A Wet End to September

September 29, 2024 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

It has been moist and wet for the past few days and it appears that the trend will continue for a few more, according to the weather guessers. My weather station has recorded 49.28 MM of rain this month which is good for the plants and for my well but makes for a dreary scenery outside. The rain hasn’t been hard, mostly, primarily drizzle with some periods of real rain, making the early autumn landscape look droopy and forlorn. The leaves have yet to go all out in their yearly change but some are trying to get some colour. For the most part it is shades of the greyish green you get in the late season making you tired of looking at it and wanting something fresh and different. Today is 29 September 2024 and we did an activation yesterday and one today. Yesterday we activated Big Spring State Park US-4355. In a way I see that as our home base. It is close by and easy to get to. It is a go-to park when time is at a premium and is as comfortable as an old pair of slippers. There were people there yesterday over near the pavilions. We stayed at our usual spot and didn’t bother them. I think they were actually there for the restrooms though I did not investigate. I just set up and started operating. In a short 1/2 hour we made 30 contacts. It then started to make a serious attempt to rain and it was getting dark. Pennsylvania’s DCNR likes people to be out of the parks at sundown unless there is a campground there so we stopped our operation and made our way home. Today, 29 September 2024 (Sunday) we decided over breakfast to go to the ATV lot in Michaux State Forest US-5471 located over Pine Grove Furnace SP. The lot was almost deserted and the weather was again rainy and drizzly. This is not a problem as the only part of my rig that is outside of the car is the antenna and coax. We had sporadic contacts on 40 Meters, working 30 contacts over the course of about 40 minutes. Hmmm … I wonder if 30 is a magic number? lol. Anyway, we survived the dampness and made it home where we are safe and sound and surrounded by our loving kitties. Okay, enough for today. Namaste Kidlets

A wet Zarathustra and a dry Moxie at the ATV Lot.

A Dark, Dreary, Drizzly, Nice, Fun Day

September 25, 2024 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Yesterday, September 24th, SWMBO and I set off early to activate a park. I had an appointment at 0645 with the vampire to have my blood analyzed so we ventured out after that. Our destination was Susquehanna State Park US-1601 in Maryland. It was drizzling when we left and the weather guessers had promised the same for the rest of the day. We didn’t let this bother us as my radio sits in the car and the only parts of the rig exposed are the antenna and the coax. It was a nice drive down there, taking a little over 2 hours. We checked out the picnic area but it did not suit us for an activation so we proceeded further down the road to the boat launch area which was had a large parking area and a great view of the river. We observed seagulls flying around, fishermen out on boats and cormorants floating and fishing. It was no longer drizzling by the time we had arrived but the sky was an iron gray, making for a soul sucking dreariness (just kidding but the sky was gray). I made a short video of the area (see below) and got on the air. 40 meters was doing well for a while and then signals went away. I went to 17 meters and worked 5 contacts and finished out the activation on 15 meters which had a good opening to Europe. Overall it was a good day. We had a nice leisurely drive back including a stop at a Royal Farms store for some chicken tenders. Even a dreary day can be a good one, without a moss covered 3 handled family gredunza. Namaste for today, kidlets.

Ptolomey and Moxie at Susquehanna State Park

Culps Hill Finally!

September 19, 2024 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Today SWMBO and I were able to make it to Culps Hill at Gettysburg US-0027 with no road blocks and no mowers. We did find that they have marked the parking spaces adjacent to the 7th Indiana monument as handicap spaces but other than that, things are ok. We got set up and were able to make 33 contacts in about 1/2 hour of operating time all on 40 meters. The band was in good shape. We worked 4 park-to-park stations of which 2 were 2-fers so it was a good day. The weather was nice and the cloud cover burned off to reveal the sun. It didn’t get too hot, either. We did pause during out activation as a tour group moved right next to us and the guide did a presentation to them. This took about 20 minutes. I didn’t want to bother them so I went radio-silent until they left. All in all, the day went well. Until next time, namaste, kids.

Requiem For Gnome and Return To The Grassy Knoll

September 5, 2024 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Today I bid a sad and final adieu to Lester the Gnome. During the setup at Barlows Knoll he fell onto the pavement and smashed to pieces. He will be missed. I do have another Gnome to take his place but Lester will be sorely missed. Yes, we did return to the grassy knoll this morning. We intended to activate from Culp’s Hill in Gettysburg National Military Park US-0027, but when we arrived at the top of the hill there was a crew working there so it was on to plan B. We drove to Barlows Knoll and parked there. As before, I backed into the parking space so that we were not facing into the sun. I got set up and ready to go (sans Lester) and then ascended the tower and shot a panoramic video. Tootsie the owl came with me for moral support and a good time was had by all. SWMBO wandered around doing her own thing videoing in the nearby fields. We then convened at the car and began operating. We immediately started making contacts and it went pretty steady. I was able to post spots for us on different places online and that generated activity. Another factor in our favour was location. People seem to like to work places such as Gettysburg. I am going to drive down to Harpers Ferry in the near future along with Antietam and see what kind of traffic I can generate there. We did not hear any birds this morning but we did watch a train go by at the bottom of the hill. Well enough for now. Namaste, kidlets and Farewell Lester.

Breakfast: the start of a good activation

And September is Here

September 2, 2024 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

And just like that it is September. I am not looking forward to the cold weather though I have my pod and my heater and will be able to set up in comfort. I have accelerated my video posts on my YouTube channel: planet gestyrious. Some are about POTA and some are about State Parks and some just are things that catch my eye. I have also been doing other things to keep busy and active. Last night I came up with an idea. I posted on the FB group that I was going to be on 50.111 MHz and try to contact anyone in the club that was interested. I wasn’t able to hear anyone but it was worth a try. It was a short notice and 6 M might have not been the best choice. Maybe next time we should try for 40M ground wave. Anyway, yesterday September 1st, SWMBO and I went to Mont Alto SP US-1386 and did an activation before it got too hot and humid. Between 40 and 15 metres we worked a total of 15 contacts. The park itself actually had people there which is a bit unusual. Normally it is deserted but yesterday there were people inhabiting the pavilion. Come to think of it, it was a holiday and a Sunday. Oh the only bird we heard was a mourning dove. Ok enough for today, kidlets. Happy days and namaste.

Activation on a Grassy Knoll

August 27, 2024 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Today, 27 August, my long suffering wyfe wanted to do some videos in Gettysburg so I grabbed my gear and we set out. First we had breakfast at the Newville Diner and then proceeded to Gettysburg. After SWMBO was done with her videos, we set out for Culp’s Hill. Well there was a problem: all the roads leading to the hill were closed! I uttered several choice words that I learned at a young age from listening to my father and uncles, and went with plan “B”. Always have plan “B”. We drove over to Barlow’s Knoll, my favorite grassy knoll. It is located near the Peace Light, sits on a good elevation, has a nice view and the traffic there is light. Places like Little Roundtop are higher in elevation but tend to get crowded, especially in the summer. When we first pulled in to park, I backed into the parking space so that the sun wasn’t shining into the windshield and frying our eyes as the spaces face East to South, making them very bright in the morning. Funny thing is, most of the cars that pulled in after us also backed in. I guess we were trend setters! Anyway, I made a short video of the location and my gear for my YouTube channel, shot a video of a train going by at the bottom of the hill and then set up to operate. In about a half hour we worked 32 contacts including 2 park-to-parks, all on 40 meters which I thought was pretty good for morning. It got too hot, too soon and we wrapped things up but a good time was had by all. The only negative thing was the lack of shade. We could have worked longer if it had been a bit cooler. Well until next time, as always, namaste and always roam with a gnome.

Lester and Zarathustra on a grassy knoll.

One Week and Two Activations Later …

August 24, 2024 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

I tried to update this yesterday, really I did but somehow I had turned on the “stickykeys” function on my keyboard and it was a bitch to turn it off. Anyway, here I am. On last Sunday, the 18th, we went to Big Spring State Park US-4355. It had been a while since we had activated there and it was a nice change of pace. The only bird we heard was an Eastern Wood Peewee. I did a short recording there to add to my YouTube Channel, @planetgesterious. I have started adding videos there about POTA and radio and anything else that strikes my fancy. Well at Big Spring we made 14 contacts in about 1/2 hour. Surprisingly there were a few carloads of people who showed up though no one bothered us. On Wednesday the 21th, we activated Little Buffalo State Park US-1376. It as a nice way to get out of the house and spend some time by the lake. We heard European Starlings and Tufted Titmouses (Titmice?) amd watched the clouds roll in from the West. We even caught a few drops of rain. Once again, I shot a short video clip for my channel. We made 34 contacts in about 40 minutes and had a nice peaceful time people watching. Overall a couple of good activations. The more we do these activations the more I like the concept of light weight equipment and I am thankful I have gotten away from the full-blown dog-and-pony show that I used when I first started.. I can be set up in a few minutes and it only takes a short time to take down. Well, I am going to bring this to a close as I have to get ready for work and we all know that work is the curse of the drinking class. Namaste for now, y’all.

Big Spring SP

Hakuna? My Tatertots!

August 16, 2024August 19, 2024 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Here is the story of how I became a warthog. SWMBO and I decided to go camping. It wasn’t a spur of the moment thing as I had taken a couple days off of work. I took them off because our radio club, Perry County Amateur Radio Club, was having a booth at the Perry County Fair and I had volunteered to work the booth one night. I figured it woud be a good time to take a few days because our company has a use-it-or-lose-it policy with PTO. I helped out at the fair on Tuesday, August 13th, even working an English ham station from our demo station we had set up. The next day, the 14th, Glory and I packed up and set out for Caledonia State Park, US-1337. Once we got there we set up the campsite and then took a drive around and picked up some last minute stuff and got something to eat. We set up the radio and started operating. We operated for about an hour then took a break until after the day change (UTC). We ran for about another hour and then shut down. We then sat by the campfire and enjoyed the night. The next morning, the 5th, yesterday, after breakfast, we uploaded the mogs to the POTA app and then set out to Catoctin Mountain Park US-0666 in Maryland. I checked in at the park office to make sure we wouldn’t be disturbing the folks at Camp David and we found a great spot at the Chestnut picnic area. We made our activation there and went on to Ridenour Swamp WMA but didn’t find a good place to park. We then went to Cunningham Falls State Park US-1566 in Thurmont MD. We made our activation there and it was lunchtime. IN Emmitsburg MD is a BBQ place called Chubby’s Barbeque which serves good food. We stopped there for lunch and then trolloped over to Mont Alto State Park US-1386 in PA. We activated there and moved onto the ATV lot in Michaux State Forest US-5471 completing 5 activations in a rove. It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun. We heard Red-eyed Vireos, Gold Finches, Tufted Titmouses and Eastern Kingbirds. Before we packed up we uploaded our logs and lo! and behold! when we got home, the Late Shift Activator and Rover Warthog awards were in my profile on the POTA.APP page. I am happy. I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of my long suffering wyfe. Enough for now. Namaste, kidlets!

Zarathustra and Lester helping at the campsite

My Owl Was Moistened

August 7, 2024 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

First off, we had a bit of a disappointment last night. Due to heavy rain, the National Night Out activities were cancelled at the Landisburg Fire Station. Representatives of the Perry County Amateur Radio Club, including myself, were planning to be present at a booth to show off our hobby and to demonstrate ham radio to the public and explain how we can be of service to the community during an emergency. Our next chance for public exposure will be at the Perry County Fair in Newport next week. SWMBO and I are going to be at the booth on opening night, August 13th. Expect a report and pictures. I will be showcasing my dipole made from 2 Slinkys. So on with today’s activation! SWMBO and I set out at 0500 for Gettysburg and arrived at the area of Devil’s Den around 0615. Devil’s Den was a location where Confederate sharpshooters shot at Union troops on Little Roundtop. It is a group of boulders left by the last glacier and makes for a great place to hide between shots. Glory did some videos and recordings and I watched wildlife. There was a whistlepig who was curious about me for a while but then when about having his breakfast. After a bit we decided the mist and drizzle was getting uncomfortable so we headed over to Culp’s Hill for an activation. I put a 40M Hamstick on my magmount and set the radio to 7.289 MHz which was empty. Within 5 minutes we had logged 10 contacts! It was almost like fishing a creek that had just been stocked! In less that 45 minutes we had worked 52 stations (we didn’t count them until we got home and transferred them to the POTA app) but it was just too moist out to continue. Thanks to the folks who stayed at home and hunted, we had a great activation. You might wonder why I say “we” when it is me doing the talking. I give great credit to my long suffering wyfe, Glory, who does my logging and offers lots and lots of support and encouragement. She also puts up with my foibles such as having owl decoys and gnomes and pink flamingoes. Well enough for now, kidlets. As the founder of our order taught us: “Keep your stick on the ice!”. Namaste

Little Roundtop as seen from Devil’s Den

Zarathustra the owl and Lester the gnome watching operations

Outrunning the heat with gnome and owl

August 3, 2024 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi all. We did a spur of the moment activation today. SWMBO wanted to do some videos in Gettysburg so we set out early to beat the heat and the crowds. The park opens at sunrise so we planned on getting there shortly thereafter, which we did. Driving in the early morning hours on a Saturday morning is nice and relaxed. There are few cars on the road and everything seems quiet and surreal. There was a fog which added to the mystic quality. We arrived at the National Military Park at around 0615 and found the areas where my wyfe wanted to video. It was already hot and moist, 25 C (78F for those stuck in a system based on the freezing point of brine) and about 8000% humidity. Gloria did her video project and we found our way to Culp’s Hill. It was nice up there; fog laying thick around the hilltop. As soon as I got out of the car to get set up some big fat rain drops started falling; not many but enough to be slightly annoying. In a few minutes I was on the air. As I was setting up, my wyfe used her app to listen for birds. She logged blue jays, eastern wood peewees, red headed woodpeckers, american robins, house finches and mourning doves. One thing of note: we both were aware of an acrid sulphureous odor which I identified as the smell of black powder from musket or cannon fire. Maybe some re-enactors were up early or maybe we were catching an olfactory echo from the past. Who knows? Anyway, the contacts were coming fast and Glory was having a hard time keeping up logging at times. In less than an hour we made 38 contacts exclusively on 40 meters and worked stations as far away as South Dakota! At one point I had a 4 minute QSO with a ham from NY who was interested to know what my set up was as he plans on starting to get into activating parks. My set up is simple and I prefer to keep it that way. It doesn’t take me long to get on the air and I do nothing that night be construed as damage to the area in which I am operating. We logged 4 park-to-park contacts, which is always nice. When it got too uncomfortable, we departed. Well kidlets I think this is enough for now. Namaste and have fun

Nature, Radio, and Me

A POTA Explorer's Diary

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