April Sans Showers

April 7, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kidlets. Had a nice couple of days off. Got 2 more activations in, did some banking, did some shopping and interacted with the kitties.

The weather the last couple of days was nice-ish with temperatures hitting 9C yesterday (48 F) and 10C today (50F). Yesterday the sun was trying to hide but came peeping out now and then. Today it was just plain sunny which made it nice sitting in my car.

Yesterday I made 30 contacts from Big Spring State Park US-4335 and it brought me closer to 1000. Today I made 21 contacts some on 40M and some on 15M. I worked a station from Italy and one from Spain. Those 2 contacts were higher in signal level than some from the US. I tell people that any signal report I receive is a good one. It all depends on what the bands are doing. I worked from MD to WA in the US. I am not sure what our plans are for the upcoming weekend but there might be an activation.

One thing I can’t stress enough is safety. Keeping antennae away from power lines is one thing but keeping them out of the paths of people is just as important. When you are in a park you have to be aware of other people in the area. When I use my Buddi-pole I place cones around it and on the ground strip to keep folks away. I always look around for situations where people could endanger themselves on my equipment.

I am including a picture of my gear laid out even though I linked a video of it last time.

Well it is suppertime so I will say namaste to you and yours.

The mascots today including Tootsie the owl

Coltsfoot peeking through the leaf-litter

My gear laid out and being inspected by Kalamazoo

One of the fireplaces near the pavilions

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

Spur Of The Moment Activation But Not Warm As Predicted

February 19, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Greetings kidlets. Another fine day here in Pencilvania. SWMBO is suffering from a cold, so I am trying to look after her. The other day I looked across the road and WOW!!!!! Daffodils are coming up! Those wonderful flowers are giving the finger to the groundhog!

This morning, I decided to head out for a little while to do an activation. Little Buffalo State Park is only about 15 minutes or so from here. I packed up my gear and my owl, Ollie, and off I went. SWMBO didn’t want to go due to her bout of virus. It is nice when she comes along but I can manage without her. Anyway, the weather forecast called for temps in the mid 50s F (about 13C) but that was not the case. The temperature hovered around 38F (3.3C). Not too bad but not what was promised. There was a fog out there and visibility was about 1 Km.

I was really surprised to see people on the lake ice fishing. You would think the ice would be getting a bit thin due to the temperatures we have been having. The snow is leaving us, but I like that. I am ready for Spring to attack us.

My activation went well. I started on 40M and finished on 17M. I was able to log 50 contacts in about 50 minutes. Not a record but I thought it was pretty good. My furthest contact was in Poland. The furthest I worked here in the US was Colorado.

I believe I have mentioned previously that we have hermit crabs. Before I left, I checked the tank and they have been busy performing massive urban renewal projects. They have dug up the tank and moved stuff around. Sometime overnight they pushed some of the sand in the tank up into their water bowl and up into their saltwater bowl. The trails of sand cause the water to drain out due to capillary action; I refilled the bowls before leaving. Land hermit crabs need water on their gills to breathe. They climb into the water bowls and store water in their shells to keep their gills moist. So now they can drink and breathe.

Well, my coffee cup is empty, and I need to go ride my bike to maintain my health so I will end this here for now. Namaste kids and keep your sticks on the ice.

Moxie, Ollie and Missie helping me radio

A view across the parking lot at Little Buffalo at the boat launch

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

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!

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.

Missie, Ptolomey and Moxie at Gambrill State Park

Here is the overlook at High Knob in Gambrill SP

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

A Long Week And A Quick Activation

October 16, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Due to one of my fellow workers taking some time off, I worked 7 days straight from the 8th to the 14th of October. This was buffered a bit by me being off the previous 7 days but it is still a strain. My shift is 12 hours at night and it does wear on a person. I have been doing this for about 21 years so I guess I should be used to it but the older I get, the more trying it gets.

Today, SWMBO and I went to King’s Gap Environmental State Park US-4361. This was the 20th time we activated this park and, as always, it was enjoyable. It was a nice day though a bit chilly. The temperature was 12.8 C when we arrived though it was nice and warm in the car. It doesn’t take long to set up my gear and with all the practice I have had it goes pretty smoothly, usually. First I got my mag-mount and antenna out of the trunk. (I keep my hamstick antennae in a 7.62 CM inside diameter PVC pipe with caps on both ends. This hangs conveniently on bunji cords wrapped around the rear seat headrests. ) Then I got my 40M hamstick out of the case and attached it to my roof. I ran the coax down the windshield and into the driver side window. Next I got my rig out of the storage box I keep it in along with my gnomes and my basic tool kit. I attached the coax to the radio and placed it up on the dashboard. I put my 20AH LiFePo battery on the armrest and attached the power cord from the radio to it. I consulted my list of known net frequencies (so that I could avoid them) and found an empty frequency. I asked if it was in use and gave my callsign, waited for a response or any indication of activity, and repeated the process. (As a side note, I keep my power level at 75 Watts) When I had determined that the freq was clear I posted a spot on the POTA app and started calling CQ POTA. That is my usual routine.

Today we started at 1225 UTC and worked a park-to-park station in NJ. From there it was pretty much solid activity until 1258 when I went hunting. Of course by we I mean SWMBO and myself. After hunting for a few minutes we decided to call it a day. In 39 minutes, we worked a total of 45 stations; not too bad if I say so myself.

So that is pretty much what I do and how I do it. In another blog I will address how we select where to activate. Enough for now. Namaste, kidlets!

The recent planetary alignment showing Venus, Jupiter and Mercury in the early morning sky.

At Home With The Gnomes

September 4, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kidlets. Here we are again with another blog entry for your entertainment or for you to ignore.

It is September 4th 2025 and once again the days are just whizzing by. I believe that time actually gets faster as you get older as if you are accelerating towards the inevitable conclusion. I think it behooves us to grab each day by the throat and shake the shit out of it, picking up the treasures it drops.

I mention SWMBO a lot and to give her credit, she is my enabler and my muse, inspiring me to be active and strive for betterness.(it is my blog, I can make up words if I want) Today for instance, we set out for Maryland, initially planning on 1 activation before we went in search of Walgreens. We stopped in at the parking lot for the Visitors Center in Antietam National Battlefield US-0700. It took us about 15 minutes to make 25 contacts whereupon SWMBO said “What other parks are around here?”. I made a few suggestions and she seemed to like Gathland State Park US-1574 which is crossed by the Appalachian Trail US-4556. It was a short drive to get there.

At Gathland we parked in the upper lot as it is nice and shady and right on the AT. We watched some hikers come and go as I set up. We made 32 contacts in 31 minutes. At both parks the contacts were coming in at a rate that it was hard to post spots! I looked at the Solar Data and the A index was 12 and the K index was 1 … great band conditions. We even had a contact with a ham in Burkittsville MD, about 3 miles away at the bottom of the mountain. We did receive several curious looks but no one came by and made any inquiries as to what we were doing.

When we finished with the activations we went to Hagerstown and visited a couple of Walgreens. Finally we went to the Blain Hotel in Blain PA for lunch. Now I am relaxing before I do my stretching exercises. I have to do them daily as I am in physical therapy for some muscular issues.

As for birds we heard Chipping Sparrows, Mourning Doves, Carolina Wrens, Eastern Wood Peewees, and Yellow Throated Vireos.

The weather was nice and sunny without being too hot. You couldn’t ask for better conditions. Overall, it was a great way to spend a day off. I guess this is enough for now. Namaste y’all.