Tag Archives: Field Reports

Field Reports, Guest Posts, Morse Code, News, Portable Power, POTA, QRP

CW Three Band Activation Among the Giant Timbers

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As always there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things! ?

by Vince (VE6LK)

In August and September 2024 I was travelling around Southern Ontario for some family matters and naturally I brought my radio kit with me to squeeze in some radio therapy stops along the way. This is the report of my stop at Hamilton Waterworks National Historic Site (CA-5365).

It was a rainy Friday morning as I departed at 0730h to get in some radio therapy before getting to the fishing store and getting some more of the Fishing Butler bungee straps I’d picked up a week prior. And, as it happens, Fishing World in Hamilton was pretty much around the corner from CA-5365. I’d chosen this site as it had never been activated in CW.

The Hamilton Waterworks National Historic Site is “…a gracious complex of mid 19th-century brick industrial buildings…” located in the North-East end of Hamilton near Lake Ontario. It is part of Hamilton’s original water works complex which sprawls along Woodward Avenue.

And it is delightfully radio quiet, however the noise from the local street was the real challenge for me. Next time I’ll use earbuds.

The original wood shed serves as a covered picnic and teaching area for students that visit the Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology, part of this NHS.

This is one site I drove to without much research and I was prepared with a backup site were I not able to activate it for whatever reason. Thus I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a large covered area with picnic tables and a small grass area outside to stake down my Carbon Fibre mast. Hoisting/throwing the wire turned out to be a challenge given the shape of the giant support timbers (rounded) as the wire would fall into the narrow end of the crevice, so with some creative use of the CF mast, I was able to essentially fish it into place. Later removal was the reverse process for the same reason.

All set up and ready to go with my 20-30-40m EFHW trapped antenna

I checked the solar conditions and it showed low K and moderate A indicies, and then I verified with a spin of the VFO to see what I could hear. I set my power at 5W and began the activation on 20m. Being located in Ontario, I hear a different set of regular callers than I may otherwise when at home in Alberta. Still a fair number of callsigns are immediately recognizable and they put a smile on my face.

I had planned this to be a CW only activation to exercise my brain. I worked my way from 20m to 40m then to 30m. I was surprised with the short distances on 30m working a couple of stations in Ontario that were less than 75 miles away.

After catching 30 in the log my time was up and the rain had started -along with nearby thunder- so I hastily disconnected the coax and took down my antenna and got on with my day.

List of gear used for these activations:

Note: All Amazon links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

Summary

It was wonderful to spend time among such elegant buildings that have stood there for 167 years. The park is a peaceful place in an otherwise industrial end of an industrial city and is a delight to visit. I hope to do so again soon.

72 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.

Field Reports, Guest Posts, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, Videos

Christian takes his new “Red Corners” uSDR+ on a POTA shake-out activation

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Many thanks to Christian (IX1CKN) who shares the following field report:

How the Red Corners uSDR+ Performed on Its First Field Test

by Christian (IX1CKN)

24 QSOs in 104 minutes at 5 watts—how would you rate that? The answer isn’t exactly scientific, as it depends on personal opinions, habits, and the unique propagation conditions during the activation. But in my eyes, as the first test of the “Red Corners” (a.k.a. USDR+), it’s definitely a positive result.

I wanted the “first time” with my new QRP radio (which has been catching the attention of more and more operators) to be out in the field, so on Thursday, the 29th August 2024, I headed to the Tsatelet Reserve (IT-0120) to contribute to the Parks on the Air (POTA) program.

I have to admit, I had doubts about reaching the 10 contacts needed for validation. I arrived at the site at 15:16 UTC and set up a 1/4-wave vertical antenna on the ground. I decided not to use an external mic, just the built-in one. The setup was then in “walkie-talkie” mode, fitting in one hand, leaving the other free for logging or filming. Conceptually and practically, it was real freedom.

The first few calls brought in four quick responses, one per minute.

Encouraging start, but then it felt like the band “died.” So, I adjusted, searching for stations that were calling in return. I found several, including Roberto (IG9ITO) from Lampedusa Island —always a pleasure to QSO with him—and I also logged Carmelo (IT9ESF) from Messina.

Between calling and moving around to catch other activators spotted on the cluster (thanks to the dual VFO, although you need to navigate through the menu to switch), I managed to increase the contact count to 24 by the end.

Notably, I logged 9 “park-to-park” QSOs, including the longest distance of the day—1820 km to TA1EYE. That’s a rare feat for a single activation. Some colleagues were operating from 2-fer areas, but I prefer to count unique calls, which is still interesting data.

It’s interesting because it shows that the “Red Corners” has the power to reach operators who, as activators, don’t necessarily have fancy antennas or are dealing with challenging terrain and horizon. It happened 9 times today, so it’s not a coincidence. I’d also like to point out that I didn’t use an external tuner. I noticed that adjusting the vertical whip length allowed for an SWR of 1.2 across the band, which I found acceptable. Plus, it feels like a solid device in hand and looks good sitting on a rock.

What else can I add that the video below doesn’t show? The “Red Corners” uSDR, like the Quansheng UV-K5 (another recent “must-have”), has some objective limitations. I won’t rehash them here—there are plenty of posts covering that. This makes it impossible to consider this Chinese QRP rig as a replacement for our shack radios. However, considering its limitations and focusing on portable use, its value for money becomes a strong point and offers an interesting angle.

The first test went well, but there will be more (I’ll also get the monoband whip, and it will be fun to try pure “walkie-talkie” operations).

73 and thanks, everyone!

Video

Click here to watch on YouTube.

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

Jeff activates two POTA ATNOs in one day trip!

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Many thanks to Jeff (VE7EFF) who shares the following guest post:

Hiking and Activating the Backcountry  – Two Activations on one Day Trip

by Jeff (VE7EFF)

Today’s field report, and three more to come, outlines the outdoor hiking/activation adventures of Jeff – VE7EFF and his wife, Alexis – VE7LXE in the backcountry of south-central British Columbia, Canada.

On today’s hiked-in POTA activation, I will be accomplishing three firsts. This is my first backpacked-in activation this summer.  As well, I will be the first person to activate White Lake Grasslands Protected Area, CA-4289, and I will also be the first person to activate Mahoney Lake Ecological Reserve, CA-3766.

Mahoney Lake is essentially located inside the perimeter of White Lake Grasslands and is on-route to my targeted activation area on a small mini-summit, about 45 minutes hike from the trail head.  Once I successfully activate White Lake, we will try to activate Mahoney Lake on our trek back to the car.

The drive here is 1.5 hours south of Kelowna, BC where we live.  It’s also about 15 minutes drive south of Okanagan Falls, BC.  We park just off Green Lake Rd, across the road from the trail head.

This is the trailhead where today’s adventure begins, heading deep into the woods.

Realistically, I could have activated White Lake Grasslands Protected Area just past the fence boundary, right from the start.  But, for me, that just isn’t very exciting or interesting.  As well, being near a valley bottom and surrounded by mountains doesn’t make for the best radio propagation.  My goal is to usually get as much altitude and line of sight to the horizon as practicable.  This way I feel I’m more assured of a successful activation.  At age 73, this isn’t as easy as it was for me and my wife Alexis, 30 years ago.  Back then, I was a regular mountain goat frequently hiking the Canadian Rockies of Alberta, Canada.

Off we go.  A short distance in we stop for a quick photo-op.

The beginning of the trek starts out fairly docile. We hiked on an established trail that passes by Mahoney Lake.  I hope to stop in Mahoney Lake Ecological Reserve on our trek back.  Continuing on, the trail mostly follows the valley bottom and circumvents nearby mountain slopes.

After following the trail for about 30 minutes, I decided it’s time to blaze our own route up a mountain side.  Out here, elevation is the path to POTA heaven. And from what I can see from here, it looks like there may be a plateau, meadow, or mini-summit that I can operate from up there (fingers crossed).

The trek up turns out to be a fair bit of work.  Not only is it steep but is also a scree slope which makes it even more challenging to make our way up.  I don’t think Alexis is too happy with me right about now.

After a short rest, we press on.

`We have made good progress up the mountain side.  Gaining some good elevation.  I can see the horizon which means good low angle propagation.

After another rest stop and knowing that we are nearing the top, Alexis has gained her 2nd wind and is feeling much better about the situation (me too for that matter).

Finally, we have reached a plateau, meadow, or mini-summit (whatever it’s called).  We have arrived (somewhere) !

I’m quite happy with the views and a good propagation path to the SE direction, which is right behind me in this photo.  SE propagation tends to give me my preferred coverage towards the USA southeast coast.

Hiking just a short distance further up, I find my optimal activation spot amongst a few Ponderosa Pine trees.

Oh yes, the lake you see down below is Mahoney Lake Ecological Reserve, which I hope to activate on the trek back, if there is enough time (and if I have the energy left).

As far as the trek to this location is concerned, my Backroads Maps app indicates that we traveled only about 1.2 Km distance in,  with an elevation gain of only 82m (270ft).  Most of that elevation gain was due to the steep scree-laden slope up this mountain side.  Either way, the views are great up here (and hopefully the propagation, too).

My antenna plan is to use the pine tree in the center as my antenna mast center support.  I will be deploying a 20m dipole, so the pine trees to the left and right will support the dipole guy line ends.  Stringing the dipole between these trees should give me my preferred optimal SE propagation that I’m looking for.

Ok, now that I have an antenna deployment plan, it’s time to unload my shack-in-the-pack.

I’ll be using my Elecraft KX2 and running at about 8 Watts into a N9SAB center-fed dipole.  I’ll be keying with the Elecraft KXPD2 paddle.

I’ve used this 20m center-fed dipole many times in the past with good results.  It’s made and sold by N9SAB on eBay [QRPer.com partner link].  I also use his choke balun at the feed point of the dipole. For my transmission line (when backpacked-in activating), I’m using EnviroFlex 316 (blue in color), a high quality RG-316 equivalent purchased through DigiKey.

And of course, I use the Weaver 8 Oz throw bag to get my antenna support line as high as I can into the treetops (I hope).

This is only my 2nd year of POTA activating.  I was partly inspired by watching Thomas’ K4SWL POTA videos.  I picked up some good tips from watching his videos.  Things like using the Weaver Throw Bag and winding the antenna and coax using the figure-eight method.  All good tips, plus many more.

A couple attempts gets the arbor line close to where I need it.  The challenge here is to keep the dipole sections from getting tangled in those lower sprawling Pine tree branches. Continue reading Jeff activates two POTA ATNOs in one day trip! →

Accessories, Field Reports, Morse Code, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Videos

Morning on the Trail and On the Air: A Relaxing K2 QRP POTA Activation from the Campsite

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I woke up around 6:45 on Saturday, August 24, 2024. That’s late for me, but I tend to sleep well when camping and it must have helped that the previous evening POTA activation by the campfire was pure bliss.

There were some noises in the campground that woke me up during the night (probably other campers scaring off raccoons), but aside from that, I slept peacefully in my rooftop tent.

As I lay there Saturday morning, I couldn’t decide whether to make breakfast and hit the air for an early morning POTA activation, or to take a nice hike before everyone else in the campground woke up.

I chose the latter option!

At 7:00 AM, I headed to the nearby trailhead for the Lake Shore trail. It was a very pleasant and quiet hike—roughly 5 miles in total.

Afterwards, I made some blueberry oatmeal and a cup of French-pressed coffee. It really hit the spot!

Next, I grabbed my Elecraft K2 and connected it to the MM0OPX 40M EFHW that I had set up the previous evening.

I realized it had been a while since I’d taken the K2 out into the field, which was why I packed it for this trip. I use the K2 quite often in the shack, but it needed some outdoor time. All radios (and their operators!) need outdoor therapy!

New Tufteln TP-III Protective Cover

My friend Joshua (N5FY) at Tufteln sent me this protective cover, at no cost to me, for the BamaKey TP-III.  Joshua has almost become a specialist in making bespoke protective covers for radios and accessories.

This cover is great. You insert four rare earth magnets (included) into four holes in the bottom of the cover. These work with the rare earth magnets on the TP-III to mag-lock the cover in place.

If you buy one of these for your TP-III, I would advice that you check the polarity of the magnets on the TP-III before inserting the magnets in the cover’s holes. I didn’t do this and found that I’d aligned a couple of the magnets in opposition, thus they repelled the magnets in the case. I had to dig the magnets out and reverse them–not a complicated procedure, but one I could have avoided had I simply thought about this in advance!

Anyway, I do like this cover! Thanks, Joshua!

Gear

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On The Air

I hopped on the air and started calling CQ POTA on the 40-meter band. I figured that at this time of morning, 40 meters should be in decent shape.

I was right! Continue reading Morning on the Trail and On the Air: A Relaxing K2 QRP POTA Activation from the Campsite →

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

Summer evening activation with a buddy

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As always there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!

by Vince (VE6LK)

In August and September 2024, I was travelling around Southern Ontario for some family matters and naturally I brought my radio kit with me to squeeze in some radio therapy stops along the way. This is the report of my stop at Canal Park Conservation Area CA-5567 in Dundas.

The chimney from the former greenhouse remains standing today

Canal Park is located at a former greenhouse site that is growing back to a natural state, and is long the bank of the former Desjardins Canal that was built in the early 1800s.

The story of the Desjardins Canal

Many of the timbers that were needed for the canal can still be seen standing today despite being immersed in water for nearly 200 years.

The canal’s historic timbers as seen inside the park

It is a popular spot for birdwatching; some of the visitors told me that they routinely see Herons gracing the area. It is also only a few minutes from downtown Dundas and nearby McMaster University. I arrived at 1700h local time and so I had about 3 hours of sunlight to work with which would be plenty of time for a chat and activation.

The site has a large deck and pergola overlooking the canal along with a few park benches, so I got to work setting up my 20-30-40m trapped EFHW that I built a few months ago. It’s short at only 35′, small and works very well. Look on Alan W2AEW’s YouTube channel for build videos.

I used the toroid on the end of my RG-174 feedline as a crude throwing weight and chucked it up and over the steel structure and it dangled down low enough to grab it. I then attached it to my Spark Plug Gear transformer and antenna and used the feedline to raise it back in place. Yes, I leave the wire winder in place for convenience.

Feedpoint of antenna about 15′ above the ground

At the far end, I set up my Goture CF mast and ground stake. The antenna landed up being about 15′ in the air. I wasn’t expecting stellar performance on 20m with it but was hopeful. I was very wrong to think that, with the first station I heard from Macedonia.

CF mast staked into the ground for end support

But not only was I here to POTA, I was here to meet, in person, Wayde Nie VA3NCA/AD2GX. He and I have been delivering remote examinations on the Ham Radio Crash Course team for some time now. Our paths have crossed many times in the virtual world, and finally now would cross in the real world. Needless to say I was looking quite forward to this activation and the location and beauty in this small park were only part of the whole story.

VE6LK and VA3NCA enjoying some late-day sun and QRP SSB

After Wayde showed me his wonderful portable kit, and with mine already deployed, we got to work at 10W on SSB. It wasn’t a fast and furious pace but it was steady enough as a 2 operator activation that we were kept busy. The real surprise were the stations that called us back from Spain!

10W on SSB carries pretty far some days. One contact to Spain was 5W CW.

I rounded off the activation with a quick CW contact to Spain. Wayde is early in his CW journey and would depart for home to his LICW class later that evening but followed the contact along pretty well!

List of gear used for these activations:

Note: All Amazon links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

Summary

I grew up in Hamilton and Dundas was one of my favourite place to visit. I did this activation in early September on a wonderful late summer day and the evening was warm and calm. While I live in Western Canada where there isn’t much in the way of humidity, I found the weather to be quite pleasant (until the mosquitoes dropped by) and the company was excellent too!

72 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.

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

Cross-border activation between friends

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As always there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!

by Vince (VE6LK)

In August and September 2024 I was travelling around Southern Ontario for some family matters and naturally I brought my radio kit with me to squeeze in some radio therapy stops along the way. This is the report of my stop at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane National Historic Site CA-6216.

As like many sites around the Niagara Peninsula, it is rich in history from the war of 1812 between Canada and the United States of America. It would therefore be only fitting that I would meet up with my friend Mike Kennerknecht N2MAK for a joint activation. The plans were made, and at the last minute he surprised me with a request.. but I’ll tell you about it later on.

This site is at the top of a hill in Niagara Falls along Lundy’s Lane, one of the main roads in the city. It’s easy to see why it was strategically important for both sides to capture the hill, and indeed both sides claimed success in the battle depending on where you read up about it.

The words on this monument summarize the relationship between our two countries perfectly.

It was great to meet Mike in person as we’d only worked together virtually on teleconferencing platforms. The park was about halfway between us, not counting the stops he’d make at the border each way. It was 5 years since he’d last been in Canada and he was excited for the Duty Free stop he’d make on the way home. And he travels prepared for sites and brought along a couple of chairs and a small side table for our use, which beats a park bench any day of the week.

I was able to get my Goture carbon fibre mast up with my 20-30-40m trapped EFHW (see links below) just before he arrived along with my KX3,. He deployed his Gigaparts POTA Explorer 20 CF mast with a 20m EFHW to his IC-705; later he switched to 17m.

We both started off on SSB with me on 40m. Despite the very close proximity of our antennas, interference between us was very minimal.

Goture (left) and POTA Explorer 20 on the right. A similar amount of flex is seen despite the big differences in their construction.

At around 1100h local time we began calling at 10W on SSB. Mike was able to get to his 10 fairly easily but on 40m I was limited by the NVIS configuration with my average height at 3m for the 40m band, so once he was done on 20m, he switched to 17m and I moved to 20 to complete my activation.

And then he said the words that were magic to my ears: “Let’s do CW”. To be fair he gave me some heads-up that he wanted to do this when he asked if I had 2 CW keys with me. And he wanted his first CW contact to be made in Canada. Thus with a bit of pre-planning, and a pair of dummy loads, we set out to make the contact, Park-to-Park no less.

What I hadn’t realized is that he had never done CW before today, but with bravado and a Quirky QRP Reference Mat at his disposal, we got into it. I explained what each side of the paddle key does (dit vs. dah), however we both didn’t know how to adjust the speed on his IC-705 from it’s default of, I think, 15WPM. No matter, after a few minutes of rehearsing his callsign along with a handwritten chart I’d built him, he was ready.

With our respective radios in close physical proximity, signals were quite strong. I showed him the typical exchange for a POTA and then it was showtime. We did the exchange, and for good measure we did it on the 6m band. That CW contact was the first one done at the park as well.

Mike’s the tall guy on the left

We retired to a well-deserved lunch and went about our respective ways after the required team photo and a bear hug. I’m so delighted I got to connect with him on this trip, and especially for a cross-border activation.

Mike’s Video

List of gear used for these activations:

Note: All Amazon links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

Postscript

This was the first activation with my new Bass Pro Shops Extreme tackle bag and I am very impressed. It is the correct size for me and everything works as it should. As a matter of fact, It inspired me to create a new channel on the Ham Radio Workbench’s Discord called #bag-talk if only to prove that bags need not be expensive in order to be functional.

72 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.

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

Climbing Grandeur Peak: Micah’s SOTA Adventure in Utah’s Wasatch Range

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Many thanks to Micah (N4MJL) who shares the following guest post:

Activating Grandeur Peak (W7U/NU-065)

by Micah (N4MJL)

Emboldened by my successful activation of W7U/SL-022 (7,500ft MSL) a week earlier, I decided to up my SOTA game and try to activate Grandeur Peak (W7U/NU-065).

Grandeur Peak is located in the Wasatch Range (POTA Entity US-4398) just to the east of Salt Lake City. It is approximately three ridges south of my last weeks SOTA activation. Which you can read about here.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, that should be true for climbing a mountain right?……

After conducting an area study, I decided to take the “West Ridge Route” it is a short 2.2 mile trail to the top of Grandeur Peak. Some of the comments on the hiker forums described this route as “undoubtedly one of the steepest hikes on the Wasatch Front.” Another commenter said, “this short but brutally-steep hike gains over 3,300ft elevation in a mere 2.2 miles to reach the summit. Adding up to just a 4.4-mile round trip, this is a quick jaunt for the most accomplished climbers.”

Reading in between the lines I deduced that this was a short 2.2 mile jaunt to the top, with a bit of elevation gain. After all, we know how these drama queens…I mean hikers…sometimes embellish hiking stories. Either way, this looked like a good way to stretch my legs after flying almost 8 hours the day before. There was a significantly longer trail with lots of switchbacks and more gentle elevation gain, that I could take, but I’m a millennial and delayed gratification is apparently not a strong suit for me. Looking at the SOTA page for this summit, it had only one QSO logged this year, even though this summit had been activated 14 times since April 2011.

On the morning of 25 August 2024 I got up at 0700 and packed up my REI Flash 22 day pack. I was taking with me a full 2 liter hydration pack along with 2 more 1 liter water bottles (4L water total), along with assorted snacks and electrolyte additives. Based on my last SOTA activation in the area, I decided I should bring some emergency gear just in case. I brought my trusty Surefire EdCL2-t flashlight [QRPer affiliate link], a few raps of duck-tape around a stick of chapstick, a box of matches, and a few feet of toilet paper. After all some things just happen, like the effects of coffee on an empty stomach. Don’t leave without toilet paper.

Since the temperature in Salt Lake City was projected to be around 85F, I decided to bring a flannel shirt and wool cap for the summit. There is virtually no humidity in UT and the temperature at 8,300ft could easily be 15 degrees cooler with possible wind chill. I’m bad enough sending CW without being chilled.

My radio gear consisted of the following:

During my 15 minute Uber ride from the hotel to grandeur Peak West face parking lot my driver was incredulous that anyone of sound mind would ever voluntarily climb such a mountain. He was convinced that I was going to be eaten by mountain lions.

After my first 5 minutes on the trail I started to question whether or not I actually was of sound mind.

After 15 minutes on the trail I began to think that there may have been some truth to what was written on the hiker forums about this trail.

After 30 minute on the trail I was definitely working through the five stages of grief!

1) Denial: how was I sooo stupid to be hiking straight up a mountain
2)Anger: I’m an idiot for NOT listening to those hiker forums
3)Bargaining: if I can just make it ten more feet further I’ll take another selfie
4)Depression: if I don’t get to the top, I won’t have a selfie at the summit and I’ll never get a dopamine rush from public accolades.

Seriously, the first 0.8 mile was brutal. The trail was completely straight up the ridge, and it was all loose gravel with little to no vegetation to stabilize the trail. If I started to slide down, I would be sliding aloooong way down. My plan if I tripped or started to slide was to go flat on my stomach like a star fish In hopes of stopping my down hill slide. I tried to get pictures to show how “brutal” this section of the climb really was. Unfortunately, pictures really don’t do justice.

It’s a 3,346 ft elevation gain in 2.2 miles; what more needs to be said? Looking ahead, I realized that if I could make it a bit further up, the mountain started to look more green indicating some shrubbery. I hoped this meant the trail would stabilize for me. Being young and bullet proof, I pushed on. Continue reading Climbing Grandeur Peak: Micah’s SOTA Adventure in Utah’s Wasatch Range →

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP

Scott Activates the HMCS Haida

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

August 4, 2024, HMCS Haida National Historic Site (CA-4870)

by Scott (VA3EKR)

I wanted to try out a new park, and so I visited the HMCS Haida National Historic Site (CA-4870).

Band conditions were simply awful, so thankfully Dave Burroughs, VA3CP, and his help getting out the word to the Hamilton repeater, I was able to make this a successful activation.

There were some nice trees, next to some nice picnic tables, and I asked if I could use them, assuring them that I would be exceptionally careful and cause no damage. The male teen suggested I not, so I set up with 20m antenna mounted to the car.

The next priority was to get a picture of my faithful mascot, QRP-Bear.

With antenna set up, I next found the least ergonomically attractive configuration possible. One that made me twist my torso for every time I had to send. If you can avoid this silliness, it’s probably for the better.

I then took a tour of the vessel.

This is on the from the deck of the ship.

Next, I really wanted to see the radio room. I was hoping they would have the transceiver running, as they sometimes do, and let me send some QSOs as the Haida callsign, but that really only happens occasionally.

This is the radio room. They keep a modern radio tucked behind some of the older equipment, and they have a 20m dipole on the deck.

These are from the control room.

Looking up the bow.

A view of the lake.

Some historical context.

Some weaponry shots.

So, while the propagation was not so great, the tour made up for it, and I had a good time!

Click here to check out Scott’s amateur radio blog!

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

The POTA Babe Goes Back in Time

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by Teri (KO4WFP)

After a fun POTA for K2D the previous week, it was time to resume the pursuit of my 2024 goal – 60 new valid POTA activations. Friday, August 30th, I headed to Fort McAllister State Park (US-2175). Though I have lived in Savannah most of my life, I’ve never visited this park in nearby Richmond Hill.

The park is located at Genesis Point, a bluff on the Ogeechee River. An earthen fort was build on the bluff to protect the plantations along the Ogeechee River and the Savannah, Albany, and Gulf railroad bridge. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, it is the best preserved earthwork fortifications of the Confederacy. The fort repelled seven Union naval attacks between 1862 and 1863 but was finally captured by General Sherman from the landward side during his March to the Sea campaign.

After being captured, the fort became a prison for Confederate soldiers captured on the upper Georgia coast. It fell into disrepair until purchased by Henry Ford (yes, that Henry Ford) in the 1930s and restoration began on the site. Later the fortifications were restored to their 1863 appearance.

A model of the fort as to how it looked in 1863

I arrived at the park around 8:30 AM without Daisy. Though she loves going with me, the heat and humidity were simply too high for her comfort and I wanted to tour the museum at the site. (Often dogs are not allowed inside buildings at parks.)

park map – source: GA DNR

If you visit the park, please take the time to walk through the museum. It is well done, looking at the history of the site all the way back to the Guale Indians who originally occupied this land. There is also a room devoted to ironclads. (After entering the park, there is an outside exhibit for the machinery that was in the CSS Nashville, a ship who was sunk on the Ogeechee River by the Union ironclad Montauk.)

ironclad room at the museum

After walking through the museum, you head outside to the greenway leading to the fort. There is a signal tower like one that would have been constructed after the capture of Fort McAllister, non-commissioned officer huts, and a reproduction of a barracks building that previously occupied the site.

signal tower reproduction
NCO huts
inside of a NCO hut

Then you come to the fort. Who doesn’t love a fort? Though this one is simple, you could get turned around in it fairly easily. The inside is accessed via a bridge crossing a moat with palisades in it. I found the central bombproof shelter interesting though I certainly wouldn’t want to shelter in it. Just outside it, I discovered a deer eating breakfast.

view of the fort
palisades in the moat – ouch!
inside the fort
entrance to central bombproof

I couldn’t have asked for a better day for viewing the Ogeechee River. Wow! A bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds reflecting in the river below and hardly a ripple on the surface. Views like this is one of the reasons I love living in coastal Georgia.

the Ogeechee River – What is not to love about a view like this?!

I would have enjoyed setting up on top of the fortifications like I did at Fort Anne in Nova Scotia. However, there wasn’t as much room here and setting up the EFRW here might not be appreciated.

path on top of fortification looking down to live oak trees by marsh

I looked below and saw several oak trees near the riverbank. Though there was a gravel path, it was wider than the path on top of the fort. Anyone walking by would have plenty of room to avoid my antenna. Plus the trees would shade me from the summer sun.

my potential QTH from a ground view

After several tries, I snagged a live oak branch and had the Tufteln EFRW installed. I set up my Helinox chair, settled my equipment on my Tufteln kneeboard, and got to business.

view from my Helinox chair
a squareback marsh crab visiting

I started with 40 meters, giving ops close to home a crack at me; but the only op who contacted me was Lou N8LEM, a nice op in Ohio from one of my CW Innovations classes. I switched to 20 meters and that band proved to be the heavy lifter of the day – 31 CW QSOs over the course of an hour and a half, including two park-to-parks: Carson W8VAB at US-1828 in West Virginia and the Tortolita Radio Club KT7RC at US-4571 in Arizona.

QSO Map Fort McAllister State Park 8-24-2024 source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/

By noon, it was time to call QRT. The sun was gradually encroaching on my shady locale and I had sweated enough for one day.

my setup

I had no idea this park was such a gem! The fort is accessed only by paying a fee or purchasing a Georgia State Park historic site annual pass. (There are picnic grounds accessible with a state park pass or $5 fee outside the museum and fort area.)  As I intend to revisit the site as well as other historic sites over the course of this next year, I went ahead and purchased a pass.

picnic grounds outside museum

For those interested, you may access my YouTube video for this activation via the following link: https://youtu.be/IhXsd87fy6k

My valid activation here gave me #38 of the 60 parks I need for my 2024 goal. I have four months to get the remaining activations I need. Where will I show up next? Stay tuned…

Equipment Used

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

Testing My C6 Rooftop Tent During an Overnight POTA Camping Trip!

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Friday, August 23, 2024, was packed with activities, but I was looking forward to the evening to wind down and relax.

That morning and afternoon, my wife and I ran numerous errands around town. I played chauffeur to my daughters, taking them to their volunteer jobs and Shakespeare classes.

The day wrapped up around 5:00 PM when I returned to the QTH, dropped off one set of car keys, and grabbed the other!

I had pre-packed the Subaru for a trip to the Lake Norman State Park campground!

Overnight camping trip

I may have mentioned in previous posts—and I know I certainly have on the Ham Radio Workbench podcast—that I purchased a rooftop tent system last year for my Subaru.

I had hoped that my maiden voyage in it would be the 2023 W4G SOTA campout in North Georgia, but the actual tent platform didn’t ship until a couple of months after the campout.

2024 has been a crazy year—and the summer, especially, has been hot and humid—so I haven’t gone camping even once so far. This is very much not the norm, but there you go.

This summer, I’d been waiting for a little relief from the heat to at least fit in an overnight trip and give the rooftop tent a good shake-out before the fall and winter camping trips I have planned. In mid-August, that relief arrived as a front moved into the area, bringing cooler temperatures and lower humidity.

I planned to spend Saturday with my father in Hickory, NC, so I decided that a trip to Lake Norman State Park Campground for Friday night was in order! I made a reservation a couple of days prior to secure a nice, level site.

Lake Norman State Park (US-2740)

I arrived on site and checked in around 18:45 local time (22:45 UTC).

Part of me considered making POTA a priority to fit in an activation during the August 23 UTC day, but the primary goal of this camping trip was to see how long it would take to deploy my C6 tent.

I didn’t want to do this in the dark and, frankly, I was looking forward to making an evening meal before hitting the airwaves.

The C6 Rev Tent

Since elementary school, I’ve always loved camping and over the years have owned a variety of tents—most of which were on the affordable end of the scale.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve moved away from sleeping on the ground. In the past few years, I’ve used either a full-size cot in our family tent or a backpackable cot for my two-person tent. I find I sleep much better when off the ground.

I always thought a rooftop tent would make impromptu camping trips much easier, but such tents are often insanely expensive. Plus, some weigh over 100 or 200 lbs, which is why some of my friends who have them never remove them from their vehicles—it’s just too much of a hassle.

I discovered the Rev Tent by C6 Outdoors a couple years ago. Although still pricey (by my standards), it was at least half the price of other quality rooftop tent options.

Last year, my wife and daughters encouraged me to order one as a birthday gift from them. I bought the tent portion of the setup during a sale and got it for about 20% off. The platform (that attaches to my Subaru’s roof bars) wasn’t in stock because C6 was redesigning it and it wasn’t available yet.

In November, they started shipping the new platforms and offered those of us who had already purchased the tent an excellent discount for being patient.

While the Rev tent requires more time to set up compared to clamshell rooftop tents, it offers a level of flexibility they don’t. The tent portion of the system weighs only 20 lbs and is designed to be completely self-supporting. You can use it on the roof rack, put it in the bed of a truck, or set it up on the ground like a normal tent.

The Rev tent has thick but lightweight foam padding in the floor, acting as a permanent mattress. It’s super comfortable—no need for additional padding.

Deploying the Rev tent at Lake Norman involved detaching it and removing it from the roof rack, unzipping and setting up the tent on the ground, opening the tent platform, then placing the tent back on top and attaching it at the four corners.

I timed myself, and the whole process on my first attempt took 15 minutes from start to finish. The part that takes the most time is simply attaching and detaching the tent via the four bolts. I’m confident I can cut this time nearly in half with a bit of practice.

I plan to do a full review of the Rev tent in a future video, as there aren’t many reviews out there. This tent isn’t for everyone, but I like it. I’ll want a few more camping trips under my belt before considering making a review, though!

Fireside POTA

After dinner, I started a fire and set up my MM0OPX 40-meter end-fed half-wave.

I then grabbed my KX2 and, using my Tufteln/N0RNM kneeboard, sat comfortably as I prepared to hit the air.

Gear

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On The Air

I’ll admit, it was incredibly comfortable sitting back and playing POTA by the campfire.

I engaged the KX2’s internal ATU, then used it to find a match on 80 meters. I believe it achieved a 1:1 SWR.

I started calling CQ, and the contacts began rolling in at a relaxed pace. Continue reading Testing My C6 Rooftop Tent During an Overnight POTA Camping Trip! →