Mt. Hamilton (elevation 4200') is the home of Lick Observatory. I was operating from the SSW side of the observatory, near the dome housing the original 36" refractor telescope. I didn't have a chance to take a lot of pictures because I ran out of time before I had to head down the hill to make an appointment.
I worked 18 stations on 146.520 FM simplex, ranging in distance from San Jose (counting some of the 146.520 group) to Petaluma and Oakhurst.
I worked 7 stations on 144.200 USB, ranging in distance from San Jose to Petaluma and Placerville (more specifically El Dorado). I heard a couple of very weak stations in Redding at S-Zero, but I was able to copy what they were saying.
|
This was my operating location at the observatory. The picture was taken looking to the west toward the Santa Clara Valley. The beam is mounted horizontal for 144.200 USB work. Earlier I had the beam mounted vertically for the 146.520 FM work I did with the Vertex Standard VX-150 running half a watt. The Yaesu FT-817ND is leaning up against the inside of the container on the ground. [Click on image for a larger version] |
 |
Here's a better picture of the Arrow Antennas 146-4BP portable beam I was using. The antenna was mounted on a telescoping fiberglass pole that used to be part of a tree branch trimmer that I picked up at Home Depot. The antenna was raised to approximately 10 feet off the ground. |
 |
I asked a bicyclist who was nearby enjoying the view to snap this picture of me operating the FT-817 on sideband. I was running 2.5 watts for all the SSB contacts. The antenna was pointed toward the east when this picture was taken. The mast was mounted in a (don't laugh) patio umbrella base that I borrowed from the back yard. It was very heavy and wouldn't be suitable for hilltop hiking trips, so I'm going to have to figure out something else. [Click on image for a larger version] |