HEMLOCK KNOB

The day after Thanksgiving and it was a beautiful November morning.  I decided it would be a good day to burn off a few calories and get in a SOTA. So fueled by turkey and a passion for SOTA I set out towards Hemlock Knob.  Hemlock Knob is a 3973ft peak just off the Cherohala Skyway at latitude - longitude coordinates of N 35.359526 and W -84.103246. 

 The hike begins at Eagles Gap parking area and you follow an overgrown service road most of the way to the summit.  The hike is less than a mile and not too strenuous.  I believe that this is another summit that would be easier to complete in the colder months of the year due to the abundance of briars and Mountain Laurel. 

After reaching the summit I set up within the remnants of an old Ranger Station.  The antenna I used today was an 88ft inverted V supported by my 31 ft Jackite fiberglass pole.  I run 300ohm twin line down and directly to the BNC connector on my KX3.  I made 34 QSO's today.  I made some great contacts on 12m into Europe and the UK!  Thanks to all the chasers out there!




Date:29/Nov/2013 Summit:W4T/SU-043 (Hemlock Knob) Call Used:KK4NQQ Points: 8 Bonus: 0   Delete

Time	Call	Band	Mode	Notes
15:30z	KC4PMS	7MHz	SSB
15:31z	KK4RDO	7MHz	SSB
15:32z	N4EX	7MHz	SSB
15:33z	NE4TN	7MHz	SSB
15:34z	W4DOW	7MHz	SSB
15:36z	KF4MH	7MHz	SSB
15:37z	KG3W	7MHz	SSB
15:37z	W0MNA	7MHz	SSB
15:38z	KB1RJD	7MHz	SSB
15:38z	KB1RJC	7MHz	SSB
15:38z	KB1RJC	7MHz	SSB
15:39z	K0LAF	7MHz	SSB
15:40z	WA2USA	7MHz	SSB
15:41z	AE4FZ	7MHz	SSB
15:42z	W0ERI	7MHz	SSB
15:43z	W6UB	7MHz	SSB
15:45z	WG8Y	7MHz	SSB
15:46z	N7AMA	24MHz	SSB
15:47z	W7RV	24MHz	SSB
15:48z	K7JFD	24MHz	SSB
15:49z	G0RQL	24MHz	SSB
15:50z	DL1DVE	24MHz	SSB
15:51z	G4UXH	24MHz	SSB
15:52z	EA3EVL	24MHz	SSB
16:03z	AI8F	24MHz	SSB
16:04z	M0LEP	24MHz	SSB
16:05z	MM0USU	24MHz	SSB
16:06z	M0MDA	24MHz	SSB
16:07z	M6ARF	24MHz	SSB
16:08z	OZ5HP	24MHz	SSB
16:15z	I6FLD	24MHz	SSB
16:22z	KB2TIA	18MHz	SSB
16:23z	N0MNO	18MHz	SSB
16:25z	K2MIJ	18MHz	SSB

 
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO OF THE ACTIVATION!!!

		73's AND KEEP CLIMBING!

ACTIVATING BLANKET MOUNTAIN

Fall is falling behind and winter is fast approaching.  So Kendall and I decided since we had a free Saturday to head out and activate!  Our target was Blanket Mountain W4T/SU-020  Blanket Mountain is a 4609 ft peak in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE ACTIVATION!!!

 

We gained access to Blanket Mountain by heading to Elkmont in the Smokey Mountains.  We started at the trail head of Jakes Creek Trail and continued south along the creek.  The trail was well maintained and not too steep.  We followed Jakes Creek for 3.7 miles until we hit Jakes Gap.  Below you will see the trail sign that marks the gap.

 

This is where it got interesting.  From Jakes Gap access to the summit is via a manway, or an unmaintained ex-trail.  The manway was easy to find but there were stretches of mountain laurel that slowed our progress.  The fall and winter seasons are the time to attempt this summit.  I imagine the underbrush would make the manway very difficult in the summer.  After a 4.7 mile hike we reached the summit.  There is a small clearing with the remains of a Rangers cabin.  I set up and made many contacts.  Thanks to all the chasers!

Date:16/Nov/2013 Summit:W4T/SU-020 (Blanket Mountain) Call Used:KK4NQQ Points: 10 Bonus: 0   Delete

Time	Call	Band	Mode	Notes
19:14z	K8OLD	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:15z	VE2XMP	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:22z	W5ODS	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:24z	AJ5C	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:25z	K5WI	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:26z	K1MAZ	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:27z	KC4ATU	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:27z	W6UB	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:28z	KG3W	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:28z	W1DMH	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain STS
19:28z	N7UN	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:29z	KO1U	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:30z	KF5J	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:31z	W5RST	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:32z	W7RV	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:33z	AD5A	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:34z	NS7P	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:39z	K4YA	14MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:41z	W4DOW	7MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:42z	N4EX	7MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:42z	AE4FZ	7MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:43z	WX4ET	7MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:43z	WA2USA	7MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:45z	NE4TN	7MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:46z	KI4SVM	7MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:47z	K0LAF	7MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:48z	KB2XX	7MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:48z	W6UB	7MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:54z	AC4M	7MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:58z	K5RWP	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:59z	K0NO	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
19:59z	K1JJJ	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
20:00z	AB7YL	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
20:01z	W0MNA	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
20:01z	W0ERI	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
20:02z	KA5PVB	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
20:04z	K7NIT	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain STS
20:05z	K7ATN	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain STS
20:06z	KO1U	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
20:08z	WD0H	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain
20:09z	WA6RIC	18MHz	SSB	Blanket Mountain

It was a tough hike for Kendall and if anyone was watching our APRS track you can attest to our slow pace.  As you can see she did make it to the summit and helped a great deal as I activated.

It was a great day for SOTA. 

73's AND KEEP CLIMBING!!!!

Bunches Bald Activation

Fall is fast approaching and Kendall and I took the weekend to go camping.  We had initially decided to camp in the Smokey Mountains but because of the government shutdown we were forced to make other arrangements.  "I bet I will never see my 20 dollar reservation fee."  We decided on a private campground along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Mile High Campground was an excellent choice.  It is an extremely beautiful area, its cheap, and it sits right next to Bunches bald W4C/WM-013.  
So of course I brought along my radio to make an activation.

Kendall and I arrived and setup our campsite late Saturday morning.  I brought an old Eureka tent that belonged to my Grandpa Doogan.  I love this tent but it has been at least 10 years since I pitched it last.  After a few minutes I finally remembered how to set it up and our campsite was ready.

During the planning phase of this trip many of my fellow SOTA operators were curious as to the access to Bunches Bald.  When we checked into the campground I asked the campground guy to see if there was access to the summit and he said it was easy to get to and pointed out the directions.  The summit is very close to the campground and the hike took less than 10 minutes.

To reach the trail head you go to the extreme west end of the campground near campsite T4.
there you will find a path with a metal gate.

Continue past the gate for less that 100 yards and then turn right and bushwack up the mountain to the summit.  The summit is not very bald as you can see from the picture below

 But there are a few spots that open up and you can see the view

It was a great activation and I made contacts with many operators.  I was not able to employ my antenna directly on the summit but I found an open area a few feet away where I was able to creatively deploy it. A big thanks to all of the activators below for your help in activating this peak.

Date:05/Oct/2013 Summit:W4C/WM-013 (Bunches Bald) Call Used:KK4NQQ Points: 10

Time	Call	Band	Mode
17:28z	TO4FM	18MHz	SSB
17:31z	K4KPK	14MHz	SSB
17:37z	AD5A	14MHz	SSB
17:38z	W7RV	14MHz	SSB
17:40z	ND0C	14MHz	SSB
17:40z	VE2JCW	14MHz	SSB
17:41z	AJ5C	14MHz	SSB
17:42z	W6UB	14MHz	SSB
17:43z	K5WI	14MHz	SSB
17:44z	N7SP	14MHz	SSB
17:45z	KV4FD	14MHz	SSB
17:47z	K2JB	14MHz	SSB
17:48z	KD5ZZK	14MHz	SSB
17:55z	KI4SVM	7MHz	SSB
17:57z	N4EX	7MHz	SSB
17:58z	W4WWQ	7MHz	SSB
17:58z	WA2USA	7MHz	SSB
17:59z	NE4TN	7MHz	SSB
18:00z	K4PIC	7MHz	SSB
18:01z	W6UB	7MHz	SSB
18:03z	KK4SMV	7MHz	SSB
18:05z	W4FHJ	7MHz	SSB
18:06z	K2JB	7MHz	SSB
18:09z	WB8CTC	7MHz	SSB
18:20z	ND0C	18MHz	SSB

I headed back to camp and spent the rest of the weekend relaxing with Kendall.  Here are a few of our pics.

What an Awesome view!

Setup the radio in camp to play a bit

Nothing better than campfire bacon and eggs!

Gus is ready for bed already!

Campfire pineapple upside down cake.  1 cake doughnut, 2 slices pineapple, brown sugar and butter.  wrap in foil and place in the coals for 5 to 10 minutes.  mmmm mmmmm good!

 We had a great weekend! 

73's and keep climbing!

BIG BALD ACTIVATION

What a great day for an activation!  It has been a while since I hit the trail and I have been itching to get out and activate.  I had planned on hiking to Thunderhead Mountain in the Smokey Mountains today, but At midnight the Federal Government shut down.  The shut down also shut me down.  So, Plan B.  I decided to give Big Bald a go.  Big Bald W4T/SU-010 is located along the Appalachian Trail between the Great Smoky Mountains and Roan High Knob.  It is the 29th highest in Tennessee at 5516 feet. 

The peak can be accessed by Sams Gap and hike the AT for 6.5 miles.  Or thru the gated community of Wolf Laurel.  I called the guard station and asked if they allowed hikers to traverse the community in order to gain access to the summit and I was emphatically told NO.  I was able however to talk to a very nice lady that runs a bed and breakfast in the community and she was more than happy to put my name on the visitors list.  Her bed and breakfast is called THE BALD MOUNTAIN HOUSE.  If anyone is looking for a nice bed and breakfast I would suggest it.

Once inside I drove toward the summit.  The roadway will get you within a mile of the summit.  Stopped by the gate below you will need to hike the remaining mile to the summit.

 Continue along the gravel road until it intersects the AT here

The short trail is very pretty and there are some great views.

Once on the summit I found the marker.  I love it when I find these!

I set up my new antenna.  It is a 88ft inverted V running to my KX3 with 300ohm twin line.  The antenna is supported by my Jackite fiberglass pole.  I had not tested this antenna yet but I was in for a great day with it. 

 

The set up was straight forward and in no time I was on the air.

 

It was an AWESOME day.  I totaled 45 QSO's my most to date for a summit.  I also scored 3 Summit to Summits with KI4SVM, KU6J, and N6KZ. 
17 M was rocking today and I made contacts with EJ0M in Ireland, UT1AN in the Ukraine, G6TUH in England, PA2LO in the Netherlands, MM0USU in Scotland, T43BJ in Cuba, and IK6BGJ in Italy.

I also contacted W4JAR.  He lives in the gated community I accessed to get on site.  I was surprised when he said he was located less than 2 miles from me!

My 10 watts was really getting out there today!  And also a huge thanks to all of the other activators out there.  As a new ham I am still meeting many of you and I would like to than all of the activators that I have worked several times over the past year.  It is you guys that make all this possible.  Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help us make more contacts!

In closing I will include a few pics from my journey, as well as a little friend I ran into on the trail!

73's and KEEP CLIMBING!!!

MY KXPA100 FINALLY ARRIVED

So like many of you I placed my order for the new 100w powerhouse amp from Elecraft the KXPA100 some time ago.  I have spent many a sleepless night on pins and needles waiting for this wondrous little box of happiness.  This afternoon after rubbing my Rabbits Foot, finding a cricket in the house, and picking up a penny I heard a knock at the door.  Guess what I found!

IT finally arrived!!!  

It arrived in a gilded cardboard box emblazoned with the Elecraft logo.  To my surprise the wonderful people at Elecraft had shipped the KXPA100 by USPS Same Second Delivery.  As you all know noone is faster than the United States Post Office.  I rushed inside and tore open the box and was like

 Ok awesome cant even begin to describe it!  I was stunned.  It was finally in my hands!  After months and months and months of reading posts like,

"KXPA100 - Any experiences with it yet?"

  "shipping. 100 watt linear for kx3"

" KXPA100 for SOTA"

"KXPA100 Will it Blend"

"KXPA100 The Second Coming!"

IT WAS FINALLY MINE!!!

MY PRECIOUS

  
  I wasted no time and prepared my KX3.  Another piece of magical Elecraft hardware!

NO!  Not that KX3 Silly!

THIS ONE!

Ok so with my Elecraft gear set I knew I needed one hell of a power source.  I pulled out my trusty 

Imagine IMJ15000.  Thats right this puppy is powered by pure Imagination

All that hardware and my 3786' towering antenna  

 
In no time I was hooked up and pumping in 13.8v of pure imagination and putting out 100w of nonstop awesomeness!

I tuned around the bands and made the following contacts.

Luke WF0RCE 

We had a great QSO.  Mostly it involved talking about his father and some old guy named Ben.  Luke has some great propagation.  He says the binary star system is in a great sunspot cycle and he can easily talk to any galaxy far far away.







Next was Jean-Luc  NCC1D 
He was operating aboard a Cruise ship I think.  I received a long winded dissertation about something called the Prime Directive.  He finally said he had to go and make some tea, I told him Make it So.







Finally I got the chance to talk to Anakin  VA1DER
Tough contact!  There was this intermittent breathing sound which made it a very hard QSO.  He also said his primary antenna had been taken out recently.  Something about his kid hitting it with a proton torpedo.  Despite his problems we were able to make the contact.  Never underestimate the power of the Dark Side...





What a grrrrreat day!  This new amp is an excellent piece of hardware! Elecraft as usual has distributed high quality equipment.  So than you Elecraft!! 

Finally I will leave all of you with this little nugget of knowledge.

So sit back everyone, enjoy a pint, and realize mmmmmm this beer is goooood!

73's Everyone and Keep Climbing!!

KK4NQQ gets Married and Heads to ALASKA!!!

After a year and a half engagement Kendall and I were finally married on July 20th 2013.  It was a great day!  Everything went to plan and we all had a great time.  As you can see Kendall looked great!

After the wedding we set out on our honeymoon.

An ALASKA CRUISE!!!!!!

What a fun destination.  Alaska is one of the most beautiful areas I have ever been to.  We saw glaciers, whales, sea lions, and more mountains than I could shake a stick at.  The whole time I was thinking, "That would make for a great SOTA activation!"

But I didn't bring my radio gear.  I figured I would be too busy......

But I did bring my camera.  Enjoy a few of our pictures and I will be back to activating shortly!

 

 MT RAINIER, Future SOTA?

 Humpback Bubble net feeding!!