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

[d1028gary@xxxxxxx]

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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