W6B

September 10-18, 2005

September 19, 2005-Epilog

All told:  Two states, 1440 miles, 841logged contacts, 22.6 airtime hours, 55 gallons of gas, some fine sipping whiskey (courtesy of W6A,) no major (or minor) problems, and way too much fun!  I worked pile-ups quickly trying to make sure no one was left unanswered.  And when I could slow down the pace a bit, I had short qso's where I could describe my surroundings and listen to the Route 66 stories of my contacts.  I tried to find unique places that were important to the history of Route 66 and operate from that location until I ran out of contacts to work.  Despite poor conditions early in the event, the bands improved as the event rolled on.  I operated from 11 different locations on 4 different bands.  I used my wire antennas early on, but later found that the Hamsticks performed quite well and were faster to deploy.

But easily the most memorable part of my journey, were all the wonderful people I met on the air.  Thank you all for taking the time to work the event and make my time as an operator truely enjoyable.  Thank YOU for being there!

And so, here is the story of my journey:

 September 10, 2005

    Santa Monica Pier

On my first day of working the event, Jim, AE6AC, and I drove from Santa Barbara to the Santa Monica Pier, the western terminus of Route 66.  When we got there we found the pier was closed to automobile traffic due to a rock concert that was going to be held on the pier later in the afternoon.  Undaunted, I approached the police car that was blocking access to the pier and explained to the officer that we were part of a nationwide event that linked scores of people across the country from Chicago to the very spot where he was blocking our access.  The officer was unaware that the pier was the western terminus of the historic highway.  I told him we were supposed to set up our radio equipment on the pier and make amateur radio contacts to a waiting world.  When he asked if we had a permit, I told him we didn't need a permit as we were licensed by the FCC, a federal agency.  I showed him my extra class license, which he inspected closely.  After several seconds he said "ok fellows, go ahead" and he moved his squad car and allowed us on the pier.  Holding back our smiles, Jim and I drove past him, thanking him by waving as we passed.

We found a parking area on the pier, about 100 yards from the stage where the roadies where setting up for the band.  We started setting up our antennas and prepared to operate.  We noticed extremely high QRM noise levels in the area, as well as some very loud music coming from the stage as the roadies were starting to test their sound equipment.  I managed to operate and make about 34 contacts in just over an hour.  

Then, two fellows from the staging area approached our operating position.  They asked what we were doing there, so I explained.  One of the fellows was in charge of the band's sound equipment and said we were coming through their equipment and causing all manner of problems.  The other guy was pier security, and despite my numerous recommendations, he said we'd have to go.  He suggested we move to a parking lot just adjacent on the beach.  When I asked him to waive the $8.00 parking fee, he gave me a look and walked away muttering to himself.  I guess he didn't see the humor in the request.

Jim, AE6AC, with his microphone hand still poised to operate just after we were kicked off the pier by security.

So, we drove down to the parking lot and found a nice spot near the sand away from all the noise we found on the pier.  I worked from that location and logged 50 more contacts, some of which while working jointly with W6C, another Route 66 participant, who was also in Santa Monica a few miles away.  For the day, I logged 82 contacts in very trying and poor band conditions.

W6B, Rover 2 working from the Santa Monica Pier, Route 66.

September 13, 2005

    Baghdad:

Setting off from the home qth around 8am, I drove straight through Los Angeles from Santa Barbara as quickly as I could not stopping until I got onto Route 66 at Ludlow Ca.  Shaking the smog and LA grunge from my hair, I headed out along Route 66 toward my first destination--Baghdad.  Formally a mining town, there is absolutely nothing at all in Baghdad...not even a Baghdad sign.  The famous Baghdad Cafe is actually in Newberry Springs, quite a way in the other direction.  My certainty in Baghdad's location was due to my GPS navigation system.  I was hoping to find some remnant of the town, but all that was visible was a tree-like bush that provided the only shade anywhere.

The W6Bmobile fit perfectly into the shade and I anxiously put up a 20 meter hamstick to get on the air as fast as I could.  "CQ CQ CQ, this is W6B, Route 66 on-the-air, Baghdad (deep voice).  But 20 was totally dead!  I put up a 40 meter stick and again called CQ really loving the "Bag-daaaad" part.  Since I have no intention of ever visiting that other place, I was hoping someone might confuse the two.  But alas, only 11 contacts in 40 minutes of operating.  Being sure not to step into any spider holes that might be lurking, I packed up and headed down the road a few miles to that evening's destination--Amboy Crater.

    Amboy Crater:

Amboy Crater is situated in one of the youngest volcanic fields in the US.  The last period of eruptions occurred as recently as 500 years ago.  The area has several cinder cones and lava flows.  The town of Amboy is approximately 2 miles east of the crater and was once an active town along Route 66 until Interstate 40 bypassed it and turned Amboy into a ghost town.

Amboy Crater and lava fields.

I found a fine camping area and set up my 40 meter dipole, made some dinner and started making contacts on 40 meters.  I found the band to be lively.  I made 103 contacts in about 2.4 hours.  I also managed to get in touch with Harry, W6A, who I was going to meet up with the following day via a relay.  I left around 9am the following morning after making a group of contacts on 20 meters.  All told, I made 119 contacts in 3.3 operating hours.

September 14, 2005

    Truxton

I followed Route 66 from Amboy to where it connects to I-40 about 40 miles east of Needles.  Gas, btw, was $3.65 for regular and $4.25 for premium.  I pitty the poor fools who chose to buy gas there as only a few miles away in Nevada (if you were going east), it was $2.89.  Anyway, I took I-40 to Kingman and then picked up Route 66 heading to Seligman, the 'birthplace' of Historic Route 66.  Along the way you pass through some very classic western landscapes.

Just outside of Truxton, I found a nice spot alongside the highway to set up.  While having my lunch I made 22 contacts, mostly on 20 meters and a few on 17.  Wanting to make my scheduled meet with W6A, I packed up and got on my way.

    Seligman

Pulling into Seligman, I met up with W6A and downed a few celebratory beers before checking into a motel.  I watched Harry make some contacts from his station, jumping into a few of them from time to time.  Heading off to find some dinner, Harry and I ran into a Route 66 legend.

After dinner, I drove a little ways outside of Seligman and made about 40 contacts in about an hour.

September 15, 2005

    Brannigan Park & Parks

The next morning we made a bee-line to Williams and started looking for some of the oldest portions of Route 66.  Looking on a map supplied by the Forest Service, I found several old sections that had been abandoned in the early 1940's.  W6A found a nice spot quickly, while I continued 20 miles forward where I found this section of road shown above.  This is Route 66 at its highest point anywhere between Santa Monica and Chicago; 7300 feet!  The road is gravel and you can well imagine that most of the winter it is paved with snow and ice.  This particular part of the road in Brannigan Park was abandoned in 1942!  My operating position was in the trees to the right about 200 yards from the road.  I set up my 40 meter dipole and 139 contacts in 3.5 hours on 20 and 40 meters.

Stopping operations around sunset, I drove back to where W6A was parked and we had dinner.  That's W6A (left) with little Willyboy, aka PugMan on the right.  After dinner I fired up the 40 meter hamstick and made an additional 43 contacts in 63 minutes before calling it a day.

September 16-17, 2005

Meteor Crater

I got up early to drive the 100 or so miles to Meteor Crater.  A friend of mine in Santa Barbara owns Meteor Crater and the surrounding 300,000 acres of ranchland.  So he arranged for me to gain access to portions of the Crater that are not normally open to the public.  I was shown a spot on the top of the rim near the museum where I could operate.  But it was so windy that I realized it would be impossible to operate at that location.  But boy, what a view!

So I asked if I could scout around the south side of the Crater, which I did.  I drove down 10 miles of primitive road and found a very nice location on a ridge not far below the south rim shown above.  

I operated a range of bands, 20-17-15 and 40 using only hamsticks.  I found that the hamsticks worked better than in other locations.  Partly it was better band conditions, but I also believe that the high ground conductivity had something to do with it.  You see, the meteor that hit 50,000 years ago was an iron/nickel meteorite.  As I walked around, I found hundreds, yes hundreds of dime to quarter sized meteor fragments everywhere.  Also notice how red the soil is.  That is from the very high iron oxide content in the soil also from the meteor.  You can see it caked on the wheels of the camper.  So, I have to believe that all this iron created very high soil conductivity.  Maybe some of you reading this might be able to shed some light on this assumption of mine...let me know if you do.

Anyway, I set up there and operated over two days and made 232 contacts in 7.3 operating hours.  The bands, especially 20, were filled with contesters for the Salmon Run, so I spent most of my time on 17 and 15 meters.  A nice stiff wind was blowing so I put up my parafoil kite which I tied off to the camper.  You can see the kite in the upper right of the picture above.  I took a nice panoramic photo of the Crater which you can see in this popup window if you click this link:  Big picture of Meteor Crater .  (When the new window comes up, click on it and it will zoom to full resolution.  You can then slide the image to view the top of the Crater in close up.)  

This spot is as far out into the Arizona wilderness as I have been.  Looking around in all directions, you see no sign of humans, save the small road and the ruined mine buildings on the crater rim.  A perfect place for amateur operations.  My mind went to my K7C Kure Atoll friends on their way across a watery desert to their island Dxpedition.  How different, yet so similar.  This spot on the south rim was the best, most isolated place I have ever operated.

September 18, 2005

Seligman and back to California

W6A and I spent the night at an RV park in the Meteor Crater vicinity.  Early the next morning, I left for the return trip to California and to work the last remaining hours of the event.  Arriving in Seligman again, I set up just outside town and made 68 contacts in 54 minutes, working as fast as I could (20 meters).  I had a nice lunch and then headed off to the California Arizona border where I would make my last calls.

Golden Shores

Crossing the border I found this nice shady place to set up for my last set of contacts.  Overlooking the Colorado river, I made 81 contacts in 54 minutes on 20 meters, by far the fastest rate I managed for the entire trip.  Since it was the last hour of the event, many people were trying to make contacts, so I accommodated them as best I could.  Enduring the 105+ degree heat was not so bad with a large supply of Gatorade at hand, and a cool river to look at.  I made my last contact at 2359z and it was over.  

"This is W6B, Rover 2, 2005 Route 66 On-The-Air, QRT."

 Event Background