Many thanks to Dean (KG7WGX) for sharing the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post.
KX3 Field Kit
by Dean (KG7WGX)
I have used Pelican boxes in the 1150 size for years for transporting my KX3, PX3, keys, and a 10Ah battery. A few months ago, I tried to devise something that would let me take just the KX3 for “pack it in” operations, in one of the 1150 boxes.
I wanted the radio, battery, earbuds, paddles and a mini-mike to fit in the waterproof box. Whatever antenna I decided to take could be packed in a stuff bag separately. This would also apply to a kneeboard & chair (if I wasn’t going very far.)
The first picture shows the antenna bag, 20ft mast and the Pelican box:
Tbe second picture shows the components laid out:
The third picture shows how the battery, earbuds, paddles and mini-mic fit inside the Pelican box:
Gear links:
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Balun Designs standard RF connectors are SO-239 but a BNC connector is available for small additional charge. The 9130 has a hole for a support line, so I attached approx 10 ft of paracord to lift it above ground level.
Guy line collar attached to Explorer 20 mast at section “overlap” region with epoxy. Guy line ring has 3 paracord lines and is rigged before extending mast. Guy line collar keeps guy line ring from moving down mast. A PVC end cap with a stainless machine screw serves as an “anti-kickout” support for the mast base. Each guy line has a line tightener.
Shure SE112 earbuds have a rt-angle 3.5mm connector.
M0JKS mini-mike has a TRRS connector on the mike, so the user can supply whatever length/connector style he prefers. 3.5mm audio cables are available with a straight TRRS on one end and a rt-angle TRRS on the other (to comply with Elecraft recommendations to reduce lateral force on the connectors.)
Bioenno has changed the BLF-1203AB “shape” from rectangular to rounded edge, but the dimensions remain the same.
The total weight (with the mast and EF Random antenna) is a few ounces over 7 lbs, so this isn’t a Mountain Topper.
Many thanks to Dean (KG7WGX) who recently shared a couple of interesting microphone alternatives for voice/SSB ops who use the Elecraft KX2 or KX3—especially in portable or pedestrian mobile setups.
Dean mentioned that while the stock Elecraft MH3 mic is excellent, it can feel a bit bulky for field use, especially when packing light for multi-mile treks. He also pointed out that unlike the KX2, the KX3 lacks a built-in microphone, which makes SSB less convenient without a dedicated mic.
If you’re considering a minimalist SSB setup, here are two compact, British-made mini-mic options that might be worth exploring:
M0JKS Mini-Mic
This mini-mic is fully featured with PTT and UP/DN buttons, offering near-complete MH3 emulation. Dean noted that it’s particularly useful for pedestrian mobile, especially if you’re using Morse frequency annunciation—allowing you to change frequency without removing the rig from your pack.
Based on the K6ARK mini-mic design, this compact unit stacks a condenser mic element and PTT switch inside a right-angle TRS plug and printed housing. It’s available either as a kit (for confident kit builders) or fully assembled for plug-and-play use.
Sunday, May 18, 2025, was the final day of Hamvention. It’s typically the slowest day, and I’ve even been known to skip it in favor of doing POTA with friends instead.
This particular Sunday, though, my dear friend Vince (VE6LK) was giving a mid-morning presentation about building go-boxes, so Eric (WD8RIF), Miles (KD8KNC), Len (W8VQ), and I headed to the Greene County Expo Center to attend.
Vince’s presentation was well-attended—most impressive for a Sunday morning!
As tempting as it was, I didn’t abscond with any of Vince’s radio kit!
Carillon Historic Park
Around 12:30, Eric, Miles, Len, and I left Hamvention and ventured into Dayton. We planned to do an activation at one of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park sites (US-0732).
Eric chose Carillon Historical Park as our activation site for US-0732. It’s an ideal POTA spot in many respects, with a large open field, several trees, and plenty of parking. That said, when we pulled into the site, we realized there was a public event underway and the parking lot was nearly full.
Fortunately, the parking attendants motioned us to park in a field close to where we would set up our stations. The music event was taking place on the far side of the park, so it didn’t interfere with our activation.
Eric, Miles, and Len made their way to a clearing and set up my Chelegance MC-750 antenna.
I picked a broad maple tree that provided a perfect shady spot for my station. The canopy not only kept me cool, but also offered a bit of stealth—not that stealth was necessary at this site, but with so much activity in the park, I wanted to keep my entire station contained in a safe, tidy space that wouldn’t trip up children running around nearby.
I set up my Helinox chair next to the trunk and deployed my throw line nearly vertically using the “granny shot” method—a technique I rarely use. It took two tries to get the line placed in a way I felt would support the antenna well. By shooting the line upward from underneath the canopy, both the antenna and throw line stayed in a tight footprint right beside me and entirely under the tree.
My antenna
Speaking of antennas, I was using a homebrew end-fed random wire sent to me by one of my readers and subscribers, Bryan (AD8HK). I believe Bryan may eventually offer a variation of this design commercially, but at present it’s still in development. He sent me this one purely for evaluation.
This particular antenna features a 9:1 transformer with a 17 ft 9 in radiator and an 8 ft 10.5 in counterpoise. With a wide-range ATU—like the one built into my KX2—it matches from 40 meters and up.
With my full station deployed, it was time to hit the air and see if the ionosphere had any charge left in it.
Gear
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Band conditions during Hamvention weekend were pretty dismal. I’ll admit, I was fully prepared to call CQ for a couple of hours, if necessary, to complete the activation (Eric felt the same way). We had no other plans for the afternoon, so time was on our side.
In case you haven’t seen previous Field Reports in this series, let me set the stage. In September and October of 2024, my wife, Becky, and I set out with our dog, Molly, for a great cross-country driving adventure.
We left from our home in northwest Pennsylvania on September 18, driving west to spend some time with my parents at their home in California’s Bay Area. We returned home on October 31, after driving through most of the states of the American West. One of the goals for this trip was to activate Parks on the Air (POTA) entities in as many new states as possible along the way (it turns out that with good planning and good weather, it is possible to activate a LOT of states). An overview of our trip can be found in the following Field Report (linked) on QRPer.com: Six Weeks and 7300 Miles: Activating on the Road.
On the westward leg of our trip, we zipped through Ohio and Indiana in a single marathon day of driving, without stopping to activate a park. There was no intent to diminish these fine states of our union, but I had previously activated parks there.
On the return leg of the trip, our priorities and our perspectives had changed a bit, so we made up for our previous inattention by activating new parks in both states on the way home. The change in priority came with the realization that we had succeeded in activating every state that I had planned to complete. I have now activated every lower 48 state west of the Mississippi River, save Arkansas and Louisiana (we intentionally left them for a future trip through the southern states). The change in perspective came from the realization that activating a park made for a nice break during a day of driving.
We planned for a modest 3-1/2 hour drive on our final day of the trip, so that we could arrive home before dark.
We spent the night near Mansfield, OH, and took our time getting breakfast and checking out in the morning. We had also looked over our maps and found an Ohio park to activate during the drive: Lake Milton State Park, US-3515.
Lake Milton State Park
Seen from the park, this bridge carries Interstate 76 across Lake Milton
As I-76 runs east-to-west across northern Ohio, it crosses over the middle of Lake Milton. For radio amateurs familiar with other attractions along the I-76 corridor, Lake Milton is about 20 miles east of the DX Engineering store.
Lake Milton State Park incorporates the lake itself, as well as selected land around the lake-shore. We decided to head for one of the park’s picnic areas, located on the eastern shore of the lake near the I-76 bridge. We found a parking lot, a large grassy area running down to the lake, picnic shelters, and comfort facilities. As Becky took Molly for a walk around the grounds, I set up to operate from a table in a picnic shelter.
A view of the picnic area beside Lake Milton shows me activating from the shelter at left. I threw a line over a branch on the tree to the right, and used it to hold my antenna as a sloper.The gull in this picture was riding the wind, but going nowhere fast.Standing straight out from its flagpole, this flag spoke eloquently of the wind.
It was a nice afternoon at the park. The weather was warm and sunny, but a stiff breeze was blowing across the lake. An American flag stood straight out from flagpole, and soaring gulls hung near-motionless in the sky. Both provided evidence of the wind’s power. The warmth of the day and the winds cooling effect were in perfect balance to produce a comfortable environment for activating, even though the breeze provided a bit of audio spectrum QRN.
The Activation
Caught from behind, while focused on incoming code…
I tossed a throw-line over a branch on one of the large trees near the shelter, and quickly hoisted up my Tufteln 35 ft end-fed random wire (EFRW) antenna. With the antenna set up, I connected the rest of the station. Moments later, my log was ready, and I was on the air.
I was able to spend an hour on the air, and with the EFRW and the KX2’s amazing internal tuner, I was able to rapidly transition between HF bands. Operating CW mode at 5 watts, I was successful in making contacts on the 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, and 10m Amateur bands. In total, I logged 30 contacts, including 3 DX stations from Europe, a thoroughly satisfying activation experience.
This map shows the contacts made from Lake Milton. It was gratifying to get some DX during the last activation of our trip.
Gear
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Becky takes amazing pictures. Here, another view of Lake Milton.
Packing up the station went quickly, and we were back in the truck and ready for the final leg of our trip. In about 2 hours of driving, we were pulling into our own driveway for the first time in a month and a half. It is difficult to fully describe the feeling. It was really nice to be back home. The prospects of sleeping in my own bed and relaxing in my own chair were really welcome.
But, at the same time, this adventure was over, and we would soon be back to our old routines. After 6 weeks together, Becky, Molly and I would again be headed in the different directions occasioned by our day-to-day activities. So, there was gladness of a return to the familiar, combined with the bittersweet feeling of the end of our travel adventure.
As I think about our trip from the distance of almost 6 months, and a long, cold winter, I realize that I am ready to start thinking seriously about our next driving (and radio) adventure!
Home. After 6 weeks and 7300 miles, it was nice to get back…
My new Elecraft AX3 antenna arrived in the mail. The weather when it arrived was 73° F and sunny with a slight breeze. Space weather was calm. It seemed like the perfect recipe for a POTA expedition to the unofficial antenna testing range at Silver Sands State Park (US-1716) here in Connecticut on the Northern shoreline of Long Island Sound to try out the AX3. Given that this antenna is specifically designed to be light and portable, I chose my Elecraft KX2 to pair it with, which is also light and portable.
Conrad, N2YCH testing the new Elecraft AX3 at Silver Sands State Park, Connecticut
The AX3 operates on six bands. Out of the box, it can do 30,20,17,15,12 and 10 meters. With the optional AXE1 adapter, you can add 40 meters as well. Elecraft says an ATU is required, which I have built into my KX2. I tested using FT8 on 30/20/17 & 15 meters, the four positions labeled on the front “jumper block.” Using FT8, I was able to use the PSKreporter.info website to get a sense of where my signals were being received. This antenna is capable of handling 30 watts, which is amazing for its size. I ran 10 watts from the KX2.
Unlike the AX1, which needs something to hold it in place such as a tripod or the optional bipod, the AX3 comes with three legs to turn the base into a tripod.
AX3 integrated Tripod
At the park, I tried using the legs which lasted all of 30 seconds before the Long Island Sound breeze blew it right over on its side. Anticipating that it might be too breezy down at the shoreline, I brought a slightly heavier tripod along. The good news is that the bottom of the antenna is tapped with a ¼-20 hole to connect to any standard camera tripod. The heavier tripod did the trick.
Elecraft KX2 with new AX3 antenna
I used a three foot piece of coax as recommended and I had no problem with RFI into the radio or the computer. The KX2 was able to tune to 1.0:1 SWR on all bands except for 17 meters, which was right around 2.0:1. I should note that I had the 13’ counterpoise laying on the ground for this test.
KX2 1.0:1 SWR on 20 meters
I began on 20 meters and in 20 minutes, I had the 10 QSO’s needed to activate the park.
Map showing spots on 20 meters.
Next I QSY’d up to 17 meters.
PSKreporter.info spots on 17 meters
Here, I had plenty of spots, yet I struggled to get two in the log before I gave up and QSY’d to 15 meters. Changing frequency is as simple as pulling the jumper block out and moving the arrow to the correct frequency.
Jumper Block used to change bands
Thankfully, 15 was open and my first QSO was with a station in Ukraine and my second was in California.
QSO Map – Dark Blue are 20 meter contacts, Light Blue are 15 meters and Purple are 17 metersCompleting a QSO with the Ukraine on 15 meters
I made contacts on 20, 17 and 15 meters. Could I manage something on 30? I tried but to no avail. I was spotted by stations on PSKreporter, but after calling for some time, I figured that midday in Connecticut was just not the best time for that band. Before I packed up for the day, I went back to 17 meters which was definitely better than earlier and I logged three more for a total of five on the band.
PSKReporter spots on 15 meters using the AX3 antenna
I took the opportunity to go back to Silver Sands a few days later to try the antenna on 12 and 10 meters, which I did not do on the first trip out. I also wanted to see how elevating the counterpoise might affect the performance. It was downright windy, so I brought along a camera tripod this time to provide more stability. Obviously, the extra weight carrying a full size tripod wouldn’t be ideal for a SOTA activation, but for my test, I brought it along.
AX3 on camera tripod
The high band propagation was miserable when I went out, I was wondering if I’d be able to make any contacts at all. I was pleased to see that elevating the counterpoise allowed 17 meters to easily match to the antenna with a 1.0:1 SWR. I then tried 15, 12 and 10 meters which also tuned right up and I made contacts on all bands. 10 and 12 meters were open to my south. I made QSO’s with Belize, Mexico, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
QSO Map Day 2 – Purple is 17m, Light Blue is 15m, Pink is 12m and Yellow is 10m (click image to enlarge)AX3 on camera tripod with elevated counterpoise
The AX3 did not disappoint.
Making QSO’s from California to the Ukraine and down into South America while sitting at a picnic table in a park in Connecticut with just 10 watts using such a small antenna is simply amazing to me. I like the AX1, which I used primarily on 20 meters. Having the multi-band flexibility of the AX3 is very nice, especially now that the upper bands are active, and it provides more flexibility for operating portable and being able to change bands on the spot to adapt to the ever changing band conditions.
Many thanks to Cameron (KO6BYB), for sharing the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post.
Elecraft KX2 Field Kit
by Cameron (KO6BYB)
I wanted to share a tiny KX2 kit I made to fit the Seahorse SE56 (QRPer affiliate link) case. Just upgraded to my General and finally got the HF transceiver of my dreams. Haven’t made it out to the field since I got it last weekend, but I had some spare time (that I should have been sleeping) and whipped this up. Fits basically a whole station in the case:
Glenn W4YES and I headed to Camden, SC the first week of April for some much needed rest and relaxation. Usually when I travel, I schedule a POTA activation or two. However, this trip I decided to try something new – getting on the air QRP at our Airbnb.
Camden is the oldest inland community in South Carolina. According to the town’s website, the earliest permanent settlers arrived in 1750. They experienced a crushing defeat during the Revolutionary War when the Patriots were defeated in the Battle of Camden. After the Civil War, the town “evolved into a tourist mecca for Northeners and Midwesterners seeking a warmer winter climate.” Those tourists brought money and an equine culture developed around racing and polo.
Our first day in Camden, we visited the Revolutionary War Museum. Though small in size, the museum’s exhibits are of excellent quality. They do a great job explaining who lived in the area, the quandary they faced as to whether to be a Loyalist or Patriot (it wasn’t as easy a choice as it might appear), and battles fought there.
Our second day, we explored the National Steeplechase Museum. This museum explores the history of steeplechasing and the personalities involved – owners, trainers, jockeys as well as those who care for the horses. The museum pays homage to Marion duPont Scott who developed the Springdale Race Course where the museum is located. This race course hosts two prominent annual competitions – the Carolina Cup and the Colonial Cup.
National Steeplechase Museum
an old scale used to weigh jockeystrophy room
We also spent some time driving through and walking in the historic neighborhoods of the city. The weather was gorgeous! Everywhere we looked, there were flowers – azaleas, wisteria, viburnum, and dogwoods (including the pink variety we do not see in Savannah).
a dogwood in full splendorazaleas at the corner of a homeviburnumpink dogwood
After exploring the area, it was time to explore the airwaves QRP at our Airbnb. To do this, I brought Craig, my KX2, and a home-brew linked dipole antenna. This is an antenna I built three years ago, when I first got into ham radio. At that time, I had no home station but wanted to get on the air portable for POTA. Despite knowing almost nothing about antennas, I built a usable dipole that became my main POTA antenna for quite a while.
the homebrew linked dipole (photo from GA State Parks on the Air event)
Why did I bring this antenna to Camden? I have the opportunity this month to try the CFT1, a QRP transceiver, by Jonathan KM4CFT. Because the rig does not have an internal antenna tuner, I am reacquainting myself with the subject of resonance and why it matters in antennas.
I set up a home-brew linked dipole Wednesday evening under some trees in a space between the Airbnb and a small lake on the property. The antenna was roughly 20 feet in the air.
the lake from the Airbnb2nd location for antenna by lake
My RigExpert Stick analyzer gave me 2.1 at 7.040 –
Thinking I could do better, I moved the antenna (a real pain to do with a dipole) to a different tree with a limb 30 feet high. (Frankly, Glenn and I were amazed I could snag that limb.) This setup generated better a SWR reading – 1.61 at 7.040 MHz.
Now the true test – how well would I be heard?
the bench at which I operated Wednesday eveningRBN picking me up Wednesday evening
CW nets are a great place to get on-the-air experience with morse code. It was my code buddy Caryn KD2GUT who first introduced me to the OMIK net. I found those who participate in this CW net to be welcoming and accepting of CW operators of all levels of proficiency. Over the past several years, the ops in this net have watched my skills grow and become friends.
Dennis NT4U and Steve W0SJS split net control station (NCS) duties. This evening, it was Dennis’ turn as NCS. As he is located in northern Georgia, I figured he would hear my QRP signal. He did and checked me into the net with a RST of 589. The icing on the cake was that I heard a station he was unable to hear – Charles AI4OT in Virginia – due to the S9 noise at Dennis’ location this evening. I notified Dennis of Charles’ check in so he was added to the check-in list for that evening. Way to go homebrew linked dipole and Craig!
The next day, Glenn did some exploring and found a better location on the property – a hill behind the Airbnb and some sheds. Several large oaks in this relatively open area offered prime limbs to snag with an arbor line. I installed the antenna on a limb roughly 25 feet up in the air.
open area at back of Airbnb propertylooking up into canopy at limb I used Thursday evening
Before attempting to check into another net, I spotted myself on QSO Finder, a new website and spotting tool by Mike N4FFF and Becky N4BKY of Ham Radio Duo. I had three exchanges, one each with Joel KE8WIC, Tom NG4S, and James KJ3D.
Spotting myself on CW QSO Finder
On Thursday evenings I check into the Sideswiper Net, a wonderful group of guys who meet on 40 or 30 meters (depending on propagation). Most of those who check in use a sideswiper (also known as a cootie) key but, like the OMIK CW net, they are welcoming of anyone who wants to participate no matter the level of proficiency or key. I’ve asked lots of questions of the members and appreciate their patience schooling me about CW nets.
The NCS this evening was Darrell AA7FV who is located in Arizona. The noise on 40 meters was rough but Darrel did copy me with a RST of 349. Two other stations – Bill WA4FAT in Alabama and Steve W1SFR – also copied me at 559 on this band.
When the net moved to 30 meters, my signal was worse. However, I expected that, as by this time it was dark and I didn’t want to mess with lowering the antenna to disconnect the link between the 40 and 30 meter wires. Darrel in Arizona could barely hear me (he gave me a RST of 129) but Bill could still copy me and acted as relay between our signals. I was thrilled that I had now checked into both nets QRP this week!
the RBN picked me up again
Even better, after the Sideswiper net, my code buddy Caryn KD2GUT and I were able to have our weekly code buddy QSO. We managed a 20 minute QSO on 40 meters before being swallowed up by noise and QRN on her end. Caryn is located on Long Island, NY. The previous night in the OMIK net, my signal was a 229 at her QTH. But tonight, we were both 599 and rocking it on the airwaves.
operating in the dark
During the Sideswiper net and my code buddy QSO, I sat head copying in the dark under the moon and thought, “It doesn’t get any better than this, right?”
Before we left the Airbnb Friday morning, Glenn spied several pitchforks sitting by the sheds. We picked one up and decided to have some fun, with our version of the famous piece “American Gothic” by Grant Wood. I had a difficult time keeping a straight face (watch the video linked down below) but eventually we got the shot.
“American Gothic” by Grant Wood source: Wikipediaus goofing off creating a version of the piece before checking out
QRP has its limits; however, I was sufficiently impressed by my experience on this trip that I will travel with a rig from now on. I’d like a better antenna and have ordered an EFHW as that is probably my best bet for a resonant antenna. This hobby NEVER becomes boring because there is always something to learn.
I look forward to trying the CFT1 and my new EFHW antenna when it arrives. How will that turn out? Stay tuned…
Equipment Used
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I love living in the state of Georgia. The state contains diverse natural spaces – mountains and valleys in the north, rolling hills and forests in the middle, and a plain extending to the coast with wetlands, marshes, and forests.
source: Georgia DNRsource: GA DNR
The Georgia State Parks on the Air event celebrates and draws attention to state parks scattered throughout these spaces. For this year’s event (April 5th and 6th), I signed up to activate George L. Smith State Park (US-2179), a park located a little over an hour from my home. I’ve activated this park several times in the past – for POTA as well as the K2D special event.
To do something different and to qualify for the hike-in bonus (100 points) for the event, I planned to hike the Deer Run Trail. This trail runs past the historic mill on site and through a wooded area on the southeast corner of the park. To qualify for the bonus, I had to hike at least 1 mile from my vehicle so I walked a section of the outer loop trail.
water released under the mill on the lakeiris blooming
The hike was pleasant. Daisy and I walked through a forested area bordered by cypress bottomlands and farmland. Several benches along the path offered hikers a quiet place to relax. I was surprised by how many people we encountered.
the path leading from the mill – somewhere I’ve wanted to explorethe trail is well markeda spot to relax on the trail
We finally reached the junction of the loop and .7 mile trail, the latter having a power line running along it. Here was another bench set admist a mixture of pines and hardwoods. A tall pine directly across from the bench had a branch about 30 feet high, just perfect for the dipole antenna I brought, that is if I could reach it.
the junction of the .7 mile trail and 3 mile loop trailpine tree I spied for my dipole antenna
I removed my throw bag, arbor line, and throw weight, and tossed the line to see how close I could come to that branch. My line and weight ran over a broken branch forming a notch about 10 feet lower. I tugged to remove them and stared in amazement when the line abruptly broke free and fell at my feet…WITHOUT the weight attached. Oh crap! I was so gung-ho to nail that branch that I forgot to securely tie the weight to the line. (doh!)
my throw weight lodged in the notch
I stared in amazement, my mind slowly processing my situation. I did not bring an additional weight because I stopped carrying it since I never needed it (until now that is) and wanted to travel light for today’s hike. Shoot! Now what?
I spent the next 15 minutes trying to find a branch long enough to reach that spot as well as throw sticks at the weight. Nothing came close to dislodging it.
Well, I could just throw in the towel. But POTA Babes don’t give up that easily. I had an obligation to the event as I signed up to activate this park and hunters would be looking for me.
The only items in my pack I could attach to the arbor line and throw were an insect repellant bottle and my Nalgene water bottle. The insect repellant bottle I rejected because of its spray trigger which could definitely get stuck on a branch. But the Nalgene bottle might work. Daisy and I drank some water to lighten it. I tied the arbor line to the lid, found a branch about 15 feet up in the air, and tossed the bottle. Would this even work?
Nalgene bottle
It did! I know you antenna purists out there are shuddering. However, I figured a lower antenna was better than no antenna at this point. I brought two antennas with me for this activation: the Tufteln EFRW and a home-brew linked dipole I built roughly three years ago. A dipole is an amazing antenna, even if homebrewed. I figured my signal needed all the help it could get with the lower height and power lines nearby so I chose to use the dipole.
homebrew linked dipole antenna (40-30-20 meters)
Daisy and I settled across the trail in the understory to shade ourselves from the sun. One leg of the dipole ran across the hiking trail. To give the antenna as much help as I could, I secured both ends of the dipole roughly 6 feet up in foliage. Where it crossed the trail, it was high enough anyone would pass easily underneath it.
I took a breath, pressed the ATU button to activate the internal antenna tuner, cleared a frequency, and began calling CQ. I had no idea what to expect. Continue reading The POTA Babe Loses Weight→
Spring has arrived in Savannah bringing great POTA weather. There are still parks within a two-hour drive of my home QTH that I have yet to activate. To check one more off the list, Daisy and I headed to Di-Lane Wildlife Management Area (WMA) this past Wednesday, March 26th.
Di-Lane WMA (US-3744) is located just south of Waynesboro, Georgia. You may recall this town because I mentioned it in a previous article. It is known as the Bird Dog Capital of the World. Why? The town hosts the Georgia Field Trials – a competition that evaluates a bird dog’s ability to find and point flocks of quail. Waynesboro is well suited to the sport given the layout of land and large numbers of quail in the area.
Waynesboro water tower source: thetruecitizen.com
By now you are probably wondering what the heck bird dogs have to do with POTA. The land Di-Lane WMA occupies was formerly owned by Henry Berol, heir to the Eagle Pencil Company in New York. (A side note: he named the plantation for his two daughters Diane and Elaine.) Mr. Berol was an avid bird dog supporter and developed the plantation to host the trials. After Mr. Berol’s death, the land was eventually purchased by the Army Corps of Engineers as wetland mitigation for Lake Richard B. Russell. It is currently managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources with a focus on bobwhite quail.
There are several entrances to the Di-Lane WMA. The one I chose off Herndon Road is flanked by a brick wall and iron bird dogs atop the two pillars which pay homage to the plantation’s past. Just inside the gate is a large barn and check station for hunters.
entrance to Di-Lane WMAbarn by check station inside entranceWMA map Source: GA DNR
I drove past this area and found a quiet spot at the edge of Dove Field 1. Despite sunny skies, the temperature was quite comfortable in the mid-seventies.
driving in the WMAour road along dove field #1
Everywhere I looked, spring was evident. Flowers were prevalent – bluish and yellow wildflowers, white flowers on wild blackberry vines, and big clusters of flowers on a large bush. Not to be outdone, the sides of the roads were edged with lush, bright-green grass.
There were several trees beside this road of a sufficient height for the end-fed random wire I prefer to use. What I didn’t realize is that instead of a POTA activation, I was actually here to practice throwing my arbor line as it took me ten or so tries to snag a branch at the height I preferred.
tree for EFRW antennafeed-end of the EFRW antenna
I posted on the CW channel of the Discord POTA server the day prior that I would activate this park. I received a request from Cainan N9FZ that I use a frequency to assist regional hams working to hunt all the Georgia parks. Hence it wasn’t a surprise that Cainan was the first to work me when I called CQ on 40 meters. He was followed by five ops before I moved to 20 meters. Continue reading More Dogs for the POTA Babe→
January and February have been such busy months that not much POTA has happened for this POTA Babe since my trip to southwest Georgia. Wednesday, February 26th was too gorgeous a day to sit inside. I set aside my projects and Daisy and I headed to a new park – Mead Farm Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
source: Google Maps
Mead Farm WMA (US-9776) is a two-hour drive from Savannah, GA, my home QTH. I visited this area last year when I activated Yuchi WMA (US-3778) in January 2024. Within sight of Yuchi WMA is Plant Vogtle, a nuclear power plant on the Savannah River managed by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company. I spied the four cooling towers (all complete and now active) in the distance during the drive.
cooling towers at Plant Vogtledaffodils on the side of the roadquaint post office in Girard, Georgia on the drive
Mead Farm is one of the smaller WMAs. It consists of 200 acres, almost equally split between uplands and wetlands. Unlike other Georgia WMAs I’ve visited, the roads back into the park were blocked so I opted to set up in the parking area. Thankfully, the road near the entrance to the park was not busy so vehicular noise didn’t present an impediment to my activation.
entrance from the roadparking area with information kiosksignage at the far side of the parking area
The weather in southern Georgia has been uncharacteristically warm – high temperatures in the upper 70s. With clear skies overhead, I parked on the eastern side of the parking area taking advantage of shade provided by pine trees. Those pines would also allow me to orient the Tufteln EFRW antenna toward the northwest.
source: GA Dept. of Natural Resourcesscenery outside the fenced-in parking areaarbor line and antenna in pine tree
POTA, at this point, has become comfortable. (Notice I didn’t say easy because you never know what unexpected event will happen during POTA as noted in my past QRPer.com articles.) In an effort to shake things up, I decided to use all three keys currently in my POTA kit: the VK3IL-design paddle gifted to me by Brian K3ES, the BaMaTech III paddle, and the CW Morse Pocket Single Paddle/Cootie key.
VK3IL-design paddle, BaMaTech III key, CW Morse Pocket Single Paddle/Cootie key
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