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.

And The Days Toodle On

August 25, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kidlets. It has been a very nice break for the last week, but now I am facing a return to work tomorrow. We spent the day doing chores like beating Satan’s Putting Green into submission with a mower, a weed wacker and some agent orange for the remaining bamboo. Unless you are prepared for a very intrusive plant which is difficult to get rid of, never plant bamboo.

SWMBO and I had a nice day yesterday. We went to Susquehanna State Park US-1601 in Maryland. It was raining when we got there but it soon stopped. It is a nice quiet park and we worked 26 contacts in less than a half hour. When we first pulled in, we had a little cute thing approach the car before trolloping back into the woods. You can find a link to the video of the approach below. On the way back we took the secondary roads and had a very scenic drive before stopping for lunch in Carlisle PA.

One item I carry in my POTA box is an RF Exposure worksheet which details the exposure limits for the frequencies I use. If anyone were to ask, it is available as required by the FCC since 3 May 2021. If any are interested, here is a link to the calculator: https://www.arrl.org/rf-exposure-calculator It is easy to use and understand and I have over-estimated my output and antenna gain to fall well within the limits for safety.

I also have on hand documents which I have printed from the internet detailing what POTA is, what ham radio is and why I am sitting there in a State Park talking on a radio. So far, I have had a few people interested who came over and asked questions. I have done my best to answer them and make a good impression.

Wello, for now I am going to say adieu. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice.

looking downriver from the boat ramp at Susquehanna SP

Hubert the gnome and Ollie the owl look on as I play radio

Our brief encounter

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

Calamitous Virtue In The Face Of Vapid Indifference

July 23, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kids! It has been a few since I have inflicted my blog on you. Things got very busy. Due to a fellow employee taking off for a few days, I had to work 6 consecutive nights. Let me tell you, the older I get the less fun these long stretches are.

As usual, plans can change. SWMBO and I had planned on going camping in Maryland and playing tourist and activating a park or two, but that got washed away by some weather. Sitting in a tent trying to play radio during a thunderstorm or slogging through cemeteries in pouring rain were not activities that appealed to us. We could have gone down yesterday evening, but then what fun would it have been to set up, spend the night, and then come back? We will try the camping thing again in a few weeks.

We spent yesterday doing necessary chores to include the first stage of eradication of some unwanted flora. I know I have mentioned before wanting to get rid of the bamboo I planted so now we are in the process of destroying it. I got some super-duper exfoliant which is supposed to be true death to all living plants, so we are giving it a try. We also did some of the other basic stuff that needed to be done.

This morning it was a bit chillier than it has been for a while. When we left to go do an activation it was 12.7 C (55 F) and it had warmed up to 15 C (59 F) by the time we got to the ATV lot in Michaux State Forest. The sun was shining bright and the temperature was on the rise. There were a few people camping there and others offloading their ATVs for some trail riding. We set up and between 11:43 UTC (07:30 EDT) and 12:33 UTC (08:33 EDT) we worked 29 different stations stretching from Maine to Mississippi. We did get chased off of a frequency by the sad hams who occupy an infamous frequency on 40M, (I was down 2 from said frequency but they came on and started splattering over my signal) but that was not a big issue. We just hunted other parks for a bit and then found an empty spot on the band. After a very successful activation we went to the Dickenson Restaurant in Carlisle for a great breakfast. Now I am contemplating taking out the trash as I drink my coffee.

Our newest cat, Muffin. is growing and full of mischief. Our next oldest, Scout, has taken her under his wing and they have bonded. If she isn’t in the room, he will go look for her and is very protective. Last night I was tickling her as she sat next to my chair, and Scout was giving me dirty looks. Muffin likes to climb up my legs which I have the scars to prove, and to jump into the refrigerator every chance she gets.

Now this is where I assert myself as a non-expert with ship-loads of experience. I am going to mention some stuff I take in my car that is not related to activating or to radio in general. I always have at least one first aid kit. The reasons are self-explanatory; I believe everyone should carry one. Next, I have a small fire extinguisher. I also carry window cleaner and cloths to clean dirty windshields and side windows. You never know how dirty your windows are until you see them through strong sunlight. I have a small survival kit that I received for Christmas (from SWMBO) that contains all sorts of items that would help to survive in a wilderness area such as fire making tools, a knife, fishing gear, a flashlight, a compass, some parachute cord and other items. I have a flashlight in my kit box along with duct tape.I have some orange cones in case of a breakdown. I also keep a pair of binoculars in case I want to binocle. It sounds like a lot but all this doesn’t take much room.

One more thing to mention, when driving in PA it behooves you to keep your eyes peeled for those pesky 4-footed ruminants (mentioning them by name summons them) that run out in front of your car and cause damage upon impact. This morning on the way to the restaurant a 6 pointer ran out right in front of us which made me test my anti-lock brakes and verified that I have a functional heart.

Ok, kidlets, I have rambled on too long, I think. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice!

Ollie and Hubert the Gnome are helping me operate

For no reason, a Rose-Of-Sharon growing next to the restaurant.

Is There A 4th Of July In England?

July 5, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

It is a Sunday afternoon, and I am sitting here sipping on some coffee. Got all the week-end running around done and it is time to relax and reflect. It is July 5th 2026 and the heatwave is broken. I am not sure who broke it or if it can be fixed but suffice it to say that the current temp is 30C (86 F) which is a lot better than the 40 C we have been having for the last 4 or 5 days. I blame it on the fact that it is Summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

It was 23 C this morning at about 0630 EDT (1030 UTC) when I decided to do an activation before it got too hot and thunderstormy. I arrived at Little Buffalo State Park US-1376 and got set up by 1054 UTC. The humidity was about 600% which made it a bit uncomfortable but it was still within the tolerable range with the forementioned temperature. I worked 23 stations in about 37 minutes and then packed up. Yesterday the band conditions were terrible due to a CME which had hit the Earth but that had calmed down by this morning. I was working stations from Florida to Missouri to Wisconsin to Connecticut. All of these on 40 Meters. I heard the following birds: American Crows, Red-eyed Vireos, Eastern Kingbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Chipping Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, Chimney Swifts, Eastern Warbling Vireos, Common Grackles, Fish Crows, American Goldfinches, Northern Yellow Warblers, American Robins, Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Flickers, American Redstarts and Blue Jays. Quite a bit of happy noise! After I was done on the radio I strolled around and took a few pictures of the misty lake.

Speaking of radio, this past week was a bit hectic. I worked Monday through Thursday (inclusive) all 12 hour days. Luckily I was able to squeeze in some radio time. On July 1st (Wednesday) the 13 Colonies Special Event began. The goal is to work specific stations from all 13 of the original 13 colonies plus 3 bonus stations. You can get QSL cards from each station and also send for a certificate if you want. You only need 1 station to get a certificate though the majority of people elect to try for a “clean sweep” of all the stations. It is one of the fun activities in ham radio and the certificates and cards are well designed. I had finished my clean sweep by the evening of the 3rd (Friday).

On Saturday, July 4th, we had breakfast at the Blain Hotel and then took a drive to Ollie’s (Good Stuff Cheap). They had a 15% off sale for card members. Later on, since there was little to no radio activity with the CME roaching the ionosphere, SWMBO and I decided to take a ride up Hemlock Road and cruise with the windows down. The idea sounded nice until when we got to the road the sky opened up and a torrential thunderstorm hit. We went back home and waited for the power to go out (which it didn’t here, luckily). Other places in the area got hit hard and will be without power for the next couple of days.

Well, I am back to work tomorrow so I think I will spend the rest of the evening in a slothful state of relaxation. Namaste, kids and keep your reality real.

Hubert the gnome and Ollie the Owl watching my 6

A misty lake scene with reflections of the opposite shore

A Spring Dream

June 16, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kidlets. Another beautiful Spring day here in Pencilvania. Started the day with an oil change (my car not me) and then got to work. I had to mount a full-out assault on Satan’s Putting Green. I really can’t wait until my gourds take over the yard and make mowing unnecessary. I have some in each yard, one set in a raised bed and the others on boxes. I even have two potatoe plants which are going great.

I did an activation at Little Buffalo State Park US-1376 and worked 15 stations. The conditions were not great but for 40M t was to be expected. Also, time of day was a factor. I started at 20:30 and I think a lot of people were still at work. The temperature was about 26C and the sun was peeking out of passing clouds. I heard the following birds: Song Sparrows, Red-eyed Vireos, American Robins, Chipping Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds and Tree Swallows. There were several people around, boating, fishing and just strolling.

Yesterday we got a bit bored and went for a late afternoon drive. We went the length of Hemlock Road looking for critters and weren’t disappointed. There were squirrels, whistlepigs, turkeys, ruminants and chipmunks and also two Eastern Box Turtles which I had to lecture on road safety. Hemlock Road is located at the western end of Perry County and makes for a nice drive.

Well, that is all for now. Expect more updates soon. Namaste, kids, and keep your stick on the ice!

Looking down Hemlock Road

The gnomes and Ollie enjoying a nice day at Little Buffalo State Park

An Eastern Box Turtle listening to a road safety lecture

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!

Ptolomey, Missie and Moxie enjoying a day at the park.

Good Conditions , Bad Conditions, I’m The Guy With The Radio!

June 2, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kidlets. Another entry in the blog. I was off yesterday and tonight (Monday and Tuesday) so here is an update

Yesterday I had to get a new card from my bank. The monitoring service had voided mine due to a bad transition. We drove down to the bank and got that taken care of, then we had lunch. The next thing was to put the woodchipper I just bought together. It was pretty easy. We managed it with a minimum of swearing and the instructions were actually written in English. Of course, after we were done assembling it, we had to give it a test drive. It works good and we spent about an hour reducing the pile of bamboo and tree limbs we have acquired over the years. We still have more to do, but we are going step by step. I intend to use the mulch to cover our path from the porch to the driveway.

This morning I activated Little Buffalo State Park US-1376. When I first arrived, the temp was 10.6C (51 F) and there was mist rising from Holman Lake. I got set up and on the air and stayed for about 45 minutes, working 29 stations. I had to make a temporary repair to the power cable for my radio but that didn’t take long and held through the activation. While in the park I heard the following birds: red-winged blackbirds, chipping sparrows, orchard orioles, baltimore orioles, american robins, cedar waxwings, song sparrows, american crows, red-eyed vireos, northern cardinals, swamp sparrows, tufted titmouses, eastern warbling vireos, carolina wrens, northern yellow warblers, eastern towhees, northern mockingbirds, eastern kingbirds, chimney swifts, tree swallows, american goldfinches, european starlings, hairy wood peckers, common yellowthroats, brown-headed cowbirds, black-capped chickadees, northern flickers and common grackles. Whew! What a cast of characters!

This afternoon I made a more permanent repair to my radio and to test it I activated Big Spring State Park US-4355. I am very fortunate to live close to a bunch of different parks, but Big Spring and Little Buffalo are the closest. I set up and the band conditions were not as good as they were this morning. It happens. about 35 minutes to work 11 stations. Something I found cool was that my first contact at both parks today was VE3PYJ from Toronto. Anyway, I managed to active the park. While there sitting under the trees, I heard an american redstart was singing its heart out. Like all bird songs, it was pleasant to hear but mostly their songs warn of danger or announce territory.

Well, kidlets, time to relax and enjoy the evening. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice.

Tootsie watching my 6 and enjoying the sunshine

Looking West down the length of Holman Lake

Lather, Rinse And Repeat

May 28, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

CQ Parks On The Air … CQ Parks On The Air .. this is KB3CVO , KB3CVO calling CQ POTA and standing by. The call rings out over the air and the pause for a response and then calling again. You know the formula. Sometimes the replies come fast and furious, sometimes there is a few minutes between hunters; it makes no real difference depending on how you see things. Sometimes, I need to take a deeper look into things rather than coasting along on auto-pilot.

And then it happens: the “sad ham” chimes in and makes a negative or derogatory remark. Sometimes these grumpy folks just tune up on your signal without saying anything. They don’t seem to identify themselves as they are well aware that they are in the wrong. No matter, they do it anyway. I know we have all had a “sad ham” admonish us for using “their frequency” or “a net frequency” or using a band for something they do not approve of.

I believe this comes from a fear or discomfort caused by anything new or different. Just as chickens will peck at a bird that is different, these “sad hams” will peck at things they are not used to. It happened (long before my time in ham radio) when SSB became popular and the “sad hams” of the day were complaining about SSB signals sounding like duck speak and crowding out the pure, clean AM signals. It happened when PSK31 and other digital modes came along; lots of noise and complaints from “sad hams”. To this day, I hear complaints about contesters using up all the bandwidth.

In any event, I do what I enjoy and do my best to keep to the regulations.

Yesterday it was rainy to start out (Wednesday May 27th) which changed my plans a bit. After I got up, we went to lunch and then I tackled the yard with my weedwacker (strimmer for those Brits who may be reading this). I cleaned the edges of the yard up and chopped down some more bamboo. I couldn’t mow as the grass was still too moist from the rain so weedwacking was the limit. I then went out to Little Buffalo State Park.

SWMBO wasn’t feeling very POTAish so I went to Little Buffalo State Park US-1376 alone. The weather had cleared and it was sunny and temperature was about 29C (85F). I parked facing away from the sun and spent the next 45 minutes working 23 contacts, 3 of which were Park-to-Parks. Conditions were a bit rough but that happens. I heard the following birds: Eastern Warbling Vireos, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, Chipping Sparrows, Killdeers, Eastern Bluebirds, American Goldfinches and Eastern Kingbirds.

The main event for today (aside from getting groceries) was performing an all-out assault on Satan’s Putting Green with my lawnmower and an attitude. The weather was nice and sunny with a temp of 26 C (79 F) and I was able to get it done in about an hour. We then went to the local Lowes and got face shields for when I get the wood-chipper going.

I guess that is all for now. Namaste and keep your reality within the boundaries of sanity.

A Damp Sunday And Enter The Muffin

May 24, 2026May 24, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Well kidlets, it has been quite a weekend. It rained most of the weekend (figures, on my days off) but that didn’t stop events from taking place. One disappointment in the midst of the hustle and bustle, I didn’t get a chance to try out my new wood-chipper. Next days off I will have to try it out after I attack the Devil’s Putting Green.

Friday evening, the 21st of May, A friend called. Her and her husband own a local auto repair shop where I take my car. She asked me if we could take in a kitten. I referred the matter to SWMBO. She agreed to the kitten and our friend brought her over. The kitten’s name is now Muffin. She is tiny and very young but she is eating solid food and she is learning the litterbox. Initially we were going to try and get her adopted but we decided that there are too many people out there who abuse black cats, so we are keeping her. Besides we both sorta bonded with her; Muffin is now part of our tribe. I will post some pics below. Aside from shopping and dodging raindrops, the rest of the weekend was uneventful We trolloped down to Shippensburg today to a local iteration of a large chain department store and picked up some stuff for SWMBO’s mom. After we got home, we went to a locally owned grocery store and by the time we got home the rain had let up.

After performing the daily exorcise, I set out for an activation. I went to PA State Game Land 230 US-8927 on top of Waggoners Gap at the Hawk Watch. It was a bit foggy or misty when I got there, not sure if it was a foggy mist or a misty fog but it was still a bit damp. I got set up and on the air and my first contact was a Park-To-Park from Ontario. After that the contacts were a bit sporadic but I ended up working 16 stations of which 7 were Park-To-Parks. Not bad for a half hour of operating. BTW, I heard the following birds: American Robins, Ovenbirds and Scarlet Tanagers.

Now I am back at home. I am looking forward to a quiet evening. I hope Memorial Day is filled with reflection and respect for all. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice!