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!

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.

Another Entry And I Scratched An Itch

January 7, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kidlets. This afternoon after SWMBO and I finished lunch; she suggested that I go do an activation. She decided to let me out on my own as she wasn’t feeling that activation glow today. I packed up my gear and headed out to Big Spring State Park US-4355.

I just checked and it was 2 August the last time I activated Big Spring. The park itself is nice and cozy. Not very big but a good park to go to when you want some undisturbed POTA time. It sits in the West end of Perry County PA and the traffic is minimal.

I got set up and got on the air a short time after arriving at the park. 40 meters was not in the best of shape but I worked 10 contacts after about 20 minutes. I moved to 17 meters and was able to work a few more and then finished back on 40 M with a total of 23 contacts. It was mostly sunny when I arrived with a temperature of 12.7 C but after a while it clouded over and the temp dropped to 10.5 C. Still quite warm for January. There were no birds heard today. It did not take too long to tear down.

All in all it was a fine day. The only low point was when I heard a couple of sad hams trying to interrupt an activator in progress because they were on a net owned freq. Rather than take the high road these individuals just kept talking over the activator and folks calling him (malicious interference). The activator moved to another freq and the 2 sad hams were free to discuss liver spots and other afflictions as they do every day. It takes all kinds. I guess manners have gone out the window. Ok rant off. 🙂

Well I am going to sit here, drink coffee and decide what to do about supper. As always, namaste kids!

Ollie, Moxie and Missie at Big Spring SP

The path to the restrooms at Big Spring SP

‘Nother Activation; New Year, Old Park And A Pool Noodle

January 3, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

It has been the new year for 3 days. Is that getting old for you yet? Christmas is 355 days away and some people have their decorations up already!

Today we are at perihelion (the closest we get to the sun) and it is farging cold. Currently the temperature is holding steady at -1C.

Last night I turned my hf radio on and nothing happened. I tried my 2m radio and same thing: no power. I figured my power supply had gone south and got out my spare, then I observed the light on the supply was on. I started checking over everything and discovered that the neutral wire from the power cord had come out of the ring connector where it attaches to the power supply. No problem, I thought. I got out my handy-dandy box of connectors and, Lo! And Behold! my crimpers were nowhere to be found! I was able to crimp the connectors on with a pair of needle-nose pliers but I do prefer to use the proper tool for the job at hand. As for how that wire came loose, I blame the cats. They get behind my desk and pull things.

Today SWMBO and I decided to activate. We went to the ATV lot in Michaux State Forest up on the hill above Pine Grove Furnace State Park. It is one of our favorite spots. Today there were a bunch of hunters (it is antler-less deer season) there but we had a parking spot off to the side away from the ruckus. The temperature was about -3C and the sky was overcast. We got set up quickly and got on the air around 0940EST (1440 UTC). I used a pool noodle with a slit as a cable pass-through and the car stayed nice and warm. We worked 40 contacts in 1/2 hour. Sometimes the calls were coming in so quick that I didn’t have time to post spots. We even worked some local stations: Carlisle and York PA. The band was busy, this being Saturday. After we finished we went to breakfast at the Dickenson Restaurant in Carlisle.

Now I am drinking coffee and am about to go to my daily exorcise on the stationary bike. I wish all a happy and prosperous New Year. Namaste and Tally-Ho!!

Missie, Tootsie and Moxie at the ATV lot again.

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

A Day Without Gnomes

December 16, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Here it is, Dec 16th 2025 and I am sitting in the shack enjoying coffee and watching Scout, my motional sports cat, run around and cause mischief.

I activated Little Buffalo State Park US-1376 today. I did it without SWMBO who was feeling a bit under the weather. I had asked my friend, Mike, if he wanted to come along but he had an appointment. So I was alone logging. I didn’t put my gnomes on the dashboard (no real reason).

I arrived at the park at around 16:45 UTC and got on the air by 16:50 UTC. The temperature had warmed up to 1C and there was no wind. I had decided to operate on 17 M as propagation seemed good. I spotted myself on the POTA page and also on DXSummit.fi. Things flowed along rather smoothly. I was sitting in the passenger seat as it made it easier to use the board I put my log on. Actually my log is in a notebook that I put on the board, to clarify the issue. In about 35 minutes I was able to log 30 contacts ranging from California to Spain. The band seemed to be in good shape. The majority of the contacts were from Florida. I had no sad-hams telling me to get off the band, so that was a good thing.

One really cool website I can recommend is https://potaparkpics.com/ It is an online repository where hams can post pictures of the parks they activate. It is interesting to browse through. Earlier I had mentioned DXSummit.fi This is a page which has spots from around the world and where you can spot yourself or another ham.

Well enough for now. Gnomes or no gnomes, I had a good day. Namaste y’all.

Zarathustra watching my 6 at Little Buffalo SP

And The Sky Looks Like It Wants To Weather

December 6, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

The sky looks mean. I am saying it has the mottled gray colour the precedes some foul weather. This time of year, late Autumn, that usually means snow. Sigh. At least it gives me some exercise.

This afternoon I suggested to SWMBO a quick activation followed by a trip to the store. We drove to a place I hadn’t activated yet: State Game Land #88. PA has State Game Lands which are tracks of land held in the public trust and provided for hunting, fishing, range shooting and general wildlife/outdoor enjoyment. Right now it is antlered ruminant season so you need to be careful of where you go. The main parking lot for SGL#88 (US-8787) is located on top of a ridge overlooking 2 valleys in 2 different counties. We parked and I decided to use 17M due to the time of day: 1930 UTC . The sky was/is overcast and the temperature was around 5C; not too cold. We got set up and were able to make 32 contacts in less than 1/2 hour. I had started out by hunting 2 park-to-parks and then found an empty frequency. We made it out to California and as far north as Montreal QC. They were coming in so fast that I had trouble self-spotting. Alas, somebody who probably didn’t hear us started using the frequency so we went off the air.

Now, I am sitting here drinking coffee and enjoying the heat from our pellet stove. It is looking like it will be a nice evening. I guess I will cut this short. Thanks for reading and as always: namaste kiddos.

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

No Park Pics But You’ve Seen It Before

October 26, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Howdy kidlets. Another blog installment. A few things have happened since my last entry and there are some terms I would like to cover.

Ham radio operators like their jargon and technical terms. Signal reports are an integral part of operating whether they really mean anything or not. Some folks just give lip service to the reality of the report whereas others treat them as sacrosanct. They are used to give the station you are talking with an idea of how well their signal is being heard. The system of reporting is the R-S-T system where R stands for “readability” , S stands for “Strength” and T stands for “Tone”. When using voice the T is omitted. R is a number from 1 (unreadable) to 5 (perfectly readable). S is for the strength of the signal and runs from 1 (very faint or “in the noise”) to 9 which is extremely strong (booming in there). T is used for Morse Code transmissions and does not apply to voice communications. It runs from 1 (very rough) to 9 (perfect tone). Tone is sort of outdated with solid state radios and Software-Defined radios. Using the older tube rigs, tone could be effected by a number of things such as tubes going bad or other circuit issues. Rarely today do you hear anything other than a 9 for Tone. Most contesters just give a 59 or 599 as a means of being expeditious as they are trying to make as many contacts in the allotted time as possible. Most operators give the R by ear and the S by watching their built in meter in the rig. Ok enough knowledge for tonight. 🙂

Today I went to Little Buffalo State Park us-1376. If you want pictures of the park you will have to look through some of my previous posts. It was a beautiful day, for October. The sky was sunny and the temperature was reasonable, almost pleasant. There were several people in the park walking and dog-walking and picnicking in an attempt to make the most out or the fair weather before it becomes unpleasant to go outside. Prior to the activation I was at a VE session. (VE is volunteer examiner which I will elaborate about in another entry). I wanted to do a quick activation as I had something to do at home. Without SWMBO to log, activations can be a juggling act. Sometimes it can get confusing switching from logbook to mic and back. I managed to keep up, though. In less than 1/2 hour I was able to add 15 contacts to the log, with 5 park-to park QSOs. A pretty good activation.

Now as for yesterday, we were driving home from a town in the next valley (Newville, if you must know) and we turned onto a back road as we usually do to take a bit of a shortcut. LO! and behold!, in the middle of the road ahead of us was a small figure which we both took for a squirrel sitting up. That wasn’t the case. As we got close the figure resolved itself to be a kitten. I stopped the car, intending to shoo it out of the road but when I got close, I saw that his eyes were gummed shut and his nose was caked over. There is no way we could have left him there as it would be a certain and probably slow death. I picked him up and we set off to continue our trip home. We stopped in at SWMBO’s mother’s place and I called the vet as this little critter needed some doctoring. Amazingly they took us right in. The vet checked him over and sprayed him for fleas and gave us medicine for his cold and his eyes. We took him home and he is now my little buddy as he likes to sit on me and to sleep. We named him “Scout” as he is fond of nosing around and checking out his surroundings.

Well, that is it for now. Next time I will talk about the VE system and maybe another topic or two. As always, namaste kiddos.

A Warm October Day And Some 10M DX

October 21, 2025October 21, 2025 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

SWMBO and I were at breakfast this morning at the Blain Hotel. We were discussing how we were going to spend the day and she suggested that we do an activation at the ATV lot in Michaux State Forest US-5471. I asked her to twist my arm harder. We ran an errand for my MIL and then we loaded up and set out for the ATV lot.

We arrived at the lot and got set up and on the air by 1530 UTC. As usual I was using ham-sticks on a mag-mount on the roof of my car. We started out on 40M after consulting the net directory to make sure we were not near any nets. As usual, I transmitted my call and a request if the freq was in use several times. Hearing none I posted my freq on the POTA.APP page. I started getting immediate responses to my calls. SWMBO had a bit of fun logging. It only took us 9 minutes to get 10 in the log. After 18 contacts I decided to change bands.

After checking the spots I found 10M to be open. It takes me only a few minutes to change bands. I get the ham-stick for the band I want to work out of the PVC case I keep my antennas in. I then unscrew the antenna I wanted to swap out from the mag-mount and screw in the new antenna. I place the mount back on the roof of the car and swap bands on the radio. I hunt for an empty freq and ask if it is in use. There were a lot of transmissions on 10M which was a bit surprising for a weekday but I was happy. Once I chose a freq I posted it on the POTA.APP page and then I self-spotted on DXSUMMIT.FI as this is a spotting group that is seen and used around the US and Europe.

I started working stations from the US such as Texas, California and Florida … and then the DX started coming in. For those not familiar, DX is ham-speak for distant stations (usually out of the country). Mixed in with stations from California, Louisiana, and Kansas, I was getting calls from Germany, Spain, France and the Netherlands. The reports were good, mostly 55 or better. I was truly amazed at how well 10M was running.

Alas, all good things must eventually end and this includes activations. I posted a last call and after a few minutes vacated the frequency, giving others the opportunity to work 10M. It doesn’t take us long to tear down. SWMBO coils up the power cord from the radio as I am putting away the antennas. Then we pack the radio into its backpack and box and put the battery back into the bag I carry it in. We put the gnomes away and put the owl in the back seat. Today, we walked around the lot for a few minutes taking pictures of nicely colored trees.

Well, kidlets, that is it for this episode. You all have a very enjoyable day and, as always, namaste!