Monthly Theme Day - Celebrating Summer

Every first of the month, the City Daily Photo community members post a photo that interprets a single theme.  This month, the theme is Celebrating Summer.  Please follow this link to see all the wonderful photos from round the world!

As for my interpretation, it might take a bit of explanation.  I am an Amateur Radio operator - a ham.  My call sign is KC2HIZ.  One of my hobbies is radio contesting - in particular, microwave radio contesting.  I'm a member of the RPI Radio Club and one of the things the club likes to do is to carry a bunch of gear up to the summit of Mt Greylock, MA.  We build these towers, then climb them and put these dishes on them.  Actually, there are 6 other towers we set up but this was all I could fit into one frame!  I'm on my tower, looking roughly southeast.  What a view!  For me, this is how I celebrate the start of summer.

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	7.1
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/500
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	160
Advanced Scene Mode	Off
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

CDPB Monthly theme day - Heights

Each month, the City Daily Photo Blog community choose a theme and many of us post our interpretation of that theme.  This month, the theme is Heights.  CDPB November 2013 Theme Day Click the link for many photos from round the world!

This month is an easy one for me, because I love climbing.  In June and September, I am part of a group of amateur radio operators who set up towers on Mt Greylock, MA as part of a weekend of radio contesting.  And I do a lot of climbing on those weekends!  I was planning on showing the view looking down from the top of 'my' tower, but when I was looking through my pictures I realised I took one with people in it.  I don't often do that, but these ladies knew I was snapping their photo, so I feel OK about it.  I'm about 40 feet up, near the top of the tower as I'm taking this photo.  The view is always spectacular, because I'm above almost all the trees and I can see forever in a full 360 degree arc.

Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
F Number	5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/60
Exposure Program	Program AE
ISO	200
Advanced Scene Mode	Intelligent Auto (5)
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Sunset over Bascom Lodge

In September, I go for 5 days to Mt Greylock, MA to participate in a ham radio contest.  When I get back I can hear faint Morse code in every fan and motor.  And it'll take me a few days to use my own call sign on the air after using the contest group's call so often.  It's a good time; familiar faces converge on the place from as far away as Virginia.

This September's contest was a little hard; we had solid rain during Thursday's setup.  It was solid fog with scattered showers on Friday, and Saturday was wet in the morning, clearing into the afternoon.  When, of course, we no longer need to be outside!

This is the sunset on Saturday, 14 Sep 2013.  The building is Bascom Lodge, built in the 1930s.

F Number	5.0
Focal Length	26.0 mm
Exposure Time	1/40
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	160
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Skywatch Friday

This was taken a few weeks ago atop Mt Greylock, MA.  I was up there for the September VHF radio contest.  I'm usually very busy up there, but I try to make time to walk around and see the sights.  Greylock is such a beautiful place!  On this day, the fog and clouds were just gorgeous- I had to go back for the camera.  I passed two people doing tai chi exercises and thought the morning sun and the quiet clouds below were a perfect accompaniment.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.

 

F Number	14.0
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	14.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 28.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/500
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	125
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

War memorial

The morning sun behind the War Memorial atop Mt Greylock, Massachusetts.  I spent almost a week up there playing radio.  We drive up Wednesday night, spend Thursday, Friday and most of Saturday morning setting up.  Then we contest Saturday afternoon through Sunday night.  On Monday, we take it all down - 9 towers and all the associated antennas.  The towers are disassembled, stacked on trailers and we drive home.  To do it again in September.

This week had exquisite weather; it rained one night but I can't remember which one!  The 6 meter band was wide open to Europe via F-layer propagation, and on Sunday there was double-E propagation to the west coast!  I work the high microwaves, and I'm pleased to report that all my gear worked, and I helped make 5 grids on 47GHz - the rover who went out was the greater part of the effort, as pointing that dish is no mean feat.

For now, it's time to make repairs (something always needs repair!), make new gadgets, work on my morse code skills and get ready to go back up in September!

F Number	22.0
Lens ID	-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	23.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 46.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/4000
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	1600
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Monthly theme day - Best photo of 2010

Each month, the wonderful people at City Daily Photo run a theme where each of us can post a photo that realises a given idea.  This month, the theme is Best Photo of 2010.  This photo was taken at Mount Greylock, MA during the September ARRL VHF amateur (ham) radio contest.  While we often see cloudy / foggy conditions on the top of the mountain, we don't often see it clear on top and cloudy in the valley below us.  I wasn't the only one taking in the scene - a hiker paused to look over the edge.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Skywatch Friday

Every June and September, my amateur radio club goes up Mt Greylock, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts, in order to participate in a radio contest. We set up our towers among the trees at the summit, hoist antennas and talk to as many other hams as we can.

The mountain is a beautiful place, and I'm very grateful to be a part of this effort, not only for the radio experience, but for the exposure to natural beauty (which often expresses itself in liquid form!)

This is the view from Bascom Lodge, at the summit, looking roughly south. The skies are a mélange of air and water, flowing over the ridges like an ocean. It's magical to see in person.

A group of photobloggers post a photo of their skies each Friday - it's called Skywatch Friday. Click the link to see photos from round the world.




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Skywatch Friday

Fridays, many people post photos of their skies. It's called Skywatch Friday. Thanks to Babooshka for getting me hooked :-) Click on the link to see the wondrous photographs from round the world.

This isn't from today and it isn't from Schenectady. Last weekend I was up on Mt Greylock, MA for a ham radio contest. Greylock is 3491 feet above sea level and we often see 'skies' like this one.

The structure here is the Veteran's War Memorial. Built on the highest point in Massachusetts in 1931-1932 as 'a tribute to courage, endurance, loyalty and self-sacrifice wherever these qualities have been shown by Massachusetts men and women in the uniform of the state or nation.' I'm standing about 200 paces from it here.