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.

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

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

Redemption! Sweet Redemption!

April 21, 2026May 2, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kidlets. I know it has only been a few days since my last entry. Maybe I am getting better at this. In general, if I don’t have something to say, I won’t post. Though a lot of what I post is of questionable quality.

Yesterday, 20 April 2026, SWMBO and I went to Big Spring SP US-4355. The bands were in horrible shape. It was so bad that I was questioning whether or not my radio was transmitting. I tried calling the few activators I could hear and … nothing. I tried for almost an hour before I gave up. I tucked my tail betwixt my legs and took SWMBO for a ride up on the mountain looking for bigfoots and other cryptids.

Today was a totally different story. The temperature was about 15.5C (60 F) and felt nice. I drove out to Big Spring and made 20 contacts in about 40 minutes. This included the break needed to change antennae. Stations from Puerto Rico and Spain were coming in loud and I was also working stations in Texas and Louisiana with no problems. I felt/feel redeemed and maybe vindicated. My confidence in my radio and my abilities has been restored.

I did have a successful activation on the 16th (last Thursday) which I didn’t comment on as it was a quick one seeing as I had chores to accomplish.

The log I entered onto the POTA app on the 15th would not verify. After waiting for 24 hours, I contacted the admins. They were quick to respond and to delete and re-load the log. I was happy about that and I can’t say enough good about those who maintain the POTA app. They are volunteers and only reap satisfaction for a job well done.

I only heard 2 species of birds today: Blue-headed Vireos and American Robins though right now in our back yard is a Pileated Woodpecker going all out on a tree. He has good rhythm, I must say.

I did notice some plants at the park. The fiddleheads are out in force and Google Lens identifies them as Cinnamon Ferns. Also present are Canada Mayflowers, Bristly Greenbriers and Fringed Polygalas.

Well, enough for now. There are a couple of nets I am going to check into: the Black Swamp Radio Club net which I use Echolink to log in with, and the Perry County Amateur Radio Club net on one of the local repeaters. More information on the Perry County Club can be found at https://perrycountyarc.org

Ok kidlets, namaste and keep your stick on the ice.

Moxie, Missie and Ollie at Big Spring State Park … again

Fringed Polagala: the small flowering plants

The narrow leaves with the serrated edges

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!