Today the family took a trip up to Mt. Rainier National Park [APRS Track].

During the entire day, I was beaconing position on APRS at 4 minute intervals.

While driving between Castle Rock and Packwood, my packets were not digipeated or igated at all, so the track does not match the route taken (I-5 to US-12). From the vehicle, I was putting out 25w (medium power) from a 1/4 wave side-mounted antenna.

After arriving at Naches Peak Loop Trailhead, I switched to the Baofeng UV-5R with 1/4 wave whip connected to my Pixel 2 via bluetooth Mobilinkd TNC2. Nearly all packets were digipeated from the trail!

On the way home, I activated some non-local repeaters and made some QSOs.

• 145.41 WA7DOB - Crystal Mountain from WA-123 near US-12
  • KJ7OTM
  • WB7DOB (owner)
  • This is a linked repeater system and it wasn’t clear whether I was coming into 3 sisters or Crystal. Further analysis shows that I was keying up the Crystal frequency, although WB7DOB was suggesting otherwise. Perhaps the frequencies have changed?
• 146.74 K7KFL - Packwood
  • Keyed up several times, heard the repeater ID
  • no contact =/
• 146.78 WW7CH - Pardise, Mt. Rainier
  • KJ7OTM again (possible that repeater is linked to WB7DOB, didn’t realize at the time)
• 147.06 WA7UHD - Baw Faw Peak
  • N1BEC - early signal report from East of Randle: could be heard, but not well
  • No contact from just west of Morton, WA
  • KJ7ITE - finally made contact east of Mayfield Dam!
• 145.47 K7CPR - Olympia, Capitol Peak
  • Heard from east of Morton
  • W7HBP gave excellent signal report, ~15mi east of I-5