It’s January 1st, 2025, and I’d like to wish you a very Happy New Year!
I mentioned on Patreon yesterday that, in a sense, I’m happy to see 2024 in the rear-view mirror.
Frankly, it was a tough year for our family in many ways, but even amidst the challenges, there were moments of celebrationandjoy.
Our biggest takeaway from 2024 was experiencing the overwhelming love, kindness, and support from our community after my mother’s passing, my father and father-in-law’s (multiple) hospitalizations, and, especially, the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
This community pulled us through, and for that, we are deeply grateful. Thank you!
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we move into the new year, I’m committed to keeping an optimistic outlook. On the radio front, I hope to activate new parks and summits and attend events like Hamvention, Four Days in May, and possibly another QRP convention. I’ve a couple of radio kits I’d also like to get on the bench when things calm down.
We also hope to fit in a bit of travel this summer and restart our vacation rental after storm repairs have been completed.
A Fresh Start with Correspondence
If you know me, you know I take great pride in responding to every email I receive. I value the time and effort people take to reach out.
But even in the best of times, keeping up with correspondence can be challenging. I typically receive 12–24 personal messages daily—some days more, some days less—and that’s in addition to routine emails from our family business, organizations, charities, etc. It takes me a few minutes to respond to each, so time-wise, it really adds up.
After Hurricane Helene, I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of kind messages and support from readers. It was humbling. Between storm recovery, family commitments, and running QRPer.com, however, my ability to respond to emails virtually disappeared.
I’ve read every message, but replying takes time, and recent hand soreness from storm cleanup and chainsawing has made typing for extended periods difficult. Compounding the issue, my SPAM filter has been overly aggressive, likely deleting 30%+ of messages from new senders.
Despite my best efforts, my backlog has remained at over 350 individual messages, and I know some messages have been permanently lost.
Moving Forward
After discussing this with a friend (who is a public figure and struggles with this much more than I do), I’ve decided to implement a correspondence moratorium for 2025.
This means I’ll archive my current 2024 email backlog and start fresh.
If you’ve written to me with a field report or QRPer.com submission and haven’t heard back, please re-send it—I’ll prioritize those and get them in the pipeline.
For those who sent notes of encouragement: please know I’ve read and deeply appreciated every word, even if I couldn’t reply.
Thank you for understanding.
Looking to the Future
We’ll still be tackling storm restoration projects well into the summer, but I’m hopeful for more balance as my daughters start their university journeys this fall (we’re so proud of them). In the meantime, my family and I are incredibly grateful for your kindness and support.
Here’s wishing you and yours a 2025 filled with joy, peace, and plenty of QRP!
The second activation took place the following day, on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
A Flexible Plan
That morning, I had an activation site in mind but didn’t want to set anything in stone. I wanted my wife and daughters to enjoy their day doing whatever they wanted.
My Trakke EDC backpack containing no less than two full field kits!
Of course, as we walked out the door, I brought along my EDC backpack, which contained my Elecraft KH1 and KX2 compact field kits—just in case!
One of the aquarium staff, along with three divers, gave a presentation about sharks at their massive salt water tank.
The aquarium was beautiful, with an impressive amount of diversity.
Best of all, since it was off-season, we practically had the place to ourselves, save for one school group.
We even spotted this cute little owl.
Interestingly, the aquarium is located within a POTA site: Theodore Roosevelt State Conservation Area (US-3868). The conservation area can be accessed via a footpath that winds through the surrounding woodlands and marshes.
While I briefly considered activating there, I knew we only had time for one activation that day, and I had another site in mind!
Fort Macon State Park (US-2730)
We devised a plan: I dropped off my wife and one of my daughters at a large thrift store (my wife loves thrift shopping), while my other daughter, Neva, Hazel (our dog), and I drove eight minutes to the first Fort Macon State Park beach access point.
Fort Macon State Park is a real gem on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. It’s got a little bit of everything—stunning beaches, a historic Civil War-era fort, and plenty of spots to enjoy the outdoors. The beaches are perfect for strolling, hunting for seashells, or just soaking in the ocean views, while the fort itself is packed with history and interesting exhibits. It’s also a great spot for birdwatching or fishing if that’s your thing.
I had scouted out the beach access parking lot earlier and discovered a picnic shelter that provided a much-needed wind break for the blustery day.
The goal? To be gone no longer than one hour. Factoring in the 16-18 minutes of driving (round trip), that left me about 40 minutes to deploy my station, complete the activation, pack up, and return.
Time challenge
Every time I devise a plan to complete an activation within a set amount of time, I get a bit of a thrill. It reminds me of Darren McGavin’s character, the father in A Christmas Story. When the car’s tire blows out, he doesn’t see it as an inconvenience; he sees it as a challenge and times himself replacing the tire.
Like “The Old Man” Parker, I get a kick out of timing myself during activations. I can almost hear Jean Shepherd narrating my efforts!
KX2 + AX1 to the Rescue
Since I used the KH1 the previous day at Cape Lookout, I decided to deploy my Elecraft KX2 at Fort Macon.
Again, I’d already scouted the picnic shelter during a brief visit our first evening in Beaufort. It was in a fenced area surrounded by protected dunes, with no natural antenna supports like trees or brush. Since I had packed light with just my EDC backpack, I didn’t have my carbon fiber mast or a self-supporting vertical like my MC-750.
In the past, I’ve been known to simply hang a random wire antenna over the roof trusses of a picnic shelter, and it has worked quite well in a pinch. While this was certainly an option, I also knew from experience that threading the antenna through the trusses can be a bit finicky and time-consuming.
There was no need to fiddle with a wire antenna when I had my uber-portable Elecraft AX1 antenna in the KX2 field kit case.
Setting up the KX2 and AX1 takes two minutes at a casual pace. If I’m in a hurry, I can get them paired and ready to operate in under a minute. With the gear ready, it was time to see if propagation would cooperate!
Gear
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As I finish 2024, it is time to look forward to and set ham radio goals for 2025. Why even set goals? We all need challenges not only to maintain our skills but also progress with them. Challenges motivate us, “gamifying” our pursuits. Also, they are fun, the ultimate goal with ham radio as it is a hobby.
When setting goals, one needs to keep in mind the acronym S.M.A.R.T. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based. From a big picture perspective, goals should excite but also scare one a little. If they don’t scare you, then you aren’t challenging yourself.
This may not sound like much of a challenge given that my goal for 2024 was 60 new activations. According to the POTA website, there are 77 parks (46 in Georgia and 32 in South Carolina) that are within a 100-mile radius of my home QTH. Of those parks, I’ve activated 23. That leaves 54 parks within a doable driving distance for new activations.
In addition to the parks I may activate close to home, I have, as of right now, four trips already on the calendar for 2025: a camping trip with Daisy to southeast Georgia the first week of January, a short camping trip to a nearby state park with my son during his spring break, a short trip to Camden, South Carolina with Glenn, and a trip to Canada (New Brunswick, Quebec, and Prince Edward’s Island) in July.
Between the POTA sites still available close to home and the trips I am planning, I think a goal of 30 new valid park activations is an attainable goal by the end of 2025.
Just as it is good to push myself and experience new parks, I also want to experience POTA in a relaxed and easy manner. Activating the same park over and over may sound boring; but I propose it doesn’t have to be. Experiencing a park over the course of the year allows you to become intimate with that landscape. I think of Aldo Leopold’s book “A Sand County Almanac.”
For those of you that don’t like math, you can skip this and the next paragraph. For jollies, I sat down and figured out that for the 47 activations this year, I had 1,193 QSOs and spent roughly 2,780 minutes on the air attaining those QSOs. That means each QSO took on average 2.33 minutes. Of course, those of you who activate know that how long an activation takes will depend on propagation, how easily and quickly you spot yourself, whether you are running a frequency or also hunting other activators (the latter takes more time), and distractions.
I need 1,000 QSOs for a kilo award. If on average it takes 2.33 minutes per QSO (what it took this past year for the parks I activated), a kilo may take 39 hours. Let’s say I am fortunate enough to activate this refuge twice a month. If so, I’ll need to spend, on average, an hour and a half on the air during each activation to reach my goal. Given this park’s close proximity and my schedule, this goal is attainable though it won’t be easy.
A worthy goal – a kilo at Savannah NWR
On the air with my straight key, cootie, bug, and paddle each weekly
Many of you know I don’t have a ham shack at my home anymore because of antenna restrictions. I am blessed to have a shack at my parents’ house. But, as it is a 15-minute drive one-way, I find it a challenge to get on the air regularly throughout the week.
There are so many ways to do this. For the paddle, I hope to activate POTA weekly. I also usually use my paddle for my weekly code buddy QSOs with Caryn KD2GUT.
As for my mechanical keys, there are QSOs with my other two code buddies – Charles W4CLW and Gary K4IIG. For QSOs with hams new to CW, I usually use my cootie or straight key as I can run slower more easily with those keys. There are also SKCC monthly events and special events – Straight Key Night (January 1st), K3Y month for SKCC (the entire month of January), K2D for International Dog Day (August), the NAQCC anniversary week in October – in which to participate. And when all else fails, there is the old standby of calling CQ.
Increase my comfort level in headcopying QSOs
Speed is not everything. In fact, accuracy trumps speed any day. Most conversational QSOs occur at 20 wpm and under, hence I’ve chosen 20 wpm as my typical speed on the air and will probably stay there for the bulk of my QSOs. I routinely head copy my conversational (ragchew) QSOs. However, I’d like to increase my comfort level and skill in doing so (don’t we all?). What is my plan for doing so?
Before Glenn moved to Savannah, he and I were code buddies and just beginning to run our QSOs at 25 wpm. Now that we live in the same area, we stopped those QSOs. We could be code buddies over vband or Zoom; however, both of us prefer to be on the air as that is why we have a ham radio license and neither vband or Zoom QSOs are valid QSOs we may put in our log. We are working on a UHF/VHF bands solution we learned about from a CW Innovations‘ alum recently. I hope to share that in a QRPer article in the future.
My goal is to have code buddy QSOs with Glenn again, at least once but hopefully twice a week. Regular practice coupled with some ICR training (32 wpm character speed) will knock the rust off my code skills from a lack of consistent practice over the course of this past year. I also plan to check into the 3905 Century Club net or OMIK net several times a month as that on-the-air experience is different from the bulk of my QSOs.
Well, I think that gives this POTA Babe plenty to chew on for 2025. An additional, unstated but most important challenge will be to maintain balance. To ensure I am driving the goals and the goals are NOT driving me. To keep in mind that the journey, not the destination, is what ultimately matters.
Ogeechee River at Fort McAllister State Park
I am curious as to your goals for next year. Please feel free to leave them in the comments below. I look forward to sharing with you my continuing journey in 2025. Best wishes for a safe and fun end of the year for all of you! As to the adventures ahead, stay tuned…
If you’ve been listening to the Ham Radio Workbench podcast, you might have heard Vince (VE6LK) mention that he and VE6TD planned to order parts to produce a batch of pre-built VK3IL pressure paddles.
Well, I just heard from Vince that they have completed a limited run. Here are the details from the ordering page:
For a limited time, VE6LK and VE6TD are selling pre-built 4″ (100mm) long VK3IL v2 pressure paddles. They ship with a high-quality attached 4′ silicone cable with your choice of a straight-through or right-angle TRS plug on the end.
We are the only place you can buy one of these pre-built in North America. If you would rather order a kit, check out VK3IL’s blog [linked here] where he lists other places that sell kits. We are not selling kits, these are pre-built.
You’ll receive exactly the following:
Pre-built paddle with integrated 4′ silicone super flexible cable
Your choice of straight or right-angle plug on the end of the cable
Wrapped in black heat shrink tubing, padded on one side for comfort
Paddle is approximately 105mm (4″) long x 25mm (1″) wide x 9mm (5/16″) thick and weighs 28g (1 oz.)
We pre-test each and every paddle before it leaves our hands.
The price for each pre-built paddle, shipped to Canada or within the continental United States (CONUS), is $85 CAD or approximately $59 USD. I believe this is a fair price for those who prefer not to source the parts themselves to build a VK3IL paddle.
I must say that the pressure paddle design functions beautifully. It provides very accurate keying in the field and, so far, it has worked with every radio I’ve connected it to.
This afternoon, instead of venturing out to a local park, I decided to do a little POTA hunting from home—QRP portable style.
It was a fun experience and felt a bit like an at-home activation, except, of course, there was no actual activation since I wasn’t at a POTA site.
Fair warning: the video is very long and practically designed to defy YouTube’s algorithm, which favors short, highly-edited videos optimized for engagement.
My hope for this video is simple: that it is what it is—a slow TV ham radio adventure. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
Since it’s Christmas Eve, I’m keeping things low-key and won’t be publishing a full field report—just this little intro! You’ll find gear links in the video description.
Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or Joyous Winter Solstice. No matter how you celebrate, I hope it’s filled with love and joy!
Last Sunday, my family set out on a trip across North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast. Our destination was Beaufort, a charming coastal town I hadn’t visited in 17 years. This quick pre-Christmas getaway was a surprise for my daughters—and for Hazel, our dog, who loves adventure just as much as we do.
Planning for the Trip
Since our Subaru Forester was destroyed during Hurricane Helene, we’ve been relying on our Volvo C40 Recharge. While it’s a fantastic car, its limited cargo space made packing for this trip a challenge. I initially planned to squeeze in luggage, food, and radio gear for the five of us (including Hazel).
However, the logistics got tricky. Everyone packed light, but it would have been a tight fit, especially since we’d need to bring Hazel’s portable (folding) kennel. To complicate things further, we would have to stop for at least one full charge each way during the 13-hour round trip, adding 30–50 minutes to each leg of the journey.
When I learned the level 2 charger near our rental house in Beaufort might be out of service, I decided to rent a minivan instead. Thanks to our insurance provider, AMICA, the process was easy and straightforward. The added space made the trip much more comfortable.
Even with the roomier minivan, I stuck to my original plan for radio gear, bringing only my Elecraft KX2 and KH1, both neatly packed in my EDC backpack.
Arriving in Beaufort
We arrived in Beaufort on Sunday afternoon. Our AirBnB rental was perfectly situated within walking distance of the historic downtown. The home was cozy, and the location couldn’t have been better for exploring the area.
On Monday, we spent the day wandering through Beaufort, soaking in the town’s charm and history. Then, on Tuesday, December 17, we headed to Harker’s Island for a short ferry ride to Cape Lookout National Seashore and its iconic lighthouse.
The Ferry Ride
Spotting Cape Lookout Lighthouse with a low, thin ceiling
Hazel turned out to be a huge fan of ferry rides—she couldn’t get enough of speeding across the water in a small boat (and the attention of the eight others on the boat with us)!
Since it was the off-season, the island was nearly deserted, with maybe a dozen other visitors in total.
The weather was ideal: light winds, and temperatures that made it feel like pure bliss.
A Saltwater Ground-Plane Activation
You might recall from a previous post that I’d been looking forward to trying something new: a POTA activation with my antenna’s counterpoise wire dangling directly in the ocean.
[Many thanks to my daughter Neva (K4TLI) for some of these photos!]
Cape Lookout, with its stunning lighthouse and pristine beaches, provided the perfect setting for this experiment.
The Activation
While my wife, daughters, and Hazel explored the beaches near the lighthouse, I headed to the calm waters of Lookout Bight with my Elecraft KH1. Since we arrived at the island around 10:30 AM and needed to catch the return ferry by 1:30 PM, I limited my activation to under an hour to maximize family time.
Standing at the water’s edge, I let the KH1’s counterpoise wire dangle into the saltwater while operating pedestrian mobile. Did it make a dramatic difference in signal propagation? I can’t say for certain, other than the results were amazing!
Gear
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Sony ICD-FX312 Digital Recorder ($20 thrift store find)
On The Air
I had scheduled this activation before leaving that morning, assuming I wouldn’t have mobile coverage on the island. Surprisingly, we had excellent signals there.
My plan was straightforward: start on 17 meters, move to 15 meters, and finish on 20 meters. Since I didn’t bring my AXE 40M coil or the longer counterpoise, I planned to skip 30 and 40 meters. With limited time, I doubted I could fit those bands into the activation anyway. Continue reading Cape Lookout Activation: A Family Adventure and Saltwater Experiment→
by Bryce Bookwalter (KD9YEY) and Joe Ladwig (W9NVY)
It’s finally winter here in Southern Indiana, which, for many, brings a time of cozy indoor activities and quiet radio time in the comfort of a warm shack. For Joe and me, however, this means it’s winter POTA time!
I have always preferred hiking in the winter—there are fewer bugs, less humidity, and typically much better views since the leaves aren’t in the way. It makes sense that my passion for outdoor radio also increases in the colder months. With work and school (Joe is a teacher) slowing down for the year, we decided it would be a good time to fit in another POTA trip.
Over the last two years, we have been checking states off our “activated” list, and lately, we have had to travel farther and farther away to find a state we haven’t activated. Joe had the lofty goal of traveling to the Minnesota (MN), North Dakota (ND), South Dakota (SD) tri-corner and catching Iowa (IA) on the way, but once we looked at the total travel time (27 hours!), we decided there might be other opportunities that are closer and less prone to winter mayhem.
We have set our sights on the corner of Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. One of the perks of being in “the crossroads of America” is that there are many places within a day’s drive. This intersection of three states is no exception. With a mere 6.5-hour drive, we will be able to activate three states in one day. We plan to overnight in Wheeling, WV, and then start our triple-state POTA adventure the next day.
Our first destination is US-0704 Fort Necessity National Battlefield in PA. With 68 activations already on record here, it seems like it will be a great place to activate. I have always enjoyed history, so this site is one that I am particularly excited to see. Activating at National Parks can have its challenges, so we will be sure to plan our equipment accordingly.
Our journey continues into Maryland, where we will try to activate at US-6400 Youghiogheny Wild River State Natural Area. This area is part of the Mississippi watershed that stretches from the western slope of the Appalachian Mountains in the east to the Rockies in the west. Based on the topography I see on the map, this spot has the potential for some beautiful views. This site has 46 reported activations, with 45 of them being successful, so we anticipate victory!
Our final state to activate this day will have us traveling back into West Virginia. We will stay another night in Wheeling before heading home the next day, and US-5585 Coopers Rock State Forest is conveniently on the way. Coopers Rock is another site with some amazing topography, at least according to the map, and I am very excited to see it! According to the website, “Coopers Rock State Forest boasts some of the most iconic views in Almost Heaven.” I’ve been to West Virginia several times, and the views never disappoint.
With our destinations selected, the next step is to pick the proper gear. With a trip of this scale, and this far from our ham shacks, it’s important to plan carefully. I always like to have backups when I go to activate, but in this case, I think having a few extra will be a good idea. Since this is a trip for POTA, we really have the entire vehicle to pack gear into, so why not bring all the toys?! Another important consideration is the parks we have chosen. One of them is a historic battlefield and a National Park… I can’t imagine throwing heavy lines into trees and hoisting antennas into the air will be tolerated, so having an antenna system that doesn’t require that will be an important consideration.
With these factors in mind, we have selected the following gear:
Radios
Yaesu FT-891 w/ tuner: This workhorse always delivers exceptional performance and I’m not saying anything new to speak of its POTA capabilities. Due to its size (especially with tuner) and weight, this isn’t a first choice for me as a backpacking radio. But with a car to carry it, and not having to carry a full camping loadout along with it, this radio is a go-to for our POTA escapades.
Xiegu G90: If you’ve watched any of my YouTube videos you know that this is my typical POTA rig. It relatively lightweight, has an internal tuner, and isn’t a huge battery draw with it’s 20W max output. I typically run it at 10W to give myself the QRP challenge and it consistently performs very well.
QRP Labs QMX: This little beauty is my backpacking radio of choice. It is incredibly lightweight and versatile. Currently, as far as I am aware, it still only runs CW and Digital modes. Eventually it will have the capability to run SSB and I am very excited for when that day comes. Until then, I use it for FT8 in the field and it does a great job. I am still learning CW so I haven’t used it to make contacts that way yet, but I will soon!
Yaesu FT-60: This is my HT of choice, which I always like to have with me when I travel. Before I leave, I will have the local repeaters programmed into it and it will be fun to try and reach a 2m/70cm contact via simplex while at the parks as well.
Yaesu VX-6: This is Joe’s HT of choice and another great radio from Yaesu. With it we can also try and get a 1.25m simplex contact…if band operators are out there.
Antennas
PackTenna!: The first thing going into my kit is the PackTenna! This antenna has proven itself to be incredibly capable and super easy to use. I have the 40m extension that goes with it as well and between its performance and the weight…it has quickly become my favorite antenna.
SOTABeams Bandhopper 3: This antenna is a 20m, 30m, and 40m dipole and works wonderfully, especially when paired with the Tactical Mast from SOTABeams. The only drawback to using this antenna is that to change bands, you must lower the antenna to the ground and connect or disconnect the alligator clips along the wire. Other than that, this antenna does great work.
K9EI Antennas: Joe and I both use K9EI antennas and they work great. Not only is K9EI a local in our area but he also makes great products. The 20m EFHW is always in my kit as a reliable backup and has saved my activation on numerous occasions. Joe has a 40mEFHW that is incredibly useful and has a unique design. With its rugged construction and versatility, it is Joe’s antenna of choice for POTA.
Wolf River Coil SOTA Special: Yes, yes, yes…another antenna. This vertical antenna has been fun to experiment with. It’s the only vertical I own, or have used for that matter, and it’s done the job each time. I used it for my first ever SOTA, which you can see on my YouTube channel. These types of antennas are great to have along with you when you are unsure of the area you are trying to activate in. If there aren’t trees, or if you aren’t allowed to utilize trees, or put stakes in the ground for guy lines, these verticals are a low-impact solution that will usually get the job done. I picked this one up at Hamvention 2024 and it’s been a great addition to the fleet.
Masts
Masts are a great solution for wires-in-the-air without having lines in trees. I have two masts and will be bringing both.
The SOTABeams Tactical 7000H has been a great addition to my kit and has served me well for a couple years now. It is a bit on the heavy side, but it stands tall and strong in many configurations and has accomplished every task I’ve asked of it.
The POTA20 is my newest addition which I picked up at the Huntsville Hamfest. This lightweight mast is my backpacking mast of choice. It is super bendy and can have trouble holding up a ton of weight, but it remains incredibly useful and one I carry on all my POTA trips.
Other Gear
Since we have the luxury of a vehicle, and not everything having to go into a backpack, we can bring along all the comfort items.
Table
Chairs
Laptop (though I still like to log with pen and paper)
Camera gear (for filming YouTube videos)
Bag of connectors, adapters, fuses, wire, alligator clips, tools, etc. (Very Important)
Needless to say, we are both looking forward to this trip very much. The parks mentioned above are the parks we will for sure be going to, but there are also other parks in the area and if time allows, we will try and add more to our list.
You can also see a video of our adventure at @backpackingbooky on YouTube. You can also search for Bryce Bookwalter / KD9YEY on YouTube to find the channel.
Thanks for reading and thank you to Thomas for sharing his platform and I’ll see you down trail!
I finally got to try something I’ve always dreamed of: proper QRP saltwater ground-planing!
This week, we’ve been in Beaufort, North Carolina—a charming coastal town that I can’t recommend enough. As I mentioned in a post last week, I brought along my Elecraft KX2 and KH1 for the trip.
Turns out, Hazel loves riding in speedy boats!
On Tuesday, we hopped on a small boat/ferry to Cape Lookout National Seashore (US-0683). Since it’s off-season, the island was nearly empty—there were maybe a dozen other visitors there. The weather? Absolutely perfect. It felt like pure bliss.
Naturally, I couldn’t resist scheduling a POTA activation. I packed the KH1 in my backpack and set off to explore.
For the activation, I went pedestrian mobile, standing right at the edge of the saltwater at Lookout Bight. Holding the KH1, I let the counterpoise wire dangle directly into the calm Atlantic waters.
Does submerging a counterpoise in saltwater make a dramatic difference in signal propagation? Honestly, I can’t say for sure—but I can confirm this: it works. The experience was incredible, and the activation felt like a huge success.
The view behind me during the activation.
I’ll be posting the activation video in the next few days, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you: has anyone else experimented with putting a counterpoise wire directly into saltwater? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts—please share in the comments!
If you don’t mind, indulge me in something that’s slightly off-topic.
I’ve always loved maps—especially paper maps. Even in an age of GPS and sat nav, I still keep a North Carolina Gazetteer in my car.
I love the detail, the elevation lines, and the fact that a Gazetteer doesn’t need a charge.
So, while this post has little to do with QRP, POTA, or SOTA, it has everything to do with navigation.
The Modern Navigation Revolution
There’s no denying that tools like Google Maps have revolutionized the way we travel. I use Google Maps regularly:
For long trips
When I’m traveling to a new address or exploring an unfamiliar town
When I’m finding local hot spots—like that BBQ joint everyone’s raving about during an overnight stay
And, of course, for POTA parks and SOTA trailheads.
But here’s the thing: as a rule, I don’t use GPS for hometown travel. Lately, though, it’s been a necessity. In western North Carolina, the post-Hurricane Helene landscape is filled with washed-out bridges and detours. Traffic jams are frequent. Google Maps’ live traffic updates and re-routing have been lifesavers, so I’ve been using it daily.
The Trade-Off: Are We Losing Navigation Skills?
As amazing as GPS tools are, I can’t help but wonder if they’re eroding our ability to store directions in our heads.
That’s why, as I teach my daughters to drive, I don’t allow them to use GPS around town. They need to learn the roads and build that mental map. Some of their friends (and even a few adults I know) rely so heavily on navigation apps that they can’t find their way across town without them.
(Golly, this is starting to sound like an 80-meter rant, isn’t it? Ha!)
Maybe this is on my mind because we’re on a family trip to the North Carolina coast. Out here, I’ve been deliberately trying to navigate in my head rather than defaulting to Google Maps. There’s no traffic, and we’re on no schedule, so it’s the perfect time to rely on the sat nav between my ears.
I’ve always felt uncomfortable when I don’t “understand” the layout of a place—the proverbial lay of the land. So I enjoy the challenge of piecing it together mentally.
The Genius of “Similar ETA”
That said, there’s one feature I love about navigation tools like Google Maps: Similar ETA.
You know what I mean. You’re driving along, and Google Maps suggests an alternate route, labeled “Similar ETA” or “2-3 Minutes Slower.”
I have a rule: if I’ve never taken that road before, I take it.
It’s brilliant.
I remember once driving back from Philadelphia with my buddy Mark, who was visiting from Australia. We were on a familiar two-lane highway when Google Maps started offering alternate routes, each only adding a few minutes. With Mark’s enthusiastic approval, we took almost every one.
And wow—what a treat! On one route, we passed a convoy of Amish families in horse-drawn carriages. On another, we crossed a beautiful covered bridge. Mark was elated—two quintessential American sights checked off his bucket list.
Even at home, Google Maps’ “Similar ETA” feature has taught me a few surprising shortcuts. I’ve realized that some routes I thought were long detours are, in fact, efficient alternatives when a main road is jammed.
The Takeaway
So what’s the point of all this?
Honestly, it’s just something on my mind this morning, and I thought I’d share it. Maybe there are others out there who, like me, get a little thrill out of exploring “Similar ETA” routes.
I’d also encourage you to turn off GPS navigation when you don’t really need it. Navigation is a skill—one that’s easy to lose if we don’t use it regularly.
Plus, there’s something deeply satisfying about understanding the big-picture layout of a place. Paper maps offer that wide-angle view of the world around us, and the mental maps we build reinforce it.
Off to the Ferry…
In an hour or so, we’re heading to a ferry terminal. I’ve already mapped the route in my head. Here’s hoping there’s good signage so I don’t have to cave and use GPS like a big, fat hypocrite!
As I’ve mentioned countless times, what I love most about the Elecraft KH1 is how it has become my EDC (Everyday Carry) radio. It’s the perfect companion for those impromptu activations I manage to squeeze into my daily routine.
Take Thursday, December 5, 2024, for example.
Around 3:00 PM, fresh from a physical therapy session (working on that shoulder!), I found myself rerouting due to a washed-out bridge on Highway 70—a lingering reminder of Hurricane Helene. The quickest path home took me along a short stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway. And, as any POTA enthusiast knows, you must seize the chance for an activation if you’re on the Parkway anyway!
Time was tight—just 25 minutes from start to finish—but that’s all I needed.
2-Fer Time!
I parked at the Folk Art Center, grabbed the KH1 from my EDC bag, and hiked a short stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST). This lucky spot scored me and my hunters a 2-fer: US-8313 (MST) and US-3378 (Blue Ridge Parkway).
I had the parking area all to myself.
In addition to the KH1, I actually had my camera with me because I’ve been planning a video to showcase the gear I carry in my EDC backpack. No doubt, when I eventually produce that video, I’ll reference this activation as an example of why it’s so nice to have an Everyday Carry radio.
Gusty Winds
It was a gusty day, and unfortunately, my wireless mics (with wind screens) were still in my full radio bag at home. Without them to combat wind noise, I opted to record the video intro and summary from the relative calm of my car.
I only walked, perhaps, 50 meters down the MST.
For the activation itself, I used audio piped directly from the KH1 into my digital recorder—clean, crisp, and wind-free. The downside? No narration during the activation.
Ironically, setting up the camera took longer than setting up the KH1. The radio was ready in a breezy 15 seconds, while the camera setup stole a couple of precious minutes.
Gear:
My KH1 in the M40 Pelican case with my Tufteln angle adapter on top. This was my entire field radio kit.
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As we move into the new year, I’m committed to keeping an optimistic outlook. On the radio front, I hope to activate new parks and summits and attend events like Hamvention, Four Days in May, and possibly another QRP convention. I’ve a couple of radio kits I’d also like to get on the bench when things calm down.
If you know me, you know I take great pride in responding to every email I receive. I value the time and effort people take to reach out.
We’ll still be tackling storm restoration projects well into the summer, but I’m hopeful for more balance as my daughters start their university journeys this fall (we’re so proud of them). In the meantime, my family and I are incredibly grateful for your kindness and support.
