?? :)

So I attended a Club Field Day planning meeting this evening. Met some folks and volunteered to help with their food drive this weekend. Let's just say there was not much planning done so hope they get things rolling. :) They have a great location reserved and hopefully there are more members that will be able to help with making the event come together. Still open on where and with whome I'm going to operate with for Field Day at this point. ;) 73

Back at it!

Been busy with Ham Radio again. Recently got a Baofeng UV82 ht and after market antenna, downloaded APRSdroid, went to a Ham swap put on by Voice of Idaho arc, and am attending a Field Day planning meeting with Lewis and Clark ARC here in Idaho tomorrow evening. Its been back to basics lately, without HF gear, enjoying local nets, building antennas and setting up the shack again. Missed radio, good to be back at it. Peace! 73

Hello Radio!

     Well it has been way too long since I made use of my blog so I wanted to post a couple notes to those of you who may stop by. Since last August I have not been on the HF Bands but once or twice though I did finally get around to re installing the 2 meter rig in the van and installing a permanent NMO mount w/ a 5/8 wave, nice to have that back in there. I have been well and healthy and have kept busy learning new things to further enjoy my love for the outdoors. Last summer was great and hoping this summer will be all the better. Seems I have found a new addiction, Ultralight Backpacking. Ya, I know, wheelchairs dont do trails, but mine does, and I don't need to cover many miles to enjoy the wilderness here in Northern California. I am really looking forward to next spring and also N6L again in August.( http://lassenbirthday.blogspot.com/ )I just requested the use of N6L again and updated the website for the Special Event so all is well there too. I do have intentions of getting out in the K6LSN Mobile and getting on HF and calling to see who will be around so if ya here me say hello. Todd KH2TJ let me borrow a Yeasu FT857 so I have a great rig to use, just have not made the time to bring it along on my outings lately and dont have the proper setup where I live to bust out on HF very well. So now that this has been said we will see if I get my butt back on the radio right? 73 for now.. John

N6L qrv

Heading up to Lassen for N6L, qrz?

Spring has sprung!

Well I am looking forward to this Summer and I will be posting more soon. I am using my Droid 2 for Video and Photos this year and have some cool Mini-DXpeditions coming up. I am still working on upgrading the HF Portable Gear for this year. Also looking forward to N6L in August. Heres the link. 73
http://lassenbirthday.blogspot.com

SSN:90 SFI:113 A:8 K:1

Wow this sucks! Look at that, SFI is 113? Saw the news about the sun and then I checked the Index, I hope you guys are having fun!!!! I am still HF Radioless for a bit longer till I can get a new RIG!!!! Have fun and good DX. Call CQ! Call CQ! Put out the call and let them come to you! Trust me its way more fun! 73

HF Radio Blues

     Recently I received a notice in the mail that I had made a right turn on a Red Light and was going to receive a citation, which showed up with a total fine of 530 US Dollars plus 20-50 US Dollars for traffic school. I viewed the Photos and Video on-line and realized that I had totally blew it and made arrangements to pay the fine and follow up with the class so the citation would not go on my driving record and to chalk it up as a mistake and a lesson learned. The funky thing was that I had just sold my Icom HF Radio in order to upgrade to a better radio and knew that a new radio was gonna have to go on the backburner for a bit in order to pay the fine.
     So I have a bit of time before I will be calling CQ CQ but when I do I will be all the more grateful I guess. On a better note I nailed down the Special Event Callsign with the ARRL for N6L again this summer at Lassen Volcanic National Park and made some date and info changes on the website in preperation. Heres the link to the site, watch out for those red lights! 73
http://lassenbirthday.blogspot.com/

K6LSN, working 20 Meters....

Got on the Radio and called CQ for a bit this evening and had a great time. Beautiful Harvest moon out too!
Thanks for all the contacts everyone! Heres the log: 01:30 - 03:08 UTC
wb5qyt, New Mexico.
ne5y, Oklahoma.
kd0fqn/p7, Wyoming.
kk6qt, Arizona.
k0cgq, Colorado.
w7rtx, Colorado.
kb3err, Maryland.
n0fqb, Colorado.
kc0zic/m, Colorado.
wb0cqo, Iowa.
ua2it, Russia.
w9tuj, Wisconsin
nh7nj, Kapaa Hawaii

Where is K6LSN?

     Since N6L I have not been on the air. Crazy, but thats how it is sometimes for me since I can not operate from the home qth. I only Operate portable/mobile, though I do miss it ( HF ) every day.
     I am really looking forward to the California QSO Party in October and am waiting till I know what the weather is going to be like to make a decision on my Expedition Location this year. One thing I can say is that I am going to work Full-time in 1 County this year, although it was cool getting 2nd place in Lassen and Shasta last year, I have a goal this year and you probably can guess what that is.
     I will soon have the QSL cards for N6L in my hands and will get to work going through the stack of requests waiting for me to get filled out and sent back to all the operators waiting for the N6L qsl card, it came out pretty cool.
     I plan on getting on for some contesting on one of the 2 next weekends, its good to get back in the seat and get warmed up and give out some points. The Washington State Salmon Run looks like a great place to start.
     Take care and say Hi if ya hear me calling CQ !

CQ CQ CQ DX de N6L QRZ?

Hope to hear some of you guys and gals! Watch the website for Updates, there is an update tab at the top right just below the photo. Guess whats next? Thats right, the California QSO Party!!!!!
For now, heres the website. 73 44
http://lassenbirthday.blogspot.com

N6L@Lassen Volcanic National Park

Happy to see the Event picking up steam. Have some great Operators joining us and its looking like we are all going to be busy on the air. I am so glad they have chose to join us and I hope they get to work some insane Pile-ups and get to share a bit about the Park with folks too. Also look forward to us going Portable and Mobile as there are some awesome locations in Lassen to Operate. More to come, 73 44
http://lassenbirthday.blogspot.com

Field Day @ NC6I Hat Creek

Beautiful day and it was great meeting all the new hams and visiting with all that were there for the event. I really enjoyed seeing Mt. Lassen covered in snow embraced by the blue sky! And all the water and green plants! Nice to see that all the rain and snow had such an effect, I noticed quite a difference. I was going to make a run up into Lassen Park but decided to come home and rest for the next few days are going to be busy for me. Just plan on being near the water as it is very hot, 109 f, and I really feel like swimming, swimming, and swimming.
See you at Whiskeytown Lake! 73

10 Days of Outdoor Adventures!

     Well I wanted to share a bit about my last 10 days spent with friends in the great outdoors. Last Thursday my good friend Tim, his son Tim JR, and daughter Christine came up from Santa Rosa Ca. and we went and spent 4 days having a blast all over Trinity County Camping, Gold panning, Swimming, Fishing and touring the Lakes, Mountains, and Rivers and Streams. It was an honor showing them around and seeing them witness the beauty of the area for the first time.I am sure they will be back soon!
     Then Tuesday my good friend Kevin N6DXP, new call, came up and it has been non-stop 4 wheeling in his Jeep and fishing. We have had some adventures ourselves including the OHV area near Keswick, Copley Mountain. Kevins Jeep also did great up at Mount Shasta after we drove up to Bunny Flat in the snow and then found some real fun Forest Service Roads just below the snow line.We then drove around Siskiyou Lake and up to Castle Lake in the snow which was AWESOME!
     We fished 3 different bodies of water here in Shasta County.  No fish were hurt (or caught) during the experiences. HiHi. Lots of good food and lots of fresh air and just the right type of weather the whole time pretty much. I have a bunch of goofy video that I will post soon. Hope all is well for you too.73

Wow! Great job 20 Meters!

Set-up in the driveway to share a little about Ham Radio with my Neighbors and called CQ for a bit and was answered by plenty of stations and I was proud of all the returns. It was a great example of  how fun it can be and I had a blast too! Here's the log and Thanks everyone! 73
01:58 to 03:23 UTC
WX5W, N6WIN, W1DNK, N2XDR, W6WNF, KF4PAF, KC5HNH, KI6UIB
K5RSX, KK4UI, AL7NS/4, KA6PGY, KL7OH, KF4VZU, W9IMS

N6L Its Official!!!

Received the Special Event Callsign for the Lassen Special Event in August! Check the link to the website on the left and come join us!

Thanks to AK6TP

Well I made a big mistake after I broke the antenna off of my VX-7R handie - talkie trying to remove what I thought were remnants of the old connector and basicly ruining the SMA connection. So until I am able to get some help recovering from my stupidity I have replaced my only 2 Meter radio with a FT-2800m that I bought from Tom AK6TP, who invited me over to pick up the radio and proceeded to program it full of freqs showing me his real cool station and introducing me to his family. Thanks again Tom. Now I just need to find someone that is willing to dive into the VX-7r and replace the SMA. Wish me luck....

California QSO Party Update

My first real contest entry and I got 2nd Place in both Counties and I am proud of it!

Lassen County 2nd Place!-116 qsos 45 Mults 6 Hours , Up on the rim of Crater Lake!

Shasta County 2nd Place!-153 qsos 44 Mults 4 Hours , On a hilltop overlooking Lake Shasta!

All QSOs 20 Meter Phone, IC-725 Transceiver, Buddistick Vertical Antenna, Paper Log.

Not 2000 qso's like the big guns but not too shabby for a little pistol out in the sticks!

Here are the official results from the NCCC website in PDF. 73

http://www.cqp.org/results/2009/CQP09_CA.pdf

Mobile DX from Chappie-Shasta

Got up to the Chappie-Shasta Off Highway Vehicle staging area and enjoyed some interesting band conditions, great weather, and some nice views today. Below is a link to the BLM website for the area and my log of contacts for today. 73
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/redding/recreationmain/reddingrecreationohvmain.html

KA5VVA 20:49 ( Vermont, USA) 20Meters
KD0ACR 21:28 ( South Dakota, USA) 20 Meters
W7KB qrp 21:37 ( Titan Missile Museum,Sahuarita Arizona, USA) 20 Meters
http://gvarc.us/GVARCFrames/Titan/Discone/Discone.htm
W1FKD 21:47 ( Maine, USA) 20 Meters
W3FF Bicycle Mobile 22:00 ( Redding, USA) 17 Meters
KK0K 22:08 ( Kansas, USA) 17 Meters
C6ANI 22:21 ( Nassau, Bahamas ) 17 Meters
JH1OCC 22:31 (Kashima Ibaraki, Japan) 17 Meters
CO6LC 22:43 ( Santa Clara, Cuba) 15 Meters
All Contacts made with 100 Watts ( IC-725) and a Buddistick Vertical Antenna.

Google News

Add  Amateur Radio News to your Google News.
http://news.google.com/news/section?...b048ef4240801d

CQP Eagle.....

Buddistick Antenna on steroids!!!!

Tested the Buddistick with a 9 foot telescopic whip today and I am very pleased! Today was a chance to make sure my operating station in the K6LSN Mobile was comfortable and cozy! Here is a map of where the test went down today and a summary log of the fun I had today on 20M.( I was parked in the middle of that lot in the shade! ) Thanks everyone and 73

Oh, and note IW6DRH, Claudio, in the Mobile on the coast of Italy!

And W3FF Bicycle Mobile!

k5bzh, iw6drh, kl7yk, kc0yhn, w6i, w6p, w3ff, kd0acr


View Larger Map

Crater Lake Map and Video!

View Larger Map
Took a trip up to Crater Lake today. This is in Northern California, Not to be confused with the one in Oregon. Will be working the California QSO Party from here! You can see the Trout roaming around, just incredible. The road up and over the rim was just awesome. The video does it no justice. Take care!

Whiskeytown Lake Bear Cub

Filmed by John Hewitt ( K6LSN ) on August 18th 2009

Just a brief view of the Mobile on Lassen. 73

IOTA update 7-26-2009

I had a chance to work some of the Stations in the Contest and I was really looking forward to a contact with John Boudreau VE8EV, who activated Banks Island (NA-129) as VC8B. I heard him breifly on Friday evening here and so I knew my best shot would be Saturday evening given the Greyline, MUF, and other conditions here. Well I was right and got a contact after a few calls! I have been following Johns Blog since he activated VX8X (NA-182). Check it out and read his article about how he managed VX8X, It's a very good article!(With some real cool pictures of the Trailer Ham Shack out on the ICE! ( www.ve8ev.blogspot.com Also if you go to QRZ.com and lookup VC8B you can click on the detail line and then see a Google Map of where he was).

I was finally able to get up the Buddistick Vertical with a new 9 Foot whip and an adapter for a painters pole mast and I am happy with the performance once again. Conditions were very noisy here yet I managed to work all the stations I chose to work over the weekend with 100 watts.

73 Everyone.

Islands On The Air

Don't miss the Contest this weekend!
RSGB IOTA Contest: 1200Z, Jul 25 to 1200Z, Jul 26
http://www.vhfcc.org/hfcc/rules/2009/riota.shtml
http://www.rsgbiota.org/

Outgoing QSL's

Will be sending out QSL cards and I have an envelope containing some Lassen Volcanic Memorabilia going out to Jeff KE6FHZ who was able to work the K6LSN Mobile on Mt. Lassen twice on June 16th 2009 from his home QTH and later in his Mobile! Its always fun when other operators join in the fun!

Buddistick with an attitude!

By the way, I finally got into town and met with the Redding Old timers group that meets on Thursday morning and they are a great bunch! I finally got to meet Budd W3FF who is the owner of Buddipole Antennas and he is also a great guy in person as well as a great business owner. Many of us as customers know all too well of the stories of companies never returning emails or never getting anywhere when questions or problems arise but Budd has always been great and I know all his customers feel the same way! I was talking with him about picking up a new 6 foot whip and he turned me onto a Long 9 Foot Telescopic Whip. I am going to put that bad boy to use at some point and hope to show it off a little
to some of the big DXers on the air! ( I love working guys that are running 1500 watts with a beam and telling them my 5/9+ signal is coming from a portable antenna and barefoot! ) hehehehehe. Its all good! Check out Buddipole Antennas if you have not done so yet, I have a great time everytime I use mine.

Mt. Shasta and the Upper Sacramento River near Dunsmuir

Took a quick trip up to Mt. Shasta City, McCloud and Dunsmuir in the good weather we are having and spent some time in the woods and on the river. I need a new tri-pod for the camera so please excuse this shakey video! I know what you are thinking... What, no DX ? Sorry, I had a little mishap with the Buddistick and need a new whip which I am going to pick up tommorrow. 73

Field Day Part 2 / K6LSN 1C SV

Worked for 2 Hours from Mt. Lassen in the Mobile, Got a good spot near the peak, snow was still in drifts on the ground about 3 feet deep, parked in the sun and I got pretty toasty sitting in the back of the van so I quit at 72 Qs. Not a bad run for 2 hours, I was trying to keep it at 50 an hour but I got invaded after a time by other stations calling near me. Had a clear spot for quite some time on 20M and then finished on 15M. The move to 15M was nice because it was less noisy and less crowded, though my rate dropped quite a bit. Its about 106 Degrees F. here( 7:15 p.m.) and it got to 83 on Mt. Lassen at 8500 feet, still a beautiful place to visit up there! I love the meadows with the ice cold creeks running through them. I will get some Video the next time I go up, I promise. 73

Field Day Part 1 With NC6I

Drove up Highway 44 past Lassen Volcanic National Park to Hat Creek Campground to visit and meet Shasta County Amateur Radio Operators who were set up in the Redwoods near the creek in the group campground. Great location and they did a great job with the four stations they had.
I soon found myself at the NC6I 20 Meter station and had 2 other operators logging for their first time which was fun. It was not too long before we reached 50 Qs and then I was left alone to make it to 85. I really didnt go there to operate but I couldnt leave that 20 Meter station just sitting there!!!! Really, I appreciate Carl, the owner of the station, for letting folks operate and enjoy the excitemant. Thanks guys and Gals!
Check out this video shot by Steve KE6DOA!
And note that I was only interesting in logging Qs, pretty intense aren't I? I just noticed that watching and listening to this video, pretty funny...

06/19/2009

Had a beautiful day but the conditions were not good at the time we decided to hit the air. We started too early for the 20M band. The time after was well spent taking photos and video which was a whole lot of fun so we were still rewarded for the effort. What a beautiful mystical time to be on the mountain! Lots of different weather and climates as you change elevations and move to different areas of the park. As for contacts, Here's the log. 73

KE6FHZ 18:11, 5/9 ( Jeff, Thanks)
W6DOM 18:17 5/9 ( Will, Thanks)
AD7DP 18:35 5/9 +10 ( John, Thanks)
N7MRN 18:37 5/9 +10 (Larry, Thanks)
KE6FHZ/M 18:40 5/9 ( Jeff, good job snagging us in the mobile too!)
N6AWD 18:59 5/9 +10 (Fred, Thanks)
K6SMF 19:15 5/9 ( Neil, Thanks)
AC6JK 19:29 5/9 ( Mike, Thanks)

qso w/ kb9wlf

Mobile in the driveway?

Set up real quick for a minute in the driveway and heard John K3JTF calling CQ and had a quick exchange that I cut short because I could hear some other stations in the noise. Sorry John, but we will do it again soon hopefully.( Will get you a card in the mail and I sent an eQSL ) 73

DX Links

I have added some links that I have used for some time to improve my Operating Skills and Knowledge. The NG3K Announced DX Operations link has been a great way to keep track of upcoming dxpeditions and I have learned many things by visiting the webpages of those dxpeditions such as Propagation and Equipment and Antennas.( Look for DX calls in BLUE that you can click to view their homepage).
The Contest Calendar by Bruce Horn is awesome. It gives me a chance to look at the contest rules and Exchanges and also to visit the webpages of the club or sponsor of the contest and learn even more.(Like where and how to submit your log). You can subscribe for an email version which helps alot.
The DX Watch spotter is another tool that I use only as a way to see who hears what and keep track of Propagation and different openings as they come along, I do not Operate in front of the spotter! Some folks do, but I mostly operate portable and therefore I have learned to do my homework before hand and I really enjoy the excitemant of spinning and calling for DX and ragchews.( Do a search for spots and type in my callsign! hehehe) Seriously, I hear alot of folks sitting in front of the computer waiting to hear or see something and never calling CQ! Try it, you'll like it! ( Persistence pays too).
If you are not sure about calling cq or a little shy, its cool to be humble, but do a search on how to call cq, there are some good articles on EHAM.NET . ( http://www.eham.net/articles/7952 ). Read a little and then get the Mic and start calling!
If you have some links you use, let me know by clicking the comments tab below, Thanks 73

Thunder

Well I have not been on the HF band for a couple days though I have met some folks talking in the evenings on the local repeaters. Honestly, I have been busy working on the garden and landscaping in between getting the DSL and Dish hooked up and have been getting a good workout doing so. This stuff is rough, like trimming the berry bushes back! Anyway, its really booming Thunder outside! Lots of showers in the mountains lately which is really good news. I will try to make some time to get some video up soon so you can see the place. 73

Missing QSOs

Have not been on the HF Bands due to the moving North. Hope to get on-the-air asap. Should hear me after June 1st 2009 , from the new QTH.
I will be working on a new WAS (worked all states). Should be fun! 73

QTH

A quick peak at the new QTH, On 3 acres.Out in the sticks! Thank god, now I can get some peace and- Shut that damn rooster up! and whose damn dog is barkin! hihi 73