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2012 Cape Perpetua (Oregon) Cliff DXpedition Video
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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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Hi Gary,
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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
--- In ultralightdx@..., D1028Gary@... wrote: > > 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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Hi Guy,
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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: thinkdx <dx@...> To: ultralightdx <ultralightdx@...> Sent: Sun, Jul 22, 2012 6:57 pm Subject: [ultralightdx] Re: 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, E WE, or other modest loop antenna in the grassy area across from the parking lot. 73, Guy Atkins Puyallup, WA --- In ultralightdx@..., D1028Gary@... wrote: their luck this past week on the cliff (Norm Clark of Monmouth, Oregon andfor DXing boredom for decades to come!
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Hi Gary, "Day Use Only"... that's not what I wanted to hear! Well, perhaps if I go there at the first hint of daylight, I can claim that early dawn is the start of a new day I agree with you that days on the Oregon coast can start out dismal and drenching, or at least very foggy. I remember last year how my notebook paper curled up from the heavy fog and the ink from my pen blurred so much I couldn't read some of the frequencies I had written down. Next time I'll be prepared; the pens and papers from www.riteintherain.com are made just for these sort of nasty weather situations. Their products are even sold in Puyallup (Sportman's Emporium). Despite the Day Use Only sign, I doubt a ranger would be checking up there at 5 a.m., given the dead end road and the remote location. Your run-in with the police in Lincoln City was at a city park along the main highway, wasn't it? I'm curious of course to see if any difference can be noted at the higher elevation. The way to do it right would be to have another DXer at the highway location below, using the same radio and antenna setup at the same time. 73, Guy Atkins Puyallup, WA
--- In ultralightdx@..., D1028Gary@... 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
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