The OFFICIAL QRZed 2011 W6D thread and Travelogue

[WA6MHZ]

It is now just after 0000Z on the 14th of May.

W6D is fully authorized to be operated from this point on for the next 2 weeks.

But I am getting to sleep Early tonight as I have to be at the HRO Swapmeet early tomorrow morning. Then, after visiting work for one last time, I will head home and put W6D on the air, with my KW and KT-33

HOWEVER, tomorrow will be quite busy with Armed Forces Day, and there is a good chance one of the Military stations might have chosen My frequency to listen on (They are doing Split). So, the target freq for this, and the whole DXpedition is 14.245 Mhz. +/- QRM. If you have a modest station, Tomorrow is your BEST BET to get into the W6D log. But I won't operate too far into the evening, as I need to get a VERY good nights sleep before the Launch Sunday morning at 9AM PDT.

Last year, I was WELL into AZ before the band opened enough to work anyone. Will see how it goes this year. First day's destination will be probably the rest stop between Gallup and Alberquerque, NM. Since I have a late start, It will be a very LONG and tiring day. The following day will be even worse, as I have to make it to Joplin, MO. And Tuesday, I need to make it all the way to Dayton to get to my Motel room. These are VERY LONG and hard days of driving, so no MOUSING AROUND will likely occur. I need to focus on 700-900 miles per day to make the 2200 total.

I have already seen East St Louis, but there might be more derelict buildings to photo. Will see how the clock is doing. That is a 360 mile trip from there to Dayton. That is about 6 hours.

I will be stopping at Mickey Ds along the way to use their WIFI and check into QRZed here, and upload any pics to my Flickr account, though those are best done in the Motel.

I Upped the capital being brought so that if I find a DEAL OF A LIFETIME, I won't have to pass on it because I ran out of cash. But Dayton prices are usually quite ridiculous, making Ebay seem cheap.

SO, W6D is officially ACTIVE as of now. Hope to work U all, 73!

[K7GQ]

Don't forget to pack a hammer - you may need it for the Dayton bedbugs

[AB8MA]

I will definitely keep an ear out and a holler ready for you, Pat.

[N8CPA]

I'll be hitting the rack myself in about half an hour for my first ARES event of this century tomorrow. It's the Race for the Cure for breast cancer. I've lost an aunt, my mother, and my older sister to the disease, so I can't sit this one out--though, aboard the scooter, I will be seated while not sitting it out.

When I get home I will look for my--ahem--microphone and listen to 14.245--I just hope my rig doesn't yotch about leaving the land of brass.

[W4PG]

K4D is at the ready also and looking forward to the expedition to Dayton. I hope W4D is out there somewhere as well and ready to go!!

.............Bob

[WA6MHZ]

It is a little after 5AM Saturday morning. T-Minus 28 hours and counting till LAUNCH. Much of the cargo is loaded, and that trunk is ALREADY full even though no Boat anchors have been acquired! Still hafta put in the Suitcase and the Rotator Controller.

The operating table is set up, and is a poor situation, as it was last year, but will hafta do. It is needed to log down the calls logged. Since I have no Co-Pilot, the passenger seat is well taken up by it.

I stopped at Radio Shack and got an adapter to use with my cellphone 1 sided headphone, but the wiring is wrong. I must insert the plug only 1/2 way into the adapter for it to work. Running out of time to do anything about that. Very fine wire or I could just rewire the plug, as I don't have that cellphone anymore it went to. That will be more legal to use mobile than the Heil dual-can Traveler I used last year. Smokies would have KITTENS if they saw me with 2 headphones on while driving.

In another 1/2 hour I will travel up to the HRO Ham Radio Swapmeet in Kearney Mesa. Don't know what I will find, but I DON'T want to miss a swapmeet where Boat Anchors might be. Also don't want to BLOW MY WAD on stuff even before I get to Dayton, so I will be a very picky shopper. But atleast I can RAID the 24 hour teller if I squander TOO much money.

The bank gave me my wad in 20s. That is THICK! I need to stash that somewhere so if I get ROLLED, the RBs won't get it. Let them have the $20 in my wallet. Last year, I had Sister Mary Eggroll sew a secret pocket into my underwear. Those wore out and she threw them out. Maybe I can hide it in my sock. Never know when the Criminal will come up to me in a McDonalds with a gun givng me a "YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE!!!!" In this case, he better take my LIFE, as without my Money, I HAVE NO LIFE ANYWAY!!! I might try to disarm him like I see Chuck Norris or Jackie Chan do in the movies. It MIGHT work, unless the Criminal saw the same movie.

OK, will post later. I will post when I get on the air with what freq when I get to the house station ready to put W6D on the air.

By the way, I need to find out what Program folks are using to TRACK WA6MHZ-9 and W6D on APRS across the country. It wasn't FINDU, that only shows where U are, not where U have been. Someone please post a link to that. I need to open up the tracker and throw a switch over to W6D, which I will do shortly. But WA6MHZ-9 is on the air now. Nice to have Dual Trackers. I like redundancy. How many airplanes have DUAL Black box recorders?

[N5USR]

Not sure if it's what "everyone" uses, but I've used http://aprs.fi to track people. It has a selector at the top-right to let you see everything from last-15-minutes up to last-7-days.

[K8ERV]

I entered W6d and got someplace on Jupiter I think. ?? I'm not very familiar with APRS.

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[N5USR]

I don't think he has W6D going yet. If you enter WA6MHZ-9 you'll see him in El Cajon.

[K7MH]

Hey Pat, Before you leave watch the original version of the movie Vanishing Point.
You might find it quite inspirational for your trip!!
Well...short of the ending anyway.