Due to antenna limitations – a 17-foot wire antenna with a 6-foot counterpoise hanging from a second-floor condo balcony, matched through a Tokyo Hi-Power antenna coupler for an SWR well below 2:1 – I’ve been operating exclusively on the 20-meter band.
A short coax run into the dining room has given me some great on-air time over the weekend, with good band conditions for 20-meter CW.
The radio powers up when 13VDC is applied and I quickly figured out the menu structure with the minimal documentation available from DL2MAN.
I’ve learned that the filter is best set to 500Hz and it is effective for the conditions, and as the band gets hot with all the various weekend contests, I drop in a little attenuation and soon the radio begins to sound good – actually, for the money, it sounds really good.
QSK set to ON allows my keyer in Iambic B to do a good job and I don’t miss any contacts which are forthcoming across the US from Oregon out to the East coast, on down to the Virgin Islands and then, quite a surprise, my Magnificent 7 Watts is heard for a choice contact with a VK2 down under.
I pound out contest QSO’s all up and down the band, adding in a few SOTA and POTA stations and very few have trouble copying me – I certainly had no problem copying weak signals from them.
I do notice that this is not a $1,500 transceiver, especially in the receiver performance, but for the price the satisfaction derived from effortlessly working CW makes up for any limitations.
During the MST contest, as I write this, stations were piled on top of each other. I found that tightening the filter down to 50Hz wasn’t ideal – 500Hz worked better for my ears. Signals filled the band from 14.030 to nearly 14.050, ranging from very weak to extremely strong. Thankfully, the well-behaved AGC prevented any ear-splitting surprises.
I also tested SSB mode briefly and it works and sounds good, though I’m unlikely to use it much myself.
Overall, this little gem is far from a toy. With its filters, AGC, attenuator, and fine-tuning, it should bring a smile to any CW operator’s face.
Many thanks to Scott (KK4Z) who shares the following post from his blog KK4Z.com:
The Happenstance Rove
by Scott KK4Z
Happenstance: a chance circumstance.
That is how it started out.
I recently sold one of my radios and, for giggles, I thought I would check out QTH.com to see if there was anything I just had to have (Danger Will Robinson). I stumbled across a nice IC-7100 and thought I could install it in my truck to make quick POTA activations a little easier. The ad looked good and the call sign sounded familiar. I checked the seller out on QRZ.com. I do this with every ham radio transaction to reduce the opprtunity of being scammed.
Low and behold! the seller John KX6F, is an old army buddy of mine. We served together in the 101st Airborne Division in C/158 TF 160. That was 40 years ago and I hadn’t seen him in at least 15 years. John is a good guy and was a major influence to me becoming a ham. I served with him from about 1980-1983 when I was transferred to Germany. Life and stuff took over and I was finally able to get licensed in 1995.
I sent John an email asking if I could pick up the radio in person and take him out to lunch. He told me that he suffered a severe stroke a couple of years ago and that dining in would be a better option. No problem. On Monday 04/22, I asked when would be a good time to come. He said Tuesday would be good. I had one night to plan a trip. He lives about 5 hours away from me so I thought I would turn this into a rove. I decided on two nights of camping and 5 parks in 5 states. The XYL had a hip replaced so I hadn’t been out in a while, it was time to stretch my legs.
Here is a map showing the stops.
Blue is day one, red is day 2 and green is day 3 and the trip home.
#1 Clarskville, TN. First stop was John’s. We had pizza for lunch and reminisced about old times. John looked good and was as jovial as ever. I was glad I made the trip. He and his wife were very gracious. After about an hour and half, I could tell it was time to go. The radio is in great shape and I am sure I will enjoy it.
KK4Z with KX6FMy new radio at the QTH
From John’s house I drove to Lake Barkley State Park (US-1284 and #2 on the map). I spent the night there in a very nice campsite. Right at dusk, a Barred Owl flew into my campsite. He was less than 20 feet away from me at eye level. Once we made eye contact, he flew off to another perch – silent as a ghost.
All the states on this trip were new activation states for me so I made sure I had enough contacts for a valid activation. I was prepared to do either CW or FT8 but due to band conditions, it looked like FT8 was going to be the weapon of choice. I made 20 contacts and managed to work Australia, Canada and France.
Wednesday morning I broke camp and headed toward Ft Massac State Park (US-0993 and #3 on the map) just over the line from Kentucky. It was a nice park inside of the town of Metropolis. I found a spot with clean restrooms nearby and enough room for my truck and camper. There were a lot people using the park to exercise. I used FT8 to make 20 contacts on 30 and 10 meters and the only DX was Canada.
From Ft Massac State Park my next destination was Big Oak Tree State Park (US-1749 and #4 on the map) in MO about 1 1/2 hours away. Along the way near the town of Omstead, IL, I spotted a Bald Eagle having lunch with Vultures at the roadkill cafe.
The park is located in rural MO. and surrounded by farms. There was no cell service here but the park and the views were great. I set up near the picnic area. Ten meters was hopping. DX stations included: Hawaii, Belize, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Sardinia, and Spain. I was running 25 watts. I made 20 contacts before packing it up and moving to my next park.
Stop #5 and my second overnight was Mississippi River State Park (US-1102). This was a very nice park and I managed to reserve a campsite on the water. It also had zero cell service, even my cell phone went SOS.
My money band was 10 meters again making DX contacts with Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, and New Zealand. Ten meters acted like 20 meters, and 20 meters acted like 40 meters. I ended up with 33 contacts total.
Thursday morning had me heading toward home with Georgia on my mind (I even heard the song on the radio). I made a stop at Trace State Park (US-2554 and stop #6) just outside of Tupelo, MS. I stayed long enough to make 20 contacts and one DX into Canada.
I got home about 1600 hrs eastern Thursday afternoon. I worked 5 parks in 5 states: Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi, in 2 days. I crossed 4 major rivers: Cumberland, Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi (twice). I added 5 new states to my POTA activations.
It was a good trip considering I only had about 2 hours to plan it. I learned some new things about my equipment and I have plans to make things better for next time.
My first rove proved to be a lot of fun. Usually I drive to a park, spend a couple of days and then drive home. I am hoping to try another rove before the year is out.
Video
See the YouTube video below. Until then — 73 de Scott
Recently, OM Witherspoon (K4SWL) wrote a blog here and shared a POTA activation video in which he described the benefit of changing up your operating location within a large park to keep things fresh or simply to be able to activate within a given schedule.
Activation zone looking over the Pacific
That got me to thinking about my own “home” park, Presidio of San Francisco US-7889, a large park which is also part of an even larger reference, Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) US-0647. Recently my XYL, who is very patient, has been subjected to my complaining about being bored by doing the same activation over and over.
Classic vistas from the Presidio of SF
My typical POTA outing is after work, I drive ten minutes down to the East Beach parking area, set up a base-loaded vertical on the roof of my car and plug in the trusty FT-818. Mind you, this is not a bad setup. The location combined with repeatable antenna installation reliably produces contacts and I usually have a complete activation in about 30 minutes.
GRA-7350T antenna deployed
The XYL’s suggestion was, “hey, why not play radio somewhere else?” and K4SWL’s blog and video were an inspiration as well. So I left the FT-818 in the shack, packed up a QMX kit, and headed for the high bluffs in the Presidio that overlook the Pacific Ocean to the west. I setup on an out of the way granite bench that was part of a World War II memorial to servicemen who perished in the coastal waters of the Pacific.
World War Two commemorative wall
My plan was to get on 15 meters in the hope of catching some early JA’s or other Pacific rim DX. The vertical antenna deployed easily and though the location was substantially protected from the strong wind gusts, I did stake the tripod down with a pair of tent pegs.
Tent pegs keep the tripod secure
With an SWR of below 2:1 on 21 MHz I set to calling CQ and posted a spot on pota.app advertising that I was in US-0647 GGNRA, even though I was also still in US-7889. Turns out 15 meters was dead, for me at least. Not a single nibble after 15 minutes of calling.
Good SWR on 15 meters
After a QSY to 20 meters, another half hour brought in only four QSOs! This location and radio combo was certainly a nice break from the usual and even though the QSO pace was glacial, it was quite satisfying and refreshing to do something different.
The QMX station ready for action
Since the clock read just after 00 UTC there was plenty of opportunity to gather the needed contacts for a complete activation. If necessary I could even come out the next day before 23:59 UTC. But since I had no particular time constraint for the evening, I decamped for East Beach where I was pretty sure I could wrap up the activation in short order.
Sunset over SF Bay
Even though I was back at my “usual” spot, starting the activation somewhere else was the change I needed to break the routine. Six more QSOs validated the activation in a matter of minutes. I swear being down close to the waters of San Francisco Bay adds at least 3db to my signal. There is a reason I frequent this particular spot.
Sun going down behind the Golden Gate
I feel fortunate to have so many locations within US-0647 and US-7889 that are quite close to home. I plan to take advantage of this diversity of operating spots, knowing that the “East Beach Amplifier” is always available if my QRP is not cutting it.
Many thanks to Christian (IX1CKN) who shares the following field report:
QRP Fun Despite the Conditions!
by Christian (IX1CKN)
The weekend passed without rain, nor snow, but with temperatures that didn’t exactly encourage spending too much time outdoors. It seems that, despite the date, winter has returned. Nevertheless, the POTA call was hard to resist. So, since the midday cold didn’t seem too harsh, I hopped into my car.
I wanted to avoid the surroundings of Aosta, the town in north-western Italy where I live, and explore less frequented references for a different experience. I chose IT-1196, the Xeric environments of Gran Brison-Cly.
The reserve consists of two “sub-zones”: one around Cly Castle (in Saint-Denis) and the other above it. I set up in the first one, partly because the view of the ancient castle ruins while I transmitted was charming.
I had the most minimal setup possible: a Xiegu G-106, pushing no more than 5 watts, and a quarter-wave vertical antenna planted in the ground.
This antenna comes as a single telescopic whip, over 5 meters long, supplied with a braid of radials to lay at the base. Despite the feeling it gave me when I took it out of the package, it positively impressed me with its performance.
Propagation conditions hadn’t been impressive for a couple of days, but not trying at all is the surest way to make no contacts, so there I was, making my first calls from the promontory on 20 mt.
The response rate wasn’t particularly impressive, indeed, but it confirmed what I had already experienced in February 2023 during the first activation of this reference. The northern path was open, as evidenced by several stations responding from the northern part of the UK.
However, the unexpected surprise came at 13:27 UTC when NL7V answered my call. It was Paul, from North Pole, a town in the Fairbanks borough, Alaska. He gave me a 22 signal report, but I still couldn’t quite believe my ears. I’m working with 5 watts, and I never would’ve thought my signal could reach that far (distance from here is about 7.532 km). I thanked him sincerely and told Paul he literally made my day.
Here’s a video clip of the Alaska QSO:
As for the rest of the activation, the 10 and 12 meters bands were far from lively, and even the attempt on 15 meters didn’t yield anything interesting. So, I switched back to 20 meters and resumed calling.
In the final log, there are 31 contacts (in about an hour and a half of activation), including 5 with colleagues in other references. As has happened before, just when it seems like nothing suggests going out to activate, that’s precisely when you need to go.
Day 3 of my spring-break Florida POTA trip began well. Those of you who read my “A Confession from the POTA Babe” article know my personal life has been anything but settled as of late. Two weeks prior to the trip, I experienced a traumatic break with a close friend and partner. I hoped this trip would help me move past that event and began putting my life back together. This was the first morning I woke in two and a half weeks feeling like myself and ready for whatever POTA adventures lay ahead of me.
Day 3 of my spring-break 2024 Florida trip
Participating in the pilot session of CW Innovation’s Comprehensive ICR course in October 2022 introduced me to the concept of a code buddy. A code buddy is someone with whom you have regular CW QSOs, a trusted friend who keeps you active on the air and with whom you grow your skills. I have two code buddies currently – Caryn KD2GUT and Charles W4CLW. Charles and I usually meet Tuesday mornings at 8 AM EDT and I thought why not try to meet up during the trip.
As noted in my article about the first day of this trip, I had to take down the EFRW at my campsite as per park regulations. I pulled out the Chelegance MC-750 as I thought it might stand a better chance than the AX1 with any noise in the campground. As Charles’ QTH was only 232 miles from my campsite, I figured 40 meters would be the only option for us.
I turned on the KX2 and the noise was horrible. However, Charles cleared a frequency and called QRL. He was a 599 on my end but when it was my turn, he could not hear me at all. Oh well. We at least tried.
I figured since I already had my equipment up and running, why not have an impromptu activation?
I spotted myself on the POTA website and began calling CQ. Within 40 minutes, I had a valid activation. Thirty meters gave me four contacts and 20 meters eight contacts including Manuel WP4TZ in Puerto Rico, another member of the Comprehensive ICR course I am currently facilitating with CW Innovations.
I also had one park-to-park QSO with Dave KQ4CW who was activating US-0567 in Virginia. At this point, it was time to pack up my equipment and head south to Cedar Key Scrub Preserve (US-3611).
QSO Map for Manatee Springs 4-2-24 Activation Source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
On the drive southward, I noticed lots of yellow flowers (I think dandelions) along the road as well as wild verbena. I enjoyed the encounters with the natural world I had on this trip. The previous day, I had several different caterpillar species visit me during my activations. They ended up on my clothes as well as my equipment.
During today’s impromptu activation at the campsite, three deer walked through the area. Nature galore!
a tussock moth caterpillara Tent caterpillarpossibly a salt marsh moth caterpillar
Daisy and I arrived at Cedar Key Scrub Preserve (US-3611) around 11:30 AM. It was fairly warm at this hour of the day so I set up in the shade generated by Kai and some overhead trees. I chose to work with the Chelegance MC-750 again.
This activation proved to be a busy one, all on twenty meters. Over the course of 50 minutes, I logged 32 contacts including one DX with Chris F6EAZ in France, a QSO with another team member in my class – Pat K2SCH, and one park-to-park QSO with Jeff KF4VE at US-4857 in Virginia.
At this point, the sun had overtaken Daisy and I. We were beginning to roast so it was time to call QRT.
QSO Map for Cedar Key Scrub Preserve Source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/USA Only QSO Map for Cedar Key Scrub Preserve Source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
I had planned to take a walk at Cedar Key Scrub Preserve but due to the warm temperatures and foliage that would not provide much shade, I scrubbed (yes, you can groan) that plan, packed up, and headed further south to Cedar Key.
The town of Cedar Key is made of small islands (called keys) linked together by bridges. We navigated over them to Cedar Key Museum State Park (US-3610).
Unfortunately, the museum was closed for maintenance. But, as I surveyed the site, I saw a shady bench beckoning me.
A QTH with potential!
I set up the Chelegance MC-750, Daisy sprawled out for a nap, and I got down to business.
This activation ran slower than the previous one. I ended up with 25 QSOs on 20 meters in an hour. However, it was pleasant to relax in the shade, enjoy the breeze, and not be in a rush. In fact, after the activation and everything was packed up, Daisy and I relaxed at this spot for a good thirty minutes, soaking in the experience.
On the drive back to my campsite, I received an unexpected call. It was the close friend and partner I thought I had lost several weeks ago. I pulled off to the side of the road. The conversation was a heart-felt and cathartic one.
I had a choice to make. There were three days remaining in my trip and potentially four more parks I could activate toward my 60 new-to-me activation goal. Or I could choose to step through the door that just opened. It didn’t take me long to decide.
This spring-break Florida trip was a productive one. I activated six parks toward my goal, used two antennas with which I was not very familiar, and camped on my own. I also did what I set out to do in my “A Confession from the POTA Babe” article – savor the beauty around me, think, reflect, and be. I cancelled the remainder of the trip to visit this cherished person with the joy of reconciliation.
It doesn’t matter if it is POTA or your personal life; relationships are what matter. This POTA Babe has learned her lesson and has her priorities in the correct order now. Thanks to all of you who continue to share my adventures. They are far from over.
Equipment Used
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Eclipse totality, as seen from US-8785, complete with corona.
My home QTH is located near Tionesta, PA, and the path of the 2024 eclipse put us near, but not in, the path for totality. At home we would have more than 99.5% of the sun’s disc obscured. I will confess that the distinction between 99.5% and totality was lost on me, but Becky was insistent that she wanted to be in the path of totality, because it gives a unique view when the sun’s disc is completely obscured by the moon. At that point, only a halo of the sun’s corona remains visible. Becky was right. It was well worth the effort to get in the path of totality.
My contribution was to find a public area within the path of totality that would not be swarmed by traffic, cars, and people.
The Eclipse Plan
It turned out that we could be within the totality path by driving less than 20 miles from home. We could also do this by driving away from population centers, rather than driving toward them. Places like Erie, PA were expecting tens of thousands of people to visit. I later heard stories of miles-long traffic jams, and hours of delay experienced by Erie pilgrims. I hoped to, and thankfully managed to, avoid that fate.
After identifying that this section of PA State Game Land 086 was in the path for eclipse totality, a satellite view helped to identify open fields for viewing and activating.
I found that portions of Pennsylvania State Game Land 086 (coincidentally also POTA entity US-8785) lay within the totality zone. Using a variety of on-line maps, I was able to find a parking area near the start of a gated Game Land road.
The road passed next to a series of small fields (satellite images are definitely helpful!). Such fields are not uncommon at Game Lands, because it provides the opportunity for hunters to cross paths with rabbits and pheasants, both of which were out-of-season in April. But, those same fields should have an unobstructed view of the sky. So, we headed hopefully toward our selected parking lot, with plans to set up folding chairs (and a portable radio station) in one of the fields, as long as a parking space remained.
The POTA Plan
I had previously activated US-8785, making contacts on only the 40m band. At that time, the goal had been a quick activation during a rove. Lately, I have been working hard to accumulate contacts on 10 bands at multiple parks, inching my way closer to POTA’s N1CC award for making contacts on 10 bands from 10 different parks.
Prior to eclipse day, I had completed contacts on 10 bands from each of seven different parks. While two or three of those contacts were made using VHF FM mode, my preferred method for achieving my goal at a park is to use CW mode and QRP power levels to make contacts on high frequency (HF) bands from 10m to 80m, and to also make CW QRP contacts on 160m (which is technically a medium frequency band).
The challenge with the 160m band (and the 80m band, to some extent) is that it generally works best after sunset. Given that there would be an abnormal sunset occurring at 3:20 pm EDT, might it be possible to get a 160m contact during or near the period of totality? That would be my quest.
So, I picked my equipment to give me the ability to rapidly move between bands. I paired my KX3, with its excellent tuner and 160m to 6m coverage, with my VK160 homebrew 9:1 end-fed random wire (EFRW) antenna. The story of VK160 design and construction and VK160 testing during Winter Field Day 2022 has previously been told in these pages (links provided), but suffice it to say that the radiating wire is 144 ft long.
If the crowds were sparse enough, I hoped to set it up as a shallow inverted V (I normally get a throw line up 30 to 40 ft, which is small in comparison to the antenna’s total length) along the wood line bordering the field. I also brought two Bioenno LiFePO4 batteries that would normally be able to power my station for the large part of a day. I chose battery redundancy, because there would be no opportunity for a re-do.
My operating plan was to make contacts on as many bands as possible. I would start with 10m before the start of the eclipse, and work my way down in frequency, hopefully after making one or more contacts on each successive band. I also needed to manage my time, so that I would get some time on each of the low bands – 60m, 80m, and 160m as the eclipse neared totality. Since I already had contacts from a prior activation, I would not work 40m unless I had completed contacts on the other 9 bands.
Gear
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Eclipse viewing glasses conforming to ISO 12312-2 for direct solar observation
Eclipse Day
My cousin joined Becky and I for the outing to see the eclipse. We all hoped that the afternoon would be memorable. As we drove to our selected location, traffic was unexpectedly light, but the sky was overcast. There had been rain earlier in the morning, but the clouds seemed to be thinning as the day progressed, and we remained hopeful during the drive, particularly as glimpses of blue sky became apparent.
A final stretch on a dirt road brought us to the Game Land parking lot, a cleared patch of gravel, which was… empty!!! It seemed that I had either planned well, or guessed right. Either way, I was happy with the starting point!
We passed out the folding chairs from the back of the truck, shouldered our bags, and started the half-mile walk back the road to find our field. We saw no vehicles and no people on the way in. We did hear a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers drumming on branches near the side of the road, and we saw a Red-tailed Hawk and some Turkey Vultures soaring overhead. It all made for an enjoyable walk, and the clouds continued to thin, with patches of blue emerging as the clouds continued their journey overhead.
Setting Up the Station
Here, I am preparing to throw a line to support the VK160. I selected a tree somewhat distant from my planned operating location, so that apex would be located at about the midpoint of the radiating wire.I used the K4SWL sling method of throwing the arborist line for this deployment. While I am much more accurate using the “granny shot” throwing method, the sling method can get the line consistently higher.I am deploying one of the three radial wires used with the VK160. If you look closely, you can see the antenna feedpoint hanging behind me, level with my hat brim. The cord holding the feedpoint can be seen just above my head.
When we arrived at the field, I scouted out a location for my antenna. A tall tree at the woodline seemed to have a number of great branches high above the ground. I broke out my arborist line, made my throw, and missed. I repeated the process a couple more times, then snagged a light branch just a bit lower than I had hoped, but it would be sufficient.
Unwrapping the antenna (it takes a while to spool out 144 ft of wire) I found that it would stretch across the width of the field, and a bit further along one edge, so up it went in a bent inverted V. A length of 550 cord secured it to a tree branch on the far side of the field, and a bit of light cord held the feed point to a tree branch near my chair. This done, I connected and stretched out three counterpoise wires, connected the RG316 feed line, and started assembling the station.
On the Air
I am preparing for operation. Station equipment is on the clipboard in my lap. The antenna feedpoint can be seen at upper right. The 15 ft RG316 feedline runs downward from the feedpoint, along the ground, and up to my operating position.On the air with the KX3 set for 5 watts CW.Working for a contact on 12m.Continuing to work contacts as the light dims. Chairs for Becky and my cousin are about 100 ft down the field from my operating position.Between contacts I could quickly don my fashionable eclipse glasses to safely monitor progress, as the moon’s shadow progressed across the sun.
I was quickly ready to hit the air. Having scheduled the activation in advance, I was not worried about cell service, but found that I had enough to verify my initial spot, as well as subsequent band changes. As planned, I started on the 10m band. It took some time before my CQ call was returned. After logging it, I called for a bit longer, then switched over to the 12m band, where things took a different turn. Continue reading K3ES’ Eclipse Clean Sweep!→
Day 2 of my spring-break Florida POTA trip began well. The night before, I left the rain fly off one corner of the tent, the one out of which I could look when lying on my Thermarest pad listening to the bird song all around us. There must be something about being outside because I had the soundest and most sleep I’d experienced in several weeks.
someone is not ready to get out of bed yetDay 2 of my April Florida trip
We headed to the Nature Coast State Trail first as I was concerned about the temperature due to the sunny forecast. We found the Old Town trailhead, parked, and walked toward the trail’s bridge over the Suwannee River. Not far from the bridge, I spied a bench with an overhang and thought it would make a great QTH.
Old Town trailhead parking areathe trailflowers along the trailpotential QTH
I had left the Chelegance MC-750 in the car as I wished to work with the AX1 today. It wasn’t long before I had it installed on the Joby Gorillapod ready for 40 meters. I turned on the KX2, put on my earbuds, and was greeted by NOISE, S5-S7 noise.
Well, noise happens and I typically find it on 40 meters than any other band when I activate. Undaunted, I tweaked the AX1 and moved to 30 meters. I found less noise (S3-S4) but no one answered my CQ. Now I was getting worried.
I removed the 40 meter coil from the AX1 and tried 20 meters. Now 20 meters didn’t sound that noisy; however, I had no callers. I found the same on 17 meters. What the heck?
And then I noticed the power lines across the road. How they had escaped my notice I have no idea. They weren’t just your typical power lines but also high-voltage power lines. That had to be the source of the noise. I felt like an idiot not even noticing them. The AX1 is a compromised antenna to begin with and, in those conditions, I don’t think it stood a chance. Note: I later learned the band conditions were not great that morning either.
Deflated, I packed everything up and walked a little ways up the trail to the bridge crossing the Suwanne River. After a few moments to enjoy the view, I headed toward my second park – Fanning Springs State Park. It was but a 5 minute drive from the Old Town trailhead. I began looking for somewhere to set up. Good news – not many power lines.
Suwannee River
I found a grassy field/parking area off to the side and set up there. My riding instructor would always say “Set your horse up for success.” Well, this I thought was a more successful situation for the AX1 (at least I hoped it would be). Once the AX1 was installed on top of my car, I got down to business.
AX1 on top of the car on Joby Gorillapod
I didn’t do well on 40 meters (only one caller in Florida) or 30 meters (no response). I removed the 40 meter coil and set up shop on 20 meters. Would anyone hear me today? YES! Over the next 20 minutes, I logged eight contacts including Dan N0ZT who is in my current Comprehensive ICR class for CW Innovations.
At this point, I only had nine total contacts, not enough for a valid activation. Hearing no more responses to my CQ on 20 meters, I headed to 17. After a while, Craig KC3TRT responded to my CQ. Over the next ten minutes, nine ops had a QSO with me including Raffaele IK4IDF in Italy. Whew – a valid activation.
QSO Map for Fanning Springs State ParkQSO Map (USA contacts) for Fanning Springs State ParkThe springs (as close as we could get as dogs are not allowed near them)
By now I was worn out and decided to regroup back at the campsite. I felt kicked in the keister over the failed activation in the morning. There are five trailheads for the Nature Coast State Trail. Maybe I could find a section without power lines (not likely) and maybe the conditions in the late afternoon/early evening would be better.
After an early supper and a few minutes to read, Daisy and I headed back to the trail for another attempt. Yes, there were power lines (but not high voltage ones) near the trailhead I chose in Chiefland. It was peaceful on this section of the trail. We ambled along until I found another bench like I saw that morning.
AX1 with radials
I opted to sit instead in my Helinox chair on the ground with Daisy to my right and the AX1 to my left. There was thick foliage in front of me as well as a park area that I hoped would provide a buffer from any RFI from the businesses on that side of the trail. I took a breath and called QRL. I picked 20 meters thinking that might be my best bet this time of day, around 6 PM.
Guess what? The AX1 delivered!
I had 18 contacts in 30 minutes including a QRP-to-QRP QSO with Karl K5KHK in New York. I also had one park-to-park QSO with David WN1E at US-0897. I practically floated back to the car and then celebrated with a chocolate-dipped ice cream cone from Dairy Queen.
QSO Map for Nature Coast State TrailWay more ice cream than I needed but it was good!
People don’t talk about the emotional component that comes with morse code. My life has been an emotional rollercoaster as of late and that failed activation felt like another punch in the gut.
You know the ops that I see make the most progress, in general and in the class I facilitate with CW Innovations? Those with determination.
They don’t give up but persevere despite their struggles. Life is really tough for me right now but I have to hang in there as I did with this activation. You never know when success or for what you are waiting will be around the corner.
For day 3, I’ll head south toward Cedar Key. What antenna will I choose to use and how will those activations go? Stay tuned…
Equipment Used
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Many thanks to Joe (N0LSD) who shares the following guest post:
Getting Started with HF Digital Modes – Without Breaking the Bank
by Joe (N0LSD)
Amateur radio can be an expensive hobby: the reasons are myriad, made more difficult for newcomers because they tend to not have the experience to know what their requirements might be. Brick-and-mortar stores where one might bounce ideas off knowledgeable staff, browse the aisles, and walk away with a suitable set-up are pretty few and far between. Similarly, asking on various internet forums will often be met with, “It depends…” –followed by a wall of text filled with jargon and terminology that can be…intimidating.
For newcomers that maybe don’t have the time to invest in learning CW right off the hop, and perhaps get a bit of mic fright, digital modes such as FT8, JS8, and the like tend to be a great fit. While “shack-in-a-box” solutions by the big-name manufacturers offer convenience, this convenience comes at a price that can be cost-prohibitive.
What follows is a QRP digital modes kit that I’ve experimented with over the last year. No single piece of this kit cost more than US$150, and the entire kit can be had for under US$600. What’s more, nearly everything can be purchased from Amazon.
We’ll start with the most expensive part of this kit: the radio, which is the Tr(u)SDX. It can be had on Amazon for US$138, and covers 20m, 30m, 40m, 60m, and 80m bands. It is a quirky little radio with a sub-par speaker and a tiny little microphone.
The Tr(u)SDX is just about as bare-bones as one can get with an HF transceiver, and is decidedly a compromise. However, unlike other ultra-compact transceivers, this one will do CW, it will do voice, and it will do *any* digital mode. It can run on USB power at 1 watt output (micro-USB port on the side of the case); but it can also run on 12v (nominal) power via a 5.5mm x 2.1mm barrel connector on the top of the unit.
I’m powering this radio with a US$43 battery bank (Romoss Sense8P+), and a USB-C to 5.5 x 2.1mm cable (US$8.99) –both available on Amazon. This battery bank will keep the Tr(u)SDX going for hours –long enough to do multiple POTA activations. And, because there’s no special adapters, the battery bank can be re-charged in the same manner as a cell phone –or even off a small solar panel.
The sound card interface is the Digirig (US$57) with a US$19.97 cable that is TRRS 3.5mm on one end, and breaks out separate Mic and Speaker 3.5mm TRS. Now, I will say that a recent firmware revision on the Tr(u)SDX has been demonstrated by the developers of the radio to allow for audio through the micro-USB connector of the radio – so the use of a sound card interface *may* be redundant. However, in viewing the demonstration video for this, it seems rather dependent upon finding the right micro-USB to USB-A cable; with no clear indication on where one can obtain a cable that meets the specification. Now, add a USB-C to USB-A or a USB-C to USB-C cable to interface with the computing device, and we’re in business!
So far we have a radio, power, and a way to get sound in and out of the radio. Now, let’s talk about antennas. Of course, one can homebrew an antenna for the cost of parts and time in construction and testing. For the kit I’m using, I went with the N9SAB OCF Dipole –specifically because I do a lot of 80m QRP work. Also available from N9SAB is a 6m-80m random-wire end-fed for US$89.99 from his eBay store.
If using a non-resonant antenna, an antenna tuner will be needed: I went with the ATX-100 (US$126 from Amazon). The reason I went with this is because it recharges with USB-C, which is consistent with everything else in this kit.
For coax, I personally use Times Microwave LMR-240 –a 50-foot length terminated in BNC is US$65 on Amazon. For something less bulky, perhaps RG-316 from ABR Industries (abrind.com) might fit the bill The ABR-240 coax at 50-feet in length is US$58. For a jumper from the tuner to the radio, I use a 3ft RG316 cable from Amazon – which cost me US$13.99.
All that’s left is a device to run software…this can be a Raspberry Pi, or one’s laptop, certainly –however, these are bulky and require special power…and are a pain to re-charge easily. Another solution is something one might already have: an Android smartphone. There are apps (some free, some paid) for RTTY, PSK31/63, WSPR, SSTV – these have been out for some time. Additionally, one can do many of the modes contained in FLDigi, using the AndFLMsg app (not available on the Play Store –one has to download the .apk file from a 3rd party). However, what I’ve been using –especially on POTA activations – is FT8CN. This allows for full-function FT8 using just an Android phone –which can also be charged via USB-C.
[Note: eBay, Amazon and ABR links below are affiliate/partner and support QRPer.com at no cost to you]
This kit is –for sure– a compromise: one isn’t going to bust pile-ups or win contests with it However, for a “starter kit” that can easily be carried in a small backpack that can not only be used for HF digital modes, but also can do SSB voice and CW, it will at least get an operator on the air and enjoying the bands –without breaking the bank.
In pursuit of my 60 new-to-me park activations, I headed back to Florida for six days the first week of April. The weather forecast looked promising – high temps in the upper 70s falling to the upper 60s by the end of the week. Rain might dampen my spirits on Wednesday but otherwise, the sun was likely to shine during my journey.
Day 1 of my April 2024 Florida Trip
Daisy and I packed up the car and headed out early Sunday, May 31st. It was an easy journey – three and a half hours south down I-95 and then southwest across Florida. Of course, we stopped at the Florida welcome center and got our picture snapped, this time just the two of us.
Here we again in Florida!
We arrived in Branford which actually did look like a nice place to live. Lafayette Forest Wildlife & Environmental Area (US-6315) is just outside the town. Unlike the wildlife management areas in Georgia I’ve visited, this one looked more manicured. The road into the park could have been the entrance into some genteel Southern plantation.
Not far inside, we found a fenced-in parking area and kiosk. I figured this would be the easiest place to set up. Checking the kiosk, I confirmed we were out of hunting season though we would still wear our blaze orange items for our walk after the activation. (Before we arrived at the park, we actually saw a turkey crossing the road.)
Map of Lafayette WMA
I opted to use the Chelegance MC-750 on the tripod mount because I need more practice with it. That proved to be a good choice as I had to re-read the instructions to set it up – hi hi. This is what happens when you don’t use equipment on a regular basis. Continue reading The POTA Babe Goes Back to Florida – Day 1→
(Note: As many of you know, I cut my spring-break Florida POTA trip short for personal reasons. However, I did not change this article and opted to leave the original itinerary intact as that was the intent of the trip.)
Having two POTA trips under my belt, I thought I’d share how I plan my trips in hope it will inspire others to undertake the same endeavor. After I explain my process, I’ll walk through the process using my spring-break POTA trip as an example.
The first questions to answer are where do I want to explore and how am I going to get there?
So far, I’ve traveled to Nova Scotia and Florida. Air travel was a necessity for the Nova Scotia trip but not my preference for travel in general. I loved to fly as a child but as an adult, it has lost its appeal. We live in a gorgeous country and have at our disposal a wonderful interstate system such that my transportation preference for a POTA trip is to drive. For a short trip (five to six days), I try to stay within 250 miles of my home QTH. For a trip longer than a week, I’m willing to drive 500 miles or more.
Google Maps
The next step is to decide where I’ll stay. Now that I am single, I need to watch my expenses closely. Camping is a great accommodation option if one is willing to put up with some inconveniences. So far I’ve found the campgrounds in the state parks to which I’ve traveled more than adequate. One has to be willing to walk to the bathhouse, accept whatever conditions the weather provides, and be less connected than we typically are in our modern society. Camping also requires certain equipment which I addressed in my first article.
Once I’ve nailed down my accommodations, it is time to begin choosing which parks to activate. For the past two trips, I chose parks based on their proximity to the roads I drove between accommodations, whether I needed to pay for access to the park, and how easily I could ensure I’m within the parks boundaries. My priority was to fit in as many park activations as I could during the trip.
Going forward, my criteria is the same but my focus is not. I want to spend more time in the parks I activate, choosing parks based on the scenery and/or other activities they offer so I may learn about the ecology and/or history of the location. I also want to savor the parks I visit, taking time to slow down and enjoy the experience.
So let’s walk through this process as to how I planned my spring-break POTA trip in April.
Choose a destination and how to get there
As I mentioned earlier, I prefer to drive. I’ll be gone six days for my April POTA trip, so I need to find a destination within 250 miles from Bloomingdale, GA. I chose to visit the state of Florida as I enjoyed my trip this past December and think the weather during the first week of April will still be comfortable that time of year.
Choose accommodations
For the Florida winter-break trip, I stayed in a different campground nearly every night. The advantage of that arrangement is I could cover more ground and experience more places. However, taking down and setting up camp every day eats up time and, depending on the weather, can be a pain. For the spring-break trip, I thought I might stay at the same campground the entire trip.
Itinerary for December 2023 POTA Trip Source: My Google Map
I searched for and found a map of all the Florida state parks with camping. There were several state parks within the 250-mile radius from my home; however, I also wanted a park that had lots of potential POTA sites nearby. After looking at my options, I chose Manatee Springs State Park at which I will stay three nights. Not far away is Suwannee River State Park which had availability for two nights. Bingo – accommodations done!
Now that I’ve chosen the parks at which I’ll stay, I need to figure out what POTA sites nearby are of interest. As I stated earlier, I want to choose activation sites based on what they can offer me in addition to the activation itself. Two prime activities at parks are wildlife viewing and hiking.
When I think of wildlife, I immediately think of national wildlife refuges. I Googled “best national wildlife refuges to visit in Florida” and found the following map. The refuge closest to the areas I plan to visit is St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge and, given what I read about that refuge, there is so much to see there that it may fill up an entire day.
As for hiking, I googled “best hiking trails in Florida” and found floridahikes.com. There were a fair amount of trails from which to choose though several were eliminated because dogs are not allowed due to the presence of alligators or ticks are a major problem. I took my time exploring the site finding trails close to or in the Manatee Springs and Suwanee River State Parks.
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I pound out contest QSO’s all up and down the band, adding in a few SOTA and POTA stations and very few have trouble copying me – I certainly had no problem copying weak signals from them.
