Author Archives: wringmaster

My brand-new KX2 on its second activation with the Bioenno 3ah external battery and groovy WA6JFK cable 11 JANUARY 2021 W6/CT-274 As the Santa Ana winds raged over the weekend I built a 20m speaker wire doublet/dipole. By the end of the weekend it was tuned up and ready to go. The winds abated SundayContinue reading “Saddle Peak 4”

7 JANUARY 2021 W6/SC-219 It took several months, but my new Elecraft KX2 Finally arrived! I was so thrilled to finally have an HF radio, I decided to revisit Triunfo Lookout to try it out. I also purchased a Packtenna end-fed random wire to go with the KX2. The Santa Ana winds had been blowingContinue reading “Triunfo Lookout 2”

My old friend Bill Smith proposed to a bunch of us old rock and mountain people that we all should attempt to do the entire John Muir Trail starting this coming summer. It’s an audacious plan for a group of sixtysomethings, but the idea has taken hold. It’s going to take a lot of preparationContinue reading “Strawberry Peak & Mount Lawlor”

The Anacapa Islands and Santa Cruz Island with a container ship from Clark’s Peak 31 DECEMBER 2020 – 1 JANUARY 2021 W6/SC-292 Scott WA9STI had let me know about the Zulu New Year in SOTA – or the phenomena that an operator could get credit for two activations by operating from a summit on theContinue reading “Clark’s Peak 2020 and 2021”

The Front Range of the San Gabriel Mountains. Condor Peak and Fox Benchmark dominate the left side with Waterman Mountain, Twin Peak and Mount San Antonio (Baldy) in the background. Then Strawberry Peak and Mount Lawlor just right of center, San Gabriel Peak, the tell-tale flat-top of Mt. Lowe and Mount Lukens on the farContinue reading “Yerba Buena Ridge”

The Winter Solstice – 21 DECEMBER 2020. W6/CT-225 & 226 These two short hikes are easily done in a few hours. I picked the shortest day of the year to do them – The winter solstice. The Santa Ana winds had petered out and left the Los Angeles Basin sparklingly clear, calm and warm. That’sContinue reading “Cerro Negro Benchmark & Flint Peak”

18 DECEMBER 2020 W6/CT-269 The last time I hiked up Verdugo Mountain my brother Mark and I approached the summit from La Tuna Canyon. Brian WA6JFK warned me that cars parked there have been getting broken into, so I decided to try a new route – from Whiting Woods Road in Verdugo City, next toContinue reading “Verdugo Mountain High Point”

10 DECEMBER 2020 W6/CT-170 The hike to Kagel Mountain is 3 miles long and has modest 1,275 feet of elevation gain. As usual, I did this hike before the sun came up, but I can imagine it would be a hot one on a summer day. There is about 500 feet of elevation loss onContinue reading “Kagel Mountain”

5 DECEMBER 2020 W6/CT-228 Santa Ana winds had been blowing all week triggering a red flag warning and that kept me near home. The winds died down Saturday morning and I decided t make a run for a local summit out near Westlake. It was 53º F in my driveway in Topanga when I leftContinue reading “1,821′”

Downtown Los Angeles, Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island at sunrise 29 NOVEMBER 2020 W6/CT-150 The Sunday after Thanksgiving Brian WA6JFK and I decided to work off the mashed potatoes with another tandem activation – Brian on Hoyt Mountain and me on 4,202 right next door. The road head for 4,202 is the sameContinue reading “4,202′”