Mt Ogden, Utah Repeater

[Joseph Bento]

Hey Gang,

Today was an exciting day.  I had my very first helicopter ride to fix a broken repeater.  Mt. Ogden has an altitude of 9,571 ft / 2,971m, towering nearly 5,000 feet above the Ogden Valley north of Salt Lake City.  As you know it is winter in Utah, and the temperatures can be a mite chilly.  The temperature at the Mt Ogden summit this morning was -18F / -27C.  Interesting, as the temperature in Salt Lake City was a balmy 24F / -4C at 8:00am this morning.  So, there is more than just an altitude change for temperature fluctuations.

Tons of ice coat the three towers at this site.  Though there is a helipad, the stairs that lead from the pad on the repeater house roof down to the door were precarious - caked with ice and snow.  We had to use the heels of our boots to dig out a foothold.  If one happened to slip, they would surely slide down the steps, through the railing, and then a good 25 - 30 foot drop.  The door to the repeater house itself had about four feet of snow drifted against it.  

Obviously, nobody has had reason to visit this site for awhile.  We lease our space from the City of Ogden which owns the site.

The problem?  Can you believe it was just a popped circuit breaker?  Late Spring when the snow and ice clear, we'll likely replace this older 12V, 100A power supply with a newer model this is remotely resettable.  Even modern power supplies come with an ethernet port now!

I only have a couple photos taken from the helicopter.  Unfortunately, I was not of the proper presence of mind to take any photos in the extreme outside environment.  

Did I mention that stupid me forgot his gloves?  So I'm trying to hold on to the stairway handrail from the helipad, tearing up my hands on the shrapnel ice that is built up.  My guitar playing will be waiting a couple days now.

Such is life in the two-way world when the repeater site must be brought back online.  Though it was brought onboard the helicopter, I'm very thankful I did not have to unload a 50-pound IFR service monitor and negotiate those stairs with THAT!

Monday will be a ride in a snow cat to another one of our radio sites that has a defective channel.

Tomorrow?  I get to go on a snow camping trip with my church's Boy Scout troop.  There will be hot springs to swim in, however.  Then one must dry off in the frigid cold upon exiting the spring.  :-)

Regards,

Joe, N6DGY