Category Archives: Travel

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

Activating on the Road: Gems Along the Way – Part 1

March 2, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 4 Comments

Activating on the Road: Gems Along the Way – Part 1

by Brian (K3ES)

This two-part article continues my series from our 2024 road trip across the United States (Six Weeks and 7300 Miles: Activating on the Road). I hope to wrap up the series with one or two more articles (not yet written) over the next few weeks. In this report, I plan to cover some of the parks and places we found during the trip that were interesting and spectacular beyond our expectations.

As we traveled across the country from Pennsylvania to California and back, we spent a lot of time looking for parks to activate, and sights to see. While we tried to keep the sights and parks interesting, some of them were unexpectedly amazing, and I would like to share a few of those here. Part 1 covers our westward trip from Pennsylvania to California.

Moraine View SRA, IL

Since I had already activated parks in Ohio and Indiana, we planned to do our first activation of the trip in Illinois. To be honest, we chose Moraine View State Recreation Area (US-2311) as our Illinois park, because it was at the right place and the right time. We had committed to arrive at my niece’s home in Minnesota at the end of our third travel day. To stay on schedule for this, I needed to complete two activations (Illinois and Iowa), along with ending the the second day’s travel in Prarie du Chien, WI. We picked US-2311 as the park for Illinois, because it was close to our travel route, and at the right distance from home for our first day’s drive. That way I could do an early morning activation and be on the road quickly.

Activating US-2311 from a picnic table. The perforated table top provide a perfect method to hold the collapsible fishing pole that I used to support my antenna.

Choosing a park based on proximity to the travel route might seem like a poor way to find spectacular parks for activating, but that does not account for having Becky engaged in the process. In this case, she picked our first gem of the trip. I set up in a shady picnic area to activate, while she and Molly took a walk along the lake that is the centerpiece of the Recreation Area. They found beautiful views and some spectacular birds. I finished the CW QRP activation in about an hour, with 11 contacts split between the 40m and 20m bands. It turned out that six of the contacts were with activators working in other parks, and one of those activators was working from a 2-fer location, so I got credit for 12 contacts in total. Following the activation, I packed up, and we headed out toward Iowa and our second activation of the day.

Becky captured this picture of the glassy-smooth lake. Beautiful.

Molly posed for a picture during her walk beside the lake.

This Great Blue Heron was looking for breakfast.

Great Salt Lake SP, UT

The Great Salt Lake is one of the state’s best known geographic features, so it was natural to look for a park near the lake as we planned for an activation in Utah. Great Salt Lake State Park (US-3075), on the southern tip of the lake, seemed like a good choice. We had no idea what a GREAT choice it would be. Stopping at the park was also convenient for eating our lunch, since we would arrive there mid-day. US-3075 has scenic views of the lake and surrounding mountains, a marina for pleasure boats that sail the lake, beaches for swimming, and it had at least one unoccupied, shaded picnic table that worked well for activating. Continue reading Activating on the Road: Gems Along the Way – Part 1 →

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

Glen Explores Utah with the KH1: Seven Parks in Six Days

February 23, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 9 Comments

Seven Parks, Six Days in Utah with the KH1

by Glen (KC8LA)

In November 2023, the YL had the chance to go to Salt Lake City to collaborate with professional genealogists at the Family Search Library to assist with her family tree. It proved to be a very productive week for her, filled with tips, tricks, and new search areas. Normally, I wouldn’t take a trip like this since I’m still working, but this is something she’s passionate about. I then realized I’ve never been to Utah; they have parks, I have a KH1, and I enjoy exploring. For a few extra dollars and a rental car, I’m going.

I began my research on parks located within an hour of Salt Lake City (SLC). On a whim, I reached out to Forrest KI7QCF for suggestions, and he was happy to help. I ultimately chose five parks in and around SLC: This Is The Place Heritage Park (US-5950), East Canyon State Park (US-3068), Great Salt Lake State Park (US-3075), Antelope Island (US-3062), and Jordanelle State Park (US-3080). Unsure of what to expect from the TSA, I decided to simply bring my Elecraft KH1 Edgewood package charger and spare key. All my activations would be PM. Let’s see what happens; I’ll still enjoy exploring.

This Is The Place Heritage Park (US-5950)

Day one took me to This Is The Place Heritage Park (US-5950). After checking out all the attractions, I set up in a parking lot at the base of a mountain and made twenty contacts, all on 20m. One down. The plan was to activate one park per day. As I was logging my activation, I discovered that Pony Express National Trail (US-4578) runs through US-5950.

New plan! I returned to the park on day two for my first twofer. Standing under the Pony Express Monument, I made thirteen contacts between heavy snow squalls—running for the car whenever needed! All on 20m.

East Canyon State Park (US-3068) and East Canyon WMA (US-10564)

Day three took me to East Canyon State Park (US-3068). The hour-long drive was scenic and beautiful, winding through the mountains. While en route, I discovered East Canyon WMA (US-10564).

Guess what I did on the way back? I managed eleven contacts in each park within the available time. Four down!

The next morning, I noticed my radio’s charge light was still on. I didn’t think much of it, as I had plugged it in later in the evening.

Great Salt Lake State Park (US-3075)

Day four brought me to Great Salt Lake State Park (US-3075). The lake, mountains, and islands were stunning. It was a bit hazy, but just being there and exploring was great. After taking in the scenery, I set up and got fourteen contacts on 20m. Five down! However, I noticed my battery indicator was only showing half charge—unusual after just an hour’s use.

After the activation, I went exploring. There’s a large square black rock about 200 yards out in the lake that settlers once used as a diving platform. I wanted a closer look. Just a big rock that rolled off the mountain sometime in the last 100,000 years—very much out of place. On the way back, I discovered that the California National Historic Trail ran close to the park. With my battery in question, I decided against another activation.

Antelope Island State Park (US-3062)

Day five took me to Antelope Island—my favorite park of the trip. The drive over the seven-mile causeway was breathtaking. I opted to activate first. Just inside the park, I found a driveway winding up a hill to what looked like a seasonal restaurant. There was a 250-foot rise above the parking lot, which I climbed for my activation. The 360-degree view was incredible.

During my activation, a Korean student on a field trip asked what I was doing. He was very interested as I explained amateur radio and its possibilities. I suggested he investigate it further when he got home. He thanked me and rejoined his group. We are ambassadors to the world!

I continued my activation and made thirteen contacts—before my radio died. ?!?!? Six down. Would I get another? Had I worn out my battery in just seven months? Long story short, a couple of components in the charging unit had failed, limiting it to 10V. Elecraft repaired it under warranty.

For the next few hours, I explored the island, encountering bison, deer, waterfowl, cattle, grasslands, mountains, and a working ranch from the early 1800s. It was a wonderful day. I think of this park often.

Jordanelle State Park (US-3080)

Day six took me to Jordanelle State Park (US-3080). The drive was exhilarating for a flatlander from Ohio—mountain passes, sweeping curves, and 75 mph speeds! Had I dared to blink, I’m sure the scenery would have been even more amazing.

The park was beautiful, with a lake, campground, beach, walking trail, and boating areas. If we return, I’ll park the RV there. I decided to set up at the beach for my activation. To conserve power, I turned off everything unnecessary and set the radio to low power—1W with a 1:1 SWR. Could a 1W PM activation be done? Yes! It took over an hour, but I made twelve contacts using 20m, 17m, and 15m.

Final Thoughts

We had a great trip. The YL received invaluable help and information, making breakthroughs in her family tree. I had fun exploring, taking pictures, and successfully completing seven activations. As a bonus, we attended a Wednesday night practice session of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir—an amazing experience.

As I mentioned in my last post, the KH1 has pushed me to explore more. Without it, I may never have visited SLC and the surrounding areas. I’m 67 years old, and while I won’t be climbing mountains anytime soon, the portability of this radio has taken me to places I’d never been before. Hopefully, there will be many more to come!

Field Reports, News, Pedestrian Mobile, Portable, QRP, Travel

Pedestrian Mobile at Pullman: Tim’s Sunrise POTA Activation in Chicago

February 18, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 7 Comments

Sunrise Activation in the Windy City

by Tim (W8TMI)

I was recently traveling for work to Chicago, IL. I wouldn’t think of a big city as the first place for one of my radios to go, but the KH1 doesn’t take up much room and it’s a new toy I’ve been wanting to play with. I took a train from my home in Michigan to Union Station in Chicago where I was staying downtown. Taking a look at the POTA map there aren’t many opportunities to activate a park.

I don’t always sleep well away from home and Illinois is one hour behind Michigan. I woke around 5:30 AM local time which fits my normal routine. I was wide awake and I didn’t have any appointments until much later in the morning. Time to take a look at the local train system.

I found the METRA Electric Line that ran from Millennium Station downtown to well past the stop I was looking for, 111th St Pullman.This stop brought me to a former factory that built train cars from 1881-1968 and was turned into a national monument. Pullman National Monument (US-7917) which is owned and operated by the National Parks Service.

Finding this route I suited up, packed my bag, and headed out into the early morning dark. I was aiming to make Millennium Station by 6:35 and it was about a mile from my hotel. The sun wasn’t providing much light once I ventured out and the temp was around 23° F°/-5° C°. I stopped a few times to snap some quick pics while trying to make it to the station on time. The color from the sunrise appears much better in the pictures than to the naked eye.

The Chicago river from the Michigan Ave bridge

I made it to the station by 6:25. Plenty of time to buy my ticket and make it to the train. The 6:35 train would make it to 111th St around 7:04 depending on how late it ran. My plan was to make the 8:24 return train giving me an hour and twenty minutes to operate and secure the activation. There was an earlier departure from 111th at 7:34, but that seemed ambitious. If I made a later train at 9:36 I would be delayed an additional 30 minutes due to construction on the line. 7:04-8:24 sounded like plenty of time to activate the park.

Given the time in the morning I decided to give the AXE a try on 40m. My KH1 field kit contains a 20’ counterpoise extender of 26 awg silicone wire to add to the 13’ standard counterpoise that I use for 15m-20m. Deployment took under a minute and I was able to find a frequency and lock my VFO in so I don’t bump it while operating pedestrian mobile.

The Elecraft KH1 with AXE operating pedestrian Mobile on 40m

I had the activation scheduled and began calling CQ. I noticed the RBN picked my station up almost immediately based on the POTA spotting page. My PoLo app (Portable Logger) was set up and ready to copy. I do a hybrid method of logging, I copy callsigns via the paper sheets in the logging tray and then enter them with my free hand into the app. This keeps the time sync easier when going to upload the log.

According to the app my first contact was in the log at 7:14 and the final (13th) was logged at 7:31. I had walked into the park 23 minutes prior and had 13 contacts after setting up my station. This also meant that I didn’t need to wait for the 8:24 train, the 7:34 train should work. I packed my gear up and dashed to the station. Thankfully trains have a tendency to run a little later than scheduled and I was easily able to make it. Back to the hotel where a hot breakfast waited.

I don’t believe this activation would have been possible if it weren’t for the KH1. Which is exactly why I have it. Easy to always have on me and bring pretty much anywhere. The deployment speed coupled with the activation speed is unmatched in my experience. The radio is a premium niche product that I am glad I don’t have to live without. I’m looking forward to many more activations with it.

Here are a few other photos from the trip down south.

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

The Fun Continues for the POTA Babe

February 16, 2025 Teri KO4WFP 4 Comments

By KO4WFP

Note: This is the fourth article for my trip to southwest Georgia at the beginning of January 2025. If you didn’t read the previous article, it is available here: Doerun Pitcher Plant Bog WMA

January 5th, Daisy and I hit the road again for one more POTA activation toward my goal of activating 30 new parks in 2025. The trip to southwest Georgia, though cut short, was productive in that I had three successful activations, I worked through the obstacles I encountered, and I got the break from my obligations and responsibilities I needed.

There are still quite a few parks on the eastern side of Georgia I have yet to activate. As I had no time constraints today, I picked a park close to the Georgia – Florida border: Ceylon Wildlife Management Area (US-9772), an hour and a half drive from my home.

Ceylon WMA parcel map source: https://georgiawildlife.com/ceylon-wma

What I didn’t realize until I began researching and writing this article is just how significant this park is. It is the newest wildlife management area (WMA) in the state of Georgia and 24,000 acres in size. It not only has environmental significance but is also important for national security reasons. The Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is the home port of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet’s ballistic missile submarines and adjacent to this property. Keeping this land out of the hands of resort, residential, and commercial interests protected the fleets access to the Atlantic via the Satilla River.

Image from Submarine Group Ten source: New Georgia Encyclopedia

The property is named after Ceylon Mill Village, a town established on the site 1874 for the purpose of processing timber. The town “was named for the Southeastern Asia country (current-day Sri Lanka, then British Ceylon) where tea was grown and shipped to the world.”

The town is long since gone and today it is wildlife that occupies the land, including the gopher tortoise, Georgia’s state reptile. This WMA has one of the highest densities of gopher tortoises, somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000, in all of Georgia. I came across one of their burrows while looking at the pre-bellum and antebellum graveyard on the property.

gopher tortoise burrow at the base of a gravestone

The park is a short drive from Interstate 95 though the signage and entrance is not as readily visible as many WMAs. After passing the information kiosk, I began looking for a site not so heavily wooded. There was evidence of controlled burns and management for the cultivation of longleaf pines on the land. Longleaf pines are an important species in the southeast, one that is in decline due to centuries of logging. (I wrote about the importance of this habitat in my article on my activation at Oliver Bridge WMA.)

young longleaf pine taking advantage of the open canopy

I found a cleared area and pulled off the side of the road next to a downed tree. The tree would serve as my seating area and Daisy could lay down in the shade it provided. Though the temperatures were still chilly, the cloudless and sunny skies over head would certainly overheat anyone laying around in a fur coat.

napping in the shade from the fallen tree

I had the EFRW installed in short order, oriented it to the northwest, settled on the trunk, and got down to business.

I stuck with 20 meters for most of the activation. That band gave me 37 QSOs in an hour. After some hunting, I worked 11 contacts on 15 meters and three contacts on 40 meters before calling QRT. (Look at the contact waaaayyy out west in California.)

Even though I had good cell service and internet access at this site, I was not successful in hunting many activators due to the band conditions. I had three park-to-park (P2P) QSOs – Rod K4DSX, Jeffrey WJ3FF, and Marshall K1SN but ended up with credit for 10 P2P QSOs. Rod was a three-fer, Jeffrey was a two-fer, and Marshall was a five-fer! (Is there such a word?)

Ceylon Wildlife Management Area POTA QSO Map 1-5-2025

This is a park to which I plan to return. Ceylon WMA is easy to access; there is more territory in it begging to be explored; and I have cell service to spot myself and hunt other activators. With this successful activation, I now have four activations toward my goal of 30 for 2025 and 26 yet to go. Where will my next POTA adventure take place? Stay tuned…

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

Maps, Miles, and Morse: K3ES’ POTA Adventures in National Forests and Grasslands Across the West

February 13, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 7 Comments

Activating on the Road: National Forests and National Grasslands

by Brian (K3ES)

After a short break, with life getting in the way, this article continues my series on our 2024 road trip across the United States (Six Weeks and 7300 Miles: Activating on the Road). I hope to wrap up the series with a couple more articles (not yet written) over the next few weeks.

One of the goals of our great 2024 adventure was to make significant progress toward the Activated All States award for Parks on the Air (POTA). To do this, we planned our route across the American west to pass through all of the Western states that I still needed to activate. Since we still planned to spend time visiting with my parents at their home in California, we kept our travel time limited to about 2 weeks for the outbound trip and 1-1/2 weeks for the return trip. While our route would meander, we had to limit the time we spent in each of the states. Thus, many of the parks where we stopped were chosen because they were located very close to our planned driving route, and could be activated during a short break during the travel day.

To make activation planning work, we became very familiar with maps: Google Maps, the mapping function of POTA.app, a big handful of state highway maps from the American Automobile Association (AAA), and the National Park Road Atlas. While mapping with POTA.app was our go-to resource for choosing parks, it does have one significant drawback: there is only one locator pin for each park, which fails to convey the full extent of some vast entities. This is particularly true for National Forests (NFs) and National Grasslands (NGs). If you are trying to activate entities near your planned travel route through the American west, there is a good chance that you will find yourself within the boundaries of a NF or NG, and chances are equally good that the pin representing that entity on the POTA.app map will not be found anywhere near your current location.

We discovered that the expansive NFs and NGs were represented well on our paper highway maps, and were also well marked with signs along the highways. These entities, operated by the Department of Agriculture, have no general admission fee, are typically not crowded with people, and are generally a permissive environment for POTA operators. By permissive environment, I mean that there were not restrictive rules about antennas, ropes, wires, and use of trees. Some of these entities have picnic areas, campgrounds, and trails that can serve a POTA activator well, but it is also possible to find road-side sites that are suitable for quick activations. The following sections contain brief reports on the six NFs and NGs that we activated during our trip.

Buffalo Gap National Grassland US-7487

We found a trail head parking area in Buffalo Gap NG, located just outside the entrance gate to Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Having finished our drive through Badlands, I decided to do a quick activation of the adjacent entity. Although the trailhead area had few amenities, I was quick to take advantage of one: a couple of small trees that provided a patch of shade for the truck on a hot and bright afternoon.

On the air from US-7487 for a CW QRP activation.

The truck is parked in the shade, with my collapsible fishing pole tied to the back bumper to support the antenna.

I set up using my Tufteln 35 ft end-fed random wire (EFRW) antenna, with a collapsible fishing pole supporting the apex for the inverted V configuration. I operated for less than 40 minutes on the 20m band, as usual running CW at 5 watts, and logged 34 contacts. That was a spectacular success in my book!

This map shows the contacts made from US-7487.

Black Hills National Forest US-4524

A few miles down the road from Mount Rushmore National Monument, we found the Breezy Point Picnic Area in Black Hills NF. Having already activated Mount Rushmore, we stopped to eat our lunch, use the comfort facilities, and give POTA dog Molly a chance to stretch her legs. In keeping with the name, there was a pleasant breeze. The temperature was comfortable, and there were a number of picnic tables shaded by adjacent trees. Naturally, I took the time to set up my station to activate this new-to-me South Dakota entity while we were there.

Setting up to operate from the picnic table, with the throw line supporting my antenna in the background.

I threw a line up into the branches of a tall evergreen tree beside my picnic table, and pulled up my Tufteln 35 ft EFRW antenna into a near vertical configuration. In a bit less than 30 minutes, I logged 22 QRP CW contacts to complete a successful activation.

This map shows the contacts made from US-4524.

Oglala National Grassland US-7478

The truck in US-7478, with the collapsible fishing pole located behind it to support the antenna.

Having spent a few days enjoying spectacular sights in southwestern South Dakota, we were close to the corner of Nebraska, and wanted to make a quick hop across the border for an activation before continuing our travel northwest into Wyoming. Consulting our maps, we found that part of Oglala NG was located just across the border, making it very convenient for a quick activation. We followed a highway across the border, turned onto a gravel road, and followed it a short distance to the sign for Oglala NG. Continue reading Maps, Miles, and Morse: K3ES’ POTA Adventures in National Forests and Grasslands Across the West →

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Challenges for the POTA Babe

February 9, 2025 Teri KO4WFP 9 Comments

By KO4WFP

Note: This is the third article for my trip to southwest Georgia at the beginning of January 2025. If you didn’t read the previous article, it is available here: Chickasawhatchee WMA (US-3739)

In POTA and camping, one may plan and prepare; but no matter how much of that one does, there are invariably challenges that arise pushing you out of your comfort zone. Challenges put one into what I call “ham radio mode”. You know what ham radio mode is, right? You evaluate a situation, assess your available resources to address the problem, and implement a solution with those resources. The trip to southwest Georgia presented several unexpected challenges.

The first unexpected challenge was that of my keys. I brought two paddles – the VK3IL design paddle and the mini palm paddle. Upon plugging it in, the VK3IL would only send dahs. So I defaulted to my backup, the mini palm. However, something was wrong with the connector on the back as randomly, the dit paddle would stop working. Ugh! After my first activation, I used my CW Morse straight key which I brought along because of Straight Key Night on January 1st. I hadn’t used a straight key for POTA in ages and, though a little challenging at first, it was a good change of pace.

The second unexpected event was the soles of my old riding boots peeling back from the boots themselves. This happened as I was packing up my equipment at Chickasawhatchee. Thankfully, I found a Family Dollar store on the way back to Kolomoki Mounds State Park, purchased some JB Weld glue, and repaired them Thursday evening while sitting by the campfire.

The third unexpected event (don’t such things often come in threes?) were the cold temperatures at night. I did check the weather forecast before departing Savannah. However, it’s been nearly thirty years since I’ve camped in 30 degree weather and the weeks leading up to the trip had been unseasonably warm – highs in the 70s and lows in the mid 50s. So while I knew intellectually that it would be cold, I wasn’t thinking from an experiential perspective.

The first night I couldn’t get comfortably warm despite having a Northface sleeping bag (rated for 25/40 degrees) and a SeatoSummit Thermolite Reactor Extreme liner. I also threw on top of Daisy and I (she had a sleeping pad and bag of her own), a survival blanket I keep in the car for emergencies.

Late into the first night, I remembered a moving quilt/blanket also in Kai’s trunk for emergencies. I was too cold to retrieve it from the car that night. But for the second night, I laid it on the floor of the tent under Daisy and then wrapped it over both of us. Though the situation that night was better than the first, I was still not comfortably warm. (This is why winter is my least favorite season – I spend all winter trying to keep my hands and feet warm.)

While I disliked throwing in the towel, I also didn’t want to suffer through two more nights of frigid weather. I tried to remember that the goal has to serve me and not the other way around.

a stinkbug at the campsite – look at the pattern and coloration on it!

After tearing down camp and packing the car, Daisy and I headed northeast back home with a planned stop at Doerun Pitcher Plant Bog Wildlife Management Area (US-7882). It is a relatively small WMA – only 600 acres. The land was purchased in 1994 from a family estate and named for the pitcher plants found on site.

Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants. According to Wikipedia, they have a “deep cavity filled with digestive liquid” in which insects are trapped and drown. There are over 100 species of carnivorous plants worldwide and three New World (North and South America) genus including sarracenia which are found at this WMA. The three species one can view at this park are the yellow pitcher plant (sarracenia flava), hooded pitcher plant (sarracenia minor), and the parrot pitcher plant (sarracenia psittacina).

hooded pitcher plants – Photo by David McAdoo, Source: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sarracenia-minor/

I was able to view all three species though they were not in their prime due to the cold temperatures.

This WMA is easily spotted from the road. It is a short drive into the property where one encounters a kiosk and trail to the pitcher plant bog. As there was no one present and no power lines in the parking lot, I decided to set up here for my activation.

On the edge of the parking lot was a pine tree with branches low enough to reach with my arbor line. There were plenty of parking spaces to the left of my car so there was no issue running my antenna northwest across the lot. That enabled Daisy and I to sit in the sun (again, it was chilly in the shade here) and see anyone approaching in case I did need to move my antenna. I installed the Tufteln EFRW easily and readied myself to get on the air.

Unfortunately, I did not have sufficient cell service to access the POTA site at this park. I texted Glenn and he spotted me on 14.058. As I had a four-hour drive ahead of me, this was a park at which I would not linger so sticking to one band would have to suffice.

Twenty meters did not disappoint. In fifty minutes, I had 23 contacts, many of whom I knew – Steve N2YLO, Todd W2TEF, Ed KN9V, Brian K3ES, Eric WZ5MM, Rick K8BMA, and Bob AC9MG. Though the POTA exchange may be short and not challenging, I always enjoy seeing ops I know on the air during an activation. It puts a smile on my face. (I just wish I could knew and remember everyone’s name. I sent the wrong name to Carlos AE2W – sorry about that!)

QSO Map for Doerun Pitcher Plant Bog WMA 1-3-2025

With this park successfully activated, it was time to head home to Savannah. The other parks I had hoped to activate during this trip – Kolomoki Mounds State Park, Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Walter F. George WMA, Silver Lake State Fishing Lake, and/or Lake Seminole WMA – would have to wait for another trip.

But that isn’t the end. Just like Ginsu knives, there is more! As I had set aside Sunday for this trip, I resolved to find a park near Savannah to activate that day. What park would I pick? Stay tuned…

Equipment Used

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News, Portable, POTA, SOTA, Travel, Websites

Planning an Activation Rove? Michael recommends Ham-Map.com

February 5, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 6 Comments

Many thanks to Michael (OK7SE) who writes:

Hello Thomas.

Michal (OK1SIM) has put together an online map that might be useful for activation planning. You might want to check it out:

https://ham-map.com/

I usually activate “what’s available,” so I like that I can generate a map that aggregates SOTA, POTA, GMA, and WWFF for a target place (e.g., when I go to Austria for a trip) so I can see what’s nearby my accommodation, etc.

Fine-tuning the map results

Click on the icon with three bars in the upper left corner and select your country. Then, you can select the activities you are interested in (WWFF, SOTA, POTA, etc.).

Then click the “Rebuild Map” button and the map will show you all of the activation entities you requested.

In order not to overload the application, you can either select WWFF for the whole world (which is the default) or various activities, but only for one country at a time, which is usually enough for trip planning.

If I am around country borders, I open two Firefox windows and have two countries at once that way.

72s,
Michael OK7SE

Thank you so much for sharing this resource, Michael. We’ve mentioned Ham-Map in the past, but it’s clear that it has only grown more comprehensive over time. It’s an incredible tool, and we owe a big thanks to our friend OK1SIM for creating and sharing it with the ham radio community!

Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel, Videos

The POTA Babe’s Safari at Chickasawhatchee

February 2, 2025 Teri KO4WFP 10 Comments

By Teri KO4WFP

Note: This is the second article for my trip to southwest Georgia at the beginning of January 2025. If you didn’t read the first article, it is available here: Elmodel Wildlife Management Area.

Thursday, January 2nd, Daisy and I headed to Chickasawhatchee Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The park is a short 45-minute drive from Kolomoki Mounds State Park. We drove through more small towns, past peanut warehouses, chicken houses, and cotton fields. Though chilly, it was a gorgeous day with cloudless, sunny skies promising warmer temperatures as the day progressed.

poultry house on the drive to and from the park

The state of Georgia has 14 river basins and 52 watersheds. The Chickasawhatchee Swamp occupies 30,000 acres along the Flint River Basin and 20,000 of those acres are protected inside the Chickasawhatchee WMA (US-3739). According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the swamp is among the largest freshwater swamps in the southeastern United States. It is unique in that “the collection of spring and surface water tributaries unite in bottomlands where the limestone bedrock is thin and soft, giving it a relatively direct connection to the local aquifer.”

The park is well marked and the signage easily viewed from the road. I entered from the northwest corner off Georgia Route 62. In front of me was a packed, red-clay road just begging to be driven. I knew I had an activation scheduled but the desire to explore relegated that activation to the back burner. I drove for nearly an hour in the WMA exploring the park as my own private safari. I was in heaven!

I think this is a tilled dove field for hunting.

bottomlands in the park – a nice, little freshwater swamp

Around 1 PM, we reached an intersection of two roads in an open area. It was time to stop exploring and take care of business – my POTA activation. At the intersection was a large oak into which an EFRW could be installed and plenty of sun so Daisy and I could sit outside and stay warm. (Though the temperature had warmed considerably from earlier in the day, I still felt chilly in the shade.)

arbor line in tree getting ready to hoist EFRW

feed-end of the antenna connected to my Tom Bihn bag in which I keep my coax and throw kit

Up went the Tufteln EFRW and soon I was on the air. Given the time of day, I opted to begin with 20 meters. Jeff W4JSH was the first to answer my CQ. Over the next half an hour, the calls rolled in. I then jumped to 15 meters for two calls and then 17 meters for six calls. As I had access to the POTA page at this WMA, I tried hunting other activators but was successful with only one – Harry K9DXA at US-1001.

my setup – note the straight key which will be discussed in the next article

Before finishing out the day, I texted Glenn W4YES and he remoted into our ham shack. We worked one another on 40 meters (I gave him a 599 but on his end, I was only a 339). I then worked two more callers on 40 meters including John K4ZI. I was his first POTA contact ever. How awesome is that!

Chickasawhatchee WMA POTA QSO Map 1-2-2025

By this point in the day, the sun was lower in the sky, taking the warmer temperatures with it. I packed up my equipment and headed back to Kolomoki Mounds State Park.

This evening I attempted something I’ve never done when camping – build a campfire. Usually it is too wam for a fire when I camp. However, the temperatures would be in the lower 30s tonight again and I hankered to sit by a fire. I know how to build a fire as my ex-husband had a wood stove and I built many a fire in it. It wasn’t long before I had a blazing fire going. I felt like the character played by Tom Hanks in Castaway: “Me….Build….Fire!”

Daisy lounged in her sleeping bag nearby while I sat next to the fire, poking it periodically. Ahhhh. A lovely end to a lovely day. Where to next? Stay tuned…

Equipment Used

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Accessories, Everyday Carry, Hacks and Hints, News, Travel

A Sampling From My EDC Pack: Ten Essentials I Carry Everywhere

January 30, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 21 Comments

Last year, I mentioned—either in a field report or video—that I carry a full Elecraft KH1 field kit in my everyday backpack, my EDC (Everyday Carry) pack.

That led to a great question from Terry, a reader who was studying for his ham radio license at the time. He wrote:

“Thomas, thank you so much for the field report. I had never guessed a complete HF radio field kit [like the KH1] could be so small that it would qualify as a bonafide EDC.

I’m very curious—what other EDC items would you recommend, not just as a radio operator but in general? I suspect you’ve put some thought into this in the past.”

Great question, Terry! And my apologies for taking, well… several months to respond. Your message got lost in the shuffle when Hurricane Helene hit, effectively dropping an atom bomb on my inbox and free time.

To make up for it, I thought I’d turn your question into a proper post.

I Love EDC

Yes, I do put a lot of thought into my EDC items. I’m constantly on the go, and since I never know when I’ll have time to write a field report, review, or even catch up on emails, I take my work with me. My laptop (a MacBook Pro) is a key part of my EDC.

And, as you noted, so is my KH1 field kit. It’s safely packed inside a Pelican Micro M40, so I don’t have to worry about damage if I drop my pack or something heavy lands on it.

But if I understand your question correctly, you’re asking about the other non-radio-related EDC items I carry.

Another reader/subscriber recently (as in a few months ago) asked for a full video tour of my EDC backpack, and I do plan to make one soon. That said, I’ll need time to prepare because—frankly—I carry a lot of stuff!

For now, though, here are ten items that are always in my EDC pack. Most of these aren’t directly related to radio, but they’ve proven their worth time and time again.

(Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.)

Item 1: Leatherman Signal Multitool

This is my go-to multitool. It features pliers, screwdrivers (with a bit collection), a knife, a saw blade, a whistle, a fire-starting flint, a bottle opener, and more.

I firmly believe every field operator should carry some sort of multitool—it’s indispensable for quick antenna repairs.

Item 2: Rechargeable Nitecore Headlamp

I’ve said it before: a good headlamp is as essential as a first-aid kit, especially if you hike to your radio sites. This is my favorite headlamp for EDC, though I have many others. The one in my SOTA pack has a beefier battery and a brighter beam, but this Nitecore is perfect for everyday use.

Item 3: First Aid Kit

I always keep a compact first-aid kit in my EDC pack. I typically build my own, focusing on cuts, scrapes, tick removal, headaches, stomach aches, and allergies. I keep a more advanced trauma kit in my car and a separate field first-aid kit in my SOTA/POTA packs.

Item 4: PD Battery Pack

This Anker power bank charges everything from my phone to my laptop. With a Tufteln converter, I can even power a radio in a pinch. It’s a must-have for keeping my gear running.

Item 5: Light My Fire Spork

This is one of the most useful things I carry. It’s lightweight, insanely durable, and much better than disposable plastic cutlery when eating a salad or soup on the go. Such a simple item, but incredibly handy. There are numerous options like this on the market (many in durable plastic) but I like this particular one so much, I bought a second for my wife. Makes for a great stocking stuffer.

Item 6: RF Connector/Radio Accessories Pouch

This small pouch holds an assortment of RF connectors—essential backups in case something in my POTA field kit fails. Because let’s be honest… something always fails at some point.

Item 7: Commando Precision Screwdriver Set

This little kit has saved the day more times than I can count. Unfortunately, I don’t think my particular model is still made because the company appears to have closed shop. Very unfortunate because it’s super high-quality and was made in the U.S.

You might still find them on eBay. I wrote this review on the SWLing Post five years ago.

Item 8: PackTowel

A compact, absorbent, quick-drying towel is endlessly useful—whether for cleaning up a spill, washing up, or drying off gear after a sudden rain shower. I carry this 14×10″ size.

Item 9: Victorinox Nail Clippers

This little Swiss Army tool is a gem. It has excellent nail clippers, plus tweezers, a toothpick, small scissors, and a tiny knife.

Small, simple, and super useful.

Item 10: Notepad and Pen/Pencil

I like taking notes, and this combo–a small Rite in the Rain pad and Graphgear mechanical pencil–is always within reach. It’s also my backup logbook when operating the KH1 in tabletop mode.

Bonus Item: Loop Ear Plugs

As I pulled items from my pack for photos, I realized one more essential: Loop Ear Plugs. A friend recommended them, and I got pairs for my daughters and me this Christmas. I’m easily distracted by loud noises when working, so I often use white noise or instrumental music for focus. I’ve also used cheap foam earplugs, but they aren’t comfortable long-term—especially for sleep.

These Loop Ear Plugs, however, are low-profile, lightweight, and so comfortable I forget I’m wearing them. They don’t block all sound, but they take the edge off loud, percussive noise while still allowing conversations. A game-changer for noisy spaces, for me at least!

So much more…

Honestly, it was tough picking just ten (okay, eleven) items. When I look in my EDC pack, I see so many things I wouldn’t want to be without. Most of them are compact, lightweight, and boringly practical—but they make life easier.

I’m setting a goal to film a proper EDC backpack tour within the next month. It’ll be a long video, but I think it’ll be fun to go through everything I carry.

Of course, I’d love to hear from you—what do you keep in your EDC?

Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel, Videos

The Road Beckons the POTA Babe

January 26, 2025 Teri KO4WFP 10 Comments

By Teri KO4WFP

After six months devoid of POTA/camping trips, it was time for Daisy and I to hit the road, this time returning to southwest Georgia. There are parks on that side of the state I want to activate but the travel time necessitates a longer stay. My son has two weeks off from school during winter break, plenty of time for such a trip.

After looking at the state parks with campgrounds on that side of Georgia, I settled on Kolomoki Mounds State Park partially because of how the campground looked online but also due to the availability of parks to activate nearby. The POTA map showed six parks to the north, four to the east, and five to the south, all within an hour-and-a-half drive, plenty of parks from which to choose.

my POTA opportunities as printed from the POTA site

Wednesday, January 1st, I loaded up the car and Daisy and I began our journey through rural Georgia to our first park – Elmodel Wildlife Management Area (WMA).

I absolutely love driving through rural Georgia! The roads wind me through little towns with imposing courthouses and kitschy businesses, past water towers and pecan orchards slumbering until spring. While the view may not offer the stunning vistas associated with national parks or glistening metropolitan skylines, it has its own magic, one in which I delight. My car was purring along the road and so was I.

a bronze bison statue in southwest Georgia

After nearly four hours in the car, we reached Elmodel WMA (US-3748). The park is in the middle of nowhere (as many WMAs are) but the sign and information kiosk are easily spotted from the road. Rather than set up in that open area, I opted to drive a little way into the park as I often like to do.

a spot a little way into the WMA but not blocking the road

As I had yet to set up our campsite for the night and sunset was only three hours away, there was not time to dally. I opted for the Chelengance MC-750. I figured I’d stick to 20 meters so there’d be no having to fiddle with the vertical for changing bands.

There is almost always something unexpected during an activation. Today both of my paddles gave me difficulty. The VK3IL-design paddle would not work correctly. When plugged in, it made non-stop dahs. As a backup, I brought the mini palm paddle that was given to me. This paddle, too, acted up when the dit paddle would randomly stop working. (I think the connector on the back of the key is the problem.) ARGH! But that paddle worked 98% of the time and would have to do.

(On a side note – now that I have invested in a wonderful bug – the Frattini Magnetic Evolution bug – and cootie – the W1SFR Titan – it is time to get a good quality portable paddle. As of the writing of this article, I’ve ordered a BamaTech III paddle and await its arrival near the end of January.)

It was not long after spotting myself (Yay! There was cell service at this WMA!) that John AC9OT answered my CQ.

Operating QRP, I expect my signal reports to hover between 579 and 559. However, today’s reports were not great – 539, 449, 339. Maybe the ionosphere was still unsettled after the prior day’s CME. Unsettled or not, I managed to garner eleven contacts including one from Tim K5OHY, a member of my current Comprehensive ICR course that I am coaching for CW Innovations with Brian K3ES. (Thanks Tim!)

After 11 contacts, I called QRT, packed up my equipment, and headed for Kolomoki Mounds State Park. My campsite was better than what I expected – lakeside with the sun setting behind the trees. I ate a simple supper and marveled at how blessed I am to have these experiences.