I let my membership expire after they unilaterally cancelled my paper QST. I’m still mad about that, and the steady trickle of other news doesn’t make me want to go back.

Hopefully someone or some other business will buy them. Hate to see them go.

For POTA contacts I’d just fix it.

In a contest that would be cheating.

Some clubs meet in person and on zoom simultaneously, does your local one? I’d get in contact with them anyway, someone might have a loaner rig you can use to get on the air and see what interests you the most.

Parks on the Air and Summits on the Air are popular an a lot of fun, but you’d need a radio first.

With some basic tools you could build your own radio from a kit.

I’d get an SSB capable radio unless you’re only interested in FSK modes.

I’m excited to see the new digital modes people bring to ham radio, or invent.

Every time I go out and play radio, I think of a new reason I really need a KH1.

It’s pretty easy to create it if you want it. I’ve made a few communities 🤷‍♂️

Do you really want to run JS8call? JS8Call and the Fundamental Problem with EmComm in Amateur Radio: Why I stopped using JS8 and why I think you should too.

No rain in NorCal, but people down south were making rain scatter contacts.

I made some decent contacts. My setup seems a bit deaf, so I’ll have to figure out why.

Yes. Usually one person is on a mountain top, and the other is on a different mountain or the valley. Microwaves are mostly LOS, but can and do go farther. Mt Diablo to Frazier Mountain is a popular path here in CA. Last year I heard people coordinating contracts from Frazier to somewhere near Quartzite.

This weekend might provide a lot of rain scatter opportunities for the SoCal hams.

Yes, it is ham radio. I think some people were planning to go up Potosi, but changed their plans with the incoming hurricane. That’s too far and too many mountains for NorCal, so I haven’t been watching their plans closely.

Theoretically you could listen in, but you’d need to be somewhere in the beam of the stations. At 10GHz an 18" dish had a beamwidth of only a few degrees, so if you’re even a little off you’ll hear nothing.

I believe there are LNBs people have used to get on the band. Those are probably the cheapest. SBMS is probably the closest microwave club, is check out their website.

I have a video on YouTube of last year’s contest: https://youtu.be/Ch_j_zfCYgI

Had fun for the two hours or so I was on a summit. My 902 and 1296 transverters got a bit warm and stopped working, but otherwise a success!

My gear load really depends on the hike.

Short easy hike? I’ll bring the KX3 and amplifier. Long hike? Just the MTR3B and lightweight antenna. Crowded or densely wooded summit? I’ll bring an antenna with a small footprint. Having options is nice.

And of course all the jackets, water, food, and other stuff one needs to be safe in the woods.

The Pacific Northwest and SoCal groups also have events this weekend. Should be lots of SOTA action!

What laptop do you take into the field?

I bet the radio will be useless.

If you missed the broadcast, I got a recording: https://youtu.be/IgbggcpxrC0 The CW ends ~4:22 and I decode it after that, so stop there if you want to do it yourself.

If you’re just looking to build stuff, there are plenty of circuits to find on the web.

And +1 on building being more fun than operating!