PY1/RJ-063 – Pedra do Cantagalo
Pedra do Cantagalo (PY1/RJ-063) is located in the Serra da Tiririca park (POTA PY-0241), in the city of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro state. The peak is 407 meters high and is the second highest in Niterói, only lower than Alto Moirão. A good place to make a valid activation for both SOTA and POTA programs. The peak offers an incredible view of the city of Rio de Janeiro, on the other side of Guanabara Bay.
Before I talk about my station, I need to remind you all that I am new to this wonderful hobby of ham radio, although I have some mountaineering experience.
Despite being far from ideal conditions, I tried to improve a little the equipment used in the activation: a LiFePO4 battery pack, a Yaesu FT-2900 VHF radio and a 5/8 wave mobile antenna. The radio is heavy and perhaps inappropriate for this type of operation. But it’s the radio I have for now and, despite its weight, it’s better than the cheap HT I used in previous activations. With the help of some specific connectors and a pigtail, I can connect the antenna to the radio in several different ways, depending on the characteristics of the place.
This setup allowed me to operate with much more comfort and I worked the following stations: PY1TZ, PY1XP, PU1MAB, PY1LO, PY1LO, PY1JR, PY1AA, PU1KJA, PU1VGV, PU1OKW, PY1PM, PY1TF, PY1NP, PY1NS.
Tracklog: Wikiloc | Trilha Pedra do Cantagalo
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