Had another great time in San Diego. Work was busy, but got some time to activate. Given the dreary and wet winter we’ve been having in the UK (even by our standards!) it was a delight to enjoy some warm, dry weather and sunshine! I think I might have to start to make a trip somewhere with some slightly nicer weather around February time a regular thing!
Thanks to @N7DA for providing some local intel via DM, including handy link to get a good local forecast!
Not much to say, as it was a re-run of some previous summits. Saturday 7th had me feeling perkier than last time the day after the flight and out activating. The look on the face of the friendly ranger at the entrance to the campground below Cuyamaca Peak when I asked if there was snow and ice at the top told me I needn’t have bought my ice spikes even before he answered! 
The no joy trying to get SSB and CW contacts with the CEC firmware’d Quansheng continued from Cuyamaca peak. Does it work? Is my antenna broken? Am I just severely lacking in 2M ‘fu’?
Didn’t try it on Stonewall as I didn’t hang around for long, as there is not much room, summit was quite busy and mostly because I am a lot less comfortable around heights / drops than I used to be! (I used to Paraglide, so you’d think I’d be OK with heights, but maybe it’s easier to be comfortable when you are attached to a flying machine - albeit a slightly makeshift one!)
Then towards the end of the week I got out again on Friday 13th. Viejas Mountain again this time. Apart from one lady who I saw running down with her dogs near the bottom, had the whole place to myself. Enjoyed basking in the sun in the cairn at the top. Felt like there were quite a few people around to chase me on 20M on a Friday that I was grateful for - perhaps my tourist callsign encouraged them to help? A trip from my usual 20M up to 15M was rewarded with a repeat of the only DX of the trip being @F4WBN again - I’m still fluffing that callsign!
Got the Quansheng out and managed to make some contacts on both SSB and CW- including a cross mode with @K1CT, who confuddled me initially by coming back on CW to my SSB call! Not many, but at least I know it works. Think I’m going to have to upgrade from the roll-up J-pole to a better horizontal antenna, got a few 2M Yagis, but fancy making a smaller one. Find the key a bit tricky to use, as it wobbles a bit I find I have to hold it as well as the rig. Might have to make up a lead so I can use one of my normal paddles. And there is a post TX delay that meant I was missing the initial part of people’s replies, but that could just be settings. But it does work, and can’t complain at what is probably the cheapest way to get on 2M SSB / CW and one of the smallest and most convenient to carry to a summit.
Happy summit selfie with KH1 on Cuyamaca Peak W6/CC-014
UVK5 SSB/CW working on Viejas Mountain W6/CC-039
