N6XFC Steve's
Story Of
the August 28th
All Night Hunt
It was a dark gloomy day and the Storm was …. Oops wrong
story…
The day just started wrong.
Finally arrived at the start point at 9:50am and I was amazed to see so
many teams for a change. The normal chit
chat, lies and so own were exchanged.
The T was on but week up the coast, 287 degrees. That will be the last time I go along with
the masses and not check the polarity of the signal for my self. I took it for granted that the signal was
Horizontal just like everyone else. That
would be the 3rd mistake of the day.
To make the rest of this short – Went to the 405 after my
argument with my self. (That seams to
happen after age of 40 now.) North on
405 Fwy to Mulholland Drive
and up to the usual listening spot. I listened
for about 10 min switching from lsb, usb, cw and fm. Well I finally heard a “peep” on
usb pointing up the coast again. I also
found out the signal was Vertical at some point. Off I went to the 101 and wondering why I
went to the fwy instead of taking PCH.
Oh Yeah, it’s that middle age thing again. Anyway up 101 in Very Slow Traffic to PCH in Oxnard,
had lunch with Bob & Cathy and I ended up going up the 154. Well about ½ mile past the rest stop I
figured out that the signal was not coming from Alexander
Pk then just a bit further the bearing changed to
Ranger Pk It was a reflection from Santa Yanz Mt. Err I made a U turn and back to the 101 found
Refugio road then found Wayne climbing
out of a stream I was hearing a Blue Moon T.
I talked with Wayne for a
few min then went and found the T. Up
the road I went to the radio site found Bob & Cathy, and JPI, I signed
in. I talked with Mike on the phone he
said I should be able to hear other T’s from there. I heard NONE.
Bob & Cathy can hear 5 more and I am stumped. I find out my front end on the radio died and
the only way I was hearing anything was because of the Pre-amp I had in
line. I debated about finding the other
T’s but I went to look anyway with some encouragement of the hiders. I went North on 101 from the bearings I picked
up from a hunter and found one near some R&R tracks then found a Lion T
just up the road. I hear some bounces
off the hills and drove past PCH again just to listen were the other T’s might
be heard. Finally I heard one pointing
up PCH. I drive 6 Miles and then I pick
up the T again, Jalama Road. I am not talking about this T; let’s just say
I found it last. I am ready to head for
home and realize I have not been all the way down Jalama rd before so I am
ready to go that way. Wayne
comes by at that point says I should go down there it’s a nice drive. Ok off I went with Wayne
leading the way. Found two T’s down that
way and then found the T that I missed on the way in. On the way home I realize I had been down to Jalama
Beach before when Peter hid down
there many years ago.
I left for home.