up on the first two summits that I thought I’d pass along.

W6PNG Post: A Pipeline to Washington