01/30/2003 | KQ6EE I had so much fun on vhf/uhf contest. On Jan 18,19, I hike up San Gabriel Peak which is 6000+ feet above sea level. I packup my FT-817, IC-T81A, dual beam antenna and mag. mount. I didn't do much on Saturday because I went to school. I did a lot contact on Sunday. I reached the peak at about 8:30 AM on Sunday. I setup my dual bander beam and mag. mount on the metal bench and started my contest. Many hikers hiked up to the peak too, and they asked me what I was doing. I told them I was doing HAM CONTESTING. One Japanese man asked me many watts was those radios. I told him it was only 5 Watt. he said "VOW". One man asked me how far I could talk. He ask "You talk to people around the world, right???" I told him this was only vhf/uhf, and I could talk to people in San Diego CA. San Gabriel Peak is 3-1/2 west of Mt. Wilson above Pasadena CA. I like hiking and bringing radios along to mountain peaks. I haven't decide where to go during the June contest or Field Day. I am thinking I might hike up to WHITE MOUNTAIN in Indyo county in Central California, or go to Colorado where there have a lot of 14000+ feet mountains. My coworker is a HAM too but he doesn't like contest. He says contest is a bunch of work: just write down the call sign and location. I enjoy every contest. 73

Hon Chu KQ6EE ON THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN -- KQ6EE