A Warm And Sunny Valentine

February 14, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kidlets. The other day SWMBO and I were talking. I mentioned that I am grateful she doesn’t take Valentines Day seriously and require me to take out a second mortgage every February to fund some shiny hunk of metal with a sparkly rock stuck in it (or other foolishness like that) just to affirm that I love her. She said “Hey. For Valentines you could take me to Buc’ees!” Easy ’nuff.

We left this morning at 0600. The temperature was a balmy -4C and the sky was still deciding on whether to brighten up or not. The light had that pre-dawn crepuscular appearance when we hit the highway. We drove south for about 2 hours and reached Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historic Park US-0730. When we arrived, the temperature was about 6C. We drove around the park for a bit and found a good spot to set up. We decided on the small parking lot across from Bell Groce Plantation Mansion. The area didn’t seem well travelled and was ideal for an activation. In 21 minutes, we worked 30 contacts including 4 park-to-parks. Definitely a good activation. After we tore down we touristed around the area and took some pics. I used my app and heard American Robins, House Finches, Northern Cardinals and Mourning Doves. It is nice that the birds are coming back out.

We continued down the highway to Buc’ees where we gawked around like tourists for about 1/2 hour and grabbed some of their fine vittles. I got a sausage-on-a-stick and SWMBO went for the chicken fingers and fries. We also got a box of Beaver Chips, which are damn good chips. After gassing up the car we headed back on the road. North of Harrisonburg, VA, SWMBO and I decided to take a more leisurely approach to our return home and we cut across to Shenandoah National Park and took Skyline Drive for the 35 miles to Front Royal at the North end of the park. During the drive I had plenty of opportunity to look over some potential activation sites for our next sojourn into VA. After we left the park I took a wrong turn which set us back about 20 minutes on our return trip; it was ok as we were in no hurry.

Now we are back home and are letting the kittehs know that we still love them even though we abandoned them for the day. Time for more coffee. Namaste, kids!

The plantation office and stores building

A view of the mansion from across the field

A selfie taken when driving on Skyline Drive.

I AM Sick Of Cold; I Want Daffodils!

February 10, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Over the past 6 days since my last entry, we had some frickin COLD weather. I know that it is winter until March 21st but do we have to get our noses rubbed in it? Winter is now at that stage where the snow looks gray and dirty and makes us want to get a torch out and melt it out of the yard so that we can see what is under it. I would even settle for extended views of satan’s putting green (my yard). I know complaining about the weather doesn’t do a bit of good, but I am gonna complain anyway. So There! Pthbbpt!

Once again I did an activation by myself. SWMBO does not like cold weather. No biggie. I have a system of keeping my log while talking so things get done. It was -2C (29 F or 271 Kelvin) when I got to the boat launch at Little Buffalo State Park US-1376. The sky was overcast at the time with no wind. Off in the distance I could hear the mellifluous calls of crows stating their opinions. There were several groups of ice fisherpeople (trying to be inclusive) scattered around the lake: penitents huddled around the altars with heads bowed. As always, it didn’t take long to set up and I made 45 contacts in about 49 minutes including 4 park-to-parks. The temperature went up about a degree or so while I was there. I didn’t interact with anyone other than an occasional nod and/or wave to passersby. Even though it was chilly there were folks walking around, even some de-watering their dogs.

After the activation SWMBO and I went to lunch and then grocery shopping. I have just finished taking care of business for the day such as paying a dental bill, and scheduling a doctor appointment. Now I get a chance to sit here, drink coffee and watch my catz interact. It is a restful type of afternoon. Currently the temperature is a balmy 7C (45F or 280 Kelvin if you prefer) and the squirrels are running around the back yard.

I am going to close here and wish you all a great day and, as always, namaste!

Moxie, Missie and Ptolomey at Little Buffalo SP

Porter And A Park To Start The Month Off Right

February 4, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kidlets. I know it has only been about 4 days since my last post but here we are.

On February 1st, I brewed a porter. Now it is in the fermenter with the yeast doing their thing. What is a porter, you might ask? Well, that may or may not be easy to answer. Porters were the first “industrial” beer, originating in the 17th century and becoming a staple in Great Britain. The actual origin of porter is lost in myth and anecdote, but it has its roots in brown ales. It was the drink of the laborers and was aged in huge vats. On 17 October 1814, Meux & Co’s Horse Shoe Brewery in London had a 22 foot high vat burst open, knock out the back wall of the brewery and flood the surrounding neighborhood. There were injuries and a few deaths as a result. After this they started using smaller vats to age beer. Stout beer is a direct offshoot of porter. Back in 1986 when my brother got me into brewing my first batch was a porter. I remember fondly using a 2.5 Kg can of malt extract and a 5lb bag of corn sugar. It came out good and started my interest in brewing.

So this batch is fermenting. Fermentation of beer goes through some stages. First the yeast prepares itself by absorbing nutrients and minerals that it needs to work. The second stage is when yeast is metabolizing the sugars in the wort (raw beer) and producing carbon dioxide, alcohol and flavor compounds which complement the flavor of the beer. The final stage is when the yeast re-absorbs some of the byproducts of the process and starts to go dormant. Below I have provided some videos I have uploaded to show these stages.

Today, I had some time, so I went back to Little Buffalo State Park US-1376 and activated. It is close to here and a nice park. It was a beautiful day, nice and sunny but the temperature was around -2C so SWMBO stayed home. I started out on 40M and soon had 10 contacts: enough to be a legitimate activation. I worked 3 more on 40M and then changed band to 17M which seemed to be open. I worked 12 more stations including some dx (Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Finland) along with Washington State, Oregon and other US states. Overall, I logged 25 contacts.

I think I have satisfied my need to blog for today so I will bid you all adieu and namaste.

Moxie, Missy and Zarathustra keeping me company. It looks a bit washed out because I was facing the sun.

Winter Decided To Show Up And Be Obnoxious

January 31, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Winter, an acquaintance from long ago, showed up the other day and is now drinking all your beer and couch-surfing. Last weekend we got a storm (Jan 23rd – 25th) that, though wasn’t crippling, caused the roads to be impassable from Saturday night until Monday morning. It has also turned brutally cold. I had to stay at work from Saturday afternoon until Monday morning. SWMBO was very helpful by going out every so often and shoveling away the berm left by the snowplows so that when I got home I could pull into the driveway. After I woke up we got out the shovels and snow thrower and cleared the driveway up. (Face it, Tom, you are getting too old for this shit.)

It is still cold today, Saturday the 31st. Temperature right now is -9C and has been about the same all day. We had set out this morning to run some errands and when we got back I discovered I had let the pellet stove run out. The temperature in the house had dropped to about 17.5C which is a bit chilly for my taste. I loaded up the stove and started it up, we put our groceries away, and I set off to Little Buffalo State Park US-1376.

Little Buffalo is located about 12 minutes away and is a nice place to activate. I am slowly working on 1000 contacts from there and get closer each time. SWMBO used her discretion and prerogative to stay home in the warmth, so I had to do my own logging. In less than 1/2 hour I worked 24 contacts on 40M and called it a day. It was just too cold out there and being next to a frozen lake did not help. I did interact with some friendly people. One man who was out for a walk asked me about my antenna and ham radio. Another parked next to me and we spoke about ice fishing. I also got to watch ice skaters swirling around.

Well now it is time to drink coffee and cuddle kitties. Namaste for now, kids!

Ollie the owl staring at me and wishing I would bring him in from the cold

Some are there to fish, some are there to skate

The Activation That Wasn’t Then Was Then Wasn’t And Then Was!

January 22, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Since the weather was good, SWMBO requested a bit of a drive, so we loaded up the car and departed for Hagerstown MD to the Beaver Creek Cemetery. Loading the car consists of putting camera equipment and radio equipment in the car. We headed out and soon after crossing the MD line, I realized that I had left my ham-stick antennae home! I took full advantage of my extensive knowledge of cuss words. We continued to the cemetery and did some photography there. SWMBO then found directions to another cemetery close by.

When we were in the second cemetery, I had an epiphany: I had an option for antennas in the car. I keep a Buddi-Stick in the back along with a tripod and 20 foot strip of copper mesh as a ground system. Well Well Well! Things were looking up! We went to Taylor’s Landing on the C&O Canal. It was a nice drive there and easy to find. We parked and SWMBO went to the creek to take pictures. I started getting my stuff out to set up and then I noticed the gale-force winds. I realized that there was no bloody way that my antenna would not blow over and I didn’t feel like picking it every 5 minutes so I cussed again and packed back up. Meanwhile, SWMBO had returned and reinforced my decision by telling me that she had almost been swept off her feet by the wind. Sigh.

Ok, we went to Walmart and did some shopping before heading over to Super Buffet for lunch.

When we got home I grabbed my antennae and went to Little Buffalo State Park US-1376. It took me about 5 minutes to get set up and get on the air. A bad thing did happen, though. I placed my lap desk on my lap and tried to close the car door. Problem was that I had knocked SWMBO’s sunglasses down and they got crunched in the door. Once again, I dipped into my large sack of swear words and let some loose. I got on the air on 40 meters and first worked a couple guys activating a park in CT. When I was through, I found an empty frequency to use and started calling CQ. The calls started coming and it was pretty steady for a while … then it dried up. I grabbed my 17 meter Ham-Stick and swapped that for the 40 meter one. When I got back on the air it did not take too long to start working stations including a J8 station from St Vincent. The wind was getting stronger at this time and the wind-chill was down in the negative Kelvin area so I packed up and called it a day after 42 contacts.

That is how I spent my day off. Now to sit by the pellet stove and drink coffee. Namaste, kidlets!

A Ride On A January Morning

January 13, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

SWMBO wanted to take a ride in Western MD and Eastern WV today so we set out looking for some small towns. We didn’t find anything very interesting other than an old Methodist Cemetery. Generally, we look for interesting thrift shops and cemeteries but we didn’t find any that looked like they were worth perusing.

I was allowed and encouraged to bring my rig with me and we activated 2 parks. The first park was Fort Frederick State Park US-1570. We arrived before the park opened but found a spot in the parking lot at the visitor’s center which I did not count this as a 2-fer. Where I usually park is down near the C&O Canal but the gate on the road to get there was closed. We got set up in a few minutes and started working on 40M on 7.195MHz. We had pile-ups right from the start but we made it through and I hope we didn’t miss anyone. In 13 minutes, we made 27 contacts including 1 park-to-park. It was a short but busy activation. We then continued with our sightseeing.

After checking out a bit more of WV we decided to do another activation before heading home. Antietam National Battlefield US-0700 was on our way so we stopped in there. We got set up and were on the air by 1539UTC. When I turned my radio on it was still on the last frequency I was working, 7.195MHz, and I heard KE8QJV (Craig) from the Black Swamp Radio Club activating 2 parks. I got him on my 3rd call and we logged each other. I then searched for an open freq and settled on 7.212MHz. Over the course of 17 minutes, we logged 29 contacts. Another successful activation in the books. We then travelled home and did our grocery shopping. Yep, another interesting day.

The weather was nice. Mostly sunny with a temperature of 10C and no appreciable wind. Maybe the weather is the reason that there was a paucity of animal sightings. There were no songbirds around, just a few buzzards and crows feeding off of road-kill carcasses. The only critters we saw were a few squirrels that were trying to impress us with their dance moves. Other than that, nothing. Sort of strange but then again it is January.

I have done roves a few times; the activations today could be considered one as I moved from one park to another. The most I have done is 5 parks in a 24 hour period which qualifies for the Rover Warthog award from POTA. I have earned a couple. Maybe someday I will try for 10 in a day but I digress. This general area of PA, WV, VA, and MD has a lot of historic sites and battlefields. I am thinking of doing a 5 battlefield rove soon and making special QSL’s for it. I would title it my War-pigs rove. Stay tuned as I will be putting this into action before long. The QSL cards will be available on request with log info of the appropriate contacts.

Well my coffee cup is empty and my motional sports cat, Scout, is telling me that I should quit typing and pay attention to him so I will end this for now. Namaste, kidlets and keep your stick on the ice.

Another Entry And I Scratched An Itch

January 7, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kidlets. This afternoon after SWMBO and I finished lunch; she suggested that I go do an activation. She decided to let me out on my own as she wasn’t feeling that activation glow today. I packed up my gear and headed out to Big Spring State Park US-4355.

I just checked and it was 2 August the last time I activated Big Spring. The park itself is nice and cozy. Not very big but a good park to go to when you want some undisturbed POTA time. It sits in the West end of Perry County PA and the traffic is minimal.

I got set up and got on the air a short time after arriving at the park. 40 meters was not in the best of shape but I worked 10 contacts after about 20 minutes. I moved to 17 meters and was able to work a few more and then finished back on 40 M with a total of 23 contacts. It was mostly sunny when I arrived with a temperature of 12.7 C but after a while it clouded over and the temp dropped to 10.5 C. Still quite warm for January. There were no birds heard today. It did not take too long to tear down.

All in all it was a fine day. The only low point was when I heard a couple of sad hams trying to interrupt an activator in progress because they were on a net owned freq. Rather than take the high road these individuals just kept talking over the activator and folks calling him (malicious interference). The activator moved to another freq and the 2 sad hams were free to discuss liver spots and other afflictions as they do every day. It takes all kinds. I guess manners have gone out the window. Ok rant off. 🙂

Well I am going to sit here, drink coffee and decide what to do about supper. As always, namaste kids!

Ollie, Moxie and Missie at Big Spring SP

The path to the restrooms at Big Spring SP

‘Nother Activation; New Year, Old Park And A Pool Noodle

January 3, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

It has been the new year for 3 days. Is that getting old for you yet? Christmas is 355 days away and some people have their decorations up already!

Today we are at perihelion (the closest we get to the sun) and it is farging cold. Currently the temperature is holding steady at -1C.

Last night I turned my hf radio on and nothing happened. I tried my 2m radio and same thing: no power. I figured my power supply had gone south and got out my spare, then I observed the light on the supply was on. I started checking over everything and discovered that the neutral wire from the power cord had come out of the ring connector where it attaches to the power supply. No problem, I thought. I got out my handy-dandy box of connectors and, Lo! And Behold! my crimpers were nowhere to be found! I was able to crimp the connectors on with a pair of needle-nose pliers but I do prefer to use the proper tool for the job at hand. As for how that wire came loose, I blame the cats. They get behind my desk and pull things.

Today SWMBO and I decided to activate. We went to the ATV lot in Michaux State Forest up on the hill above Pine Grove Furnace State Park. It is one of our favorite spots. Today there were a bunch of hunters (it is antler-less deer season) there but we had a parking spot off to the side away from the ruckus. The temperature was about -3C and the sky was overcast. We got set up quickly and got on the air around 0940EST (1440 UTC). I used a pool noodle with a slit as a cable pass-through and the car stayed nice and warm. We worked 40 contacts in 1/2 hour. Sometimes the calls were coming in so quick that I didn’t have time to post spots. We even worked some local stations: Carlisle and York PA. The band was busy, this being Saturday. After we finished we went to breakfast at the Dickenson Restaurant in Carlisle.

Now I am drinking coffee and am about to go to my daily exorcise on the stationary bike. I wish all a happy and prosperous New Year. Namaste and Tally-Ho!!

Missie, Tootsie and Moxie at the ATV lot again.

End Of The Year Activation

December 30, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Ok, I hope every had a good Christmas; whether or not you celebrate it. There is nothing wrong with having a good day. It is 2 days prior to New Years Day and I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year.

Now the greetings are over, the past few days have been … different. Sunday night I am sitting in my chair at work. I had just logged into the system and was settled in for a night of keeping the place safe from democracy when, lo and behold, the guy who was filling in for me came in. I had forgotten that I had requested a night off so that I could use a PTO day before I lost it. I tucked my pride in and headed home. Yesterday we stopped at Sam’s, KB3DNZ and dropped off something for him. Then we did some errands followed by a quiet evening.

Today, SWMBO and I loaded up the radio, antennae and gnomes and set out for Gettysburg US-0027, one of my favorite activation sites. We got set up in the -2C weather with 22 KPH wind under clear skies and got on the air. I started operating on 40M and had 10 contacts within a short time. It only took 5 minutes. After that the calls slowed down a bit but were still going well. When I reached 35 contacts I changed bands to 10M. It seems the band was open to Europe and I was getting strong signals from Greece, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Poland. I also worked an English station. All told I worked 43 contacts in 45 minutes. A pretty good activation.

After we packed up the gear, SWMBO wanted to go to a monument that she wanted to take some fresh pictures of. Afterwards we headed to the Lincoln Diner in Gettysburg proper. A bit of advice: if you go there and order the “country-fried steak and eggs” you better be hungry. The steak completely covers an entire plate. In fact, it needs its own zip code!

So tonight I am hoping for a quiet night. I do not drink and drive as in my youth I used up all my luck in that respect. I do have to work tomorrow night (I double checked the schedule) so I am going to take it easy. Sitting by the pellet stove and enjoying my coffee and maybe a beer sounds like a good plan to me. I wish my readers a safe and wonderful New Year and as Red Green says “Keep your stick on the ice”. Namaste to y’all. See you in 2026

Pre-Christmas Getting Gnomes Out And Making My 50th Activation

December 21, 2025December 21, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

You know, I was reviewing some of my earlier posts and discovered that I had said that I would post something about VE teams and activities. Prior to 1983, to test for your amateur license, you had to go to a FCC field office. In 1983, due to budget and other restraints, the Federal Government stepped back from test administration and the VECs were born. VECs are Volunteer Examiner Coordinators. They are the management for test administration. There are a few around the country. They oversee the VE (Volunteer Examiners) teams and determine which questions are in the test question pools. For a valid examination there must be 3 VEs (minimum) proctoring the exam session. The VE’s must hold a license class higher than the individuals being tested. The tests are graded and checked by the three VEs and then submitted to the FCC for award of the license. I currently belong to 2 VECs: Laurel VEC and W5YI which means I can proctor for either of those organizations.

Now to my activation. We (SWMBO and I) went down to Gambrill State Park US-1573 in Maryland, just north of Frederick. We went to the High Knob section of the park which has an overlook of the valley where Frederick is. It also has the Maryland CCC Monument and several plaques detailing the activities of the CCC. There were few people there. I think the reason was that even though the temperature as about 7C, the wind chill factor was around -275C. It was cozy in the car but my hands got very cold very fast when we went walking around taking pictures. In about 1/2 hour we worked 16 contacts which qualified me for the Diamond Activator award, having activated 50 unique parks. My next award comes at 75 parks. I was able to work KE8UTX and KE8QJV, 2 ham friends from Ohio who were at another park. They were my 10th and 11th contacts, making my activation bonafide! Thanks Sandy and Craig! For details of the POTA awards, go to https://docs.pota.app/docs/awards.html

Now I am going to end this entry and enjoy some coffee, the company of my cats and the pleasure of getting on the radio doing some park hunting. Namaste and Merry Christmas, y’all.