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Brian activates Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

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Veterans Day Thoughts:  Activating from the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

Veterans Day 2024 dawned gray and overcast in northwest Pennsylvania, so I decided to spend some time working on the next field report from our 6-week trip through the states of the American West.  It occurred to me that spending some of my holiday to report on a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation of the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (US-0850) might be particularly appropriate.

Writing about an historic site that commemorates deactivated infrastructure from an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) installation evokes a whole range of emotions.  It is right that the prospect of nuclear annihilation should do so.  But there is another viewpoint that is arguably more important.

For decades, unsung American warriors crewed these facilities to deter war based on the prospect of swift and certain retaliation.  No matter the horror of the thought of thermonuclear war, their commitment and competence played a vital role in keeping the decades long Cold War cold.

The Visitor Center at Minuteman Missile National Historic Site has a friendly, dedicated staff.  Artifacts and interpretive information at the Visitor Center are helpful in understanding the mission, systems, and personnel associated with the history of the site.
The Peacekeeper armored response vehicle was operated by the USAF Security Police, who protected missile silos and launch control facilities while they were operational.
The sites preserved by the Minuteman Missile NHS belong to D Flight of the 66th Strategic Missile Squadron, and the 44th Strategic Missile Wing.  The best testimony to the success of their mission was the complete deactivation of the 44th Strategic Missile Wing’s 150 Minuteman II missiles under the terms of the START treaty.
The Delta-09 site is located a few miles west of the Visitor Center along Interstate 90.  Delta-09 preserves one of the missile silos that housed the Minuteman II strategic ICBM force.
I had the chance to speak with the docent at the Delta-09 site.  He was a veteran of the USAF Security Police, and he patrolled these facilities while they were operating.  In this view, we are standing next to the missile silo.  The blast door is partially pulled back from the silo, and the opening is covered by an enclosure that was built to protect the open silo from the weather.  The enclosure was not a feature of the silo during its operational career, but the open blast door and windows in the enclosure permit visitors to look inside the silo.

The Site

Minuteman Missile NHS incorporates three distinct sites located along a 15 mile stretch of Interstate 90 in South Dakota.  There is a Visitor Center, with artifacts and interpretive information to help visitors understand the significance of the weapons, the personnel, and the mission.

The Delta-01 site contains a preserved Launch Control Facility.  Entry to Delta-01 is limited to ranger-led tours, and unfortunately for us, these tours were booked well beyond our planned stay in the area.  Make your plans early!

The Delta-09 site contains a deactivated Minuteman II Missile Silo.  It is available for self-led tours, but we really enjoyed speaking with the docent who was present during our visit.  He had been a member of the security team when the complex was active.  Delta-09 was typically unmanned, except for maintenance, but our docent had once sheltered there, as a tornado ripped through the area.  The storm destroyed his patrol vehicle!

You can peer into the silo to see an inactive Minuteman II missile through the partially open blast door.

Looking through the enclosure windows, it is possible to see an inert missile housed within the 80 ft deep, reinforced concrete silo.
Here I am setting up my end-fed random wire (EFRW) antenna.  I am securing the telescopic fishing pole to the back of the truck, and it supports the antenna wire in an inverted V configuration.
Molly supervised my successful operation from the truck at US-0850.  To keep her cool, I rigged a jacket to block the sun from shining directly through her window.  In this picture, I am holding the body of my VK3IL pressure paddle in my left hand, and keying with my right hand, all while keeping my pencil ready to log the exchange.

The Activation

We stopped at the site Visitor Center as we drove down Interstate 90, and arrived mid-afternoon.  We knew that the Delta-09 site would be closing soon, but we were planning to be in the area for a couple of days.  So, I checked with the friendly folks in the visitor center to be sure that my amateur radio operation would not create a problem (it was welcomed).  Then, as Becky toured the Visitor Center, I deployed my Tufteln 35 foot EFRW antenna behind the truck in the parking lot.  A 21 foot collapsible fishing pole connected to the bumper made this simple.  Then, Molly and I sat in the truck and made 23 QRP CW contacts in 40 minutes.

This map shows the locations of my 23 contacts from Minuteman Missile NHS.  All but one were completed on the 20m band, and the final contact came on 15m.

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I try to make contact with the staff at smaller sites where I plan to activate.  The staff at Minuteman Missile NHS was very accommodating, and welcomed the activation.  A call ahead may get you advice on the best locations for your station, and if you call early enough, you should be able to reserve a space for the Delta-01 tour.

Final Thoughts

I was very pleased with this activation.  The sun behaved itself well during the entirety of our trip, so propagation was good, and contacts came quickly.  The site does a great job of interpreting this important, if emotionally fraught, aspect of our military history.  If you plan a trip through the area, I encourage you to visit.  If we pass this way again, we will certainly make advanced reservations to visit the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility.

  • A hope that I think we all cherish.  To the veterans who have kept our country safe:  Thank You.

Best 73 de Brian – K3ES

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Six Weeks and 7300 Miles: Activating on the Road

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Many thanks to Brian (K3ES) who shares the following guest post:

This map provides an overview of our cross-country road trip.  We traveled zig-zag paths from our home in Tionesta, PA to my parents’ home in Martinez, CA, and back again.

Six Weeks and 7300 Miles:  Activating on the Road

by Brian (K3ES)

This article gives an overview of a driving trip across the United States and back that included activation of Parks on the Air (POTA) entities in 21 states along the way.  We left our home in northwest Pennsylvania on September 18, 2024, and returned on Halloween.  During our time away, we spent about 3 weeks driving and 3 weeks visiting with my parents at their home near San Francisco, CA.  With such an epic scope, I plan to write several articles about various POTA activations completed during our trip.  In fact, I completed one article early, and it has already been published on QRPer.com:  K3ES’ Unplanned activation of Yellowstone National Park.  This report provides the background and a broad overview of our trip.

The Players

My mom and dad have made the Bay Area of California their home for 40 years.  They left Pennsylvania on their own great adventure in the mid-1980s, while I was attending graduate school in Pittsburgh.  Dad accepted a transfer, so they packed up the house, committed their belongings to a moving company, and drove their car across the country in 4-1/2 days to meet the movers.  I was able to go along on that driving trip (I returned to Pittsburgh by airline), but I have always wanted to do it again, spending a bit more time to see the sights.

My dad is a hero to me.  I have never been able to match his work ethic or his ability to plan and execute projects.  From home repairs to electronics projects, Dad was always working on something, and generally had several projects going at once.  His workshop was well equipped, and he spent a lot of time there.  Now, approaching his 90th birthday, Dad has been slowing down.  He is no longer able to make use of the shop, but he remembers how important it has been to him.  So, we planned this trip to help Mom clean out the shop, and to let Dad see his trustworthy tools moving to a new home where they can be used and appreciated.

Having retired in 2021, my calendar is more open than it was during 31 years of employment.  I am grateful for this.  My wife, Becky, and I were able to arrange other commitments to give ourselves time for an adventure.  So the two of us packed the back seat of my 2015 Toyota Tundra pickup truck for six weeks of travel, being careful to leave seat space for POTA dog Molly.  We kept the truck bed empty, so that space would be available to bring home tools and shop supplies from California.  This would be our opportunity to travel across the American west.  Forty years after my original cross-country driving trip, I would finally get to stop and see sights along the way.

Once we arrived at my parents’ home in California’s Bay Area, Molly had free run of their fenced yard.  This squirrel was Molly’s nemesis for the duration.  It spent hours across the fence eating fruit in the neighbor’s pomegranate tree.  Many chases ensued, none successful.

The Plan

In another article published on QRPer.com earlier this year:  K3ES Travels: Ten Days of QRP with Compromised Antennas, I explained Becky’s great idea:  that I should activate all 50 of our United States.  At that point, I had activated parks in only 6 states.  By the time we left on this trip, my total had inched up to 11 activated states.  So our goal would be to activate as many of the western states as possible.  Ohio, Indiana, Washington, Oregon, and California were already in the done column, courtesy of some previous travel, but that left a lot of territory to cover.

Since we were leaving in September, we were confident that the weather would be favorable for driving across the northern tier states.  Leaving California to return home in late October, we knew that snow was possible in the mountain passes, so we planned to take a more southerly route.  What remained was to adjust the route to cover all of the states along or near our intended travel path.  In total, including a side-trip to activate a new California park during the Autumn Support Your Parks event, we traveled 7300 miles:  3800 miles traveling westward, 200 miles for the California side-trip, and 3300 miles traveling eastward on the return home.

When we left our driveway, we had the broad outline of the route.  We also had an idea of some of the parks that I might activate on the trip.  We did not have a detailed itinerary.  In fact, though we knew the basic route, and we had reserved rooms for only the first two nights.   I encouraged Becky to leave things a bit open-ended, despite her penchant for careful planning.  This was kind of important, because I would be doing all the driving.  Don’t get me wrong.  Becky is an excellent driver, it is just that she is intimidated by my truck.  We needed its cargo capacity, but I became the sole driver.  So we needed to have the flexibility to stop sooner, or press on longer, depending on my ability to continue driving safely.

After stopping for the night, we usually set our travel goals for the next day or two.  If we were tired, we would cut the next day’s travel shorter.  If not, we might decide to go further.  We also settled on the parks we would visit during the next day’s travels.  Even then, we allowed ourselves to make changes if an opportunity presented itself, and more than once, it did.

Keeping our travel plans a bit loose worked really well for us, particularly after we discovered that almost all hotels welcomed Molly as a guest (for a nominal pet fee, of course).  We had expected more difficulty, and were very pleasantly surprised that nearly every hotel along the way was “pet friendly”.  The additional freedom let us alter our plans at times, like adding Yellowstone National Park to the travel route, when we had originally expected to miss it.

On our return trip, we realized that stopping for a park activation worked really well as a break during long days of driving.  We could stretch, eat lunch, take Molly for a walk, and CW would help me to clear my head before the remainder of the day’s drive.  In fact, we scheduled additional activations in IL, IN, and OH for just that reason, even though I had previously activated parks in those states.

On our final travel day, we stopped at Lake Norman State Park in Ohio.  Bands were great, and I took time to complete 30 contacts.  The greatest difficulty was ambient noise from the wind blowing across the lake.  This flag tells the tale…

The Parks

In the end, I completed 34 activations of 32 distinct POTA entities during the trip.  I activated in 18 new states during our travels, and finished with 29 of 50 states activated.  When I completed my activation of Mesa Verde National Park, I was within the activation zone of the Park Point SOTA summit (W0C/SJ-019), yielding a simultaneous SOTA/POTA activation.  The following Table lists the activations completed during our trip.  Before leaving, I had already activated OH, IN, and CA, so they do not count among the 18 new states.

A bench at Pikes Peak State Park in Iowa provided an awesome view of the Mississippi River valley while I was making contacts for the activation.
Molly kept watch while I activated Washoe Lake State Park in Nevada.
At Fort Union National Monument in New Mexico, I could look over the ruins of the large adobe hospital building while I was operating.  Fort Union guarded the Santa Fe Trail (now a National Historic Trail and a POTA entity).  I was able to make this a 2-fer activation.

Table:  Parks Activated During the Trip

Date State Park ID Park Name QSOs
09/19/24 IL US-4099 Moraine View SP 12
09/19/24 IA US-2311 Pikes Peak SP 27
09/20/24 WI US-1471 Perrot SP 11
09/20/24 MN US-2466 Afton SP 14
09/23/24 ND US-5748 Fort Abercrombie SHS 27
09/23/24 ND US-4239 North Country Trail NST (2-fer with US-5748) 27
09/24/24 SD US-0850 Minuteman Missile NHS 23
09/25/24 SD US-0005 Badlands NP 11
09/25/24 SD US-7487 Buffalo Gap NGL 34
09/26/24 SD US-0786 Mount Rushmore NM 11
09/26/24 SD US-4524 Black Hills NF 22
09/27/24 SD US-0786 Mount Rushmore NM 49
09/27/24 NE US-7478 Oglala NGL 18
09/27/24 WY US-0920 Devils Tower NM 15
09/28/24 MT US-4502 Custer Gallatin NF 16
09/29/24 WY US-0070 Yellowstone NP 11
09/29/24 ID US-4475 Caribou Targhee NF 13
09/30/24 UT US-3075 Great Salt Lake SP 11
10/01/24 NV US-2640 Washoe Lake SP 12
10/19/24 CA US-0651 Point Reyes NS 11
10/24/24 AZ US-0030 Grand Canyon NP 33
10/25/24 AZ US-0057 Petrified Forest NP 18
10/26/24 CO US-0051 Mesa Verde NP 23
10/26/24 CO W0C/SJ-019 Park Point SOTA Summit (joint with US-0051) 23
10/27/24 NM US-0933 Fort Union NM 17
10/27/24 NM US-4579 Santa Fe Trail NHT (2-fer with US-0933) 17
10/27/24 OK US-7481 Rita Blanca NGL 14
10/28/24 KS US-9191 Pawnee Rock SHS 19
10/28/24 KS US-4579 Santa Fe Trail NHT (2-fer with US-9191) 19
10/29/24 MO US-3345 Confederate Memorial SHS 14
10/29/24 MO US-3356 Mark Twain Birthplace SHS 14
10/30/24 IL US-4097 Kickapoo SRA 17
10/30/24 IN US-10247 Lawrence Creek SNR 23
10/30/24 IN US-2256 Fort Harrison SP (2-fer with US-10247) 23
10/31/24 OH US-3515 Lake Milton SP 30
Shading denotes my first activation in the indicated state.
My first activation of the trip was at Moraine View State Recreation Area in Illinois.

Activation Experience

One of the amazing things about our beautiful country is that each state has a seemingly different character than all of the others.  While there can be similarity, topography, geography, climate, and vegetation combine to make something unique.  From a POTA activator’s perspective, this uniqueness means that you must be ready to deploy antennas using a variety of different techniques.  Living in Pennsylvania (Penn’s Woods) means that I am able to find a tree at almost any location where I choose to activate.  This is definitely not the case in many other states. Continue reading Six Weeks and 7300 Miles: Activating on the Road →

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K3ES’ Unplanned activation of Yellowstone National Park

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Many thanks to Brian K3ES who submits this awesome report.

As I write this report, we are currently visiting with my parents at their home near San Francisco, CA.  Getting here from our Pennsylvania home and back again is a continuing great adventure for my wife Becky, POTA Pup Molly, and me. You see, this is a grand road trip, complete with sight seeing, activating POTA parks in new-to-me states, and lots of driving.  While much of the trip has been planned, there have been frequent changes to the route and schedule, as better opportunities presented themselves.  One such opportunity was to deviate from interstate highway travel between Montana and Idaho, and divert to lesser-traveled highways.  This detour enabled us to fit in a drive through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.  Sadly, we were only able to take the time to see a small fraction of the natural splendor.  We did see enough to create the resolve to return for a proper exploration of the wonders that we had to miss.

The Welcoming Committee:  I had to stop again just after the entrance plaza leading into the park.  These elk, along with a number of their friends, were standing beside the road to greet us.
Mammoth Hot Springs.  To get this picture, Becky hiked along planked walkways and climbed a great number of steps.  Sadly we could only stop and look for a few minutes during our drive.

We made a handful of stops on our drive through Yellowstone, including a couple of hours at the Old Faithful geyser.  One challenge of traveling with Molly, is that dogs are not always welcome in interesting areas.  Another challenge is that, having been rescued from an abusive situation, she can respond unpredictably to other dogs.  So, Becky and I have often taken turns with one of us exploring the sights, while the other remained in the truck with Molly.  At this stop, Becky was the designated sight-seer for an impending eruption of Old Faithful (she takes better pictures), and I stayed in the truck with Molly.

*No explanation needed*
Becky got some great action shots Old Faithful!

Continue reading K3ES’ Unplanned activation of Yellowstone National Park →

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From Hamvention to History: A POTA Excursion with friends through Indiana’s Past

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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.

I wrote a short field report about our first activation at Pater State Wildlife Area (US-9492). It was a lot of fun despite the rough bands.

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.

I connected the MC-750 to my Elecraft KX2, which I mounted on my kneeboard, and was ready to play radio! My hope was that band conditions would be decent. Continue reading From Hamvention to History: A POTA Excursion with friends through Indiana’s Past →

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Post-Hamvention Activation with Friends

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The 2024 Dayton Hamvention is in the books!

This morning, I’m still at our hotel in Dayton, Ohio, but about to pack up and head out. Eric (WD8RIF), Miles (KD8KNC), and I are heading for a day at the Armstrong Aerospace Museum, then, hopefully, a POTA activation on the way back to Athens, Ohio, where I’ll spend the night.

Tuesday morning, I’ll be up early and hit the road for North Carolina. Really looking forward to seeing my wife, daughters, and Hazel.

I thought I’d share a very brief POTA activation I enjoyed yesterday with friends.

Pater State Wildlife Area (US-9492)

Yesterday morning (May 19, 2024), Eric, Miles and I met up with Kyle (AA0Z), Brian (K3ES), Joshua (N5FY), and Charlie (NJ7V) at our hotel.

Eric, Miles, Brian, and I had planned to activate a park in nearby Indiana that afternoon, as Brian and I had never activated in that state. Joshua, Charlie, and Kyle were planning to join us on an activation in southwest Ohio en route. Unfortunately, Joshua was driving back to his home in Georgia, and Kyle was dropping off Charlie at the airport on his way home, so they couldn’t join us in Indiana.

Eric’s first POTA activation with his Elecraft KH1!

We arrived on-site a little after 10:00 AM local. Eric immediately set up his Elecraft KH1 in desktop mode using his new Tufteln KH1 Right-Angle adapter.

Brian set up under a tree with his Elecraft KX2 and a Tufteln random wire antenna.

The amazing Brian (K3ES)

I grabbed my Elecraft KH1 and we coordinated frequencies. Brian took 30 meters, Eric took 40 meters, and I took 17 meters (thinking either Joshua or Eric might move to 20 meters).

This was another instance where having a fully handheld, pedestrian mobile station truly offered a level of activation freedom.

The bands were in rough shape, but I kept my KH1 in hand and walked around the entire site with the CW Message memory sending out my “CQ POTA DE K4SWL.”

Over the course of 13 minutes, I worked five stations. All the while, I was holding the KH1, chatting with my friends, and petting a sweet local dog that instantly made friends with us.

This pup was a hoot!

This activation also gave me an excuse to try out the new Tufteln KH1 Antenna Angle Adapter which makes it a breeze to keep the antenna nearly vertical while holding the KH1 at a more comfortable angle. Thanks, Joshua!

Eventually, I moved to 20 meters and we all started working each other to help with our QSO count and to simply get each other in the logs. I logged two more stations, plus Charlie, Brian, and Joshua to make my 10.

Kyle (AA0Z) and his brilliant Toyota Tacoma POTA machine.

The idea was to hop off the air quickly so that Kyle and Charlie could use Kyle’s KX3 station to activate the park as well.

L to R: Kyle, Joshua and Charlie

Conditions deteriorated further, so we did rely on a few P2Ps with each other to help Charlie and Kyle finish and hit the road.

Charlie calling CQ POTA

Here’s my QSO Map, but keep in mind that several of the pins are incorrect as Charlie, Kyle, Brian, and Joshua were all on-site:

All in all, we had an amazing time and it was a nice, relaxed way to wind down after an incredibly active 2024 Hamvention and FDIM conference.

Joshua working us P2P with his KH1 and the the most compromised–yet completely effective–antenna of all: a dummy load!

I will report more on Hamvention and share a few photos later this week.

For now, I need to wrap up this post and hit the road! There’s an aviation museum and POTA in my future today!

Heartfelt Thank You

I will add this one extra note: I’m simply overwhelmed with the kind comments and conversations I had with so many of you who took the time to catch up with me these past few days. Thank you so much!

Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

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K3ES’ Eclipse Clean Sweep!

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An Eclipse Clean Sweep

by Brian (K3ES)

Eclipse totality, as seen from US-8785, complete with corona.

My home QTH is located near Tionesta, PA, and the path of the 2024 eclipse put us near, but not in, the path for totality.  At home we would have more than 99.5% of the sun’s disc obscured.  I will confess that the distinction between 99.5% and totality was lost on me, but Becky was insistent that she wanted to be in the path of totality, because it gives a unique view when the sun’s disc is completely obscured by the moon.  At that point, only a halo of the sun’s corona remains visible.  Becky was right.  It was well worth the effort to get in the path of totality.

My contribution was to find a public area within the path of totality that would not be swarmed by traffic, cars, and people.

The Eclipse Plan

It turned out that we could be within the totality path by driving less than 20 miles from home.  We could also do this by driving away from population centers, rather than driving toward them.  Places like Erie, PA were expecting tens of thousands of people to visit.  I later heard stories of miles-long traffic jams, and hours of delay experienced by Erie pilgrims.  I hoped to, and thankfully managed to, avoid that fate.

After identifying that this section of PA State Game Land 086 was in the path for eclipse totality, a satellite view helped to identify open fields for viewing and activating.

I found that portions of Pennsylvania State Game Land 086 (coincidentally also POTA entity US-8785) lay within the totality zone.  Using a variety of on-line maps, I was able to find a parking area near the start of a gated Game Land road.

The road passed next to a series of small fields (satellite images are definitely helpful!).  Such fields are not uncommon at Game Lands, because it provides the opportunity for hunters to cross paths with rabbits and pheasants, both of which were out-of-season in April.  But, those same fields should have an unobstructed view of the sky.  So, we headed hopefully toward our selected parking lot, with plans to set up folding chairs (and a portable radio station) in one of the fields, as long as a parking space remained.

The POTA Plan

I had previously activated US-8785, making contacts on only the 40m band.  At that time, the goal had been a quick activation during a rove.  Lately, I have been working hard to accumulate contacts on 10 bands at multiple parks, inching my way closer to POTA’s N1CC award for making contacts on 10 bands from 10 different parks.

Prior to eclipse day, I had completed contacts on 10 bands from each of seven different parks.  While two or three of those contacts were made using VHF FM mode, my preferred method for achieving my goal at a park is to use CW mode and QRP power levels to make contacts on high frequency (HF) bands from 10m to 80m, and to also make CW QRP contacts on 160m (which is technically a medium frequency band).

The challenge with the 160m band (and the 80m band, to some extent) is that it generally works best after sunset.  Given that there would be an abnormal sunset occurring at 3:20 pm EDT, might it be possible to get a 160m contact during or near the period of totality?  That would be my quest.

So, I picked my equipment to give me the ability to rapidly move between bands.  I paired my KX3, with its excellent tuner and 160m to 6m coverage, with my VK160 homebrew 9:1 end-fed random wire (EFRW) antenna.  The story of VK160 design and construction and VK160 testing during Winter Field Day 2022 has previously been told in these pages (links provided), but suffice it to say that the radiating wire is 144 ft long.

If the crowds were sparse enough, I hoped to set it up as a shallow inverted V (I normally get a throw line up 30 to 40 ft, which is small in comparison to the antenna’s total length) along the wood line bordering the field.  I also brought two Bioenno LiFePO4 batteries that would normally be able to power my station for the large part of a day.  I chose battery redundancy, because there would be no opportunity for a re-do.

My operating plan was to make contacts on as many bands as possible.  I would start with 10m before the start of the eclipse, and work my way down in frequency, hopefully after making one or more contacts on each successive band.  I also needed to manage my time, so that I would get some time on each of the low bands – 60m, 80m, and 160m as the eclipse neared totality.  Since I already had contacts from a prior activation, I would not work 40m unless I had completed contacts on the other 9 bands.

Gear

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Eclipse Day

My cousin joined Becky and I for the outing to see the eclipse.  We all hoped that the afternoon would be memorable.  As we drove to our selected location, traffic was unexpectedly light, but the sky was overcast. There had been rain earlier in the morning, but the clouds seemed to be thinning as the day progressed, and we remained hopeful during the drive, particularly as glimpses of blue sky became apparent.

A final stretch on a dirt road brought us to the Game Land parking lot, a cleared patch of gravel, which was… empty!!!  It seemed that I had either planned well, or guessed right.  Either way, I was happy with the starting point!

We passed out the folding chairs from the back of the truck, shouldered our bags, and started the half-mile walk back the road to find our field.  We saw no vehicles and no people on the way in.  We did hear a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers drumming on branches near the side of the road, and we saw a Red-tailed Hawk and some Turkey Vultures soaring overhead.  It all made for an enjoyable walk, and the clouds continued to thin, with patches of blue emerging as the clouds continued their journey overhead.

Setting Up the Station

Here, I am preparing to throw a line to support the VK160.  I selected a tree somewhat distant from my planned operating location, so that apex would be located at about the midpoint of the radiating wire.
I used the K4SWL sling method of throwing the arborist line for this deployment.  While I am much more accurate using the “granny shot” throwing method, the sling method can get the line consistently higher.
I am deploying one of the three radial wires used with the VK160.  If you look closely, you can see the antenna feedpoint hanging behind me, level with my hat brim.  The cord holding the feedpoint can be seen just above my head.

When we arrived at the field, I scouted out a location for my antenna.  A tall tree at the woodline seemed to have a number of great branches high above the ground.  I broke out my arborist line, made my throw, and missed.  I repeated the process a couple more times, then snagged a light branch just a bit lower than I had hoped, but it would be sufficient.

Unwrapping the antenna (it takes a while to spool out 144 ft of wire) I found that it would stretch across the width of the field, and a bit further along one edge, so up it went in a bent inverted V.  A length of 550 cord secured it to a tree branch on the far side of the field, and a bit of light cord held the feed point to a tree branch near my chair.  This done, I connected and stretched out three counterpoise wires, connected the RG316 feed line, and started assembling the station.

On the Air

I am preparing for operation.  Station equipment is on the clipboard in my lap.  The antenna feedpoint can be seen at upper right.  The 15 ft RG316 feedline runs downward from the feedpoint, along the ground, and up to my operating position.
On the air with the KX3 set for 5 watts CW.
Working for a contact on 12m.
Continuing to work contacts as the light dims.  Chairs for Becky and my cousin are about 100 ft down the field from my operating position.
Between contacts I could quickly don my fashionable eclipse glasses to safely monitor progress, as the moon’s shadow progressed across the sun.

I was quickly ready to hit the air.  Having scheduled the activation in advance, I was not worried about cell service, but found that I had enough to verify my initial spot, as well as subsequent band changes.  As planned, I started on  the 10m band.  It took some time before my CQ call was returned.  After logging it, I called for a bit longer, then switched over to the 12m band, where things took a different turn. Continue reading K3ES’ Eclipse Clean Sweep! →

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

K3ES Travels: Ten Days of QRP with Compromised Antennas

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Ocracoke, NC, home to this iconic lighthouse, was our destination for a week of relaxation.  Ten days of QRP operation was a happy consequence.

Ten Days of QRP with Compromised Antennas

by Brian (K3ES)

At the end of a hard (or even a not-so-hard) winter, Becky and I really enjoy the opportunity to spend a week at the beach with friends.  Even with the cooler and more unpredictable weather late in the off-season, it provides welcome relief from the cold and snow that we often get in northwest Pennsylvania.  This year we chose to visit Ocracoke Island, at the southern tip of the North Carolina Outer Banks.

While driving down and back, I fit in Parks on the Air (POTA) activations at parks in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.  Each of the activated parks was new to me, and  so were their states.  My time at the beach also included daily POTA hunting.  I knew that my radio activity would all be conducted using CW mode, and low power.  All of my contacts on this trip were made with 5 watts, except for a brief stint where I increased power to 10 watts to fight band noise during a longer QSO with my code buddy.  What I did not expect was that all of my contacts would be made using antenna configurations that were less efficient than normal.

At each of the activated parks, I paired my Elecraft KX2 with a brand new Elecraft AX1 vertical antenna.  While it proved very effective at making contacts, the 4 ft high AX1 vertical definitely compromises gain to achieve its tiny form factor for HF operations.  Once we moved into our rented house on the island, we knew that storms were expected.  In fact, gale warnings were issued for our area twice during our week-long stay.  Besides cutting off ferry service to the island, I feared that high winds would bring down any antenna mast that I might try to use.  So, I deployed my shortest wire antenna in a low configuration that I hoped would resist the wind, yet still enable some contacts.  I certainly did not expect it to perform like it had many times before when deployed in vertical or inverted V configurations, but proof would be in the contacts.  I will avoid suspense by saying that this installation was unaffected by the high winds that were predicted and received.

Gear

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Monocacy National Battlefield – US-0705

Monocacy National Battlefield, US-0705, is located near the junction of Interstates 70 and 270 at Frederick, MD.

Our trip south took us close enough for a visit to our 3-year old grandson and his parents.  Truth be told, any distance would have been close enough, so even though greater-Baltimore is slightly off the direct path, that was the destination for our first day of driving.  On the way to Baltimore, we also passed within a couple of miles of the Monocacy National Battlefield, near Frederick, MD.  So, we spent a couple of hours exploring interpretive displays at the Visitor Center, and of course, activating the park.

As a Civil War history buff, I knew of the Battle of Monocacy, but little about its details.  Briefly, in July of 1864 a small Union force faced off against a much larger Confederate Army led by Lieutenant General Jubal Early.  The Confederates were moving against Washington, DC in an attempt to take the pressure off of the defenders around the Confederate capital of Richmond, VA.  While the battle was a tactical defeat for the Union, it proved to be a strategic victory, because it delayed the Confederate advance for two crucial days.  In that time Washington’s defenses were strongly reinforced, so the Confederate Army withdrew back into the Shenandoah Valley without accomplishing its mission.  More on that later.

A picnic table near a wood line outside the visitor center made a perfect, unobtrusive location to activate US-0705.

For the activation, I set up my station at a picnic table.  A table top tripod supported the AX1 antenna, with a short piece of RG316 coaxial cable connecting it to the KX2.  I operated CW mode with 5 watts of power, and completed the activation with 11 contacts in less than 15 minutes.

The entire station, including table-top AX1, took up less than half of a picnic table.
Logging contacts…
Cannons overlooking the battlefield…
Map of contacts from US-0705.  Home QTH for one station is located at the south pole!

Operating from Ocracoke Island, NC

A week at Ocracoke…

We arrived on Ocracoke on the last ferry run to the island before a Gale Warning shut down service for two days.  We counted ourselves fortunate to be on the island, but gale force winds complicated deployment of antennas.  Except, that is, for the AX1. Continue reading K3ES Travels: Ten Days of QRP with Compromised Antennas →

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

K3ES Field Report: Hiking with Molly and discovering a new two-fer activation site!

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Many thanks to Brian (K3ES) who shares the following field report:

Molly is on the trail of a POTA activation.  Temperatures are in the 40s, but there is still snow on the ground.

A Hike and a 2-fer

by Brian (K3ES)

When you live in northwestern Pennsylvania, and a February day shows up with the sun shining, moderate temperatures, and nothing pressing on the calendar, it is time to go and enjoy the outdoors.

One of the best ways to do that is to take a hike with your dog.  Hopefully  your dog is like Molly, who doesn’t mind taking a break mid-hike for a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation.  So on Wednesday, February 21 we scheduled an activation and jumped in the truck for a drive to the trail head.  The hike to and from the activation site would be a nice change from the short walks we had been taking to the pond behind our house in the colder weather, and from activating while sitting in the truck.  And, to better share the joy with our POTA hunters, we would make this activation a 2-fer, giving them credit for both the North Country Trail National Scenic Trail (K-4239) and Pennsylvania State Game Land 024 (K-8725).

Molly is ready to go.  She is not at all amused by waiting for me to take pictures.

Since I had hiked the planned route before, both solo, with friends, and with Molly, I expected that the route would be familiar.  Some of it was, and some of it was brand new to us.  You see, the North Country Trail volunteers had been busy since we last hiked as far up the trail as we planned to go.  They had cleared and marked an entirely new route for one section  of the trail, bypassing an old favorite activation site!  So, we got to do some exploring, and we found a new favorite activation site.  Bonus!

Finding a New 2-fer Site

One of the things that I enjoy about POTA is planning my activation.

Since days long ago as a Boy Scout, I have enjoyed outdoor navigation.  Map and compass always fascinated me.  Things have gotten much easier with Global Positioning System (GPS), online maps, and online satellite imagery.  Still, I do most of my activation planning while sitting comfortably at home with a tablet or a computer.  For this trip, finding the newly marked trail (that had not yet been transferred to the online map) presented a bit of a challenge.  While I could follow the marked trail easily, I needed to be sure that I had entered Game Land property so that the 2-fer activation would be valid.

Thankfully, I had access to an app on my smart phone to help me solve this problem as we walked along the trail through the woods.  The On X Hunt app combines GPS, topographic maps, satellite imagery, and tax office databases to identify land ownership (even when the owner happens to be the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania).  Full functionality of this app is not free, but as the owner of a parcel of land, it is something I had elected to pay for.  Once it became clear that the newly marked trail would not quickly rejoin the prior route, I set up the app to record our track on the map.  After confirming that Molly and I had definitely crossed PA Game Land property line (there were no marking signs along the new trail), we went just a bit further, then found a promising spot to set up for the activation.

With a change to the K-4239 North Country Scenic Trail route, we found a new 2-fer site within K-8725, along the partially snow-covered Game Land road that carries this section of the Trail.

Setting Up to Activate

I chose to locate our station in the woods beside a Game Land road that provided the path for the North Country Trail in that particular area.  We set up on the inside of a bend flanked by trees with long overhanging branches.  I placed my chair in the woods on the inside of the bend, and tossed a throw line over a branch on the outside of the bend, then deployed my Packtenna EFRW with 71 ft wire as an inverted V across the road.  I used the throw line to hoist the middle of the radiating wire up about 30 ft, and secured both the feedpoint and the far end of the antenna to nearby trees, about 6 ft off the ground.

Even though I did not expect traffic on this road (shaded areas were still snow covered, and the snow showed tracks only from woodland creatures), I try to deploy my wire antennas high enough that they are not a hazard to others who may travel through.

Temperatures were rising, but with the high only expected to hit 50F, I brought a blanket to give Molly some additional insulation (though she is a rough, tough POTA dog, as a Boston Terrier, her coat is not particularly thick).  I laid out the blanket beside my operating position,  so that it could provide both top cover and insulation from the ground.

Molly is settled in for the activation.

I connected my RG316 coaxial cable to the antenna feedpoint, set up my camp chair next to Molly, set up the radio, and prepared my log book. In very short order, I was on the air, spotted by the Reverse Beacon Network, and logging contacts. Continue reading K3ES Field Report: Hiking with Molly and discovering a new two-fer activation site! →

Field Reports, Guest Posts, Mobile, News, POTA, QRP

Chasing Bands: Two Truck Activations take Brian closer to the James F. LaPorta N1CC Award

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Parked in the lot at PA State Game Land 074

Two Truck Activations:  Racking up Bands and DX

by Brian (K3ES)

One of the things I like best about living in Western Pennsylvania is that after a stretch of heavy winter weather, we always seem to get a bit of a break.  The break never lasts long, but the sun comes out and the temperature warms enough to hold a promise of spring.  The first week of February 2024 gave us one of those respites.  With rising temperatures, the snow melted, a strange yellow disc appeared in the sky, and this operator’s thoughts turned once again toward POTA activations, and a free Sunday afternoon provided a perfect opportunity.

A Long-Term Goal

For just over a year, I have been working slowly toward POTA’s James F. LaPorta N1CC Award for activators.  I am under no illusions.  This goal may take me another year to complete on my terms.

The award requires an activator to complete QSOs on ten different amateur bands from each of ten different Parks on the Air entities.  To the extent possible, I am working to finish all of the needed contacts using CW mode and QRP power levels.  So, one specific part of my afternoon outing would include an attempt to make a QRP CW contact on my tenth band from PA State Game Land 283, K-8977.  Two previous activations of K-8977 had given me contacts on each of the nine HF bands from 80m to 10m.  So this afternoon, I would attempt to make a contact on top band, 160m.

Molly supervises many of my activations, and even when the weather warms into the 40s, she prefers to activate from the truck.

The Activation Plan

With a little bit of advanced planning, POTA Dog Molly and I packed the truck on a Sunday afternoon and headed out to attempt two activations.  First, we would set up at K-8773, Pennsylvania State Game Land 074, a new park for me, where we would have about 2 hours on the air before the time would be right to move to the next park and attempt an activation including 160m.  It would be just a short drive to K-8977, and we hoped to arrive there and set up around 2100Z (4pm EST).  The goal at K-8977 was to get enough contacts for a successful activation, then shortly before sunset move to 160m and get at least one contact to complete activation of the the tenth band.

Parking areas at Pennsylvania State Game Lands are mostly unpaved, but they are well marked.

Activating K-8773

With temperatures running in the low 40s Fahrenheit, I decided Molly would be most comfortable operating from the truck.  She appeared to be quite pleased with that decision.  So we pulled into one of the parking lots at K-8773 and parked along the tree line.  I tossed my arborist line over a branch near the truck, and used it to pull up my Tufteln 9:1 35 ft random wire antenna into a near-vertical configuration.  After connecting the 17 ft counterpoise wire and laying it out along the ground, I attached the 15 ft RG316 feedline and routed it into the truck through the driver’s side door seal.

I clipped the feedpoint of my Tufteln random wire antenna to the 2m antenna on the front fender of the truck.
I threw my arborist line over a tree branch, and used it to pull up the far-end of the antenna.  A few wraps around the handle for the back window of the cap kept it secure for the activation.
The RG316 feedline runs through the door seal into the truck.

Once inside the truck, I set up my KX2, prepared my log book, and made the decision to work my way downward through the amateur bands.  Conditions proved to be amazingly good that Sunday afternoon, and my 5 watt signal yielded 54 CW contacts, including 13 DX contacts spread across 7 European countries.

Moreover, I made at least one of these contacts on each of 8 amateur bands, from 10m to 60m.  Unexpectedly, getting contacts on 8 bands during a spectacular afternoon at K-8773 also puts that park well within striking distance for completing 10 bands, just not on this particular afternoon.

Not a bad afternoon’s work at the first park, not at all!

The KX2 sits on the console of the truck, with its feet straddling one of the cup holders.  This leaves plenty of room for my log book (yes, I’m one of those dinosaurs who uses pencil and paper for logging).
Another view of the operating station.  Note the home made VK3IL pressure paddles above the log book.
Supervising this activation was a particularly difficult task.  Molly has decided that a rest is needed.  She has tucked her nose in the blanket, a definite signal that serious napping is underway.
At K-8773, I logged 56 contacts across 8 bands.  I was delighted that 13 of those contacts were DX from Europe.

Activating K-8977

Packing my gear at K-8977 went quickly.  As a most excellent POTA companion, I rewarded Molly with a short walk along a Game Land road, then a 15 minute drive on some rugged back roads brought us to K-8773.  I had operated from one particular parking lot during previous activations, but a quick look around for places to set up my antenna caused me to head for a  different parking lot.  I would be using a wire antenna that was much longer than normal, and a nearby power line was too close for comfort.

ALWAYS watch for and avoid power lines when deploying your antennas in the field!

To activate on the 160m band, I intended to use my VK160 antenna.  The VK160 is a homebrew 9:1 random wire antenna with a 144 ft radiator and three – 17 ft counterpoise wires.  At the new location it went up quickly in an inverted V configuration.  With counterpoise wires spread out on the ground, and my 15ft RG316 feedline connected and run through the door seal of the truck, it was time to get the station assembled and on the air.  This time the rig would be a KX3 with built-in wide-range tuner.  The KX3’s spectacular tuner matches the VK160 on all bands from 10m to 160m.

I was easily on the air at 2100Z (4 pm EST), and had about 90 minutes before sunset.  My plan was to begin on 40m, and collect enough contacts to assure the activation before moving to 160m around 2200Z (5 pm EST), about 30 minutes before sunset.

Activating on 40m was a safe bet, even running 5 watts CW.  Once spotted, I was working a steady pileup for about 40 minutes.  When 40m callers tailed off, I switched over to 30m for 20 minutes and picked up a bunch more contacts on the new band.  Then, at 5 pm local, I switched over to 160m.  It did not take long to start making contacts.  It was not a pile up, but the three 160m contacts were very satisfying:  eastern Pennsylvania, western Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

I called QRT at 2215Z (5:15 pm EST), packed up my gear in the remaining daylight, and drove home.  I was home in time for dinner, and Molly didn’t say a word about being late for her normal 5 pm dinner time.

At K-8977, I logged 54 contacts.  Since I worked them on 30m, 40m, and 160m, it was entirely expected that most would be located in the eastern US and Canada.  Logging 3 contacts on 160m made it a perfect outing.

I do owe an apology to QRPer.com readers, because in the pace of the second activation, I failed to take pictures during my operation.  If you are interested in visuals, please take a look at previous QRPer articles on building the VK160 and testing it during Winter Field Day 2023.

Gear

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Equipment at K-8773

Equipment at K-8977

Announcements, News

Important Update: How to Join the QRPer.net Community

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Dear QRPer.net Members,

As many of you have likely noticed, our QRPer.net Discussion Board has recently been targeted by an influx of SPAM users and comments. In response, our superhero administrator, Brian (K3ES), has been diligently working to sort and flag the SPAM comments and users from the genuine contributors.

To address this issue, we are implementing changes to our user registration process.

To address this issue, we are implementing changes to our user registration process.

Moving forward, new user registrations will undergo manual approval to ensure the authenticity of each member. While this adjustment may require a bit more effort, it is essential for protecting the quality of our community.

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