We took a walk this morning down Kalakuea Avenue to the Honolulu Elks Lodge. This place was just awesome! I’ve got a few pics of the inside of the 
Lodge and we will be going back on Wednesday (to join the Morning Crew), have a few drinks, some lunch and spend some time at the beach there. What could be better than an Elks bar by the beach… especially if it is on Diamond Head in Waikiki!
Ellen photographs the flora and fauna!
Into the Thurston Lava tube. Pretty cool… but it was once pretty hot!
Warning… avoid the steam… tell me why we’re here again!
Kind of makes you think that shoveling all that snow isn’t such a big deal after all!
View from Volcano House of Kilauea Caldera and the Halema’uma’u Crater. The white plumes are steam and the other white is the sulfer left behind.
Up close view of the steaming ground around the Kilauea caldera.
Just had to try the macadamia nut ice cream… mmmmm!
It was a long flight on Saturday from Newark to Honolulu. We didn’t even get to our Hotel in Waikiki until almost 9PM HST. I have not had a chance to post much of anything to this blog until now on Monday. I will add a few things and some pictures quickly this afternoon.
Seems like a silly place to start; but this is the W1AIR weblog after all.
I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few weeks getting this list of equipment together, and I don’t think that it hurts to go over it a few more times just to be sure that I’ve got everything I need.
In my carry-on bag;
Yaseu FT-897, HF/6m/2m tranciever & power cord; Sony Vaio laptop, power supply and cord; Nikon digital camera, batteries, charger & usb cable; headphones for the plane.
Prior to boarding I will put my Telephone/PPC into the bag along with its charger.
In my Calzone case; (borrowed from CRN)
Buddistick antenna & manual; coax 3′, 10′, 25′ & 50′ (perhpas excessive but you never know); Yaseu hand mic for the 897 as backup; Heil pro-set headset & Yaesu adaptor; Rigblaster P&P & CAT cable; morse code key (to tune the antenna, I don’t do CW); small tool kit with soldering iron, solder, electircal tape, tie wraps and dacron line; a footswitch; Autek SWR/power meter & supply; camera tripod (to mount the antenna and a picture or two!); Kenwood F6A HT, battery, antenna and charger.
I fit a lot into the Calzone case and it will be the best way to have this stuff arrive safely. I thought about trying to pack all of this stuff last night (5/2) into my suitcase, but it was just too much. Checking all of this ‘non-breakable’ (now I’ve probably jinxed it) in the hard sided re-enforced case is probably the best way to go.
I will probably continue to go over the list as I get closer to departure, because something is telling me I forgot something… oh yeah… a small spool of Monster speaker cable… makeshift antenna or counterpoise wire… probably not the only thing either.
I’ve decicded that a weblog might be an interesting way to post some of the events surrounding our trip (Ellen and I) to Oahu, Hawaii this year.
The idea behind the trip… well to have fun of course, we’ll be on vacation. But one of my reasons for going to Hawaii, other than celebrating the 24th anniversary of my marriage to one of the best women on the planet or to visit the most exotic state in this country, is to play a little ham radio! It will be my first experience on the other side of a pileup… at least I hope so!
Why not mix vacation and hobby? I think my ‘day on/day off’ method is going to work fine; one day doing vacation/tourist stuff and the next day off, hanging around at the beach/pool… or working a little on 20m!
I’ve been talking with a lot of people prior to this little adventure. Some of these folks have been regarding ham radio, some transplanted locals that have plenty of suggestions of things to see and do, other have been those who have already ventured to the islands and are ‘in the know’.
On the ham radio side, I’ve been in touch with Scott, NE1RD after seeing his website and the description of one of his ‘mini-DX’ adventures. He’s been a lot of help and has offered many suggestions. I’ve borrowed a great portable radio from Dick, W1FYI a Yaesu FT-897 and without him I would not even be going… or operating. I’ve told everyone in the SPARC club about the adventure and have bounced ideas off of Craig, W1MHz; without him I wouldn’t have even entered the hobby in the first place.
Both Shirley and Geri from CRN have been very helpful. The Moniez sisters, are transplants from Hawaii to Connecticut (frankly ladies I’m not sure what brought you to Connecticut I would have stayed there!). They have been very helpful and have setup a contact in Waikiki with their freind Vanda who can help us with some of the tourist attactions.
My brother Eric has been to Oahu before and he even stayed at the same hotel. He gave me a couple of tips like ‘don’t do the lowest level meal at the Polynesian Cultural Center… it’s mainly franks & beans’. I’m planning on emailing him during the trip to let him know how we make out… and to get more tips!
All in all it should be a lot of fun, some relaxing, some touristing, a chance to visit the Honolulu Elks Lodge and a chance to be 5000 miles further west on the globe doesn’t hurt either!
