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!

November? No Wonder!

November 23, 2025November 23, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Wow, time is fun when you are having flies (my favorite frog quote). A lot has happened since the 4th of November. I worked some extra days due to people taking off for various reasons. A 12 hour day isn’t too bad until you are doing 4 or more in a row. I did have 4 days off in a row but couldn’t go much of anywhere due to both SWMBO and I having massive colds. Mostly we hung around suffering.

Scout is doing good. He is getting bigger every day though he has a skin condition that we are treating. We had to take the clippers to him so his coat is rather ragged and patchy. lol He does like hanging around me, sleeping on my chest and following me whenever I walk about. I refer to him as my “motional sports cat”. He is getting on well with the rest of the tribe for the most part. Our oldest girl, the Dowager Mayhem, does her best to ignore him. Her brother, Foggy, plays with him a bit. Calamity and him seem to be getting on the best though he does play rough. I often find them sleeping next to each other. The pocket panthers, Kalamazoo and Dipper do like to play tag with him, chasing back and forth around the downstairs.

Today I used my antenna case for the first time. I got a fishing rod case and put my ham-sticks in it along with my mag mount. It is a lot easier to tote around and the antennae don’t bang around as much as they did in the PVC pipe.

So we went out today and activated the ATV lot in Michaux State Forest US-5471. It is a good spot to activate and the elevation really helps. It sits on the ridge above Pine Grove Furnace State Park though it is not part of the park. We were getting good reports for the most part. We did have to change frequency once as a net moved in above us but there is plenty of room on the bands for everybody. Mostly the folks running the nets are cordial and let you know that they are starting up. It was a bit chilly when we started with a temp of 3C but we were only there for about 40 minutes. In that time we were able to work 40 stations.

After we finished with the activation SWMBO wanted to go for a ride. We got on the back roads in Adams County and drove around for about an hour.

Well enough for now. As always, namaste kiddos.

My antennae case loaded up with antennae and mag mount

Moxie, Missie and Tootsie at the ATV lot

Are Tuesdays Full Of Woe Or Whoa

November 4, 2025November 4, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

10 days since my last update. Not a record but there has been stuff going on.

We had to keep within reach of home for a few days until Scout got acclimated and the other kittehs got used to his presence. He is a lively little thing, now the medicine has kicked in. He enjoys running around and even wrestles with Calamity and Foggy though he doesn’t win … yet. He is still a little pig when it comes to food but he was used to having to scavenge for his meals prior to us adopting him so it is understandable. It is hard to believe we have had him for 11 days.

Today I was going to skip activating as SWMBO isn’t feeling the best. She has a cold. I figured we would take it easy this afternoon after we got groceries. On the way home from the store she suggested that we do a short activation and then take a ride as it is/was a beautiful day. We got home, put the groceries away and then set out.

We decided on 3 Square Hollow Vista in Tuscarora State Forest US-5479. The bands were somewhat quiet but we managed to make 11 contacts in 1/2 hour on 40M and 10M. We even worked a station from Colombia. Our closest contact was right down in the valley below us. I am happy with the contacts we made. Some days are better than others. So we ventured off from the vista and went to the airplane crash site that I have mentioned before. We then took a leisurely ride home.

For supper we made a low carb lasagna that SWMBO had found a recipe for online. It came out really good and we both enjoyed it. In place of the noodles we used egg-wraps.

Last night I participated in the NWS class on Winter weather reporting. I have been a spotter for the SKYWARN program for years but it is good to take these classes as a refresher. Last week I took the basic spotting class. Smart phones and the internet have made spotting a lot easier. You can use an app called “MPING” to report instead of calling a phone number.

Today I made an improvement to my POTA equipment assemblage. I had read online of people using fishing pole cases to store and carry their HamStick antennae and also to carry a mag mount. I had been using a piece of PVC pipe with end caps but this seemed so much more convenient. I ordered one on EBAY and received it today. The cost was only 22$ and it seems well made. I will show a picture below. Now my antennae will not get shaken around and I won’t hear them rattling over bumps.

Well enough for now. I am going to sit here, drink coffee and participate in a couple of nets. Namaste, fellow travelers.

Missie, Moxie and Ptolomey at 3 Square Hollow Vista

Petting A Possum And Other Madness On A Week Off

October 7, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

We took a week off from work. I had to burn some PTO so off we went to Virginia for a couple of days. On the way down we stopped at Buc-ee’s, probably the greatest truck stop/convenience store I have ever been in. SWMBO was impressed, too. The place is huge and they have everything you might want on the road. We had heard about the pulled brisket sandwiches and gave them a try along with “Beaver Chips” which are really good potato chips. Their Halloween t-shirts were in so we each got one. We proceeded to Newport News, VA and once we got settled into the motel we found the smallest Walmart I have ever been in. We were both pretty tired after a 6 hour drive so we then settled in.

On Thursday morning we went to Fort Monroe and did an activation. In about 15 minutes we worked 25 stations including 9 park-to-parks. Things seemed to be picking up and we really didn’t want to get in the way of the workers there so we took a drive on a bunch of back roads. SWMBO suggested that we check out the Virginia Living Museum. This is listed as a “childrens museum” but we found that there is something there for everyone. We wandered through the exhibits, learning about native critters and enjoying a very nice day. I would suggest it as a great activity to do in the Newport News area. Their webpage can be found at: https://thevlm.org

The journey back home was both interesting and stressful. We drove to Fredericksburg and arrived at Possum-bilities, a unique gift shop/experience that I had found online. The store has some creatures to interact with and, of course a possum “ambassador” which I got to pet. They are surprisingly soft. We wandered through the shop and found some cool items. I am not going to detail what we got; you will have to go there and experience it yourself.

The drive home took a bit of a turn for the worse. Wanting to avoid the DC Beltway, we got onto RTE 17 and headed for RTE 15 which would be a good straight shot home. Mistake. We got caught in a beep-and-creep traffic backlog and it took us over 45 minutes to go 8 miles. Once it thinned out, the traffic was running much better. We continued up through Maryland and stopped at the Sheetz in Thurmont for gas and something to eat.

Friday and Saturday we stayed pretty much around the home area and did some chores, etc. We did take a drive on Friday through some back roads but that was pretty much uneventful. We visited the Moonshine Church Cemetery just off of Ft Indiantown Gap. One notable buried here is Joseph Raber who was the victim of the Blue-eyed Six. Contrary to local legend, the Blue-eyed Six did not ride thru the county terrorizing folk, instead they conspired to kill an old man and collect his life insurance. Sunday we cleared up some clutter in my ham-shack area and moved my desk.

Yesterday, Monday, we took a drive to Monocacy National Battlefield in Maryland. In 18 minutes we worked 34 stations. The Visitor Center was closed due to the government shutdown but the gates were open along with the parking lots. Propagation was good and the weather was pleasant. We also picked up a lot of birds such as: Northern Cardinals, Northern Mockingbirds, Carolina Wrens, American Robins, Eastern Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings, Red-winged Blackbirds, Red-eyed Vireos and Hermit Thrushes. They were quite noisy and active.

Overall we had a good mini-vacation/staycation. Periods of intense activity and periods of total sloth. Well enough for now. From SWMBO and I, namaste kidlets.

Missie and Moxie and Ollie at Monocacy National Battlefield

A raptor and me at the Virginia Living Museum

One of the many animals at the Living Museum

Out Before The Thunder Out Before The Heat

August 17, 2025August 18, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Pretty good weekend, I must say. Yesterday, 16 Aug, a Saturday, we did our grocery shopping. After lunch SWMBO said “Why don’t you do an activation and we can stop back at the store for a few things we missed.” Wow, twist my arm! She could tell I was bored and besides, we did need the items we had missed. We went to Little Buffalo State Park US-1376. Believe it or not, the last time we had been there was in March. It is only about 15 miles away but it does get a bit crowded in the summer. Anyway, we parked and got set up. There were several family units picnicing and lots of boaters on the lake. The bands weren’t rocking but there were plenty of folks on 40M. We worked 17 in about 1/2 hour including 10 park-to-park contacts. We then looked up at the sky and saw that thunderheads had moved close. We packed up and left the park just before the rain. We got to he store and it was thundering very heavily. We went inside and spent about 15 minutes and then as we stepped out the door, the sky opened up! There was a deluge of almost biblical proportions. We got soaked to the skin before we made it to the car but, let me tell you, it felt good. We got home, uploaded my log and then I lapsed into a sloth-like mode with the help of my kitties who wanted to climb on me and purr. I did rouse myself long enough to check the weather forecast. Today, 17 August, we got up early and headed to Frederick MD. I wanted to work a new park and SWMBO wanted to check out a couple of cemeteries. We got to Monocracy National Battlefield US-0705 around 08:00 and set up. In around 40 minutes we made 50 contacts! They started out fast with so little time between I did not have a chance to spot myself at first. Towards the end they slowed down but for the most part it was a torrent which suits SWMBO and I as we prefer it to the times when it is like pulling teeth to make 10. The furthest station we worked was from Missouri which is amazing for 40M during the day. The Visitor Center opened at 09:00 and we were done before that as it was getting hot and humid. I checked out the gift shop and bought a couple of stickers. I have started putting stickers on my radio box as a remembrance of the places we have been. Any road, I had a chat with one of the rangers and the atmosphere was congenial. All of the rangers there seemed happy to have visitors, and they found it interesting that we were there working POTA. The birds we heard were: White-Eyed Vireos, Common Grackles and European Starlings. The starlings were in a large bunch on the lawns around the Visitor Center. SWMBO found the addresses for the cemeteries and we went into town in Frederick. The first cemetery we went to was St Johns. A small cemetery with some cool statues. Then we tried to go to Mt Olivet Cemetery. The address listed on their website took us to the main gate which is permanently closed. There were instructions there to go down this one street and through a housing complex. Unfortunately, the street we were directed to turn on was not labelled and they did not give a specific address. We got discouraged and left, hoping to come back another day. Here at home I was able to find an address to use so our next trip there will be more fruitful. Ok, enough griping. 🙂 Namaste for now, kids.

Missy, Moxie and Tootsie at Little Buffalo

Moxie, Missy and Ollie at Monocracy Battlefield

A view of some cannons at Monocracy National Battlefield

Entrance to the Visitor Center at Monocracy National Battlefield.

In Before It Got Too Hot

August 12, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

SWMBO wasn’t satisfied with a couple of her videos as they came out too dark. She did a factory reset on her camera and suggested we go and retake the videos. She also suggested that we activate Sweet Run in VA SP US-9936 as it was close to where she wanted to go. Not a problem. We drove down to Sweet Run first. It is a small and quiet park located just a few miles from Harpers Ferry WV. We had a nice drive down there and got set up quickly. My typical routine is to decide which band to operate then put the appropriate antenna on the roof in a mag mount. Next I place my radio, an FT891 by Yaesu, on the dashboard and connect it up to my battery. I use a 20ah LiFePo battery which gives me adequate operating time. I then find an empty frequency. Sometimes I find a place and part way through my activation I get informed that a net is going to start soon. I then find another spot. Most times the person is polite when they ask. I am a net manager for a local club net and have no issues giving precedence to a net. Anyway, once I pick a frequency, I start calling using my voice recorder on my radio. It saves my voice. SWMBO does the logging and we have found that 2 sets of ears are better than one at picking out weak signals. I am constantly adjusting my AF volume to accommodate signals that are hard to hear and to keep my “interference” to other park users to a minimum. One thing I make sure to do is to acknowlege the 10th contact and thank the hunter for making my activation bonafide. Back to today. We got set up and then on the air. In about 1/2 hour we made 34 contacts (35 really but one was a duplicate). By then it was getting too hot to be comfortable. The humidity was also high. I thought we would get some rain but the ridge to the East of us seems to have blocked it. Once we tore down we walked around the park. I took a video in the pollinator garden which I will link to below. We left the park and scooted over to Gathland SP. It was too hot to do an activation. SWMBO did her video thing and we went down the hill to Burkittsville, MD where she did another video. We stopped at Lincoln Diner in Gettysburg, PA for a great lunch and went home. Now I am sitting here drinking coffee and having face time with my cats. I will be participating in one net (Black Swamp Amateur Radio Club) via Echolink and then running our local one later on. Well, namaste for now, kidlets.