Tag Archives: Parks On The Air (POTA)

Field Reports, Morse Code, New Products, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel, Videos

Carolina Beach State Park: A QRP Oasis Amidst the Summer Heat and Activities

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Tuesday, July 9, 2024, was a very radio-active day!

I was in Wilmington, North Carolina, and that morning, I had the privilege of activating the Battleship North Carolina from inside the battleship. Click here to read the field report and watch the video.

In short? It was amazing and certainly a fabulous way to start the day.

We were in Wilmington because one of my daughters was attending a week-long program at NC State University, and the other was attending a similar program at UNC Wilmington.

That Tuesday afternoon, after dropping my daughter off on the campus of UNC Wilmington, my wife suggested we hit Carolina Beach State Park for a POTA activation. It didn’t take me a microsecond to agree to that plan!

Carolina Beach State Park (US-2722)

Carolina Beach State Park, located just south of Wilmington, is a unique spot full of natural wonders. The park covers over 760 acres of Pleasure Island, with diverse habitats ranging from the impressive 50-foot Sugarloaf Dune (which used to be used as a navigational aid) to the fascinating limesink ponds, each with its own special plant community.

The park is also home to the Venus flytrap, a rare carnivorous plant found only in a small part of the Carolinas. You can explore the park’s trails, winding through maritime forests and maybe even catching a glimpse of these fascinating plants in action. The park also has a marina for easy access to the Cape Fear River and the Intracoastal Waterway, making it a great spot for boating and fishing.

We arrived at the park a little before 4:00 PM local time. Had it not been so hot and humid, we would have hit one of the park’s trails before finding a spot to do POTA, but the weather being what it was, both of us were happy to spend time in the shade.

We pulled into the main picnic area and quickly found a spot to set up. As I pulled out my radio and camera gear, my wife, Heather, pulled out her travel watercolor kit, all packed in a Tom Bihn HLT1 (we’re a pack geek family!).

When Heather joins me on POTA activations, she almost always sets up somewhere and paints while I activate. I love the fact that we both enjoy the experience in different ways.

In fact, my buddy Steve (KC5F), who is also an avid POTA activator, performs almost all of his activations with his wife, who also paints while he activates. He told me that she likes a good couple of hours of painting, so he typically racks up a lot of contacts in that amount of time.

Setting Up

The first thing I did was set up my Thermacell mosquito repeller–it needs a few minutes to do its thing and clear out the mozzies. The model I carry, the “backpacker,” fits a standard backpacking stove canister. I’ve recommended this one to many other POTA ops who operate in areas with mosquitoes–so far, it’s never let me down!

Also, I want to send a big shout-out to Alanna (K4AAC) and Bob (K4RLC) for making this activation even more civilized.

After watching an activation earlier this year at Tuttle Educational State Forest, where I placed my KX2 and logbook on a wet and dirty picnic table–covered in pollen and other tree bits–Alanna ordered a blue Gingham picnic tablecloth and whisk and had it sent to me.

I’ve had this tablecloth packed in the go-box I keep in the Subaru, and this activation was the perfect time to put it to use because the table I chose needed cleaning!

Thanks, Bob and Alanna!

Next, I deployed my PackTenna 9:1 End-Fed Random Wire antenna and paired it with my Elecraft KX2.

New paddle mount!

I did (finally) get to try out a new piece of kit in the field: a newly-designed paddle mount from Steve (KB3SII) at QRPworks.

Steve handed this prototype mount to me at Hamvention this year. It’s an updated design of one we tested last year.

You basically attach the mount to the front of the KX2 (or KX3) and place a paddle like the Bamakey TP-III that has strong rare earth magnets. The paddle locks onto the metal pad and makes for a rock-solid, ergonomic keying experience.

Steve also sent me two short 3.5mm angled cords to connect the key to the radio, but I forgot to pack them for the trip. My standard paddle cable worked fine, although I had to angle the TP-III slightly.

Note that Steve plans to have these paddle mounts in production and available on the QRPworks website in the coming weeks. When they’re available, I’ll post a direct link.

With the KX2 set up and ready to go, it was time to hit the air!

Gear

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On The Air

I started calling CQ POTA on 17M and discovered that it was a fairly quiet band. Nonetheless, I worked two stations in about six minutes. Secretly, I was hoping there might be a 17M path into Europe, but then again, it was a bit late in the day for that (and it seemed 17M wasn’t terribly energized). Continue reading Carolina Beach State Park: A QRP Oasis Amidst the Summer Heat and Activities →

Digital Modes, Field Reports, FT4, FT8, Guest Posts, How To, News, Portable, POTA, QRP

Karl Heinz’s Pocket-Sized Digital HF Station

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Many thanks to Karl (K5KHK) for sharing this guest post, which originally appeared on his blog, Karl Heinz Kremer’s Ramblings:

A Digital Station in Your Pocket

by Karl Heinz (K5KHK)

How small can a complete station to work FT4/8 be? With the QRP-Labs QMX, we have a transceiver that certainly fits the bill for a small station. By itself it can only be used for CW, to use the digital modes, one has to combine it with a computer. Even the smallest laptop is too big the fit into the pockets of my cargo pants – we are trying a pocket sized station after all 😉

In this article, I will describe how to use a QMX transceiver and an iPhone to activate a POTA park with FT8.

The Components

My QMX is the original that was released at FDIM 2023, so it covers 80m to 20m. Mine is serial number #20.

My iPhone is small enough, but unlike Android based phones, the QMX cannot be connected directly to the phone. Apple sells a “camera adapter”, which plugs into the phones Lightning port on one side and provides a USB connection on the other end. $29 for the original Apple part was a bit hard to swallow, so I opted for something cheaper straight from China’s “we clone everything” factories: https://amzn.to/3WDSfUc

[Please note: All Amazon links are affiliate that support QRPer.com.]

 

The picture shows both a USB and a lightning port on the adapter. This should allow the phone to be powered/charged while the adapter is being used – more about that later.

Another limitation is the antenna: The QMX does not have a built-in antenna tuner, and even my QRP sized ZM-2 would have to live in a different pocket 🙂 My plan is to use a resonant antenna so that I would not need a tuner.

The easiest antenna with a good match is a dipole, but that is a bit more challenging to deploy in the field, so I opted for an end-fed halfway (or EFHW) antenna with a 49:1 transformer. I 3D printed a winder that allowed a BNC connector and the transformer to be mounted on the wire winder:

The design came from Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2871679

Because I am using a different toroid for the transformer, I had to remove the “bump” that is holding the toroid in place. Going forward, I may change the design a bit more to have so that I can fit more wire on the winder.

For those familiar with the transformers usually used for EFHW antennas, the picture shows two things that are different: As I’ve already mentioned, I am using a different toroid (the Fair-Rite 2661102002 core, which is a type 61), and a different winding pattern. More about that in a future post.

To power my station, I am using a TalentCell rechargeable 12V power bank:  https://amzn.to/3snTyr8

First Test

With everything in place, I tried to make a quick FT8 contact from home with this setup, but with my “big” EFHW antenna in my backyard. Because it was just a quick test, I did not even bother to hook up the charging cable for my phone (more on that later).

The software I am using is iFTx, which supports both FT4 and FT8.

I connected the phone to the adapter from above, connected the adapter via a USB cable to the QMX, and connected the QMX to a 12V power supply (unlike anywhere else in ham radio, 12V here means 12.0V and not the usual 13.8V), and hooked up the antenna to an antenna tuner and then to the EFHW in my back yard.

I answered an FT8 CQ call and successfully completed the FT8 exchange. The software does the automatic sequencing of the different messages, so it is very straight forward to use. With this first contact, I verified that the iPhone/adapter/QMX setup does work.

The Real Test

The next attempt was while camping at Hamlin Beach State Park (US-2068). I set up everything just like at home, but because I was planning on being on the air for a while. I also hooked up the cable to charge my phone while I was operating.

I was able to receive stations, but could not transmit. What made the troubleshooting more complex is that during setup, I created some sparks (that is why I do not like the barrel connector for power). I was pretty sure that the QMX was not involved, but not being able to transmit kind of suggested that I killed the finals. So I put everything away and used my KX2 instead.

Back home, I did some troubleshooting and hooked up a straight key to the QMX and it worked: I was able to finish a few CW QSOS without a problem, so the finals were definitely OK. I then set up the system again for FT8, and sure enough, I was able to make a contact. Because it was a quick test, I did not bother to use the power cable for the phone. By now, most of you probably know what the culprit was, but because I did not spell things out like this, I was still in the dark.

Success At Last

Fast forward a few more days… We went back to Hamlin Beach State Park – but this time to the picnic area – and I set up my station again. And sure enough, once everything was set up, the QMX did not transmit. This is when I took a step back and reviewed everything I had done so far, and slowly I came to the realization that when I provide power through the adapter to the phone, the QMX would not transmit.

I was able to finish my FT8 activation with my pocket sized digital station. I did run into one problem however: iFTx allows to automatically determine one’s grid square – which of course is important for FT8. When I enabled that, it correctly put me into FT13 at first, but a few QSOs later it switched me to JJ00aa – I reported this as a bug to the developer.

Using iFTx with the iPhone

The connection from the phone to the QMX is audio only. iOS does not allow an application to open a serial port connection (unlike Android). This means that the QMX will not receive any frequency information from the phone, and also no PTT signal. For this setup to work, the operator has to make sure that the QMX is tuned to the correct frequency that the correct band is selected in iFTx, and that the QMX is set to VOX mode (this is in the Digi Interface menu).

When configuring iFTx, it is possible to select a “Special Interest Activity” like POTA. This is then added to the CQ call as in “CQ POTA K5KHK FN13”.

As I’ve mentioned before, the application will automatically sequence the correct messages when a station answers the call.
Once the QSO is completed, it will be logged to the iFTx internal log, which can be exported via the usual “send to” methods available in iOS (e.g. email the log, save as a file, …).

When exporting the log, there is a choice of exporting everything, or only the new QSOs since the last export. This will create an ADIF file, which can be submitted to the POTA program, or imported into any other logging program.

At the end, I was successful in building a “pocket sized” digital station based on the QMX, I just need a fully charged phone and cannot depend on charging it while operating.

Click here to check out more articles from Karl on his blog!

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

Do I make videos of all of my field activations?

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This past weekend, I attended the WCARS hamfest in Waynesville, North Carolina. My buddy Vlado (N3CZ) and I purchased a few indoor tables to sell some gear we no longer needed.

I also gave a short presentation about the ins and outs of going QRP. It was a lot of fun!

When I go to a hamfest, I spend a great deal of time salivating over the vintage stuff. This R-388 would look brilliant in my radio room! Wish I had the space.

I was surprised at how many people introduced themselves as readers, subscribers, and supporters. It blew my mind since this is a smaller regional hamfest—not Hamvention or Huntsville!

One reader asked a question I get a lot: “Do you film all of your activations?“

The answer is no, but I probably film 80% or more. I enjoy making activation videos. When I do a real-time video, I feel like you’re there with me, and I really enjoy that.

Even though I’ve simplified my camera gear, filming still adds time to my activations. I have to plan the setup so you can easily follow along as I log, and I need to ensure the audio is acceptable. When I’m really pressed for time, I skip making a video.

In addition, each activation video and field report takes me at least four hours to prepare. Unlike most YouTubers, the video editing time is minimal, but the field report takes time: preparing the text, photos, layout, links, etc. It’s a labor of love, though, and I enjoy the process.

Speaking of offline activations…

Lunch with Vlado isn’t complete without Baklava.

After the hamfest, Vlado and I enjoyed lunch (at this brilliant Italian restaurant), then I drove to Sylva to pick up Hazel (who had been staying with my brother-in-law).

On the way home, I passed the Blue Ridge Parkway, so I did an impromptu POTA activation at the Balsam Gap Overlook (which is overgrown and not much of an overlook anymore, but still a great spot for POTA).

I decided to make a short video for YouTube answering the reader’s question.

There’s some irony in making a video stating that I don’t always make videos of activations!

Click here to watch on YouTube.

It was a fun and quick activation: ten contacts in thirteen minutes. I used my Elecraft KX2 and PackTenna 20M EFHW—always an effective combo.

Hazel enjoyed laying on the grass next to me.

All in all, a fun little activation! I was in and out of there in 22 minutes. Had I filmed this, it would have taken more than 30 minutes.

Here’s my log sheet:

Here’s the QSO Map:

Screenshot

I’ve got some great activations in the pipeline and look forward to publishing them this month!

Thank you for coming along on the journey!

Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

Articles, Field Reports, Hams, Morse Code, News, People, POTA, QRO, Travel, Vintage

Sweat, Signals, and History: A POTA Activation from the Battleship North Carolina’s Radio Room!

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Those of you who know me know that I’m a huge World War II history buff. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by the stories of bravery, sacrifice, and technological innovation that defined this era.

That’s why the activation I performed on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, was very special.

I activated the Battleship North Carolina from inside the ship, using a modern transceiver, and one of the original vertical antennas mounted on the ship.

The Battleship North Carolina State Historic Site (US-6831)

The Battleship North Carolina is a World War II-era battleship that served in the United States Navy from 1941 to 1960. It is currently a museum ship in Wilmington, North Carolina.

The ship was launched in 1940 and commissioned in 1941. During World War II, it served in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, participating in several major battles, including the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of Iwo Jima.

The USS North Carolina in Pearl Harbor in November 1942 for repairs. (Photo Source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration)

The Battleship North Carolina was decommissioned in 1960 and donated to the state of North Carolina in 1961. It has been open to the public as a museum ship since 1962.

Growing up in North Carolina, I’ve always considered the Battleship North Carolina the icon of Wilmington. You can’t cross the Cape Fear river and miss this brilliant bit of naval history–it’s so prominent and accessible.

I had not actually toured the battleship since I was a child–some 40+ years ago. Last week, however, our family spent the week in Wilmington and the battleship was first on the to-do list.

Azalea Coast Amateur Radio Club

A couple months ago, I mentioned to my buddy Bob (K4RLC), in passing, that one of my daughters was attending a week-long residential program at NC State University while the other daughter would be attending The University of North Carolina Wilmington. My wife and I would stay in Wilmington for the week and I would somehow love to activate the Battleship North Carolina for the POTA program.

Fortuitously, shortly thereafter, Bob attended a presentation about the Battleship North Carolina by Mike Hartmann (NI2S) at a radio club meeting in Raleigh. Mike is with the Azalea Coast Amateur Radio Club, the caretakers and curators of radio central in the battleship.

Bob put me in touch with Mike who then graciously accommodated my schedule, even though it required his presence throughout the activation.

Mike did make it clear that the radio room is three decks below, has no air conditioning and is a proper “sweat box.” Turns out, too, that the week we were in Wilmington coincided with a bit of a heat wave which was affecting much of the eastern US. Because of this, I asked if we could meet on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at the earliest possible time–8:00 AM, when the museum opened.

It was a beautiful morning and I arrived on site perhaps 15 minutes in advance. I needed to pull my camera gear out of the car and allow some time for it to adjust to the humidity (which was extremely high).

I thought my lens had finally acclimatized when I started the video before Mike arrived, but it turned out the lens was still a bit foggy for a minute or two.

Mike arrived and we walked into the ticket booth where I purchased my ticket. He then led me onto the deck and into one of the roped-off entrances to the lower decks.

He kindly allowed me to film walking through the ship into the radio central area. I’ll admit that it was difficult for me to keep my attention on the camera as I was walking through a ship I remembered from my childhood! Since my video is real-time, real-life, you experience it with me–I didn’t check out the ship in advance.

I was amazed at how much of the ship was open to the public and in superb, original condition.

In radio central, Mike allowed me to peek behind some of the closed off sections with my camera, so you’ll get the follow along with me.

What I didn’t realize was just how much signal intelligence was happening on a fast battleship like the USS NC.

There were rooms dedicated to listening posts, decryption/encryption, and sharing of intelligence. This was all so fascinating and enlightening.

Next, Mike opened up the actual radio room where an Icom IC-756 Pro III was hidden in one of the original ship radio desks. This being a museum, all modern gear was hidden as well as possible.

Mike was right about the room being a sweat box–even in the early morning, it was pretty hot and humid in there. Fortunately, he had two fans he turned on and pointed at us.

The view from my operating position.

Mike set up the IC-756 Pro III by connecting it to a power supply, then attaching a Bencher paddle.

The vertical–again, one of the original Battleship North Carolina antennas–also required a little bit of matching for 20 meters.

Any movement of 10 kHz or so, required engaging the 756’s internal ATU.

As I set up the camera and made a comfortable operating position, I realized just how noisy the room was with the normal ship sounds (it has its own fresh air ventilation system) and the two fans running full-bore.

I set up my wireless mics–one on me and the other inside the portion of the desk that housed the radio.

In truth, I wasn’t confident the audio would work out at all. First thing I did when I made it back to the house that day was to check the audio–turns out, it came out pretty darn well all things considered.

In fact, the audio in the video was much better than my own two ears experienced while operating. Having one of the mics much closer to the speaker and protected from the wind blowing really made a difference.

Case in point: In the video, you’ll see I struggled to copy OE6GND–his signal was weak, but I copied it first go when I listened to the video. Continue reading Sweat, Signals, and History: A POTA Activation from the Battleship North Carolina’s Radio Room! →

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

Lee’s QRP CW POTA Adventure on Black-a-Tor

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Black-A-Tor Copse National Nature ReserveMany thanks to Lee (M0VKR) who shares the following field report and video:

A QRP CW POTA Adventure on Black-a-Tor

by Lee (M0VKR)

It was another sunny morning when my wife Joanne and I set off for a new mini adventure. Our destination was Black-a-Tor on Dartmoor, Devon, a scenic location ideal for a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation. We had not activated this park before so didn’t know what to expect. With excitement abound and a bit of nervous anticipation after looking at the propagation figures, we parked their car at Meldon Dam Reservoir car park, the starting point of our trek.

The weather was pleasantly warm as we began the journey, following a meandering river that gently led us towards our destination. The path was relatively easy, allowing us to enjoy the natural beauty surrounding us. At one point a horse fly latched onto my arm, and although I indicated my displeasure it continued to harass me for a good 10 minutes or so, before eventually giving up.

As we hiked, the silhouette of Black-a-Tor gradually appeared on the horizon, beckoning us closer. A short climb later, we found ourselves at the summit, ready to set up for our POTA activation.

After a delicious boil in the bag meal of Chicken curry and a pot noodle heated on the jet boil stove (and of course a mug of tea!), we started proceedings with the trusty Elecraft KH1 hooked up to the MPAS, calling out into the ether for about 45 minutes.

Despite best efforts, the airwaves remained silent, and no contacts were made. Relatively unfazed but a little dejected, I decided to bring out the backup—the Elecraft KX3. This radio, with its extra power, held the promise of better luck. I think in hindsight if I had just stuck with the KH1 a little longer the RF gods would swing things in our favour, or perhaps the extra little bit of power helped? Now I know you need to quadruple your power to make a single S unit of difference at the receiving station, but maybe, just maybe the extra 5 watts or so might have helped us just break over the noise threshold?

After setting up the KX3, we managed to make a very scratchy CW contact with my son, Daniel, who was back at home on 40 meters, around 70 miles away. I must admit at this point enthusiasm was depleted a little and the poor propagation conditions continued to be a challenge on this activation, and I was struggling sending with the Bamatech key for some reason. I think I had been a bit over enthusiastic when setting it up and it felt a tight in operation. A couple of European stations faded out just as quickly as they had appeared, leaving me feeling a bit frustrated to be honest. Things are not normally this difficult! I think this is the point of these longer videos (se below) it’s important to show the struggles and the highlights.

With all this being said, as if by magic after calling again on 20m, the station K2UPD suddenly erupted out of the KX3’s speaker loud and clear, as if he was on the next hill. The sudden clarity of the signal was surprising and caught me off guard. I simply couldn’t believe I was hearing a letter K, and I struggled to comprehend the characters, once my brain had recalibrated itself. I couldn’t help but smile.

It was a gentle reminder of the CW innovations Comprehensive Instant Character recognition course that coach Jon KC1FUU has mentioned so many times, Ignore the scope, and ignore the propagation predictors, persevere, and just call, as you never know who will answer! In ham radio, sometimes it’s all or nothing. The contacts started to come in more steadily after that and it really woke me up. Suddenly we were back in the game, and eventually, we reached the 10 contacts required for a successful POTA activation.

As the summit grew busier with curious passersby, Joanne found herself fielding numerous questions about our intriguing setup. The interest from the public added an unexpected but enjoyable social element to our adventure. With our mission accomplished, we decided it was time to pack up.

On our way back down, we took a detour through the ancient woodland at Black-a-Tor. The old oak trees, with their branches draped in lichen, and the river running quite fast down the slope as it meandered through created an enchanting atmosphere. It felt as if we had stepped back in time. We lingered there for about 20 minutes, absorbing the serene beauty of the place.

It was an 8km round trip. The walk back to the car was under the blazing sun, and we were both getting a little tired from it. By the time we reached the car, we realised we had gotten sunburned on the back of our necks. It was a small price to pay for such a fulfilling day, and we made a mental note to remember the sunscreen next time, perhaps I will add a small travel tube to the admin pouch.

Reflecting on our adventure, and despite the sunburn, Joanne and I felt a deep sense of satisfaction that had overridden the previous frustration. Despite the challenges, we had successfully activated Black-a-Tor and enjoyed a day immersed in nature. The memory of this outing, like the lichen on the ancient oaks, would stay with us for a long time.

Click here to view on Lee’s YouTube channel.

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

Morning POTA with KM4CFT: Back-to-Back activations with the venerable Yaesu FT-818!

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As I write this report, I’m on the road with my family–we’ve been spending the week on the coast of North Carolina and are now (at time of publishing) in Raleigh. I’ll keep this field report short and sweet so I can publish it quickly and also fit in an activation before record temps heat up the region!

Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378)

On the morning of July 4th, 2024, Jonathan (KM4CFT) and I arranged to meet and activate on the Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378).

Jonathan was in town visiting family over the holiday weekend, and I had a brief window of time that morning to join him. My schedule had been packed since Field Day, making this my first chance for a POTA activation for a couple of weeks.

We knew it would be an interesting activation right from the start: we both arrived at the Folk Art Center at the same time and were greeted by a large black bear strolling down the road in front of the entrance! A bear walking away from your POTA spot is always a good thing.

After a quick catch-up, I grabbed my arborist throw line and deployed the 30/40 meter linked end-fed half-wave antenna I’d built using the KM4CFT antenna kit.

It would have been rude to use another antenna with KM4CFT standing right there! (Note to N5FY: Yes, I know I’ve been rude to you on many previous activations, haha!)

Gear:

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On The Air: The Accidental Self-Spot

Jonathan took to the air first. Since neither of us had announced our activation, I opened POTA.app to spot him. Except, I didn’t. In a moment of confusion, I accidentally spotted myself!

It turns out there’s no easy way to delete your own spot once you’ve done that. (If there is, I’d love to know, though I hope to never make that mistake again!)

What followed was rather comical. Jonathan noticed people thought he was me, even though he used his own callsign in each exchange. I guess it’s easy to mishear a callsign when you think you already know it!

I kept spotting myself “QRT,” but many kind operators kept re-spotting me. I even moved to 14,000 kHz (an out-of-band frequency I’d never use) and spotted myself QRT. People were still re-spotting me on Jonathan’s frequency!

It was funny, and the early morning hour on a holiday probably contributed to the confusion.

After Jonathan logged his ten contacts, he handed the radio over to me. I swapped out paddles (his TP-III setup mounted to the FT-818 wasn’t comfortable for me).

I started calling CQ POTA de K4SWL, spotted myself (correctly this time!), and the real activation began.

In the end, I worked 25 stations in 26 minutes. Thanks to all the hunters!

Then it was time to call QRT and continue our day. It was great seeing Jonathan and fitting in a little POTA before the day really started!

QSO Map

Here’s what this five-watt activation looked like when plotted out on a QSO Map:

Activation Video

Here’s my real-time, real-life video of the entire activation.  As with all of my videos, I don’t edit out any parts of the on-air activation time. In addition, I have monetization turned off on YouTube, although that doesn’t stop them from inserting ads before and after my videos.

Note that Patreon supporters can watch and even download this video 100% ad-free through Vimeo on my Patreon page:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Thank you

Thank you for joining me during this activation! (And thank you, Jonathan, for joining me!)

I hope you enjoyed the field report and my activation video as much as I enjoyed creating them!

Of course, I’d also like to send a special thanks to those of you who have been supporting the site and channel through Patreon, and the Coffee Fund. While not a requirement, as my content will always be free, I really appreciate the support.

As I mentioned before, the Patreon platform connected to Vimeo makes it possible for me to share videos that are not only 100% ad-free but also downloadable for offline viewing. The Vimeo account also serves as a third backup for my video files.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me! Have a brilliant week ahead and be kind to one another out there!

Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

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

Back in the Game for the POTA Babe

2 Comments

by Teri (KO4WFP)

After a five week break from POTA, it was time to get back in the game! I leave for my North Carolina camping/POTA trip Sunday, July 14th and frankly miss being out on an activation. To remedy that situation, Monday, July 8th, I headed to Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area (WMA), POTA park US-1603.

source: Google maps

Tuckahoe WMA consists of 15,000 acres purchased by the State of Georgia in 1990. Hunting for deer, turkey, and coyotes is allowed on the property in season. The property has over 10 small ponds for fishing and three designated camping areas. It is located in Screven county and its eastern border is the Savannah River.

When researching Tuckahoe WMA for this article, I came across information regarding the Battle of Briar Creek which was fought on March 3, 1779. Much of the battle site lies within the boundaries of Tuckahoe WMA.

The attack that day in 1779 by the British was a surprise and 150 Americans lost their lives. The aftermath proved especially bloody because the British were enraged over the death of one of their sergeants – Hugh McAllister – whose body was found hacked to pieces. As a result, the American wounded were hunted down and bayonetted. According to an article in the Athens Banner-Herald, “the British victory was so decisive scholars believe it prolonged the American Revolution by a year, changing the course of U.S. history.”

Back in the present day, Daisy and I left Savannah early under grey and sprinkling skies. The drive to Tuckahoe was pleasant and took us through Sylvania, Georgia again. Along the route, I spied a rainbow with a slight double-bow on its left-hand side. I hoped that was a good omen.

Downtown Sylvania, Georgia

The map on the Georgia Department of Natural Resources website showed what looked like several entrances for the property. I opted to take the second entrance I found but that proved to be a mistake as a tree blocked the road. I backtracked to the first entrance (where the battlefield sign is) and found myself on a wide, gravel road.

Access denied!

The woods I encountered on the property were open, mostly pine, and, I think, managed for wildlife and hunting as evidenced by several turkeys I watched crossing the road in front of me. It wasn’t far before I saw the memorial for the Battle of Briar Creek.

Originally, I intended to reach one of the boat ramps on the Savannah River, deep inside the WMA, as my activation site. However, given the limited time I had for an activation and the availability of low branches in an open area, I opted for a place just past the memorial as my QTH. I set up the hitching system for Daisy so she could enjoy the outdoors while I worked with my equipment. I oriented the EFHW antenna toward the north running the coax back underneath it hoping that orientation would push my signal to the north and west. (The orientation worked as per my QSO map below.) It wasn’t long before I was ready to call CQ. I went to spot myself and discovered there was…

Hitch system set up between Kai’s roof rack and large pine tree

NO CELL COVERAGE! (A POTA activators worst nightmare!) Ugh. I couldn’t even text anyone asking them to spot me. Continue reading Back in the Game for the POTA Babe →

Accessories, Field Radio Kits, News, Portable, POTA, SOTA, Videos

The Write Stuff: My pencil/paper weatherproof logging combo!

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If you’ve followed my field reports in the past couple of years, you’ll know that I predominantly use Rite In The Rain notepads and mechanical pencils.

When I first started my POTA journey in 2019, I would print out log sheets for each activation just like I did during the National Parks On The Air program in 2016. It was a very inexpensive and organized way to manage all of my written logs.

Over time, though, I made a shift to small pocket-sized notepads (Moleskine, Moji, Mead…) basically any pad that took up less space and could remain in my QRP field kits.

Rite In The Rain

After a couple of moisture mishaps with Moleskine pads (which, by the way, I otherwise love) I decided to completely shift to using Rite In The Rain spiral-bound notepads.

I resisted doing this for a long time because Rite In The Rain pads aren’t cheap; they typically cost about $6-$7 US each, but they are made in the US and are very high quality. They don’t smudge or smear.

My father-in-law is a retired professor of Botany and the bulk of his research time was (literally) in the field–in the mountains of western North Carolina. He’s always been a huge fan of Rite In The Rain and we often purchased these for him as gifts.

I switched to Rite In The Rain and haven’t regretted it. Yes, they’re pricier than all of the previous options I’d used, but they are insanely durable, can survive getting wet, and they hold quite a lot of my 45-60 minute POTA and SOTA activations! One pad will typically last me several months.

There are two sizes of pads I use:

(Left) 3×5″ and (Right) 4×6″ Notepad

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The 3×5″ sixe easily fits in my Pelican 1060 case

I find that both sizes work well. I tend to use the larger 4×6 size most of the time, but I love the 3×5 size because it fits in some of my smallest field kits including the MTR-3B SOTA kit I highlighted last week.

When you use a Rite in the Rain pad, it will hold up in the rain if you are using any pencil, or one of their pens which has a special ink that bonds to the paper permanently.

I use mechanical pencils when I log, although I plan to start using pens more often only because it makes it easier for my YouTube video subscribers to read my logbook as I write (pencil can be more difficult to read from the camera angle, depending on reflection, etc.).

Mechanical Pencils

This is an area where (being fully transparent here) I can geek out a bit (understatement alert).

I’ve always had a place in my heart for mechanical pencils. It dates back to my high school years when I took drafting classes. These were the days when drafting desks, pencils, T-Squares, triangles, and templates were tools of the trade (CAD was just becoming accessible to students).

I found mechanical pencils to be an amazing piece of engineering and, while I couldn’t afford a lot of them, I would spend my hard-earned money to buy them. To me, visiting our local drafting store was like a trip to the toy store.

But I digress…

In the field, performing a POTA or SOTA activation, I don’t look for the same precision I needed in drafting class. Quite the opposite–I’m looking for durability and reliability.

Wooden pencils, to be clear, are both of those things and will serve you well in the field. What I love about mechanical pencils is that their leads are consistent when writing and there’s no need to pause and activation to sharpen them. Just click and keep going.

There are currently three mechanical pencil models I use.

My wife recently gave me a uni Core Keeps Sharp Mechanical Pencil as a gift. She did so after reading a comment from one of my readers (I had no idea she even read QRPer–I’ve got to be careful what I say around here!). 🙂

What makes this particular pencil unique is that it rotates the lead as you use it. This keeps the line looking sharp since the lead doesn’t wear to one side.

So far, I love it. This one has a .5mm lead, which is small–I tend to prefer .7 or .9mm because they’re more durable. Expect to see this in activation videos soon.

Next is the Zebra Mechanical Pencil, Del Guard, 0.7mm. This particular pencil lives in my MTR-3B SOTA field kit. The Del Guard has a double spring mechanism that acts as a shock absorber when you write.  If you apply a little too much vertical or angled pressure, it absorbs the energy thus saving your lead from breaking.

I find it works really well, in fact. I tend to have a heavy hand when I write in my log books and I find I have less lead breakage in the field.

Finally, the mechanical pencil I’ve adopted as my primary SOTA and POTA pencil is the amazing GraphGear 0.9mm 1000.

This pencil is the most durable mechanical pencil I’ve ever used.

Bruce (KO4ZRN) introduced this to me when he joined me on a SOTA activation of Craggy Dome a couple years ago. This pencil is incredibly strong. In fact, I’ve even used it in woodworking and carpentry projects to mark cuts on wood.

At this point, I think I probably own about six of these GraphGear pencils and I couldn’t be happier.

Video

I actually made a short (for me) video about my notepads and pencils:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Again, you don’t need anything fancy…

If you’re not into waterproof paper and mechanical pencils, just use what you have to log.

I remember once using the back side of an envelop and a pen I found in my car to log a NPOTA activation–it worked perfectly! I even remember another NPOTA activation using a pen to log and running out of ink, so I used the pen to log in the dirt on the ground. I only copied three or so more contacts then took a photo of the ground. (I can’t recommend this, but point is, practically anything can be used for logging!)

I just find that when I do something on a regular basis, I’m willing to invest in tools I love using. I feel they serve me well in the end.

How do you log?

I’m curious how you log. I know that a large percentage of POTA activations never write a thing on paper logs–they simple log directly to an app on their phone, tablet, or laptop.

I prefer making a paper copy of my logs, then taking a photo of them when the activation is complete. I worry less about my app crashing, phone running out of power, and, frankly, I just find the process of logging more fun on paper. Furthermore, rain can disrupt touch accuracy on capacitive touchscreen devices, making logging difficult in wet conditions.

I’m curious how you log in the field. Please comment!

Thank you

Thank you for reading this post!

Of course, I’d also like to send a special thanks to those of you who have been supporting the site and channel through Patreon, and the Coffee Fund. While not a requirement, as my content will always be free, I really appreciate the support.

Have a brilliant week and I hope you run out of paper due to the number of contacts you must log!

Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

Guest Posts, News, Portable, QRP, Travel

Where the Heck is the POTA Babe?

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by Teri (KO4WFP)

Okay. Y’all haven’t heard much from me lately and may be wondering, “What the heck is the POTA Babe up to?” Actually, a lot!

Earlier this year, I asked QRPer readers for suggestions as to parks to visit for a summer POTA trip to either North Carolina and/or Virginia. I appreciate all the suggestions I received. In evaluating the time I have and that I’ll be driving by myself, I have opted to visit North Carolina. I’ll be on the road for eight days mid-July camping with Daisy. I hope to activate ten to eleven parks as well as successfully complete four SOTA activations. It is a lot to bite off but then I enjoy being challenged.

I originally planned for a twelve-day trip but decided to nix the second week near the Charlotte area due to obligations at home. I am bummed at missing out on those parks. (Thank you Bob K4RLC for the recommendations in that area.) However, now I’ll have those parks to activate on a future trip.

Preparing for this trip is no slap-dash endeavor. At least not for this POTA Babe. As I mentioned in the articles of my last trip to southwest Georgia, I am tweaking my camping equipment as well as how I organize and access those items.

An item I’ve added is a fan because camping in July might be a bit toasty, even in western North Carolina. My partner Glenn W4YES came across a helpful video on the CheapRVLiving Youtube Channel discussing USB-charged devices. The Koonie 8” rechargeable fan was mentioned. As it received favorable reviews on Amazon and I can charge it using my Jackery, it is now in my arsenal for summer camping.

[Note: all Amazon.com links are affiliate and support QRPer.com at no cost to you! Thank you!]

Koonie USB-charged 8″ fan

I also added an ultralight shelter I may use on a summit or for POTA in general. While researching summits to activate, I came across a picture on the SOTlas website and reached out to that op as to information about the tarp he was using for shade. Patrick WW4D introduced me to Mountain Laurel Designs, a company that makes ultralight shelters (tarps and tents). They aren’t inexpensive, but then I’ve learned to purchase good quality where I can. In a shelter, good quality counts.

I purchased the Trailstar. It can be used as a tent or a shelter. Before the trip, I need to seal the seams. What I didn’t realize until the other day is that I will also need to cut the guylines as well as figure out what knots to use in securing the guylines to the stakes included. Then I have to learn how to set it up using my hiking poles. The learning never ends, does it?

I couldn’t believe how light the Trailstar is having never experienced a shelter like it. It will be a welcome addition to my SOTA backpack since it weighs hardly anything.

The Trailstar by Mountain Laurel Designs. source: Outdoor Gear Lab

I’ve also undertaken re-waterproofing my tent. Sierra Designs sent me instructions and information about the products they recommend which I ordered. I thought to myself “how hard could it be to re-waterproof a tent?” Those of you who have done this know it is a time-consuming process! You have to remove the old waterproofing substances before applying the new ones. The substances used for waterproofing fabric are meant to not come off easily, especially after being on there for 30 years (the age of my tent). I’ve spent more time in the bathtub scrubbing and smelling rubbing alcohol than I care to admit. However, when this process is finished, my tent and its rainfly will be clean and good to go for another eight years or so.

waterproofing products for tent and rainfly
Washing tent with unscented detergent and ammonia
old waterproof coating to be scrubbed off
section of tent floor with new coat of waterproofing barrier

I am also researching how to do a SOTA activation. I’ve found quite a few helpful videos on Youtube and plan to reference them in a future article. For my pack, I am using a Six Moons Designs ultralight pack (the Flight 30 Ultra) I purchased about four years ago. As it was not being used, I’ve been employing it as my POTA pack for several months now.  Given I’ll be hiking to activate summits, I need to rethink what I’ll take in the pack since, in addition to ham gear, I’ll need emergency supplies one should take when hiking.

While preparing for this trip, I’ve had a new addition to my shack that is sharing my focus as of late. Nearly two years ago, I ordered a Frattini Magnetic Evolution bug. I didn’t hear anything further for the longest time and figured it wouldn’t ever arrive. Then, about four weeks ago, Alberto Frattini sent me an email the key was ready and, oh by the way, was I still interested in it? You bet I was! “The Frattini” (as I call it) is now in my shack and I am resuming my pursuit of the Straight Key Century Club’s (SKCC) Triple Key Award. (When I’m not scrubbing the tent, mind you.) My fist is a work in progress but what a great challenge!

my Frattini Magnetic Evolution bug
Hummer on the Frattini plate – a nice touch given my POTA Babe logo also has a hummingbird on it

My goal is to run at three speeds eventually – 16, 20, and 25 wpm. Right now I am concentrating on 16 wpm as that is a good speed for SKCC QSOs. At that speed, I am more relaxed and the more relaxed I am, the better I can focus on making my characters correctly with good spacing. My goal with the Frattini is that the dits and dahs be proportional and timed well enough it doesn’t sound like I am using a bug. With continued practice off and on the air, I will eventually get there.

One thing I’ve found that helps is having either Word List Trainer up and running or my Morserino in the shack. Just like a choir conductor will play a note on a pitch pipe for a choir, I’ll play the letter “o” at 16 wpm to get that dah cadence in my head before I get on the air. Eventually, I’ll fall into that rhythm naturally at that speed but in the meantime, I find that trick extremely helpful with my timing of the dahs.

If you’d like to hear my bug fist (a work in progress, mind you), click on the video link here to access it on Youtube.  Also, if you’d like to follow my progress on earning bug QSOs for the Triple Key award, check out the goals section on my QRZ page.

Well, there you have it – my ham radio related doings since my southwest Georgia POTA trip. For those interested in hunting me while I’m in North Carolina, I will not release my itinerary in advance for safety reasons. However, Glenn or I will schedule my activations each morning so keep an eye out on the POTA and SOTA Watch pages beginning July 14 if you are keen to work me and support the trip.

I am a little nervous about the trip.  I’m going to be out of my comfort zone and sure to make mistakes. However, this is how we learn – making mistakes. This is a part of ham radio and such a trip – the unknown! Who knows what I’ll learn and discover along the way. I hope to work many of you that week and look forward to sharing with you those adventures on QRPer.com after my return. But before I leave next Sunday, I plan a POTA activation Monday, July 8 to get my head back in the game. What park will I pick? Stay tuned…

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

Friedrichshafen: Christian and Andrea’s Multi-Country POTA Rove

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

Friedrichshafen: POTA Across Borders

by Christian (IX1CKN)

The Friedricshafen fair is one of the most interesting events for its social aspects, where you can finally put a face to colleagues whose voices you’ve only ever heard. Among the various OM (radio amateurs) I met this year was Gabriele IT9RGY, a flagbearer of the Italian Contest Club. When he recognized Andrea IW0HK and me, he said, referring to our respective SOTA/POTA activities: “You two are the real deal.”

I found that to be a very powerful statement, and I am grateful to him for it. Personally, I try to document each outing to capture the sensations it gave me, but also in the hope of inspiring someone. Andrea is more succinct than I am (if we were all the same, the world would be boring), but his spirit is identical. Parks on the Air (POTA) is a state of mind. It was no coincidence that, being in Germany for the Hamradio Messe, we had planned a series of activations.

Our schedule was tight and ambitious, and just completing it was a source of happiness, but there’s more to tell. In Germany, dinner time isn’t synchronized with Roman schedules. So, on Friday evening, after leaving the restaurant (for dinner with the Summits On The Air group) at 20:23, I looked at Hotel-Kilo and said, “If I go to bed now, I’ll digest in a week; let’s go activate a reserve!”

The easiest option in the area (after a disastrous experience last year in DE-0156, the park in the town center hosting the fair) was DE-0766, the Seewald Landscape Reserve. It’s near the FRN airport (and thus not far from the fairgrounds), in a fully bucolic setting. A narrow road cuts through meadows, with footpaths and bike paths leading into a wooded area.

We parked the car in one of these spots. It took only a moment to set up the vertical antenna in the field, but the presence of a swarm of mosquitoes as big as F-18 Hornets advised us to operate from inside the car to save our skin (literally).

Andrea turned on the KX-3 (10 watts would be our fixed power for this trip), and the 14 MHz calls began. Right away, a very strong IZ3QFG Dario (just 380 km from us) answered, highlighting an unusually short skip.

We logged 20 QSOs in 30 minutes… Many were from Italy (Spartaco from Grosseto at full scale, Mauro I1JQJ always active, and Beppe I1WKN a constant), with two “park to park” contacts. A classic for many OMs in the area, but also a great mood booster and a tasty appetizer for the next day… Continue reading Friedrichshafen: Christian and Andrea’s Multi-Country POTA Rove →