Vacation And Other Nonsence

June 30, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kids. This entry will be written over several days.

Today is 21 June 2026, the first day of summer (don’t argue) and the longest day of the year. SWMBO and I are up in NH for a week of relaxation and blatant tourist activity. We drove up on the 18th (Thursday) and the trip was uneventful, thankfully. The weather was cloudy and I believe we outran the rain. We took a drive up to Errol NH and then came back through Grafton Notch ME, down to Fryeburg ME, through North Conway NH and back up Crawford Notch NH. We also took a drive up Jefferson Notch Road to the highest elevation of a highway in NH. We did stop in Errol at Cote’s store and had our annual slice of pizza.

On the 19th and 20th, Friday and Saturday, we did some driving around and visited some thrift shops. It was raining off and on but not too badly, just enough to stop any yard sales. On Saturday a bear crossed the road in front of us but was too fast to get a picture of.

I did manage to do an activation yesterday: US-2653 Franconia State Park. It took me some driving around to find a good spot to work from but I managed 11 contacts in about an hour. One of my contacts was the president to the Perry County Amateur Radio Club, KB3PSN.

So far, for birds, I have heard Chipping Sparrows, Song Sparrows, American Crows, Black-capped Chickadees, Indigo Buntings, Chestnut-sided Warblers and Red-eyed Vireos. When I hear more I will post them.

Monday the 22nd, we started the day off right by seeing a moose right off the bat. We watched him for a few minutes and then SWMBO reminded me not to hog the moose as other cars were stopping. I pulled away and let others have their turn at ogling nature. We then went to an aquarium where we fed stingrays and tortoises, had our hands nibbled on by some small fishes and walked around gawking at various aquatic critters. After this, we drove into Vermont to the city of Montpelier and visited a couple cemeteries. Green Mount cemetery was really worth going to. We had been here before but wanted some pics of a couple monuments such as the one dedicated to Little Margret. Her memorial statue is something special to see. Her tragic story can be found at: Margaret Caroline “Little Margaret” Pitkin (1892-1899) – Find a Grave Memorial

Tuesday the 23rd, we set out early and went to Portland Maine to visit Portland Head Light. The rain kept the crowds away, as we had hoped. When we got back we activated White Mountain National Forest US-4512. In 12 minutes we worked 10 stations and then went for a ride to Zealand Road.

Wednesday the 24th was almost a bittersweet day. We knew we were leaving for home on Thursday and we were sorta wrapping things up. First we took a drive into VT and went to Lyndon State Forest US-5556. Over the course of half an hour we were able to work 22 stations (4 of them park-to-parks) and we even worked our club president, KB3PSN who was back home in PA. We heard Red-eyed Vireos, Black-throated Green Warblers, Ovenbirds, Alder Flycatchers, Black-capped Chickadees, Common Yellowthroats, Black-and-white Warblers, White-throated Sparrows, Chestnut-sided Warblers, American Crows, Blackburnian Warblers, Hermit Thrushes, Veerys, Northern Yellow Warblers, and Common Ravens. We were well serenaded!

Thursday we drove from 3am until around 2pm. We had a couple of traffic slowdowns and then had to deal with our bank as I found some bad charges to SWMBO’s card. We got that straightened out quickly.

We are back, now, trying to relax and getting ready for Field Day, which is tomorrow.

28 June 26 I admit I have been resting up from vacation. lol. Yesterday I went to the PCARC Field Day site and helped set up and then made a few contacts. I also spoke with a ham who wants to join the club and learn as much about radio as he can. Enthusiasm is nice. It is hard to believe that I have to return to work tomorrow. Time has flown past and I was glad to get home and sad to leave New Hampshire at the same time. Well there is always next year. Now we are looking forward to doing a camping trip or 2 and exploring some new areas.

I guess it is time to close out this entry. I hope everyone is having an enjoyable day. Namaste and keep your stick on the ice.

20260620_180818 — A sculpture in Franconia NH

A remote weather station at the top of Jefferson Notch

Black Aggie … if you sit in her lap at midnight you will die

20260623_095157 — Lighthouse keepers house and lighthouse at Portland Head Light in Portland ME

Driving North up Franconia Notch in NH

Driving North through Crawford Notch in NH

Looking around Casco Bay in Maine from Portland Head Light

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

A Casual April Weekend

April 12, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

We took it easy this weekend. We started out with a drive on some local backroads looking for critters. We spotted about 12 squirrels and 3 ruminants. We also took a walk through the Pine Plantation in King’s Gap State Park. The temperature was about 22C (71F) for a high and the sky was clear. We then came back home and Scout decided to snooze on my chest.

Yesterday, Saturday the 11th, we set out early to Virginia. We went to activate Sky Meadows State Park US-1318 in Delaplane, VA. When we arrived the sky was cloudy and the temperature was about 9C (48F) and rising. It was also windy. There were a lot of people at the park so we found a good spot in one of the overflow parking lots. Wouldn’t you know it, part way through our operation someone parked right next to us. They got out of the car and walked up towards the headquarters, so they didn’t really bother us. There were several acres of open land, but they had to park in our lap. lol Anyway, we had a successful activation with 24 contacts in about 1/2 hour. We continued on our way, using back roads and arriving at Buc’ees in Mount Crawford VA at about 11:30. It was crowded so we only stayed long enough to get some food and gas up. Our trip home was uneventful. We then had a peaceful evening.

Today, 12 April, a Sunday, we went shopping. I will not name the store but it was a horror show. They decided to “remodel” and stuff was everywhere. The aisles were clogged with boxes and piles of merchandise. It was very difficult to find anything as items were moved out of the areas they should have been in. To further cause confusion and chaos, some of the employees were wandering around filling up carts with merchandise to fulfill online orders to be delivered in the parking lot. Added to this, the store was packed and filled with the usual people who randomly block aisles. Well enough complaining. lol

This afternoon we took a walk through the Old Graveyard in Carlisle PA. It dates to pre-revolutionary times and has a lot of old stones there. Buried there, among other notables, is Molly Pitcher. She went with her husband to war and helped Martha Washington cleaning clothes and blankets at Valley Forge. During the battle of Monmouth, her husband was wounded. She took over his cannon, keeping it firing during the battle after he was carried off the field. Below you will see a picture of the statue dedicated to her along with a link to a video I made of the walk through the cemetery to her grave.

Over the course of the weekend we heard the following birds: (at King’s Gap) Pine Warblers, Fish Crows, Northern Cardinals, White-breasted Nuthatches (at Sky Meadows SP in VA) Red-headed Woodpeckers, American Goldfinches, Chipping Sparrows, Northern Cardinals and (in Carlisle PA) American Robins, House Sparrows and House Finches. Quite an array.

Well I need another cup of coffee so I will say Namaste for now kids. Keep your stick on the ice!

An interesting stump in the Pine Plantation

Missie and Moxie guarding my radio at Sky Meadows SP

One Weekend, 3 Activations

March 29, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kids. I didn’t plan on activating 3 times this weekend but that is what happened.

Friday afternoon I was sitting here and decided to go to Big Spring State Park US-4355. I arrived at about 1950 UTC and got set up. I tuned to 40M and worked 14 stations before moving to 17 M where I worked 8 more stations including Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Spain. I was happy with that total and it brings me closer to my kilo award for this park.

Yesterday, Saturday, we took a drive down to Shepherdstown, WV, seeking a few cemeteries. We stopped in at Elmwood Cemetery where we had been previously. We also visited the Old English/Episcopal Cemetery where there are some graves of Revolutionary War soldiers. We then visited a park which held a monument dedicated to James Rumsey, the inventor of the steamboat (not Fulton as we were taught in school). After this we took a leisurely drive along the Potomac River to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park US-0735. In 25 minutes, we worked 16 contacts before heading home.

Today, Sunday the 29th, we did some shopping including a trip to the local Ollie’s. We had lunch, I did my bike ride and then we tackled some domestic chores. Then I set out again for Big Spring State Park US-4355. In spite of a contest going on I was able to work 21 contacts before calling it a day.

I have mentioned before that I like Big Spring State Park as it is peaceful and usually deserted. I did have a Ranger check up on me about a year or do ago. She seemed interested in my operation and, since I had my ice-fishing tent set up as a warming shelter, I guess she wanted to make sure I wasn’t camping there. We have occasionally seen various wildlife there, mostly squirrels and a couple times I smelled and heard a bear checking us out.

Well that is my latest update. Please feel free to leave comments. So long and namaste!

The plaque on the bottom of the monument

From Ides To Now

March 24, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hmmm … 10 days since my last update. I can’t say it wasn’t fun for the most part. I did work 6 days in there (12 hour night shift) so I guess the fatigue factor was present. I had to fill in for one of the others as he had a karate tournament to host.

So on the 15th, last Sunday, the day following my last post, we found ourselves in Gettysburg PA after doing some photography in Shepherdstown WV in Elmwood Cemetery. SWMBO and I like going to cemeteries and looking for interesting gravestones and stained-glass windows in mausoleums. I mainly like to photograph stones with interesting carvings as a way of preserving them. The weather is taking its toll on older stones and some of them are fading fast. I collect pictures of them so that there is a record (albeit un-official) of what the carvings looked like. Maybe someday I will produce a coffee table book.

Anyway, in Gettysburg on Culp’s Hill we did a short activation. We worked 10 stations in 11 minutes. Not bad for a quick setup. After this we went for lunch, did some shopping and then headed home.

The week passed slowly going forward but quickly looking back. Our dryer broke the other day and the repair guy was scheduled to come over today. He actually showed up early and was done in about 15 minutes. The belt had broken. They no longer make this model (it is a GE) so he had to substitute a belt from a different model: a Maytag. He tested it and SWMBO was happy. She immediately put a load in and started it up.

This morning, rather than wait patiently for the repair guy (scheduled arrival was between 1230 and 1300), I went and activated Big Spring State Park US-4355. I have activated this park 25 times so far. It is close by; a 12-minute drive (roughly). When I arrived at 11:40 UTC, the temperature was -2C (28 F for those who dislike metric) and did not warm up much while I was there. The sun did start to appear over the horizon and through the trees, promising an enjoyable day. I set up and got on the air around 11:50. I chose the 40M band and it was in good shape. The past few days propagation has been in a slump but today it picked up. In 47 minutes, I made 59 contacts. Not too bad.

A few words about Big Spring State Park. It sits at the Western end of Perry County and does not get a lot of visitors, especially between October and April. It is a good place to go for a quiet picnic or to just enjoy solitude and nature. There is a little stream running through it which is fed by Big Spring. It makes for a nice walk if you like walking along streams. A couple hundred meters from the park is a trail which goes about 1 Kilometer to a hole in the side of the mountain where they started building a railroad tunnel. They gave it up but the tunnel is still there and goes in about 100 meters. The walk to it is nice. Maybe someday I will pack my radio into there and activate (it is in Tuscarora State Forest).

Well, it is time for slack. Namaste, kids and keep your stick on the ice!

One of the stones at Elmwood Cemetery. Clasping hands was a common theme.

An unsheathed sword. Usually indicating a soldier.

This dove (symbolizing the Christ) is fading and will soon be unrecognizable.

Moxie, Ollie and Missie keeping me company at Big Spring State Park

Looking Northeast through the trees in Big Spring SP

The Seasons Wait On No One, Neither Man Nor Groundhog

March 14, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Winter, a grumpy old man shaking his hoary fist in impotent rage is grumbling as he shuffles towards the transition point where he will meet Spring. Spring, a bouncy and loveable kitten dances up the garden path to rub against your ankles and bring you promises of better times to come.

The weather today was nice. Not perfect but still nice. It was windy which is usual for March. The temperature topped out at 14C (57F) and the skies were clear. Humidity is currently 33% and the pressure is 1018 millibars. So far this month we have received 50.29 MM (1.98 IN) of precipitation. The last of the snow has disappeared.

It was under sunny skies that we (SWMBO and I) set out for Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland: US-0700. The battlefield activation was only a prelude to our real goal but more on that later. It was a nice drive down there and we arrived about 15 minutes before the Visitor’s Center opened. I parked at the end of the lot and got set up on 40M. The band was a bit strange this morning. The contacts were not fast nor were they steady, but we worked 29 stations including some park-to-parks. A lot of contacts were from Georgia, Alabama and Florida which is a reach for 40M during the day.

After we finished, we stopped at the monument dedicated to Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross. She played a large role in the battle, delivering medical supplies and, more importantly, tending the wounded. During 12 hours of combat on 17 September 1862, 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing. Tending the wounded was a daunting task and Clara, with her staff of 30, worked diligently for 3 days, patching up the wounded and feeding them. She later founded an organization to find and identify graves on Civil War battlefields.

We then proceeded to Elmwood Cemetery in Shepherdstown, WV. The cemetery is easy to find and has some nice stones. I like to photograph the carvings and oddities as time and weather will take its toll and deprive the future of these relics. It was quite windy so the only birds we heard were Red-Shouldered Hawks and American Bluebirds. We went to another cemetery but it was a disappointment.

We found a scenic route back to the highway and proceeded home where I now sit watching my cats wrestle.

So ends another entry in my blog. I hope all is well with my readers and, as always, namaste.

Missie and Moxie helping me activate Antietam National Battlefield

the 7th PA Volunteer Regiment monument right next to the Clara Barton monument

The daffodils across the road are starting to bloom

A Warm And Sunny Valentine

February 14, 2026April 9, 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 Grove Plantation Mansion. The area didn’t seem well traveled 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.

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.

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.

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