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
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.
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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 Pencilas 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:
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!
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.
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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 rainflyWashing tent with unscented detergent and ammoniaold waterproof coating to be scrubbed offsection 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 bugHummer 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…
Last week, in response to a reader’s question here on QRPer.com, I was reminded that I hadn’t yet made a video specifically about my Mountain Topper MTR-3B SOTA field kit.
Yesterday, I made a short video (see below) where I show what I pack in my MTR-3B field kit and why I choose to house it in a Pelican 1060 case.
First, let’s look at a list of the gear, then I’ll talk about what went into my choices, and I’ll link to the video.
Gear:
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Here’s the philosophy behind my design choices in this kit:
Pelican 1060 Case
I chose to house this field kit in a Pelican 1060 Micro Case even though, at one pound, it weighs more than the typical pouch I also use for small field radios. The Pelican, however, protects the entire radio kit as it’s fully watertight and crush-proof. If I trip while fording a creek or fall and land on my pack, the Mountain Topper will be safe. Yes, there’s a mass/weight cost, but I feel it’s very minimal for the protection it offers.
Counterpoise-less End-Fed Half-Wave
When I build the K6ARK EFHW antenna kit for my MTR-3B, I chose to make it without a counterpoise. Even though the antenna would be more efficient with a dedicated counterpoise and less prone to the effects of body capacitance, I feel like the benefits of this design outweigh the compromises. For one thing, leaving off the counterpoise saves space inside the Pelican case. In addition, by designing the antenna to attach directly to the MTR-3B’s BNC port, there’s no need to include a feedline, thus saving quite a bit of space.
So far, I’ve been very impressed with how forgiving this antenna has been and, most importantly, with how well it has performed.
N6ARA SWR Meter
I include the N6ARA MiniSWR in my field kit to give me some peace of mind if my antenna deployment is compromised (for example, if the trees on a summit are too small, etc.). Since my MTR-3B version has no built-in SWR metering, I feel this is a meaningful addition tot he kit.
Throw Line and Weight
At least 90% of the summits and parks I activate here in western North Carolina have trees. To me, no field kit is truly sufficient unless I include a throw line and weight. I find that the Marlow KF1050 Excel 2mm Throwline is small, lightweight, and effective—-25 meters is enough to deploy any wire antenna I’d carry on a SOTA activation.
Many SOTA ops use a small sack that they place stones in to act as a throw weight for their line. This is very clever because you don’t have to pack in that extra 8 ounces on the roundtrip hike. Still, I like the convenience of a throw weight that’s designed to glide through tree branches with ease–especially if the tree is dense. If I were to do a multi-day SOTA backpacking trip, I’d probably use an empty throw sack instead of a dedicated weight.
Rechargeable 9 Volt Battery Packs
I love these 9V rechargeable batteries. It’s hard to believe that the MTR-3B can complete 2-3 typically SOTA activations on one charge! Then again, the MTR-3B uses something like 18ma in receive? That’s crazy low current consumption. These batteries are super lightweight and the particular brand I use has never produced any RFI (I’ve read that some others can). What’s best is that I can recharge these easy via a USB-C cable.
The MTR-3B will operate on nine volts, which yields three watts of output power.
Helinox Chair and Kneeboard
Yes, these are luxury items. I know many SOTA ops who are quite happy to sit on the ground and balance their radio on their leg. Perhaps it’s my age, but I don’t like doing this anymore because my legs tend to fall asleep and I lose feeling in them if not careful.
My Helinox Zero chair weighs 1 lbs 2 oz (509 g). I feel like it’s weight and mass well-spent. Since I record activation videos, the chair also gives me a much better position for my camera angle (bonus!).
My Tufteln/N0RNM kneeboard is an essential part of my SOTA kit. I never leave without it. The chair and kneeboard combo gives me the flexibility to set up anywhere, anytime. I love it.
Video
Here’s a video showing the breakdown of my Mountain Topper MTR-3B SOTA field kit:
Thank you for reading my field kit post and watching the video! I hope you enjoyed it.
As always, 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.
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→
When our family needs a change of scenery without a long drive, Mount Mitchell State Park is our go-to destination. I’ve mentioned before that it’s my “happy place” here in North Carolina. Mount Mitchell is only about 6 miles from our home as the crow flies, but it takes about 50 minutes to drive there, and it’s not in the direction of any of our usual destinations. Heading up the Blue Ridge Parkway and watching the flora change with elevation makes it feel like a proper getaway.
On Sunday, June 16, 2024, we wanted just such a getaway, as my wife and daughters were treating me to some Father’s Day fun. After visiting my father-in-law in the hospital in the early afternoon, we drove to Mount Mitchell.
Mount Mitchell State Park (US-2747)
Sundays on Mount Mitchell tend to be busy, especially in the summer. However, on this particular Sunday, it was rainy, foggy, and there were storms in and around the area.
Weather like this never bothers us on Mount Mitchell, as it can shift in an instant, as long as thunderstorms don’t intrude.
As soon as we arrived, I grabbed my radio bag from the car and found an empty picnic shelter. I’d been hoping for a free shelter since it was raining, and fortunately, we got our pick!
One of the first things I did after dropping off my pack was to tie Hazel to a picnic table because she was laser-focused on a chipmunk she saw run up a tree next to the shelter. That dog drives chipmunks and squirrels crazy, I’m sure.
My wife and daughters dropped off some art supplies at one of the shelter tables, then went on a short hike while I performed my POTA activation.
Note that Mount Mitchell is also a SOTA summit, but the picnic area is not within the activation zone. I could have easily gone to one of my go-to SOTA spots on the summit and knocked out a SOTA activation quickly (only four contacts are needed), but I wanted to save that for another day. Plus, being in the shelter meant that I could have a nice leisurely, dry activation!
I brought along my Penntek TR-45L and planned to pair it with a random wire antenna for the activation. However, since the weather was iffy—again, my primary concern was any thunderstorms that might sneak up on us—I decided to skip the wire antenna and go tabletop instead.
Fortunately, my Elecraft KH1 lives in my EDC bag at all times, so I set it up for tabletop mode.
You might recall that I have used the Elecraft KH1 adapter in previous activations and I think it works brilliantly. The first version of Elecraft’s adapter had one issue: the parts would fall apart if you weren’t careful with how you attached it to the KH1.
Joshua designed his right-angle adapter with captive components so that it’s all in one piece and can’t come apart.
I should note here that Elecraft actually updated their right-angle adapter design so that it also has captive components as well—so you have two choices! I’ll use the new Elecraft adapter in a future video and field report.
Joshua’s Tufteln design works really well (it’s also less expensive than the OEM adapter), and I like that it’s bright red, which means I’m less likely to leave it in the field!
Gear:
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Field Day 2024 started out with the best of plans to be spent with the best of friends and ended up totally different – and, unexpectedly, I had a hoot! With my carefully made plan behind me, my new last-minute plan was to run solo for Field Day in the backcountry of Kananaskis Country and bring along my new-to-me Nikon D3400 and lenses and rekindle my interest in (D)SLR photography at the same time as doing some experimentation with radio gear.
I grew up in a home with a scratch-built enlarger and a darkroom, so a love of taking pictures has been with me for a long time. My Father taught me patience to get the shot as he would set up a 120 format bellows camera on an air-triggered remote release to get closeups of chipmunks while we were camping, a process that took hours and yielded excellent results. My Brother, AG7GM, has attempted to instill within me the basics of composition, rule of threes and such and his wonderful skill in editing both stills and live video. While I have plenty of patience, with composition I think I’m fair to middling at best.
Thus photography has always been on my mind.
With a recent sale of a few ham radio related items, I had fun money, so just for fun I started looking [on Thursday before I activated] at used DSLRs and was shocked at how much camera I can get for such a relatively low cost compared to new. I had said once, 25 years ago when I divested out my 35mm kit, that when I could get a DSLR with a 25 to 300mm lens for <$500 I’d jump in… and finally that day is here, even if it means carrying two lenses. Of course, I started looking on the day before Field Day for deals – and scored them too! 🙂 Around these parts, good quality pre-owned consumer grade DSLRs are easily available. I purchased this as much for still photography as for ability in shooting high-quality video for my YouTube channel.
These peaks form part of the border between Alberta and British Columbia to the west
For me, Field Day has always been about the experimentation rather than chasing points. Trying new things. Changing up from the normal way I operate in the field. Comparing, analyzing and making notes as I go.
For example, and as a tribute to Chip Margelli K7JA (SK) after corresponding with his brother David, last year I attempted to wet a piece of string and see if the KX3’s tuner would match it and radiate a signal. Chip was known for many things, among them his proficiency in CW as he demonstrated on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2005. David told me that he and Chip would do crazy and fun experiments like loading up clotheslines and wet string to experiment .. and it fostered a new direction I could take each FD and on some days between. The string experiment was a failure last year but I haven’t given up yet!
I wanted to know, in no uncertain terms, that the Charmast would or wouldn’t be as quiet as my trusty Talentcell LiFePO4 pack. The Charmast is also used in my field soldering kit with a Pinecil as it delivers USB-C PD. What better way to test this out than to head as far away from noise sources as possible, see the Canadian Rockies in their early summer glory with snow on the peaks, rivers running high (and cold) and the sun in the sky? Just for grins I would ensure that I was in POTA entities while doing Field Day.
That Thursday morning, we organized a shelf-building party to assemble a shipment of new shelves we’re going to use to house our collection in a new space A-B Tech has given us on the third floor of the Elm building.
We’re super excited about the new space not only because it’s much larger, but there’s even a dedicated workbench where we can invite students and guests to learn some soldering and repair skills.
If you’re ever in the Asheville, North Carolina area, I’d strongly encourage you to check out the Asheville Radio Museum. Check our website for directions and hours.
We ended up working on the shelves for a couple of hours, and once assembled, I decided to grab lunch at Bridge & Tunnel Coffee in the Coman Student Activity Center next door. The food and coffee were absolutely amazing. A-B Tech students are so lucky to have a café of this caliber on campus!
I spent more time hanging with my friends at lunch than I had planned. No regrets there.
I knew there was still plenty of time to make my way to the Vance Historic Birthplace and fit in a POTA activation! Twenty minutes of driving later, and I was pulling into the Vance parking lot.
Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace (US-6856)
As I made my way around the visitor’s center, I was very pleased to see that the picnic shelter was unoccupied. School was still in session for many districts in the area and field trips tend to take place near the end of the term. Had there been a school group at this small historic site, I would have gone elsewhere to activate so as not to disturb them.
The weather was pretty amazing – the perfect day to be outdoors playing radio.
Speaking of radio, I brought a special one with me that day.
The Mission RGO One
As I mention in my activation video below, I receive more questions about this radio than any others I take to the field. Some have seen it in previous activation videos, and many see it in my QRPer.com banner rotation.
Typically, I’ll get a message with the following question, “Thomas, what is that cool radio with the white faceplate I see in the banner on QRPer?”
It’s no wonder I get a lot of questions about it. The Mission RGO One is a very low-production run modular transceiver – the creation of Boris Sapundzhiev (LZ2JR).
Boris produces the Mission RGO One in small batches at his facility in Bulgaria. This is very much a cottage industry radio – one you won’t find in many shacks or on Field Day because there just aren’t a lot out there (compared with Yaesu, Elecraft, Icom, etc.).
I’m a massive fan of the RGO One. So much so, that if I had to pare down my radio collection to only two HF transceivers, the RGO One would be one of those two.
I love the RGO One’s legacy design and the fact it’s a down-conversion superhet receiver with 9MHz IF. The receiver is absolutely amazing.
You don’t see the RGO One in many of my POTA videos mainly because I tend to use my smaller, portable radios in the field. That said, the RGO One was designed with field operating in mind – it’s a very capable radio and lightweight compared to other tabletop radios.
The RGO One is my main HF radio in the shack, so it actually gets heavy use. If I’ve ever hunted you at the QTH while you were activating a park or summit, it was likely with the Mission RGO One.
As I mention in the video, I will plan to make a “Getting To Know You” video with the RGO One in the near future, so I’ll speak a bit more about it then.
I decided to deploy my KM4CFT EFHW kit that I trimmed for 30 meters with a 40-meter extension. This antenna is brilliant because it resonates on 30 and 17 meters as a 30-meter EFHW, then if you link the 40-meter extension, it’ll give you 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. That’s six bands on one antenna without the need for an ATU.
Next, I paired my Begali Traveler paddles with the RGO One.
Although the RGO One has a maximum output power of 50 or 55 watts, I had it set to my standard 5 watts QRP.
Gear
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Being in the early afternoon, I decided to hop on 20 meters first, as I assumed it might be one of the more productive bands. Conditions – as we all know – have been quite rough as of late, so I tend to start my activation on the band where I think I’ll accumulate the most contacts. Continue reading On a POTA Mission with the RGO One!→
Most readers of this blog are probably familiar with Bletchley Park and the significance of this place in breaking the codes used by the axis military forces during the second world war.
The electromechanical systems developed and used here to aid the codebreakers in their daily work led directly to the electronic digital computers of the mid-twentieth century, and then to the modern world as we know it.
After boarding the London Northwestern Railway at Euston station, the hour long train journey took us from central London, through the suburbs, then the pastoral English countryside to the station at Bletchley, just south of Milton Keynes.
Bletchley Park is a five minute walk from the train station at Bletchley, the town of the same name. In keeping with the formerly clandestine nature of the work at Bletchley Park, there are no loud signs to welcome you, just the Union Jack flying over the nondescript visitor center in Block C.
Exiting the visitor center, any ham will quickly spot the three-element SteppIR Yagi perched atop a roof-mounted tower. Also from the tower, a folded dipole extends over the the Block B building which houses the Alan Turing museum exhibits. The other end of this antenna farm is plugged into GB3RS, the amateur radio station for the National Radio Centre of the RSGB.
The friendly and helpful staff of amateurs at the NRC played a crucial role in my hoped-for plan of activating Bletchley Park for Parks On The Air.
Surprisingly, the POTA page for GB-0507 showed only a handful of activations of this iconic location. Seeing as this is a heritage site, I sent an email to the NRC about week before my visit asking for advice on how to be a welcome guest POTA operator.
Note, the NRC is colocated on the grounds of the museum but they are not a part of Bletchley Park. The NRC is a separate organization.
Martyn G0GMB, the Director of the NRC, kindly responded to my enquiry and informed me that individual amateur radio activity is not generally permitted on the grounds of Bletchley Park due to the number of visitors they receive and concerns about RF safety. This could explain the low number of activations.
The sharp eyed will spot the GB3RS beam across the pond.
Martyn suggested I could set up in the overflow car park few minutes walk down the road from the visitor center. While not on the grounds of Bletchley Park proper, the parking lot operation would still be in the spirit of POTA and would reasonably count as a valid activation location.
When I arrived at Bletchley Park on Friday afternoon, I was met by Mervyn G4KLE who was expecting me thanks to a note left by OM G0GMB. Mervyn asked where all my equipment was and I motioned to the pack on my back.
Because my radio and antenna was a low impact, minimal footprint QRP setup, I was told that I could make use of the picnic table just out the side door of the GB3RS shack, with my antenna setup just beside it. This dead-end spot was not on any of the paths frequented by park visitors and my antenna would not be easily visible.
The antenna is low profile
This was a much better arrangement than trying to activate from a car park without a car! I quickly deployed a GRA-GNT micro tripod with center spike pushed easily into the soft ground. The GRA-7350T loaded vertical and a set of short radials provided an SWR of 1.05 to 1.
I chose the QMX as a travel radio while in Britain because with it, the overall kit is very lightweight and compact. With the exception of the tripod the whole kit fits in my carry-on. The GRA-GNT antenna mounting kit has to fly in checked baggage due to several aggressive looking spikes that would certainly be flagged by airport security. Continue reading UK POTA Rain and Shine→
On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, I needed to make a morning trip to Hickory, NC, to take care of some family business and visit my father.
I started my day early because I also wanted to be back in the Asheville area by noon. Some quick calculations over morning coffee and I decided I had just enough time to fit in one POTA activation en route to Hickory.
I left the QTH around 7:15 AM and made my way to the Paddy’s Creek Access of Lake James State Park, arriving around 8:15 AM.
Lake James State Park (US-2739)
Two other reasons I fit in my activation en route to Hickory instead of on my way back:
Paddy’s Creek has a lakeside beach area that gets very busy in the summer, especially on clear, sunny days (like Tuesday).
Temperatures that day were forecast to push near 95F/35C.
When I arrived at the parking area, I was pleased to see I was one of the only cars there. This made it much easier to find a spot to set up!
I started my activation video (see below) then walked to a picnic table under some trees that would not only provide shade but also antenna support!
I deployed my KM4CFT end-fed half-wave kit that I cut as a 30M EFHW with a linked 40M extension. When I launched the arborist line into the dense canopy, I thought I snagged a high branch, but it turned out I hadn’t.
In the end, my 40M EFHW had more of a low inverted vee, almost NVIS-height, configuration. I was fine with that, though, knowing on the 40M band that early in the morning, I’d snag contacts in NC and the surrounding states.
My goal was to finally make some SSB contacts with the Xiegu X6200. My previous mid-day activation with the X6200 provided no results, so I was hoping I’d be more successful in the morning.
One other thing I did that I haven’t done in over four years: I started out my activation with more than 5 watts of power. I added an external battery to the X6200, turned off its internal charger, and ran the transceiver at its full output power of eight watts.
My goal was to see how warm/hot the chassis would become during the activation. This is one of the questions I’ve been asked the most about the X6200 so far.
Setting up the radio was simple. I was careful to make sure that the internal ATU was bypassed on the 40M (and later 20M) band.
Gear:
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