Category Archives: Field Reports

Field Reports, Morse Code, News, Portable, QRP, Videos

Testing New POTA Gear: High-Band QMX, Explorer Carbon Fiber Mast, Pressure Paddle, and a Packed Nemo Resolve 25L

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Please note that this POTA (Parks On The Air) activation took place on September 19, 2024—eight days before Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina. This is one of a few field reports and activation videos I’ll be sharing that took place before Helene’s arrival.

As I mentioned in my last field report, I haven’t been back to the Vance State Historic Site since the storm, as it’s been closed. Located in the Reems Creek valley, the site likely experienced extensive flooding. I hope this park can recover and reopen soon.

I hope you enjoy this field report and activation video. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reliving it while preparing this for you.

Thank you!
Thomas (K4SWL)

On Thursday, September 19, 2024, I made time for a POTA activation at the Zebulon Vance Birthplace (US-6856) and brought along a few new items to make it even more interesting.

New Pack

I packed my new gear along with extra equipment to fill out my new Nemo Resolve 25L backpack (check it out in gear links below). I wanted to see how well it could handle a full load and how comfortable it would be to carry.

Turns out, it’s very comfortable, and I could easily fit more in this pack than I’d likely ever need. It’s a keeper.

New QMX

First, I brought along a new QRP Labs QMX transceiver. If you’ve been a long-time reader, you’ll know I’ve had a QMX for about a year and think it’s a brilliant little radio. This one, however, is the “high band” version, meaning it covers 20-10 meters. My other QMX is the “low band” version, covering 80-20 meters.

As soon as the high band QMX was announced by QRP Labs, I grabbed one. I purchased an assembled version, knowing it could be a year (or much longer) before I’d have time to actually build one.

When I received this new QMX—I’m not sure, months ago?—I tucked it away in a drawer while reorganizing my shack, then promptly forgot about it (in my defense, I had a crazy year). I eventually rediscovered it, and here we are!

I’d been looking forward to taking it to the field.

New Carbon Fiber Mast

At Hamvention this year (2024), I ran into my good friend Mike Roberge (KE8PTX). He told me he was super excited about a new product that had been showcased—not a flagship radio or similar, but the Explorer POTA20Carbon Fiber Mast. 

Mike was one of the very few people who actually purchased one at Hamvention to take home. I believe Gigaparts only had two or three on hand—mainly for demo—so everyone else had to place an order and wait 6-8 weeks for the first shipment.

Meanwhile, Mike, being the clever fellow he is, designed a 3D-printed ground spike holder that fits a tent stake. This allows the user to unscrew the base cap of the Explorer mast, insert Mike’s ground spike, and support the mast without needing guy wires, etc.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because Mike made a video about how easy it is to deploy the Explorer mast with his ground spike.

I purchased my Explorer pole via Gigapart’s online store during or right after Hamvention. I didn’t receive my mast until sometime in August. This activation was the first time I tried it out in the field.

I deployed my 20M EFHW (built on a TennTennas transformer) by attaching one end to the tip of the Explorer pole, then sloping it down so the feedpoint was close to the edge of the picnic shelter at Vance.

K3ES’s Grippy Pressure Paddle

Another item I rediscovered in September was a VK3IL pressure paddle my good friend Brian (K3ES) gave me at Four Days in May during Hamvention. His version is a standard VK3IL pressure paddle, but with some padded material under the heat shrink, making it easier for big hands to grip.

Brian’s paddle paired nicely with the QMX!

With everything set up, it was time to hit the air.

Gear:

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Radio

Antenna, Support & Cable Assembly

Packs & Cases

Speakers & Headphones

Logging Supplies

Key and Key Accessories

Battery

Camera/Audio Gear

On The Air

The QMX, of course, performed well during this activation.

I did encounter some difficulties at the beginning when the QMX produced significant audio pops in the CW sidetone audio whenever I keyed the radio. I spent a few minutes troubleshooting and even changed speakers, thinking it might have been an issue with the Soundcore Mini.

It turned out to be related to toggling the AGC function. I eventually managed to resolve the audio pops and used the Soundcore Mini. I’m not sure I could replicate the process exactly, but I got it working. (If you’ve had a similar experience, I’d love your input.)

Otherwise, the activation went very smoothly.

I worked my first ten stations in eight minutes—woot!

Activity slowed down a bit after the first ten, but I still managed to work 17 stations in under half an hour.

Many thanks to everyone who hunted me!

QSO Map

Here’s what this five-watt activation looked like when plotted out on a QSO Map:

Screenshot

Activation Video

Here’s my real-time, real-life video of the entire activation.  As with all of my videos, I don’t edit out any parts of the on-air activation time. In addition, I have monetization turned off on YouTube, although that doesn’t stop them from inserting ads before and after my videos.

Note that Patreon supporters can watch and even download this video 100% ad-free through Vimeo on my Patreon page:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Explorer Carbon Fiber Mast

I love that the Explorer mast fits easily in my Nemo backpack. I see myself using it a lot for SOTA and POTA activations where suspending an antenna in a tree isn’t possible.

It’s super lightweight and compact, and Mike’s ingenious tent stake spike mod makes this mast so easy to deploy.

I also enjoyed using Brian’s pressure paddle during this activation—thank you, OM! It’s comfortable to grip and use.

This high-band QMX will make a brilliant SOTA transceiver. I need to take advantage of these high bands while the ionosphere supports them this solar cycle!

Thank you

Thank you for joining me during this activation!
I hope you enjoyed the field report and my activation video as much as I enjoyed creating them!

Also, thank you for all of your recent support and kind messages following Hurricane Helene.

Of course, I’d also like to send a special thanks to those of you who have been supporting the site and channel through Patreon, and the Coffee Fund. While not a requirement, as my content will always be free, I really appreciate the support.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me!

Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

Field Reports, Morse Code, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel, Videos

The POTA Babe Donates Blood at Congaree Bluffs Park

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By Teri KO4WFP

In my last article, I activated Hanging Rock Battleground State Historic Site and then Glenn and I spent the evening at an Airbnb in Camden, South Carolina. Monday, October 14th was the last day of our trip. There was no way this POTA Babe was missing out on an activation on the trip home.

Sunday evening, after the Hanging Rock activation, I searched for a nearby park on the POTA website and settled on Wateree River Heritage Preserve Wildlife Management Area (WMA) (US-10414) as it looked interesting and was on the drive home. However, I didn’t pay attention to the fact a lottery deer hunt would be held on Monday and the park closed to anyone not involved in the hunt. I discovered this fact that morning upon arriving at the site. It was time for a Plan B ASAP.

entrance to Wateree Heritage Preserve WMA

Looking on the POTA website, both Congaree National Park (US-0017) and Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve WMA (US-3916) were nearby. I recall reading that some of the boardwalks/trails in the national park were impacted from Hurricane Helene.  So I opted to visit Congaree Bluffs instead.

Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve is owned by the State of South Carolina. The property was purchased in 2001 with the express purpose of protecting the bluffs and flood plain on the south side of the Congaree River. The high bluffs in this area are not common because central South Carolina is mostly flat. The 201 acres of the park contain significant stands of American beech, oak-hickory, and bottomland hardwood forest. There were also stands of loblolly pines at the time of purchase that management planned to convert to longleaf pine stands over time.

The road into Congaree Bluffs is dirt but appears well maintained. There is a kiosk and signage just as you enter the park.

dirt access road – Turkey Track Lane (what a great name!)

We drove to the parking lot just down the road from the education center. I didn’t have much familiarity with this park since it was a last minute choice. A hasty glance at hiking sites showed the Bluff-River Walk that left from this parking lot down to the Congaree River.  How difficult could that be?

entrance for Bluff-River Walk

Glenn and I walked around the trail gate and began our descent. The first thing we noticed was how many trees were down across the trail as well as vines and other foliage making passage difficult. As we continued our descent, we began to notice the mosquitos. I was wearing long sleeves and pants and had brought bug spray but these mosquitos were not easily deterred. By the time we reached the river, it was obvious we’d be nothing but blood donors there and an activation needed to happen elsewhere.

a tree downed across the trail
on the hike to the river
neat lichens on one of the downed trees
our quick view of the Congaree River

Arriving back at the car, I opted to activate in the parking lot. A stand of pines nearby provided shade (though I augmented that with my Mountain Laurel Designs tarp) and a fairly steady breeze kept the bugs at bay.

a pine stand near the car providing shade
the tarp lazily draped to provide extra shade

As both Glenn and I had CW Innovations classes to coach later that evening, I didn’t have much time for an activation. I opted for the Chelegance MC-750 and, once it was set up, hopped onto 20 meters figuring that band would give me the best chance at a successful activation in a short time-frame. It did! I had 23 QSOs with two park-to-park QSOs in 30 minutes. (Note: One park-to-park didn’t count after the fact as I entered it incorrectly in my log.)

QSO Map for Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve WMA (US-3916) 10-14-2024                               source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/

The only fly in the ointment for my time on 20 meters was the QSB and noise which increased later in the activation. Usually I encounter noise on 40 meters, not 20, but the KX2 filters were a huge help in countering that issue. (I love that little rig!) As for the QSB, well, the best counter for that is plenty of time on the air to gain experience in dealing with it.

If you’d like to see footage of the park as well as get Glenn’s and my take as to whether or not we’d return to Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve, check out the video on my Youtube channel.

This activation places me at 44 activations toward my goal of 60 new, valid park activations for 2024. I’m not sure I’ll be able to complete this goal; however, I will see how far I can get. Where will I show up for park #45? Stay tuned…

Equipment Used

[Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]

Field Reports, Homebrew, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios

Dave’s Minimalist Adventure: Homebrew POTA Activation in Dodge Brook State Forest

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Many thanks to Dave (K1SWL) who shares the following field report:

A Bare-bones POTA Outing

by Dave Benson (K1SWL)

It started with a one-of-a-kind homebrew project and mushroomed from there.  I was returning to my roots with a Direct-conversion rig and it hooked me in our recent ARRL Field Day event in June.

It acquitted itself well on 40M with a total of 81 contacts.

I’ve been enjoying operating various flavors of this design since then, and the bulk of it on 20M.  It finally occurred to me to take this project to the Field.   An impromptu POTA outing was born.

Dodge Brook State Forest (US-4897), is 25 minutes from here and features a clearing about 250 feet across surrounded by tall pines.  This ‘log yard’ was the collection point for logged timber some time ago.

I was able to select an operating location with an open shot to the Southwest from here in New Hampshire.

A homebrew pneumatic launcher put a support line up at 60 feet. [My throwing arm is only a fond memory at this point.]  The antenna followed- a PAR End-fed Half-wave.  The top wound up at the 45 foot level- limited by my coax length. The antenna was set up as a sloper favoring the Eastern US.

The choice of the operating position itself was more difficult.  A fine early Autumn day meant 80F and cloudless weather. Do-able, but toasty after a while.

I had a table and chair in the truck, but they’re a bit unwieldy.  A peek into the tree line yielded another possibility: rocks.   We have an abundance of those here in New England- souvenirs of recent glaciation.   I’ve also bushwhacked to SOTA locations in the past, and sometimes a downed log serves as an operating position.  I’m not proud.

I set the station up on a computer mouse pad to protect it and away I went- about a half-hour behind schedule.  I knocked off the requisite 10 contacts on 20M  in 13 minutes.

I had about 30 minutes available and finished the POTA session with 20 contacts.

This corresponded with the start of the Wednesday CW Ops Sprint activity and its high-speed cacophony.  Five more quick contacts there and I needed to break down the setup and head for home.  I was happy- something of a milestone!

The closeup shows the rig- it runs a generous 5 watts, and the 40M version is pictured.  This was shot in overcast daylight to avoid shadows.  This is board-only at present.

George-N2APB- is currently designing a companion enclosure for it. It’ll appear imminently on his website:

http://midnightdesignsolutions.com

Equipment Lineup:

  • ‘Old Friend’ Direct Conversion transceiver
  • Bienno 4.5 A-H LiFePO4 battery
  • Panasonic ‘over the ear’ headphones
  • Begali ‘Expedition’ model
  • PAR EF-20 half-wave antenna
  • RG8X Coax, 25 feet
  • Pneumatic Launcher, homebrew and 12V compressor.
  • ARRL ‘Minilog’ Logbook
  • Rocks
Accessories, Antennas, Articles, Field Radio Kits, Field Reports, Grab And Go, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, SOTA, Travel

Flying High and Keying Low: A Pilot’s QRP Adventures Across the USA

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Many thanks to Micah (N4MJL) who shares the following guest post:

Elecraft KH1 Anytime and Anywhere Adventures

by Micah (N4MJL)

Anywhere and anytime—that’s how I like to describe my Elecraft KH1. This radio goes everywhere I go. As an airline pilot, I bounce from coast to coast and everywhere in between almost daily. Since I’m constantly on the move, my radio gear has to be small and compact.

I’m a third-generation ham radio CW operator. Anyone who’s heard me on the air knows I’m still quite new to CW. I only started running CW activations with POTA/SOTA in the spring of 2024. Here’s the gear that’s been working well for me, along with a few photos from the locations I’ve had the pleasure of activating.

I’ve found that the Pelican M50 micro case is the perfect “shack in a box” for my KH1. This setup goes everywhere with me. Here’s what fits perfectly in the M50:

  • Packtenna 9:1 random wire
  • 20 ft BNC coax
  • Panasonic ErgoFit earbuds
  • SP4 paddles from CW Morse
  • KH1 (fully loaded with internal battery and tuner)
  • 30 ft throw line
  • Write-in-the-Rain notebook
  • High Visibility Orange Cap-O-Matic Fisher Space Pen (with lanyard)
  • Desiccant silica gel pack

In pedestrian mobile configuration, the KH1 is a solid system. I’ve done several activations this way. That said, after 45 minutes of holding the KH1 in this setup, I’m ready to wrap up! Having a portable shack that lets me deploy a random wire that tunes 40-15m and a more ergonomically designed key drastically improves my capabilities.

In many urban environments where I activate POTA, pedestrian mobile is essential. Unfortunately, the security in urban parks can be unpredictable, and the KH1 allows me to operate on the go and quickly move if needed.

Some of you may be wondering what I did to the inside of my M50 case. Well, in my defense, it’s my wife’s fault. She left me unsupervised with a glue gun and a bit of alcohol. When my KH1 arrived this spring, solar conditions were poor, so I had a few days to think and decided to turn the case into a makeshift Faraday box. I used Polyken aluminum tape, cardboard, and a glue gun to line it. Now, I know what you’re thinking: there’s no electrical bonding between the lid and lower box due to the rubber seal, so will this really work as a Faraday cage? Maybe, maybe not—but it sure looks cool! What do you think?

In addition to the M50 case, I carry a support pouch (Magpul DAKA, size small). This heavy-duty, water-resistant pouch contains:

  • 31 ft counterpoise wire
  • AXE1 40m antenna extender
  • Bioenno battery 12V 3Ah (backup battery—“1 is none, and 2 is 1” if you know, you know!)
  • KH1 power cable
  • KH1 right-angle antenna mount

These items aren’t essential but are nice to have for longer activations.

When I’m done flying and ready to play radio, I pack all this gear into my Flash 22 day pack. This compact, minimalist pack takes up almost no room in my flight bag and even has a built-in whistle on the chest strap, which is perfect for California!

When conditions allow, I enjoy using the full five watts of power. My go-to antenna is the SOTAbeams Band Hopper III, which is a versatile half-wave linked dipole:

  • Rated 125 watts
  • Center-fed with 33 ft RG174 coax
  • Guying system included
  • Resonant on 20m, 30m, and 40m (no tuner needed, though the KH1 tuner will also tune up 17m and 15m)
  • Built-in balun
  • Weighs only 14 oz

The wire/guying winders are excellent, and I’ve used this system in all kinds of environments, from sandy beaches to mountain tops above the treeline. I replaced the aluminum tent pegs with plastic ones to keep TSA happier.

The SOTAbeams Tactical Mini Mast fits diagonally in my 22″ roller board. I wrap heavy rubber-coated wire around it to secure it to posts or shrubs when needed.

Along with this radio gear, I also manage to pack a change of clothes—usually enough for a five-day trip. I typically fly three trips a month, each lasting four to five days. My roller board carries me and my radio gear from plane to plane all week long.

On a short backpacking trip along the Appalachian Trail (June 3, 2024), I activated SOTA summit W4V/BR-007 Three Ridges and the Three Ridges Wilderness area (POTA US-9959). The mountain in the distance is The Priest (W4V/BR-002), which I activated earlier this year with my LNR Precision MTR4B.

The summit of Three Ridges is a densely wooded area, so I stopped below the summit to enjoy the view, grab a quick snack, and play some radio. I snagged two POTA-only QSOs with W8WZ in Louisiana and KU8T in Indiana using the KH1’s whip antenna. Once I reached the summit, I used the Packtenna 9:1 random wire for my activation. Continue reading Flying High and Keying Low: A Pilot’s QRP Adventures Across the USA →

Field Reports, Morse Code, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, Videos

Uncompromised Performance: Taking my new-to-me Ten-Tec Argonaut VI to the field!

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In late August 2024, I came across what I considered a great deal on a fantastic radio, which I’m excited to share with you in the following field report.

Please note that this POTA (Parks On The Air) activation took place on September 5, 2024 (almost exactly two months ago)—three weeks before Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina. This is one of a few field reports and activation videos I’ll be sharing that took place before Helene’s arrival.

I haven’t been back to the Vance State Historic Site since the storm, as it’s been closed. Located in the Reems Creek valley, the site likely experienced extensive flooding. I hope this park can recover and reopen soon.

I hope you enjoy this field report and activation video. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reliving it while preparing this for you.

Thank you!
Thomas (K4SWL)

Reunited with the Model 539

In late August, I was browsing the QTH.com classifieds when I spotted a radio I hadn’t seen for sale in some time: the Ten-Tec Argonaut VI QRP transceiver. This radio had been on my mental watchlist for years.

The seller was asking $440, which I considered a great deal for a radio that, to my knowledge, hasn’t been in production since Ten-Tec closed its Sevierville, TN factory in 2016.

This radio and I have some history together. I was one of the original volunteer Beta testers for the Argonaut VI and, in 2012, wrote a full review of the production model.

Ten-Tec offered me a chance to purchase my Beta unit (updated to full production specs) with a modest discount. But at the time, I simply couldn’t afford it; we’d just built our house, and I couldn’t justify the purchase, especially since I’d also reviewed and bought my Elecraft KX3 that same year.

I always planned to get an Argonaut VI eventually—better late than never, right?

As I mention in my activation video, I plan to make a “Getting to Know You” video for the Argonaut VI soon, so I won’t dive deep into why I love this radio here.

The takeaway? I feel the Argonaut VI has some of the best overall receiver performance of any radio I’ve used. It’s quirky and certainly not perfect, but its excellent receiver, filtering, audio, and QSK make it a benchmark QRP transceiver.

Getting Reacquainted

While the Argo VI was en route to my QTH, I wanted to refresh my memory on its operation.

Since it had been twelve years since I last used the Argonaut VI, I had to revisit my own review to remember some of its nuances!

When it arrived, I quickly put it on the air and operated it from my shack until I had a chance to take it to the field on Thursday, September 5, 2024.

Vance Historic Birthplace (US-6856)

As I always do with smaller POTA sites like Vance, I called ahead to make sure the picnic shelter wouldn’t be reserved at my arrival time. The park ranger replied, “It’s all yours, Thomas!”

The weather was nearly perfect that Thursday, with a hint of fall in the air.

En route to the site, I thought about my antenna options. Since the Argo VI doesn’t have a built-in ATU, I opted to use a resonant antenna for simplicity. In the end, I chose my Chelegance MC-750 vertical, which I set up next to the picnic shelter.

The MC-750 is a quarter-wave antenna, so I extended the telescoping whip for a match on the 20-meter band.

I don’t yet have a field kit specifically built around the Argonaut VI, so I simply brought along various accessories in my Husky weathertight storage box.

I set up the radio, tuned to 20 meters, checked my settings, and was ready to take the Argo VI on its first POTA activation!

Gear

Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

On The Air

I hopped on the air and, within eleven minutes, worked my first ten stations. Continue reading Uncompromised Performance: Taking my new-to-me Ten-Tec Argonaut VI to the field! →

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel

The POTA Babe Hangs Around in South Carolina

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By Teri KO4WFP

In my last article,  I activated Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina at the Buck Mountain Fire Tower. After that activation, Glenn W4YES and I drove to Charlotte to visit college friends – Jennifer and Mike. So far, the day had been wonderful. However, it was far from over.

Our final night of our getaway trip would be spent at an Airbnb in Camden, South Carolina. I chose to activate Hanging Rock Battleground State Historical Park (US-10470), several miles south of Heath Springs, South Carolina. The park is remote and not well marked. All there was to signify its existance from the road we traveled was space large enough to accommodate two cars and a row of pilings. On one of the pilings was a white sign and, behind it, what looked like a trail.

the trail into the park

The park has historical signifance. An outpost was established at Hanging Rock by the British in the 1700s because of its strategic location on the road from Camden to Charlotte. According to the American Battlefield Trust, a  three-hour battle was fought on August 6, 1780 on the site as a “part of a Patriot drive to reclaim the southern colonies after the siege of Charleston, South Carolina”. Fifty-three Americans and two hundred British soldiers lost their lives in this encounter.

Nothing about the site today brings to mind a battle. It is a short hike into the property before one finds giant boulders, some of which appear to be hanging (hence the name, right?).

See how big the boulders are?

We hiked a little further into this property which looked like a little slice of North Carolina in South Carolina. Spots of pincushion moss dotted the ground and leaves crunched under our feet. Sunlight filtered through the foliage. A small creek ran and burbled below the giant boulders above not far from a monument marking the battle.

I think this is pincushion moss
walking beneath the forest canopy

We decided to set up atop the highest and largest of the boulders. On its top, the tree canopy parted, giving my antenna just what it needed. I figured the Chelegance MC-750 would work best here and, given I had a tripod to mount it, it would work fine despite a rocky base.

Glenn atop the boulder on which we setup
closeup of lichens on the boulders
the view from the top down into the forest below

It was still early enough that 20 meters was an option so I secured 14.048. It wasn’t long after I spotted myself that calls began arriving. Over the next 30 minutes, the calls were steady – 24 to be exact. At 6:00 PM, I called QRT because we had yet to check into our Airbnb and needed to be out of the park by dark.

setting up Chelegance tripod
getting ready to run coax
on the air!
QSO Map Hanging Rock Battleground State Historical Park (US-10470) USA 10-13-2024             source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
QSO Map Hanging Rock Battleground State Historical Park (US-10470) 10-13-2024                      source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/

I was especially pleased to have one DX at this activation – Ignacio EA2BD. (Thank you, Ignacio!) I rarely get DX as I don’t chase it. This exchange was a nice surprise.

Tomorrow, Monday, October 14, it was time to head home back to Savannah, Georgia. However, this POTA Babe was not finished! Of course, I would find a park to activate on the drive home. Which park would I choose and would it be successful? Stay tuned…

If you’d like to see the park up close and personal as well as watch Glenn “interview” me afterwards, check out the video on my YouTube channel:

Equipment Used

[Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]

Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, SOTA

SOTA, POTA & Lessons Learned: John and Zach Activate Grassy Mountain

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Many thanks to John Hartzell (W3HN) and Zach Hartzell (NI4K) who share the following guest post:

Activating Grassy Mountain, GA for SOTA and two POTA parks at the same time (all while figuring out what not to do next time)

by John (W3HN) and Zach (NI4K)

Sometime in early 2024, my son Zach contacted me and said, “Dad, the Georgia SOTA and POTA folks are having a campout in October.  Why don’t you visit us in Atlanta and we can go camping, meet some fellow hams, and activate a SOTA peak or two?”  It made sense, as Zach had become the most active ham in the family, had taught himself CW, loved an excuse to go camping, was a natural organizer, and had been the impetus for my handful of POTA activations. And it was all easier now that I had retired in December 2023.

The “campout” was the W4SOTA campout, planned for Wednesday, October 2 through Sunday, October 6, 2024, at the Lake Rabun Beach Campground at the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.  Zach got his camping vehicle, Thor the Taco truck, ready for the jaunt.  A Taco truck (for the handful of folks out there that don’t know this), is a Toyota Tacoma pick-up.

“Thor” is the name the truck acquired because of its imposing demeanor.

Thor at Wind Cave National Park

It has four-wheel drive, a three-inch lift, the metric equivalent of 33” tires, a Go Fast Camper pop-up camper over the bed, an electric winch, a silly number of extra lights up front, and is equipped for some of Zach’s hobbies.  Air compressor for mountain biking?  Check.  Back-up battery with separate charging system for ham radio and a 12-volt refrigerator?  Check.  A pullout kitchen with a sink and two-burner stove?  Check.

Winter Field Day in Northern New Mexico

Both 2-meter FM and GMRS radios in the cab for communicating with your mountain biking and camping buddies on those weekends on western Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands?  Check.

Thor in North Georgia

It even has 12-volt DC available via Anderson power connectors in the cab, because you never know when you might be driving cross country and come to a lonely park in serious need of a POTA activation.

Zach emailed me spreadsheets with gear lists and options.  I ignored them, scribbled unintelligible notes on my yellow pads, and ended up bringing everything that might arguably be used for SOTA, POTA, Winter and Summer Field Days, or to run a 1970s era government emergency communications center.  Truthfully, that is an exaggeration – I didn’t pack the warm clothes required for a Winter Field Day.

Zach paid for a campsite, and our trip south from Pennsylvania was planned, when everything came to a screeching halt on September 30, 2024.  Hurricane Helene had severely damaged areas of Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia.  Zach soon learned the original campout was cancelled when he received an electronic refund for the campsite.  Some of the original attendees were unable to make it, including Thomas (K4SWL) who was reporting regularly on the devastation and challenges to his family and neighbors from his QTH outside of Swannanoa, North Carolina, just east of Asheville.

We couldn’t confirm if there was a substitute campout.  Despite this, we decided to push on with a modified weekend.  My wife and I drove south to Atlanta, Zach organized his gear, he helped me “sort” (i.e., drastically cut back) my gear from multiple plastic tubs, and we had use of a cabin near Ellijay, Georgia, within a short drive to the summit and parks Zach had mapped out.  We decided we could pull this off, and on Friday, October 4, Zach and I loaded Thor and were soon booming north from Atlanta on US-575.

View from overlook on forest road leading to Conasuaga Lake, GA

Ellijay, Georgia is a nice town.  After a lovely rooftop dinner, a good night’s sleep in a cabin in the woods, and a great breakfast at a local restaurant, Zach had Thor headed to our destination, Grassy Mountain, summit W4G/HC-007.  In addition to having two hams activating this SOTA summit, Zach had determined that Grassy Mountain was located within two POTA parks, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest (US-4473), and Cohutta Wildlife Management Area (US-7446).  So, if we were organized, we could provide a double-triple – two operators and three locations (a SOTA summit and two POTA parks).

In about 45 minutes Thor led us to a parking spot deep in the forest near the locked gate to the Grassy Mountain access trail.  We donned our GORUCK rucksacks filled with radios, antennas, coax, water, sundry accessories, and a snack or two (we left the steel plates at home).  The route up to the top of the summit was a mile and a half hike on rutted double-track, with a switchback a little over half way to the summit.

View from John’s operating position

Once atop the summit Zach and I assessed the site.  It consisted of about one acre of cleared land, with what looked like a former fire watch tower in the corner of the cleared area.  Zach and I broke out our KX2 Elecraft transceivers.  Zach hooked his to a Tufteln 40-10 EFRW, mounted to a SOTA Beams carbon fiber telescopic mast.  I deployed a EndFedz EFT-MTR 20/30/40 antenna in a sloper configuration, and tuned it up using the internal Elecraft tuner.  Those were the bands I intended to use. I also had my Mountain Topper MTR-3B QRP transceiver, which might get some use, too.  We also used some untested QRP bandpass filters found on eBay.  They seemed to work, but will undergo more scientific testing to confirm their functionality.

Trying the Tufteln Kneeboard for the activation

Zach was racking up contacts on CW, but I was having difficulty on SSB.  I had been trying to operate the antenna on 20 and 40 meters when it was configured for 30 meters – which we only realized when we took a gander at the antenna manual back at the cabin after we regained cell service.  The SMA connector is removed to enable 30-meter operation, not installed.  Bing!  It is a testament to Elecraft that their antenna tuner is robust enough to handle that mismatch.  It is also an excellent example of why you should read the equipment manuals for gear you don’t operate very often before your field effort!

Elevation is our friend to reach 42.5 miles (Grassy Mountain, GA to Blood Mountain, GA) on 2m FM

Zach had suggested we use 2 meter FM for the SOTA activation, in addition to HF, so we climbed the tower as far as we could and called on the 2-meter simplex calling frequency, 146.520 MHz.  We each got two or three contacts on this frequency, as there were enough folks activating summits from the original plan for the W4SOTA weekend.  Interestingly, they included N5FY, the owner of Tufteln, the manufacturer of Zach’s HF Antenna.

John (W3HN) and Zach (NI4K) at Grassy Mountain, GA Summit

Zach was able to use FT8 for a QSO using an Android Application called FT8 Radio on his phone, which was linked to his KX2 through a Digirig Mobile.  My CW was still rusty despite some recent practice, so I stayed on HF SSB.  We enjoyed the excellent weather, some good radio conditions, and had satisfied the requirements for all three activations after 90 minutes or so.  We soon packed up, hiked down, and were soon buckled into Thor and navigating the dirt roads of the national forest.

Lessons Learned:

  1. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, in discussing World War II, is alleged to have said “plans are worthless, but planning is everything.”  Ike was a smart man.  A bit more planning (at least on my part) would have made things more efficient.
  2. It was a nice day for not just hams, and we had some visitors to the summit.  Zach put on his public relations hat and adroitly educated these folks while I continued to try to contact folks on SSB with a 30-meter antenna tuned to 20 meters.  We should have foreseen this and been better prepared (note: see item
  3. Zach thought a good approach would be to contact folks on the 2-meter simplex calling frequency (146.520 MHz), and then to QSY to the 2-meter adventure frequency (which is 146.580 MHz).  We did not try this, as we quickly had many QSOs on the calling frequency.  It was a good idea, as it would keep the calling frequency from being over used for routine communications.  However, I think there are two possible bugs in this ointment: (a) I am not sure hams know of the adventure frequency so that they have it in their 2-meter memory bank; and (b) if not in their memory bank, could hams quickly QSY to the frequency?  It is not intuitive to change frequency for me on my HT, and I carry a laminated cheat sheet to help me with frequency changes (note: Zach will attest that radios more complicated than an HealthKit HW-16 cause me challenges, including many with dropdown menus, so this could be a personal hardship and not one shared with other hams).
  4. Logging is important, evidence of the adage: “if you didn’t write it down, it didn’t happen.”  I was a bit flustered when we got started, and my log soon looked like a Bletchley Park cipher sheet.  A few more minutes at the beginning would have saved a lot of time at the end when piecing together the logs for upload to our friends at SOTA and POTA.
  5. We were without cell coverage on the summit.  We prospectively scheduled the activation with SOTA and POTA sites the night before, but we were off by a few hours when we started operating.  Would it have been better to not spot ourselves, and then just start operating?  I am not sure.  Probably the best solution would have been to provide enough lead time in our plan to ensure the times included in our spots aligned with the actual operating times, even if it meant we had to wait on site before starting our activation.
  6. This was the first time we used some of the gear, predominantly the 20/30/40 antenna.  We recommend a practice assembly of all the gear with SWR meters, manuals (cell service to access missing manuals), culminating in QSOs using the equipment and modes desired for the activation (note: see again our friend, item 1).  This occurred the day after the activation for the HF kits through “trouble shooting,” but we were able to program our 2 meter radios prior to departure which saved some time and frustration at the summit.
  7. We had fun.  Pushing yourself in a new direction can cause a touch of anxiety, but it also develops new ideas on how to handle things in the future and provides a sense of satisfaction once you’ve done it.  I’m glad Zach had this idea.  Perhaps we’ll try it again next year with all the regional SOTA and POTA folks!
Field Reports, Morse Code, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Videos

My First Post-Helene POTA Activation!

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On Friday, October 24, 2024, I performed my first POTA activation exactly one month (to the day) after Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina.

It felt oh so good!

As many of you know who’ve been following my Post-Helene updates, I simply haven’t had time to do POTA or SOTA activations. And even if I wanted to, most of the POTA sites around me are temporarily closed due to damage from Helene.

Truthfully, I didn’t start my day expecting a POTA activation. I’d planned, if anything, to make a short field radio video somewhere on my property, chase some POTA/SOTA stations, and make any other random contacts.

However, my daughter’s Shakespeare class decided to meet in person, so after dropping her off at 12:30, I had about two hours of free time. Before leaving home, I packed a couple of radio bags just in case I could find a spot for a POTA activation, or at least visit a local park to play radio for a bit.

I realized I was only a 20-minute drive from the Sycamore Flats picnic site in Pisgah National Forest (US-4510), where I’ve activated many times before. This site is in Transylvania County, which wasn’t hit as hard by Helene.

Google Maps showed the site as open, so I decided to drive over. Thankfully, it was correct! When I arrived, the front gate was open and there were a few visitors around.

I could tell the site had some storm damage—some tree limbs down and evidence of flooding from the Davidson River, which wraps around the area. The park service recently upgraded the picnic table pads, but the gravel had washed away, and many tables had either shifted or washed away.

That said, this site fared well compared to parks in Buncombe County. (Chimney Rock State Park is still inaccessible due to major flooding in the town of Chimney Rock.)

I hopped out, grabbed my backpack and TR-45L, and started recording my activation video.

Since no one was using the picnic shelter at the northeast end of the park (and it had no reservation sign), I set up there. I deployed my MM0OPX End-Fed Half-Wave antenna on a nearby tree, connected it to my TR-45L, and was ready to go!

Gear

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On The Air

I hopped on the air and started calling CQ POTA. After the RBN picked me up and the POTA website auto-spotted me, the contacts started rolling in! Continue reading My First Post-Helene POTA Activation! →

Field Reports, Guest Posts, Morse Code, POTA, QRP

Offline QRP Activation

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When you have activated the same park nearly 160 times, it starts to get a bit routine. Certainly, any day that you’re alive and able to participate in ham radio is a day to be thankful for, but I have to admit that lately I’ve gotten rather bored with activating from the Presidio of San Francisco US-7889.

the Golden Gate Bridge in a clear morning.
Not a bad view from the activation location.

What could I do to spice things up a little bit? Recently, the W6CSN shack welcomed a new member into the QRP radio lineup, the venerable Heathkit HW-8. This got me to thinking about the days when the HW-8 was new, QRP was a niche part of the hobby, and the Internet was something that connected mainframes at universities.

Heathkit HW-8 Front Panel

That’s an idea! Try to activate a park for POTA without using the internet tools on which we’ve come to rely. The rules are: no self spotting on the POTA website and no looking at the POTA spots page to find stations to hunt. If you want to hunt, you’re going to have tune around and listen for stations calling CQ.

close up photo of antenna mounted to a steel post
The stainless steel vertical mounts to a fence post which provides a good counterpoise.

The HW-8 would not debut on this activation as it’s waiting on a power cord and we haven’t really gotten to know each other yet. Instead, the trusty KH1 would be the radio choice today, coupled to a quarter wave vertical on 20 meters and sending via the Bencher BY-1.

KH1 transceiver and Bencher paddles on a park bench
It is only fitting to use the BY-1 on a park bench.

I set up camp on 14.059 MHz and began calling CQ POTA with no prescheduled activation, no spot on pota.app, not even looking at my phone to see what the propagation numbers were saying. In fact, I only used my phone as a camera to take pictures for this field report.

Within a few minutes I got my first call, from Ken VE7HI. The next 40 minutes were spent calling CQ and hunting other stations until I had six contacts in the log. Then came the long, desolate hour of calling with no responses and being unable to break through any of the “pileups” around other activators. The drought ended with a P2P with NR1D/0 at Barr Lake State Park in Colorado and 15 minutes later the activation was complete with K6BBQ coming through for QSO number 11.

map showing location of contacted stations
Map of “offline” POTA activation QSOs.

While the internet certainly makes it so much easier, this activation proves that the QRPer can be successful in POTA with just a 5 watt radio and a half decent antenna. If you are looking to spice up your POTA routine, why not give an “offline” activation a try?

72 de W6CSN

Antennas, Articles, Field Reports, Guest Posts, POTA

64-Contacts Spanning 6-Bands, 8-Countries, 3-Continents Using A 17m Coaxial-Sleeve Vertical Dipole

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Gee, the title almost tells the whole story.  But not really.  The title is where I ended up; how I got there, is the story.

Here’s the story.

Today, I hope to activate Fintry Protected Area CA-3505 in southern British Columbia.

One of my objectives since I started POTA last year is to try to activate as many parks as I can in the Okanagan region of BC that have not yet been activated by anyone.  Nothing like a good challenge.  I expect that most of them haven’t been activated because they are quite remote and difficult to access unless one has a true off-road all-terrain vehicle.  Even at that, sometimes it still requires backpacking-in, to boot (no pun intended).  This is in part because many of the Protected Areas and Ecological Reserves are not always directly accessible by vehicle.  The roads often do not enter the park boundaries at all.  They get you close, and then you need to hoof-it in to be POTA legit inside the park boundaries.

Fintry Protected Area has never been activated before, by anyone. I’m wondering why?  Compared to many of my past activations, it isn’t nearly as difficult to access as some others I’ve been to.

The location in Fintry CA-3505 that I will be activating today is located about a 1-hour drive north of Kelowna, BC (where I live) via West Kelowna.  The last section of travel is via rough gravel roads.

Continue reading 64-Contacts Spanning 6-Bands, 8-Countries, 3-Continents Using A 17m Coaxial-Sleeve Vertical Dipole →