blog.benmook
@blog.benmook.com
Automated post announcements from blog.benmook.com which is mostly about amateur radio #SOTA activations.
November 19, 2025 at 2:53 AM
October 22, 2025 at 7:18 PM
October 15, 2025 at 5:02 PM
September 16, 2025 at 4:23 PM
September 16, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Reposted by blog.benmook
also another wild find for just $5! a teeeeny tiny transistor radio! the insides is bonkers. i might take it to a local ham radio store to see if they got any tips, or look online... i dont know if ill be able to get it to work though
August 27, 2025 at 3:17 AM
also another wild find for just $5! a teeeeny tiny transistor radio! the insides is bonkers. i might take it to a local ham radio store to see if they got any tips, or look online... i dont know if ill be able to get it to work though
August 27, 2025 at 5:32 AM
This wasn't a planned summit for me. While driving north on US 395 to camp and hike other various summits, I noticed some hills in the distance. I pulled over and checked the SOTA maps … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5251
August 2, 2025 at 7:03 PM
This wasn't a planned summit for me. While driving north on US 395 to camp and hike other various summits, I noticed some hills in the distance. I pulled over and checked the SOTA maps … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5251
July 31, 2025 at 2:51 PM
From US-395, I drove east on Fremont Peak Road. Some sections were smooth and fast, other parts were washboard slow. Somewhere around 35.19629419590779, -117.52994646089353 the road … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5222
July 22, 2025 at 3:58 PM
From US-395, I drove east on Fremont Peak Road. Some sections were smooth and fast, other parts were washboard slow. Somewhere around 35.19629419590779, -117.52994646089353 the road … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5222
Crater Mountain is just to the west of Big Pine, CA. It's easily accessible by a dirt road on the west side of the summit. I drove up to the high point on the road, parked on the side, … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5167
July 2, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Crater Mountain is just to the west of Big Pine, CA. It's easily accessible by a dirt road on the west side of the summit. I drove up to the high point on the road, parked on the side, … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5167
I've wanted to visit Mazourka Peak since I started SOTA, 5 years ago. The summit is a drive up from Independence on Hwy 395, take Mazourka Canyon Road from the south end of town all the … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5163
July 1, 2025 at 12:34 AM
I've wanted to visit Mazourka Peak since I started SOTA, 5 years ago. The summit is a drive up from Independence on Hwy 395, take Mazourka Canyon Road from the south end of town all the … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5163
If you have ever driven up to Mammoth Lakes from Los Angeles, you probably drove right past Red Hill. The hill is an ancient volcano, which is covered in small marble sized volcanic rock … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5161
June 5, 2025 at 3:06 PM
If you have ever driven up to Mammoth Lakes from Los Angeles, you probably drove right past Red Hill. The hill is an ancient volcano, which is covered in small marble sized volcanic rock … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5161
I've overlooked this summit for years because it was rarely activated and only worth two points. I got skunked twice on two earlier SOTA attempts due to closed roads. Frustrated, I pulled … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5133
May 4, 2025 at 7:55 PM
I've overlooked this summit for years because it was rarely activated and only worth two points. I got skunked twice on two earlier SOTA attempts due to closed roads. Frustrated, I pulled … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5133
I woke up early at the big RV parking lot/ campsite in Stovepipe wells; not my favorite place to sleep but an easy option. I quickly made some coffee and headed up to Towne Pass to start … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5058
April 29, 2025 at 3:59 PM
I woke up early at the big RV parking lot/ campsite in Stovepipe wells; not my favorite place to sleep but an easy option. I quickly made some coffee and headed up to Towne Pass to start … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5058
From Highway 190, take Dante's View Road all the way to a large parking area. This is a pretty well known spot in Death Valley which offers stunning views of Badwater Basin and the … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5054
April 25, 2025 at 4:19 PM
From Highway 190, take Dante's View Road all the way to a large parking area. This is a pretty well known spot in Death Valley which offers stunning views of Badwater Basin and the … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5054
The trailhead for Salt Benchmark was right off CA-127 on the way to Death Valley National Park. Once there I was surprised to find a wetland area named Salt Creek, complete with a bit of … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5056
July 1, 2025 at 12:35 AM
The trailhead for Salt Benchmark was right off CA-127 on the way to Death Valley National Park. Once there I was surprised to find a wetland area named Salt Creek, complete with a bit of … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5056
Last year I started bringing my Yaesu 817 up to more summits. Since this radio has the 10M band, and setting up a 10M antenna is easy, I worked a bunch of 10M. I was aware of this SOTA … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5080
March 20, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Last year I started bringing my Yaesu 817 up to more summits. Since this radio has the 10M band, and setting up a 10M antenna is easy, I worked a bunch of 10M. I was aware of this SOTA … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5080
Otto Mountain is in Baker, CA, just off Interstate 15. There isn't much in town except a bunch of gas stations for people traveling between Los Angeles, and Las Vegas - oh, and the … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5050
March 12, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Otto Mountain is in Baker, CA, just off Interstate 15. There isn't much in town except a bunch of gas stations for people traveling between Los Angeles, and Las Vegas - oh, and the … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=5050
This was my 1st summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest. Sometime last year, I worked two stations on this very summit during the 2024 Winter Sota Fest, so activating it makes it a … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4897
March 11, 2025 at 4:44 PM
This was my 1st summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest. Sometime last year, I worked two stations on this very summit during the 2024 Winter Sota Fest, so activating it makes it a … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4897
This was my 2nd summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest. I wasn't planning to climb this one, but it was close to me after a failed attempt at Fry Benchmark. I got as close to the summit … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4895
March 11, 2025 at 4:44 PM
This was my 2nd summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest. I wasn't planning to climb this one, but it was close to me after a failed attempt at Fry Benchmark. I got as close to the summit … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4895
This was my 3th summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest. Summit 1-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-140-cougar-buttes/Summit 2-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-145-3938/Summit 3-> … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4903
March 11, 2025 at 4:44 PM
This was my 3th summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest. Summit 1-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-140-cougar-buttes/Summit 2-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-145-3938/Summit 3-> … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4903
This was my 4th summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest. Summit 1-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-140-cougar-buttes/Summit 2-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-145-3938/Summit 3-> … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4901
March 11, 2025 at 4:45 PM
This was my 4th summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest. Summit 1-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-140-cougar-buttes/Summit 2-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-145-3938/Summit 3-> … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4901
This was my 5th summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest. Summit 1-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-140-cougar-buttes/Summit 2-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-145-3938/Summit 3-> … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4899
March 11, 2025 at 4:45 PM
This was my 5th summit for 2025 So.Cal Winter SOTA Fest. Summit 1-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-140-cougar-buttes/Summit 2-> https://blog.benmook.com/w6-sd-145-3938/Summit 3-> … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4899
This summit is in Death Valley National Park, and as the name suggests, on the border of Nevada and California. I parked at a large gravel area off Daylight Pass Road, crossed the … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4750
February 3, 2025 at 2:32 AM
This summit is in Death Valley National Park, and as the name suggests, on the border of Nevada and California. I parked at a large gravel area off Daylight Pass Road, crossed the … Continue reading https://blog.benmook.com/?p=4750