WA4DQS

[WA4DQS]

Howdy. Florida transplant -- moved here 20+ years ago, work in TV biz, grew up in my dad's ham shack, and riding dirt and street motorcycles, did a bunch of skydiving in the 90's. Nowadays I do a lot of exploring in a Tacoma 4x4 in the Mojave with some other ham friends, sometimes even the wife joins us. I'm a big believer in getting out of the shack and seeing the real world. Good to see there are plenty of others who agree! My call sign is my late father's original call sign, acquired under FCC next of kin allowance. And I'm gonna keep it even if it confuses the contesters and DXers!

[cruiserlarry]

Welcome to OAUSA !!

I think you'll find a perfect fit for you here, with plenty of folks who share your love of exploring and your fondness for amateur radio.

In fact, the weekly OAUSA net is tonight at 7:30pm, on the Keller Repeater (146.385+ pl 146.2) - so please check in if you can.

What type of radio equipment do you use in the shack, and what do you have in the Tacoma ?

Also, please feel free to post up about any adventures you'd like to share with the members....


Check out the threads for BorregoFest, in Anza-Borrego, on Oct 22-24, 2010...we always have a great time in the desert !!!

[DaveK]

WA4DQS

Taking your fathers call sign -very cool!!

We understand about call signs being difficult, especially at Field Day. We are still untying the knots in our tongues from our OAUSA random generated call sign. Our vanity call sign, as you might expect, arrived the day after Field day. Oh well!

As Larry mentioned, think about joining our nets on Thursdays.

Welcome aboard.

[xtatik]

WA4DQS,
Welcome, and it sounds like we've got a bit in common. I'm certainly hoping it's in the very distant future, but when Pops goes SK, I'll probably assume his CS and keep it active. We still have the same designator in our callsigns. As for yours being different, I wouldn't give it any more thought...It's becoming less important for individual operators. For clubs it nice to let people know where the primary qth is for an organization, but beyond that......who cares?
Good for you! It's good to see that tradition being kept alive.

[WA4DQS]

Thanks all. I may jump on the net yet.

Rig in truck is the Yaesu FT-857D (and I have a quick mount option for swapping my FT 8800 from my daily driver/Matrix to the truck as second radio for some trips where I might want the repeater function available)

756 Pro II at home, and the FT-7800 as my dual band base. Got a few HTs floating around, even a couple dormant airband rigs (IC-A110 and a Sporty's HT) leftover from my desert fly-in/skydive era. Dust magnets now, but they once served our merry band of pilots & skydivers well during remote operations.

Thinking of brushing up on code and going QRP these days.

Despite growing up in the hamshack in late sixties/early seventies, I did not get my license until 1999. Partial inspiration was being "rescued" in the mountains by a couple ham radio equipped jeeps. (I had gotten terribly stuck)

John
WA4DQS
www.FabulousRocketeers.com (re: the original WA4DQS)

[OLLIE]

Despite growing up in the hamshack in late sixties/early seventies, I did not get my license until 1999. Partial inspiration was being "rescued" in the mountains by a couple ham radio equipped jeeps. (I had gotten terribly stuck)

Now you really have my interest peaked. Would you share this story with us?

[NotAMog]

John,

I'd like to hear about your Tacoma. I bought an '04 Tacoma standard cab 4x4 with the 2.7l 4 cylinder and automatic transmission. I'm interested in ideas to build it up. It's always useful to hear the real world experiences of others with similar vehicles. From your avatar it looks like your's is a 1st gen Tacoma.

(All - Don't worry, I don't have any plans to get rid of the Pinzi)

[WA4DQS]

Despite growing up in the hamshack in late sixties/early seventies, I did not get my license until 1999. Partial inspiration was being "rescued" in the mountains by a couple ham radio equipped jeeps. (I had gotten terribly stuck)

Now you really have my interest peaked. Would you share this story with us?

Ok, here's the short version...

I had a 1984 2wd Toyota long bed, street tires.

I was headed back down from a mountain trail (about 7,000 feet up) with my girlfriend. I backed up to maneuver around a boulder in my path. Forgot to look behind me. I went backwards right off the edge of the road, and down a very, very steep, forested slope -- one of those that looks like it drops away at 60 degrees all the way to China. My real wheel was spinning forward, and yet the truck kept sliding backwards for a few terrifying moments.

I kept the truck straight, let the wheel dig in, and the truck stopped. I told my girlfriend "We're finished, this truck ain't getting back up there." She then made the first of her two er, ah, funny comments: "Well just give it more gas!" Yes, she said that.

Knowing an explanation would not convince her, I demonstrated why "more gas" would not work. The wheel spun some more, and we slipped a few more feet closer to China. I set the parking brake, left it in gear, chocked the wheels with some firewood. We climbed -- almost crawled in a few spots-- back up to the road. It was dusk, and rain clouds really were forming. No cell phone reception, of course.

I had my airband HT on me (kept stowed full time back then-- I was very active with flying/skydiving) and my girlfriend said I should call somebody on it. I said "Ahm, It's an airband, at best I might get an airliner overhead if I interfere with ATC communications. Ain't gonna do that, honey." Her reply? "Why not? Call them and get them to call somebody else for us!" I explained the dire emergency rule. She gave me this look like "Well, what are you waiting for, an earthquake?" I talked her off the idea, and we started walking down the mountain as the sun was setting and the rain clouds forming. We had plenty of food and water, and camping gear. The nearest town was probably a dozen or so miles away. It was bad, just not dire.

About an hour later two jeeps found us on the trail, gave us a ride back up to my truck. That's when I noticed their ham radios. The driver told me about the repeater systems in the area. When they saw my truck they kind of laughed; they said they usually have to rescue 4x4s up here, not 4x2s. They seemed surprised I had made it that far. (I think their astonishment was overstated; it was an easy trail - I'd have made it out had I not back up blindly).

But the incline was so steep, it took the V6 jeep two attempts and one broken tow strap to get my truck back onto the road.

By the end of the year I had a new 4x4 (same one I still have), a tech license (now general), and a dual bander (now many radios!). Weeks after buying the new truck I got stuck backing it out on dry, flat dirt at a car-camp site. The last time this happened, same campsite, in my old 4x2, we had to dig our way out. This time in the comfort of my air conditioned cab, I turned and said to my girlfriend "This is why I got 4x4." I engaged 4wd and the truck just backed out like I was on pavement, "See, NOW i can give it more gas!" We both got a big laugh out of it.

[WA4DQS]

John,

I'd like to hear about your Tacoma. I bought an '04 Tacoma standard cab 4x4 with the 2.7l 4 cylinder and automatic transmission. I'm interested in ideas to build it up. It's always useful to hear the real world experiences of others with similar vehicles. From your avatar it looks like your's is a 1st gen Tacoma.

Bone stock 1999 4x4 xtra cab, 5 speed std. 3.4l V6, bought it new 12/98 with minimal options, "work truck" style with the boring steel wheels, manual windows and mirrors. Not being a daily driver, it only has 81k miles on it.

Last year I finally upgraded it to the stock alloy wheels for that year, fender flares, and 31.5 BF goodrich T/A KO tires (all bought used, very cheap!). Even though I'm told that the 99 models had the highest stock lift of that generation Tacomas, its weak. The body roll, rear axle wrap and nose-diving front end are just too annoying. I'm on the verge of replacing the suspension for improved lift and travel, some rigidity.

It's been reliable. I avoided the 2.7l engine because I needed freeway power, and used to carry my dual sport motorcycle with me on some trips. I used to have air-bags on the rear for load-leveling. But after 11 years and a few repairs, they finally blew beyond repair.

[BorregoWrangler]

Thanks for the story and welcome to the forum. Getting out and away from it all is what its all about here. Hopefully we'll see you out on the trails!