Nope, no activation for me today. I have to work (work is the curse of the drinking class) tonight so I didn’t have the time between chores and sleep to run out anywhere. I did manage to get on the radio for a while and do some hunting and that is what generated this thought train. Other than POTA hunting,I also hunt special event stations and it works about the same. Sometimes you go to the creek after checking the fishing report (POTA spotting and/or special event spots) and toss your bait into a promising spot, hook that fish and move on. Sometimes you get to the creek and there are a bunch of people there vying for the same fish. I remember going fishing for stripers at Parker Dam on the Colorado River in Arizona and marveling at how the safety cable above the dam was used as a mooring spot. The boats stretched from one side of the river to the other,all trying to catch Striped Bass as they were heading upstream to spawn. POTA hunting can be the same. You have to be patient and repeat your call over and over. Wow, another thought. It can be compared to frogs in the Spring. They call again and again and attract swarms of prospective mates. In any event, the competition can be fierce at times or, if the timing is right, you can hit one after the other without much effort. Activating is the other side of the coin. You put your call out there and sometimes getting an answer is similar to pulling teeth from a hen. Other times there are pile ups. How you handle the pile ups is up to you. Some ops go “by the numbers”, calling call areas out numerically, some make lists. I listen for park-to-parks and qrp stations first then I go for the first signal that catches my ear. Sometimes I have to tell a station to stand by when I work another station. Overall, you do the best you can. I guess I have run out of steam for now and I think that if I have not thoroughly confused you, I have confused myself. Namaste for now kidlets.
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Another Fine March Day
And there it was, another fine March day! The temperature was around 11 C and the sun was trying to burn away the clouds and SWMBO and I set out to a couple activations. What a great way to spend some time on a day off! We decided to stay near home and to revisit the familiar. It has been a bit since we activated Big Springs SP and Tuscarora State Forest so that is where we went. We started at Big Springs. It was nice and quiet there. We got set up quickly. The temperature was 11 C when we got there and 14 C when we left. It did not take long to make 35 contacts on 40 meters including 6 park-to-parks. The band was co-operating and contacts were coming pretty fast. I cut it off at 35 ( my log reflects 37 as a couple were 2fers) so that we could move on. The first location in Tuscarora I wanted to try was not good for us as there was no internet. I prefer to have a means of spotting our activation, I am funny that way. lol. In any event, we went to the 3 Square Hollow Vista which overlooks Cumberland Valley PA. Nice view. Very quiet though there was some traffic. I switched between 40 and 20 meters and worked 35 contacts including a DX from Spain. SWMBO had a good time logging. We had one curious person drive past, stop, back up, check out my antenna and then drive on. He didn’t ask any questions though I would have been happy to provide answers. While driving around we got to observe 5 turkeys (turkies?) and 5 squirrels (4 of them semi-suicidal). There were also the usual assortment to tweety birds and hawks. The nice thing about these parks is getting out in nature and away from most of the trappings of civilization but now I am going to have to wash my car again. Well kidlets enuff for now. Namaste.
The Flamingo Has Landed!
A great day, today. We set out to activate 2 parks and met our goal. After a great breakfast at Newville Diner we drove down to Mont Alto State Park (K-1386). Initially I did not have high hopes for this park. It is a tiny park located along a somewhat busy road and is down between some hills. I didn’t think the radio signals would get out, combined with the contesting going on this weekend. I was wrong! We made 33 contacts including 5 park-to-parks , all on 40 meters during the morning! The only negative was that I had unintentionally started out too close to a net which I did not hear. I had asked if the frequency was open, heard no reply and listened for 2 minutes before asking again. I worked a few stations and then got asked to move. I apologized and found another frequency. Stuff happens. We spent about an hour there and it was very fruitful.
After picking up our gear, SWMBO and I went to Caledonia State Park, K-1337 where we worked a total of 28 contacts of which 9 were park-to-parks. There were a lot of people out and about in the park, biking, walking, and enjoying the day in general. We had one man approach us and ask questions about what we were doing and regale us with stories about his father having a Zenith short wave receiver which he used to listen to the world broadcasts on. A couple of pickup trucks pulled up next to us and we met face to face with W3TWB and N3AIR who were also out activating. We chatted for a few minutes before they took off and went to set up their operation. I was very pleased with how the morning went and SWMBO seemed to enjoy herself. She even got to see a very cool pavilion at Mont Alto next to Antietam Creek and she took a video of a waterfall at Caledonia. As has been said many times, many ways, a good time was had by all. Namaste Kidlets!
Charade the flamingo feeding off of stray rf at the foot of the antenna as Tootsie watches our 6
Should we have brung the flamingo?
Had a great day today. SWMBO and I set out after breakfast for Milton State Park and Shikellamy State Park for a couple activations. Ptolomey came along to grace us with his presence (or to present us with his graces, that much is unclear). It was a nice warm day at the start. Milton SP is located on an island in the Susquehanna River and reachable by bridge from either Milton or West Milton. I found a nice spot to set up and was soon on the air. We made a total of 30 contacts on 3 bands including 1 with a station from the Dominican Republic. We got some curious looks from other people in the park; joggers and dog walkers for the most part, but no one approached us. It was a very nice park and we will be back another day. I think the weather has people itching to get outside and dust the winter off of their hands.
The next destination is a short 20 minute drive away. As I described in a previous entry, Shikellamy SP Overlook sits on a 120 meter high cliff above the Susquehanna River. We had passed the signs for this overlook numerous times over the years and never stopped here. What a loss on our part. Just the view is worth it. Since we don’t completely dis-assemble the antenna or the rig/tuner when we move locations, it doesn’t take long to get set up again. This time we only worked on 40 meters and quickly knocked off 20 contacts. Overall a great success. Ptolomey agrees with me. Between the 2 activations we worked 4 park-to-parks varying from RI to TX. It was a great day. I do think next time we should bring one of my lawn flamingos to share in the fun. Enough for now, kidlets. Namaste, y’all
Hilltop Hamming at Kings Gap
I think I am blaming myself for this weather. I bought that ice fishing shelter and the weather turned warm. I have only used it twice this winter so the warm winter must be my fault. The shelter and the propane heater. Oh well. It was a beautiful day. SWMBO and I set out to do an activation and went to Kings Gap, K-4361. The usual spot where I set up was usurped by a crew that was cutting wood and grooming the forest so we went next to the mansion. It didn’t take long to set up and the activation was legit within a short period of time (18 minutes) on 40 meters. I did a little band hopping but my best results were on 40 though I did manage to work an Italian station on 20 Meters. The most surprising contact was on 15 Meters when I was contacted by a station who was mobile and about 4 kilometers (straight line) away. I worked 3 park-to-park contacts and had no encounters with lions, tigers and/or bears; it is a good idea to have an owl with me. My long suffering wyfe did a great job with the logging and we really make a good team. Anyway, I made a total of 24 QSO’s and the important thing is that we had fun. Namaste for now kidlets.
A day to remember maybe
Hi all. It was a beautiful day so we went out. We started with breakfast at the Newville Diner in Newville PA. After a filling and hearty breakfast we set out for Gettysburg, PA. Yes, that Gettysburg. We arrived at the first hill overlooking the town from the north. There is a tower here and it is across from the Peace Light. I started to set up and broke my tripod. The tilt control snapped. We took off to the local Walmart and got a new tripod which I resolved to not leave in the car during freezing temps. We got back to the location which I thought might be relatively quiet and set up. There were more cars in and out of the parking area than I had thought there would be but we were in a spot where we were not in the way. I did observe a van pull up next to us at one point and a young man (late teens, early 20s) jump out wearing fake military cammy and carrying an airsoft “assault” style rifle. He and his group went up into the tower and I believe he took some selfies. They departed a short time later. The wind was blowing relatively strong which made it chilly. Even Tootsie didn’t want to leave the car. Between 20 and 40 meters I worked a total of 35 contacts including some park-to-parks. It was a good activation in spite of the broken tripod. SWMBO and I are making a good team on these excursions. 🙂 We left there and went to the ATV lot in Michaux State Forest on Bendersville Road above Pine Grove Furnace. The lot had some ATV riders there along with their vehicles and trailers but we found a good place to park and set up. Yup. then I started making mistakes lol. First I tuned my coax to a perfect 1:1 on 20M. Yup. Tuned the coax without it being attached to the antenna. Luckily my long suffering wyfe pointed that out to me. “Aren’t you going to connect your cable to the antenna?” she asked. After I got it attached, I got on the air. Worked 20M for a while and then went to 40M to let the locals have a chance. Finally when we were ready to go, I looked at my antenna and LO! and Behold! the tilt had loosened and the wind had blown it over. Lesson learned. Always have the antenna in your line of sight. Also, always check the tightness of any and all connections on new equipment. How do you spell duh? Amazing thing was the last few contacts came in just fine and it didn’t seem to affect the SWR. We logged a total of 26 contacts there including some park-to-parks. We got home ok and then got all equipment put away and entered the qso’s into the log. Then had a catastrophe. One of our cats does not get along at all with the 2 younger cats. we try to keep them separated. I was carrying one of the youngsters up from the basement and slipped. He is ok but I am nursing a very sore arm/wrist/ribs/knee. Oh well, as the philosopher said: “you take the good, you take the bad”. Enough for now. Namaste kidlets
And the Days Go Bye
Wow, what a day! We didn’t set out to do it, really we didn’t. We started out having breakfast at the Newville Diner in Newville PA. Our intent was to have a breakfast and, while eating, decide on a destination in Cumberland County to activate. Easy enough, we did. We set out after breakfast for Kings Gap Environmental Education Center, K-4361. This is a very pleasant hilltop with a stone mansion and a lot of areas to operate from. I like the place as it is nice and peaceful. While we were there we were approached by a man with a pair of binoculars. He was a bird-watcher heading to the mansion and was curious. He understood ham radio but was wondering about the owl on the hood of my car lol. I chatted with him for a few before going back to hamming. Between 40 and 12 meters I worked 29 contacts including Italy and Sweden on 12 meters. A good day indeed. But wait! There’s more! My long suffering wyfe said, and I quote : “Hey! Let’s go to the ATV lot!”. Well, there was nothing to do but to comply, after all, I call her SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) for a reason! We quickly packed up and trolloped (yes I use Trollop as a verb meaning to travel or move) off to the Michaux State Forest ATV lot (K-5471) on Piney Mountain. It did not take long to settle in there and get set up with some coffee. The ATV lot is located on Bendersville Road at the top of Piney Mountain above Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Between 17, 20 and 40 meters we worked 38 contacts and had a great time. Today we worked a total of 4 Park-to-Park contacts of which 1 was a double so 5 really. With the temperature around 11C it was a very comfortable day for February. We even had to open the car door as it was getting too warm in there. Well I am going to close for now. Have fun and stay radio active, kidlets. Namaste!
Overlooking the Susquehanna
Activated a new (to me) park today: K-1421 Shikellamy State Park. The name is almost pronounced like “she’ll kill me”. lol There are 2 parts to the park. One part is down at a boat launch on the river. The one we went to is located on top of a 120 meter high cliff overlooking the Susquehanna River. The view is remarkable. Since it was such a nice day, there was a lot of activity in the park, people walking and playing and enjoying an unusual February day. The lot where we were parked was pretty much deserted, which suited us. I placed my antenna on a slight rise towards a pavillion and started out working 20 meters. Between 20 and 40 meters I was able to make 37 contacts including 6 park to park. I will have to try this place again. When the weather is like this during the winter you really have to take advantage of it. Someone posed the question online why do people do POTA? I have to stick with the fact that it is a great way for chubby older hams to get outside and be active. I have always enjoyed the outdoors and though I am not in the shape I used to be in, I still like to get out and about. POTA gives me a reason. It also gives my long-suffering wyfe some togetherness time with me as she logs for me. It is a win-win situation. We plan on making more and more forays further from home as the weather improves and the days get longer. We would both like to go back up to Elk County and I might try a park or 2 up there. Who knows what time will bring. We are also looking forward to our yearly vacation and see these activations as practice runs for activations up in New England.
Well enough for now. Time to drink some coffee. Namaste, kidlets
Milestones and Mill Stones and Little Lambs Eat Ivys
Got an interesting mail from the ARRL yesterday: a certificate and a pin saying I have been a member for 25 years. Damn, makes me feel old! lol.
Anyway, my long suffering wyfe and I made our way to K-4361 Kings Gap Environmental State Park today and had a nice activation. Every time we head out we get better and better at loading, setting up and taking down and loading back up. Today, setup took us about 18 minutes and take down took us 12 minutes. We were in no hurry, we just did it. The sky was a solid gray and the temperature was a steady 5C. It was nice and comfortable in the car, though. 2 people kept it warm along with the radio generating a bit of heat. I started out on 40M and quickly made enough to be bonafide. I worked 40 for a bit more then tried first 10 then 15 then 17 with no luck. The propagation gods were not looking on me favorably, I think. I migrated to 20M and things started looking up! Along with Spain, Italy and Alaska, I was able to get several other contacts in the log. I then returned back to 40M for a while before going QRT for the day. All in all, a good day. SWMBO and I had a nice time and spent some quality time. She got to hear DX stations which she rarely does and she is being a great help logging. This is great practice for future activations such as we may do when we are on vacation or travelling around on day trips. I have worked out of the “British Mountain Climb-Mountain Assault” mentality. I have stopped bringing an ass-load of un-necessary gear and have pared my equipment down to the essentials. I think simple actually is better. Tootsie came along to supervise and to keep away the lions and tigers and bears (oh my!). Well, until next time, kidlets. Namaste!
Because it’s there
It was a dismal and drizzly day so my long-suffering wyfe and I went to the ATV parking lot where Piney Mountain Ridge Road intersects with Bendersville Road in Michaux State Forest and activated K-5471, Michaux State Forest. The weather was gloomy but the rain stayed away. The temperature was around 12 C which made it comfortable outside and actually too warm in the car at times. I had to open the door. I set up the Buddistick and was on the air pretty quickly. I made 37 contacts in about an hour. I tried 15 and 17 meters with no luck but did very well on 40 meters. The parking lot is pretty large and was empty which was a good thing. There was minimal traffic on Bendersville Road and few distractions. This is the second time we have set out without a lot of gear; just the bare bones seems to be all we really need most times. It wasn’t cold enough to require the pod (my ice fishing shelter) and I didn’t need my big tool box. I had my radio, tuner, antenna, tripod, logbook, battery, thermos of coffee and my owl Zarathustra. Each time I go out I learn something new. This time I learned that less can be more. I seem to be going back to my minimalist roots. I am looking forward to warmer weather and camping season. POTA has really provided an opportunity to be more active in the outdoors.
Well that is it for now. Namaste, kidlets.
Nature, Radio, and Me 