09/25/2006 | KB8VAO This year I started the contest from Mt. Shasta (CN81vi).

Conditions seemed very good but I couldnt find the activity.

I was at 8,015 feet elevation and this was my look to the North.

I tried to find a spot to work the guys in WA and OR, but this is

what I was looking through.

Jim / W6ASL provided an exciting 375 km bounce shot off of Mt.

Diablo (CM97av) with S9 signals!

Please spin those dishes and look for paths other than direct, you

never know what you might bounce a signal from.

My best DX from Mt. Shasta was Robin / WA6CDR in CM96qi @ 572 km.


Sunday I operated from the I-5 vista (CM97kh).

The conditons were extremely good in the morning, with the

Mt. Frazier beacon screaming in.


What a nice surprise to meet Wayne / KH6WZ and Chip / N6CA there.


Conditions faded before we could try to work Mexico, which would have

been a record shot.


My best DX from this spot was Jack / N6XQ (DM12jr) in San Diego @

622 km and S8 signals!


The second half of the contest I started out from Mt. Frazier

(DM04ms).


I arrived on the mountain Friday evening to very windy and chilly

temps.


I set up the dish to check everything, but the winds knocked the

tripod over before I could tie it down.


As expected the SMA connector on the feed was shattered.


It was so windy and cold that I couldnt get the soldering iron hot,

nor could I light a butane torch.


I was lucky enough to find another SMA probe in the car,

along with some super glue and I was able to jerry-rig (my

specialty)!


The conditions Saturday morning werent that great but they improved

drastically as the morning went on.


Paul / N6LL and Gary / AD6FP joined me on Mount Frazier.


My puny 2 foot dishes are flanked by their monster dishes, and this

only Garys 4 footer, he also brought a 6 footer.


There were seven operators on Mt. Frazier Saturday! N6AX / John,

WA6MEM / Gary, K6JEY / Doug, and W6DQ / Dennis, N6LL / Paul,

AD6FP / Gary, and myself were all listening.


We could see the smoke from the forest fire that started near

Castaic, CA.


At this point it wasnt a huge concern, but as you will see that

changed in a hurry.


Saturday night we could tell things were getting much worse.


Now the flames were visible from Mt. Frazier.


This is a night vision shot from Saturday night.


Sunday morning the fire was getting too close for comfort.


Early Sunday morning many others joined us, but..they

werent microwavers.


The Hot Shots an elite team of fire fighters that travel the globe

were even there.


We could hear these monster D8R dozers coming up the hill for

miles.


There were 5!


They quickly went to work making fire breaks 4 blades wide!


Thanks to these Hot Shots, for their help finding WA6MEM / Garys

lost car keys.


The helicopters stood ready and waiting for the high winds to calm.


Good luck to the firefighters and all those in the path of the fire.


As of this writing the fire still rages on and has burned more than


200 square miles since Labor Day, but no homes have been damaged.


On the way home I decided to make one more stop.


I met W6BY / Brian in Kettleman City (CM95xv).


My best DX from here was 4C2HWH / Frank @ 768 km my best of the

contest!!


Thank You for all the contacts!


I had a great time even though the time on Mt. Frazier was cut

short.


If youre interested in 10 GHz & Up, and are in the bay area, please

shoot me an e-mail.


Some weekend we can meet on Mt. Diablo and work some of the other

microwavers in the area.


73 -- KB8VAO