Fall weather has finally returned to Savannah, Georgia so it is time to get out for more Parks on the Air. Monday, November 18, I headed to a park I had yet to activate – the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (US-0522).
This park and I have history together prior to my involvement in ham radio. In my 20’s, I volunteered for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and spent time at this refuge in various capacities. I was also employed by a gentleman who owned Fife Plantation, property adjoining this refuge. I was his “eyes and ears” at meetings held to discuss deepening the Savannah harbor and study/assess the environmental impacts of that effort. Those meetings taught me much about the refuge and its relationship with industry across the Savannah River. To return to this park as a ham added yet another chapter for the refuge and me.
refuge map. Source: US Fish & Wildlife Servicethe impoundments & the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive (noted in purple). I set up on the oak hammock with the Cistern Trail/Photo Blind
As much of the refuge is wetland accessible only by boat, the easiest way to experience this park is to drive the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, accessible from SC Highway 170. This drive is a loop through the southern impoundments that are managed for resident as well as migratory bird populations.
egrets feeding
After you turn onto the wildlife drive, there is an information kiosk to the left with maps and an informative display regarding the history of the site.
wildlife drive entranceinformation kiosk with mapsLaurel Hill Wildlife Drive
The land on which the refuge sits was originally occupied by the Yamacraw Indians. Later it was used for rice cultivation, being built and maintained by enslaved African Americans as well as immigrant Irish laborers. The rice culture in the area collapsed after the end of slavery and increasing competition. The 2,352 acre refuge was established by President Calvin Coolidge in 1927. Today, the land is managed to provide habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife and is the largest federally protected tract of land on the Georgia coast.
Tomochichi, chief of the Yamacraw Indians. source: New Georgia Encyclopediarice trunk used to control flow of water in and out of impoundments
This particular morning, the air was crisp (in the lower 50’s) and I had the park (for the time-being) to myself. As I prefer to use a wire antenna and had brought with me the Tufteln EFRW, I needed to find a tree in which to install that antenna. As you can see from the photos, there are not many trees to be found here. However, dotting the wildlife drive are what are known as oak hammocks.
spider web bejeweled with water droplets
Oak hammocks are little islands of high ground amongst the wetlands and they are populated by hardwoods such as oaks. There are quite a few along the western section of the wildlife drive. I decided to use the first sizable one I encountered. Utilizing this as my QTH allowed me to park and set up well off the drive. At most parks I visit for POTA, I rarely see anyone. That is not the case here since the park is located not far from downtown Savannah, a popular tourist destination, and it is easily accessible by car.
an oak hammock aheadparking at an oak hammock. The tree I used is the oak leaning to the right of my car.
Even though my Marlow arbor line typically doesn’t hang up in trees, I think oak trees present lots of opportunity for that to happen with their myriad twisty twigs and Spanish moss so I prefer to avoid them. But, if I want to put a wire up in this park, oak trees are about my only option. The particular tree I considered would allow me to run my antenna northwest and away from the drive. That location would also provide shade from the sun through most of the morning.
antenna and arbor line in oak
Once my antenna was installed and I was comfortably settled, I got down to business – the reason I was here: an activation!
Forty meters was not an option due to RFI. That was not surprising given the industry across the river and the presence of monitoring equipment, etc. in the refuge. So I began with 30 meters. Not long after I called CQ, Sean N3RTW answered and the fun began! Continue reading The POTA Babe Reconnects With Her Past→
Many thanks to Todd (W2TEF) and Becky for sharing the following guest post:
POTA on Ellis Island
by Todd Foster (W2TEF)
All the Parks
Originally licensed in the late 1990s, I re-tested and got my ticket again at the end of 2023. In 2024, I discovered POTA, inspired by QRPer and elmered by Tom N2XTO and John K2ZA. Suddenly, this fall, I found myself close, tantalizingly close, to working all the POTA parks in New Jersey in 2024. Just ten parks away!
But there was a barrier standing between me and Worked-All-Entities glory. It’s called Ellis Island.
Ellis Island National Historic Site (US-8061)
US-8061 Ellis Island is in New Jersey. According to the POTA site, it has only been activated six times and only once with CW. Dave, K2DPH activated it last year with 94(!) CW QSO’s. He was also the first-ever activator. I looked him up on QRZ to ask his advice. Dave wrote back with warm encouragement. He told of using a bench as the apex of his end-fed-half-wave antenna. A compromise but adequate.
Ellis Island is, well, an island. Though there is a causeway, the public can only access it via ferry. The same ferry goes to both islands (Ellis and the Statue of Liberty). To board the ferry, one has to pass through security. They compare it to airport security. They have rules.
I read the rules carefully. My experience of TSA and similar security is that it can be fairly arbitrary. People are doing their jobs and can get in big trouble for not following all the protocols. Sometimes, the protocols seem odd or don’t make sense to me. That does not relieve the officers of their job of following them. But it does mean that a lot can change depending on an officer’s mood or first impression. While explaining Ham Radio is fun with a curious bystander, it can be less so for an official who is going to be reluctant to let go of anything they don’t fully understand. Considering the reasons why they have been asked to do their job, I am thankful for their diligence!
What are the rules for Ellis Island? No tools, no weapons. No problem, the multi-tool and the lighter stay behind. No amplified sound, including radios. Hmmm…. I’ll leave my amplified speaker at home and bring earbuds for the radio. I’m bringing a radio, but not a boom-box kind of radio. It has no speaker at all. No rope or climbing tools are allowed, nor any kind of wire [that might be used to hang a sign or poster]. Yikes! I don’t mind ditching the arborist line: I had figured on not using trees anyhow. But no wire? Does 30’ of thin poly-stealth count? Again, I do not want to break the rules. I do not advocate breaking the rules. The question is: how does one interpret the rules? Who interprets the rules? The security officers interpret the rules. They are the gatekeepers who will decide if and with what equipment I can activate Ellis Island.
The Plan
It seemed important to go to Ellis Island when it wasn’t the tourist season when I wouldn’t be getting in the way of the crowds. I worked a long week last week: no day off. I decided to take a compensatory day off on Tuesday, 12 November.
The weather forecast was for blustery winds and 52 degrees – but sunny. Hopefully, it would be the low season (no Christmas crowds) and unpleasant enough to suppress the crowds even more. My generous spouse, Becky, was game for the hunt. So we laid our plans. I scheduled an activation on the POTA site with a big, wide time window. I didn’t know if I’d have cell service or not.
I cleaned out my POTA bag almost entirely. No spares, no extras, only the bare essentials. One is none, but two is too many. My QRP-Labs QMX looks like an old Walkman, especially with earbuds wrapped around it. I have a battery, the same size and color as the radio. Besides these, I bring a power cable (6”), antenna cable (16”), and EFHW on a DG1JAN Xota winder. I bring a log book with my FCC license taped in the front. The empty bag has plenty of room left to pack my lunch!
The full POTA kit.What’s in that bag?
My aim was not to sneak in contraband. I have no desire to bring prohibited items anywhere. But when someone’s supervisor is looking down their shoulder, I want to present as little cause for concern as possible. My goal is to not have to have the conversation. I left everything packed lightly so that it would show up clearly in the X-ray. I removed the X-ray-resistant bag (originally for film, now used for radio cables). I want everything in security to show up clearly and create no cause for questions.
Also, I remembered a lightweight, collapsing camera tripod I bought for a telescope once. I take an antenna analyzer and my EFHW into the yard to see what will happen. With the antenna draped over the tripod but otherwise on the ground, SWR is very high. But if I attach the far end of the antenna to my POTA bag (about 4” off the ground) and the other end to my operating clipboard (at whatever height I’m using it) and pull just tight enough to keep it all off the ground, the SWR falls to a very reasonable 1.5 to 1.7. This I can work with.
The Day
Tuesday’s weather turned out as promised. Traffic was a little heavy from South Jersey up I-295 and then the NJ Turnpike. But we made it to Liberty Park (NJ) around 9.30 am. We spent $50 for two ferry tickets, which we were inclined not to use if the security line turned us back. (Becky had researched what it would take to drive around to Battery Park and try again to enter from the New York side.) We took some photos of the New York skyline and proceeded to the mostly empty security building. One has to walk a long way to navigate Liberty Park: I am sure that helps space out the crowds in the summertime.
9.30 am: Liberty Park
In security, there was no line due to the light crowds. We scanned our tickets and were ushered up to the X-ray machine. Keys, phones, watches, and belts all go in the bins. Bags go in the bins. Coats and jackets go in the bins. Hats, sweaters, and shoes stay on.
Then, before I knew it, we were through! My anxiety about the security checkpoint evaporated – almost. We weren’t out yet.
We were putting back on belts and jackets and pocketing keys when a parks policeman walked over and started fingering the POTA badge on my re-purposed camera case. Right there beside my callsign badge. He looked at me and said, “Parks?” I gave a brief description of Parks on the Air. He told me about working at an airfield (that became a park?) where amateurs would sometimes come to operate. It was a pleasant exchange, and he thanked me for stopping to chat.
Outside, I was elated: this was going to happen! We got in line for the ferry. Behind a couple speaking a language, I didn’t know. Who were themselves behind another family speaking another language I didn’t know. I looked at Becky: this is one of the reasons I so love New York. Languages, cultures, people. This is where I meet the wider world.
10 am: On our way to Ellis Island!
Ellis Island National Historic Site
On Ellis Island, tourists are restricted to the visitor center and the grounds around it. Part of those grounds were fenced off for construction. All the rest of the island is inaccessible (except for parts you can see by purchasing the “Hard Hat Tour”). Becky and I looked for a quiet place to set up. I thought about Dave on the benches. I found numerous trees with temptingly low branches. We thought hard about setting up at a mass of empty picnic tables. There was no one out there at all. It was cold and windy. And who would come out to eat at those tables on a blustery day like that? Continue reading POTA on Ellis Island: Planning, plotting, and activating!→
Many thanks to Michael (BD4AAQ) who shares the following guest post which was also cross-published on the SWLing Post:
Tidbits of SEANET (South East Asia Amateur Radio Network)
by Michael (BD4AAQ)
On 3rd October 2024, the 48th SEANET Convention was finally convened in Negombo, Sri Lanka. The SEANET convention, a gathering of a group of amateur radio operators, was last held in Johor Bahru Malaysia, in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic. The Sri Lanka conference was attended by only 25 people. Nevertheless, it was hailed as a triumph, as it was the first ever meeting of amateur radio operators for SEANET following the end of the pandemic and upon extensive discussions on WhatsApp groups.
SEANET in Sri Lanka
Tharanga, 4S6TMP, and other organisers, did a great job hosting the convention. Despite its modest size, the convention featured all the typical elements: presentations, discussions, dinners, a bonfire, a special event station (4S7SEA), and more. Above all, the organisers surprised the attendees with the first day cover of the event arranged by the Sri Lanka Post Service. The first day cover, with postage stamps containing photos of SEANET participants, were ready in the same morning when the photos were taken! Lightning speed!
First Day Cover featuring SEANET 2024
The low attendance of the convention was partially attributed to the altered schedule. It was originally scheduled for 19 – 22 September but had to be changed at short notice to 3 – 6 October due to Sri Lanka’s presidential election on 23 September. The altered timetable prevented many of the Seanetters who had signed up from attending as scheduled.
Highest Attendance in History
SEANET has seen much higher attendance amid excellent solar conditions. The 18th SEANET convention, held in Kuching, Malaysia in 1990, was attended by as many as 320 people! The 38th Convention took place in 2010 in Shanghai, China, with over 100 attendees.
SEANET Convention in Shanghai
The Origin of SEANET
SEANET, the South East Asia Amateur Radio Network, was established in 1964 and is operated on 20 metres (14.320 MHz plus or minus QRM). The objective of the net is to promote international understanding and fellowship among hams and to relay emergency, medical, urgent or priority traffic. The on-the-air meeting, which has taken place at 1200 UTC daily without fail during periods of good solar conditions, has strengthened unity and co-operation among hams around the world, especially those within the region. The net also provides hams with a facility for testing their equipment and propagation conditions on the 20 metres band. Over time, members then agreed to have yearly gatherings for eyeball encounters and exchanges, which is how SEANET conventions came to be.
[Regarding the] value of the SEANET as an Emergency communications network…
There have been many a private Yacht in the Indian Ocean that had been helped via the SEANET and Amateur Radio. Once there was this small Tri-maran which had exhausted all its fuel, food and water and were drifting helpless. Radio Hams and SEANET alerted rescue services and succeeded in getting an Ocean liner to divert and drop off fuel, food and water.
There have been other impressive achievements to the credit of SEANET. There was the case of a young mother in Sri Lanka whose baby of a few days had a serious condition which could only be treated by a special drug not available locally. SEANET members looked in the likely places in Australia and Singapore but failed. They then contacted their friends in the U
.S.A. and succeeded in getting the drug flown out from California the baby was saved. There was also the case of the frantic father who could not be near at hand when his wife was delivery their first baby in a Singapore hospital, over a thousand miles away from his jungle location. He kept in touch via Ham radio and SEANET. The wife, in hospital, had friends from SEANET visit every day.
On another occasion, when disaster struck Darwin, Australia recently, wiping off all communications facilities, a member of the SEANET group living in Darwin set up his station and was one of the first to contact the National Authorities with news and requests. Another SEANET member in Sri Lanka was able to obtain details of the whereabouts and health etc. of his countrymen living in Darwin and so reassure their near and dear in Sri Lanka.
There was once also the team of Himalayan climbers who attacked Mt. Everest from a new direction and when success was first conveyed via Amateur Radio and SEANET.
My Involvement
In the early 2000s, I started to take note of SEANET. I occasionally heard other shortwave networks and net controls, but SEANET was one that was loud and clear and was almost always there at 14320 MHz at or shortly after 12:00 Zulu. Ah, the good old days! Net controls took turns and worked from countries including Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Australia. Among the net controls were Gary (VK8GW), Ben (VK6XC), Barry (VK6ADI), Kim (VK6UO), Roy (DU9/G4UNL) and Ray (HS0ZDZ).
In Shanghai, I would check in to the net soon after I got back from work. John (BD4AAV) would also join the net from time to time. In Taiwan, Tim (BV2A) was a frequenter of SEANET. He was very happy when he first learned that John and I were from mainland China. One day he recommended that we QRY to a different frequency and there we three chatted like old friends for a very long time. Next we exchanged QSL cards. Tim was the first person to be issued a ham radio license since the KMT government moved from the mainland to Taiwan. He passed away in 2006.
QSL card from Tim, with the enclosed note stating that due to propagation issues he was unable to work Shanghai stations via SEANET at 14320 MHz lately
Dr KN Singh
If we talk about SEANET, there is one person we must also talk about. Dr Singh, a Malaysian Indian. SEANET conventions have developed and now have survived the pandemic in large part thanks to his efforts. He has many roles: doctor, hospital owner, philanthropist, Sikh, and last but not least, ham radio operator (9M2KN). He himself has hosted a number of SEANET conventions in Malaysia and has dedicated to the development of SEANET and ham radio in general. Although SEANET is a loose organisation with no permanent secretariat and each host country decides for itself how to organise a convention, Dr Singh’s charisma, leadership and coordination capabilities have been essential and have greatly encouraged and inspired the organisers. We should meet regularly before we grow too old to move and we should bring in new, younger members to the big family, he said, the ham spirit and the camaraderie must be nurtured.
From left to right: Ramesh VU2LU, Dr Singh 9M2KN, Jaliya 4S7JL, Tharanga 4S6TMP and Aruna SWL at SEANET 2024
Hans from Germany
Hans (DF5UG) is a veteran Seanetter with very extensive ham radio experiences. He has been to many countries and operated under probably the most callsigns. He was an EC member of IARU. He enjoys setting up antennas and amateur stations on the spot wherever he goes.
Hans, third from left, at the 38th SEANET Convention in Shanghai, with Michael BD4AAQ, second from right, and other attendees
The Legendary Fred
Fred (K3ZO) was a legend. He was an enthusiastic amateur radio operator and actively participated in amateur radio contests. Fred was well-known and widely respected around the globe. He had worked many stations in China as well. Earlier in his career, he was a US Information Officer. In 1974, he was kidnapped by a guerrilla group in Córdoba, Argentina and critically shot. As he was an amateur radio operator and owned a large amount of radio equipment, he was suspected of being a CIA agent. Upon a behind-the-scenes offensive in Washington and with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger categorically denying spy speculations, he was released. He later stated in a message: “Amateur Radio is a wonderful hobby but it can be dangerous because people misinterpret what it is. I myself was kidnapped and shot in Argentina, but fortunately I have lived to tell about it.”
Fred also attended the 38th SEANET Convention in China. He became a Silent Key in 2023.
Fred, middle, in Shanghai
SEANET 2025 in India
Worth special mentioning are Turid and Mimis who are 82 and 91 years old now. The couple is originally from Yugoslavia (Serbia) (Turid was the Yugoslavian Ambassador to Germany in the 1970’s). They have now settled with their daughter in Australia. They attended many SEANET events and are great contributors to SEANET. Just a few days ago, they wrote to Dr. Singh asking when and where the next convention will be held.
Gladly, Ramesh (VU2LU) has taken the next slot for SEANET. We expect it to be a big event like what we have had in old times. The dedicated website for SEANET events is https://seanetasia.net. So, stay tuned for more information for the next SEANET Convention. 73!
In my last article, I activated Hanging Rock Battleground State Historic Site and then Glenn and I spent the evening at an Airbnb in Camden, South Carolina. Monday, October 14th was the last day of our trip. There was no way this POTA Babe was missing out on an activation on the trip home.
Sunday evening, after the Hanging Rock activation, I searched for a nearby park on the POTA website and settled on Wateree River Heritage Preserve Wildlife Management Area (WMA) (US-10414) as it looked interesting and was on the drive home. However, I didn’t pay attention to the fact a lottery deer hunt would be held on Monday and the park closed to anyone not involved in the hunt. I discovered this fact that morning upon arriving at the site. It was time for a Plan B ASAP.
entrance to Wateree Heritage Preserve WMA
Looking on the POTA website, both Congaree National Park (US-0017) and Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve WMA (US-3916) were nearby. I recall reading that some of the boardwalks/trails in the national park were impacted from Hurricane Helene. So I opted to visit Congaree Bluffs instead.
Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve is owned by the State of South Carolina. The property was purchased in 2001 with the express purpose of protecting the bluffs and flood plain on the south side of the Congaree River. The high bluffs in this area are not common because central South Carolina is mostly flat. The 201 acres of the park contain significant stands of American beech, oak-hickory, and bottomland hardwood forest. There were also stands of loblolly pines at the time of purchase that management planned to convert to longleaf pine stands over time.
The road into Congaree Bluffs is dirt but appears well maintained. There is a kiosk and signage just as you enter the park.
dirt access road – Turkey Track Lane (what a great name!)
We drove to the parking lot just down the road from the education center. I didn’t have much familiarity with this park since it was a last minute choice. A hasty glance at hiking sites showed the Bluff-River Walk that left from this parking lot down to the Congaree River. How difficult could that be?
entrance for Bluff-River Walk
Glenn and I walked around the trail gate and began our descent. The first thing we noticed was how many trees were down across the trail as well as vines and other foliage making passage difficult. As we continued our descent, we began to notice the mosquitos. I was wearing long sleeves and pants and had brought bug spray but these mosquitos were not easily deterred. By the time we reached the river, it was obvious we’d be nothing but blood donors there and an activation needed to happen elsewhere.
a tree downed across the trailon the hike to the riverneat lichens on one of the downed treesour quick view of the Congaree River
Arriving back at the car, I opted to activate in the parking lot. A stand of pines nearby provided shade (though I augmented that with my Mountain Laurel Designs tarp) and a fairly steady breeze kept the bugs at bay.
a pine stand near the car providing shadethe tarp lazily draped to provide extra shade
As both Glenn and I had CW Innovations classes to coach later that evening, I didn’t have much time for an activation. I opted for the Chelegance MC-750 and, once it was set up, hopped onto 20 meters figuring that band would give me the best chance at a successful activation in a short time-frame. It did! I had 23 QSOs with two park-to-park QSOs in 30 minutes. (Note: One park-to-park didn’t count after the fact as I entered it incorrectly in my log.)
The only fly in the ointment for my time on 20 meters was the QSB and noise which increased later in the activation. Usually I encounter noise on 40 meters, not 20, but the KX2 filters were a huge help in countering that issue. (I love that little rig!) As for the QSB, well, the best counter for that is plenty of time on the air to gain experience in dealing with it.
If you’d like to see footage of the park as well as get Glenn’s and my take as to whether or not we’d return to Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve, check out the video on my Youtube channel.
This activation places me at 44 activations toward my goal of 60 new, valid park activations for 2024. I’m not sure I’ll be able to complete this goal; however, I will see how far I can get. Where will I show up for park #45? Stay tuned…
Equipment Used
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Many thanks to Micah (N4MJL) who shares the following guest post:
Elecraft KH1 Anytime and Anywhere Adventures
by Micah (N4MJL)
Anywhere and anytime—that’s how I like to describe my Elecraft KH1. This radio goes everywhere I go. As an airline pilot, I bounce from coast to coast and everywhere in between almost daily. Since I’m constantly on the move, my radio gear has to be small and compact.
I’m a third-generation ham radio CW operator. Anyone who’s heard me on the air knows I’m still quite new to CW. I only started running CW activations with POTA/SOTA in the spring of 2024. Here’s the gear that’s been working well for me, along with a few photos from the locations I’ve had the pleasure of activating.
I’ve found that the Pelican M50 micro case is the perfect “shack in a box” for my KH1. This setup goes everywhere with me. Here’s what fits perfectly in the M50:
Packtenna 9:1 random wire
20 ft BNC coax
Panasonic ErgoFit earbuds
SP4 paddles from CW Morse
KH1 (fully loaded with internal battery and tuner)
30 ft throw line
Write-in-the-Rain notebook
High Visibility Orange Cap-O-Matic Fisher Space Pen (with lanyard)
Desiccant silica gel pack
In pedestrian mobile configuration, the KH1 is a solid system. I’ve done several activations this way. That said, after 45 minutes of holding the KH1 in this setup, I’m ready to wrap up! Having a portable shack that lets me deploy a random wire that tunes 40-15m and a more ergonomically designed key drastically improves my capabilities.
In many urban environments where I activate POTA, pedestrian mobile is essential. Unfortunately, the security in urban parks can be unpredictable, and the KH1 allows me to operate on the go and quickly move if needed.
Some of you may be wondering what I did to the inside of my M50 case. Well, in my defense, it’s my wife’s fault. She left me unsupervised with a glue gun and a bit of alcohol. When my KH1 arrived this spring, solar conditions were poor, so I had a few days to think and decided to turn the case into a makeshift Faraday box. I used Polyken aluminum tape, cardboard, and a glue gun to line it. Now, I know what you’re thinking: there’s no electrical bonding between the lid and lower box due to the rubber seal, so will this really work as a Faraday cage? Maybe, maybe not—but it sure looks cool! What do you think?
In addition to the M50 case, I carry a support pouch (Magpul DAKA, size small). This heavy-duty, water-resistant pouch contains:
31 ft counterpoise wire
AXE1 40m antenna extender
Bioenno battery 12V 3Ah (backup battery—“1 is none, and 2 is 1” if you know, you know!)
KH1 power cable
KH1 right-angle antenna mount
These items aren’t essential but are nice to have for longer activations.
When I’m done flying and ready to play radio, I pack all this gear into my Flash 22 day pack. This compact, minimalist pack takes up almost no room in my flight bag and even has a built-in whistle on the chest strap, which is perfect for California!
When conditions allow, I enjoy using the full five watts of power. My go-to antenna is the SOTAbeams Band Hopper III, which is a versatile half-wave linked dipole:
Rated 125 watts
Center-fed with 33 ft RG174 coax
Guying system included
Resonant on 20m, 30m, and 40m (no tuner needed, though the KH1 tuner will also tune up 17m and 15m)
Built-in balun
Weighs only 14 oz
The wire/guying winders are excellent, and I’ve used this system in all kinds of environments, from sandy beaches to mountain tops above the treeline. I replaced the aluminum tent pegs with plastic ones to keep TSA happier.
The SOTAbeams Tactical Mini Mast fits diagonally in my 22″ roller board. I wrap heavy rubber-coated wire around it to secure it to posts or shrubs when needed.
Along with this radio gear, I also manage to pack a change of clothes—usually enough for a five-day trip. I typically fly three trips a month, each lasting four to five days. My roller board carries me and my radio gear from plane to plane all week long.
On a short backpacking trip along the Appalachian Trail (June 3, 2024), I activated SOTA summit W4V/BR-007 Three Ridges and the Three Ridges Wilderness area (POTA US-9959). The mountain in the distance is The Priest (W4V/BR-002), which I activated earlier this year with my LNR Precision MTR4B.
The summit of Three Ridges is a densely wooded area, so I stopped below the summit to enjoy the view, grab a quick snack, and play some radio. I snagged two POTA-only QSOs with W8WZ in Louisiana and KU8T in Indiana using the KH1’s whip antenna. Once I reached the summit, I used the Packtenna 9:1 random wire for my activation. Continue reading Flying High and Keying Low: A Pilot’s QRP Adventures Across the USA→
In my last article, I activated Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina at the Buck Mountain Fire Tower. After that activation, Glenn W4YES and I drove to Charlotte to visit college friends – Jennifer and Mike. So far, the day had been wonderful. However, it was far from over.
Our final night of our getaway trip would be spent at an Airbnb in Camden, South Carolina. I chose to activate Hanging Rock Battleground State Historical Park (US-10470), several miles south of Heath Springs, South Carolina. The park is remote and not well marked. All there was to signify its existance from the road we traveled was space large enough to accommodate two cars and a row of pilings. On one of the pilings was a white sign and, behind it, what looked like a trail.
the trail into the park
The park has historical signifance. An outpost was established at Hanging Rock by the British in the 1700s because of its strategic location on the road from Camden to Charlotte. According to the American Battlefield Trust, a three-hour battle was fought on August 6, 1780 on the site as a “part of a Patriot drive to reclaim the southern colonies after the siege of Charleston, South Carolina”. Fifty-three Americans and two hundred British soldiers lost their lives in this encounter.
Nothing about the site today brings to mind a battle. It is a short hike into the property before one finds giant boulders, some of which appear to be hanging (hence the name, right?).
See how big the boulders are?
We hiked a little further into this property which looked like a little slice of North Carolina in South Carolina. Spots of pincushion moss dotted the ground and leaves crunched under our feet. Sunlight filtered through the foliage. A small creek ran and burbled below the giant boulders above not far from a monument marking the battle.
I think this is pincushion mosswalking beneath the forest canopy
We decided to set up atop the highest and largest of the boulders. On its top, the tree canopy parted, giving my antenna just what it needed. I figured the Chelegance MC-750 would work best here and, given I had a tripod to mount it, it would work fine despite a rocky base.
Glenn atop the boulder on which we setupcloseup of lichens on the bouldersthe view from the top down into the forest below
It was still early enough that 20 meters was an option so I secured 14.048. It wasn’t long after I spotted myself that calls began arriving. Over the next 30 minutes, the calls were steady – 24 to be exact. At 6:00 PM, I called QRT because we had yet to check into our Airbnb and needed to be out of the park by dark.
setting up Chelegance tripodgetting ready to run coaxon the air!QSO Map Hanging Rock Battleground State Historical Park (US-10470) USA 10-13-2024 source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/QSO Map Hanging Rock Battleground State Historical Park (US-10470) 10-13-2024 source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
I was especially pleased to have one DX at this activation – Ignacio EA2BD. (Thank you, Ignacio!) I rarely get DX as I don’t chase it. This exchange was a nice surprise.
Tomorrow, Monday, October 14, it was time to head home back to Savannah, Georgia. However, this POTA Babe was not finished! Of course, I would find a park to activate on the drive home. Which park would I choose and would it be successful? Stay tuned…
If you’d like to see the park up close and personal as well as watch Glenn “interview” me afterwards, check out the video on my YouTube channel:
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[Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]
When you have activated the same park nearly 160 times, it starts to get a bit routine. Certainly, any day that you’re alive and able to participate in ham radio is a day to be thankful for, but I have to admit that lately I’ve gotten rather bored with activating from the Presidio of San Francisco US-7889.
Not a bad view from the activation location.
What could I do to spice things up a little bit? Recently, the W6CSN shack welcomed a new member into the QRP radio lineup, the venerable Heathkit HW-8. This got me to thinking about the days when the HW-8 was new, QRP was a niche part of the hobby, and the Internet was something that connected mainframes at universities.
Heathkit HW-8 Front Panel
That’s an idea! Try to activate a park for POTA without using the internet tools on which we’ve come to rely. The rules are: no self spotting on the POTA website and no looking at the POTA spots page to find stations to hunt. If you want to hunt, you’re going to have tune around and listen for stations calling CQ.
The stainless steel vertical mounts to a fence post which provides a good counterpoise.
The HW-8 would not debut on this activation as it’s waiting on a power cord and we haven’t really gotten to know each other yet. Instead, the trusty KH1 would be the radio choice today, coupled to a quarter wave vertical on 20 meters and sending via the Bencher BY-1.
It is only fitting to use the BY-1 on a park bench.
I set up camp on 14.059 MHz and began calling CQ POTA with no prescheduled activation, no spot on pota.app, not even looking at my phone to see what the propagation numbers were saying. In fact, I only used my phone as a camera to take pictures for this field report.
Within a few minutes I got my first call, from Ken VE7HI. The next 40 minutes were spent calling CQ and hunting other stations until I had six contacts in the log. Then came the long, desolate hour of calling with no responses and being unable to break through any of the “pileups” around other activators. The drought ended with a P2P with NR1D/0 at Barr Lake State Park in Colorado and 15 minutes later the activation was complete with K6BBQ coming through for QSO number 11.
Map of “offline” POTA activation QSOs.
While the internet certainly makes it so much easier, this activation proves that the QRPer can be successful in POTA with just a 5 watt radio and a half decent antenna. If you are looking to spice up your POTA routine, why not give an “offline” activation a try?
Sometimes you need a break. My sweetie Glenn W4YES booked two Airbnbs, one in North Carolina and one in South Carolina, the second weekend in October as my son’s school was on break for four days. Anyone who knows me will tell you I am a planner. However, it was a nice surprise for me to NOT plan this trip. Glenn picked out the places to stay as well as scouted nearby potential POTA sites. My job was to show up and enjoy the surprise.
Our first two nights were at a property between Uwharrie and Troy, North Carolina. This property borders the Uwharrie National Forest (US-4511). All I had to do for a POTA activation was walk out our front door to the road on the mountain and continue a short distance uphill where the national forest property begins. The road continues past a locked gate to the Buck Mountain Fire Tower, the highest point in the area.
Saturday is my day off from everything including ham radio. However, Glenn and I took a leisurely paced walk to the fire tower just to check it out.
road up to the tower
The Buck Mountain Fire Tower was built in 1936 and is likely the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Given the narrowness of the stairs, it is obvious the structure was not built in modern times. The tower base is covered in chain-link fencing but the metal door into the tower base area to access the tower stairs, is not locked.
We returned to the tower at sunset to climb it . You cannot access the top floor as it is padlocked. But one can see for miles from the stair platform below the top floor. The sliver of color on the horizon as the sun dipped below was worth the climb to the top.
red oak acorns with my hand in the photo for comparisonnuts also covered the ground near the Airbnb
Not being one to squander an opportunity for POTA, the next morning I woke at 6 AM and was out the door at 6:45. Light was just beginning to show in the sky. The walk up to the fire tower was not that difficult despite having a backpack of POTA and camera gear and gaining 152 feet in elevation. This is why I walk the stairs at a local parking garage two days a week – so I am not unprepared for some elevation change.
I arrived at the fire tower right before sunrise and had the site to myself! As I figured out where to set up, I thought to myself no one was likely to hear me due to the tall, large metal structure with antennas in front me. In fact, I didn’t bother setting up any video equipment.
fire tower at first light
I chose a spot off to the side of the tower with my back to the woods so I could see anyone coming up the access road . (When you are a woman alone in the woods, you have to think of such stuff.) I opted for the Chelegance MC-750 as there was not much time to operate. I set the Chelegance for 40 meters. The sun was just beginning to rise (7:24 AM) so I figured 40 would be a better band given the early hour.
Chelegance MC-750woods behind me
I settled into my Helinox chair with a blanket wrapped around my legs (the temp was 49 degrees – cold for this Georgia girl), spotted myself (cell service at a POTA site is always a plus!), and steeled myself for a failed activation. If I encounter noise when I do POTA, it is almost always on 40 meters. I figured with the antennas on site and the large metal object in front of me, no one would hear my QRP signal and there would be too much noise for me to hear anyone who did happen to respond to my CQ. I couldn’t have been more wrong!
operating with blanket wrapped around my legs & wool shirt on for warmth
There was noise on the band but not nearly as bad as I anticipated, partially due to the great filters on the KX2. There was a pulsing noise at 7.056 and some sort of signal on 7.054, but 7.049 was clear. It wasn’t long after spotting myself that Ronny WB2MQQ answered my CQ. That began a steady stream of calls over the next hour. The signal I heard originally on 7.054 moved to 7.049 about 25 minutes into the activation so I switched to 7.054 when it vacated that frequency.
set-up
At 8:27 AM, I called QRT because Glenn and I had plans to meet old college friends in Charlotte later that morning. I had 39 contacts at a location I was certain would result in none! It just goes to show you never know what the bands or a location will give you. Better to set up and try than quit before you start, right?
QSO Map for Uwharrie National Forest (US-4511) 10-13-2024
We had a pleasant drive to Charlotte. Glenn met his friend Mike and I, my friend Jennifer. (I call her Jennaboo and she calls me Teridactl.) Afterwards, satiated from lunch, conversation, and laughter, we headed southward into South Carolina for my next activation. Where? Stay tuned…
Jennaboo & Teridactl!
P.S. Want to get to know Glenn and I a little better? Check out my video from our stay near Uwharrie National Forest on YouTube:
Equipment Used
[Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]
Gee, the title almost tells the whole story. But not really. The title is where I ended up; how I got there, is the story.
Here’s the story.
Today, I hope to activate Fintry Protected Area CA-3505 in southern British Columbia.
One of my objectives since I started POTA last year is to try to activate as many parks as I can in the Okanagan region of BC that have not yet been activated by anyone. Nothing like a good challenge. I expect that most of them haven’t been activated because they are quite remote and difficult to access unless one has a true off-road all-terrain vehicle. Even at that, sometimes it still requires backpacking-in, to boot (no pun intended). This is in part because many of the Protected Areas and Ecological Reserves are not always directly accessible by vehicle. The roads often do not enter the park boundaries at all. They get you close, and then you need to hoof-it in to be POTA legit inside the park boundaries.
Fintry Protected Area has never been activated before, by anyone. I’m wondering why? Compared to many of my past activations, it isn’t nearly as difficult to access as some others I’ve been to.
The location in Fintry CA-3505 that I will be activating today is located about a 1-hour drive north of Kelowna, BC (where I live) via West Kelowna. The last section of travel is via rough gravel roads.
It’s another beautiful cloudless day in southern British Columbia (16 Sept, 2024). My goal for today is to activate Buse Hill Lookout, located in Buse Lake Protected Area CA-3287, before the weather turns too cold and wet to venture into the area.
Buse Hill is about a 2.5-hour drive NW from Kelowna, BC where I live. The last ¾ hour of the drive is on gravel range roads. My wife Alexis (VE7LXE) is accompanying me on this trip, as always.
While planning for the activation, I closely studied Google Maps Satellite view, as well as Garmin GPS Birds Eye views of the activation area. This helps me evaluate the terrain and access routes. I also study the Gov’t of BC Mineral Titles online maps which give both satellite views and topographic views (before POTA, gold panning was my summer hobby and the BC Mineral Titles online maps were essential for knowing where to legally pan).
Access to Buse Hill Lookout, CA-3287. Ecological Reserve south-end access route. Tip: Click on images to enlarge view.
From these maps I can see that the last 1.5 Km is an undefined off-road access route. From the satellite views, it’s very difficult to assess the viability of a route that my Forester can handle. So, I knew there was a 50-50 chance I may be able to drive all the way up that last 1.5 Km. With this in mind, we came prepared for two eventualities: 4-wheel it up, or backpack it up if necessary.
That means having two prepared POTA back packs; one with the KX3 for near car activations, and my KX2 backpack for hiking situations.
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