2000 - Palomar Amateur Radio Club

idge. A steep trail led up to the saddle
at the top ofGoat Canyon.
The trail deteriorated rapidly as the
iescent quickened. We dropped over
several dry fulls. Our first view of the
trestle (from above) was at a large full
which required us to climb up the side
wall and basically slide down the slope
to the bottom. From there the route was
boulder hopping to the trestle which we
reached about 11 :40. Here was a tank
car used for fighting fires in the tunnels
and trestles as well as a view of the
portal ofthe old Tunnel 15, now leaning
at a 15-degree angle. (The trestle replaced
this tunnel.) The tracks on the
other side ended at a landslide which
completely covered Tunnel 16.
After exploring the magnificent trestle
from side and bottom, we continued
under the trestle down Goat Canyon.
Progress went well until we were almost
at the bottom of Carrizo Gorge. when
we encountered a high cliff blocking
progress downward. After a bit of
scouting a crack was discovered leading
~down the cliff. John, having the foresight
to bring a climbing rope, belayed
Stan down, who verified the route was
doable to the bottom. After belaying Bill
down, John freeclimbed to the bottom.
At 1:00 we headed down Carrizo
Creek towards Glenn KE6ZLY and
Barbara KA6FPS, who had hiked up
Carrizo Canyon for a view ofthe trestle
from the bottom. Meeting them just
down the canyon, we all then proceeded
to bushwack through thorny mesquite,
tules, and other dense and thorny vegetation.
A quick sidetrip to an Indian site
and we were back at the car at 4:30 and
back at camp just after dark.
Glenn and Gloria stayed the night,
while the others returned home - most
stopping for a large milkshake and more
cold Gatorade on the way.
Not "a walk in the park" (although it
was in the park), but a most interesting
adventure and challenge.
Known casualties: One HT, one pair
pants, numerous cholla punctures and
rock abrasions.
Route length by map: 7 miles.
Route length by foot: estimated 10
miles.
Route length by time: 8.5 hours.
Photos are posted at
http://home.earthliDk.neU-wjj/golgoatc:yn
73, BillAA6J
(the Scope welcomes stories such a3 these IDst
two which can be connected to amateur rodio
in some way -Ed)
Dial Tones
In the old patch system, some ofyou
sneaked around our directions and got:
away with it. No More!
In the old patch you were instruction
to kill the patch with a # when the patch
failed.
Some of you, when the patch fuiled,
saw that the dial tone was still up so
without issuing a #, you quickly dialed
the number again without the # and then
the access code.
This will no longer be possible. The
computer will only process calls that are
made up using your assigned PIN number
along with the autopatch information
direction sheet which can only be
obtained via club meetings, e-mail, or
self addressed envelope with the requested
information attached.
Answering machine messages at my
QTH requesting PIN numbers cannot be
answered.
Expiration Date
The new autopatch program has a
section in it where it looks at your
membership expiration date. H your
membership has lapsed by a month, the
computer is programmed. to KILL your
autopatch call. Sorry about that!
H you look at an old Scope label, on
the upper right hand side are(were?) two
numbers. For example 0506 0108
The first number 0506 is your license
expiration date of the year 2005
and the 06 is the 6th month or June.
The second number 0108 is your
membership expiration date of the year
2001 in the 8th month, August.
When the computer sees 9909 of
your membership number, it will KILL
the autopatch!
It is your responsibility to let
W9FQN know when you have pg.7
updated your membership date 1;~3
although I will check the patch JIID.
computer for those calls being
killed and try to update them at least
eveIY month ..ifyou have renewed!
Patch Program
Stan Rohrer
W9FQN@Juno.com
The computer program which controls
the PARC autopatch system is
written in QBASIC and is being run on
an old 286 computer which leaves quiet
a bit to be desired.
The first program written years ago
used to record on printed paper all the
phone calls made on the PARC patches.
Items printed were time in, time out,
length ofcall, date, and phone number.
This computer system was used in
connection with the tape recorder system
used by WB6lQSJohn in Vista.
The first program was written by me
with three lines ofcode contributed by a
former member which allowed access to
the RS232 port.
H there appeared to be a problem on
the repeater being used for the phone
call, the printed sheet gave us the exact
time of the problem and WB6lQSJohn
was able to use the PARC tape system
which records voices on one track and
the time on another track to easily hear
the exact conversation in question.
Unfortunately, these systems had no
way of recording on paper who made
the call and if there was a question
about who we had to consult the tape
recording and call the phone number.
The new computer system records
many of the same items but now it is
able to affix to the call being made a
callsign, name, club dues expiration
date, plus several other items in addition
to most of the things previously
recorded or printed.
The tones are picked up by a
BLACK BOX. changed into serial DC
signals, fed to the computer's RS232
port, processed, reformatted.. and sent
out to the three autopatches: Vista, La
Mesa, and Mira Mesa via the computer's
printer port via another black
box.