PALOMAR MOUNTAIN STATE PARK HIKE

Mountain's State Park. Excellent weather, tons of water running

in the streams, an overflowing Doane Pond, tall ferns (six feet

in places!), a working swing on a 40 foot rope and Western Azaleas

in full bloom. You gotta see it.

Gave my new "Family Radio Service" HT its first public outing

and bagged a couple of self-proclaimed DX contacts from near Boucher

Hill. On Family Channel 1 (462.5625 MHz where most of the activity

resides), K6RTD picked up my 0.3 watt signal 24.5 miles away in Vista.

Some poor fellow in Fallbrook at a wedding ceremony was my first two-

way contact for a distance of 19 miles. Sure beats the "up to two

mile range" published in the instruction book! Let's see if we can't

improve the distance by going mountaintop-to-mountaintop.

I may be back on Palomar this Sunday with two friends for a fast

hike around the perimeter trails. Anyone else interested? The trip

is not definite - but looking favorable.