Two weeks ago, my family and I enjoyed a short vacation in lovely Beaufort, NC.
Although POTA wasn’t the focus of this trip—family time was—I managed to squeeze in two wonderful portable activations.
The first was a pedestrian mobile activation on Cape Lookout National Seashore. It was simply magical. I’ve always wanted to try a pedestrian mobile activation with my antenna counterpoise dangling in saltwater, so this was a first for me.
The second activation took place the following day, on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
A Flexible Plan
That morning, I had an activation site in mind but didn’t want to set anything in stone. I wanted my wife and daughters to enjoy their day doing whatever they wanted.
Of course, as we walked out the door, I brought along my EDC backpack, which contained my Elecraft KH1 and KX2 compact field kits—just in case!
The NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Our first stop was the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. While we’ve visited the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher numerous times, this was our first trip to Pine Knoll Shores, and we were glad we went!
The aquarium was beautiful, with an impressive amount of diversity.
Best of all, since it was off-season, we practically had the place to ourselves, save for one school group.
Interestingly, the aquarium is located within a POTA site: Theodore Roosevelt State Conservation Area (US-3868). The conservation area can be accessed via a footpath that winds through the surrounding woodlands and marshes.
While I briefly considered activating there, I knew we only had time for one activation that day, and I had another site in mind!
Fort Macon State Park (US-2730)
We devised a plan: I dropped off my wife and one of my daughters at a large thrift store (my wife loves thrift shopping), while my other daughter, Neva, Hazel (our dog), and I drove eight minutes to the first Fort Macon State Park beach access point.
Fort Macon State Park is a real gem on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. It’s got a little bit of everything—stunning beaches, a historic Civil War-era fort, and plenty of spots to enjoy the outdoors. The beaches are perfect for strolling, hunting for seashells, or just soaking in the ocean views, while the fort itself is packed with history and interesting exhibits. It’s also a great spot for birdwatching or fishing if that’s your thing.
I had scouted out the beach access parking lot earlier and discovered a picnic shelter that provided a much-needed wind break for the blustery day.
The goal? To be gone no longer than one hour. Factoring in the 16-18 minutes of driving (round trip), that left me about 40 minutes to deploy my station, complete the activation, pack up, and return.
Time challenge
Every time I devise a plan to complete an activation within a set amount of time, I get a bit of a thrill. It reminds me of Darren McGavin’s character, the father in A Christmas Story. When the car’s tire blows out, he doesn’t see it as an inconvenience; he sees it as a challenge and times himself replacing the tire.
Like “The Old Man” Parker, I get a kick out of timing myself during activations. I can almost hear Jean Shepherd narrating my efforts!
KX2 + AX1 to the Rescue
Since I used the KH1 the previous day at Cape Lookout, I decided to deploy my Elecraft KX2 at Fort Macon.
Again, I’d already scouted the picnic shelter during a brief visit our first evening in Beaufort. It was in a fenced area surrounded by protected dunes, with no natural antenna supports like trees or brush. Since I had packed light with just my EDC backpack, I didn’t have my carbon fiber mast or a self-supporting vertical like my MC-750.
In the past, I’ve been known to simply hang a random wire antenna over the roof trusses of a picnic shelter, and it has worked quite well in a pinch. While this was certainly an option, I also knew from experience that threading the antenna through the trusses can be a bit finicky and time-consuming.
There was no need to fiddle with a wire antenna when I had my uber-portable Elecraft AX1 antenna in the KX2 field kit case.
Setting up the KX2 and AX1 takes two minutes at a casual pace. If I’m in a hurry, I can get them paired and ready to operate in under a minute. With the gear ready, it was time to see if propagation would cooperate!
Gear
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Radio
Antenna
- Elecraft AX1with 3D-printed Bipod (clip and knob by K6ARK and bipod legs by KE8PTX)
Pack/Case
- Trakke Bannoch Backpack (Note: mine is a discontinued model with G-Hooks.)
- LowePro CS60 Hard Side Case
Camera/Audio Gear
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- DJI OSMO 4 action camera with Joby Telepod Sport Tripod
On The Air
Funny enough, as I started my activation, Neva took Hazel for a walk on the beach. However, Hazel had other plans—she put on her brakes and refused to venture far. She insisted on staying with me at the shelter, so Neva tied her leash nearby and went off on her own gusty beach walk. Continue reading Coastal QRP: Chasing High-Bands with the Elecraft KX2 and AX1 at Fort Macon State Park