Re: [IRCA] 2012 Cape Perpetua (Oregon) Cliff DXpedition Video

[Derek Vincent <eargazimm@xxxxxxxxx>]

It's good to see the cliff DX grow in popularity... How did you calculate the distance above sea level? 


Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 22, 2012, at 7:39 PM, d1028gary@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Hi Guy,
> 
> Thanks for your comments on the DXpedition video... and of course you
> are far more familiar with the Yachats area than me!
> 
> <<< Is this the particular "wide spot in the road" that you and Norm
> were at: http://goo.gl/maps/9Kax ? When I look at it in Street View
> mode, it appears to be the same place as shown in your video, and it is
> near the base of Cape Perpetua. However, if this was your location or
> anywhere near this turnout, the elevation is nowhere near 400 feet
> above sea level. If you switch to Terrain View in Google Maps, you can
> see that this stretch of Highway 101 is just above the 200 foot line.
> The fact that you were hearing such good DX at half the altitude you
> thought you were at is a very encouraging. >>>
> 
> Yes, that does appear to be the DXing spot. As I was telling Steve, the
> Highway 101 road side turnoff space is just barely large enough to park
> your car, set up an 8" FSL on its PVC base, and feel halfway safe as a
> huge 18 wheeler thunders by in total darkness at 1100 UTC. As for the
> elevation of the cliff site, I must confess that I didn't go down to
> sea level with a tape measure, and your correction is appreciated.
> Regardless of the elevation, I think that the site derives some weird
> DXing benefit from the sheer drop off of the cliff, with the ocean
> seeming unusually close in to those who dare to look down from the side
> of the road!
> 
> <<< While doing some "virtual sightseeing" in Google Maps near Cape
> Perpetua, I accidentally dropped the little Street View man (icon) on
> this spot: http://goo.gl/maps/t1Hx Bingo! This is the end of National
> Forest Road #5553, which is a scenic viewpoint from the 800 foot level
> !! There's a nice parking lot here (no cars whizzing by on the
> highway), and even restrooms across from the lot. I note at least one
> picnic table near the parking lot, overlooking the Pacific. That would
> be a great spot to DX from, perhaps using the Perseus as a "spotting
> scope" for the ULR rig. (Of course, it doesn't seem you had any
> trouble spotting the low power Kiwis even from Highway 101's altitude
> :^)
> In all the years my family has vacationed in nearby Yachats, I can't
> believe I never drove up the Forest Service Rd. #5553! This looks to be
> a superb spot for DXing. There's even room for a temporary Flag, E WE,
> or other modest loop antenna in the grassy area across from the parking
> lot. >>>
> 
> Actually, Guy, I checked out that very spot at he end of National
> Forest Service Rd. #5553 during our first night in Yachats, and it did
> indeed have an extremely high elevation. What deterred me from setting
> up there for DXing was the "Day Use Only" sign at the start of the road
> (since I have already run afoul of the police in Lincoln City for
> violating one of these signs during the July 2011 DXpedition), and the
> fact that the site is highly prone to severe wind and drenching rain
> (much more so than the Highway 101 road side turn off site). On the
> very first DXing morning (Wednesday the 18th) I actually drove up the
> Forest Road #5553 road to the 800' level at 1100 UTC with intentions of
> chasing TP-DX, but since the site was in total darkness at that hour
> (with no lights anywhere within 2 miles, and thick forest on all 4
> sides), I had the distinct impression that a herd of elk was about to
> forcibly evict me from their turf, and that the Highway 101 turnoff
> site would at least solve my claustrophobia problem :-) As it turned
> out, the Highway 101 site was more than sufficient for amazing
> Ultralight radio reception from the South Pacific.
> 
> 73, Gary
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Guy Atkins <dx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: irca <irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sun, Jul 22, 2012 7:28 pm
> Subject: Re: [IRCA] 2012 Cape Perpetua (Oregon) Cliff DXpedition Video
> 
> 
> Hi Gary,
> 
> Thanks for sharing your video. Great stuff! It was great to see Norm with
> you too; he and I had some nice correspondence a few years ago when I sold
> him an Eton E1oo, modified with a Murata filter and a long Stormwise
> ferrite rod antenna.
> 
> Is this the particular "wide spot in the road" that you and Norm were at:
> http://goo.gl/maps/9Kax ?  When I look at it in Street View mode, it
> appears to be the same place as shown in your video, and it is near the
> base of Cape Perpetua.
> 
> However, if this was your location or anywhere near this turnout, the
> elevation is nowhere near 400 feet above sea level. If you switch to
> Terrain View in Google Maps, you can see that this stretch of Highway 101
> is just above the 200 foot line. The fact that you were hearing such good
> DX at half the altitude you thought you were at is a very encouraging.
> 
> While doing some "virtual sightseeing" in Google Maps near Cape Perpetua, I
> accidentally dropped the little Street View man (icon) on this spot:
> http://goo.gl/maps/t1Hx   Bingo! This is the end of National Forest Road
> #5553, which is a scenic viewpoint from the 800 foot level !!   There's a
> nice parking lot here (no cars whizzing by on the highway), and even
> restrooms across from the lot. I note at least one picnic table near the
> parking lot, overlooking the Pacific. That would be a great spot to DX
> from, perhaps using the Perseus as a "spotting scope" for the ULR rig.  (Of
> course, it doesn't seem you had any trouble spotting the low power Kiwis
> even from Highway 101's altitude  :^)
> 
> In all the years my family has vacationed in nearby Yachats, I can't
> believe I never drove up the Forest Service Rd. #5553! This looks to be a
> superb spot for DXing. There's even room for a temporary Flag, EWE, or
> other modest loop antenna in the grassy area across from the parking lot.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Guy Atkins
> Puyallup, WA
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
>> Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:20:33 -0400 (EDT)
>> From: d1028gary@xxxxxxx
>> To: ultralightdx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [IRCA] 2012 Cape Perpetua (Oregon) Cliff DXpedition Video
>> Message-ID: <8CF365E94980FF1-1930-259BA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>> 
>> Hello All,
>> 
>> For those interested in the latest wacky idea to track down exotic
>> South Pacific DX on Ultralight radios, a brief video of the 400' high
>> Cape Perpetua ocean cliff site on Highway 101 in Oregon has been
>> uploaded to YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZzBfstOXA4
>> 
>> Included in the video are the two fanatical DXpeditioners pushing 
> their
>> luck this past week on the cliff (Norm Clark of Monmouth, Oregon and
>> yours truly), the 8" Medium Wave DXpedition FSL antenna on its 5' PVC
>> base, the new-design 7.5" MW loopstick Tecsun PL-380 Ultralight, and
>> scenery from the sheer ocean cliff site. The Spartan road side
>> conditions are on full display in this video, showing the lack of AC
>> power, running water, weather protection or adequate lighting. Despite
>> all these challenges the Medium Wave and Longwave DXpedition results
>> proved to be successful beyond all expectations, and a perfect cure 
> for
>> DXing boredom for decades to come!
>> 
>> 73 and Good DX,
>> Gary DeBock (now back in Puyallup, WA, USA)
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