Hiders: Scott N6MI and Tom K6VCR
Where: The Rainbow-Basin area, north of  Barstow.



T1 was hidden about two miles up the one-way dirt road in the Rainbow Basin National Natural Landmark in San Bernardino County, California. T-1  identified as “N6MI” in CW at 14 words per minute. T-1 put out 1.5 watts to a whip antenna (vertically polarized). The transmitter was about 200 feet up a mud hill. T-1 was heard weakly from Barstow to Pinon Hills.

T-1 results: WB6JPI at 9:45 a.m. (15 minutes before the hide began); N6AIN at 5:00 p.m. with 215.9 miles; WB6HPW and Peter Scott Ronney at 5:05 p.m.; KF6GQ/KD6LAJ at 5:50 p.m. with 180.2 miles; AF6O at 10:45 p.m. with a borrowed flashlight.

T2was hidden about one mile away from T1, to the northeast. To get to T-2, the hunters needed to go to the FAA radar station (north of the Rainbow Basin National Natural Landmark), then head south for about .9 miles on a motorcycle trail. The trail went up and down, but passable. However, the sand at the end point was very fine. T-2 identified as “N6MI” in CW at 16 words per minute. T-2 ran 35 watts to a three element quad (horizontally polarized). The antenna was mounted on a branch of a dead Yucca tree. See Exhibit A. The quad pointed 220 degrees (true). From this spot, N6MI and K6VCR heard the Palos Verdes repeater at S-9. The T-2 signal could be heard ½ scale at the start point – and all over the Los Angeles basin.

Exhibit A

T-2 results: WB6JPI at 10:53 a.m.; KF6GQ/KD6LAJ at 3:05 p.m; WB6HPW and Peter Scott Ronney (8 years old!) prior to 4:30 p.m.; N6ZHZ and KD6CYG at 4:30 p.m. with 186.2 miles; AF6O in the wee hours on Sunday.

KF6GQ/KD6LAJ were the winners, since they were official and found two transmitters. Plus their story very amusing!

Thank you for coming out.

73,

  N6MI and K6VCR

Jippy's Story
Don and Steve's Story