Category Archives: Travel

Scott’s Lake Erie POTA Mini-Vacation

Many thanks to Scott (VA3EKR) who shares the following guest post which was originally posted on his blog:


July 17—18, 2025. Lake Erie POTA Mini-vacation

by Scott (VA3EKR)

The Plan

I had the Monday and Tuesday off from work, as an extended July 4th. Unfortunately both my daughter and wife had to work, and we also have some animals that are in need of constant medical attention, so this was going to have to be a solo trip.

I have long been fascinated by the coastline near Long Point, but until this point I had only seen it in pictures and maps. I wanted to camp overnight, and do two activations from Long point, and book-end it with a POTA activation both before and after.

I booked at the last moment, and so there was only one site available, despite being on a Monday. I looked at a few online pictures of the site, and noticed it had trees, so I was hopeful. It was also near the beach. Site 335.

I left around 9:30 in the morning, and I was planning for about a 2 hour drive. The plan was to activate Turkey Point Provincial Park (CA-0417) at around 11:00, then have a nice lunch at 13:00, and drive to Long Point (CA-0279) for the 14:00 arrival-time check-in.

Turkey Point Provincial Park (CA-0417)

Arriving at Turkey Point, the staff were very helpful and, because I had a reservation for another provincial park later that afternoon, they did not charge me an admission fee. I drove to a picnic table that was right next to some trees, and had an easy setup.

I used a Packtenna Random Wire that has a 9:1 transformer neatly packaged onto the winder.

The bands were moderately active, and it did not take me long to activate on 20m CW with the KX2. 17 QSOs in about an hour. I brought a 30AH battery to allow me to operate for a long time, however in retrospect, I believe that the internal charger for the KX2 never engaged. I had a full charge on the KX2 beforehand, so I suspect that all three activations were done on its internal battery! I ended it on a fitting note with a park-to-park with Jim in Nebraska (WBØRLJ).

Date Time Call State Band Mode Park
2025/07/07 15:52 KO4USA GA 20m CW  
2025/07/07 15:53 K2UPD NY 20m CW  
2025/07/07 15:54 NAØF MN 20m CW  
2025/07/07 15:55 KA5TXN TX 20m CW  
2025/07/07 15:57 W3YJ PA 20m CW  
2025/07/07 15:59 AA5XA AR 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:00 KO4ALY AL 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:03 W5KEB AR 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:05 KB3A AL 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:06 KM4QNA AL 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:14 KG4NXT VA 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:21 KAØLDG ND 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:33 KE2BKW PA 40m CW US-8734
2025/07/07 16:39 W9MET FL 20m CW US-3605
2025/07/07 16:42 AB9CA IL 20m CW US-4104
2025/07/07 16:50 K1ATL NH 20m CW  
2025/07/07 17:02 WBØRLJ NE 20m CW US-4010

Following the activation I went to the Tipsy Pirate that had a nice outside deck overlooking the water.

I had a nice vegi-burrito and fries and an afternoon cocktail.

Long Point Provincial Park (CA-0279)

I arrived at Long Point and found the site. It was even nicer than I had hoped! It was perfect for POTA, it was fairly quiet, and close to the lake.

My plan was to activate in the early afternoon while the UV was at its worse, under the shade of the campsite trees, and then check out the lake, and have some supper.
Continue reading Scott’s Lake Erie POTA Mini-Vacation

New Kneeboard and AX3 Mount: Park Bench Portable POTA at Domaine de Maizerets in Québec City

On June 17, 2025—two days after we arrived at our condo in St-Ferréol-les-Neiges—we drove to Québec City to pick up a few provisions.

My wife loves exploring thrift stores and had mentioned on the way into town that she’d enjoy popping by one before we returned that day. My POTA brain immediately pinged because I remembered a thrift store she enjoyed visiting was very close to one of the first parks I ever activated in Québec City.

I pitched the idea of an activation to my wife and daughters, and they readily approved. Fortunately, I already had my Canada Field Radio Backpack loaded with the Elecraft KH1 in the back of the car!

Domaine de Maizerets (CA-5020)

I first activated this park on June 20, 2022—almost exactly three years earlier. Here’s the field report. (I didn’t film that activation.)

Back then, it was an ATNO (All Time New One)—the park had never been activated before.

It was also one of the very first proper urban parks I’d activated. By “urban,” I mean a park that’s located in the city, on the smaller side, and fairly busy with activities and locals who live nearby.

As I posted a couple of days ago, I’m learning to become a better, more adaptive, urban park activator—since I usually activate large state, provincial, and national parks where I have all the space I need to play radio.

Having visited this park several times over the past few years, I already had a good idea of where I’d like to activate and how I’d like to do it.

New Field Gear!

As I mentioned earlier this week, my buddy Mike (KE8PTX) has been hard at work in his top-secret, underground laboratory developing accessories for the Elecraft KH1 and AX3 antenna. I knew this activation would give me a chance to test two of them.

The first is a new kneeboard designed specifically for the KH1. It’s super simple, lightweight, compact—and I love it.

It also includes a steel base that can magnetically lock your key in place.

The board secures the KH1 and paddle, and the adjustable elastic strap keeps the board firmly on your leg. It’s so secure, you can easily stand up and reposition without anything sliding off. That’s a big deal—because during longer activations, I tend to shift positions or stretch. This kneeboard lets me do that without worrying about my rig.

Some of you might be thinking, “But isn’t the KH1 meant to be a pedestrian mobile radio? Why not operate handheld?

That’s a great point! Pedestrian mobile is absolutely the way to go if you’re using the included 4’ telescoping whip antenna. But if you want to use a different antenna—like the AX3 or a wire antenna—I prefer to sit and operate, since those options limit mobility.

AX3 Strap Mount

Speaking of the AX3, I planned to pair it with the KH1 for this activation—and I had a new secret weapon: a strap mount Mike designed.

It’s a brilliantly simple mount based on the ¼-20 threaded base on the AX3. Just a threaded adapter attached to a Velcro strap. That’s it.

So super simple.

Since the AX3 is so lightweight, this strap mount opens up a variety of mounting possibilities. For this activation, I planned to use it on a park bench.

At time of posting, Mike’s accessories aren’t yet available for purchase. Joshua (N5FY) at Tufteln will produce these for purchase in the coming weeks. When he does, I’ll announce it on QRPer.com.

Setting Up

I found a nice, albeit conspicuous, park bench next to the creek that runs through the middle of the park.

First, I mounted the AX3 to the top slat of the bench’s backrest. It worked brilliantly.

 

My daughter made a short video panning across the park–can you spot me?

From a distance, you can’t tell that the guy in the Tilley hat near the footbridge is a Morse Code and POTA nut!

Time to hit the airwaves!

Gear

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Radio

Antenna System

Camera and Audio Gear

Logging

Backpack

On The Air

I suspected this would be a challenging activation—and I was right. Propagation had been in the dumps, and several friends had mentioned struggling with their activations that same day.

Normally, this isn’t when I’d choose to use a compromised antenna, but in this case:

  1. I wanted to keep the setup very low-impact and respectful of other park guests, and
  2. I was eager to test Mike’s new accessories!

After tweaking the antenna position to accommodate the cable length from the AX3 package, I started calling CQ POTA. Continue reading New Kneeboard and AX3 Mount: Park Bench Portable POTA at Domaine de Maizerets in Québec City

Adaptive Urban Park Activating (AUPA): A New Personal Challenge

When we plotted our trip to Canada this year, I mentally set a goal for myself: to get better at Adaptive Urban Park Activating (AUPA).

Yeah, I just made that initiative up. Don’t laugh (too hard).

Let me explain…

Back home in North Carolina—and really, most of the parks I travel to in the eastern half of the U.S.—are large state and national parks. When I set up my field radio gear, I typically have a vast area with many choice sites to choose from. It’s easy to disappear into the void, and park staff have no issue with the antennas I deploy.

That said, I also activate quite a few small state historic sites, but in each case, I know the park staff and they know me. I always ask for permission before activating and describe the antenna I plan to deploy. We’ve built relationships over time, and they allow me to activate with essentially no restrictions. I can deploy wire antennas, verticals, loops—whatever I choose.

But the truth is, I have two conflicting interests when I’m in a park.

First, I enjoy being a public and (hopefully) positive impression of the amateur radio community when I’m approached by park guests and staff. POTA gives me an excuse to talk about the importance—and fun—of amateur radio. Since Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, I’ve seen even more interest from locals who stop to ask what I’m doing because they heard that amateur radio played an important role in emergency communications during the aftermath.

That said, in general, I try to be as low-impact and inconspicuous as possible when operating in public spaces. I don’t want my antennas to be trip hazards or interfere with others’ enjoyment of the park. And if I’m being honest, I’m naturally introverted—I like to disappear and be left alone.

The balance I try to strike is deploying gear in a way that doesn’t interfere with others, while also not worrying too much if someone notices my setup. If I’m not bothering anyone but I’m visible enough to serve as a sort of radio ambassador, that’s the best of both worlds, right?

Right!

Adaptive Urban Park Activating

Which brings us back to this philosophy I made up five minutes ago…

When I packed for our trip to Canada, I knew most of the parks I’d be activating in and around Québec City would either be urban parks or national wildlife refuges. In both cases, I aim for field setups that are low-impact, sensitive to surroundings, and unlikely to attract negative attention.

I also had to pack compact and light—we maxed out our Subaru for this multi-week trip. So I brought my usual assortment of wire antennas (end-fed half-waves and random wires) and my self-supporting, low-impact verticals: the Elecraft AX1 and the new AX3.

If you watched my recent field radio pack video, you’ll have an idea of my core setup.

I left behind the Chelegance MC-750, the Radioddity HF-009, and the Chameleon MPAS Lite self-supporting verticals.

The POTA20 mast

I did bring my POTA20 Explorer carbon fiber pole, which easily fits in my backpack. While the POTA20 Explorer mast is pretty conspicuous when deployed—no way around that, especially if I’m not backed up against a wooded area—I paired it with very short 4:1 and 9:1 EFRW antennas that are super easy to deploy, giving me a stealthier self-supporting vertical option.

In a sense, I chose my lightest, stealthiest antenna options.

When I feel comfortable hanging a wire in an urban park, I do it in a low-impact way: keeping the wire, throw line, and counterpoise all within view and away from high-traffic areas. I keep the footprint as small as possible.

The Propagation Factor

Of course, all of this depends on propagation…

In these urban activations, I’ve placed more emphasis on compromised antennas—either my 4-foot AX1 and AX3 verticals or 17-foot end-feds. And I knew before leaving that propagation’s been spotty these past few weeks (months?). I expected I’d need more time to activate parks with these setups.

Indeed, the first park I activated in Canada was Fort Wellington National Historic Site (here’s a link to the field report). That day, a festival brought a lot of foot traffic to the park, so I went very low-impact—not just out of respect for the historic site, but also the crowds.

I set up my KX2 and AX1, unsure if I’d manage to activate at all. Fortunately, I did.

Over the next few weeks, you’ll see a common thread in my Canadian field reports: stealth and the challenge of becoming a better, more adaptive urban activator. It’s been great practice.

A Few New Tools

I’ve also added some new tools to my kit.

My friend and mad-scientist 3D-print designer, Mike (KE8PTX), made clamp and strap mounts for the new Elecraft AX3 vertical in addition to a new KH1 knee board.

These have made it ridiculously easy to deploy that antenna pretty much anywhere. So far, I’ve mounted it to a park bench (you’ll see this in an upcoming field report) and clamped it to a picnic table in gusty winds.

In many of the Québec City parks I’ve activated, I rarely see staff—there’s no one to ask for permission. So if I’m using an AX1 or AX3 on a table, I feel like I’m having less impact than the average family picnic. If a park employee were to approach me, I’d like to think there’d be no grounds for complaint.

CW + Earphones = Super Stealthy

I’ve also been using earphones a lot more than usual. I actually enjoy using earphones for activations, but I typically rely on my speaker instead because, frankly, it makes for quicker and easier activation video setups.

But when you’re doing a CW activation with earphones, you’re super stealthy—no sound, no fuss. This is one major benefit of CW over voice modes: we can send without speaking out loud.

For this reason, I’ve been recording my audio directly from the radio for activation videos when I’m in an urban park setting.

To be clear, I actually think the sound of CW can be pleasant and even intriguing to many people. But I can’t assume everyone feels the same way—especially in urban parks, where visitors are often trying to escape noise. A quiet, discreet setup just feels more respectful in that context.

What About You?

The KH1 in Pedestrian Mobile mode is a very low-impact way to do urban POTA.

Do you activate urban parks or low-profile sites where you aim to remain low-impact? What’s your default setup?

I’d love to hear how you approach this—especially if you’re working with limited space, increased visibility, or extra constraints.

You’ll see more on this topic in my upcoming videos.

72,

Thomas (VY2SW / K4SWL)

POTA in the Heart of Europe: Ken’s Travels in Hungary

Many thanks to Ken (WR7D) for sharing the following field report and travelogue:


POTA in Hungary

by Ken (HA/WR7D)

I had the opportunity to take a short notice trip to Hungary the beginning of June. I was accompanying my daughter who was attending a class at the University of Debrecen as part of her PhD program at Montana State University. The class was only a week long and we would be in Debrecen for that time and then spend a couple of days in Budapest before heading home.

My wife couldn’t make the trip because of work and my daughter would be occupied with the course for the time in Debrecen so that meant I had all kinds of time to do ham radio stuff. POTA is relatively new in Hungary, but there were already some designated parks around Debrecen and Budapest. One of the POTA coordinators, Greg (HA4UC) even offered to add parks if I found any that I would like to activate that weren’t already designated.

I didn’t have a lot of time to get things organized so I decided to stick with my trusty Elecraft KX2. I thought seriously about taking the Elecraft KH1 also but decided against it in favor of taking extra antennas and support stuff. My plan was to activate using CW with FT8 as a backup. I had been using The KX2 with the iFTx app on my iPhone, a headphone adapter and splitter. That setup had worked well a couple of times already.

The other question was what was required to operate legally in Hungary? I noticed on the POTA website that Spencer, N4KPT, had activated a park in Budapest just a few days prior. Along with his help, I determined that all I needed was a copy of the CEPT agreement, an original copy of my license and my passport. I also needed to prefix my call sign with HA/. Everything was set.

Debrecen

My first activation attempt would be at HU-0010, Debreceni Nagyerő Nature Reserve. This was ideal because it was within easy walking distance of the hotel. The main challenge I had was determining the actual boundaries of the park. The park is generally known as the Great Forest.

From what I found, the Great Forest originally encompassed much more area, but parts were carved out of it for the University of Debrecen, a large city park, a sports stadium and other venues. What was left became the Nature Reserve. I finally found a good drawing that showed the actual boundaries of the reserve. The red circle in the picture below is where I activated from.

For this attempt, I used the EFRW 4:1 from Tufteln, with a 15ft radiator and a 7.5 foot counterpoise. I had contacted Joshua about getting one of his EFRW no transformer antennas that would work great with the KX2. He suggested this new 4:1 antenna with the much shorter elements. He shipped it as fast as he could but no guarantee that it would arrive in time. Considering that, I built a simpler version of his no transformer antenna just in case.

I deployed the EFRW 4:1 antenna on a POTA20 mast. I didn’t even need to use the full height of the antenna. The antenna tuned fine, but I wasn’t getting any answers to my CW calls. I tried a couple different bands with no luck after quite some time. I decided to switch to FT8 on 20m. I was receiving and decoding signals but was having quite a time getting successful transmissions. I decided to call it a day after that.

Second Attempt

A couple days later, I attempted an activation from the same location. I had done some troubleshooting back in the hotel after the first attempt and believe I had discovered the problem with FT8 on the first attempt.

This time I used the EFRW no transformer antenna that I had built. This antenna has a 28.5 foot radiator and counterpoise. The radiator was suspended from a tree with the counterpoise on the ground. Again, I received no answers to my CW calls. I again switched to FT8. This time I was successful and made 15 contacts all over Europe in about an hour and a half. That’s not great for FT8, but a successful activation.

Below is a picture of my CW setup and my backpack of goodies. I made the knee board based off Carolanne’s (N0RNM) design. Mine is a bit smaller and I added a metal plate on the lower section for attaching magnetic keys. In this case a BaMaKeY TP-III.

Here is a map of the QSO’s from that activation.

I was planning on activating another park near Debrecen but after looking at the logistics to get there, I had second thoughts. Then a big geomagnetic storm hit about that time, so I decided not to attempt it.

Even though the band conditions were bad, I decided to try HU-0010 a third time since it was so convenient. Again, I received no answers on CW. I didn’t hear any CW traffic at all on 40m and 20m. I tried FT8 again but had more technical difficulties. I think I’ve decided this was a mic bias issue. It seems that the setting doesn’t survive a power cycle in DATA mode. The radio will always start with the mic bias on. I think that resulted in damage to the USB-C to headphone adapter.

After more testing back at the hotel, I’m not sure about the mic bias setting. Sometimes the bias will remain off when the radio is power cycled in DATA mode. Regardless, the solution is to power up the KX2 and make sure the mic bias is off before connecting the headphone adapter and splitter cord. Fortunately, I did find a new headphone adapter in Debrecen that I could use in Budapest. Continue reading POTA in the Heart of Europe: Ken’s Travels in Hungary

What’s in My Travel Radio Backpack? Summer Activations in Canada

Besides radio, one thing I love to geek out about is bags, pouches, backpacks—and more specifically—how and what I pack.

In fact, some of my favorite YouTube videos are those where the host shows how they pack for, say, summer travels in Asia, a one-week business trip to Helsinki, or what’s in their Everyday Carry (EDC).

Although this is one of my favorite types of videos, I don’t make enough of them about my own philosophy of packing: what I take, how I pack it, and how it all works in the field.

My Canada Backpack

If you’ve been watching my videos for long, you’ve probably noticed that one of my favorite field backpacks is the one with a Canadian flag on the front:

It’s a 21L GoRuck GR1 USA. I’ve owned this backpack for the better part of a decade and use it for both field radio and travel. I’ve many other backpacks, but this one is just the right size for almost any of my radio adventures. It also meets the “personal carry-on” size restrictions for even low-cost carriers (at least, at the time of posting). I’ve packed this—with radio—for a week of air travel. I’ve also taken this pack on numerous SOTA hikes.

I have other backpacks I love, but this one strikes the right balance of being big enough without being too big. The main compartment is boxy, somewhat structured, and fits some of my longest field kit items: my Joby Tripod with action camera attached, hiking sticks, Helinox Chair, and carbon fiber telescoping mast.

Ready for Any Activation

While here in Canada, I’ll be activating parks I’ve never visited before, so I need to be prepared for just about any situation. I’m also activating a lot of urban parks in and around Québec City.

When I packed for this trip, I assumed that some of the parks wouldn’t have picnic tables—and some might not even have available park benches. That’s why I pack a collapsible hiking chair and folding knee board. With those, all I need is a flat spot on the ground and I can operate comfortably and complete an activation.

Somewhat Modular

In my pack, there are core items I don’t take out, like my:

  • Helinox Chair and Ground Sheet
  • Folding Knee Board
  • POTA20 Explorer Mast
  • Logging Pad and Pencil
  • Throw Line and Weight
  • A few antenna options
  • A LiPo battery and USB charger
  • Garmin InReach
  • Headlamp
  • Camera and Audio recording Gear
  • First Aid, Sunscreen, Nitrile Gloves (for picking up rubbish), etc.

I do, however, rotate the radio kit inside.

My KX2 Field Kit

For example, in this video, I feature my venerable Elecraft KX2 kit (see photos above).

My MTR-3B Kit

But I can take that one out and replace it with either my Elecraft KH1, CFT1, or MTR-3B field kits.

My KH1 Kit

They are all packed in small Pelican cases that easily fit in the center of my backpack.

Weight

When fully loaded, my backpack isn’t exactly lightweight. Besides all of my radio gear, I’m usually packing a bottle of water too. I haven’t weighed it, but it’s relatively heavy. That’s not an issue for POTA since I’m rarely walking more than 10 minutes (and often just 2 minutes) to find a site to set up.

For SOTA outings or hikes that are an hour or more, I shed any items I know I won’t need. That frees up space for more water and lightens the overall load.

For example, on SOTA hikes I plan to only take my Elecraft KH1 transceiver and a few accessories. That means I can leave behind cable assemblies, extra keys and key base, POTA20 mast, ground spike, and throw line and weight. (The KH1 kit includes a minimalist throw line/weight if needed.) It significantly reduces the pack weight.

In fact, I brought a second, smaller backpack for times when I want to go very minimalist with the KH1 or MTR-3B. Both have fully self-contained field kits in individual Pelican cases. This smaller backpack is perfect when I’m with family—say, spending the day in Vieux Québec visiting museums, shops, restaurants, and one or two urban parks where I can squeeze in activations.

Extras

Note that there are a few extras always in my car that I didn’t include in the video because they typically stay there: my portable table, HT, and a 2-liter water bladder.

Also, a bedroll that we use for family picnics. All of these items work for both field radio, family picnics, and lounging on the shores of the mighty St-Lawrence.

All of these items get heavy use since our family spends so much time outdoors.

Video

In the video tour of my field radio backpack from this trip to Canada, I take you through each individual item I packed. Below, you’ll find links to each item (when available), in the order they appear in the video.

Click here to view on YouTube.

Gear List

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

(In order of the video presentation.)

Outer Pocket, Outside Flap

Top Pocket, Inside Flap

Lower Pocket, Inside Flap

Main Compartment

Interior Zippered Pouch

Interior (Ruck Plate) Pouch

Outside of Pack

More to come!

My smaller GoRuck BulletRuck

This video didn’t take long to shoot because, as you know, I don’t edit my videos—they are what they are.

Putting together all of the links and video chapters, however, takes a long time. I do plan to make a video of my other, more minimalist backpack and my new Red Oxx Gator EDC bag I’m using for all of my extra supplies.

My Red Oxx Gator EDC Bag

I’d love to hear your comments about your own field packs—and I especially enjoy your Field Radio Kit posts for our Field Radio Kit Gallery!

Thank you

Thanks for reading this post—I hope you enjoyed the “What’s in my pack?” video. I certainly enjoyed the process. It was a fun excuse to nerd out about packing!

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

Thanks for spending part of your day with me!

Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL / VY2SW)

Tough Bands, Tiny Antenna: An AX1 Activation at Fort Wellington NHS

Note: This first field report from my 2025 trip to Canada happens to coincide with Canada Day (today, July 1, 2025). Happy Canada Day!

by Thomas (VY2SW / K4SWL)

In a previous post, I mentioned that my family was heading north into Canada for a few weeks this summer. This trip wasn’t easy to carve out of our schedule, but we were looking for a bit of escape from all of the Hurricane Helene clean-up—and, frankly, we were craving some family time.

We arrived in Canada (via the Thousand Islands Bridge) on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in the late afternoon. Had it not been such a tiring drive that day, I would have activated Thousand Islands National Park (CA-0099), but honestly? We were all ready to check into our hotel in Brockville, Ontario, take a stroll along the waterfront, and grab some dinner.

Brockville waterfront

The next morning (June 15, 2025), I took a look at the POTA map and determined that we had plenty of time for a park activation before heading into Québec. Several options lay along our route, but one, in particular, caught my attention:

Fort Wellington National Historic Site (CA-4868)

Fort Wellington is a Parks Canada site situated right along the St. Lawrence River, which we were traveling beside. Even better, it was only about a 15-minute drive from our hotel.

We arrived on-site around 10:15 AM local time and immediately noticed the parking area in front of Fort Wellington was barricaded for an event. I saw two Parks Canada rangers standing out front, so I asked them about the event and whether it was okay to park on the street in front of the property. They couldn’t have been kinder.

Turns out, the town was hosting an outdoor BBQ ribs event that Sunday. It’s as if they expected a ham from North Carolina to pick their site for POTA! It was a pretty big event for a town as small as Prescott—there were loads of entertainers, food trucks serving all forms of BBQ, and tours of Fort Wellington.

I asked the rangers if they were familiar with Parks On The Air (they were!) and if I could set up on the NHS property closer to the river and away from all the festivities. They gave me permission.

I should add here that I volunteered not to put any antennas in trees or place stakes in the ground to mount my telescoping carbon fiber pole. As a rule of thumb, I default to my lowest-impact setups when at archaeological or historic sites. I feel it’s not only respectful but also leaves a good impression of ham radio operators for park staff who may encounter activators after me.

My wife and daughters were encouraged to take a free trolley tour of Prescott—how could they resist? They told me later that it was a hoot.

I made my way down to a shady spot under a tree by the river.

To keep things low-impact, I set up my Nemo portable table and Helinox chair, then deployed my KX2/AX1 field kit.

I’ll be honest here…

Propagation had been very rough the previous day, and numbers were indicating challenging conditions during my activation as well. This wasn’t a day I’d normally opt for my most compromised antenna, but here we were. My hope was that I could call CQ on every band possible using the AX1 and somehow gather enough contacts (10 total) to validate the activation.

Backpocket strategy

So here’s the deal: most of us activators aim to get the minimum number of contacts in order to complete a valid activation (10 for POTA, 4 for SOTA).

When I’m activating a park I’ve done numerous times before? I honestly don’t care if I don’t reach 10. I’m just happy to get outdoors and play radio. I try not to let the threat of poor propagation stop me.

However, when I’m activating a new-to-me park, I really want to validate it. I want those 10 contacts—and I’m willing to spend more time on the air to get them.

Technically, since I’m traveling with three other licensed hams (my wife and daughters) and we have two dual-band HTs in the car, I really only need to make four HF contacts. I could make three FM contacts on 2 meters, then three more on 70 cm with my family. That gives me 10 total.

In fact, I also have multiple HF radios and dummy loads in the car, so I could get away with never deploying an antenna at all—I could just log 10 park-to-park contacts with my family.

But where’s the fun in that, right?

Actually, I say that, but it can be fun—in situations where you’re left with no other options—to do P2P contacts with your own crew, as my buddy Vince proves here.

Still, I was determined to log “my ten” all on the HF bands, using five watts into my 4’ AX1 antenna.

The only way to find out if I could? Hit the air!

Gear

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Radio

Antenna

Pack/Case

Logging Pad/Pencil

Chair/Table

Camera/Audio Gear

On The Air

As expected, propagation was rough.

I started calling CQ POTA on 20 meters—the band I knew would likely give me the best chance. Continue reading Tough Bands, Tiny Antenna: An AX1 Activation at Fort Wellington NHS

Family Camping/POTA in Cloudland Canyon State Park, GA

by Micah (N4MJL)

I strategically suggested to my family a camping trip to Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia (US-2169).

It is located in northwestern Georgia, just south of Chattanooga, TN. I sold the idea to the family under the premise that it was centrally located for everyone. Cloudland Canyon State Park was about six-ish hours driving for my parents from southeast Missouri, six-ish hours driving for my sister’s family from the Florida panhandle, and seven-ish hours driving for my family in Virginia.

While that sounds reasonable enough, I actually had a deeper plan. I sold the idea to my wife that she could leave my daughter and me for two days at the state park, and she could go visit one of her college girlfriends in Huntsville, Alabama. Huntsville was less than a two-hour drive from where we would be camping. She really liked that idea because she had been talking about doing a trip down to Huntsville for a while.

That was the bait, and now for the hook. My condition was if she got to visit her friend in Huntsville, then she needed to help me get two POTA activations! As one of my old flight Instructors used to say, “plan your work and work your plan.

I am trying to do a POTA activation in every US state. At the time of the planing of this trip, I had not yet activated any parks in Georgia or Alabama. The second POTA activation that I wanted to complete was 40 minutes across the boarder in Alabama, Crow Creek Nature Refuge (US-9880).

Our three families were able to get camping spots all next to each other on the east rim at the state park. My daughter, who is five years old, was over joyed to be camping with her two cousins who are eight and nine years old along with her grandparents! My condolences to our fellow camping neighbors, because we were definitely the loudest group camping on the East and West rim combined. Haha

Side story: one week before leaving for this camping trip I had an unscheduled long layover, due to aircraft maintenance and flight duty limitations, in Atlanta, Georgia (Delta Country). I try to avoid Atlanta, but the Company put me up in a hotel in downtown Atlanta, three blocks away from Centennial Olympic State Park (US-9798). Fortunately, my Elecraft KH-1 goes every where I go, and I was able to activate that park using the whip Antenna in the pedestrian mobile configuration on 20M band.

Day 1: Camping at the park


My Dad and I rounded up the kids to hike the short Water Falls Trail. This was a beautiful hike down into the canyon to see Cherokee and Hemlock falls. The views on the hike did not disappoint!


Much to the kids’ dismay, there are signs everywhere about no swimming or wading in the water anywhere along the falls on Daniel Creek! Reading between the lines, I think it has to do with the number of rescues that took place and the amount of pedestrian traffic that was occurring. My wife talked to the ranger, and he told us about several spots further up on Daniel Creek where it was permissible to play in the water.

Day 2

We took the ranger’s advice and drove to Sitton’s Gulch Trail Head! From here, the ranger said it was about a 1/4-mile walk to the creek where swimming was permissible along Daniel Creek. We brought a hammock, chairs, and lunch, making an afternoon of swimming in the creek. The cousins enjoyed swimming in the cold mountain streams until their lips turned blue and purple! The girls would take breaks to warm up and eat snacks, only long enough to delay the onset of early stages of hypothermia before jumping back in to do it all over again!


Day 3

Since my wife was planning to leave that evening to drive to Huntsville to visit her friend for two days, I decided that after breakfast would be a great time for my dad (AC0UT) and me to get a POTA activation at the campground! Due to all the RFI interference from the trailers in the campground, we drove over to the parking lot of the Main Overlook. In front of our picnic table, you can see the railing for the Main Overlook trail, where you can enjoy some pretty incredible views! Continue reading Family Camping/POTA in Cloudland Canyon State Park, GA

A Peaceful POTA Stop at Lake James with the Penntek TR-45L

by Thomas (K4SWL)

On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, I was on the final leg of my trip back home from Dayton. After spending some time with my father—who was in the hospital at the time (happy to report he’s now home and doing much better!)—I performed a pedestrian mobile activation of Tuttle Educational State Forest (US-4861). Here’s the field report.

After wrapping up that activation, I realized I could likely squeeze in another hour of POTA on the way home. Without a doubt, the best nearby site was Lake James State Park, so I made the 25-minute drive from Tuttle to the Catawba River Access.

Lake James State Park (US-2739)

When I arrived, the park was blissfully quiet—I was one of the only people there. That meant I had my pick of activation sites!

I grabbed my Red Oxx Micro Manager pack, which contained my Penntek TR-45L Skinny, specifically packed for Hamvention.

Inside the bag, I also had my 40-meter end-fed half-wave antenna—homebrewed years ago by my friend Steve (MW0SAW).

I made my way down to one of the lakeside picnic tables. These sites can be hit or miss: they’re close to the boat dock, and when the boats show up, some of them have brutal inverters that wipe out the bands.

But being a quiet Tuesday, I wasn’t too concerned about heavy traffic.

I deployed the antenna quickly, fired up the TR-45L, crossed my fingers that propagation would hold—and hit the air!

Gear

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Radio

  • Penntek TR-45L “Skinny”

Antenna System and Throw Line

Key/Cable

Pack/Cover

Battery

Logging

Camera and Audio

On The Air

I started calling CQ POTA on 20 meters and was quickly rewarded with a string of friendly hunters.
Continue reading A Peaceful POTA Stop at Lake James with the Penntek TR-45L

Oh Canada! Looking forward to spending time on the air with you…

Over the next few weeks, you won’t see my US callsign, K4SWL, out there in the spots—but you will see my Canadian callsign, VY2SW!

Yesterday, we finished packing the Subaru, handed our keys to a friend who’s house-sitting, and hit the road!

We’ll be in Canada through the rest of June and most of July for some much-needed family rest and relaxation.

The past few months have been a bit hectic on the home front with storm clean-up, parent health issues, and family obligations. We’re looking forward to a real break—and hoping there’s no reason to cut the trip short.

More ‘OTA for VY2SW

If you’ve been trying to work me from a spot where North Carolina’s a tough catch, you might have better luck while I’m roaming through Ontario and Québec.

I plan to do a fair bit of POTA, and hopefully some SOTA, while in Canada. I’m especially excited to activate a few parks and summits I’ve never visited before. If solar conditions stay the same (read: unstable and poor!), I’ll likely spend extra time on the air at each location.

Radios Packed

For this trip, I packed four of my smaller HF rigs: the KX2, KH1, MTR-3B, and CFT1. I had planned to bring a larger radio like the RGO One, Argonaut VI, or K2, but there just wasn’t space.

A six-week road trip with a family of four means every nook and cranny in the Subaru was put to work—and I’m quite proud of the packing job, to be honest! (One of my daughters helped—she and I are both known for our extraordinary abilities in loading the dishwasher… obviously a transferable skill!)

Ham Alert?

If you have a moment, please go ahead and add VY2SW to your Ham Alert. I’ll definitely need all the hunter help I can get on those activation days!

Now to get my muscle memory ready to send CQ POTA de VY2SW—I guarantee I’ll accidentally send K4SWL at least a few hundred times! Ha ha!

Time to hit the road again—I hope to catch you on the air soon!

Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL / VY2SW)

Memorial Day POTA activation in Maine

by Micah (N4MJL)

As a junior pilot on the seniority list at American Airlines, it was no surprise to me when my May schedule had me flying all of Memorial Day weekend.

Fortunately, it was a pleasant surprise to see that I had a decent overnight in Portland, Maine. I was scheduled for 15 hours on the ground in Portland, and I was determined to make the most of it. I have overnighted in Portland many times over the last decade, but the overnight was either too short, too cold, or I was too lazy to try to do a POTA activation.

My schedule had me landing in Portland at 23:30 the night prior, and my van time for leaving the hotel to head back to the airport the next day was scheduled at 14:30. It was going to be tight, but I was determined to get a POTA activation completed.


Looking at Google Maps, my hotel location in downtown Portland, was only 4.5 miles from Mackworth Island State Park (US-2395). I knew that I would be able to Uber out to the park, but I wasn’t completely sure about getting back. I decided that worst case scenario, I could walk 4.5 miles in about 1.5 hours back to my hotel.

My window to be on the air was going to be from 0900 to 1200. That would leave me enough time to walk back to my hotel if a return Uber did not work out, and still give me enough time to get showered and looking pretty in my uniform before flying.

I had a workable plan, so it was time to go give it a try.

I woke up early Memorial Day, packed my radio gear, and summoned an Uber. I had the Uber drop me off at the beginning of the bridge heading out to the state park. It was an absolutely beautiful day. I was just hoping the solar storms that have been hitting us would allow me to get at least 10 contacts in the 3 hour window I had available.

The trail around the perimeter of the Island is amazing and already pretty busy for 0930 in the morning. I realized that even if I didn’t activate the park, it was still worth coming out here. I headed up the trail around the north side of the island. The further I walked, I started to worry that I would not find a good place out of the way to hang my wire antenna in a tree. I did not feel comfortable about going off the established trail in such a beautiful and busy park.

I could use my KH1 in pedestrian mobile configuration, but due to the recent solar conditions I would not be as confident in getting my 10 contacts using the whip antenna. Continue reading Memorial Day POTA activation in Maine