Another great California QSO Party! This year's score placed me in at number 8 of the top 10 single ops in California.  Last year I managed to work 56 of the available multipliers, and this year I improved to 60, just missing NT, NU, and NL. I couldn’t get much of a run going on SSB, so I spent most of my time on CW. My best CW rate was a 133 hour on 40M. And, by far, my best SSB run of the weekend came during the final 30 minutes of CQP, when I logged 60 QSOs on 20M SSB.

I operated with dipoles for 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters, plus an 80m inverted vee, all launched between 60 and 80 feet high into the surrounding pine trees. I’ve used a slingshot for years to get my antenna guy lines up, but this year I tried a new 2-ounce aerodynamic fishing weight. It made a big difference...much better accuracy and height on my shots.

Rig: K4, KPA1500, all wire antennas high in the pine trees plus 8,010 Ft above sea level in Mammoth Lakes on the Eastern side of the beautiful High Sierra

 

73 Degrees E and 8,010 ft are Good Numbers                            Coax Reels hold fishing pole while I launch the Guy Lines						A Bear walks by just outside where I was operating
CQP Mascot and 2nd Operator                                         An Avalanche of Fall Colors in the Sierra					The Fall Colors are Amazing!

K4, KPA1500 and Jim