| Activation Date: 11 February 2018 | |
| Transport: Hike | Distance: 5 miles |
| Elev. gain: 900 feet | Hiking Time: 1.75 hours |
| Rig(s): MTR-3B, GD-77 | Band(s): 30m, 20m, 40m (cw), 2m (fm) |
| Antenna(s): QRPGuys Portable Vertical | |
| Cell Service: Fair (T-Mobile) | |
| Parking: Monte Bello Open Space Parking Lot | |
| Trailhead: South end of parking lot | |
| Fees/Permits: None | |
| Route: Canyon Trail, Bella Vista Trail, Monte Bello Road | |
| Dogs: No | Toilet: Yes, TH and near summit |
| Antenna Support: Rocks, low trees | RF Noise: Medium-low (HF), Very High (VHF/UHF) |
I recently put together a new antenna, the QRPGuys Portable Tri-band Vertical. I’ll be writing another post about this antenna specifically, but it’s a new product based on Joe Everhart N2CX’s design, published in a recent QRP Quarterly. It’s a quarter-wave vertical on 20 meters, and uses switched inductors to work 30 and 40 meters. It’s pretty lightweight and compact, and seemed like it might work well on summits without space for a full-size antenna.