A Tuesday Evening Recon

May 19, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Busy day today. We went and voted and then had breakfast at the Blain Hotel. When we went home, SWMBO suggested that we tackle the bamboo before it got too hot. Good idea. We cut the hell out of the remaining stalks and are getting it under control (knocking on wood). This past week we decided to buy a woodchipper (yes, a dangerous toy in my hands) to get rid of the cut bamboo and some brush piles that have accumulated. It should be arriving on Thursday, so we are looking forward to that. We also have a new wheelbarrow coming to haul the chips.

As for the recon, SWMBO again made a suggestion. She desired to take a drive and look for Bigfoots (Bigfeet?). We set out on a couple back roads and found ourselves up on Hemlock Road. We saw a lot of squirrels (living); in fact,14 of them. We also saw 3 bunnies, 2 chipmunks, 1 turkey, and 1 whistle pig. The animals are really getting active in this warm weather. It was about 30C (86 F) when we started. Once we got onto Hemlock Road we rolled the windows down and enjoyed the ride. As we were tootling along, we saw a black snake lying in the road in front of us. Of course we had to stop and take a few pictures. This one measured about 1.2 meters (4 foot) and was taking up most of this narrow dirt road. After we took pictures and lectured the critter on road safety, I shooed it off the road by gently pushing it with a stick. The snake was very obliging and went off to the side. A short distance further along we spotted a porcupine who had been chewing on a wooden sign. He started to move away when he realized we were there but I was lucky enough to get some video footage which I will post a link to below.

We didn’t do any POTA activations yesterday or tofay but I am hoping to get out this weekend. As always, I have my Yaesu FTM-400 on in the car and keep it on 146.520 MHz. I also have it sending updates to APRS if anyone wants to track me.

Enough for now. I have to play adult tomorrow and Thursday so I am goinf to relax now. Namaste, kidlets and keep your reality in line with real life.

A video of a porcupine

If Its Weird And It Works It Isn’t Weird

May 13, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Greetings kidlets.

Due to the nature of my job, my work schedule is non-standard. A 2-week cycle goes: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Monday and Tuesday; each day being 12 hours (1900 to 0700). It gives me every other weekend off and gives time off during the week. This schedule came about because we need the NOC manned (personed?) 24 hours a day.

I try to do an activation every week, though sometimes it doesn’t happen that way due to weather, my non-work schedule, and life in general. SWMBO is pretty tolerant of me and my foibles including my owl decoys and gnomes.

Today I activated Tuscarora State Forest US-5479 for the 16th time. It is close by and there are a lot of nice areas to activate from. I was up on Elk Hill this afternoon (just North of Newville PA) and the weather was nice. It was partly cloudy and 17C (64 F) while I was there, though it did start to cloud up before I left. I heard Red-eyed Vireos, Black-throated Green Warblers, Ovenbirds and Yellow-rumped Warblers. I didn’t see to many animals, just a couple squirrels. Over the course of about 3/4 hour, I was able to work 13 contacts including a station from Brazil. This was in spite of the static crashes that were dominating the bands due to approaching thunderstorms. Generally, you can hear static crashes from storms a few hundred miles away.

A word or 2 about safety: I do not operate during thunderstorms. When portable I shut down when a storm approaches. At home I disconnect my antennae and wait the storm out. It would not be fun to have my rig blown up by a nearby lightening strike.

Anyway, I am back at home, just finished supper and am relaxing with my cats. I hope the week is kind to you. For your enjoyment, I am including some of the local plant life from my activation site. Namaste

Missie, Moxie and Ptolomey keeping watch

A Month Of Sundaes?

May 10, 2026May 10, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

When I was a kid I heard adults referring to wanting a “month of Sundays”. My imagination went right away to 30 days of ice cream treats. Imagine my disappointment when I found out how wrong I was. Since I was forced to assume the mantle of “adulthood”, my perspective has changed. I could use a 30-day stretch of relaxation and slack time. Here is to retirement coming sooner than I expect lol.

Today, SWMBO and I took my mother-in-law to the local grocery store so that she could get out of her apartment for a bit. She seemed to enjoy the break. Afterwards SWMBO and I ran a few errands and had lunch. As it was a nice day (65F or 13C), we took an indirect and circuitous route home that took us into Tuscarora State Forest up and over Elk Hill.

When we got home, I packed up my radio kit, grabbed my owl, Tootsie, and set out for Elk Hill. It only takes about 20 minutes to get there from my house and I was soon set up to play POTA. Tuscarora State Forest is US-5479. The location I chose was at a turn-out on the top of the hill. Within 14 minutes I had worked 10 stations. I continued until my coffee ran out and finalized with a total of 17 contacts in 33 minutes. Not too bad for a casual Sunday afternoon. When I first pulled in there was a white car that remained the whole time and left as I was about to leave. A forest Ranger pulled up at one point and asked if I was ok. I assured him that I was and told him I was just operating ham radio. He gave me a thumbs-up and drive off with a smile. I did hear and record the following birds: red-eyed vireos, black-throated green warblers, black and white warblers and blue-headed vireos (all of which would be great names for Punk bands).

The drive home was pleasant and peaceful. After I did my stationary bike ride along with playing a video game, SWMBO and I made omelets for supper. Now I am relaxing with my kittys and hoping for a quiet evening.

Namaste, kidlets and keep your reality feasible.

Missie, Moxie and Tootsie supervising my activation.

What’s A Good Title For A Friday Afternoon Blog Entry

May 8, 2026May 8, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kidlets. It is a good day as I am off tonight. The temperature is currently 16 C (60 F) and the sky is starting to cloud up to fulfill the promise of rain later tonight and tomorrow. The cats are doing cat things. Kalamazoo is sitting on the counter staring at me. Yes, they have been fed.

I activated State Game Land PA 230 US-8927 today. The part of the game land I was at is on top of the hill at Waggoners Gap where the hawk watch is. There is a nice parking lot they just built/improved. It was quiet up there except for the traffic on the nearby road. I was able to work 15 contacts on 40M and 17M in the course of 1/2 hour. Not the greatest rate but the bands were very “iffy”. There were no signs of critters or birds around (I didn’t even see any buzzards flying) which I attribute to the weather. I am sure on a better or more Spring-like day there will be lots of them around.

Before I left, I put out a couple of calls on 2M simplex. I used the (GASP) sacred frequency of 146.520 MHz. I didn’t receive any replies but I did offer to log anyone as a contact on 2 M. Ok, this will open a can of worms but remember this is my opinion. I use 146.520 (which has been suggested as the “national calling frequency” by a large ham radio association) quite often. I have QSOs on the way to work and I monitor it when I am travelling. There are those who will say that it shouldn’t be used as it is for calling. Well, 1. there is nothing in the FCC regulations which designates it so and 2. If no one uses it then what good does it do to monitor it? I believe it should be used. If someone needs to call a specific station or wants to say something on the frequency they can just break in as you do on a repeater. Consider this: it is pretty much the default simplex frequency on any radio. Most people leave it as such. One time, I was the EC (ARES Emergency Coordinator) for the county I was living it and I held a drill. It took the form of a message relayed from one end of the county and then back again. I took some grief from an OF who said that he refused to use the frequency and I was not just wrong but also mentally deficient for even suggesting it. Yup, I ignored him as hard as I could. My point is that if you are operating in a legal and sound manner, then it is not “off limits”

Ok. Time to descend from the soapbox and drink some coffee. As always, I invite any comments on my posts. Have a nice evening and namaste y’all.

This could be considered as a bit spooky

Good Day Mediocre Day

May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Sitting here and trying to unwind, but I am sure the coffee doesn’t help. lol Yesterday was pretty good and today, in contrast, wasn’t that great, though it has/had some up notes. First off, I will dispense with the ups and downs of today before I delve into yesterday.

Today started out pretty mellow. We went grocery shopping for us and my mother-in-law. That didn’t take long and we then had an early lunch at the Blain Hotel And Family Restaurant. Their special today was patty melts and they were good. After we got home I decided that it was time to tackle Satan’s Putting Green as it was getting a bit long and ragged since the last mowing. As I was mowing, SWMBO made manifest an herculean effort to cut back the bamboo; the same bamboo I mentioned before. She got a good bit of it done and when I finished the mowing I pitched in and we took down some more of that dreaded weed.

Finished with the yard work we decided to head over to Newville to the store for a few random things. Route 233 over Doubling Gap, though the shortest and most direct way, is clogged up with a construction project that has miles of one lane road and long delays. We took another route, 74 over Waggoners Gap and across Bloserville Road and Creek Road. No problems. We arrived and did our shopping. Then the return trip. This was sort of a colossal waste of time. We made it back up to Waggoners gap with no issues and down the other side into Perry County. At the bottom, right before a road we could have taken to detour if it wasn’t blocked, a farm trailer which had been filled with manure was laying on its side on a diagonal blocking the road. Shit! (pun intended). Ok, we turned around, went back over the gap and took 944 towards Sterrets Gap. We got stuck behind a car which varied from 5 to 10 MPH (8 to 16 KPH) below the speed limit. We finally got home after an extra 45 minutes of travel and put our semi-thawed stuff in the freezer.

Now I am relaxing. Sorry about the bitching. lol

Yesterday after a trip into Carlisle for some necessary stuff, I activated PA-088 State Game Land US-8787. I got set up rather quickly and got on the air on 40M. The temperature was a balmy 22.22 C (72F) and I left the doors and hatch open. Aside from traffic roaring by, it was a nice spot to sit. Within 9 minutes I had my 10 contacts to make it a bona fide activation. I ended up working a total of 24 stations in about 32 minutes. I headed home and then we ran some errands. Then last night I tuned to 7.245 MHz and immediately worked the W9IMS special Event Station! I have mentioned this event in previous years but I will summarize here to make it unnecessary to look my posts up. Every year W9IMS runs a 3-part special event starting with the Indianapolis Grand Prix followed by the Indianapolis 500 and finishing with the Brickyard 400. You can receive QSL cards for each individual event or, if you work all 3 you can get a certificate. More information can be found on http://www.qrz.com and look up W9IMS.

Yesterday I was able to hear Red-Eyed Vireos, Black-Throated Green Warblers, Chipping Sparrows. Ovenbirds and Belted Kingfishers.

All in all, yesterday was a better day than today and a good time was had by all. Namaste, kids and keep on keeping on even when things are not perfect. 🙂

Missie, Moxie and Ollie at SGL 088

Beware Of The Bamboo!

April 30, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Sometimes my ideas don’t work out well. About 6 years ago I purchased some bamboo plants to use as a screen for a ditch that runs through my yard. For the past 2 years I have been fighting with the stuff. It is cool looking, but, however, it does take over and grows about 7 meters high. Our view is obscured. I have been thinning it, but the shoots are coming up all over the place. I have pulled up the runners when I can, and I cut the new growth off, but the stuff has a very strong survival drive. Today I used the remains of a can of weed killer on some of the shoots and we will see if that works.

So: Spring advances. Tomorrow is the first day of May which means that in about 50 days it will be Summer. It is a good time to go over your radio equipment/kit to make any needed repairs and any necessary upgrades. Check over your coax visually and then do any tests you feel like doing such as continuity. If you use wire antennae for a portable setup then inspect the wire for frays and burrs. Verify the SWR on the antenna at the appropriate frequencies. Inspect any portable antennae such as base-loaded verticals or Hamsticks. Make sure all your connectors are free from corrosion. Make sure your batteries are in good condition and verify the charge. Take an inventory of your stuff and get any replacements you might need. Do basic maintenance on your toolkit. These things should be completed quarterly and really don’t take up much time. In my experience it is the little things that will cause you the most grief if you forget about them. Ever head out to the field and realize upon arrival that you have left something at home such as your battery or antenna? Just in case, always have an alternative in mind for an antenna. Ok, enough of the OM advice.

Today was a nice day. A comfortable temperature (15.5 C or 60 F) and we went to King’s Gap State Park US-4361. This was my 21st activation there and we both (SWMBO and I) like the place. For the most part it is quiet during the week. We like to park at the trailhead parking lot at the top of the hill away from the mansion. Usually, we don’t encounter people but today we had a couple rangers drive past and wave. I was using a 40M Hamstick (an original Lakewood that I have had for years) and the band was in pretty good shape. We logged 25 contacts in about as many minutes, one contact being KB3PSN, out club president.

The drive up to King’s Gap runs about 6KM uphill through a nice scenic forest. There are a few curves, and it is a bit narrow in places, but it is a pleasant drive. One of the spots you can stop at on the way up (or back down) is a small pond where you can see some of the local amphibians and the aquatic plants. Near the mansion on top is a flower/herb garden maintained by local flora fans. At one end is a small pond with local water plants and lots and lots of frogs which stop singing when you get too close. There are picnic tables available and there is a fantastic view from the porch of the mansion overlooking Cumberland County

The birds we heard were Blue-Grey Gnatcatchers, Oven Birds, Tufted Titmouses (titmice? I am still uncertain which it is), Brown-Headed Cowbirds and Eastern Towhees.

After we made our way back to Carlisle we stopped for a meal at the Dickenson Restaurant. They make really good food. They used to be the Newville Diner but had to move due to water issues in their old building.

Okay, I have rambled on and now am done. I will drink some coffee and try to find some parks on the radio. Namaste, all, and try to sync your reality with what is genuine.

Missy, Moxie and Ollie overseeing our activation

Resting On My Laurels (And Hardys)

April 24, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Here it is, 24 April 2026 already. The year is speeding by as it seems to. The older I get, the faster times goes.

Today I went to Big Spring State Park US-4355 with a goal in mind. I had 974 contacts from this park logged and I wanted to finish out my kilo. It was pretty warm out there (about 21.5 C or 70 F) and I decided to sit at a picnic table under one of the pavilions as it was raining a bit. If I had sat in the car, it would soon have been too warm and humid. I set up rather quickly and got on the air. Between 2100 UTC and 2135 UTC I worked 31 stations of which 4 were park-to-park contacts. I actually had 2 young women stroll past but they were so wrapped up in their own conversation that they paid me no mind. As I watched my count grow towards the magic 26, I couldn’t help but to feel an anticipation. Finally, I reached 30 and 31 and decided to call it a day. I look forward to my next activation, wherever it may be.

The real “heroes” of POTA are the hunters. Without hunters the whole POTA program would be an exercise in futility as it is no fun talking to yourself no matter where you might be located.

The birds I heard today were the Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher, the Hairy Woodpecker and the Hooded Warbler (which would make a great name for a comic book villain). When I got home, I heard Carolina Wrens, American Robins, Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays and Chimney Swifts.

After i completed my activation, I took a short walk around looking for interesting fauna. I found Coltsfoot which had gone from blooming to seeding, Sweet and Blue Violets, Fringed Polygalas and Winter Cress. The plants in the park are really going wild lol. The fiddleheads are almost past and are turning into ferns. Even the Poison Ivy is looking pretty. There is a nice feeling about a forested area during/after a Spring rain.

I think I am going to finish this post here. I will relax and interact with my kitties. Namaste and keep your reality synched with the true world.

Redemption! Sweet Redemption!

April 21, 2026May 2, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kidlets. I know it has only been a few days since my last entry. Maybe I am getting better at this. In general, if I don’t have something to say, I won’t post. Though a lot of what I post is of questionable quality.

Yesterday, 20 April 2026, SWMBO and I went to Big Spring SP US-4355. The bands were in horrible shape. It was so bad that I was questioning whether or not my radio was transmitting. I tried calling the few activators I could hear and … nothing. I tried for almost an hour before I gave up. I tucked my tail betwixt my legs and took SWMBO for a ride up on the mountain looking for bigfoots and other cryptids.

Today was a totally different story. The temperature was about 15.5C (60 F) and felt nice. I drove out to Big Spring and made 20 contacts in about 40 minutes. This included the break needed to change antennae. Stations from Puerto Rico and Spain were coming in loud and I was also working stations in Texas and Louisiana with no problems. I felt/feel redeemed and maybe vindicated. My confidence in my radio and my abilities has been restored.

I did have a successful activation on the 16th (last Thursday) which I didn’t comment on as it was a quick one seeing as I had chores to accomplish.

The log I entered onto the POTA app on the 15th would not verify. After waiting for 24 hours, I contacted the admins. They were quick to respond and to delete and re-load the log. I was happy about that and I can’t say enough good about those who maintain the POTA app. They are volunteers and only reap satisfaction for a job well done.

I only heard 2 species of birds today: Blue-headed Vireos and American Robins though right now in our back yard is a Pileated Woodpecker going all out on a tree. He has good rhythm, I must say.

I did notice some plants at the park. The fiddleheads are out in force and Google Lens identifies them as Cinnamon Ferns. Also present are Canada Mayflowers, Bristly Greenbriers and Fringed Polygalas.

Well, enough for now. There are a couple of nets I am going to check into: the Black Swamp Radio Club net which I use Echolink to log in with, and the Perry County Amateur Radio Club net on one of the local repeaters. More information on the Perry County Club can be found at https://perrycountyarc.org

Ok kidlets, namaste and keep your stick on the ice.

Moxie, Missie and Ollie at Big Spring State Park … again

Fringed Polagala: the small flowering plants

The narrow leaves with the serrated edges

Tax Day And Other Woes!

April 15, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Rather ominous, don’t you think? Today is April 15th, Tax Day. My taxes were filed months ago so it is just another day unless you take into account I am off.

We are being visited by some early season heat. Currently the temperature is 33.5C (about 93F for those who use that system) and it is on the edge of uncomfortable. The sky is sorta hazy, that light blue mixed with off-white clouds that you see on hot and humid day. No animals are stirring and the only bird I heard on my activation was the American Goldfinch, a rather pleasant and unassuming little bird.

I am sitting on my gaming chair which I won in a local fire department raffle. The Landisburg Fire Department garners funds through online raffles. They switched to this when the carnivals went away due to the pandemic a few years back. They seem to do well. I have won things like a generator, a 6-man tent, a set of Yeti mugs and a cooler and now a chair which SWMBO and I were able to assemble with a minimum of profanity and no noted injuries. Now the challenge is keeping the cats off of it.

This afternoon I activated Big Spring State Park US-4355 again. I logged 16 contacts in about 40 minutes. The 40M band was noisy with a lot of static being caused by thunderstorms in the distance. You can hear the crashes from lightening hundreds of miles away on the radio. That is one of the fun things about radio: learning about weather and other scientific things. ( Yea! Science!) Anyway, there were actually a couple of people in the park. They stayed on the other side of the park from where I was located.

When I got home, SWMBO helped me enter my logs into the POTA log upload app. Now I am waiting for the log to be approved. The server may be busy, I don’t know. No hurry, though, it is too hot to be in a hurry. I am even thinking about putting the AC units in, though I will not look forward to the increased electric bill.

There is a relatively new ham who I am mentoring. He is eager to learn and is able to reason his way through issues rather well. I read a post the other day in one of the ham radio groups on Facebook where someone asked for advice on what to make for an antenna to use for activating parks. My protege gave him some good advice on a WRC (Wolf River Coil) and radials. It is good to see knowledge being passed forward. There are too many people who use the anonymity of the social media format to belittle and bully others because they can get away with it. I am happy to say that a lot of people that I know show patience and provide good advice whether the topic is radio or home-brewing related.

Well before I go, I would like to remind you that I do encourage comments on this blog. Input is always welcome. For now, namaste and as always, keep your stick on the ice.

Ollie peeping out between Moxie and Missie

A rotting log with an interesting texture

April Sans Showers

April 7, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kidlets. Had a nice couple of days off. Got 2 more activations in, did some banking, did some shopping and interacted with the kitties.

The weather the last couple of days was nice-ish with temperatures hitting 9C yesterday (48 F) and 10C today (50F). Yesterday the sun was trying to hide but came peeping out now and then. Today it was just plain sunny which made it nice sitting in my car.

Yesterday I made 30 contacts from Big Spring State Park US-4335 and it brought me closer to 1000. Today I made 21 contacts some on 40M and some on 15M. I worked a station from Italy and one from Spain. Those 2 contacts were higher in signal level than some from the US. I tell people that any signal report I receive is a good one. It all depends on what the bands are doing. I worked from MD to WA in the US. I am not sure what our plans are for the upcoming weekend but there might be an activation.

One thing I can’t stress enough is safety. Keeping antennae away from power lines is one thing but keeping them out of the paths of people is just as important. When you are in a park you have to be aware of other people in the area. When I use my Buddi-pole I place cones around it and on the ground strip to keep folks away. I always look around for situations where people could endanger themselves on my equipment.

I am including a picture of my gear laid out even though I linked a video of it last time.

Well it is suppertime so I will say namaste to you and yours.