You might recall that my friends Eric (WD8RIF), Miles (KD8KNC), Brian (K3ES), Kyle (AA0Z), Charlie (NJ7V), and Joshua (N5FY) all played hooky on the final day of the 2024 Hamvention (Sunday, May 19) and instead activated a couple of POTA sites.
Our next stop was Whitewater Canal State Historic Site in Metamora, Indiana, about an hour’s drive from the first park.
Only four of us continued to the next park; Kyle and Charlie needed to head to the airport, and Joshua needed to start his drive back to Georgia.
Whitewater Canal State Historic Site (US-6977)
I was excited about visiting Whitewater Canal because it would be my first official POTA activation in Indiana.
We arrived around 1:00 PM and opted to grab lunch at a nearby pizzeria before activating.
Around 2:00 PM, we grabbed our gear from the car and walked across the road to the park grounds.
The Whitewater Canal State Historic Site offers a glimpse into the 19th-century canal era.
Built between 1836 and 1847, the Whitewater Canal was a 76-mile waterway that connected the Ohio River to Hagerstown, facilitating the transport of goods and agricultural products.
This engineering feat played a vital role in the economic development of the region, contributing to the growth of towns and industries along its path.
Today, the preserved section of the canal, along with the historic grist mill and other structures, stands as a testament to Indiana’s rich industrial and transportation heritage.
I’ve always been fond of railroads and canals, so this site was brilliant as it featured both running parallel to each other!
Eric, Brian, and I (Miles didn’t activate) were careful to set up within the actual park boundaries.
In this case, it was a little difficult to determine the exact boundaries because the town and park blend together.
I used the Parceled app on my phone to confirm our location.
Eric set up his Elecraft KH1 station at a picnic table under a large tree.
Brian set up his KX2 on a covered bench next to Eric, using his Elecraft AX1 antenna mounted on a clamp secured to the bench.
Brian’s site was super stealthy behind the sign–since he operated with earphones, you couldn’t hear him and barely could see him!
Can you spot K3ES in this photo?
I wanted to put some space between my station and theirs, so I set up under the shade of a tree (it was blazing hot that Sunday) and deployed my Helinox camping chair.
Local ducks enjoying the shade–I picked a different tree.
I then deployed my Chelegance MC-750 vertical for 20-meter operation since Brian and Eric were on other bands.
On the morning of Wednesday, May 15, 2024, I woke up, grabbed breakfast, and headed to Strouds Run State Park in Athens, Ohio. (You can read about that activation in my previous field report.)
Once I returned to Eric’s (WD8RIF) QTH, Eric, his son Miles (KD8KNC), and I packed up the car for the drive to Dayton—roughly 2.5 hours from Athens. En route, we decided on an activation of Scioto Trail State Park (US-1990) which also happens to be a two-fer with Scioto Trail State Forest (US-5448).
I’d hoped band conditions would remain as favorable as they were in the morning, but the sun had other plans! (Indeed, this would become a recurring theme throughout the following week.)
Scioto Trail State Park (US-1990) and Forest (US-5448)
We arrived at Scioto Trail around 2:00 PM, under scattered clouds and after passing through some rain. We hoped the weather would hold!
I’d never been to Scioto before and was pleased to see a small island on the lake accessible by a footbridge. It had a gazebo, perfect for a POTA station.
Reunited
A highlight of this trip was giving Eric a chance to operate my Index Labs QRP Plus. Eric had owned one for 13 years as his first field radio. In fact, as I’ve mentioned before, when I first met Eric in 1997, it was while he was operating a QRP Plus during FYBO!
Since the QRP Plus is better suited for tabletop use, I recommended Eric set up in the gazebo.
I provided my Chelegance MC-750 for him to operate on 20M.
POTA in the Shade
I set up under a tree at the edge of the island—as far from Eric as possible to minimize interference. In reality, the island is small, so I was only about 15 meters away—not ideal!
The tree offered some shade and potential rain protection. I deployed my Helinox Chair, my “no-transformer, no feedline” Tufteln random wire antenna, the Elecraft KX2, and my Tufteln/N0RNM kneeboard.
When I turned on the radio, I could hear Eric’s signal bleeding through on 30 meters (a band I chose to avoid harmonic interference with 20M).
The KX2 is sensitive, so this wasn’t unexpected. Eric never experienced interference from my station, likely due to the QRP Plus’s less sensitive receiver.
Gear:
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
Our good friend Alan (W2AEW) has just posted a video on his excellent YouTube channel showing how to build the VK3IL pressure paddle. He also explains how the key works using the schematic and gives tips for working with the surface mount components.
This paddle is an exceptional key and quite inexpensive to build!
On Tuesday morning, May 14, 2024, I hopped in my car and headed north to Athens, Ohio. It was in Athens, back in 1997, that my ham radio journey truly began, and where I met my friends Eric (WD8RIF) and Mike (K8RAT).
For over 14 years, Eric, his son Miles (KD8KNC), and I have made the annual pilgrimage to Hamvention and FDIM, with few interruptions. My routine is to drive to Athens, catch up with Eric and his wife, Vickie, stay overnight, and then head to Dayton the next day with Eric and Miles. I enjoy this because it breaks up my travels and usually allows for some POTA activating along the way.
This Wednesday morning, Eric had an appointment and a meeting, so our plan was to leave for Dayton around noon. This gave me the morning free to play radio!
Breakfast at Miller’s Chicken
I left the house around 8:00 AM with the goal of activating Strouds Run State Park, conveniently located near downtown Athens. But first, breakfast!
I try to avoid chain restaurants when traveling, preferring local spots. I was delighted to discover that Miller’s Chicken, an Athens institution, served breakfast. I had no idea!
Miller’s Chicken holds fond memories for me. When my wife was a graduate student at Ohio University, for a brief period of time, she lived within walking distance and we often ate there. She even acted in a student film shot at the restaurant!
Walking in, I realized it had been 23+ years since my last visit. I ordered a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit with coffee as a group of students left, leaving me with the place almost to myself.
POTA at Strouds Run State Park (US-1994)
I arrived at the park around 9:15 AM. It had been raining all morning, so I sought cover under a picnic Shelter. Eric, a frequent activator of Strouds Run, had told me where to find all of Strouds’ shelters.
You can also read all of Eric’s hundreds of field reports on his website.
I found an empty shelter by the lakeshore (no surprise given the weather). I brought several radios with me on the Dayton trip: my Elecraft KX2, KH1, Index Labs QRP Plus, Venus SW-3B (always in the car), and my Yaesu FT-818.
Propagation has been a hot mess lately. I figured 40 meters and 20 meters would be the best bands to try, and the EFHW is resonant on both, eliminating the need for an antenna tuner.
Setup was easy, with trees near the shelter providing ideal suspension points for the EFHW.
(Note about audio: As I prepared this activation video, I discovered that my wireless mic wasn’t connected, so you won’t hear me when I walk away from the camera. My apologies! There’s also more wind noise than usual. However, you’ll hear plenty of waterfowl and other birds enjoying the park.)
Jeweler’s Bench Block
Only a couple of days prior, I received a Jeweler’s Bench Block that I purchased on Amazon.com (affiliate link). Several friends had recommended I pick up one to pair with my lightweight, portable keys that have embedded rare-earth magnets.
The key I paired with it was my BamaKey TP-III. You’ll hear me rave about this combo in the activation video.
It weighs 13.7 ounces and has a silicon base: I found that with the TP-III (which has a light action), it was rock-solid on the picnic table.
I wish I would have purchased one of these ages ago!
Gear:
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
On Saturday, May 4, 2024, I drove to the Hickory, NC area to visit my father, who had recently been released from the hospital and was starting rehab at a skilled nursing facility. I had a busy afternoon planned back home in the mountains, but I couldn’t resist squeezing in a quick POTA activation!
Many of you know this is a recurring theme for me – it’s rare that I have a lot of time for activations. I’d be doing far fewer if I couldn’t manage 45-60 minute windows to set up, operate, and pack up.
Tuttle Educational State Forest (K-4861)
The facility where my father is staying is only about 20-25 minutes from Tuttle Educational State Forest, so I had to stop by.
It was rainy that Saturday, so I was already thinking about Tuttle’s excellent picnic shelter. I had my Elecraft KX2 and AX1 antenna packed, and while operating under a metal roof with a compromised antenna isn’t ideal, I’ve had surprising success in the past, including one of my first Transatlantic Park-to-Park contacts (click here to read that field report).
I arrived at Tuttle and found that there was no one in the parking lot. Not surprising considering the weather.
I grabbed my gear and headed to the shelter, only to discover that the lights were on and it was reserved from noon to 5:30 PM. Dang!
Even though it was still drizzling, I wasn’t too concerned. Tuttle has plenty of trees, so I figured I could find a spot under a good canopy to protect my gear. I went back to the car for my rain jacket and my new folding foam seat.
A Funny Story…
I had been planning to buy the Nemo Chipper Foam Seat from REI, but a couple of days after adding it to my cart, one arrived in the mail!
It was a gift from Al (N4EII), who mentioned he loves his and uses it for SOTA and POTA because it’s so lightweight and portable. I think it was this very rainy activation that prompted him to send me the Nemo seat!
Thank you, Al, for reading my mind! So very kind of you!
Setting up
I found a picnic table under a heavy canopy and set up my Elecraft KX2 and AX1 antenna–one of my favorite radio/antenna combos.
That said, I was definitely taking a bit of a gamble. Band conditions (a recurring theme here lately) were quite rough and using a compromised antenna would be risky compared with, say, a much higher-gain 40 meter end-fed half-wave. But the AX1 is so quick to deploy, which is key when time is limited.
Gear:
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
It being midday, I decided that 20 meters would likely be the best band choice.
I started calling CQ POTA and was a bit surprised that my first contact was Michael (N7CCD) in Washington State.
Michael is in my logs a lot–even though he runs QRP from home most of the time, he has a very effective hex beam that casts a signal into NC with ease. With the bands in such rough shape I didn’t expect to work him that day.
Then again, many of the solar numbers have been healthy, it’s just that the ionosphere has been quite unstable. This usually results in deep QSB (fading) thus contacts may be strong one minute, then completely gone the next. This is how I felt conditions were at Tuttle that day.
I continued logging stations at a very respectable rate. I did note a lot of activity from 5 land (Texas and Mississippi). It’s funny how sometimes a path will open like this. Indeed, Texas has had a most welcome opening into North Carolina a lot lately.
In the end, I worked a total of eleven stations–one more than the required ten for a valid POTA activation.
I did all this in just 16 minutes on air. That’s actually an impressive rate considering propagation was so flaky.
No doubt, I could have worked more stations if I had the time.
QSO Map
Here’s what this five-watt activation looked like when plotted out on a QSO Map (it’s still hard for me to believe this can be accomplished with such a small antenna!):
Screenshot
Activation Video
Here’s my real-time, real-life video of the entire activation. As with all of my videos, I don’t edit out any parts of the on-air activation time. In addition, I have monetization turned off on YouTube, although that doesn’t stop them from inserting ads before and after my videos.
Rainy weather doesn’t stop me from activating if I have my mind set on it.
That said, when it’s raining, I do seek out parks with shelters. It makes the whole set-up process easier and quicker.
Ideally, you want your antenna out in the open, but I’ve even used quarter wave verticals in shelters without issue (I’m thinking of this Lake Norman activation in particular).
Of course, I also keep a small rainfly in my car for makeshift shelter if needed. With a rainfly, camping chair, and kneeboard, I can activate in the wettest of weather. In fact, a rainfly saved this quick Field Day activation last year.
And of course, when raining, you can always activate from inside your vehicle! That may be the easiest option of all for some of us.
Again, Al, thanks again for the Nemo seat – it’s fantastic!
Thank you
Thank you for joining me during this activation!
I hope you enjoyed the field report and my activation video as much as I enjoyed creating them.
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.
As I mentioned before, the Patreon platform connected to Vimeo makes it possible for me to share videos that are not only 100% ad-free but also downloadable for offline viewing. The Vimeo account also serves as a third backup for my video files.
Thanks for spending part of your day with me! And today being Memorial Day, my thoughts are with families who’ve lost loved ones in service to their country.
The more I use my Penntek TR-45L “Skinny” the more I love it.
Although, in truth, I loved it from day one because it’s just a flatter, more portable version of my original TR-45L.
The audio is wonderful, the controls are simple, and the receiver is top-shelf. Any excuse to take it to the field!
On Sunday, April 28, 2024, I made a quick trip to visit my father in Hickory. He was still in the hospital at that point and I wanted to spend the morning with him and get updates from his specialists and doctor. He was improving which was a very good thing indeed.
After spending a few hours with my dad, I could tell he wanted to take a nap, so I thought it a good time to head back home, with a short detour at Lake James.
Lake James State Park (US-2739)
It was an absolutely beautiful day to be outdoors. I expected Lake James to be packed on a Sunday, but the Catawba River Access wasn’t too terribly busy. I imagine the more popular Paddy’s Creek Access was much busier.
I decided to set up at a picnic table close to the parking area–one I’ve used before and one that makes it easy to deploy an end-fed half-wave without creating a tripping hazard for others.
My EFHW simply disappears among the trees which is why it’s important to deploy it in a space where other park visitors won’t walk.
I deployed the 40 meter EFHW that Steve (MW0SAW) made for me a couple years ago.
Setting up the TR-45L was easy enough especially since the padded bag Penntek sells so easily accommodates all of the items needed for an activation. In fact, it is spacious enough I could easily put an antenna and feed line inside, too, but I opt to simply carry those in my backpack.
With everything set up, it was time to hit the air!
Gear:
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
With band conditions having been so unpredictable lately, I wasn’t sure what to expect. My schedule only allowed for a short activation, so I hoped to wrap things up within 30 minutes.
Twenty meters seemed like the most promising band, and thankfully, it was in decent shape. I started calling CQ POTA, and to my delight, the first ten stations were logged in a mere ten minutes! It doesn’t get much better than that.
I continued making contacts for a few more minutes, logging four additional stations. Then, with the band quieting down, I decided to call it a day.
I would have loved to spend more time on the air, but I was also eager to get back home to my wife and daughters. Sometimes, a short activation is all you need.
QSO Map
Here’s what this five-watt activation looked like when plotted out on a QSO Map:
Activation Video
Here’s my real-time, real-life video of the entire activation. As with all of my videos, I don’t edit out any parts of the on-air activation time. In addition, I have monetization turned off on YouTube, although that doesn’t stop them from inserting ads before and after my videos.
On a bittersweet note, I mentioned previously that John (WA3RNC) is closing down the Penntek shop this year and will no longer manufacture transceivers. If you haven’t already placed an order for a Penntek transceiver, you might not be able to snag one at this point. I would check the updates on the Penntek site for more information. I felt John’s radios were so unique and packed with proper field performance.
The original TR-45L pictured here at Lake Norman
Then again, at 77 years old, John deserves to enjoy his retirement to the max, so I’m happy for him.
My Penntek TR-35
I know I’ll never sell my Penntek radios and I’ll do all I can to take care of them so they serve me over the long haul! I’ve no doubt that they will.
Thank you
Thank you for joining me during this short POTA activation!
I hope you enjoyed the field report and my activation video as much as I enjoyed creating them!
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.
As I mentioned before, the Patreon platform connected to Vimeo makes it possible for me to share videos that are not only 100% ad-free but also downloadable for offline viewing. The Vimeo account also serves as a third backup for my video files.
Thanks for spending part of your day with me! Have an amazing Memorial Day weekend!
In May 2022, my buddy Eric (WD8RIF), his son Miles (KD8KNC), and I opted to skip Hamvention that year and, instead, plan an extended weekend POTA campout in West Virginia.
Although attending the 2022 Hamvention was a tempting idea, I had already committed to a two-month family camping trip to Québec, Canada, scheduled to begin just a week later. Fortunately, the camping trip provided us with ample opportunities for field radio and was a more budget-friendly alternative.
During a recent review of my videos, I uncovered two videos from my West Virginia journey that had previously remained unpublished.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of Hamvention 2024 (happening now), I’ve decided to shake things up by publishing these two videos. With my schedule packed to the brim during Hamvention weekend, I’ve arranged for these posts to go live automatically.
Abbreviated field report
Indeed, as I prepare this report, I’m only two days away from heading to Ohio and I’m pressed for time. In lieu of my regular in-depth field report, I’m keeping these two reports simple and short so that I can fit them in my tight schedule.
Babcock State Park (US-1798)
My second archived POTA activation is from Babcock State Park where Eric, Miles, and I (along with Theo the dog) actually camped for several nights.
On the final day of our West Virginia “RATpedition”–Sunday, May 22, 2022– we set up at the Sugar Run Camp Picnic Area. This particular picnic site is quite large and we had the place all to ourselves that morning.
Watching the activation video now, I remember how much I loved the dry-stacked stone picnic shelters.
As I say in the video, I’d love to build something like this at my QTH!
Gear:
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
Here’s what this five-watt activation looked like when plotted out on a QSO Map:
Activation Video
Here’s my real-time, real-life video of the entire activation. As with all of my videos, I don’t edit out any parts of the on-air activation time. In addition, I have monetization turned off on YouTube, although that doesn’t stop them from inserting ads before and after my videos.
It’s so much fun reviewing these activations from nearly two years ago. We faced similar propagation challenges as we have recently (mid-May 2024), with numerous CMEs impacting our planet.
During some of the previous activations, we struggled to log even 10 contacts. In contrast, I’m pleased to have logged a total of 15 contacts during this activation. Although it was slow-going, it was a significant improvement over previous attempts.
Watching the video reminded me of my love for camping in West Virginia. We might consider organizing another WV RATpedition soon.
Thank you for joining us during this 2022 activation!
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.
As I mentioned before, the Patreon platform connected to Vimeo makes it possible for me to share videos that are not only 100% ad-free but also downloadable for offline viewing. The Vimeo account also serves as a third backup for my video files.
Many thanks to Scott (KK4Z) who shares the following post from his blog KK4Z.com:
By the Hand of God at US-2173
by Scott (KK4Z)
I book my campsites often months in advance to ensure I get a good campsite. This particular trip was postponed twice due to typical life events that take precedence over having a little fun. Even this trip was not without its own issues. My wife and I forgot that this weekend was also Mother’s Day and unknown to us at the time of the booking was that there was going to be a 4 major Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) making an earth strike during the trip.
The last time I witnessed solar storms of this magnatude, I was in Gulfport MS doing EmComm for my Church in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was a humbling experience and it shaped my EmComm Philosophy.
I use the same gear for EmComm and FunComm. The equipment gets tested and exercised, and I remain proficient in its use. I also have an understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.
Most trips I take my go box.
It stays packed and contains everthing except a battery or generator to operate. I do keep a small switching power supply for mains power when it is available. Here is a look at the inside.
I have built rack mount or shelf type go boxes and in general, I do not like them. I have deployed to real disasters and found what I have here works the best for me. I do this enough that I am up and running in minutes. One thing I like is the versatility of being able to adapt my radio to the space I have to set up in. Your Milage May Vary, but for me and my 26 years in EmComm; this works best for me.
This weekend was spent at F.D. Roosevelt State Park (US-2173) near Warm Springs GA. The park was named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He suffered from Polio and often would travel to Warm Springs GA for hydrotherapy. He built a residence there often referred to as “The Little White Hose”. During his presidency, he established the Civilian Conservation Core (CCC) during the Great Depression. This provided jobs to young single men to help families who had difficulty finding jobs. The CCC built much of the park.
The park contains 9,049 acres (largest in GA) and is built along the Pine Mountain Ridge. It is the southern most moutain range east of the Mississippi River. The highest point is Dowdell’s Knob at 1,395 ft and is a popular POTA and SOTA (W4G/CE-004) site. I took the Radio Flyer and stayed at the campgrounds near Lake Delano.
I arrived there right at 1300 hrs eastern (check-in time) and quickly got myself settled and ready to go. I knew the solar storms were coming and that my time maybe short. I wanted to finish my kilo here (#6) and needed 310 QSO’s. I had already postponed this trip twice so I was a little edgy. My gear for the trip was my 28.5′ Random Wire Antenna with the Peter my IC-7300. I had my Lenovo Thinkpad T-14 laptop and used mains power. The nice part about the antenna besides it performance, is I get zero complaints from park employees. No wires in the trees nor holes in the ground.
Friday’s band conditions were okay. There was lots pof QSB and I stuck with FT8 (35 watts). CW in these more rural parks can be iffy and this go I needed quantity. I started at 1430 hrs eastern and by oooo hrs Saturday (Friday Night) I had 134 QSO’s and when I quit at 2315 hrs I had a total of 230.
Saturday morning, after a quick breakfast I started up again at 0730 hrs. I operated until 1140 hrs when the bottom dropped. Luckily, I ended up with 338 QSO’s including 3 that were mader after the CME hit.
I decided my time would be best spent at home to spend Mother’s Day with my Lovely Bride so I packed up and headed for the house. My stats refelected band conditions and even though I made quite a few contacts, I only had three DX entities: Alaska, Canada and Mexico. I made contacts in 40 of the 50 states.
Operating this weekend reminded me that as reliable as HF commnications can be, it does have its Achilles Heel. For those in EmComm, never stop practicing, refining your techniques, or keeping your gear in order. For everyone else, it’s just another day in paradise.
In May 2022, my buddy Eric (WD8RIF), his son Miles (KD8KNC), and I opted to skip Hamvention that year and, instead, plan an extended weekend POTA campout in West Virginia.
Although attending the 2022 Hamvention was a tempting idea, I had already committed to a two-month family camping trip to Québec, Canada, scheduled to begin just a week later. Fortunately, the camping trip provided us with ample opportunities for field radio and was a more budget-friendly alternative.
During a recent review of my videos, I uncovered two videos from my West Virginia journey that had previously remained unpublished.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of FDIM and Hamvention 2024 (happening now), I’ve decided to shake things up by publishing these two videos. With my schedule packed to the brim during Hamvention weekend, I’ve arranged for these posts to go live automatically.
Abbreviated field report
Indeed, as I prepare this report (and the following one), I’m only two days away from heading to Ohio and I’m pressed for time. In lieu of my regular in-depth field report, I’m keeping these two reports simple and short so that I can fit them in my tight schedule.
I didn’t take a lot of photos at Little Beaver–I find that when I activate with others, I often simply forget to take photos.
The site was very pleasant. In fact, it was ideal for POTA on a hot sunny day since there were so many trees and some well-spaced picnic tables flanking a disc golf course.
I set up my Elecraft KX2 and paired it with my Chameleon MPAS Lite.
Gear:
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
Here’s what this five-watt activation looked like when plotted out on a QSO Map:
Activation Video
Here’s my real-time, real-life video of the entire activation. As with all of my videos, I don’t edit out any parts of the on-air activation time. In addition, I have monetization turned off on YouTube, although that doesn’t stop them from inserting ads before and after my videos.
Thank you for joining us during this 2022 activation!
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.
As I mentioned before, the Patreon platform connected to Vimeo makes it possible for me to share videos that are not only 100% ad-free but also downloadable for offline viewing. The Vimeo account also serves as a third backup for my video files.
On Friday, April 26, 2024, I dropped in on a POTA site I hadn’t visited in months: South Mountains State Park (US-2753).
The Clear Creek Access area–on the north west side of the park–is the quickest POTA detour for me as I travel from Asheville to Hickory along the I-40 corridor.
In my previous field report, I mentioned that my trips to Hickory have become less frequent compared to before, when I would go at least once a week. Now, when I do go, it’s typically not an overnight stay, which limits my opportunities for activations.
That Friday, the weather was predominantly wet. As I drove up to the Clear Creek parking area, clouds had rolled in and it was lightly raining. It was one of those days I wish I had packed my TX-500.
Fortunately, I typically set up under a large oak tree at this site and I knew it would offer pretty good protection from the rain.
Upon arriving at the site, I was surprised by the number of parked vehicles. Ordinarily, I would expect to see only one or two other vehicles besides my own, but on this rainy day, there were about a dozen. This is the largest number of vehicles I’ve ever observed at the Clear Creek access.
I was a little worried that the one lonely picnic table at this site would be occupied, but fortunately, it was not.
I later learned that the bulk of the cars were there because a homeschool group was visiting. In fact, at one point, you’ll hear me speaking to one of the homeschool moms about amateur radio in the activation video below. That’s what I love about homeschoolers: they’re always ready to approach and ask questions!
I reached the picnic table and started setting up my field kit.
I had a simple, but effective pairing in mind for this activation: my Elecraft KX2 and Packtenna 9:1 random wire. In the past, I’ve used this combo numerous times with great success.
What I love about a good random wire is just how easily I can hop from one band to another.
Setup was simple and pretty speedy. Also, the tree did keep me pretty dry while it rained lightly.
Gear:
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
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I was excited about visiting Whitewater Canal because it would be my first official POTA activation in Indiana.
We arrived around 1:00 PM and opted to grab lunch at a nearby pizzeria before activating.
Around 2:00 PM, we grabbed our gear from the car and walked across the road to the park grounds.
The Whitewater Canal State Historic Site offers a glimpse into the 19th-century canal era.
Built between 1836 and 1847, the Whitewater Canal was a 76-mile waterway that connected the Ohio River to Hagerstown, facilitating the transport of goods and agricultural products.
This engineering feat played a vital role in the economic development of the region, contributing to the growth of towns and industries along its path.
I’ve always been fond of railroads and canals, so this site was brilliant as it featured both running parallel to each other!
Eric, Brian, and I (Miles didn’t activate) were careful to set up within the actual park boundaries.
In this case, it was a little difficult to determine the exact boundaries because the town and park blend together.
Eric set up his Elecraft KH1 station at a picnic table under a large tree.
Brian’s site was super stealthy behind the sign–since he operated with earphones, you couldn’t hear him and barely could see him!
