Many thanks to Todd (W2TEF) and Becky for sharing the following guest post:

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POTA on Ellis Island

by Todd Foster (W2TEF)

All the Parks

Originally licensed in the late 1990s, I re-tested and got my ticket again at the end of 2023. In 2024, I discovered POTA, inspired by QRPer and elmered by Tom N2XTO and John K2ZA. Suddenly, this fall, I found myself close, tantalizingly close, to working all the POTA parks in New Jersey in 2024. Just ten parks away!

But there was a barrier standing between me and Worked-All-Entities glory. It’s called Ellis Island.

Ellis Island National Historic Site (US-8061)

US-8061 Ellis Island is in New Jersey. According to the POTA site, it has only been activated six times and only once with CW. Dave, K2DPH activated it last year with 94(!) CW QSO’s. He was also the first-ever activator. I looked him up on QRZ to ask his advice. Dave wrote back with warm encouragement. He told of using a bench as the apex of his end-fed-half-wave antenna. A compromise but adequate.

Ellis Island is, well, an island. Though there is a causeway, the public can only access it via ferry. The same ferry goes to both islands (Ellis and the Statue of Liberty). To board the ferry, one has to pass through security. They compare it to airport security. They have rules.

I read the rules carefully. My experience of TSA and similar security is that it can be fairly arbitrary. People are doing their jobs and can get in big trouble for not following all the protocols. Sometimes, the protocols seem odd or don’t make sense to me. That does not relieve the officers of their job of following them. But it does mean that a lot can change depending on an officer’s mood or first impression. While explaining Ham Radio is fun with a curious bystander, it can be less so for an official who is going to be reluctant to let go of anything they don’t fully understand. Considering the reasons why they have been asked to do their job, I am thankful for their diligence!

What are the rules for Ellis Island? No tools, no weapons. No problem, the multi-tool and the lighter stay behind. No amplified sound, including radios. Hmmm…. I’ll leave my amplified speaker at home and bring earbuds for the radio. I’m bringing a radio, but not a boom-box kind of radio. It has no speaker at all. No rope or climbing tools are allowed, nor any kind of wire [that might be used to hang a sign or poster]. Yikes! I don’t mind ditching the arborist line: I had figured on not using trees anyhow. But no wire? Does 30’ of thin poly-stealth count? Again, I do not want to break the rules. I do not advocate breaking the rules. The question is: how does one interpret the rules? Who interprets the rules? The security officers interpret the rules. They are the gatekeepers who will decide if and with what equipment I can activate Ellis Island.

The Plan

It seemed important to go to Ellis Island when it wasn’t the tourist season when I wouldn’t be getting in the way of the crowds. I worked a long week last week: no day off. I decided to take a compensatory day off on Tuesday, 12 November.

The weather forecast was for blustery winds and 52 degrees – but sunny. Hopefully, it would be the low season (no Christmas crowds) and unpleasant enough to suppress the crowds even more. My generous spouse, Becky, was game for the hunt. So we laid our plans. I scheduled an activation on the POTA site with a big, wide time window. I didn’t know if I’d have cell service or not.

I cleaned out my POTA bag almost entirely. No spares, no extras, only the bare essentials. One is none, but two is too many. My QRP-Labs QMX looks like an old Walkman, especially with earbuds wrapped around it. I have a battery, the same size and color as the radio. Besides these, I bring a power cable (6”), antenna cable (16”), and EFHW on a DG1JAN Xota winder. I bring a log book with my FCC license taped in the front. The empty bag has plenty of room left to pack my lunch!

My aim was not to sneak in contraband. I have no desire to bring prohibited items anywhere. But when someone’s supervisor is looking down their shoulder, I want to present as little cause for concern as possible. My goal is to not have to have the conversation. I left everything packed lightly so that it would show up clearly in the X-ray. I removed the X-ray-resistant bag (originally for film, now used for radio cables). I want everything in security to show up clearly and create no cause for questions.

Also, I remembered a lightweight, collapsing camera tripod I bought for a telescope once. I take an antenna analyzer and my EFHW into the yard to see what will happen. With the antenna draped over the tripod but otherwise on the ground, SWR is very high. But if I attach the far end of the antenna to my POTA bag (about 4” off the ground) and the other end to my operating clipboard (at whatever height I’m using it) and pull just tight enough to keep it all off the ground, the SWR falls to a very reasonable 1.5 to 1.7. This I can work with.

The Day

Tuesday’s weather turned out as promised. Traffic was a little heavy from South Jersey up I-295 and then the NJ Turnpike. But we made it to Liberty Park (NJ) around 9.30 am. We spent $50 for two ferry tickets, which we were inclined not to use if the security line turned us back. (Becky had researched what it would take to drive around to Battery Park and try again to enter from the New York side.) We took some photos of the New York skyline and proceeded to the mostly empty security building. One has to walk a long way to navigate Liberty Park: I am sure that helps space out the crowds in the summertime.

In security, there was no line due to the light crowds. We scanned our tickets and were ushered up to the X-ray machine. Keys, phones, watches, and belts all go in the bins. Bags go in the bins. Coats and jackets go in the bins. Hats, sweaters, and shoes stay on.

Then, before I knew it, we were through! My anxiety about the security checkpoint evaporated – almost. We weren’t out yet.

We were putting back on belts and jackets and pocketing keys when a parks policeman walked over and started fingering the POTA badge on my re-purposed camera case. Right there beside my callsign badge. He looked at me and said, “Parks?” I gave a brief description of Parks on the Air. He told me about working at an airfield (that became a park?) where amateurs would sometimes come to operate. It was a pleasant exchange, and he thanked me for stopping to chat.

Outside, I was elated: this was going to happen! We got in line for the ferry. Behind a couple speaking a language, I didn’t know. Who were themselves behind another family speaking another language I didn’t know. I looked at Becky: this is one of the reasons I so love New York. Languages, cultures, people. This is where I meet the wider world.

Ellis Island National Historic Site

On Ellis Island, tourists are restricted to the visitor center and the grounds around it. Part of those grounds were fenced off for construction. All the rest of the island is inaccessible (except for parts you can see by purchasing the “Hard Hat Tour”). Becky and I looked for a quiet place to set up. I thought about Dave on the benches. I found numerous trees with temptingly low branches. We thought hard about setting up at a mass of empty picnic tables. There was no one out there at all. It was cold and windy. And who would come out to eat at those tables on a blustery day like that?

In the end, we decided to set up in an island of grass between two sidewalks, near but not in a tree. It seemed like the area of the park we could access that would be least likely to be in anyone’s way. I set up the tripod, the EFHW tethered to the POTA bag (with a rubber band since I had no rope or carabiner), and connected to my clipboard on the other side. I was now operating a shortened EFHW for 15/20/40 (using a loading coil described by K6ARK hung as an inverted V with the apex at 4’!

I sat on the edge of the sidewalk because the grass was wet. I called QSL? and then CQ. The wind knocked the tripod over and tripped the SWR safety on my QMX. I cycled the power on the QMX, and Becky settled in near the tripod, keeping it from falling again.

After a few CQs on 20m, I must have been spotted! In nine minutes I had seven QSO’s. Then, they dried up for a few minutes. I had several local-ish friends I hoped to hear from, so I switched to 40m, thinking it might be shorter than 20m.

It was! In another ten minutes, I had nine more QSO’s. There was one last person who called me. I tried hard to hear their call! But despite numerous tries, I couldn’t copy it. With no one else calling, I sent QRT and packed it up.

By this time, the picnic tables we had considered were teeming with middle-schoolers in matching sweatshirts: field trip! I was glad we had found a less popular site. Becky spent more time shooing the hungry tame squirrels away than warning people about the wire strung at tripping height. We explored the island a little more and decided to head for the ferry. When I found better cell service, I removed one activation and scheduled another.

Statue of Liberty National Monument (US-0963)

I didn’t need the Statue of Liberty for my personal goals since it is in New York, but we were close, and we had time. It has been activated only slightly more than Ellis Island, so I was happy to light it up again.

At the Statue of Liberty, there were a lot more tourists. But there was also a lot more ground to explore. We thought about setting up on top of the museum, where there’s a grassy roof. But my spouse suggested there was likely a metal roof underneath, and we decided to look elsewhere. Behind the statue is a large promenade with picnic tables and benches. A few people walked down the middle of the promenade, but no one was sitting on either side. We chose the side away from the view of the skyline where people were gathering.

I set up the antenna as before: an EFHW 4FT UP along the edge of the promenade but in the grass. My spouse kept the tripod upright as before. I noticed my QMX power cable was just starting to fray: one is none! I started calling CQ.

I called CQ on 20m for several minutes, with no responses at all. Becky suggested the extraordinarily large metal statue nearby might be a problem. Maybe so, I said.

I dialed around and heard some other signals. So we weren’t in a totally dead zone. I switched to 40m and called CQ for several minutes. Nothing. By now, it was mid-day, so I didn’t expect 40m to be very helpful. I moved back to 20m and resumed calling there. Didn’t anybody want a CW QSO with the Statue of Liberty?!?

After a while, I must have (finally!) hit the RBN. Because I finally received a response. A couple of minutes later, I heard a second one. Then they kept trickling in, with the honest ones giving me signal strengths of 2 (F4ILH from France) or 3 (e.g., KN7D from Utah). I was shocked at how sparsely the calls arrived. Becky looked like she was getting cold. The wind was gusting. I was cold! After getting a dozen calls in my log, I waited for the next lull. After a few unanswered CQs, I called QRT.

Liberty Park

We took the ferry back to Liberty Park. This was another NJ entity I needed. But this time, I could use my full kit. I tossed a line in a tree near our car. Becky waited inside the car. I started calling on 20m. The first response I received was a Park to Park from W4LOO at US-1914 in Florida. In 30 minutes, I had 20 QSOs, including PA3MM from the Netherlands!

Home Again

After packing up the activation, I was able to get in the car and plug in my phone (battery at 1%!) to call QRT and take screenshots of my spots.

My first spot was from N2BTD and read, “Lots of disappointed Hunters that you didn’t do 40m on Liberty Island.” I felt bad about that one. I did do 40m, but it was completely unheard. I figured lots of people would want the Statue of Liberty, but I guess a compromised antenna, in the near presence of a giant copper statue, is pretty limited in what it can do. Also, I’m pretty limited in what I can do in the cold.

With my phone on the charger, I was able to receive the screenshots my spouse took of the spots from Ellis Island. The very last one asked, “Can you go to SSB?” Ironically, I expect the QMX to become SSB-capable in the near future, thanks to firmware updates. And it has a built-in microphone. But I’m not sure how much good that would have done anyone at less than five watts into a compromise antenna.

In retrospect, an EFHW at 4’ was never going to be great. Tuesday mid-day probably wasn’t the best time for POTA hunters, either. Still, I figured there must be people looking for these rarely-activated but prominent parks. I regret not settling in and waiting for more QSOs. I don’t regret not lingering and annoying park staff with an extended activation in a busy park.

Activating POTA is always easier in desolate parks. Wildlife Management Areas are routinely fabulous for this reason! Parks that are international tourist sites are a different matter. Going early in the day and during the off-season seem like good strategies for activating these very famous parks. Leaving lots of extra time to enjoy the museums would make sense as well. Note carefully the restrictions about what cannot be carried onto the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty!

Every POTA activation is an invitation to balance the pleasure of radio with self-care: not getting hurt or damaging equipment so we can all live to play another day. Activating with a spouse is a special case of this: I don’t want to make her regret her choices! Besides the antenna-holding duties for which she volunteered, it’s always a lot of fun to share the challenge of finding new places and achieving a goal.

A Cruel Twist

At home, I eagerly entered my activations on the POTA site. I was delighted to find I had no busted callsigns (besides the one I knew I couldn’t hear on Ellis Island; I still spent some time on the POTA site trying to piece it together). I was very excited to call up the awards page to see I was now at 99/106 parks in NJ: only seven left! Because I already had plans for how to activate the last seven.

But that’s not how my day ended. Instead, there were new parks in New Jersey! Six new ones! I have activated 99/112 parks in NJ in the past eight months, not 99/106.

I’m chasing a moving target! That was a little disappointing. I’m glad we’re getting new parks and grateful to those helping bring that about in NJ.  But maybe you could hold off adding any more until after New Year’s? Hihi!

Thank you, hunters, for answering me when I call! Thanks to the POTA app maintainers for fabulous infrastructure. Thanks to Thomas, K4SWL, for inspiration, reviews, and examples as I re-entered the hobby. And many thanks to my patient, generous spouse who enjoys seeing new places and doesn’t mind spending a little time reading (or even holding down an errant tripod!) if I want to linger for an hour or so.

73 de Todd W2TEF