Hello fellow bird chaser, sky talkers, and and antenna pointers,
I am very glad to announce that I have passed the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City! Tomorrow morning (Oct 24th) I will leave Oklahoma for the final time heading far west. As hoped, I have been assigned to Alaska! Specifically, Juneau in CO28.
My destination for tomorrow is Prescott, AZ. I don’t expect many stops for sats except maybe if there’s something around Amarillo I pass through that I don’t have for /r, except I can make an effort to get on reasonable passes in NM for WAS chasers by request.
I am planning to be in Reno for Symposium from Fri-Sun morning. On the way there my goals are to activate the Operation Faultless nuclear test site in the NV desert near Warm Springs and then the line of DM19/29 for our 488 lunatics. After Symposium looks like I’ll be making a quick jaunt to the Bay Area, probably just a quick night. Heading north along the coast for a few hours (use your imaginations to think of the possible grid(s), likely one pass only from the craziest one). After a little coastal action, I’m hoping to cut back into no-mans-land to do the DN03/04 line. From there my last point in the US will be Seattle to get some snow tires out on before I venture into Canada. This will be my last ever use of NJ7H (NJ7H/retired). Fittingly enough, my final use of NJ7H will be in 7 Land. After crossing the border into Canada I’ll be putting in an application in the US for a new sequential Alaskan call, AL6something probably.
Now the Canadian stuff. Weather permitting, I’m pondering taking the Cassiar Highway on the west side. This would also allow me to make a quick stop in Hyder, Alaska doe my first activation of KL7. If the weather is sketch I’ll stick to the Alcan though. If the weather is super sketch I’ll take the boat... But for now the plan is the Cassiar, and that means many ultra-rare grids. One way or another I’ll be in Yukon for awhile. If I take the Alcan a quick jaunt up to the Northwest Territories is possible depending on times (would just be Fort Liard). I’m planning on at least one night in Whitehorse, with option for more time in the Yukon depending on conditions and speed getting there.
I will be due in Juneau Nov, 8th and will need to get on the ferry in Skagway or Haines on the 5th or 7th. On the way to either of those towns, I’m hoping to activate the border line between KL7 and VE7. I’ll probably do Skagway, the border line is in a pretty remote spot. So I will end up signing AL6? and VE6NJH on the same pass, and the credit will count for both. I’m planning to use VE6NJH the whole time in Canada. Maybe I’ll get a Yukon call eventually.
It’s been great fun roving the 488 and beyond as NJ7H for the past year! I’m glad I could make such an impact on the 488 for many chasers. I activated over 300 grids as NJ7H or some DX prefixed/suffixed form of that call. I’m very excited to be heading to Alaska as an air traffic controller and look forward to seeing many of you at Symposium in a few days!
73,
Gabe NJ7Harambe/retired