I just returned from Guffy Campground in the Angeles National Forest
a few hours ago. Kevin (KC6FLG) and I did a radio weekend up there
at 8300 feet ASL. We set up a full size 40 meter delta loop at about
80 feet off the ground. The tuner sat at the apex of the inverted loop
and was about 15 feet off the ground. Signals were very very good
and we heard Europe in the morning and Japan in the evening. We
worked 17, 20, and 40 meters and had an enjoyable weekend, even
if the weather wasn’t totally cooperative.
We had some very extreme weather on Friday and Saturday including
moderate gusty winds as well as hail and rain and lightning and
thunder. At one point on Friday the hail almost turned the ground
white but it melted very quickly. We had a couple lightning strikes
within a few miles and one strike that boomed thunder less than a
second after the flash. Big fun when you have antennas in the trees
near by.
While we were up there enjoying a bizzare weather radio weekend, we
thought we would try giving ol’ BFH a call on the Randsburg repeater
which we were able to reach with ease from our 8300 foot campsite.
I called John over the repeater and was contacted by a guy named
Jack, (NL7SX). Jack had told me that about a month and a half ago,
John was driving home to his house in Randsburg from Ridgecrest
and had run off the road. Jack then said that John “didn’t survive the
experience”. I was shocked a bit but, knowing John and his lifestyle,
I kind of saw it comming. All I can say is I am saddened by the news.
I haven’t actually confirmed the news but I plan to check in with the CHP in the next few days to see if I can get more information. If the
news is true, the Ham community has lost a valuable member regardless
of what most people thought of him.
John, WA6BFH, was 57.
Dave, Thank you for the quick research confirming John’s passing,
I greatly appreciate it. Anyone concerned or interested about John’s
passing, please read the first comment on this post.
Some idiot crook slipped the cops by sneaking into the back of a
trash truck but soon realized his escape nearly cost him his life.
The thief was compacted several times before he was found by
the police. What an idiot. He was lucky he had a cell phone and
was able to call his friend before he got pancaked for good.
Read the article.
If you are in the Lake Arrowhead, CA area this Sunday, be sure to check
out my friend’s band Sazarac playing at the Center Stage in Lake Arrowhead
village. This is a charity concert, Two cans of food gets you in.
Here is your chance to save a word. What the heck does that mean, you
ask? Well, every year dictionary companies like Oxford drop words in favor
of new words such as staycation and unfriend based on their usage in
society. The words they drop are words that they feel are rarely ever used
in society anymore. Words such as icasm and long play are ready for
dropping and can be adopted by you and I. All we need to do is simply use
them in hope that others will follow your lead and use them too thus
keeping them from being discarded from the big book of words.
Take a look at the candidates and adopt a word if you dare.
We here at admit-one have just returned from a little vacation
in San Diego. It was overcast every day for the entire week but
that was fine with me as I work outside in the heat at my regular
job. We once again camped at Campland on the Bay located
across Mission Bay north of Sea World.
This year we finally sat in Hodad’s and had the most killer ham-
burgers. Sorry In-n-Out, you have been bested. Hodad’s was
featured on one of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives episodes
called Seaside Eats, Episode DV0206.
Of course I had the Bacon Cheeseburger with rings and a soda.
I hope to hear you this Saturday during the ARRL Amateur Radio
Field Day. This year we will be conducting field day from our old
faithful Blueridge campground in the Angeles National forest. I
will be leaving tomorrow and returning home Sunday. It’s going to
be nice. 73!
