WWDX Backpack Mobile - 12/10/2016

[tba02]

I happened to run across one of our own today on 40m running backpack mobile. I couldn't hear him on my low dipole but was able to use a local SDR to make the second half of the contact. I am sure my lack of antenna was the issue as he was 5/9 into Half Moon Bay CA from Southern California.

It was a unique confluence of events as I was hunting for a clear frequency to check some station upgrades and heard him on the same frequency.

Nice to make the contact AE6LX!

 

[Moleculo]

That was me I have a few humble pics of our backpacking campsite that I'll post up in a bit. Thanks for the contact!

 

[Moleculo]

Over the weekend, W6KLE & I backpacked into Whitewater preserve near Palm Springs, CA, set up our campsite and Elecraft KX3 rigs and camped for the night, seeing what we could do on the radio QRP. Enjoy:

Here's my campsite, complete with tent, pack, KX3, end fed wire with 8:1 UNUN (hard to see in this pic), and whiskey.

This is the setup I contacted TBA02 on: It's my Chameleon Antennas Manpack setup:

More pics of the KX3 with the wire antenna which is barely visible. The cup-looking thing behind the radio is my my cooking gear for the night.

Shot of W6KLE and AE6LX's campsite for the day/night:

Here's a pic of the small river we camped next to, which was also our water source:

This is my pack, loaded out for the overnight trip. Clothes, food, tent, sleeping gear, cooking gear, radios, chair, and all of the usual hiking stuff plus personal protection in the USMC ILBE Recon Assault Pack. Manpack antenna is strapped to the side. Total weight was 35 lbs., including radio gear.

Sunset in the desert canyon at the base of the San Bernardino mountains.

Another shot of the creek.

Night approaching...what a sky scene!

 

[Moleculo]

Another sunset pic in the desert / mountain sky:

Another angle of our campsite with W6KLE. He's also got a KX3 with a wire strung up and made some good contacts.

And one more shot of my campsite at dawn the next morning.

 

[binrat]

Nice pictures.
The wire antenna, homebrew??

 

[Moleculo]

Whoops, sorry missed this question. Yes, my wire antenna was a homebrew 9:1 unun / wire setup.