June 11,12,13 2021 - Island Lake, Aberdeen Plateau, Central Okanagan, BC
Kevin VE7XY had the idea to take part in the ARRL June VHF Contest and called Mike VE7KPZ to see if he wanted to come along.
Normally, one would participate in such an event from a mountaintop... but, mountaintops suck for camping. First, the weather is quite variable and second, there's no lake to kayak on (can't play radio all the time, right?). So, a compromise was made with a decision to work the event from Island Lake, high up on the Aberdeen Plateau (~1400 meter ASL). It would not be a mountaintop, but might be decent for VHF SSB and some 6m work.
Mike and Jane VE7WWJ headed up around noon on Friday to grab a site.
Kevin headed up after work and arrived around dinner. Bud VA7ST had heard about the plans and offered to lend his portable 3-element 6m yagi. He hand delivered it on Friday afternoon and offered some sage contesting words of advice. We now had an antenna plan and an idea of what modes to work. Bud left to head home for dinner just as Jake VE7WEA arrived to help out as well.
The next morning the team assembled and mounted the antennas:
- Kevin's 9 element 2m yagi
- Kevin's high-gain 2m vertical
- Kevin's 6m vertical
- Bud's 6m yagi