My buddy Jonathan (KM4CFT) made a big announcement this morning.
He’s been working tirelessly since the start of the year, designing and testing a brand-new field-portable CW transceiver he’s dubbed the CFT1.
As of this morning, you can purchase the transceiver kit on HamGadgets.com.
A little backstory
Jonathan first mentioned his plans to design a CW transceiver back when we were doing a joint POTA activation at the end of December 2023. At the time, it was just an idea. When he said he planned to have it ready for sale in 2024, I was skeptical. I mean, he had a day job and had never designed a radio before. How could he pull that off in such a short timeframe?
Fast forward to Four Days in May/Hamvention in May 2024, and wouldn’t you know it, Jonathan had a working prototype on display! I was blown away. Within a couple of weeks, he was contacting us beta testers, eager to get revision one units into our hands.
I got my CFT1 in June and immediately put it through its paces in the shack. Even in beta, this little radio was rock solid – I was seriously impressed!
I thoroughly tested the CFT1 in the shack, both on a dummy load and with my QTH antenna. If you’re into SOTA or POTA and I worked you in June, chances are it was with the CFT1.
Vlado (N3CZ) making field day contacts.
I even took the CFT1 out for a spin on Field Day. Vlado (N3CZ) and I were both impressed with how well it performed in that crazy RF environment. Remember, this isn’t a contest radio, but it didn’t seem to overload at all. Impressive!
When I heard Jonathan was launching the CFT1 today, I figured I’d do a quick POTA activation to showcase this awesome little radio.
The Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378)
Yesterday morning, I was heading to Mission Hospital in Asheville to visit a family member who had just been admitted. I realized I had enough time for a quick activation at the Folk Art Center on the way.
I arrived at the parking lot around 8:30 AM. It was pretty empty except for the grounds crew. I set up at my usual picnic table.
I paired the CFT1 with my KM4CFT End-Fed Half-Wave, trimmed for 30M with a 40M linked extension. I was hoping for some 40-meter action early in the morning. Setup was a breeze. My throw line cooperated beautifully – the 40M EFHW was practically vertical!
Naturally, I filmed the whole process: setup, activation, and pack-up. Before I started the activation, I spent a few minutes talking about the CFT1 – its design philosophy and what I like about it. Hopefully, this will help you decide if it’s the right radio for you.
Gear:
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Somedays, I just need a little POTA and radio-active therapy to energize the day. And this was one of those days.
On Thursday, July 18, 2024, I woke up still feeling quite tired because I had been out the entire day before helping my sister with a move–my wife and I didn’t get back home until midnight.
I was exhausted!
That Thursday, though, I still needed to hit the road again fairly early to help my sister with her home closing and then bring my dad home (finally) from the skilled nursing facility where he’d spent the previous 2.5 months!
It was a big day, and I was feeling pretty low on the energy reserves even after the morning coffee. We’ve all been there, right?
I didn’t think I would have time to fit in a POTA activation, but my father’s nursing facility contacted me and asked if I could pick him up after lunch instead of before. All of a sudden, I had a two-hour chunk of time, so, of course, I was going to get radio-active!
Fortunately, I had my GoRuck GR1 in the car, after my trip to the NC coast, packed with the KX2 and a few antenna options!
Looking at the time, I knew Tuttle Educational State Forest would be my best bet for a quick activation. Accounting for travel time and lunch, I would have about a one-hour window to operate.
Tuttle Educational State Forest (US-4861)
I arrived at Tuttle and wasn’t surprised to find the place nearly empty. Tuttle caters to school groups, and since schools were still in summer break, I didn’t expect to see any school buses or large groups.
My plan was to attempt this activation using the AX1 antenna–just to keep things simple.
I chose a picnic table in the shade and set up my gear in short order!
Gear
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All I wanna know is howcome our local star decides to throw in a monkey wrench when I go to activate? Huh? Huh?
Monday August 5 was a statutory holiday for me and I decided to get out early at a popular picnic area in south Calgary and get some radio therapy. I listened to the IARU beacons while driving and even 15m sounded promising.
I’m not nearly as adept as Thomas at using an arborist throw line as I famously exclaimed once and had to be beeped out, so it took me close to a half hour to get my VE6VID OCF antenna how I wanted it with one end supported by the tree and the opposite my carbon-fibre mast. Given I was also setting up video equipment, It was an hour before I made my first contact from when I had arrived.
I started off very optimistic that I’d be able to get 10 contacts as I was hearing all kinds of DX on 20m FT8. I connected my iPad with iFTx software along with some cables I heard about via KD7DTS and I started working it off at 1 watt (just to be cocky) and it took me a while to get 2 contacts. This simply won’t do as I don’t have all day!
So I switched to CW. 10 minutes of calling and only one spot on RBN at 5 watts. So I did what any reasonable person would do and I moved to 10 watts because more is better, right?
Two entries in RBN, one for 5W and the other for 10W.
I then had a couple of contacts. At one point I did a visual check to ensure my antenna wasn’t on the ground (it wasn’t). So I proceeded with my logical thinking and moved to SSB at 10 watts, because after all, I was there to experiment! Clearly I was delirious to think that SSB would be better than CW – that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
This got me nowhere, slowly. Me, I prefer nowhere fast, but beggars should not be choosers. After 20 minutes of calling on SSB I decided it was time for more powah! and thus I took down my gear and moved into my truck with the trusty FT-857D and the ATAS-120A antenna with the lengthened whip. By this point I had zero hesitation to run 100 watts as I’d been at the park for close to two hours.
I posted a spot and began calling. I even turned my spotting into something humourous in an attempt to woo callers:
I got creative when posting spots 🙂
Along the way I attracted at least one bystander and spoke with them about the hobby for a bit, and I worked 4 contacts between being hunted and being the hunter. At least those 4 “only” took 15 minutes. But they were getting progressively harder. Can you spot why in the image below?
A=46
I’ll give you a clue: it starts with the letter A. I had noticed some small M-class flares over the past couple of hours and they were adding up fast. Conditions were deteriorating for me. I must have been damn near a direct hit to those flares, as others in the southern USA were making 50 contacts an hour at the same time as I wasn’t. So I finally did the right thing and moved to CW at 100 watts. I felt like Scotty “I’m givin’ ‘er all I can Cap’n!” …
…and I was met with mediocre results. Nobody answered my calls so the remaining contacts I obtained were found by hunting. Some that were calling were super loud to me and giving out 72s -indicating they were QRP- but could not hear me after my callsign was given 4 times. My final contact was with my friend VE3JO who has just returned to CW and was at a slower pace which helped to bring my blood pressure down a notch 🙂
Summary
Yes, there is a video with plenty of wise-cracking with myself to reduce tension, one of my coping mechanisms.
It’s not a race, sometimes it is a marathon that you didn’t plan on and only takes patience to have whatever you define as success finally fulfilled.
Still, how bad is it to be out in a park for a bunch of hours? It’s not too bad at all if you ask me!
72, 73 and dit dit,
…Vince
First introduced to the magic of radio by a family member in 1969, Vince has been active in the hobby since 2002. He is an Accredited examiner in Canada and the USA, operates on almost all of the modes, and is continually working on making his CW proficiency suck less. He participates in public service events around Western Canada and is active on the air while glamping, mobile, at home or doing a POTA activation. You can hear him on the Ham Radio Workbench podcast, follow him on Twitter @VE6LK, check out his YouTube channel, and view the projects and articles on his website.
Monday, July 15, after my “botched” SOTA activation of Black Balsam, the POTA Babe headed to Richland Balsam. Richland Balsam proved to be a nice hike and activation. The mountain is further up the parkway and the highest point on it. You access the trail to the summit via an overlook just southeast of the mountain.
Trailhead for Richland Balsam
When I researched what summits to choose, one nice feature about this one is a bench at its top. Yes, the park service provides you a seat for your activation! Given the gain in elevation to reach that bench, you are grateful for it by the time you reach the summit!
Foliage encroaching on the trail to Richland SummitYes, more ferns!!
By this point in the day, the sun had burned off the clouds and both Daisy and I appreciate sitting beneath the tree canopy shaded from the heat. While I set up my KX2 and AX1 (it has performed well enough at Black Balsam Knob, I figured it would do well here, too.), Daisy sprawled out on the forest floor at my feet.
View from the bench
I was a little nervous at going through all this effort with an ongoing solar flare. However, you never know what the bands are going to give unless you try.
QTH (bench) provided by park service
As per Gary’s recommendation in the last article, I began with 40 meters and, in addition to working Gary, worked three other ops in short order. After ten minutes with no further callers, I moved to 20 meters. I still needed six more QSOs for a valid POTA activation at this site. They gradually trickled in over the course of an hour and a half. I had internet access at this location, too, and was able to hunt Douglas AA0AW at US-11150 in Minnesota. At this point I called QRT and reflected on the day.
QSO Map for Richland Balsam/Blue Ridge Pkwy/Nantahala National Forest source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
The thought of not having a valid SOTA activation in the morning REALLY bothered me. It was fairly late in the day now. Would there be time to go back (yes, go back) and make a second attempt? By now those lovely cloudy skies were long gone so our second hike would be a much warmer one. If you haven’t already figured out by now, POTA Babes are tenacious and don’t give up easily. Besides, I felt the need to redeem myself.
We arrived back at the Black Balsam Knob parking area with plenty of parking now. In fact, there were only a handful of cars left. As we walked toward the trailhead, a pair of men were leaving the trail for their car. I asked them how far of a hike it is to Black Balsam Knob to which they responded about 30 minutes. Well, it was about 30 minutes I hiked that morning. Hmmm.
A gorgeous and sunnier view than previously that morning
When we reached the same area I had that morning, I asked two different parties where the Black Balsam Knob summit was. They both responded right where I was standing! (It had taken a little over 30 minutes, partially to give Daisy a rest due to the temperature.) But where was the plaque? One gentleman confirmed there was indeed a plaque at this site and yes, this was the summit.
The plaque I missed earlier
Well, how do you like that?! I DID have a valid SOTA activation here after all. Whew! What a relief (though I could have done without that hike a second time). I figured since we were already up here, why not try to finish the POTA activation now?
First things first, though, was to find Daisy some shade and the only way to do that was to set up the new Mountain Laurel Designs tarp I purchased for the trip. I couldn’t get the height I saw Patrick WW4D have on his tarp but it was a start. I gave Daisy the shade and sat in front of it shielding my KX2 from the sun.
First time using the Mountain Laurel Designs tarpA simple setup
I went back to 20 meters and thanks to three hunters – Keith K7MOA, Gerald N5KT, and Ken K5ENS – I had my valid POTA activation! Woo-hoo! What a day!
At this point, I heard thunder and saw lightning from a raincloud I’d been watching. It was time to get the you-know-what out of Dodge! I hurriedly threw everything into my pack and Daisy and I huffed it down the summit.
Approaching storm
As I reflected on how the day played out, I was pleased with what I accomplished.
A successful SOTA activation is a big deal to me, to a great extent because I’ve had no one to Elmer me. There are those who’ve answered my questions and there are Youtube videos that were helpful. But the endeavor still seemed overwhelming at times, especially since I often set the bar high for myself. There are still additional skills I need for further pursuit of SOTA, especially if hiking to a summit that isn’t as easy to find as the two today were. But today was a good start. For those of you considering your first SOTA activation, if I can do it, so can you! So do your research, gather your skills, and get out there.
A happy POTA Babe and her POTA pup
The track record for the trip is going well – four POTA and two SOTA activations and it is only day two! Will I keep up the pace and where will I head next? Stay tuned…
Equipment Used
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Many thanks to Rand (W7UDT) for sharing this short field report:
Eiffel Tower QRP (Failed) “Activation”
by Rand (W7UDT/FR)
Earlier this Spring, my wife & I went on a ten day vacation to Paris. What a beautiful city, and a memorable time we had! Amongst our many excursions, was a visit to the Eiffel Tower.
As an iconic Paris structure, it has few rivals, save perhaps the Great Wall, or Pyramids of Giza. Gustave Eiffel and just 200 or so men, assembled this pre-fabricated masterpiece, with 2.5 million hot rivets, in around two and one half years. And no one died! Imagine that, all 1,000 feet or so, built in the 1890’s. Wow!
The Eiffel Tower is truly an amazing structure, and soooo… (In the spirit of Eiffel), I had an idea. Why not stealthily activate its summit, and send out a beacon signal, just to see what propagation may be achieved.
My unsent beacon message… (In two Parts) “Test Test de W7UDT W7UDT/FR Liberte’ Egalite’ Fraternite!” “Vive la France! de W7UDT/FR Eiffel Tower Paris Test Test”
But alas, the crowds, the anti-suicide/base jumping (faraday) cage at its summit, and my wife, all served to dissuade me from extending the whip, and sending out the beacon. So sadly, no attempt was made.
I personally would love to have some relative of Ol’ Gustave do it, and activate the summit. Why not? He’d intended its heights to be used as scientific platform, and to be admired by all who visited.
On Sunday July 28 I needed some shortwave therapy. I headed west from Longview Alberta to find a location on Highway 541 where I could have the perfect convergence of having cell service and be within a POTA entity and near to the mountains. This would allow me to receive any updates about a family member (none happened) while getting a break from home and to play radio.
Along the drive I took time to listen to the IARU beacons and was pleased to hear bits of VK and ZL on 15m so I was hopeful that my plan for two QRP activations -one CW and one SSB- would be successful.
I would discover just how difficult it was at the second activation … but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Activation One: Sentinel PRA
After some driving around and testing cell service at a few roadside points, I landed up at the Sentinel Provincial Recreation Area which is just inside the boundary of Kananaskis Country. This would offer me the luxuries of a bench or table along with a stunning view. While it’s not a unique entity itself in the POTA system, it is part of the larger CA-6112 that is K-Country.
Sentinel PRA is at the confluence of the Highwood River and Cataract Creek and is, like many in this area, an equestrian-focused facility. Unlike many, it’s mixed-use so day-users like me are also welcome here. Upon my arrival I was fortunate to see a few equestrian users heading out of the backcountry. What was unusual to this city-raised kid was the covered wagon a small team was pulling. Perhaps the team was training for a future cattle drive?
I set up my cameras and my radio gear and got to work at a park bench overlooking the river. I released a video of the river suitable for background white noise and to practise your Zen and/or Yoga.
I secured my carbon-fibre mast to the bench, used a small weight to hold down the 17′ counterpoise, and deployed the 41′ main segment out to a 10′ fishing pole lashed to a sign nearby. I used my carrying totes (sometimes used for groceries) as a makeshift desk. It all worked out well enough. I began my CW activation at 5 watts.
Thirteen contacts and about 20 minutes later at 1930UTC, I called it a wrap and packed everything down to head to my next site. I wouldn’t say that conditions were stunningly good or anything, and some were downright hard to copy while others were incredibly loud. Given what I heard of the IARU Beacons on 20, 17 and 15m I wasn’t too surprised. I would later on learn that meant some solar action had happened as you’ll see in this chart.
Activation Two: Bar-U Ranch NHS
About an hour’s drive from my last stop and just south of Longview is the Bar-U Ranch National Historic Site (CA-4774). It’s a working ranch and it takes you back to the late 1800s once you set foot beyond the gate. As I’m fairly certain the Ranch would take a dim view to radio technology beyond the gate, I operated in the visitor parking lot. Once again, I set up my cameras and gear and got to work. Continue reading A tale of two back to back activations→
Monday, July 15, the second day of my North Carolina camping trip for POTA and SOTA, started chilly with overcast skies. Today I would attempt my first SOTA activations. I chose two easy summits – Black Balsam Knob and Richland Balsam.
Daisy and I headed out after a simple breakfast up US Highway 276 through the Pisgah National Forest toward the Blue Ridge Parkway. Along the route, we encountered Looking Glass waterfall. The last time I visited this waterfall, it was packed with spectators. Today, I shared it with only one other person. It was a nice way to begin what turned out to be a very long day (spoiler alert).
Looking Glass Waterfall
If you haven’t driven the Blue Ridge Parkway, put it on your bucket list! I’ve been on the parkway more times than I can remember. I relish driving it. Surprisingly, I encountered very little traffic this day so I could move at my own pace along the banked turns and stunning vistas.
The parking area for Black Balsam was already full when I arrived; however, several other cars were making use of the side of the road and I pulled in behind a couple who were suiting up for their hike. It turns out the husband of the couple had a father who was a ham and learned CW during World War II. It is a small world indeed.
Lots of cars already at parking area.
The hike to Black Balsam Knob is not one I’d consider easy, especially scrambling over the rocky surfaces. Before the trip, I was concerned as to how Daisy would handle hiking given she’s done nothing like this before. It became obvious why she is a POTA pup – the terrain didn’t bother her in the least!
Part of the trail to Black Balsam summit
On the hike up, we saw Carolina lilies growing wild along the trail. There were also bees everywhere, especially in some yellow wildflowers I could not identify.
Carolina LillyYellow flowers in which the bees were active
I was grateful the skies were overcast and the temps on the cooler side (upper 60s). There was a light breeze when we arrived at what I thought was the summit and the tall grasses stirred in it. You could see for miles! The hike was worth the view.
Overcast skies from the top of Black Balsam
I originally thought I would use my EFRW mounted on a fishing pole for my SOTA activations. However, cleaning, stripping, and re-waterproofing the tent/rainfly took so much time, I didn’t follow through with a solution to support it on a summit with no woody vegetation. I opted to use the AX1 instead with the configuration Thomas has had the most success – mounted to the side of the KX2. I also took with me the counterpoises (20 and 40 meters) that came with the antenna.
Once on the air, I called CQ SOTA to make sure I worked those ops first given they are fewer in number than POTA hunters. Since the activation would count for both SOTA (Black Balsam Knob W4C/CM-003) and POTA (Pisgah National Forest US-4510), I gave my location (NC) for all exchanges. (I think SOTA just requires an RST.) I worked seven stations in ten minutes, a good rate.
Operating
I moved down one Hertz as I began faintly hearing someone else on the frequency. (Yes, I cleared it first; however, given I was operating QRP, fighting for the frequency was probably a losing battle.) It was at this point I began calling CQ POTA and the callers dried up. I did have cell service here and worked one park-to-park with Kenneth NS1C at US-11632 in Massachusetts. I continued to call CQ both on 20 and 17 meters with no luck. I didn’t opt to try 40 meters as I figured it wouldn’t be any better.
QSO map for Black Balsam Knob/Pisgah Nat’l Forest source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
About the time I had packed up my gear, Gary W5GDW contacted me asking about 40 meters. I was loathe to pull my equipment back out. He also advised me there was a solar flare. (Maybe that was why I suddenly didn’t hear anyone.)
At this point, I had a valid SOTA activation but not for POTA. I figured the campground at which I was staying – Davidson River Campground – is in Pisgah National Forest so I could finish my activation at my campsite later in the afternoon.
As I headed down the mountain, I began questioning whether I had actually reached the summit. Something didn’t feel right. I checked the map at the trailhead and noticed Black Balsam Knob has a plaque honoring Art Loeb and I didn’t recall seeing any such thing. Uh oh. Maybe I hadn’t had my first SOTA activation. My heart sank.
Map at trailhead for Black Balsam Knob
First of all, it was demoralizing I had botched my very first SOTA. Second, how humiliating because of how public it would be. Honesty is one of my values and I’d have to admit the mistake. I almost scrapped the remainder of the day I was so bummed. However, I didn’t drive all the way to North Carolina to scrap activations so onward I went to the next one – Richland Balsam – which would give me a SOTA activation and two POTA parks. Did I redeem myself? Stay tuned…
Equipment Used
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Many thanks to Anthony (M7TAW) who shares the following guest post:
A first timer’s POTA activation at the Devil’s Punch Bowl!
Anthony (M7TAW)
Introduction
Let me start with the confession that I am an amateur radio operator born out of the Covid lockdown. With the switch to remote examinations by the RSGB in 2020, and a lot of free time on my hands, I thought why not get myself on the air! However, it wasn’t until this year, and a nice birthday gift from the fiancée, that I finally managed to reach into the HF bands with a (tr)uSDX.
This 5W QRP multiband and multi(ish) mode transceiver was going to be my first serious foray into what I deemed “proper radio”. So, I endeavoured to try and learn and maximise every bit of usage I could out of it. Like many newcomers to radio, I started with getting an EFHW strung out my window and got onto digital modes with FT8 on 20m just to confirm that I could in fact be heard. I also managed to SSB over to Italy at one point, though the in-built microphone gave me a 337 RST. At this point though, I was buzzing to be heard!
That’s USB covered, but what is this CW mode I can select?
As a graduate in history, there’s something about “old timey” technology and methods that intrigue me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a technophile at heart (you kind of have to be a data scientist), but there’s something about post-industrial mechanical and electrical advancements that amazes me still!
Of course, morse code was going to be next on the list of things to explore then it seemed!
I ordered a cheap but decent key from our favourite Chinese marketplace, and started cramming LCWO, Morse Mania, and Morsle as much as I could, and getting that muscle memory rhythm with practicing sending the alphabet and my name. Luckily, the (tr)uSDX has a practice mode and a decent decoder in-built so I can just power the radio from a USB connection and practice away!
No better setup than practicing on the sofa in your pyjamas.
Naturally, the YouTube algorithm decided that if you’re learning about CW, you might also be interested in this POTA thing. A few K4SWL videos, a dash of K2EJT, and a splash of newcomer-encouraging KI7QCF, I was hooked. I could combine what I’d started learning, with equipment in the field, and also a slight competitive (I’m eyeing that top spot) and award-based activity.
I started obsessively watching POTA spots on Gridtracker to make sure I could hunt FT8 contacts, and also kept my eye on the spots for any CW contacts that I thought I’d be able to hear. Finally I did it; about 25 days after I seriously started learning CW, and with a bit of a crutch with the morse decoder on the radio, I finally made a POTA hunter CW QSO – DC5LY (pota.app) thank you very much.
As fun as hunting is, I had to follow the YouTubers I’d been watching and actually get out there for an activation. However, actually getting out there – shudders – in public and getting my antenna up seemed a daunting task. Add in the fact that I was determined to not rely on digital only to get an activation, but also CW.
I started to plan…
Firstly, I looked for sites that had decent parking, but were also probably big enough that I could tuck away uninterrupted (something to take the nerves away). Luckily for me, about 20 minutes up the road is a large stunning National Trust area known as The Devil’s Punch Bowl – the legend has it that the Devil scooped up a handful of earth and hurled it at Thor, God of Thunder, the depression that remained is the Devil’s Punch Bowl. Also, unluckily for me, I had to take a day off work to visit the dentist, so why not mitigate that by trying out my first activation!
Wealden Heaths SPA – Devil’s Punch Bowl Site of Significant Scientific Interest (GB-0243)
When planning for this little adventure, I thought to myself that I’d likely panic if I had to combine putting up a mast for an EFHW or trying to throw a wire in the tree for the first time. Coupled with the fact that the (tr)uSDX doesn’t come with an ATU, I thought why not invest in a quick and easy vertical. After a bit of research, and another visit to our favourite Chinese marketplace, I opted for a JPC-12 vertical antenna along with an investment in a NanoVNA.
The (tr)uSDX comes with an inbuilt SWR meter but I wasn’t sure how reliable it was, and I’d have a hard time tuning with it. I grabbed some 18650 batteries and the stage was set! Helpfully, the JPC-12 antenna comes with a nice little carry case with supplementary space, and the compact size of the (tr)uSDX means I could just throw everything in there.
I was up bright and early on a Friday morning, and headed over to the park slightly nervous, but also excited!
As a nervy POTA first timer, my original plan was to maybe just activate from the car park and hide my antenna behind my car. However, when I got there, it became very clear that there was nowhere to hide, and frankly there weren’t many great spots to plant a vertical in the ground.
I’d have to suck it up, and venture deeper into the park! After grabbing my backpack, and trotting down a marked route, I chose to go left onto a track that bikes weren’t allowed in the hope that it’d be quieter. Albeit the path was quite dense with overgrown bushes and plants. I was beginning to think I’d not have a clearing to even sit in, let alone mount the antenna.
What a view.
However, a couple of minutes later I chanced up a bench and table that was nestled slightly into the trees with a bit of a clearing! It was like the POTA gods had answered my calls for a perfect location. I quickly plonked my backpack on the table, claimed the spot, and started unpacking the gear. You can see below how efficient I’d been in packing, and I was surprised myself how I could get this antenna and all the equipment I’d need neatly into my bag.
Can’t recommend this antenna enough (with my limited experience)
A few minutes later, the vertical was up, and I’d got it tuned to 40m like I’d practiced at home. Helpfully, the loading coil has marked points which correspond to the bands, and all I had to do was slightly adjust the length of the whip whilst keeping an eye on the NanoVNA. I got it down to 1:1.18 around the CW bands for 40m in Europe (7000-7040MHz) – couldn’t be happier!
What a find for a first-time location!
On The Air
Part 1 – A job half done
Now came the exciting part! Finally getting on the air portable for the first time and POTA for the first time! I thought I’d settle my nerves by starting with the familiar FT8. I booted up FT8CN, and plugged the (tr)uSDX into the phone. A few firmware updates ago, the (tr)uSDX got audio over USB, and being able to plug it directly into the phone with a single cable and receive and send FT8 seems like magic to me. Continue reading Code, Contacts, and a Stunning View: A POTA First-Timer’s Experience at the Devil’s Punch Bowl→
As mentioned in previous field reports, my wife and I spent the week of July 7th, 2024, in Wilmington, North Carolina, while our daughters were at summer programs at NCSU and UNCW.
On Sunday, July 14th, we packed our bags and drove to Raleigh where we visited the NC History Museum and NC Museum of Natural Sciences. We were in the midst of a heat wave, so the time spent indoors at the museums was much appreciated.
A beautiful display of vintage radios in the NC History Museum.
I had my Elecraft KH1 packed and planned to activate the State Capitol (US-6852), conveniently located next to the museum parking lots. The State Capitol grounds truly requires a super low-impact radio like the KH1 due to the strong security presence and limited setup space.
Upon arriving at the State Capitol, we found a large gathering (possibly a protest) and sweltering heat (104°F/40°C)! I decided to postpone the activation and instead opted for an early morning activation, the following day, at William B. Umstead State Park, just a ten-minute drive from our hotel.
I checked the park’s website and discovered that the gates opened at 8:00 AM. This was perfect: I could grab breakfast at 6:00 AM, catch up on emails, head to the park, activate until 9:30 AM or so, return to the hotel, and still have enough time for our 11:00 AM Duke University tour. (The reason we spent extra days in the Raleigh/Durham area was so that our daughters could tour NCSU, Duke, and UNC Chapel Hill.)
William B. Umstead State Park (US-2755)
I arrived at the park just a few minutes after the gates opened.
Although I had never been to William B. Umstead State Park, I had studied a map beforehand and knew there was a picnic area accessible from the entrance I chose (the park has multiple entry points, and I selected the one closest to our hotel).
It’s a beautiful park, and the contrast between the morning commuter traffic and the oasis of trees was striking! I parked at the first picnic area I found, grabbed my radio pack, and chose a picnic site.
This early in the morning, the picnic area was deserted – I only saw runners, walkers, and park staff.
Setting up
For this activation, I brought my Penntek TR-45L and paired it with my KM4CFT 30M end-fed half-wave with a 40M linked extension.
Although I found an ideal setup spot, the surrounding trees proved to be a challenge! The branches were either too low or too high. After some effort, I managed to snag a suitable branch with my throw line, deployed the antenna, and was ready to get on the air!
Gear
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Sunday, July 14 finally arrived, a day for which I prepared the past five weeks. It was time for Daisy and the POTA Babe to head to North Carolina for a week of POTA, SOTA, and camping. The drive was straight-forward and easy – Interstate 95 to Interstate 26.
About four hours after leaving Savannah, we arrived at my first POTA location: the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site (US-0804) in Flat Rock, NC.
map source: GIS Geography
I LOVE visiting North Carolina. Nearly everywhere you look in the countryside you see green, green, GREEN. There are ferns (one of my favorite plants) in the understory. There are wildflowers in the fields I don’t see back home. There is a certain earthy smell when one walks trails. And the roads! Don’t get me started on how much fun I have driving the winding mountain roads with their banked curves! (Can you tell I love visiting North Carolina?)
Ferns in the woods of the Carl Sandburg site
Back to the story at hand, the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site is 264 acres and contains the home of Carl Sandburg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and poet. He and his family moved to the site in 1945. It suited his need for seclusion and his wife’s needs for raising her prize-winning goats. In fact, the park service actually maintains roughly fifteen goats in a historic herd on site today.
Property map with my notes
The Sandburg home sits atop a hill and one gets glimpses of the house as you walk along the lengthy driveway winding up the hill toward it. The drive is shaded and benches dot the pathway beckoning one to sit and enjoy the quiet. I longingly looked at them as an activation site but the intermittent presence of pedestrians nixed that idea.
Daisy is ready to go!The trail around the lake was necessary as a pedestrian bridge was under constructionView of the house from the driveway looking up the hillPath along the driveway
Both Daisy and I were surprised by the heat of the day. The temperature was 91 degrees! Thankfully, outside the house I spied some trees with shade beneath them. Their orientation would allow me to run my antenna toward the northwest and their shade was a welcome respite from the heat.
The Sandburg homeOur QTH in the shade
Given I saw no restrictions on antennas in the trees when reading the rules of using the property, I promptly set about getting the EFRW up. Trust this hobby to keep you humble, though. On my last activation at Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area, it took just one perfect throw to snag the branch I wanted. Today, it took four! Some days you have it and others you don’t.
Creatively displaying the POTA flag!
The activation proceeded slowly, I think mostly due to the inconsistent band conditions. It took an hour to log twelve stations. There were several stations I heard but they were too faint or they disappeared on me. Continue reading The POTA Babe Goes North – Day 1→
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Yesterday morning, I was heading to Mission Hospital in Asheville to visit a family member who had just been admitted. I realized I had enough time for a quick activation at the Folk Art Center on the way.
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I spotted myself on 40 meters and started calling CQ using the CW message memory I’d already programmed with “CQ POTA DE K4SWL.”
