In Search Of Components Of The Lowly Dipole

October 20, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Greetings, kids. Here I am enjoying another fine evening. The weather has been spectacular border lining on magnificent! The sky is that clear cerulean that appears in the automn and the temperatures have been in the high teens to low twenties Celsius (high 60s to low 70s F). We are expecting more like this over the next week. Gotta love it.

Yesterday I went to US-1376 Little Buffalo State Park and set up at the boat launch as I usually do. I sat and watched the sun sparkling on the water and listened to Northern Cardinals and American Robins having a last go at the good weather. The 40 M band was hopping and I made 28 contacts in less than 1/2 hour. I even had a couple from Illinois which is sorta rare for the time of day on 40. I am not complaining, mind you. SWMBO was not feeling it so she stayed at home and sent me off with her blessing. She did, however, help me transfer my paper log to the POTA app when I got home, so there is that. 🙂

Today, SWMBO and I went to some thrift shops in Chambersburg PA, about a 45-minute drive. She was looking for things that interested her such as DVDs and the like. I was looking primarily for Christmas lights. Specifically, light strings to use for making a dipole. I would like to make a resonant dipole for 80 M. I have a multi-band one that will tune on 80 but I would prefer one dedicated one. Some people might look down on the lowly dipole but they are easy to make, simple to tune and easy to deploy. The only drawback is the needed area. An 80 M dipole cut for 3.750 MHz (the center of the band) is about 125 ft overall (38 meters) which can take up less room if you set it up as an inverted Vee. Dipole construction can be looked up at: https://www.arrl.org/single-band-dipoles. I am also including below a diagram of a dipole from the ARRL.

Well, time to relax. I need more coffee and there are a couple of nets coming up tonight that I want to participate in. Namaste, everybody, and have the type of day that you truly deserve. 🙂

Relax and watch the Lucky Cat

Mice? Men? Plans? Whatever!

October 15, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hello kidlets. Here we are with another installment of my non-stop prattle and pseudo-intellectualism dressed in folksy pleasantries. It has been a good couple days off and it is nice to sit drinking coffee and relaxing.

First some thoughts about antennas. Some people like Yagis, some prefer verticals and some like dipoles. The whole thing comes down to a matter of preference. If you are out activating or working portable in general, you want the best antenna that will fit your budget. When I am portable, I generally use “Hamsticks” which are mag mounted verticals. I have also used dipoles and other types of antennae such as “Buddisticks”. Some take along verticals that they made based on “Wolf River Coils”. I am not going to tell you which to use, I can only state what works best for me. I would rather not have anything conspicuous. I also hesitate to hang anything from trees unless absolutely necessary. It is part of my nature to be un-noticed and in parks, I want to stay under the rangers’ radar and leave only my footprints. As an aside, if you are using an arborist bag and it wraps around a limb, the best way to free it is to tie a moderately heavy stick to the other end of the throw line and throw the stick over the branch in the opposite direction as the bag is wound. You do that as many times as necessary to pull it free.

Today SWMBO and I activated Gettysburg National Military Park US-0027, one of my favorites. Culps Hill was deserted when we arrived and in the 45 minutes we were there we saw less that 8 people. I watched an older couple get out of their car with their dog who pulled them over to the tower. We did depart before they descended. Anyway, the activation went very will. I stayed on 40 M and worked 47 stations in about 40 minutes. Not too bad. Towards the end there were a couple stations that had moved in about 2 up from us in the band but they were not strong enough to really be a bother. As for birds, the only one my software heard was a red-bellied woodpecker. Afterwards we stopped off at Hollabaugh Brothers farm stand.

We did our groceries and then went home. As we were eating our lunch, SWMBO had a tooth that had been repaired about 25 years ago break. The good thing was that she had had a root canal back then and she wasn’t in any pain. We finally found a dentist who could take us on short notice as our dentist was busy. We got her looked and, in the process, got a new dentist. That whole ordeal destroyed other plans we might have had but I am glad we got things resolved.

Oh yeah! I can hear again! I had one of my ears get clogged, so I syringed the hell out of it and saved myself a trip to the doctor and a bill. Life is good. Well kids, time to close. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice!

Tootsie the owl and Hubert the gnome enjoying Culp’s Hill

The monument for Battery K 5th US Artillery

They told me to take a seat. At Hollabaugh Brothers in Biglerville, PA

An Unanticipated Adventure

September 22, 2026October 3, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Harken! one and all to a tale filled with peril, woe and culminating in pleasant joyfulness!

I posted last time about a malfunctioning mic. I ordered a replacement and yesterday I got word of its impending delivery along with an updated 40 M hamstick. Well, they arrived! I opened the box with anticipation and removed the contents. The antenna was packaged as expected and there was also a smallish box containing the new mic. I set up my FT891 and attached the new mic (after, of course, removing the old one). I attached my house dipole and turned on the rig. It tuned up just fine. I turned the power up to 75W and keyed the mic giving my callsign and the word testing. I had the meter set to “power out” and observed … nothing. As with the old mic, the transmit light came on but there was no modulation. Drats! I was hesitant to believe a new in box mic could be bad so I went through the menu and verified every setting. I tried again and got the same result. I performed a factory reset, re-adjusted all the settings and … no change. Still not modulating the carrier. Non-voice modes seemed ok. I turned the rig off and replaced the mic with one off of my FT450. I immediately worked a POTA station from Canada with no problems. Tarnation! I guess the new mic was bad right out of the box. This led to today’s adventure.

Since mailing back and forth would cost money and take a few days each way, SWMBO and I decided to take a ride to the dealer where I had purchased the offensive item (microphone that is). We left home (in the rain, of course) at 0700 and had a good ride down to the store. The manager was polite and professional as he listened to my tale of sadness and disappointment. He gladly replaced the mic with a new one and we tested it on an FT891 had set up for such purposes. The new mic worked well and then we replaced it with the one that they had previously sent. It did not work! That vindicated me and made it apparent that the issue WAS a bad mic and not a problem with the radio.

Since it was not too distant and was located upon a route that would take us in the direction of home, we departed for Havre De Grace in the hopes of going to the Maritime Museum located there. It was still raining hard as we arrived at our destination and we realized that we had not checked the hours-of-operation prior to going. They are closed on Monday and Tuesday. CRAP! well now there was nothing left to do but test the new mic with an activation.

Located about 10 miles North of Havre De Grace is Susquehanna State Park US-1601. I set up my new antenna and fired up the rig. When I attempted to tune up I received a high swr error message. Sigh. Wait! I had neglected to adjust the stinger length on the antenna. I made the appropriate adjustment and it tuned up just fine! I self-spotted on the POTA app and got on the air on 7267 MHz. Over the course of 1/2 hour we logged 15 contacts. Not too bad considering it was daytime and on the 40M band.

I guess that troubleshooting is a matter of 1) always look for the simplest cause first and 2) if you hear hoofbeats, think horses and not zebras. Yes I realize that both those things are pretty much the same. Now for some coffee and relaxation. Autumn begins at 20:04 EDT today so this was my last activation for the summer. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice.

Hubert celebrating the fact that he is not out in the rain

For no reason, here are some yellow flowers.

A Month Of Sundaes And Weird Frustrations

August 30, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kidlets. Another week gone. I had a bit of a frustrating time this afternoon. I was in the middle of logging a contact and my ketboard stopped working. I changed the batteries and nothing. I removed the device and nothing. I ended up re-adding the keyboard and re-booting and, voila, it works! Gotta love it. Now combine that with trying to navigate government websites looking for information, I was really feeling disgruntled. Now I got the stuff straightened out and got the answers I need so I have been regruntled. 🙂

It has been a nice time since my last update. This weekend was pretty mellow. We did some shopping, we got stuff for my mother-in-law and we did a bit of work around the house. Also, I played radio.

Yesterday we took a drive up to the Hemlock Road Overlook in Western Perry County in Tuscarora State Forest US-5479. It is a nice spot to sit and watch the valley and has a good elevation for working radio. The 40 Meter band was not in good shape, though. Lately the bands have been up and down and this weekend was pretty dismal, but I was able to work 11 stations, including 3 park-to-parks. A few cars rolled past us and we had a courteous motorcyclist drive up. He parked next to us, took some pictures and, seeing what we were doing, he pushed his bike away from us before starting it. Kudos for him. 🙂

Now a few words about band conditions. We have past the peak of the 11-year cycle and for the next few years, conditions will be less good than they have been. The higher frequency bands will seem to diminish, and more and more activity will shift to 14 MHz and below. I would suggest making sure you have capabilities on the 40- and 80-Meter bands as they will really start to shine, especially at night. If you do CW or digital modes, 30-meters might be an option as the antennae are shorter than for lower bands (14.1 meters for 10MHz ad opposed to 19.8 meters for 7.18 MHz or 38.3 meters for 3.725 MHz). The other bands will not go away but there will be fewer openings. One band that might surprise you, though, is 6 Meters. It can open at seemingly random times and stay open for various intervals. I have known people in the past who keep a radio tuned to the 6-meter band on frequencies where beacons are, listening for openings. Some of them have, with patience, achieved the “worked all states” award on 6 from the ARRL, which is a real accomplishment.

Well that is all for now, I guess. Namaste kids and keep your stick on the ice.

A couple of ruminants having a snack at an undisclosed location.

True, Goats Imbibe Freely (TGIF)

August 14, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kids. Before I get into my latest activation, I would like to take a few minutes to discuss SWR (Standing Wave Ratio) which is the ratio between forward and reflected power. The more of a difference in impedance between the final amplifier of your radio and the antenna, the more power is reflected back. Older transmitters commonly used vacuum-tube final amplifiers with adjustable output networks. Those networks could accommodate a fairly wide range of impedances. Modern transceivers generally use transistors/MOSFETs designed around a nominal 50-ohm load. Excessive reflected power can create voltage/current stresses the output stage wasn’t intended to handle. Most modern radios have circuitry that protects the radio from excessive reflected power by reducing the output. Your 100 watt radio might not put out 100 watts if there is a difference in impedance between the rig and the antenna. Basically, you want as much of your power going out over the air as possible, otherwise you are just heating up your equipment and coax. This is a simplified explanation, but I think it serves our purpose here.

I did have a successful activation this afternoon at Little Buffalo StaTE Park US-1376. It was a nice sunny day, and I found a spot in the shade to park. I was able to work 20 stations in about 50 minutes and one thing that I believe helped was using the club callsign, K3SRZ, along with my own. That way people were getting 2 stations instead of 1. In between contacts, I watched people paddling around the lake and fish jumping. A nice view. 🙂 I was able to hear Ospreys, American Goldfinches, Cedar Waxwings and American Crows.

On another note, I believe we misidentified the sex of our youngest cat, Muffin. It appears that he has a pair of furrballs emerging. That is a good thing as the procedure for fixing a male is less expensive than for a female.

Now I am going to sit and relax and enjoy a “Trick or Treat” which is a chocolate pumpkin porter made by Evil Genius Brewing Company from Philly.

Stay balanced and focused, keep your stick on the ice and namaste kids.

A baby bunny I found near the door when going into work the other night

Hubert the gnome and Zarathustra the owl keep me safe at Little Buffalo SP

Where In The World Is Abraham Lincoln?

August 1, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

The beginning of a new month always brings a feeling of promise before the realities of the mundane slap you upside the head. Wow, sounds a bit cynical, doesn’t it? It is actually a nice day, today, 1 August 26. The skies are clouded over with rain being anticipated but the temperature is 31C and rising (87.7 F). We can always use the rain.

Yesterday, SWMBO expressed the desire to take a drive down to Gettysburg as she wanted to do some photography for her webpage. We decided to go down early this morning before the town was crowded and bustling. There are 5 statues of Lincoln in Gettysburg along with a bust in the cemetery. Basically, we went Lincoln hunting.

We got to Gettysburg and stopped at Gettysburg College in front of Stevens Hall for the first statue. It depicts Lincoln seated and writing the Emancipation Proclamation. It is easy to find as it is right on RTE 34 as you come into town from the North. The next one on our itinerary is located on Lincoln Square in the center of town on the West side of the roundabout. Lincoln is standing with a citizen and holding his hat aloft as if to say “Behold! A Bright Future”. From there we continued South a few blocks to the Library where Lincoln is standing holding The Gettysburg Address in his left hand as his right hand is raised to the sky as if he is giving a speech. From there we drove out Baltimore Pike to the Visitor’s Center. The parking lots were empty, so we didn’t have to walk far. Here Lincoln is seated on a bench gazing to the future. Lastly, we went to the Pennsylvania Memorial to the Northwest of Little Roundtop. Lincoln is there to the right of the monument, standing with his hand raised in a pose of benediction.

Since it was still early and there were no crowds around, we decided to do an activation. We went to my favorite activation spot: Culp’s Hill. We started at 11:41 UTC (7:41 EDT) and by 12:12 UTC (8:12 EDT) we had worked 39 stations. The calls were coming at a good rate and then tapered off. We had the hill pretty much to ourselves with the exception of a drone flying overhead. As we were packing up, a car stopped and asked my if the antenna I was holding was a fishing pole and where there would be any fishing around the area. I informed him that it was a radio antenna. He laughed and said he had fishing on his mind.

We heard the following birds in Gettysburg: House Sparrows, Chimney Swifts, Northern Cardinals, House Finches, European Starlings, Tufted Titmouses, American Robins, Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, Gray Catbirds, Northern Mockingbirds and American Goldfinches. A nice assortment for a Summer morning.

Well, that is my update for today. I hope all are well and as always, namaste and keep your stick on the ice.

Abe and I hanging around the visitor center

A few QSOs from Culp’s Hill

Discretely Valorous

July 28, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Sometimes it is too easy or comfortable to focus on success or on positive outcomes. Today I am taking a different path.

SWMBO and I set out to have a picnic style lunch and to activate the Vista at Three Square Hollow. We proceeded to Jaymee Lee’s Quick Stop in Newville, PA. This little store with rustic charm makes the BEST chicken tenders. I can’t say enough good about their chicken, especially the tenders. Hot and fresh and moist with the perfect coating. They are fresh because they are constantly having to make more as they sell out fast. Anyway, we got a couple tenders and some coleslaw and took a drive up to the Vista. As we ate, I watched with trepidation as the clouds lowered and the temperature also dropped. We finished eating and before I could set up my radio and antenna, the thunderstorm hit. Sitting on top of a ridge in a lightning event while using a transmitter is not the best of ideas. We un-assed the area.

As we drove down the gravel mountain road, the rain got more and more intense. We could hear the thunder from within the car. We made it back home, but I had to venture back out into the storm as we had forgotten an important item from our grocery list: toilet paper! After I got back from the store I stood on the porch and recorded the video I am linking to below.

I cannot stress enough the importance of safety in the ham radio hobby, especially in a lightning storm. Aside from the loud static crashes, there is always the possibility of a nearby strike. It is a good idea to disconnect your antennae from your home station and to have surge protection. Lightning can take some surprising paths in its search for ground. Always make sure the grounding on your tower is good (if you have one) and make sure your station is bonded to a single ground point suck as a cold-water pipe or a long ground rod (at least 2 meters pounded into the ground).

Ok, there will be other opportunities for a safe activation, and I foresee at least one coming up in the not-too-distant-future. In my usual fashion, Namaste kids and keep your stick on the ice!

The image features a photo-realistic 2021 Subaru Outback with a ham radio installation as lightning dramatically strikes the vehicle during a powerful storm. Amazing what you can do with AI. 🙂

A still shot of the run-off flowing past.

Busy, Hot, And Worth It: Ending My Days Off with POTA

July 14, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kidlets and/or others who may be reading this. You may or may not be aware that I work a non-standard schedule. First off, I work a 12 hour night shift and secondly, I work a schedule that varies from 3 days one week (pay period) to 4 days the next. This gives me every other weekend off and some time off during the week. Naturally, we try to get a lot of stuff done on off days. This was my week to have Monday and Tuesday (today) off.

Yesterday, Monday, we did some shopping for us and my mother-in-law. We even took her along to one of the stores to get her out of her apartment and to be active, though she wasn’t fond of the heat. I also did some of the yard work which I refer to as taming Satan’s Putting Green. Notice that I said some. I was almost out of gas for the mower and the weed-wacker was bone dry. While out shopping I did pick up some 2-cycle oil to add to a gas can so I was ready for a fill-up. The heat was pretty much debilitating. When all that was done I played on the radio for a bit though the bands were very iffy. I made some contacts on 40M and 30 M, mostly CW, and then called it quits. I know, I am a boring person. 🙂

Today was non-stop. First thing I had my oil changed and then picked up some gas for the mower and weed-wacker. I completed the domination of Satan’s Putting Green for a week or so and I also checked the condition of my antennae. Mostly I use dipoles here at home except for a dual band 2 meter and 75 cm vertical. I looked the dipoles over and made sure they were still in good condition and still well supported. I keep an eye on them as I have had limbs (tree limbs, not human) fall and break wires or support ropes. I would rather not transmit when my dipole is laying on the ground. In my experience it is good to check them over on a semi-regular basis. I am prepared for most repairs which is why I like dipoles: easy to make and easy to repair. I have even fixed a broken dipole by wrapping a piece of wire across both ends of the break and soldering the whole thing.

As the day progressed, things stayed active. SWMBO was doing laundry stuff whilst I did the yard and then we put most of it away. Since this involves carrying heavy baskets of clothing from the basement to the second floor, we don’t do it all at once. We spread it over a couple of days.

The next item on the agenda was taking Muffin (our youngest) to the vet for a shot and an exam. She was not happy being in the carrier and serenaded us with the lamentations of her people all the way to the vets. It turns out that she is in good health and, despite her small size, is between 10 and 12 weeks old. Now she goes back in 2 to 4 weeks for other shots. She is very active and amusing.

We went to lunch after which SWMBO said she needed to go to a big national chain store (use your imagination) as the one we went to yesterday didn’t have any paper left that hadn’t been mauled by rabid baboons. At least this store (in another town) had a good selection of specialty paper that was in saleable shape.

On the way to said store we went up into the local mountains and went to the 3 Square Hollow Vista (Tuscarora State Foerst US-5479) overlooking Cumberland County, where we did an activation. This being in the early afternoon, the 40 m band wasn’t great, but we got our 10 in about 20 minutes. As I was packing up, I turned on my 2 meter rig and asked on simplex if anyone wanted a POTA contact. Immediately a voice said ” I do! I do”. We got him in the log (my first 2 meter POTA QSO) and went on our way.

After the store we came home and here we are. I am enjoying the AC as it is still 32C outside (86 F) with a heat index of 40C. I guess the next few days will be the same, but I will be working so I won’t be out in the heat as much.

Well, enough for now. Namaste and enjoy your best life.

Kalamity is prepared to accept pats and scritches

Successful Recon And Some Antenna Thoughts

July 9, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Today, 9 July 26, SWMBO and I went on a recon to a new park. We are looking at doing a camping trip later this month and wanted to check out Rocky Gap State Park US-1593 in Maryland. This is a nice park which adjoins a resort and casino. As you drive into the park you pass a very large golf course. The park is easy to find and to access.

We pulled into the parking lot for the park office and it was pretty much deserted. As I was setting up a couple of rangers passed us by in pickups but didn’t stop. I guess they had seen activators before. It only took about 7 minutes to get on the air and I received responses to my CQ calls immediately. It didn’t take long to work 17 stations on 40 Meters and then I closed down as we were only here for a recon and I had found the info I wanted.

Next we drove up to the campground area but could not get in as it was gated. No problem as the maps on the reservation page are detailed and include pictures of the campsites. Tomorrow I will go onto the site and reserve a spot. I am looking forward to it.

Now some antenna thoughts. I could pull into a park and set up a wire antenna (G5RV JR) and I have done that, but my philosophy has changed. I could also set up a tri-pod mounted vertical such as my “Buddi Stick ” which I have done in the past also but I choose not to. I do carry those antennae with me but I keep them as a back up. My “Ham Stick” antennae work fine and allow me to complete activations on a minimal level, not disturbing anything and leaving behind no trace of being there. One of the things that brought me around to this way of thinking is that I am not in a contest; I am not competing with anyone. I am satisfied with a successful activation rather than trying to make or break a record. I do this to relax and to get enjoyment out of the outdoors. Bigger or “better” antennae would probably net me more contacts, but what I have is satisfactory to me. If I want contacts out to about 600 Kilometers or so, I choose 40 Meters. If I want to work European stations I choose 17 meters or 12 meters. I have antennae for all bands from 80 meters to 6 meters but have had the best of luck on 40 or the WARC bands.

You may have noticed that I didn’t mention 20 Meters. I do work it occasionally but due to the crowding on that band, I do not get on often. There are a lot of nets and a lot of other usage on 20 and it is easy to step on someone’s toes (or have your toes trod on). I guess it is an age thing, but I prefer not to make waves.

Anyway, I have prattled on for too long. Namaste, kids and keep your stick on the ice.

Rocky Gap State Park ranger station

Why, Oh Why?

June 7, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kids. Time for another entry in my blog. I hope you are all well and enjoying the late Spring weather.

Why do I do POTA activations, you may ask? Well that is something to answer. I first started doing ham radio as a hobby back in 1998. I saw it as an extension of my electronics degree and discovered how fun it is. The club I belonged to did communications for local dirt bike and bicycle races. The races were held (and still are) in an area that has almost no cell service; also you have to learn the tricks to getting a radio signal out. There are spots where if you roll your car 2 meters (6 feet) forward or back it can go from no signal to a strong (full quieting) signal. Mostly it was on the 2 Meter band and using a repeater but there were places where it was necessary to use relays from check points back to the marshalling area where the net control was set up.

After a while I upgraded my license to where I could use the HF bands. This allowed for longer distance communication from home and from out in the field. I got hooked on using CW (morse code) and QRP (low power) both from home and operating from a remote location. I would drive out to a park or other area such as a ridge and operate portable. This gave me quite a bit of experience with various types of antennae, band conditions and weather. I was ridiculed by the then club president (now a silent key) who would mock me for having a “peanut whistle” signal which no one would hear. I ignored him as hard as I could.

Fast-forward to 2023 when I first started working POTA stations and then finally to activate parks myself. I found it a great way to get outside and to operate away from the house. I enjoy nature and love sitting in the woods and taking it all in. I also enjoy experimenting with different set ups . It is nice to receive the achievement awards available but the main satisfaction I get is from setting up in a park and making a bona fide activation (working at least 10 stations). So, basically, I do it because I can. It also allows me to keep my skills sharp and to learn new things.

Today, Sunday 7 June 2026, I did yet another activation of Big Spring State Park US-4335. The weather was great with partly cloudy skies and a temperature of 33 C (92 F) that became 30.5 C (87 F) under the trees of the park. There was a good amount of traffic in the area, on the main road and also people walking through the park. I even got some curious looks from a trio of men on those skateboard things which have only 1 wheel in the middle of the board. I stayed there and was able to work 12 stations on 40 meters in about an hour. I heard the following birds: red-eyed vireos, american redstarts, acadian flycatchers, eastern wood-pewees, carolina wrens and ovenbirds. A nice assortment and pleasant to listen to.

Well enough for now. Namaste, kidlets and go out in nature!

Nature, Radio, and Me

A POTA Explorer's Diary

Antennas