VE6AB Mobile Ops
RPR In The Alberta Rockies
Starting at 6am local, I drove a 400 kilometer loop starting in Calgary and driving west and south through the Rockies before returning to Calgary via Longview located southwest of Calgary.
The drive included driving the highest drivable pass on a numbered highway in Canada at 7239 feet (2200 meters) above sea-level.The Highwood Pass is located 100 kilometers south of Highway 1 on Highway 40 and it is not unusual to see snow in the pass until late June. This road from Kananaskis Lakes south is closed through the winter months starting December 1st, so that was one of the reasons that I set out this morning as with a beautiful fall day in store I knew it would be the perfect day to make the drive.
One of the reasons why I wanted to make the drive down highway 40, is the fact that the area is ringed with mountains that are 10,000 feet or more in height, and it would be a good test to see how I would be heard and gated on RPR HF APRS, as well as testing out my latest 30 meter monobander antenna that I designed and built for the digital part of the band..
Of course it goes without saying that I also planned on shooting photos with stops made when I saw something of interest that included shooting wildlife photos..
So a was a fun day for a drive through the southern AB Rockies while playing ham radio and shooting photos all the while staying connected with RPR HF APRS on 30 meters.
Click on the photo for a closer look.....
Here is the track that I drove through the Rockies on this day.....
http://www.jerryclement.ca/HamRadio/HamRadio/i-qc4TksR
