Got Those Bad Band Conditions Drizzly Day Lazy Afternoon Blues

April 2, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kidlets. It is the second day of my “weekend” as I work a weird schedule. This week my days off are Wednesday and Thursday followed by work on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday then off again on Monday and Tuesday followed by work Wednesday and Thursday then off until Monday. I do get every other Friday, Saturday and Sunday off so I guess it is ok. You get used to the schedule sometime during the first decade.

We didn’t go anywhere yesterday though I did go to Big Spring State Park US-4355 again. The temperature was about 28C (83 F) and it was making a serious attempt to be sunny. Band conditions were not good and there was a lot of noise. I started out on 40M but soon went to 17M as there was very little activity on 40. I made 9 more contacts on 17M (making my activation bona fide) and then went back to 40 for 9 more. All this took around an hour. The park was, as usual, nice and quiet with the sounds of nature only occasionally being interrupted by passing vehicles. Being in a remote park has its advantages. Anyroad, my total for this park is now 873. I am getting there.

In my last entry I neglected to itemize the birds which my app heard. Here they are now. We heard in Maryland: Carolina Wrens, House Finches, House Sparrows, European Starlings and Brown-headed Cowbirds. In Shepherdstown WV, we heard: Chipping Sparrows, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmouses, American Goldfinches, Canada Gooses, Northern Cardinals, Golden-crowned Kinglets, White-breasted Nuthatches, Dark-eyed Juncos and Eastern Phoebes. I guess Spring might really be here.

I am including a link to the contents of my radio box that I take to activations. Of course, my radio, but also various tools, some meters, a flashlight and other items. I also include my logbook as I do paper logging in the field, my exposure guide printout (per FCC regulations), band plans, a copy of my license and other paperwork to include a description of POTA for anyone who might be curious. I keep my antennae in the car as I have shown before. These days I like to travel light. It all fits into a plastic storage tub.

Well enough for now. I am going to sip some coffee and enjoy some slack. Namaste, kids.

A rescued possum at Possumbilities in Fredericksburg, VA

The Seasons Wait On No One, Neither Man Nor Groundhog

March 14, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Winter, a grumpy old man shaking his hoary fist in impotent rage is grumbling as he shuffles towards the transition point where he will meet Spring. Spring, a bouncy and loveable kitten dances up the garden path to rub against your ankles and bring you promises of better times to come.

The weather today was nice. Not perfect but still nice. It was windy which is usual for March. The temperature topped out at 14C (57F) and the skies were clear. Humidity is currently 33% and the pressure is 1018 millibars. So far this month we have received 50.29 MM (1.98 IN) of precipitation. The last of the snow has disappeared.

It was under sunny skies that we (SWMBO and I) set out for Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland: US-0700. The battlefield activation was only a prelude to our real goal but more on that later. It was a nice drive down there and we arrived about 15 minutes before the Visitor’s Center opened. I parked at the end of the lot and got set up on 40M. The band was a bit strange this morning. The contacts were not fast nor were they steady, but we worked 29 stations including some park-to-parks. A lot of contacts were from Georgia, Alabama and Florida which is a reach for 40M during the day.

After we finished, we stopped at the monument dedicated to Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross. She played a large role in the battle, delivering medical supplies and, more importantly, tending the wounded. During 12 hours of combat on 17 September 1862, 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing. Tending the wounded was a daunting task and Clara, with her staff of 30, worked diligently for 3 days, patching up the wounded and feeding them. She later founded an organization to find and identify graves on Civil War battlefields.

We then proceeded to Elmwood Cemetery in Shepherdstown, WV. The cemetery is easy to find and has some nice stones. I like to photograph the carvings and oddities as time and weather will take its toll and deprive the future of these relics. It was quite windy so the only birds we heard were Red-Shouldered Hawks and American Bluebirds. We went to another cemetery but it was a disappointment.

We found a scenic route back to the highway and proceeded home where I now sit watching my cats wrestle.

So ends another entry in my blog. I hope all is well with my readers and, as always, namaste.

Missie and Moxie helping me activate Antietam National Battlefield

the 7th PA Volunteer Regiment monument right next to the Clara Barton monument

The daffodils across the road are starting to bloom

Almost Flamingo Season

March 10, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Wow! Currently the temperature is 28C (85F for you that use outdated systems). It has been nice all day. It almost makes me want to dig out the flamingos and place a platoon of them on the lawn!

SWMBO wanted to go to a couple of stores in Chambersburg PA, today so we set out about 0700 and went to Caledonia State Park US-1337 and did an activation. We got set up by about 0835 and got on the air. I wanted to start on 40M and ended up staying there as the contacts were flying in. I found an empty space at 7196 Khz and spotted myself online. A net came on about 1 or 2 K down but they didn’t bother us too much. I do my best to avoid nets as the folks who participate can be prickly sometimes when you are too near “their” frequency. Anyway, we had 10 contacts within 5 minutes, and they just kept coming in fast and furious. I like this type of activation. I barely had time to put spots on some of the groups. When we packed it in we had 41 contacts over the course of 31 minutes.

The weather was nice. Partly cloudy and it was 4C when we started and climbed at a steady rate. We even were able to log some birds which is a good sign of improving weather. We heard Black-capped Chickadees, Carolina Chickadees, Carolina wrens, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Dark-eyed Juncos. A nice assortment and we did hear them in spite of the chain saws running nearby.

When we finished up we went to Sportsman’s Warehouse looking for sleeping pads but were unable to find anything that suited us for camping use. We crossed town and went to Better Days Animal League thrift shop. We usually find dvds or books there and the money goes to a good cause. They also have adoptable kittys there and we interact with them.

After all this we went home and relaxed for a bit before going to Blain Hotel for a nice lunch/supper. All in all a good day though some might find my life a bit dull.

The UPS truck just stopped here and dropped an order which included “The POTA Antenna Book” by Don Dickey WV1W. Now I have something new to read.

Well enough for now. As always, namaste kiddos.

Missie, Tootsie and Moxie watching me operate

A view looking south from our parking space at Caledonia State Park

Looking south-east from our parking space

In front of the building where the restrooms are is a “little library”. I think this is a great idea.

Steamy Windows, A Wet Owl, And A Milestone Reached

March 5, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Greetings and salutations, kidlets. It has been a good day in spite of the weather. Today was rainy then gloomy then rainy then drizzly and back to rainy. We were out this morning running some errands and, when we got back, I decided to do an activation. SWMBO decided to remain home.

When I arrived at Little Buffalo State Park US-1376, the temperature was around 7C (45 F) and remained so for my time at the park. During my activation it got very warm in the car and the windows fogged up. I had to take off my coat and finish in shirtsleeves. Holman Lake is the manmade lake occupying 88 acres of Little Buffalo State Park. The ice on Holman Lake was that gray color that old ice gets when it is thin and rotten. The fishing shacks are gone as are the homemade skating rinks. I pretty much had the park to myself.

It did not take long to set up, and I was soon on the air on 40M. I worked 26 contacts before switching bands. One thing that I thought was fortuitous was that my first contact was a park-to-park … this one from Ontario. So after 26 contacts the band seemed to dry up. I swapped antennae and started working 17M which is usually a good daytime band. It proved to be today. I was able to work Italy, Oregon, St Kitts, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, California and a lot of other stations. A good time was had. Part way through my operation I realized that I was getting close to my Kilo award for this park. This gave me incentive to keep working stations until I had reached a total of 76. I had started the day with a total of 928 so I had only need 72 contacts to reach 1000. This was exciting as it is my first Kilo award (hopefully not my last). I want to thank everybody who helped me achieve this.

I was able to hear and identify (with my app) the following birds: Ring Billed Gull, American Crow, Common Raven, American Herring Gull, Blue Jay, Wild Turkey and Sharp-shinned Hawk. I think the birds are getting sick of winter and are anticipating the return of Spring and nice weather.

Well, once again I am sitting near the pellet stove and enjoying some coffee. I hope all is well with my readers. Namaste

2 gnomes and a wet owl

Looking South across Holman Lake from the parking lot at the boat launch

A Warm Day And Some Non-Cooperating Bands

February 28, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Here it is the last day of February. The temperature is currently 17 C (62.6F) at 22:30 UTC. Nice. I don’t for a minute believe that we are done with cold weather, but I am enjoying the break from the dreary mess it has been lately. The daffodils across the road are reaching higher and I look forward to them blooming. We have a window feeder that a couple of chickadees have been enjoying which mesmerizes our cats.

We (SWMBO and I) went out to Little Buffalo State Park US-1376 today to activate it and enjoy the weather. I started on 40 M and wasn’t working many stations. It was a bit discouraging. I tried 12M and was able to work a station form France before moving to 17M. First off I was able to work a lot more on this band. It is nice to find a band that is open. We worked more stations on 17 and then had to call it a day. I made a total of 23 contacts of which 9 were park-to-park contacts. Overall, it was a success.

So why am I returning to Little Buffalo so often? I am working on my Kilo certificate for that park. POTA has different certificates for different achievements, and working 1000 stations from a single park entitles you to the Kilo certificate. I currently have 928 contacts at Little Buffalo. I am also close to getting the next level certificate for working Park-to-Park contacts. My next certificate will come at 850 and I have 830 right now. It is something simple to do and does give you a sense of achievement.

Today I verified that my homebrew is ready to bottle. I checked the gravity and got a reading of 1.010. The specific gravity of water is 1.000 (as determined with an instrument called a hygrometer). The gravity of the wort when I placed it in the fermenter was 1.050 so it has leveled out at a nice gravity. The calculators say that the ABV (alcohol by volume) is 5.25%, nicely in the middle of the range for a robust porter. I sampled the specimen after I had taken the reading and it is a bit lighter in body than I was expecting but tastes good. The hops are apparent and the flavor of the malt can be tasted. I will comment more once it is carbonated.

Ok, kids, I am going to have some supper. As always keep your stick on the ice. Namaste

Missy, Ptolomey and Moxie watching my activity.

Remembrances Of A Cold And Blustery Day

February 24, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

It has been eventful the past few days. Mostly good and some not so good. On Friday the 20th, we took Scout to the vet to be neutered. The operation went without a hitch and Friday afternoon he was back at home, causing a ruckus.

I had to work this past weekend, Friday thru Sunday night; the usual 12 hour shifts. It was pretty much without incident until Sunday when the storm hit. From Sunday afternoon until Monday mid-morning we got a mixture of rain and snow which left 5 Centimeters (2 inches) on the ground which pretty much melted off last night. This storm has been labelled The Blizzard Of 2026″ as Philly, New York, and Southern New England got hit pretty hard, amounts varying from 45 CM (18 inches) to a bit mor than a Meter (39 inches). Today they are starting to dig out. As I said, we dodged the bullet on this one.

This morning the wind was gusting to about 15 KPH (9 MPH) and the temperature was around -4 C (25 F) so, of course, I went to a state park and activated. I went to Little Buffalo State Park US_1376 as it is close to my home. There were no birds around and the lake was totally devoid of ice fishers.

As usual it did not take long to set up. I chose 40M to start with and once I got on the air the contacts were coming in at a fast rate. I stayed on 40 for about 1/2 hour until things started to abate. I then mounted my 17M “Hamstick” on the car and continued for another 25 minutes. I was able to rack up a total of 52 contacts before I took my station down. I even worked some DX: St Vincent ( the Caribbean island, not the singer) and Italy. I was receiving good reports out to Colorado and down into the south. All in all a good activation.

As I have mentioned previously, I have my operation streamlined. At first, I was dragging out the ham radio equivalent of a full British mountaineering expedition, more bells and whistles that one person would ever need. SWMBO made suggestions over time which work out. Nowadays I use a mag mount on the car roof with one of my various “Hamsticks” on it. It isn’t perfect but it makes for a convenient and non-obtrusive setup. The only thing I do that might attract a bit of attention is to place one of my owl decoys on the hood of the car. I do carry a couple other antennae as back ups but rarely have occasion to use them

The day is now winding down. It is 1630 EST and my weather station is telling me that it is 1 C with a Southwest wind of 12 KPH. The cats have been fed, the stove is full and the coffee is hot so I may get on the air and do some POTA hunting. Namaste for now.

Scout home from the traumatic experience at the vet’s.

My porter boiling a couple weeks ago. It will soon be ready to bottle.

A Warm And Sunny Valentine

February 14, 2026April 9, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kidlets. The other day SWMBO and I were talking. I mentioned that I am grateful she doesn’t take Valentines Day seriously and require me to take out a second mortgage every February to fund some shiny hunk of metal with a sparkly rock stuck in it (or other foolishness like that) just to affirm that I love her. She said “Hey. For Valentines you could take me to Buc’ees!” Easy ’nuff.

We left this morning at 0600. The temperature was a balmy -4C and the sky was still deciding on whether to brighten up or not. The light had that pre-dawn crepuscular appearance when we hit the highway. We drove south for about 2 hours and reached Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historic Park US-0730. When we arrived, the temperature was about 6C. We drove around the park for a bit and found a good spot to set up. We decided on the small parking lot across from Bell Grove Plantation Mansion. The area didn’t seem well traveled and was ideal for an activation. In 21 minutes, we worked 30 contacts including 4 park-to-parks. Definitely a good activation. After we tore down we touristed around the area and took some pics. I used my app and heard American Robins, House Finches, Northern Cardinals and Mourning Doves. It is nice that the birds are coming back out.

We continued down the highway to Buc’ees where we gawked around like tourists for about 1/2 hour and grabbed some of their fine vittles. I got a sausage-on-a-stick and SWMBO went for the chicken fingers and fries. We also got a box of Beaver Chips, which are damn good chips. After gassing up the car we headed back on the road. North of Harrisonburg, VA, SWMBO and I decided to take a more leisurely approach to our return home and we cut across to Shenandoah National Park and took Skyline Drive for the 35 miles to Front Royal at the North end of the park. During the drive I had plenty of opportunity to look over some potential activation sites for our next sojourn into VA. After we left the park I took a wrong turn which set us back about 20 minutes on our return trip; it was ok as we were in no hurry.

Now we are back home and are letting the kittehs know that we still love them even though we abandoned them for the day. Time for more coffee. Namaste, kids!

The plantation office and stores building

A view of the mansion from across the field

A selfie taken when driving on Skyline Drive.

I AM Sick Of Cold; I Want Daffodils!

February 10, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Over the past 6 days since my last entry, we had some frickin COLD weather. I know that it is winter until March 21st but do we have to get our noses rubbed in it? Winter is now at that stage where the snow looks gray and dirty and makes us want to get a torch out and melt it out of the yard so that we can see what is under it. I would even settle for extended views of satan’s putting green (my yard). I know complaining about the weather doesn’t do a bit of good, but I am gonna complain anyway. So There! Pthbbpt!

Once again I did an activation by myself. SWMBO does not like cold weather. No biggie. I have a system of keeping my log while talking so things get done. It was -2C (29 F or 271 Kelvin) when I got to the boat launch at Little Buffalo State Park US-1376. The sky was overcast at the time with no wind. Off in the distance I could hear the mellifluous calls of crows stating their opinions. There were several groups of ice fisherpeople (trying to be inclusive) scattered around the lake: penitents huddled around the altars with heads bowed. As always, it didn’t take long to set up and I made 45 contacts in about 49 minutes including 4 park-to-parks. The temperature went up about a degree or so while I was there. I didn’t interact with anyone other than an occasional nod and/or wave to passersby. Even though it was chilly there were folks walking around, even some de-watering their dogs.

After the activation SWMBO and I went to lunch and then grocery shopping. I have just finished taking care of business for the day such as paying a dental bill, and scheduling a doctor appointment. Now I get a chance to sit here, drink coffee and watch my catz interact. It is a restful type of afternoon. Currently the temperature is a balmy 7C (45F or 280 Kelvin if you prefer) and the squirrels are running around the back yard.

I am going to close here and wish you all a great day and, as always, namaste!

Moxie, Missie and Ptolomey at Little Buffalo SP

A Ride On A January Morning

January 13, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

SWMBO wanted to take a ride in Western MD and Eastern WV today so we set out looking for some small towns. We didn’t find anything very interesting other than an old Methodist Cemetery. Generally, we look for interesting thrift shops and cemeteries but we didn’t find any that looked like they were worth perusing.

I was allowed and encouraged to bring my rig with me and we activated 2 parks. The first park was Fort Frederick State Park US-1570. We arrived before the park opened but found a spot in the parking lot at the visitor’s center which I did not count this as a 2-fer. Where I usually park is down near the C&O Canal but the gate on the road to get there was closed. We got set up in a few minutes and started working on 40M on 7.195MHz. We had pile-ups right from the start but we made it through and I hope we didn’t miss anyone. In 13 minutes, we made 27 contacts including 1 park-to-park. It was a short but busy activation. We then continued with our sightseeing.

After checking out a bit more of WV we decided to do another activation before heading home. Antietam National Battlefield US-0700 was on our way so we stopped in there. We got set up and were on the air by 1539UTC. When I turned my radio on it was still on the last frequency I was working, 7.195MHz, and I heard KE8QJV (Craig) from the Black Swamp Radio Club activating 2 parks. I got him on my 3rd call and we logged each other. I then searched for an open freq and settled on 7.212MHz. Over the course of 17 minutes, we logged 29 contacts. Another successful activation in the books. We then travelled home and did our grocery shopping. Yep, another interesting day.

The weather was nice. Mostly sunny with a temperature of 10C and no appreciable wind. Maybe the weather is the reason that there was a paucity of animal sightings. There were no songbirds around, just a few buzzards and crows feeding off of road-kill carcasses. The only critters we saw were a few squirrels that were trying to impress us with their dance moves. Other than that, nothing. Sort of strange but then again it is January.

I have done roves a few times; the activations today could be considered one as I moved from one park to another. The most I have done is 5 parks in a 24 hour period which qualifies for the Rover Warthog award from POTA. I have earned a couple. Maybe someday I will try for 10 in a day but I digress. This general area of PA, WV, VA, and MD has a lot of historic sites and battlefields. I am thinking of doing a 5 battlefield rove soon and making special QSL’s for it. I would title it my War-pigs rove. Stay tuned as I will be putting this into action before long. The QSL cards will be available on request with log info of the appropriate contacts.

Well my coffee cup is empty and my motional sports cat, Scout, is telling me that I should quit typing and pay attention to him so I will end this for now. Namaste, kidlets and keep your stick on the ice.

Another Entry And I Scratched An Itch

January 7, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kidlets. This afternoon after SWMBO and I finished lunch; she suggested that I go do an activation. She decided to let me out on my own as she wasn’t feeling that activation glow today. I packed up my gear and headed out to Big Spring State Park US-4355.

I just checked and it was 2 August the last time I activated Big Spring. The park itself is nice and cozy. Not very big but a good park to go to when you want some undisturbed POTA time. It sits in the West end of Perry County PA and the traffic is minimal.

I got set up and got on the air a short time after arriving at the park. 40 meters was not in the best of shape but I worked 10 contacts after about 20 minutes. I moved to 17 meters and was able to work a few more and then finished back on 40 M with a total of 23 contacts. It was mostly sunny when I arrived with a temperature of 12.7 C but after a while it clouded over and the temp dropped to 10.5 C. Still quite warm for January. There were no birds heard today. It did not take too long to tear down.

All in all it was a fine day. The only low point was when I heard a couple of sad hams trying to interrupt an activator in progress because they were on a net owned freq. Rather than take the high road these individuals just kept talking over the activator and folks calling him (malicious interference). The activator moved to another freq and the 2 sad hams were free to discuss liver spots and other afflictions as they do every day. It takes all kinds. I guess manners have gone out the window. Ok rant off. 🙂

Well I am going to sit here, drink coffee and decide what to do about supper. As always, namaste kids!

Nature, Radio, and Me

A POTA Explorer's Diary

#birds