In pursuit of my 60 new-to-me park activations, I headed back to Florida for six days the first week of April. The weather forecast looked promising – high temps in the upper 70s falling to the upper 60s by the end of the week. Rain might dampen my spirits on Wednesday but otherwise, the sun was likely to shine during my journey.
Day 1 of my April 2024 Florida Trip
Daisy and I packed up the car and headed out early Sunday, May 31st. It was an easy journey – three and a half hours south down I-95 and then southwest across Florida. Of course, we stopped at the Florida welcome center and got our picture snapped, this time just the two of us.
Here we again in Florida!
We arrived in Branford which actually did look like a nice place to live. Lafayette Forest Wildlife & Environmental Area (US-6315) is just outside the town. Unlike the wildlife management areas in Georgia I’ve visited, this one looked more manicured. The road into the park could have been the entrance into some genteel Southern plantation.
Not far inside, we found a fenced-in parking area and kiosk. I figured this would be the easiest place to set up. Checking the kiosk, I confirmed we were out of hunting season though we would still wear our blaze orange items for our walk after the activation. (Before we arrived at the park, we actually saw a turkey crossing the road.)
Map of Lafayette WMA
I opted to use the Chelegance MC-750 on the tripod mount because I need more practice with it. That proved to be a good choice as I had to re-read the instructions to set it up – hi hi. This is what happens when you don’t use equipment on a regular basis. Continue reading The POTA Babe Goes Back to Florida – Day 1→
Many thanks to Tommy (N5DUX) who shares the following guest post:
Work Trip POTA
by Tommy (N5DUX)
I recently had a work trip that took me to lovely Emporia, Kansas – home of Emporia State University. Prior to leaving for the trip, I did a little POTA sleuthing to see if there were any parks in the general region I could activate after I finished work each day. As luck would have it, I found there were indeed a handful locations on the POTA map within a reasonable drive – including one right in town!
One of the locations was a fun looking site called the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve National Conservation Area (US-3673), home to a herd of bison.
Viewing on Google Maps I saw a “scenic lookout” in the middle of the prairie and figured that sounded like a great place to setup.
Packing my suitcase for the trip (there’s work to do, remember!) I included my Buddistick and a collapsable, “450cm” carbon fiber fishing rod. The rest of my kit was in a hand held bag that I would carry with me. My main radio for this activation was my Elecraft KX2.
For an antenna, I brought my a newly built 20W K6ARK EFHW trimmed which I had tuned to work on 40m, 20m, and 10m with the idea of using the fishing pole to hold up the far end of my end-fed. Should that fail or disappoint, I had my Buddistick which is self-supporting thanks to the excellent design of its shock-cord tripod and “tie-down” to keep the whole thing upright in strong winds.
Included in my bag was a 9Ah Bioenno battery, reel of kite string, a throwing weight, notebook for logging, pencil, Elecraft hand mic, Elecraft paddles, some earbuds, and a few other insignificant odds and ends (adapters, pigtails, etc)
When packing radio equipment in your suitcase, remember to not pack any batteries in your checked bag. For carry-on, remember to not pack any pointed objects like tent stakes, screw drivers, or spikes like some vertical antennas like the Chelegence 750 or PAC-12 have. Pack smart – think about what the radio will look like to someone unfamiliar with our hobby.
TSA really doesn’t care about our radios or wires – they just don’t want bricks of organic material surrounded by wires on the plane or sharp pointy things in the cabin.
On Easter Sunday, I flew into Kansas City, picked up a rental car, got a quick bite of BBQ recommended by the guy at the rental car place, and set off. The weather upon arrival was excellent. A nice breeze, sun shining, and warm temps. Lovely. But the weather forecast had told me it wouldn’t last.
While at work on Monday, the temperature began its steady slide as a cold front moved through the area. As soon as the work day was finished, I quickly changed clothes and headed west of Emporia for the Tallgrass Prairie Nature Preserve.
The weather continued to get cooler and the wind had picked up.
As soon as I arrived, I was greeted by a park ranger leaving. I asked about the bison herd and he told me the scenic overlook I’d picked as my destination was a couple miles down a gravel trail. I ask the ranger if he knew about ham radio and he said there was a group coming in a couple months or something but said I was welcome to setup wherever I pleased. I grabbed my gear, preparing to make the 2 mile hike, and started down the path.
I got about a quarter mile in and cresting the first grassy rise, I realized I’d underestimated just how strong the wind really was and how cold it was going to get if I stayed exposed. I had not worn my thicker coat and realized I wouldn’t last long on the prairie given my attire and the weather to come. Seeing the bison would have to wait.
My carbon fiber fishing pole at Tallgrass Prairie Nature Preserve in Kansas being held up by a fishing pole holder available from Walmart or Amazon.
I changed course and walked back to a historic ranch situated on the property with some still-used cattle pens. Surveying my options there, I spotted a shelter for the livestock over in the corner of one corral. Eyeing the grassy area in that pen, I decided that was going to be my operating position. No sooner had I chosen my spot when I heard the faintest tick of raindrops hitting the tin roof.
I unfolded my chair in the dirt under the roof then unpacked my radio, pencil, logbook, some trail mix (nabbed from the hotel front desk snack bin), and my water bottle. I unspooled the EFHW and erected the fishing pole to hold up the far end. I connected the antenna and let the Elecraft KX2’s internal tuner do its thing. It found a 1:1 match in no time and everything was set.
Shack in the lap with the KX2.
I dialed through the band to get a sense of conditions on 20m. I listened to a few other POTA stations and was able to work them. I then found an unused frequency, called out, and listened. Nothing heard – I was ready to go. By this point, it was only about 30 minutes total since my arrival – not too bad.
I spotted myself on the POTA site and my first hunter responded to my CQ pretty quickly. This trend continued unabated for quite some time.
When there was a lull in activity, I grabbed a handful of trail mix and was mid-chew when someone called. I tried to swallow and got choked. He’s calling me. I’m trying to clear my throat. Nobody’s around – the best I could muster was a half-wheezy reply to his call. He probably thought my signal dropped a few dB – no old man, it was my voice. A splash of water after we were clear and I was back to normal.
Looking southeast from my activation spot at Tallgrass Prairie Nature Preserve in Kansas
Around this time, the raindrops decided to spit a little and the wind had definitely picked up. I adjusted my antenna to see if that helped matters. I used my kite string to secure one end of my wire antenna to the stone wall surrounding the pen and moved the fishing pole support from the end near the wall more toward the middle This gave the antenna more of an inverted V configuration.
It actually helped! Whereas before my “sloper” was more of a “sagger”, I actually got an increase in the relative frequency of QSOs. I worked with this configuration for the rest of my stay at the preserve. The wind never let up and the temps continued to slide. I was shivering by the time I finished packing up and the sun had set and darkness was setting in.
My humble livestock pen operating shelter at Tallgrass Prairie Nature Preserve in Kansas
Back to the rental car and heater, please!
Tuesday brought a similar workday but I planned to activate a historic home there in town after enjoying a dinner at a local restaurant recommended by my hosts. The weather was considerably colder than Monday and it was downright windy. I’m glad I’d worked the nature preserve on Monday and didn’t wait to try on Tuesday!
Rental car portable at the William Allen White House known as “Red Rocks” in Emporia, Kansas
I made my way over to the William Allen White House State Historic Site (US-9183) a few blocks from the university and the dinner spot. With the weather as it was, I opted to sit in the rental car and run my antenna out the top of a cracked window over a couple low branches and over to another large tree branch. I got my rig setup in the car for my first “rental car portable” activation and found it to be considerably more comfortable than the night before. I managed to log about 20 QSOs in short order on 20m until band conditions deteriorated.
On Wednesday, we wrapped up the work project that had brought me to town. We had a final wrap-up meeting with my point of contact there and I headed back to Kansas City. The intent was to grab a quick dinner with a friend, head for the hotel, throw down my stuff and make for the World War I Museum National Memorial (US-4591). The dinner lasted much longer than I’d planned but it was okay. Dinner was with my CO whom I hadn’t seen since I was in the Guard.
We shared a great dinner with his wife, recounting funny stories from our times together and generally getting caught up. I didn’t get to the hotel until very late so I decided I better get some shut-eye and just activate the Museum and Memorial in the morning.
Thursday morning, I packed up everything to get ready for the airport.
My plan for the WW1 Memorial was to find a tree and throw the EFHW there and get some sun while sitting at a park bench or something. It didn’t happen. The strong, cold wind continued. I opted for another “rental car portable” operation. Noticing my “sloper” was again a “sagger,” I pulled the fishing pole out of my suitcase and elevated the antenna wire in the middle. Much better.
A view of the National World War 1 Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri
Band conditions on 20m were rapidly going down the drain and it was hard for me to hear anyone – the big guns that I worked toward the end of my activation provided such poor signal reports, I knew my QRP signal just couldn’t compete with the noise floor that continued to come up.
In total, I managed to bag about 14 QSOs in short order – but it was enough to count as another activation! And, since this was on the Missouri side of Kansas City, it gave me a new state.
I packed up, grabbed some more famous Kansas City BBQ at another local haunt, and headed for the airport to fly home.
The reliable, trusted Buddistick surprisingly never saw the light of day on this trip. It sure was along for the ride, but the EFHW really worked well and I enjoyed the simplicity of it when it came time to pack up. Being less of a compromise antenna led me to believe it would be more efficient anyway.
I’m still somewhat new to POTA and I continue to learn – but this was a memorable work trip because I brought my radio along with me and it took me to some spots I may not have otherwise ventured to visit. The work that brought me to the university went well enough that we began scheduling a return trip slated for sometime in a couple months. I plan on bringing my radio with me for that and on all future work trips in other places.
“Why don’t you enter in the log the received RST and the transmitted RST. I know you’re recording with a tape recorder, but the QSOs are real. If you want to send a QSL to a hunter, what kind of RST do you enter in the QSL?”
Great question, Peter, and I’ve been meaning to make a post about this because it’s one of the top questions I receive from readers (along with why I send 72 instead of 73).
The short answer is: it’s a personal preference.
When I log a rag chew or “non-OTA” contact from home–and one that’s under no time pressure–I typically record a true RST; both what I sent and what I received.
During POTA or SOTA, however, I do not log true signal reports. Some activators do, though. Again, it’s a personal preference, but here are some of the reasons why I do not:
I typically log on paper and on my phone in real-time. This means that when my hands aren’t sending my exchange, I’m logging as quickly as I can. I honestly don’t think I could keep up with my pace if I added RST to the mix even if just in the electronic logs!
Sometimes my hands are full which makes even basic logging a bit challenging for me!
The POTA and SOTA programs do not import RST info. When your logs are uploaded the RST info is ignored.
I rarely get paper QSLs and when I do, I can always look up the RST in my recordings if I feel it’s important to the other party. For example, I’ve received paper QSLs from DX county hunters (many of those programs require paper QSLs for confirmation) and I will look up the RST from my recordings if needed (it’s actually easy knowing the time stamps from the logs).
Also, since I send an ear-accurate RST to my hunters/chasers, I feel like they’re getting value out of my report in real-time. Many don’t need or want that confirmed on paper weeks later or in other logging systems.
Recording RST to a logging app on my phone–during the activation–simply isn’t easy for me. I struggle just typing and double-checking the callsign I enter. Going back into the app or adif file to enter real RSTs from my paper logs after the fact would be time-consuming and a bit futile since, as I mentioned, POTA and SOTA does not import RST.
In the end, though, you’ll notice that most avid activators don’t record the RST because it simply takes time andit’s actually quite rare that the hunter or chaser needs a true RST even if they follow up with a QSL confirmation. If they need it or ask for it–again–I can probably provide it! Most don’t though, because they receive your report during the exchange.
Should you record RST?
Check out VE6LK’s logs with RST!
If you want to? Heck yeah!
I’ll admit that recording the RST just makes for more complete looking logs. It’s also fun to go back through your logs and give them a once-over to see how a certain antenna might have been performing that day.
Most of the activators I know that record RST only log to paper in the field, then transpose the logs back home and enter RST. That is a much more elegant way to do things if you have the time and it’s important to you.
Since POTA and SOTA are on-the-air activities designed around having fun, do what you feel makes it fun!
How about you? Do you record accurate TX and RX signal reports during your activations? Please comment!
Many thanks to Christian (IX1CKN) who shares the following field report:
POTA in the hills of Tuscany
by Christian (IX1CKN)
The beauty of the POTA program lies in the fact that, even if you’re not in your region, you can still participate and, in fact, feel somewhat at home even from a distance.
So, Sunday 7th April afternoon, while in Florence, given not common family commitments, I took two buses bound for Fiesole and then walked about twenty minutes to reach reference IT-1396, Monte Ceceri Park.
The concept of a peak at 414 meters above sea level might make a Valdostan smile, because it’s less than the center of Aosta, the place where I usually live, but the view of Florence and its surroundings is priceless and truly breathtaking.
Moreover, as reminded by a monument on the clearing at the summit, the mountain was the stage for Leonardo’s first flight experiments, which adds charm and historical interest to the location.
I set up the equipment I managed to bring with me on the trip: Xiegu G106 and a quarter-wave vertical on the ground, with about ten radials. Not more, but the truth is, more isn’t necessary.
The less than stellar propagation on the higher bands led me to mostly stick to 20 meters, even though they were hyper-populated for the SP contest. However, well, I found a corner with sustainable crowding…
The final log shows 30 QSOs in just over an hour and a half, including various park-to-park contacts (including Nicola IU5KHP, national POTA manager, and Andrea IW0HK).
Unfortunately, an unsuccessful attempt with Dario IZ3QFG, but there will be other opportunities.
No overseas contacts, but I repeat: it’s not about quantity or distance, but the fact that being able to reach a reference by public transport and walking is priceless. It manages to give one that feeling of familiarity – amplified by the voices of those you connect with, amazed to find yourself in a park far from home – which is why it’s no surprise that Parks on the Air is growing!
(Note: As many of you know, I cut my spring-break Florida POTA trip short for personal reasons. However, I did not change this article and opted to leave the original itinerary intact as that was the intent of the trip.)
Having two POTA trips under my belt, I thought I’d share how I plan my trips in hope it will inspire others to undertake the same endeavor. After I explain my process, I’ll walk through the process using my spring-break POTA trip as an example.
The first questions to answer are where do I want to explore and how am I going to get there?
So far, I’ve traveled to Nova Scotia and Florida. Air travel was a necessity for the Nova Scotia trip but not my preference for travel in general. I loved to fly as a child but as an adult, it has lost its appeal. We live in a gorgeous country and have at our disposal a wonderful interstate system such that my transportation preference for a POTA trip is to drive. For a short trip (five to six days), I try to stay within 250 miles of my home QTH. For a trip longer than a week, I’m willing to drive 500 miles or more.
Google Maps
The next step is to decide where I’ll stay. Now that I am single, I need to watch my expenses closely. Camping is a great accommodation option if one is willing to put up with some inconveniences. So far I’ve found the campgrounds in the state parks to which I’ve traveled more than adequate. One has to be willing to walk to the bathhouse, accept whatever conditions the weather provides, and be less connected than we typically are in our modern society. Camping also requires certain equipment which I addressed in my first article.
Once I’ve nailed down my accommodations, it is time to begin choosing which parks to activate. For the past two trips, I chose parks based on their proximity to the roads I drove between accommodations, whether I needed to pay for access to the park, and how easily I could ensure I’m within the parks boundaries. My priority was to fit in as many park activations as I could during the trip.
Going forward, my criteria is the same but my focus is not. I want to spend more time in the parks I activate, choosing parks based on the scenery and/or other activities they offer so I may learn about the ecology and/or history of the location. I also want to savor the parks I visit, taking time to slow down and enjoy the experience.
So let’s walk through this process as to how I planned my spring-break POTA trip in April.
Choose a destination and how to get there
As I mentioned earlier, I prefer to drive. I’ll be gone six days for my April POTA trip, so I need to find a destination within 250 miles from Bloomingdale, GA. I chose to visit the state of Florida as I enjoyed my trip this past December and think the weather during the first week of April will still be comfortable that time of year.
Choose accommodations
For the Florida winter-break trip, I stayed in a different campground nearly every night. The advantage of that arrangement is I could cover more ground and experience more places. However, taking down and setting up camp every day eats up time and, depending on the weather, can be a pain. For the spring-break trip, I thought I might stay at the same campground the entire trip.
Itinerary for December 2023 POTA Trip Source: My Google Map
I searched for and found a map of all the Florida state parks with camping. There were several state parks within the 250-mile radius from my home; however, I also wanted a park that had lots of potential POTA sites nearby. After looking at my options, I chose Manatee Springs State Park at which I will stay three nights. Not far away is Suwannee River State Park which had availability for two nights. Bingo – accommodations done!
Now that I’ve chosen the parks at which I’ll stay, I need to figure out what POTA sites nearby are of interest. As I stated earlier, I want to choose activation sites based on what they can offer me in addition to the activation itself. Two prime activities at parks are wildlife viewing and hiking.
When I think of wildlife, I immediately think of national wildlife refuges. I Googled “best national wildlife refuges to visit in Florida” and found the following map. The refuge closest to the areas I plan to visit is St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge and, given what I read about that refuge, there is so much to see there that it may fill up an entire day.
As for hiking, I googled “best hiking trails in Florida” and found floridahikes.com. There were a fair amount of trails from which to choose though several were eliminated because dogs are not allowed due to the presence of alligators or ticks are a major problem. I took my time exploring the site finding trails close to or in the Manatee Springs and Suwanee River State Parks.
Ocracoke, NC, home to this iconic lighthouse, was our destination for a week of relaxation. Ten days of QRP operation was a happy consequence.
Ten Days of QRP with Compromised Antennas
by Brian (K3ES)
At the end of a hard (or even a not-so-hard) winter, Becky and I really enjoy the opportunity to spend a week at the beach with friends. Even with the cooler and more unpredictable weather late in the off-season, it provides welcome relief from the cold and snow that we often get in northwest Pennsylvania. This year we chose to visit Ocracoke Island, at the southern tip of the North Carolina Outer Banks.
While driving down and back, I fit in Parks on the Air (POTA) activations at parks in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Each of the activated parks was new to me, and so were their states. My time at the beach also included daily POTA hunting. I knew that my radio activity would all be conducted using CW mode, and low power. All of my contacts on this trip were made with 5 watts, except for a brief stint where I increased power to 10 watts to fight band noise during a longer QSO with my code buddy. What I did not expect was that all of my contacts would be made using antenna configurations that were less efficient than normal.
At each of the activated parks, I paired my Elecraft KX2 with a brand new Elecraft AX1 vertical antenna. While it proved very effective at making contacts, the 4 ft high AX1 vertical definitely compromises gain to achieve its tiny form factor for HF operations. Once we moved into our rented house on the island, we knew that storms were expected. In fact, gale warnings were issued for our area twice during our week-long stay. Besides cutting off ferry service to the island, I feared that high winds would bring down any antenna mast that I might try to use. So, I deployed my shortest wire antenna in a low configuration that I hoped would resist the wind, yet still enable some contacts. I certainly did not expect it to perform like it had many times before when deployed in vertical or inverted V configurations, but proof would be in the contacts. I will avoid suspense by saying that this installation was unaffected by the high winds that were predicted and received.
Gear
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US M7 Army Light Weight Service Mask pouch: WWII vintage, canvas construction
Monocacy National Battlefield – US-0705
Monocacy National Battlefield, US-0705, is located near the junction of Interstates 70 and 270 at Frederick, MD.
Our trip south took us close enough for a visit to our 3-year old grandson and his parents. Truth be told, any distance would have been close enough, so even though greater-Baltimore is slightly off the direct path, that was the destination for our first day of driving. On the way to Baltimore, we also passed within a couple of miles of the Monocacy National Battlefield, near Frederick, MD. So, we spent a couple of hours exploring interpretive displays at the Visitor Center, and of course, activating the park.
As a Civil War history buff, I knew of the Battle of Monocacy, but little about its details. Briefly, in July of 1864 a small Union force faced off against a much larger Confederate Army led by Lieutenant General Jubal Early. The Confederates were moving against Washington, DC in an attempt to take the pressure off of the defenders around the Confederate capital of Richmond, VA. While the battle was a tactical defeat for the Union, it proved to be a strategic victory, because it delayed the Confederate advance for two crucial days. In that time Washington’s defenses were strongly reinforced, so the Confederate Army withdrew back into the Shenandoah Valley without accomplishing its mission. More on that later.
A picnic table near a wood line outside the visitor center made a perfect, unobtrusive location to activate US-0705.
For the activation, I set up my station at a picnic table. A table top tripod supported the AX1 antenna, with a short piece of RG316 coaxial cable connecting it to the KX2. I operated CW mode with 5 watts of power, and completed the activation with 11 contacts in less than 15 minutes.
The entire station, including table-top AX1, took up less than half of a picnic table.Logging contacts…Cannons overlooking the battlefield…Map of contacts from US-0705. Home QTH for one station is located at the south pole!
Operating from Ocracoke Island, NC
A week at Ocracoke…
We arrived on Ocracoke on the last ferry run to the island before a Gale Warning shut down service for two days. We counted ourselves fortunate to be on the island, but gale force winds complicated deployment of antennas. Except, that is, for the AX1. Continue reading K3ES Travels: Ten Days of QRP with Compromised Antennas→
Sometimes, we do things for the pure nostalgia of it all!
I mentioned in a previous post that I recently acquired a circa 1995 Index Labs QRP Plus transceiver. Being transparent here, this was an impulse purchase fueled by pure, unadulterated nostalgia.
The QRP Plus was the first QRP transceiver that I’d ever laid my eyes on only a month or so before obtaining my ham radio ticket in 1997. I’ll write about this in more detail in the future–and I speak to this in my video below–but let’s just say that this little cube of a radio made a big impression on me at the very beginning of my ham radio journey.
I thought it might be fun to take it to the field and compare this 1995 state-of-the-art radio with so many of my other field radios. The QRP Plus wasn’t a perfect radio, but it was a marvel at the time it was produced. I can’t think of a smaller, more battery-efficient general coverage 160-10M QRP transceiver at the time.
I was eager to introduce this little radio to the world of POTA so on the morning of Thursday March 21, 2024, I grabbed it and hit the field!
Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace (US-6856)
I called the Vance site that morning and learned that a large school group would be arriving around noon. Since I was planning to leave around that time anyway, it was perfect timing for me.
Since I hadn’t created a field kit specifically for the QRP Plus yet, I brought my watertight stackable Husky brand box that basically contains everything I need to set up a field radio station, save the radio.
I unpacked everything I needed: a key, key cable, battery, power cord, cable assembly, antenna, logbook and pencil.
Since the QRP Plus has no internal tuner, I paired it with my MM0OPX 40M EFHW antenna which would give me 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. Note that Index Labs used to make an external manual ATU for this radio called the QRP Companion–I’ve never seen one in person, though.
Even though the Vance staff told me that the school group would not be using the picnic shelter, thus I could have free reign, I still deployed my antenna in a way that it would not become a trip hazard–keeping it close to the shelter and as conspicuous as I could (I do wish I would have brought along my flagging tape, but I left it at home).
Setting up the QRP Plus station was quick and easy. Time to hit the air!
Gear:
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On Wednesday, March 27, 2024, I had a number of errands to run in town. Before leaving the house that morning, I looked at my schedule and honestly couldn’t see a wide enough opening for an activation.
In the latter part of the morning, however, I was miraculously ahead of schedule en route to a meet-up in Asheville. I decided to take a scenic route option along the Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378). It was misty and foggy that morning; a beautiful time to drive the BRP.
Of course, any time I’m on the grounds or within the boundaries of a national or state park, it feels odd not to activate it (do you feel that way too–?) even though I drive the BRP.
I looked at my watch and realized I had about 15-20 minutes max to perform an activation.
I only had one radio in the car: my Elecraft KH1. I didn’t have any of my camera gear which was fine, because it would have been very difficult to set up a video and complete the activation all within 15-20 minutes.
I pulled over to quickly schedule my activation on the POTA website. I then drove about 5 minutes up the BRP to a larger pull-over with a short path to the Mountains To Sea Trail (US-8313).
Instead of setting up on the MST, I just walked down the bank and stopped within a few feet of the MST. This would yield an easy POTA two-fer!
I set up the KH1, sporting some new pressure paddles via K6ARK (one’s I’m testing), and I hit the air.
Gear:
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I called CQ POTA and started receiving replies slowly. Well, in truth, it wasn’t that slow, but it felt like it when I was in such a rush.
After working five stations, I checked the POTA spots page and discovered that I had not been auto-spotted. Sometimes the connection between the POTA spots page at the Reverse Beacon Network is down. Indeed, several times lately, I’ve tried to activate when it’s been down–my timing has been impeccable.
I had a little mobile phone service, so I self-spotted and the rest of the contacts rolled in quickly.
I called QRT after logging 10 contacts with apologies to those who were still calling me. I had to get back on my schedule.
This quick activation did make me realize how the KH1 seems to be fitting into my POTA/SOTA routine.
I never intended going pedestrian mobile 100% of the time after I got my KH1. Instead, I find it to be the radio that gives me the most freedom and flexibility when I need it. The KH1 allows me to seize radio opportunities I’d otherwise miss.
In this case, setup and pack-up time was really no more than 40 seconds in total. It took me a minute to walk down the bank to the spot next to the trail to do the activation. All the rest of the time was radio time. I feel confident that had I been spotted properly, I would have validated the activation (10 contacts) in less than 15 minutes.
It’s fun to realize you can play radio anywhere (almost literally) with a handheld transceiver like the KH1. It almost feels like cheating!
Eclipse Time!
As I write this post, I’m in our hotel’s breakfast area. We’re in Dayton, Ohio to view the total solar eclipse tomorrow. I hope to fit in a couple of activations– the only radio I’ve brought along for the ride is the KH1 (well, save my SW-3B Headrest kit).
Traffic yesterday (en route to Ohio) was pretty heavy. I imagine it’ll be much worse today and even crazier tomorrow.
We took a break from traveling, yesterday, to visit my father-in-law’s alma mater. Can anyone recognize this beautiful campus? Bonus points for correctly identifying it!
Our family is meeting up with Eric (WD8RIF) and his wife, so I’m sure we’ll manage to hit at least a couple of parks!
I must admit: it feels odd to be in Dayton a few weeks prior to Hamvention.
Maybe I should camp out at the Greene County Fairgrounds for the next five weeks just to be the first to grab a good deal in the flea market–!?!
[Sinister laugh slowly fades…]
72,
Thomas (K4SWL)
Thank you!
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While not a requirement, as my content will always be free, I really appreciate the support.
As I mentioned in this previous field report, my buddy Mike and I spent the third weekend of March at Gorges State Park (US-2732) in Sapphire, North Carolina. We had a great weekend of hiking and just hanging out. Of course, I fit in a few activations!
On the morning of Sunday, March 17, 2024, after a nice breakfast and beautiful sunrise, we started packing up. Since we rented a cabin this year, it was an easy process–especially since it was also raining lightly. While I love tent camping, I’m not the biggest fan of packing up a wet tent and gear because later in the day I have to attempt to dry it all out back home.
The cabin also made it very comfortable to do a little Parks on the Air (POTA) until the rain passed and we could start our hike.
I set up my MC-750 vertical next to the cabin.
Inside, assuming I might have more radio frequency interference (QRM) to deal with, I chose my Icom IC-705.
The cabin had a small side table attached to the wall which was the perfect spot to set up my station close to the front door and porch. The weather was very temperate that morning, so I simply left the front door of the cabin open while I operated.
I was correct about the QRM: its pervasive throughout most of the park and is due to arcing on the high-tension power lines that run through the site.
Other than the QRM, Gorges is an amazing park to do POTA.
While I played Parks on the Air, Mike caught up on a book he was reading. Neither of us were pressed for time, so it was a pretty laid-back morning.
QRM Mitigation
After hooking up the IC-705 to the MC-750 and turning it on, the QRM was not only audible–that unmistakable frying sound–but it was clearly visible on the IC-705’s color display.
The noise level was about S5-S6 and persistent.
The IC-705 is a 21st-century radio and I decided to use some of its 21st-century, SDR-powered features in order to improve the audio.
First, I turned on the Noise Blanker (NB). While this feature works best for pulse noises (engine noise and electric fences, in my experience) it also removes a layer of noise from persistent arcing as well.
Next, I also used the IC-705’s built-in DSP (Digital Signal Processing). By turning on the DSP, another layer of noise is removed.
With both NB and DSP engaged, the audio was much more pleasant and less fatiguing.
Keep in mind that even though the noise was minimized in the audio, it was still there in the receiver so this didn’t help much with recovering weak signals under the elevated noise floor. It just made playing radio much more pleasant! Continue reading Cabin POTA with the IC-705 and MC-750 at Gorges State Park!→
Once a year, I meet up with my friends Monty and Mike for a weekend of camping. We’ve been friends for over 30 years, so it’s always brilliant hanging out with them, hiking, and just enjoying the break in our busy family lives.
This year, we planned our weekend campout for March 15-17, which is slightly earlier in the year than we usually do, but all of us have complicated schedules in April, May, June, and July. So March it was!
We chose to camp at Gorges State Park (US-2732) in Sapphire, North Carolina.
We also decided to opt for one of the park’s five cabins instead of tent camping. The park ranger I spoke with on the phone prior to making the reservation convinced me that we should reserve one of their newly built cabins. The cabins can sleep six, have electricity, and even have heating and air conditioning.
Mid-March in the mountains of western North Carolina is a fickle part of the year. It can be cold, hot, dry, or wet–all easily within one weekend. Choosing a cabin would mean packing in a lot less gear. Done!
Unfortunately, only a few days prior to the camping trip, Monty had to duck out to attend a funeral. We really missed hanging out with him.
Gorges State Park
To my knowledge, I had never been to Gorges State Park. It’s one of the newer parks in the NC system and, frankly, it’s located in a part of WNC that I rarely travel through these days.
The park is vast, and there are a number of trails that lead to waterfalls.
The visitor’s center was built in 2012 and is really impressive. We stopped by there and spoke with staff about some of the hiking options.
I’ve always preferred state and national park camping facilities over private campgrounds. They’re typically well-maintained, and the sites are spaced apart (so I can easily set up an antenna!).
Cabin #5
The camping area at Gorges is one of the nicest I’ve ever seen. It’s all very new. The cabins and shower/bathroom building are only two years old.
The weekend, overall, was warm during the day and cool at night with periods of rain. We both felt pretty happy we’d picked a cabin for the weekend–packing up wet camping gear is never all that fun!
Saturday morning, Mike and I planned to do a bit of hiking, and I wanted to fit in a short activation.
Picnic Shelter Activation
At one of the trailheads for a short hike, we found a spacious picnic shelter. Despite the amazing weather that morning, there was no one else at the shelter.
I scoped out the trees around the perimeter of the shelter, and most were pretty small trees with larger trees behind them. I decided that it would be easier to simply deploy my Chelgence MC-750 vertical.
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Not far inside, we found a fenced-in parking area and kiosk. I figured this would be the easiest place to set up. Checking the kiosk, I confirmed we were out of hunting season though we would still wear our blaze orange items for our walk after the activation. (Before we arrived at the park, we actually saw a turkey crossing the road.)
Traffic yesterday (en route to Ohio) was pretty heavy. I imagine it’ll be much worse today and even crazier tomorrow.
