Unscrewing The Inscrutable

June 11, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi there kidlets. A hot day in June made more intense by the impending threat of a thunder storm. It is currently 34C (93.2F) which is on the edge of being too warm for some people.

This morning, SWMBO and I set out at about 0630 and went to Gettysburg PA us-0027 for an activation and a ride on a tour bus. We set up on Culp’s Hill and made 29 contacts within 33 minutes; all on the 40M band. It was an enjoyable activation. When we arrived, the temperature was already 26C (79F) but we were in the shade. While we were there, we heard the following birds: American Robins, House Finches, Mourning Doves, Wood Thrushes, American Goldfinches, Chimney Swifts and Eastern Wood-Peewees. A very bird-active morning.

We then took a drive around the battlefield to charge the phone batteries before checking in at the Gettysburg Tour Center. While in the center we got a couple stickers and magnets. The bus is a double-decker with the top part open to the air. We enjoyed a nice, narrated 2 hour tour and survived being hit by low branches. We also survived the 30+ C heat. After the tour we went to a well deserved lunch in an air-conditioned building.

Now for a bit of the thoughts of me on activating. First off, I have read a lot of books and articles on activating along with watching a ot of videos. One common piece of advice I have heard/read is not to have something else to do after your activation … to make sure you have time to get your 10 contacts. For the most part, I do not set timelines but sometimes it is unavoidable like today. We had the bus ride scheduled for 10AM and had to be there prior to 0930. Not a problem the tour center is about a 5 minute ride from Culp’s Hill so there was plenty of time to activate. Another area which I have heard opinions that differ from mine is in the Solar-Terrestrial Data readings. Some people check the data religiously before going out and activating and will not go out if the K index is too high. I never check the data before I head out as it sorta gives me expectations. For more info on the Solar data you can go to: https://hamradiofornontechies.com/current-ham-radio-conditions ( a great site with very good explanations)

Well now it is time to go and do some stuff before I leave for a club meeting. Here is a link to our club page if you are interested: Perry County Amateur Radio Club – Dedicated to Amateur Radio In Perry County, Pennsylvania. Namaste for now and keep your reality in line.

Yes, no gnomes. Culp’s Hill Gettysburg PA

The bus gets very close to traffic lights

Looking from the top of Little Round Top SW towards Devil’s Den

Why, Oh Why?

June 7, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kids. Time for another entry in my blog. I hope you are all well and enjoying the late Spring weather.

Why do I do POTA activations, you may ask? Well that is something to answer. I first started doing ham radio as a hobby back in 1998. I saw it as an extension of my electronics degree and discovered how fun it is. The club I belonged to did communications for local dirt bike and bicycle races. The races were held (and still are) in an area that has almost no cell service; also you have to learn the tricks to getting a radio signal out. There are spots where if you roll your car 2 meters (6 feet) forward or back it can go from no signal to a strong (full quieting) signal. Mostly it was on the 2 Meter band and using a repeater but there were places where it was necessary to use relays from check points back to the marshalling area where the net control was set up.

After a while I upgraded my license to where I could use the HF bands. This allowed for longer distance communication from home and from out in the field. I got hooked on using CW (morse code) and QRP (low power) both from home and operating from a remote location. I would drive out to a park or other area such as a ridge and operate portable. This gave me quite a bit of experience with various types of antennae, band conditions and weather. I was ridiculed by the then club president (now a silent key) who would mock me for having a “peanut whistle” signal which no one would hear. I ignored him as hard as I could.

Fast-forward to 2023 when I first started working POTA stations and then finally to activate parks myself. I found it a great way to get outside and to operate away from the house. I enjoy nature and love sitting in the woods and taking it all in. I also enjoy experimenting with different set ups . It is nice to receive the achievement awards available but the main satisfaction I get is from setting up in a park and making a bona fide activation (working at least 10 stations). So, basically, I do it because I can. It also allows me to keep my skills sharp and to learn new things.

Today, Sunday 7 June 2026, I did yet another activation of Big Spring State Park US-4335. The weather was great with partly cloudy skies and a temperature of 33 C (92 F) that became 30.5 C (87 F) under the trees of the park. There was a good amount of traffic in the area, on the main road and also people walking through the park. I even got some curious looks from a trio of men on those skateboard things which have only 1 wheel in the middle of the board. I stayed there and was able to work 12 stations on 40 meters in about an hour. I heard the following birds: red-eyed vireos, american redstarts, acadian flycatchers, eastern wood-pewees, carolina wrens and ovenbirds. A nice assortment and pleasant to listen to.

Well enough for now. Namaste, kidlets and go out in nature!

Ptolomey, Missie and Moxie enjoying a day at the park.

Good Conditions , Bad Conditions, I’m The Guy With The Radio!

June 2, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kidlets. Another entry in the blog. I was off yesterday and tonight (Monday and Tuesday) so here is an update

Yesterday I had to get a new card from my bank. The monitoring service had voided mine due to a bad transition. We drove down to the bank and got that taken care of, then we had lunch. The next thing was to put the woodchipper I just bought together. It was pretty easy. We managed it with a minimum of swearing and the instructions were actually written in English. Of course, after we were done assembling it, we had to give it a test drive. It works good and we spent about an hour reducing the pile of bamboo and tree limbs we have acquired over the years. We still have more to do, but we are going step by step. I intend to use the mulch to cover our path from the porch to the driveway.

This morning I activated Little Buffalo State Park US-1376. When I first arrived, the temp was 10.6C (51 F) and there was mist rising from Holman Lake. I got set up and on the air and stayed for about 45 minutes, working 29 stations. I had to make a temporary repair to the power cable for my radio but that didn’t take long and held through the activation. While in the park I heard the following birds: red-winged blackbirds, chipping sparrows, orchard orioles, baltimore orioles, american robins, cedar waxwings, song sparrows, american crows, red-eyed vireos, northern cardinals, swamp sparrows, tufted titmouses, eastern warbling vireos, carolina wrens, northern yellow warblers, eastern towhees, northern mockingbirds, eastern kingbirds, chimney swifts, tree swallows, american goldfinches, european starlings, hairy wood peckers, common yellowthroats, brown-headed cowbirds, black-capped chickadees, northern flickers and common grackles. Whew! What a cast of characters!

This afternoon I made a more permanent repair to my radio and to test it I activated Big Spring State Park US-4355. I am very fortunate to live close to a bunch of different parks, but Big Spring and Little Buffalo are the closest. I set up and the band conditions were not as good as they were this morning. It happens. about 35 minutes to work 11 stations. Something I found cool was that my first contact at both parks today was VE3PYJ from Toronto. Anyway, I managed to active the park. While there sitting under the trees, I heard an american redstart was singing its heart out. Like all bird songs, it was pleasant to hear but mostly their songs warn of danger or announce territory.

Well, kidlets, time to relax and enjoy the evening. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice.

Tootsie watching my 6 and enjoying the sunshine

Looking West down the length of Holman Lake

Lather, Rinse And Repeat

May 28, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

CQ Parks On The Air … CQ Parks On The Air .. this is KB3CVO , KB3CVO calling CQ POTA and standing by. The call rings out over the air and the pause for a response and then calling again. You know the formula. Sometimes the replies come fast and furious, sometimes there is a few minutes between hunters; it makes no real difference depending on how you see things. Sometimes, I need to take a deeper look into things rather than coasting along on auto-pilot.

And then it happens: the “sad ham” chimes in and makes a negative or derogatory remark. Sometimes these grumpy folks just tune up on your signal without saying anything. They don’t seem to identify themselves as they are well aware that they are in the wrong. No matter, they do it anyway. I know we have all had a “sad ham” admonish us for using “their frequency” or “a net frequency” or using a band for something they do not approve of.

I believe this comes from a fear or discomfort caused by anything new or different. Just as chickens will peck at a bird that is different, these “sad hams” will peck at things they are not used to. It happened (long before my time in ham radio) when SSB became popular and the “sad hams” of the day were complaining about SSB signals sounding like duck speak and crowding out the pure, clean AM signals. It happened when PSK31 and other digital modes came along; lots of noise and complaints from “sad hams”. To this day, I hear complaints about contesters using up all the bandwidth.

In any event, I do what I enjoy and do my best to keep to the regulations.

Yesterday it was rainy to start out (Wednesday May 27th) which changed my plans a bit. After I got up, we went to lunch and then I tackled the yard with my weedwacker (strimmer for those Brits who may be reading this). I cleaned the edges of the yard up and chopped down some more bamboo. I couldn’t mow as the grass was still too moist from the rain so weedwacking was the limit. I then went out to Little Buffalo State Park.

SWMBO wasn’t feeling very POTAish so I went to Little Buffalo State Park US-1376 alone. The weather had cleared and it was sunny and temperature was about 29C (85F). I parked facing away from the sun and spent the next 45 minutes working 23 contacts, 3 of which were Park-to-Parks. Conditions were a bit rough but that happens. I heard the following birds: Eastern Warbling Vireos, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, Chipping Sparrows, Killdeers, Eastern Bluebirds, American Goldfinches and Eastern Kingbirds.

The main event for today (aside from getting groceries) was performing an all-out assault on Satan’s Putting Green with my lawnmower and an attitude. The weather was nice and sunny with a temp of 26 C (79 F) and I was able to get it done in about an hour. We then went to the local Lowes and got face shields for when I get the wood-chipper going.

I guess that is all for now. Namaste and keep your reality within the boundaries of sanity.

A Damp Sunday And Enter The Muffin

May 24, 2026May 24, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Well kidlets, it has been quite a weekend. It rained most of the weekend (figures, on my days off) but that didn’t stop events from taking place. One disappointment in the midst of the hustle and bustle, I didn’t get a chance to try out my new wood-chipper. Next days off I will have to try it out after I attack the Devil’s Putting Green.

Friday evening, the 21st of May, A friend called. Her and her husband own a local auto repair shop where I take my car. She asked me if we could take in a kitten. I referred the matter to SWMBO. She agreed to the kitten and our friend brought her over. The kitten’s name is now Muffin. She is tiny and very young but she is eating solid food and she is learning the litterbox. Initially we were going to try and get her adopted but we decided that there are too many people out there who abuse black cats, so we are keeping her. Besides we both sorta bonded with her; Muffin is now part of our tribe. I will post some pics below. Aside from shopping and dodging raindrops, the rest of the weekend was uneventful We trolloped down to Shippensburg today to a local iteration of a large chain department store and picked up some stuff for SWMBO’s mom. After we got home, we went to a locally owned grocery store and by the time we got home the rain had let up.

After performing the daily exorcise, I set out for an activation. I went to PA State Game Land 230 US-8927 on top of Waggoners Gap at the Hawk Watch. It was a bit foggy or misty when I got there, not sure if it was a foggy mist or a misty fog but it was still a bit damp. I got set up and on the air and my first contact was a Park-To-Park from Ontario. After that the contacts were a bit sporadic but I ended up working 16 stations of which 7 were Park-To-Parks. Not bad for a half hour of operating. BTW, I heard the following birds: American Robins, Ovenbirds and Scarlet Tanagers.

Now I am back at home. I am looking forward to a quiet evening. I hope Memorial Day is filled with reflection and respect for all. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice!

Scout and Muffin checking each other out

Missie, Zarathustra and Moxie at the Hawkwatch

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.