January and February have been such busy months that not much POTA has happened for this POTA Babe since my trip to southwest Georgia. Wednesday, February 26th was too gorgeous a day to sit inside. I set aside my projects and Daisy and I headed to a new park – Mead Farm Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
source: Google Maps
Mead Farm WMA (US-9776) is a two-hour drive from Savannah, GA, my home QTH. I visited this area last year when I activated Yuchi WMA (US-3778) in January 2024. Within sight of Yuchi WMA is Plant Vogtle, a nuclear power plant on the Savannah River managed by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company. I spied the four cooling towers (all complete and now active) in the distance during the drive.
cooling towers at Plant Vogtledaffodils on the side of the roadquaint post office in Girard, Georgia on the drive
Mead Farm is one of the smaller WMAs. It consists of 200 acres, almost equally split between uplands and wetlands. Unlike other Georgia WMAs I’ve visited, the roads back into the park were blocked so I opted to set up in the parking area. Thankfully, the road near the entrance to the park was not busy so vehicular noise didn’t present an impediment to my activation.
entrance from the roadparking area with information kiosksignage at the far side of the parking area
The weather in southern Georgia has been uncharacteristically warm – high temperatures in the upper 70s. With clear skies overhead, I parked on the eastern side of the parking area taking advantage of shade provided by pine trees. Those pines would also allow me to orient the Tufteln EFRW antenna toward the northwest.
source: GA Dept. of Natural Resourcesscenery outside the fenced-in parking areaarbor line and antenna in pine tree
POTA, at this point, has become comfortable. (Notice I didn’t say easy because you never know what unexpected event will happen during POTA as noted in my past QRPer.com articles.) In an effort to shake things up, I decided to use all three keys currently in my POTA kit: the VK3IL-design paddle gifted to me by Brian K3ES, the BaMaTech III paddle, and the CW Morse Pocket Single Paddle/Cootie key.
VK3IL-design paddle, BaMaTech III key, CW Morse Pocket Single Paddle/Cootie key
Note: This is the third article for my trip to southwest Georgia at the beginning of January 2025. If you didn’t read the previous article, it is available here: Chickasawhatchee WMA (US-3739)
In POTA and camping, one may plan and prepare; but no matter how much of that one does, there are invariably challenges that arise pushing you out of your comfort zone. Challenges put one into what I call “ham radio mode”. You know what ham radio mode is, right? You evaluate a situation, assess your available resources to address the problem, and implement a solution with those resources. The trip to southwest Georgia presented several unexpected challenges.
The first unexpected challenge was that of my keys. I brought two paddles – the VK3IL design paddle and the mini palm paddle. Upon plugging it in, the VK3IL would only send dahs. So I defaulted to my backup, the mini palm. However, something was wrong with the connector on the back as randomly, the dit paddle would stop working. Ugh! After my first activation, I used my CW Morse straight key which I brought along because of Straight Key Night on January 1st. I hadn’t used a straight key for POTA in ages and, though a little challenging at first, it was a good change of pace.
CW Morse straight key
The second unexpected event was the soles of my old riding boots peeling back from the boots themselves. This happened as I was packing up my equipment at Chickasawhatchee. Thankfully, I found a Family Dollar store on the way back to Kolomoki Mounds State Park, purchased some JB Weld glue, and repaired them Thursday evening while sitting by the campfire.
boot sole coming off
The third unexpected event (don’t such things often come in threes?) were the cold temperatures at night. I did check the weather forecast before departing Savannah. However, it’s been nearly thirty years since I’ve camped in 30 degree weather and the weeks leading up to the trip had been unseasonably warm – highs in the 70s and lows in the mid 50s. So while I knew intellectually that it would be cold, I wasn’t thinking from an experiential perspective.
The first night I couldn’t get comfortably warm despite having a Northface sleeping bag (rated for 25/40 degrees) and a SeatoSummit Thermolite Reactor Extreme liner. I also threw on top of Daisy and I (she had a sleeping pad and bag of her own), a survival blanket I keep in the car for emergencies.
Late into the first night, I remembered a moving quilt/blanket also in Kai’s trunk for emergencies. I was too cold to retrieve it from the car that night. But for the second night, I laid it on the floor of the tent under Daisy and then wrapped it over both of us. Though the situation that night was better than the first, I was still not comfortably warm. (This is why winter is my least favorite season – I spend all winter trying to keep my hands and feet warm.)
frost on the hood of my car
While I disliked throwing in the towel, I also didn’t want to suffer through two more nights of frigid weather. I tried to remember that the goal has to serve me and not the other way around.
a stinkbug at the campsite – look at the pattern and coloration on it!
After tearing down camp and packing the car, Daisy and I headed northeast back home with a planned stop at Doerun Pitcher Plant Bog Wildlife Management Area (US-7882). It is a relatively small WMA – only 600 acres. The land was purchased in 1994 from a family estate and named for the pitcher plants found on site.
source: Google Maps
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants. According to Wikipedia, they have a “deep cavity filled with digestive liquid” in which insects are trapped and drown. There are over 100 species of carnivorous plants worldwide and three New World (North and South America) genus including sarracenia which are found at this WMA. The three species one can view at this park are the yellow pitcher plant (sarracenia flava), hooded pitcher plant (sarracenia minor), and the parrot pitcher plant (sarracenia psittacina).
yellow pitcher plantshooded pitcher plants – Photo by David McAdoo, Source: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sarracenia-minor/
I was able to view all three species though they were not in their prime due to the cold temperatures.
This WMA is easily spotted from the road. It is a short drive into the property where one encounters a kiosk and trail to the pitcher plant bog. As there was no one present and no power lines in the parking lot, I decided to set up here for my activation.
entrance to the park
On the edge of the parking lot was a pine tree with branches low enough to reach with my arbor line. There were plenty of parking spaces to the left of my car so there was no issue running my antenna northwest across the lot. That enabled Daisy and I to sit in the sun (again, it was chilly in the shade here) and see anyone approaching in case I did need to move my antenna. I installed the Tufteln EFRW easily and readied myself to get on the air.
our QTH – Daisy is snoozing in the sun!
Unfortunately, I did not have sufficient cell service to access the POTA site at this park. I texted Glenn and he spotted me on 14.058. As I had a four-hour drive ahead of me, this was a park at which I would not linger so sticking to one band would have to suffice.
Twenty meters did not disappoint. In fifty minutes, I had 23 contacts, many of whom I knew – Steve N2YLO, Todd W2TEF, Ed KN9V, Brian K3ES, Eric WZ5MM, Rick K8BMA, and Bob AC9MG. Though the POTA exchange may be short and not challenging, I always enjoy seeing ops I know on the air during an activation. It puts a smile on my face. (I just wish I could knew and remember everyone’s name. I sent the wrong name to Carlos AE2W – sorry about that!)
QSO Map for Doerun Pitcher Plant Bog WMA 1-3-2025
With this park successfully activated, it was time to head home to Savannah. The other parks I had hoped to activate during this trip – Kolomoki Mounds State Park, Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Walter F. George WMA, Silver Lake State Fishing Lake, and/or Lake Seminole WMA – would have to wait for another trip.
But that isn’t the end. Just like Ginsu knives, there is more! As I had set aside Sunday for this trip, I resolved to find a park near Savannah to activate that day. What park would I pick? Stay tuned…
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Note: This is the second article for my trip to southwest Georgia at the beginning of January 2025. If you didn’t read the first article, it is available here: Elmodel Wildlife Management Area.
Thursday, January 2nd, Daisy and I headed to Chickasawhatchee Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The park is a short 45-minute drive from Kolomoki Mounds State Park. We drove through more small towns, past peanut warehouses, chicken houses, and cotton fields. Though chilly, it was a gorgeous day with cloudless, sunny skies promising warmer temperatures as the day progressed.
source: Google Mapspoultry house on the drive to and from the parkcotton in the field
The state of Georgia has 14 river basins and 52 watersheds. The Chickasawhatchee Swamp occupies 30,000 acres along the Flint River Basin and 20,000 of those acres are protected inside the Chickasawhatchee WMA (US-3739). According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the swamp is among the largest freshwater swamps in the southeastern United States. It is unique in that “the collection of spring and surface water tributaries unite in bottomlands where the limestone bedrock is thin and soft, giving it a relatively direct connection to the local aquifer.”
source: New Georgia Encyclopedia
The park is well marked and the signage easily viewed from the road. I entered from the northwest corner off Georgia Route 62. In front of me was a packed, red-clay road just begging to be driven. I knew I had an activation scheduled but the desire to explore relegated that activation to the back burner. I drove for nearly an hour in the WMA exploring the park as my own private safari. I was in heaven!
kiosk after entering the parkthe road into the parkI think this is a tilled dove field for hunting.bottomlands in the park – a nice, little freshwater swamp
Around 1 PM, we reached an intersection of two roads in an open area. It was time to stop exploring and take care of business – my POTA activation. At the intersection was a large oak into which an EFRW could be installed and plenty of sun so Daisy and I could sit outside and stay warm. (Though the temperature had warmed considerably from earlier in the day, I still felt chilly in the shade.)
Daisy is ready to POTA!arbor line in tree getting ready to hoist EFRWfeed-end of the antenna connected to my Tom Bihn bag in which I keep my coax and throw kit
Up went the Tufteln EFRW and soon I was on the air. Given the time of day, I opted to begin with 20 meters. Jeff W4JSH was the first to answer my CQ. Over the next half an hour, the calls rolled in. I then jumped to 15 meters for two calls and then 17 meters for six calls. As I had access to the POTA page at this WMA, I tried hunting other activators but was successful with only one – Harry K9DXA at US-1001.
my setup – note the straight key which will be discussed in the next article
Before finishing out the day, I texted Glenn W4YES and he remoted into our ham shack. We worked one another on 40 meters (I gave him a 599 but on his end, I was only a 339). I then worked two more callers on 40 meters including John K4ZI. I was his first POTA contact ever. How awesome is that!
By this point in the day, the sun was lower in the sky, taking the warmer temperatures with it. I packed up my equipment and headed back to Kolomoki Mounds State Park.
This evening I attempted something I’ve never done when camping – build a campfire. Usually it is too wam for a fire when I camp. However, the temperatures would be in the lower 30s tonight again and I hankered to sit by a fire. I know how to build a fire as my ex-husband had a wood stove and I built many a fire in it. It wasn’t long before I had a blazing fire going. I felt like the character played by Tom Hanks in Castaway: “Me….Build….Fire!”
Daisy lounged in her sleeping bag nearby while I sat next to the fire, poking it periodically. Ahhhh. A lovely end to a lovely day. Where to next? Stay tuned…
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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→
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…
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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:
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After striking out at Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, it was time for this POTA Babe to get back on track with my goal of 60 new valid park activations for 2024. As much as I enjoyed the historic sites and the refuge I recently visited, I needed to return to activating wildlife management areas.
Wildlife management areas (WMAs), properties set aside for conservation as well as hunting and fishing, are plentiful in the state of Georgia. Georgia has 163 WMAs and 38 are located within 75 miles of my home QTH. So it makes sense I would include those in my 60 new activations pursuit.
I set my sights on Morgan Lake WMA (US-9791) and Griffin Ridge WMA (US-3752) because they are an hour’s drive from my home and across the road from one another. Talk about convenient!
map source: worldatlas.com
Daisy and I set out early Tuesday, October 1st. During the drive, I encountered two groups of ambulances moving north on Interstate 95. At a rest stop, several EMTs from one group were taking a quick break and wore t-shirts with “Disaster Relief” on them. It was a reminder of the recent events due to Hurricane Helene.
I chose to activate Morgan Lake WMA first. According to the map, most of the property appeared to be wetlands but there is a boat landing for fisherman to access Morgan Lake. In fact, the road you use to reach the landing is built up a good 10-12 feet, I assume, to provide access even when the area experiences flooding.
boat landing and train trestle bridge
WMAs vary in their presentation. Some are nicer than others with shooting ranges and gravel roads. Morgan Lake was, frankly, on the dumpier side. This was not the place to come to commune with nature. But no matter. I was here to do an activation, so I set about getting my equipment up and running.
Map for Morgan Lake WMA. source: GA DNR
I opted for the Chelegance MC-750 today. Attempting two parks in one day meant I needed a quick and easy set up and a vertical would provide that.
Chelegance MC-750 with a train in the backgroundsetting up on the gravel parking lot
Despite poor band conditions at some of my past activations, today the bands were great! (You’d really want that on a day you are attempting back-to-back activations.) Even better, I had internet access at this park, though it was on the slow side. I could spot myself (always a plus) and it wasn’t long before calls began coming in once I was spotted on the POTA website.
Forty meters gave me 15 contacts in 20 minutes – not bad! It was good to hear so many from the southeast, some I hadn’t heard fromin a while. Given I had a second activation to attempt and I wasn’t thrilled with the site conditions at Morgan Lake, I called QRT after contact #15, packed up, and headed across the road to Griffin Ridge WMA.
QSO Map for Morgan Lake WMA (by home QTH) source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
Griffin Ridge is a much larger WMA than Morgan Lake. The park has two access points from the road and I chose the one farther to the north as it looked the more inviting of the two.
Map for Griffin Lake WMA. source: GA DNR
Again, given I was short on time today, I found a little area off to the side near the information kiosk by the road. If I visit this WMA again, I’ll drive further in and find a place away from the road noise.
entrance to Griffin Ridge WMA
The little place I found was somewhat shaded which Daisy and I needed given the warm weather. The day had been mostly overcast; however, I’ve learned to not trust that will persist. Nothing like being in the middle of an activation and the sun comes out from the behind the clouds to roast you.
the spot I found just perfect for parking Kai
For the North Carolina trip this past July, I purchased a Mountain Laurel Designs shelter. It was handy for my SOTA activation at Black Balsam Knob. I figured it would also be useful for POTA activations in the heat. Since I can activate next to my car for POTA, I used the front and rear wiper blades as well as the roof rack to attach three sides of the tent and the surrounding foliage to which to attach the other two. My hiking pole was not tall enough to support the center, so I used the outer rear door handle on the car to elevate the bottom of the pole to give me enough height so I could sit in my Helinox chair under the tent. It was not the best setup but good enough for today. I need to give more thought how to better support and use the tent as a shelter with my car.
Daisy relaxing
We all know band conditions fluctuate throughout the day and I hoped they would hold up for my second activation. Guess what? They did!!!
I opted for 20 meters given it was nearly noon and had 39 contacts in a little over an hour. I was thrilled! That is a “good” thing about bad band conditions. When the bands behave, you really, REALLY appreciate it.
QSO Map for Griffin Ridge WAM (by home QTH) source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/view from under the tent at my QTH
As I packed up my equipment, I reflected on the two activations. Of the two, I would return to Griffin Ridge. The foliage and landscape reminded me of Canoochee Sandhills WMA; however, it was nicer than Canoochee and not nearly as remote, which could be considered bad or good, depending on your perspective. I would definitely set up farther inside the property to avoid the road noise unless it had rained a lot prior to my visit. The road into the property was quite sandy and soft and deep in some spots. My car might not be able to navigate those conditions after a heavy rain.
A valid activation at these two parks put me at 41 out of the 60 new park activations for which I am aiming in 2024. There are only three more months of this year so I am running out of time to reach my goal. It would be easy to accomplish my goal if life didn’t keep getting in the way, right?
There are still plenty of wildlife management areas to consider as well as properties closer to the coast as I continue my pursuit. Where will I show up next? Stay tuned…
For those interested, visit my YouTube channel for a video about this activation.
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Friday, September 13th, I headed to Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge (US-0265) for a POTA activation and was without Daisy as dogs are not allowed at this refuge. Pinckney Island is a 4,000+ acre wildlife refuge off Highway US 278 on the way to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The refuge consists of four islands and numerous small hammocks with Pinckney Island being the largest of the islands and the only one open to the public.
The refuge is named after Major General Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and is one of seven refuges managed by the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex in Savannah, Georgia. Prior to my time as a ham radio operator, I volunteered for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and spent time at four – Savannah, Harris Neck, Wassaw Island, and Blackbeard Island – out of the seven refuges they manage. I never made it to Pinckney Island so I was excited to finally see this property.
Portrait by James Earl. Source: Wikipedia
Most of Pinckney Island is accessible by foot or bicycle only. After parking my car in the designated lot, I began hiking to my destination – Ibis Pond, a large pond for waterfowl about a mile from the parking lot.
Just before I reached the information kiosk, I got a great look at an armadillo doing what most gardeners and lawn aficionados hate – tearing up the ground in search of food. This mammal eats mostly invertebrates including insects and especially likes grubs. They have horrible eyesight but keen hearing and I was surprised this guy or gal let me get as close as he or she did.
information kiosk
Pinckney island is an important link in the chain of wildlife refuges along the Atlantic Flyway and attracts thousands of migratory birds each year, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Atlantic Flyway is a major north-south route for migratory birds and it generally follows the Atlantic Coast of the US.
source: North Dakota Fish & Game Department
I saw and heard many birds while visiting the refuge including a flock of White Ibis feeding in the marsh and tidal flats, a Great Blue Heron fishing with a Snowy Egret walking nearby, American Coots, a molting male Painted Bunting, crows flying overhead, and I swear I heard a pair of Sandhill Cranes calling to one another at Ibis Pond. I could have spent all day watching the comings and goings of the refuge inhabitants let alone do a POTA activation.
White Ibis feeding in the marshAmerican Coots at Ibis PondWhite Ibis in the trees at the pond during my activationTrail into Pinckney Island
However, I was here for POTA and, in short order, arrived at Ibis Pond. It is one of five manmade ponds on the island and exists to preserve feeding and nesting areas for birds. The pond has cattails around its edges and much of the water is covered by duckweed.I figured I would be less likely to have any human visitors if I followed the trail around the pond to the far side. But I was wrong. Ten to twelve people walked by my station while there, more than I usually encounter at any park. Continue reading The POTA Babe Spreads Her Wings at Pinckney Island→
After an interesting and successful activation at Fort McAllister, I turned my sights southward and further back in time to Fort Morris Historic Site (US-3717).
source: gastateparks.org
Fort Morris Historic Site contains earthen fortifications that date back to the Revolutionary War. The site is simpler than that of Fort McAllister. Fort Morris was built to protect the town of Sunbury. Sunbury was a thriving, cosmopolitan community on the Medway River. In fact, three signers of the Declaration of Independence came from Sunbury. The river has a naturally deep channel that allowed the town to compete with the city of Savannah for commerce.
Fort Morris was attacked by the British in late 1778 and told to surrender. Colonel John McIntosh told the British, “Come and take it.” The British left but returned later with reinforcements and did take the fort, renaming it Fort George.
The capture of Fort Morris was the beginning of the decline of Sunbury. The British burned the town after its capture. Sunbury lost economic significance, suffered from hurricanes in 1804 and 1824 as well as yellow fever and malaria epidemics, and was abandoned by 1860. There are no remaining ruins of the historic town except for a cemetery in which many of the tombstones were destroyed by the 1870s.
I arrived at Fort Morris early, September 2nd, on an overcast day. The trees next to and over the entrance road formed a welcoming green canopy. I left Daisy at home as I planned to walk through the small museum on site and dogs are not allowed inside. What I didn’t know is that the museum is only open Friday through Sunday.
the entrance road with green canopyparking lotthe museum
I had the site to myself nearly my entire visit. I walked to the fort first to see if I would be allowed on top of the embankments. Nope! So I walked out of and to the right of the fort along a path that runs around the entire structure. The path is dotted with live oaks whose Spanish moss flitted in the nonstop breeze.
the fort from the parking lotsweet pea flower on the embankments
These trees were perfect for the Tufteln EFRW I so often use. I wanted to run my antenna northeast which would put it on the path I walked to get to this spot. In short order, the antenna was installed and I added some more flagging tape for visibility.
live oak tree I used – EFRW antenna attaching to Thom Bihn bag on path. you can barely see the flagging tape in the photo
I first thought to set up at the sole picnic table behind the fort. (How convenient for an activation!) But, on second thought, that would put my back to the path and, though I’d have a lovely view of the Medway River, I would not be able to watch for pedestrians who might walk into my antenna. Instead, I set up my Helinox chair on the opposite side of the path. This way I could still view the river but also look up and down the path.
picnic table with a nice viewHelinox chair – note the POTA flag blowing in the steady breeze
The bands were kind to me today. I began with 40 meters and had two callers, both from Georgia, on that band. I moved to 20 meters where the bulk of my QSOs happened – 29 in total! I also logged one QSO on 15 meters and six QSOs on 17 meters, though none of those were DX as I had hoped for. All in all, I was pleased with this activation.
QSO map for Fort Morris Historic Site 9-3-2024 source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
This activation was also my second using an app on my iPhone for logging – Ham2K PoLo. What I like about Ham2K PoLo is that it is easy to use and the name and location of the op remains on the screen while you are logging the QSO. The app provides a way for me to compare the QTH in the record to the one I copy. It also allows me to thank ops by name at the end of the QSO which I have always liked to do but stopped doing when I used paper unless I could recall the name associated with the callsign.
Ham2K PoLo screenshot
There are a few downsides from my perspective on using the app. First of all, I cannot type the callsign as fast I could write it. But that is because I haven’t become accustomed to using the app yet. Also, if I hear a partial call during a pile-up, I can’t note it unless I write it on a piece of paper. Lastly, when I hunt other activators, I like to write down their information since the POTA app moves everyone’s information on the screen as it updates spots. To get around this difficulty, I started taking a screenshot of an activator’s information and saved it to my photos so I could enter the information in PoLo at my leisure while I hunted the activator.
An interesting sidenote – After I wrote this article, I put together a video of the activation itself which I usually don’t do. I found two busted call signs which is not typical for me. I think there are four reasons for what happened.
First, I am still becoming accustomed to using the new app and that is a distraction while trying to copy information in the QSO. Second, I relied on the app to confirm the QTH. In both instances where I copied the call sign incorrectly, the incorrect call sign also had the same QTH so it didn’t help me in those situations. Third, I need to brush up on my Instant Character Recognition. Last but not least, instead of confirming the callsign at the end of the QSO, I used the op’s name after “TU” since I had it available from the app. I think thanking someone by name is a nice touch; however, many ops who hunt POTA are probably not conversant with conversational CW and may therefore not recognize their name in CW.
To avoid a repeat of what happened, I’ll make several changes. First, I will return to pencil and paper. Sure, having the data logged in the app saves me time; however, my activations have maybe 40 or so QSOs at the most which doesn’t take much time to enter back home. Second, at the end of my QSOs, I will return to using the callsign behind “TU” and only include the op’s name if I remember it. Third, I need more work with Instant Character Recognition – both working with the Word List Trainer tool but, more importantly, spending more time in on-the-air QSOs, especially those using conversational CW. I’ve had less in the way of code buddy QSOs over the summer due to propagation and busy schedules. That changes this month as I resume regular QSOs with two code buddies – Caryn KD2GUT and Gary K4IIG.
So there you have it – my activation at Fort Morris Historic Site – #39 on the list as I work toward 60 new valid park activations this year. Will I continue my streak of historic properties or return to wildlife management areas next? Stay tuned…
Activation Video
If you are interested, here is the link for the activation video on POTA Babe YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/naqWlAatnIs
Equipment Used
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After a fun POTA for K2D the previous week, it was time to resume the pursuit of my 2024 goal – 60 new valid POTA activations. Friday, August 30th, I headed to Fort McAllister State Park (US-2175). Though I have lived in Savannah most of my life, I’ve never visited this park in nearby Richmond Hill.
The park is located at Genesis Point, a bluff on the Ogeechee River. An earthen fort was build on the bluff to protect the plantations along the Ogeechee River and the Savannah, Albany, and Gulf railroad bridge. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, it is the best preserved earthwork fortifications of the Confederacy. The fort repelled seven Union naval attacks between 1862 and 1863 but was finally captured by General Sherman from the landward side during his March to the Sea campaign.
After being captured, the fort became a prison for Confederate soldiers captured on the upper Georgia coast. It fell into disrepair until purchased by Henry Ford (yes, that Henry Ford) in the 1930s and restoration began on the site. Later the fortifications were restored to their 1863 appearance.
A model of the fort as to how it looked in 1863
I arrived at the park around 8:30 AM without Daisy. Though she loves going with me, the heat and humidity were simply too high for her comfort and I wanted to tour the museum at the site. (Often dogs are not allowed inside buildings at parks.)
park map – source: GA DNR
If you visit the park, please take the time to walk through the museum. It is well done, looking at the history of the site all the way back to the Guale Indians who originally occupied this land. There is also a room devoted to ironclads. (After entering the park, there is an outside exhibit for the machinery that was in the CSS Nashville, a ship who was sunk on the Ogeechee River by the Union ironclad Montauk.)
ironclad room at the museum
After walking through the museum, you head outside to the greenway leading to the fort. There is a signal tower like one that would have been constructed after the capture of Fort McAllister, non-commissioned officer huts, and a reproduction of a barracks building that previously occupied the site.
signal tower reproductionNCO hutsinside of a NCO hut
Then you come to the fort. Who doesn’t love a fort? Though this one is simple, you could get turned around in it fairly easily. The inside is accessed via a bridge crossing a moat with palisades in it. I found the central bombproof shelter interesting though I certainly wouldn’t want to shelter in it. Just outside it, I discovered a deer eating breakfast.
view of the fortpalisades in the moat – ouch!inside the fortentrance to central bombproof
I couldn’t have asked for a better day for viewing the Ogeechee River. Wow! A bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds reflecting in the river below and hardly a ripple on the surface. Views like this is one of the reasons I love living in coastal Georgia.
the Ogeechee River – What is not to love about a view like this?!
I would have enjoyed setting up on top of the fortifications like I did at Fort Anne in Nova Scotia. However, there wasn’t as much room here and setting up the EFRW here might not be appreciated.
path on top of fortification looking down to live oak trees by marsh
I looked below and saw several oak trees near the riverbank. Though there was a gravel path, it was wider than the path on top of the fort. Anyone walking by would have plenty of room to avoid my antenna. Plus the trees would shade me from the summer sun.
my potential QTH from a ground view
After several tries, I snagged a live oak branch and had the Tufteln EFRW installed. I set up my Helinox chair, settled my equipment on my Tufteln kneeboard, and got to business.
view from my Helinox chaira squareback marsh crab visiting
I started with 40 meters, giving ops close to home a crack at me; but the only op who contacted me was Lou N8LEM, a nice op in Ohio from one of my CW Innovations classes. I switched to 20 meters and that band proved to be the heavy lifter of the day – 31 CW QSOs over the course of an hour and a half, including two park-to-parks: Carson W8VAB at US-1828 in West Virginia and the Tortolita Radio Club KT7RC at US-4571 in Arizona.
QSO Map Fort McAllister State Park 8-24-2024 source: http://tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/
By noon, it was time to call QRT. The sun was gradually encroaching on my shady locale and I had sweated enough for one day.
my setup
I had no idea this park was such a gem! The fort is accessed only by paying a fee or purchasing a Georgia State Park historic site annual pass. (There are picnic grounds accessible with a state park pass or $5 fee outside the museum and fort area.) As I intend to revisit the site as well as other historic sites over the course of this next year, I went ahead and purchased a pass.
picnic grounds outside museum
For those interested, you may access my YouTube video for this activation via the following link: https://youtu.be/IhXsd87fy6k
My valid activation here gave me #38 of the 60 parks I need for my 2024 goal. I have four months to get the remaining activations I need. Where will I show up next? Stay tuned…
Equipment Used
[Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]
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) In an effort to shake things up, I decided to use all three keys currently in my POTA kit: the VK3IL-design paddle gifted to me by Brian K3ES, the BaMaTech III paddle, and the CW Morse Pocket Single Paddle/Cootie key.
