Earlier this week, I mentioned that I purchased a Xiegu G106 in September. Its delivery was delayed because I had it shipped to my local post office, which, as you likely know, was flooded during Hurricane Helene.
With all the post-Helene chaos, I haven’t been able to do as much POTA as I’d like, so the G106 sat unopened in its box—until Wednesday, November 20, 2024, when I finally had a chance to take it out for its maiden activation at Lake James State Park (US-2739)!
Why the Xiegu G106?
Last year, Radioddity sent me a G106 on loan, and I wrote an in-depth review after taking it on several activations. That review was lengthy because radios like the G106—designed as price leaders—often have compromises that may not suit everyone. It’s essential to judge such radios based on their goals, not by comparing them to premium models like the Icom IC-705.
For the G106, the question I aimed to answer was: “Does this radio accomplish what it sets out to do?”
I believe its mission is to offer affordable field radio fun—capable of completing park or summit activations without excessive struggle, providing performance commensurate with its price point.
I decided to purchase the G106 because I had returned my loaner unit over a year ago, but questions about it kept coming from readers. Instead of requesting another loaner, I opted to buy one.
To my surprise, the pricing had dropped significantly. Here’s my order confirmation:
Interestingly, as I mentioned earlier this week, Amazon (at time of posting) has a Black Friday deal for the G106 (without accessories) $199 shipped for Prime members[QRPer affiliate link].
I’d have chosen that over the bundle I ordered had it been available at the time.
Unboxing to Activation
It was a rainy day at Lake James.
A common question from readers has been, “Would the Xiegu G106 work as a dedicated field radio for POTA activations?”
Perfect weather to set up in a picnic shelter!
Most of these inquiries came from newcomers to ham radio, so I decided to test the radio in the field by setting it up from scratch—straight out of the box. This included attaching connectors to the power cord, configuring the radio, setting up the antenna, and hopping on the air.
This is a lot of picnic shelter for such a small radio setup!
I started the activation using SSB (voice) and later switched to CW (Morse Code) to give a full “out-of-the-box” experience.
The resulting activation video (below) is lengthy but was incredibly fun to film!
Gear:
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Activating on the Road: Pikes Peak State Park is Where???
by Brian (K3ES)
During our road trip across the country and back (Six Weeks and 7300 Miles: Activating on the Road), Becky and I planned our route to enable me to complete at least one Parks on the Air (POTA) activation in each state across the American west. One of the first parks that I activated on the trip was Pikes Peak State Park (US-2311) in Iowa.
You heard that right, Iowa.
This was one of my favorite activations during our time on the road. I had an amazing view of the Mississippi River Valley while I was operating, and since this park was less than an hour from our final destination for the day, I had enough time to work plenty of contacts.
Molly wants you to know that Pikes Peak State Park (US-2311) is located in McGregor, Iowa.
When we arrived in the park, I took Molly the POTA Dog for a walk around the park. She is always excited about a walk (particularly after riding in the truck for several hours), and it gave me the opportunity to scout the park for a good location to set up my station for the activation. The park is located on a bluff, hundreds of feet above the river, with walking paths and overlook platforms offering great viewpoints.
A number of park visitors were enjoying the overlook platforms and the pathways, and I prefer to keep my station out of the way, so I settled on using a path-side stone bench for my activation. The bench was located under some trees that provided both shade and support for my antenna, a perfect location.
Activating US-2311
This is the bench I selected for my operating position in the park. Trees provided support for the antenna, and shade for the operator. In the background is one of the platforms overlooking the Mississippi River Valley.
When we returned to the parking area, Becky took Molly, and set out on a hike to nearby Bridal Veil Falls. I picked up my radio pack, and returned to the bench. I tossed my throw line over a tree branch, and hoisted the Tufteln End-fed Random Wire (EFRW) antenna into a vertical configuration. Laying out the 17 ft counterpoise wire along the ground, and attaching a 15 ft RG316 feedline completed the antenna deployment.
I placed my KX2 next to me on the bench, connected the feedline, power cable, earbuds, and VK3IL pressure paddles. I opened my log book, secured it to a clipboard balanced on my knee, and was ready to get on the air.
Having caught a good tree limb with my throw line, I am preparing to hoist the 35 ft radiator wire of my EFRW antenna.Here I am operating from my bench. Another of the overlook platforms is visible in the background.The view from my bench was great, and Molly came to share it with me for a few minutes before I finished the activation.
As always for new-to-me parks, I scheduled my activation in advance on POTA.app while I had a reliable internet connection. That way, I was good to go, even if cellular service was unavailable at the activation site. Since I operate in CW mode, I just had to find an open frequency and begin calling CQ.
The Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) picked me up, generated an automatic POTA spot, and calls began coming in. In truth, even when I have data service available in a park, I seldom do more than monitor continued automatic spots. The RBN even updates my spot when I change frequency or band. The RBN spotting function works spectacularly well for a CW operator, even at QRP power levels.
Results
This map shows the locations of hunters who made contact with me at US-2311.
I stayed on the air until after Becky and Molly returned from their walk. In about 40 minutes on the air, I logged 27 CW contacts on the 20m and 30m bands. The pace was steady, and I was able to work my way through all of the callers. I am grateful to each of the hunters who tracked down my QRP signal, and stuck with me to complete a contact.
During our 6-week excursion, solar conditions were stable, and propagation was great. The Tufteln EFRW antenna was quick to deploy, quick to pack, and performed impressively when paired with the KX2’s excellent internal tuner.
Gear
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There are a number of birds visible in this view of the river valley. They appear center-right as a string of white dots near brown islands. (Click image to enlarge)A small boat passes a string of barges in the river.The bluffs at the top of this view are located in Wisconsin, on the far side of the Mississippi River.
Final Thoughts
If you are ever find yourself in northeastern Iowa, I definitely recommend taking the time to see Pikes Peak State Park. Activate this park, if you can. The views are amazing. If you can bring binoculars, or a long lens for your camera, so much the better. We could see a large number of birds standing along sand bars in the river, but could only guess at the species.
Early fall is probably not the best time to view Bridal Veil Falls, but it should be spectacular in the spring.
Becky enjoyed the walk to Bridal Veil Falls. It involved moderate elevation changes along the trail. She was disappointed with the Falls themselves, because water flow was minimal after a dry period in early autumn. The Falls should be much more impressive in the spring.
A panoramic view of the Mississippi River Valley.Some views of the river peeked out from between the trees.Becky reminds us not to miss the little things, even when we are surrounded by spectacular views.
Best 73 de Brian – K3ES, XYL Becky, and POTA Dog Molly
On Friday, November 8, 2024, my wife and I ran errands while one of our daughters attended a Shakespeare rehearsal.
Since these rehearsals typically last 2–3 hours, I try to make the most of the time by completing errands and squeezing in a POTA activation when possible.
That day, my wife encouraged me to fit in a quick activation, provided we could also handle a few errands in town.
Fortunately, one of our stops was near the Sycamore Flats picnic area in Pisgah National Forest (K-4510). I’ve been activating this site almost weekly since Hurricane Helene swept through North Carolina, as it has been one of the few accessible parks. (Thankfully, as of today, a few more sites have reopened!)
When we arrived, we saw a large group of volunteers working to clean up the area. They were filling holes in the road and repairing picnic table pads damaged by flooding.
To avoid getting in their way, I set up under the trees by the river, away from the main picnic area where they were working.
Sadly, none of the picnic tables near the river remained—they were likely swept away by the floodwaters. This wasn’t an issue, as my POTA/SOTA pack always has everything I need for a fully self-contained activation.
While I’ve activated sitting on logs, large rocks, or the ground, I increasingly appreciate the comfort of a proper chair. The Helinox Chair Zero is a game-changer: lightweight, sturdy, and easy to pack. It’s pricey, but I’ve never regretted the investment.
The Helinox chair is quick to deploy and stable on the ground, unlike the three-legged trail stools I used to carry!My KX2 on the Tufteln kneeboard earlier this year at Lake James.
The Tufteln kneeboard is another essential. It’s just large enough to hold portable radios (KX1, KX2, KX3, TR-35, TX-500, MTR-3B, QMX, QCX, CFT1, etc.) and my Rite in the Rain notepad. Strapped to my leg, it provides a stable surface for logging and operating.
This is exactly how I set up my station that day at Sycamore Flats.
Next, I deployed my MM0OPX 40 meter end-fed half-wave, connected it to the KX2 (double-checking that the ATU was in bypass mode) and hopped on the air!
Gear:
My entire station is in this Nemo Resolve pack.
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As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!
by Vince (VE6LK)
It’s time for another return trip to the correctional institution that I spoke about in my last post. And that means only one important detail: more time to POTA en route. This trip will carry me, via a ‘short’ 325km detour from the direct route, into Castle Provincial Park and Castle Wilderness Provincial Park, with a stop or two along the way.
The Research and planning
Castle Provincial Park CA-2971 is within the larger Waterton Biosphere Reserve CA-0109, so any activation I can do is automatically a 2fer. Looking more closely at the map, I see Castle Falls CA-2969 is within Castle PP, and that makes it a 3fer. I printed off the park info sheets from POTA.app, studied some satellite imagery, printed some, and bundled it all together. I have been in this area once before, camping in August (and the bugs were awful, yuck!), so at least I knew three things…where I was going, an expectation of cell service (not great off the main roads) and bugs would be minimal to non-existent, given it’s mid-November.
In thinking about a route that needs to get me closer to my hotel and one that increases the number of unique parks I’ve activated, I decided upon Beauvais Lake Provincial Park CA-0632, another 2fer with CA-0109. A satellite view shows easy-peasy road access, and even if the main gates are closed, I’m still on the property, so it will be a valid attempt/activation.
But I also really want to get to the Castle Wildland Provincial Park CA-2972, as it’s never been activated before. And while there is road access through the entire Castle area, I opt to take paved roads as winter driving and gravel (and no cell service) can be unpredictable at best. I’ve also never been to Castle Wildland, but in my mind, I’m imagining views reminiscent of Waterton Lakes or Glacier National Park, given the very close proximity. As it turned out, I wasn’t too far wrong.
I also tacked on one park at the last minute and was happy I did so, even if I could not activate it.
by Brian (K3ES)I don’t know how others feel, but one of the things that really appeals to me about the Parks on the Air (POTA) program is the sense of community that it encourages among participating amateur radio operators. This is as true no matter how we participate. I have operators that I consider friends, even though I have never personally met them, because I have hunted them across so many of their activations. I have other operator friends who are familiar because they have hunted me across so many of my activations. Best of all, I have operator friends who I have also had the chance to meet in the field.
During my cross-country road trip (Six Weeks and 7300 Miles: Activating on the Road) I got to meet three kindred spirits through eyeball QSOs, because we crossed paths in parks along the way. In this article, I want to share the story of three unexpected meetings on the road.
Activating Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site
Wow, 2-fer! We came to the Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site, US-5748, to activate a park in North Dakota. When we arrived, we found this sign, and I instantly recognized the North Country Trail medallion at the top, because it passes near my home in Pennsylvania. The North Country Trail National Scenic Trail, US-4239, crosses through Fort Abercrombie SHS, allowing simultaneous activation of both entities.
I will confess that the goal to activate all of the states along our route sometimes meant that we would take an intentional zig in our travels to stop at a park in a “nearby“ state for a quick activation before zagging back to our primary route. Our visit to Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site (US-5748) in North Dakota resulted from just such a zig. After spending a nice couple of days visiting with my niece and her husband at their new home in Apple Valley, MN (just south of Minneapolis), we planned our next travel day to make a mid-day stop at Fort Abercrombie (along the MN-ND border, just south of Fargo), before turning south to spend the night in Sioux Falls, SD.
We knew the park buildings at Fort Abercrombie would be closed, because of the season, and were not surprised to find only one other vehicle in parking area. With that said, two surprises did catch our attention. First, a familiar sign shared billing with the State Historic Site, the medallion for the North Country Trail (US-4239), which I have activated multiple times in Pennsylvania. That presented an interesting opportunity for a 2-fer activation. Second, looking across at the other vehicle, I quickly saw antennas and radio equipment!
When we arrived at Fort Abercrombie SHS, Todd – NO0X was operating FT8 from the station in the back of his SUV. His vertical antenna is just off-screen to the right.This late in the season, the visitor center at Fort Abercrombie was only open by appointment. We had not made prior arrangements.
I walked over to the gentleman sitting next to the open lift-gate of his SUV, and asked the universal radio amateur question: “How are the bands today?” Introductions quickly ensued. Todd – NO0X wondered if I were one of the frequent activators at the site, which was definitely not the case. He was ranked third for number of activations at the site, and was looking to improve his tally. He was running an FT8 activation that day using a vertical antenna, but he is also a CW operator. I got a quick tour of his station. Then we talked about the route of the North Country Trail through the site, and it turned out the trail ran within 100 ft of the site’s picnic pavilion.
A bit of the history of Fort Abercrombie…Here I am operating from Fort Abercrombie using my KX2 connected to a Tufteln EFRW antenna hanging outside the pavilion behind me. I was running CW mode at 5 watts.
So, I moved over to the pavilion to set up my Elecraft KX2, with a Tufteln EFRW antenna supported in a nearby tree, but not before inviting Todd to stop over to see my station.
On the air, I worked 26 contacts in just under an hour to complete the 2-fer activation of US-5748 and US-4239. When he stopped over, Todd brought along his favorite straight key for field use. Being a paddle guy, I did not try it out, but I certainly appreciated its small size and efficient design.
Todd – NO0X stopped to visit my station. It is always great to share experiences and equipment with other POTA activators.The QSO Map shows 26 contacts from US-5748 and US-4239. Most contacts were made on the 20m band, with two on 30m, and one each on 17m and 15m.
Having completed our activations, we packed our gear and parted company. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to meet a local activator, who knew the park, and had a distinctly different method of operation from my own. One of the best things about POTA activation is that there are almost as many different operating styles as there are activators, and not one of them is wrong!
Walking Around Devils Tower National Monument
With the iconic rock in the background, the sign might not be necessary, but there it is…
Unlike Fort Abercrombie, Devils Tower National Monument was the centerpiece of our day’s travels. We sought out that spectacular landmark for my first activation in Wyoming. Even so, our time at Devils Tower was limited, because we did not plan to spend the night nearby. Continue reading POTA Brings Us Together: Eyeball QSOs and POTA Adventures on the Road→
Many thanks to Todd (W2TEF) and Becky for sharing the following guest post:
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!
The full POTA kit.What’s in that bag?
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.
9.30 am: Liberty Park
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.
10 am: On our way to Ellis Island!
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? Continue reading POTA on Ellis Island: Planning, plotting, and activating!→
Veterans Day Thoughts: Activating from the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Veterans Day 2024 dawned gray and overcast in northwest Pennsylvania, so I decided to spend some time working on the next field report from our 6-week trip through the states of the American West. It occurred to me that spending some of my holiday to report on a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation of the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (US-0850) might be particularly appropriate.
Writing about an historic site that commemorates deactivated infrastructure from an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) installation evokes a whole range of emotions. It is right that the prospect of nuclear annihilation should do so. But there is another viewpoint that is arguably more important.
For decades, unsung American warriors crewed these facilities to deter war based on the prospect of swift and certain retaliation. No matter the horror of the thought of thermonuclear war, their commitment and competence played a vital role in keeping the decades long Cold War cold.
The Visitor Center at Minuteman Missile National Historic Site has a friendly, dedicated staff. Artifacts and interpretive information at the Visitor Center are helpful in understanding the mission, systems, and personnel associated with the history of the site.The Peacekeeper armored response vehicle was operated by the USAF Security Police, who protected missile silos and launch control facilities while they were operational.The sites preserved by the Minuteman Missile NHS belong to D Flight of the 66th Strategic Missile Squadron, and the 44th Strategic Missile Wing. The best testimony to the success of their mission was the complete deactivation of the 44th Strategic Missile Wing’s 150 Minuteman II missiles under the terms of the START treaty.The Delta-09 site is located a few miles west of the Visitor Center along Interstate 90. Delta-09 preserves one of the missile silos that housed the Minuteman II strategic ICBM force.I had the chance to speak with the docent at the Delta-09 site. He was a veteran of the USAF Security Police, and he patrolled these facilities while they were operating. In this view, we are standing next to the missile silo. The blast door is partially pulled back from the silo, and the opening is covered by an enclosure that was built to protect the open silo from the weather. The enclosure was not a feature of the silo during its operational career, but the open blast door and windows in the enclosure permit visitors to look inside the silo.
The Site
Minuteman Missile NHS incorporates three distinct sites located along a 15 mile stretch of Interstate 90 in South Dakota. There is a Visitor Center, with artifacts and interpretive information to help visitors understand the significance of the weapons, the personnel, and the mission.
The Delta-01 site contains a preserved Launch Control Facility. Entry to Delta-01 is limited to ranger-led tours, and unfortunately for us, these tours were booked well beyond our planned stay in the area. Make your plans early!
The Delta-09 site contains a deactivated Minuteman II Missile Silo. It is available for self-led tours, but we really enjoyed speaking with the docent who was present during our visit. He had been a member of the security team when the complex was active. Delta-09 was typically unmanned, except for maintenance, but our docent had once sheltered there, as a tornado ripped through the area. The storm destroyed his patrol vehicle!
You can peer into the silo to see an inactive Minuteman II missile through the partially open blast door.
Looking through the enclosure windows, it is possible to see an inert missile housed within the 80 ft deep, reinforced concrete silo.Here I am setting up my end-fed random wire (EFRW) antenna. I am securing the telescopic fishing pole to the back of the truck, and it supports the antenna wire in an inverted V configuration.Molly supervised my successful operation from the truck at US-0850. To keep her cool, I rigged a jacket to block the sun from shining directly through her window. In this picture, I am holding the body of my VK3IL pressure paddle in my left hand, and keying with my right hand, all while keeping my pencil ready to log the exchange.
The Activation
We stopped at the site Visitor Center as we drove down Interstate 90, and arrived mid-afternoon. We knew that the Delta-09 site would be closing soon, but we were planning to be in the area for a couple of days. So, I checked with the friendly folks in the visitor center to be sure that my amateur radio operation would not create a problem (it was welcomed). Then, as Becky toured the Visitor Center, I deployed my Tufteln 35 foot EFRW antenna behind the truck in the parking lot. A 21 foot collapsible fishing pole connected to the bumper made this simple. Then, Molly and I sat in the truck and made 23 QRP CW contacts in 40 minutes.
This map shows the locations of my 23 contacts from Minuteman Missile NHS. All but one were completed on the 20m band, and the final contact came on 15m.
Gear
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Braided nylon cord to secure the fishing pole and the antenna
I try to make contact with the staff at smaller sites where I plan to activate. The staff at Minuteman Missile NHS was very accommodating, and welcomed the activation. A call ahead may get you advice on the best locations for your station, and if you call early enough, you should be able to reserve a space for the Delta-01 tour.
Final Thoughts
I was very pleased with this activation. The sun behaved itself well during the entirety of our trip, so propagation was good, and contacts came quickly. The site does a great job of interpreting this important, if emotionally fraught, aspect of our military history. If you plan a trip through the area, I encourage you to visit. If we pass this way again, we will certainly make advanced reservations to visit the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility.
A hope that I think we all cherish. To the veterans who have kept our country safe: Thank You.
Two days before Hurricane Helene impacted western North Carolina (Wednesday, September 25, 2024), I stopped by the Blue Ridge Parkway for a quick POTA activation to thoroughly test my MTR-3B self-contained field kit.
This was crucial, as I had plans to conduct multiple SOTA activations during the 2024 W4 SOTA campout in north Georgia the following week. (Unfortunately, due to Hurricane Helene, I had to cancel those plans.)
The importance of a full field trial
This is something I always emphasize during presentations about SOTA, POTA, or traveling with radio: don’t assume your field kit is complete and fully functional—you must test it to know for sure.
A field test confirms two things:
You have everything you need inside your kit to complete an activation.
Everything in the kit actually works.
When preparing for something like a SOTA weekend or a family vacation, I usually deploy each of my field kits either at home or a local park. I power up the radio and make at least one contact, essentially mimicking a real activation. If everything works, I know the kit is good to go!
This simple process is an incredibly effective way to ensure your gear is ready for action.
Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3788)
That Wednesday, I squeezed in the activation between errands in town. The Folk Art Center near Highway 70 in East Asheville is the perfect spot—it’s a quick and easy detour.
Or at least it was before Helene. Now, with two bridges damaged—especially one major bridge on Highway 70—the two-minute detour to the Folk Art Center has turned into a 15-25 minute round trip, depending on traffic. (You never realize how essential bridges are until they’re gone!)
I parked near the picnic area, grabbed my gear, and headed for my usual picnic table setup spot.
Unfortunately, it was absolutely crawling with ants—likely a result of spilled juice or food. I moved to the other picnic table in the same area.
Testing the MTR-3B Kit in Real-Time
In the video, you’ll see me use every piece of gear in the field kit, except for the “bare bones” arborist throw line and weight. Since I had my other Weaver throw line kit with me, I used it to save time. I’d recently tested and re-packed the throw line in the MTR-3B kit, so I already knew it was in working order.
Setup was quick and easy. Once I connected the antenna and powered up the radio, I used my N6ARA Tiny SWR Meter to confirm I had a good match—since the MTR-3B LCD lacks an SWR meter. Fortunately, I had a perfect impedance match.
Time to play radio!
Gear (MTR-3B Self-Contained Field Kit)
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As always there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!
Dear readers, admittedly the title is clickbait, but I assure you that there is truth behind it. As you already know, I occasionally travel for work and lately I’ve been working inside a correctional institution for my primary employer.
And, as you’ve seen before, while traveling usually I make a detour to go activate a site in the area or along the route, and to get a break from the drive. Usually that detour is only 10 or 20 kilometres. I enjoy the driving and the travel, and I’m always on the hunt for parks I’ve not yet activated and especially the elusive ATNO -All Time New One- or phrased another way, not yet activated at all or with one of the common modes of Phone, Digital or CW.
For this series of trips over the month of November, they were the first real road trips with my new-to-me 2023 F-150 PowerBoost hybrid. In the month leading up to this trip I was a busy beaver getting the radios installed in the truck to help pass the many hours on the road. Frankly I was excited to set up a new mobile installation and correct some major shortcomings with my last; experience is an excellent teacher if you are willing to listen. The video link below summarizes my mobile installation and is complete with chapters so you can jump to the section that interests you the most.
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park encompasses both the Waterton National Park in Alberta, Canada and Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. It’s the first international designation of a park anywhere, ever. You’ve seen me write about Glacier National Park here on QRPer last year, and now I’d get a chance to complete that entity activating within the Canadian side. Needless to say I was pretty excited about the detour and hopeful that weather would be on my side for some spectacular photos.
Many thanks to Brian (K3ES) who shares the following guest post:
This map provides an overview of our cross-country road trip. We traveled zig-zag paths from our home in Tionesta, PA to my parents’ home in Martinez, CA, and back again.
Six Weeks and 7300 Miles: Activating on the Road
by Brian (K3ES)
This article gives an overview of a driving trip across the United States and back that included activation of Parks on the Air (POTA) entities in 21 states along the way. We left our home in northwest Pennsylvania on September 18, 2024, and returned on Halloween. During our time away, we spent about 3 weeks driving and 3 weeks visiting with my parents at their home near San Francisco, CA. With such an epic scope, I plan to write several articles about various POTA activations completed during our trip. In fact, I completed one article early, and it has already been published on QRPer.com: K3ES’ Unplanned activation of Yellowstone National Park. This report provides the background and a broad overview of our trip.
The Players
My mom and dad have made the Bay Area of California their home for 40 years. They left Pennsylvania on their own great adventure in the mid-1980s, while I was attending graduate school in Pittsburgh. Dad accepted a transfer, so they packed up the house, committed their belongings to a moving company, and drove their car across the country in 4-1/2 days to meet the movers. I was able to go along on that driving trip (I returned to Pittsburgh by airline), but I have always wanted to do it again, spending a bit more time to see the sights.
My dad is a hero to me. I have never been able to match his work ethic or his ability to plan and execute projects. From home repairs to electronics projects, Dad was always working on something, and generally had several projects going at once. His workshop was well equipped, and he spent a lot of time there. Now, approaching his 90th birthday, Dad has been slowing down. He is no longer able to make use of the shop, but he remembers how important it has been to him. So, we planned this trip to help Mom clean out the shop, and to let Dad see his trustworthy tools moving to a new home where they can be used and appreciated.
Having retired in 2021, my calendar is more open than it was during 31 years of employment. I am grateful for this. My wife, Becky, and I were able to arrange other commitments to give ourselves time for an adventure. So the two of us packed the back seat of my 2015 Toyota Tundra pickup truck for six weeks of travel, being careful to leave seat space for POTA dog Molly. We kept the truck bed empty, so that space would be available to bring home tools and shop supplies from California. This would be our opportunity to travel across the American west. Forty years after my original cross-country driving trip, I would finally get to stop and see sights along the way.
Once we arrived at my parents’ home in California’s Bay Area, Molly had free run of their fenced yard. This squirrel was Molly’s nemesis for the duration. It spent hours across the fence eating fruit in the neighbor’s pomegranate tree. Many chases ensued, none successful.
The Plan
In another article published on QRPer.com earlier this year: K3ES Travels: Ten Days of QRP with Compromised Antennas, I explained Becky’s great idea: that I should activate all 50 of our United States. At that point, I had activated parks in only 6 states. By the time we left on this trip, my total had inched up to 11 activated states. So our goal would be to activate as many of the western states as possible. Ohio, Indiana, Washington, Oregon, and California were already in the done column, courtesy of some previous travel, but that left a lot of territory to cover.
Since we were leaving in September, we were confident that the weather would be favorable for driving across the northern tier states. Leaving California to return home in late October, we knew that snow was possible in the mountain passes, so we planned to take a more southerly route. What remained was to adjust the route to cover all of the states along or near our intended travel path. In total, including a side-trip to activate a new California park during the Autumn Support Your Parks event, we traveled 7300 miles: 3800 miles traveling westward, 200 miles for the California side-trip, and 3300 miles traveling eastward on the return home.
When we left our driveway, we had the broad outline of the route. We also had an idea of some of the parks that I might activate on the trip. We did not have a detailed itinerary. In fact, though we knew the basic route, and we had reserved rooms for only the first two nights. I encouraged Becky to leave things a bit open-ended, despite her penchant for careful planning. This was kind of important, because I would be doing all the driving. Don’t get me wrong. Becky is an excellent driver, it is just that she is intimidated by my truck. We needed its cargo capacity, but I became the sole driver. So we needed to have the flexibility to stop sooner, or press on longer, depending on my ability to continue driving safely.
After stopping for the night, we usually set our travel goals for the next day or two. If we were tired, we would cut the next day’s travel shorter. If not, we might decide to go further. We also settled on the parks we would visit during the next day’s travels. Even then, we allowed ourselves to make changes if an opportunity presented itself, and more than once, it did.
Keeping our travel plans a bit loose worked really well for us, particularly after we discovered that almost all hotels welcomed Molly as a guest (for a nominal pet fee, of course). We had expected more difficulty, and were very pleasantly surprised that nearly every hotel along the way was “pet friendly”. The additional freedom let us alter our plans at times, like adding Yellowstone National Park to the travel route, when we had originally expected to miss it.
On our return trip, we realized that stopping for a park activation worked really well as a break during long days of driving. We could stretch, eat lunch, take Molly for a walk, and CW would help me to clear my head before the remainder of the day’s drive. In fact, we scheduled additional activations in IL, IN, and OH for just that reason, even though I had previously activated parks in those states.
On our final travel day, we stopped at Lake Norman State Park in Ohio. Bands were great, and I took time to complete 30 contacts. The greatest difficulty was ambient noise from the wind blowing across the lake. This flag tells the tale…
The Parks
In the end, I completed 34 activations of 32 distinct POTA entities during the trip. I activated in 18 new states during our travels, and finished with 29 of 50 states activated. When I completed my activation of Mesa Verde National Park, I was within the activation zone of the Park Point SOTA summit (W0C/SJ-019), yielding a simultaneous SOTA/POTA activation. The following Table lists the activations completed during our trip. Before leaving, I had already activated OH, IN, and CA, so they do not count among the 18 new states.
A bench at Pikes Peak State Park in Iowa provided an awesome view of the Mississippi River valley while I was making contacts for the activation.Molly kept watch while I activated Washoe Lake State Park in Nevada.At Fort Union National Monument in New Mexico, I could look over the ruins of the large adobe hospital building while I was operating. Fort Union guarded the Santa Fe Trail (now a National Historic Trail and a POTA entity). I was able to make this a 2-fer activation.
Table: Parks Activated During the Trip
Date
State
Park ID
Park Name
QSOs
09/19/24
IL
US-4099
Moraine View SP
12
09/19/24
IA
US-2311
Pikes Peak SP
27
09/20/24
WI
US-1471
Perrot SP
11
09/20/24
MN
US-2466
Afton SP
14
09/23/24
ND
US-5748
Fort Abercrombie SHS
27
09/23/24
ND
US-4239
North Country Trail NST (2-fer with US-5748)
27
09/24/24
SD
US-0850
Minuteman Missile NHS
23
09/25/24
SD
US-0005
Badlands NP
11
09/25/24
SD
US-7487
Buffalo Gap NGL
34
09/26/24
SD
US-0786
Mount Rushmore NM
11
09/26/24
SD
US-4524
Black Hills NF
22
09/27/24
SD
US-0786
Mount Rushmore NM
49
09/27/24
NE
US-7478
Oglala NGL
18
09/27/24
WY
US-0920
Devils Tower NM
15
09/28/24
MT
US-4502
Custer Gallatin NF
16
09/29/24
WY
US-0070
Yellowstone NP
11
09/29/24
ID
US-4475
Caribou Targhee NF
13
09/30/24
UT
US-3075
Great Salt Lake SP
11
10/01/24
NV
US-2640
Washoe Lake SP
12
10/19/24
CA
US-0651
Point Reyes NS
11
10/24/24
AZ
US-0030
Grand Canyon NP
33
10/25/24
AZ
US-0057
Petrified Forest NP
18
10/26/24
CO
US-0051
Mesa Verde NP
23
10/26/24
CO
W0C/SJ-019
Park Point SOTA Summit (joint with US-0051)
23
10/27/24
NM
US-0933
Fort Union NM
17
10/27/24
NM
US-4579
Santa Fe Trail NHT (2-fer with US-0933)
17
10/27/24
OK
US-7481
Rita Blanca NGL
14
10/28/24
KS
US-9191
Pawnee Rock SHS
19
10/28/24
KS
US-4579
Santa Fe Trail NHT (2-fer with US-9191)
19
10/29/24
MO
US-3345
Confederate Memorial SHS
14
10/29/24
MO
US-3356
Mark Twain Birthplace SHS
14
10/30/24
IL
US-4097
Kickapoo SRA
17
10/30/24
IN
US-10247
Lawrence Creek SNR
23
10/30/24
IN
US-2256
Fort Harrison SP (2-fer with US-10247)
23
10/31/24
OH
US-3515
Lake Milton SP
30
Shading denotes my first activation in the indicated state.
My first activation of the trip was at Moraine View State Recreation Area in Illinois.
Activation Experience
One of the amazing things about our beautiful country is that each state has a seemingly different character than all of the others. While there can be similarity, topography, geography, climate, and vegetation combine to make something unique. From a POTA activator’s perspective, this uniqueness means that you must be ready to deploy antennas using a variety of different techniques. Living in Pennsylvania (Penn’s Woods) means that I am able to find a tree at almost any location where I choose to activate. This is definitely not the case in many other states. Continue reading Six Weeks and 7300 Miles: Activating on the Road→
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Last year, Radioddity sent me a G106 on loan, and I wrote an in-depth review after taking it on several activations. That review was lengthy because radios like the G106—designed as price leaders—often have compromises that may not suit everyone. It’s essential to judge such radios based on their goals, not by comparing them to premium models like the Icom IC-705.
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This activation was nothing short of amazing.
I began in SSB mode, using only the default mic settings. Despite operating at just 5 watts, I logged 21 hunters in 17 minutes—woo-hoo! While most signal reports were low, no one mentioned issues with my audio. I suspect results will improve once I fine-tune the mic gain settings. Continue reading Xiegu G106: From Unboxing to Your First POTA Activation (Beginner-Friendly Video!) 
