Chabot 2 Benchmark (W6/NC-432) SOTA Activation

On the 2nd of September I activated Chabot 2 Benchmark. I was able to follow the directions on SOTA website to the T to get up there. Even right up to the point of staying to the right at the fence and along the Eucalyptus trees, which provide for great shade on the top.

Cell Signal: Yes (Verizon) No issues with sending or receiving information off of SOTA goat on the top of this one.

Interference: Although there is antennas near by I had no issues with them affecting my receiver.

Distance: Round trip about 2.3 miles. Steep at the beginning but then ends up leveling off. 

EveryTrail Route: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=2299368

Hike information: This is a paved path up until you get off to the right at the fence and then it becomes a dirt path. The people up there are very friendly and each one I passed said hello or something...very rare for California. This is also a park that dogs are allowed off leash...again very rare for CA. Check my Every trail if you want to see where I started.

Setup: FT857d, MP1 SuperAntenna, 6 Counter poises at 1/4 wavelength, 12 ft telescoping whip, J37 Straight Key, 7/5 A/H SLAB.

Contacts: 17 total, 4 S2S. (WS0TA was my first S2S contact! along with K0MOS who was my first ever CW contact from my home QTH the day prior! K5RHD, and KX0R) Thanks for your patience!!! Thanks also to my friend Wayne (KJ7EP) from Montana. This was our first HF contact. It is always nice to hear people from back home in Montana.

I need to work on spending a little more time with a better antenna setup for working more contacts while I am up there. One of these days I will have more antennas to experiment with End Fed wires are in the works for 20 and 40.

This was a fairly uneventful Trip. This is about 1/2 way up looking out over Oakland to the San Francisco Bay.

Again looking out over Oakland and San Francisco in the way back. It was cloudy so had to see to far to the West.

A view overlooking the Reservoir. 

There are some good benches along the way for a break.

The trail along the Right side of the fence and the Eucalyptus trees.

This stump was a very inviting setup for my Super Antenna and the other stump was a great table for my equipment.

A shot of the the Antenna just because I guess.

I took this photo on the way down off to the East. There maybe some activations out there one of these days. 

Log:

QSO: 14062 CW 2013-09-02 1754 KF7PXT      559       KX0R           559       S2S  

QSO: 14346 SS 2013-09-02 1749 KF7PXT        56         KJ7EP           22          

QSO: 14345 SS 2013-09-02 1725 KF7PXT        22         K5RHD         22          S2S

QSO: 14342 SS 2013-09-02 1722 KF7PXT        22         K0MOS         22          S2S

QSO: 14061 CW 2013-09-02 1709 KF7PXT      559       WS0TA         559     S2S        

QSO: 72850 SS 2013-09-02 1630 KF7PXT        58         KH2TJ          55          

QSO: 72850 SS 2013-09-02 1628 KF7PXT        57         K6TUY         58          

QSO: 72850 SS 2013-09-02 1626 KF7PXT        33         AB7YL         22          

QSO: 72850 SS 2013-09-02 1624 KF7PXT        59         W6WW          57          

QSO: 72850 SS 2013-09-02 1619 KF7PXT        58         NS7P             56          

QSO: 14326 SS 2013-09-02 1614 KF7PXT        57         KE5AKL        23          

QSO: 14326 SS 2013-09-02 1613 KF7PXT        56         N4MJ             33          

QSO: 14326 SS 2013-09-02 1611 KF7PXT        31         WB5USB       22          

QSO: 14345 SS 2013-09-02 1600 KF7PXT        44         K5WI             33          

QSO: 14345 SS 2013-09-02 1558 KF7PXT        55         WB9QDL      44          

QSO: 14345 SS 2013-09-02 1556 KF7PXT        22         W0MNA        33          

QSO: 14245 SS 2013-09-02 1555 KF7PXT        55         WA2USA      33          

Thanks as always to everyone who makes this such a great hobby. Thanks to the Chasers and I look forward to hearing you all on the air.