Don KF6GQ
and
Stever KD6LAJ
October 24th 2009
Meathead T-hunt
Story
Had
trouble at the start of the day, when I tried to place my roofmount
plastic on the car, the temp was low enought to cause my insert to get
brittle and snap as I tightened the hold down clamps. So the only thing
to do was to try and glue on some Acrylic strips to hold it together
for the hunt. Well the next thing was to do was get to my table saw,
which has been covered since last week with the contents of our trailer
(sold it, got new one). This only took 15 minutes, and a sore back! Cut
the plastic strips, then tried to remove paper backing with my heat gun
(which I've had for years), and it started to make noise and froze up!
Good start for the day. Now I had to find some other way to remove
backing. I remember many years ago, we used to use medical grade
alcohol to soften the glue to remove it. Another trip into the interior
of my overstuffed garage. Finally located the denatured alcohol. Soaked
all cut plastic parts for ten minutes or so. About his time Steve
arrives, it is time for us to be off to make the start point in time. I
explain to Steve my dilema, and he offers to stand on the parts as I
glue them to the top of my roofmount. Things seem to go along with the
plan, as Steve and I stand on it util we get tired, and say "If not
enought time, then too bad, we will miss the hunt!" We picked it up and
it heald together! Placed it on the car inserted antenna, opps, it has
gotten broken since I last used it! It seems that the rod I use to
change polorization has broken off! Well we can live without
that. Put radio in, and off we went to the start. When we got to
the start we realized we hadn't taken any of our usual T-hunt stuff.
Maps, compass, extra batteries. "We don't need any of that stinking
stuff", "We can do without!" After we determined that we would be going
up Cajon Pass, (thanks to the other T-hunters offer of their bearings),
we decided to stop by my house and get the necessary acessories. Also
to pick up Steve's car, so he won't have to drive from my house when we
got back. Things are looking better now. So up to Cajon Sumit and our
first bearing was 35 degrees, put it through Rainbow Canyon area, and I
made aa little prayer that it wasn't up in Death Valley! As we
approched Barstow, we got off to take a bearing, and fix our antenna so
it would stray from horizontal. We saw Paul coming from someplace, I
guess also getting a bearing (I guess Paul has now got his dad's old
call sign, beause we never saw Pau's caol signed in, but did see WA6FAT
signed in! Waved a him, and continued on to Barstow. Clark WB6ADC, hid
in the Rainow Canyon area many many years ago, and fooledus by hiding
up back of the cliffs, and using a long beam with low power. So we
where ready to take many bearings so we would know where to go, once we
got there.When Clark hid up there his signal wasn't able to be heard
from behind, so you had to guess which trail
to follow to find him. This time we had a signal to track.
A lot of
good it did us! We started down a Road/Trail, to find the trail getting
narower, and steeper, untill it came to a rocky area, in which I
decided to turn around before it was too late. At this time we had a
great signal 40 db attenuation. We then took the next roadt to the
west that went down in that direction. On ths road, we saw tire tracks
and felt that this was the way in. In about 5 minutes, we made our way
to the main T which was hidden in a tree above a sandhill looking down
to the Fossil Beds, and the trail that we had been on earlier. On the
way out, we met Paul and his now 8 year old son Peter. I gues this will
be our next chance at new blood in T-hunting in the Ronnie family. Told
them lies, and left to see if we could hear the other T. We went up to
the FAA radar site, and listened on SSB, we heard a signal at 240
degrees. As it was this bearing was much to high, it should
of been more like 210. So off we went to find the last T.
We went
around to the fossil loop road, passed the place where it was hidden,
and parked abou 200' from the T. Proceded to go into the canyon,
following a bounce from the canyon walls. After spending the good
part of a hour there, decided that it must be up on top! On the way
back we saw Paul up ona ridge within talking distance, we promply let
him know that he was wasting his time looking for it down her, because
it was up near the first T. Needless to say, he didn't listen to us. We
left the area and continued aroun the loop, hoping that there ws still
enought time to get the second T before dark. On the western side of
the loop, we got a strong signal that was at 120 degrees, hey? what is
this? This doesn't make any sense. So around we went going back to the
east side part of the loop. Before going down the loop, we went over to
Owl Canyon campgroung, to be sure there wasn't some road above the loop
that the T was on. We
got signals back to the west, nothing north, so this did confirm the T
wasn't up on the ridge.
On the way back we met Deryl, and he told us as
he was finding the second T, he could see us parked! And yes he was
with Paul at that time! So with this info we headed back to the loop,
but this time we went very very slowly, so as not to pass by the T when
it wasn't transmitting. Just as it was starting to get darker, we
spotted the T from the loop, climbed up to it and signed in. We had a
great time on the hunt. It wasn't too far, and there was only two T's
to find, even though they were very difficult to locate. Was home by
9:00pm and had a enjoable dinner at Lenwood exit. Thanks to Tom
& Scott for the "fine" hide.
Don & Steve