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.
What a week. On Tuesday the 10th, SWMBO and I were heading out and were waylaid by an e-mail exchange and phone call exchange that ended up with me going into work Tuesday night as a co-worker had emergency dental surgery. SWMBO and I altered our plans for the day and we did an activation in Gettysburg US-0027. Culps Hill was still being occupied by a platoon of grass cutters and maintenance folks so we went back to Barlows Knoll. We worked 31 contacts in about 40 minutes under the supervision of Zarathustra the owl and Moxie, our new companion gnome. On Friday the 13th we took care of some important stuff that needed to be done and then were able to spare a bit of time to go out and activate. We set out for 3 Square Hollow Vista but when we got there, there was a family picnicing so we moved on. We started travelling towards Big Spring State Park but before we went more than 200 meters we almost got run over by a truck hauling wood-chips from a logging site. Narrow roads and large trucks do not mix. We made it to Big Spring State Park US-4355 without further incident and since I was unaware that there was a solar storm going on, I worked 21 contacts within 1/2 hour. We then reluctantly packed up and did some more chores which had to be done. Today we set out early for breakfast at the Newville Diner in Newville, PA. After we went to the ATV lot in Michaux State Forest US-5471 above Pine Grove Furnace. Usually the lot is pretty quiet but it is a Saturday so there was a fair amount of activity. There were even some people camping there including N3AIR who was set up for the VHF contest. He and I spoke for a bit after I tore down. In about 45 minutes we made 37 contacts and then the band dropped out on us. we packed up and went and completed some errands that needed done and then I tackled Satan’s Putting Green. I got that under control and still have a few things to do but I guess there is no west for the reary. As always, namaste kiddos.
Moxie and Zarathustra supervising us at the grassy knollMoxie and Ptolemy at Big Spring. Ptolemy is hiding in the glare of the sunMoxie and Tootsie at the ATV lot
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 activationTootsie looking forlorn without Lester.
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.
Ptolomey and Lester watching the radioDipper relaxing
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.
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.
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!
Our campfireZarathustra and Lester helping at the campsiteCatoctin Mountain ParkCunningham FallsMont Alto State ParkATV Lot
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
Devil’s Den in the morning drizzle.
Little Roundtop as seen from Devil’s Den
Zarathustra the owl and Lester the gnome watching operationsBurdock (Arctium minus)
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
Tootsie looking on as my radio is guarded by Lester the gnome.A foggy morning in Gettysburg PA
First off, I am going to rant. I know that the interwebs and social media (in some cases anti-social media) is not a true cross sectional representation of hams but I have seen a lot of this online to merit some commentary. I have read too many people stating that they can go into a State or National Park or owned lands and do whatever they want without permission from the rangers and the rangers cannot tell them what they can and cannot do. I find this attitude of entitlement to be childish and hurtful to the reputation of all hams. First off, these lands are public property, yes, but that means they are shared by the public. As such, there must be rules for usage so that everyone using these lands can enjoy them. The rangers are there to enforce these rules and make sure that standards of behavior are met. Some inconsiderate person going into a park and throwing trash around or breaking tree limbs or making a lot of unwanted noise should be held accountable for their behavior. It is a matter of courtesy in most cases to let the rangers know what you are doing and answer any concerns they any have. In some cases it is mandatory to contact the rangers. Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland is very close to Camp David. It is required that you check in with the ranger station prior to operating there so that they can make sure you won’t be interfering with the comms at Camp David. I had occasion to stop at a park this summer where they had a sign posted at the gates stating no radios allowed. I found a ranger and asked him and discovered the ban was for “boom box” type radios and he had no problems with me doing an activation. He was glad that I stopped by and asked, though. To those who have the attitude that you can do as you please on public lands, consider this: the state or town owns an easement of at least 3 feet from the edge of the road in front of your house onto “your” property. This is considered public land. What if someone with the “I can do what I want” attitude decided to empty the holding tank on their RV on this public land? Hmmmm …
On to other things. On July 21st, my long suffering wyfe and I set out early to Gettysburg to beat the heat. She wanted to do some photography so we drove around and found the monuments she had listed. We made it up onto Little Roundtop and WOW! they made some improvements in the road and parking areas up there. Anyway, after a bit we drove up to Culp’s Hill and did an activation. She heard only 1 species of bird: the Eastern Blue Jay. We logged 34 contacts over the course of 45 minutes and retreated before the heat got too oppressive. Our next opportunity to activate was yesterday, July 25th. We had a breakfast at the Newville Diner in Newville, PA and drove over to the ATV lot on Piney Mountain Ridge Road in Michaux State Forest. We found a nice shady spot and were soon on the air. There was only 1 bicyclist and 1 dog walker there so the place wasn’t busy at all. SWMBO was able to use her app and hear Red-Eyed Vireos, Tufted Titmouses (titmice?), Eastern Wood Peewees and Carolina Chickadees. The 40 metre band was hopping and in about 45 minutes we worked 37 contacts. Once again we picked up before it got too hot. All in all, a good activation. I looked into camping at the ATV lot and it only costs $10 per night. There is no running water but there is bathroom facilities (primitive but usable). Well enough for now. Namaste, kiddos.
One of the very cool monuments at GettysburgMy car at GettysburgPtolomey at the ATV lot
Nature, Radio, and Me 