Successful Recon And Some Antenna Thoughts

July 9, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Today, 9 July 26, SWMBO and I went on a recon to a new park. We are looking at doing a camping trip later this month and wanted to check out Rocky Gap State Park US-1593 in Maryland. This is a nice park which adjoins a resort and casino. As you drive into the park you pass a very large golf course. The park is easy to find and to access.

We pulled into the parking lot for the park office and it was pretty much deserted. As I was setting up a couple of rangers passed us by in pickups but didn’t stop. I guess they had seen activators before. It only took about 7 minutes to get on the air and I received responses to my CQ calls immediately. It didn’t take long to work 17 stations on 40 Meters and then I closed down as we were only here for a recon and I had found the info I wanted.

Next we drove up to the campground area but could not get in as it was gated. No problem as the maps on the reservation page are detailed and include pictures of the campsites. Tomorrow I will go onto the site and reserve a spot. I am looking forward to it.

Now some antenna thoughts. I could pull into a park and set up a wire antenna (G5RV JR) and I have done that, but my philosophy has changed. I could also set up a tri-pod mounted vertical such as my “Buddi Stick ” which I have done in the past also but I choose not to. I do carry those antennae with me but I keep them as a back up. My “Ham Stick” antennae work fine and allow me to complete activations on a minimal level, not disturbing anything and leaving behind no trace of being there. One of the things that brought me around to this way of thinking is that I am not in a contest; I am not competing with anyone. I am satisfied with a successful activation rather than trying to make or break a record. I do this to relax and to get enjoyment out of the outdoors. Bigger or “better” antennae would probably net me more contacts, but what I have is satisfactory to me. If I want contacts out to about 600 Kilometers or so, I choose 40 Meters. If I want to work European stations I choose 17 meters or 12 meters. I have antennae for all bands from 80 meters to 6 meters but have had the best of luck on 40 or the WARC bands.

You may have noticed that I didn’t mention 20 Meters. I do work it occasionally but due to the crowding on that band, I do not get on often. There are a lot of nets and a lot of other usage on 20 and it is easy to step on someone’s toes (or have your toes trod on). I guess it is an age thing, but I prefer not to make waves.

Anyway, I have prattled on for too long. Namaste, kids and keep your stick on the ice.

Rocky Gap State Park ranger station

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

A Spring Dream

June 16, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Hi kidlets. Another beautiful Spring day here in Pencilvania. Started the day with an oil change (my car not me) and then got to work. I had to mount a full-out assault on Satan’s Putting Green. I really can’t wait until my gourds take over the yard and make mowing unnecessary. I have some in each yard, one set in a raised bed and the others on boxes. I even have two potatoe plants which are going great.

I did an activation at Little Buffalo State Park US-1376 and worked 15 stations. The conditions were not great but for 40M t was to be expected. Also, time of day was a factor. I started at 20:30 and I think a lot of people were still at work. The temperature was about 26C and the sun was peeking out of passing clouds. I heard the following birds: Song Sparrows, Red-eyed Vireos, American Robins, Chipping Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds and Tree Swallows. There were several people around, boating, fishing and just strolling.

Yesterday we got a bit bored and went for a late afternoon drive. We went the length of Hemlock Road looking for critters and weren’t disappointed. There were squirrels, whistlepigs, turkeys, ruminants and chipmunks and also two Eastern Box Turtles which I had to lecture on road safety. Hemlock Road is located at the western end of Perry County and makes for a nice drive.

Well, that is all for now. Expect more updates soon. Namaste, kids, and keep your stick on the ice!

Looking down Hemlock Road

The gnomes and Ollie enjoying a nice day at Little Buffalo State Park

An Eastern Box Turtle listening to a road safety lecture

Unscrewing The Inscrutable

June 11, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

Yes, no gnomes. Culp’s Hill Gettysburg PA

The bus gets very close to traffic lights

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

Why, Oh Why?

June 7, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 2, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

Tootsie watching my 6 and enjoying the sunshine

Looking West down the length of Holman Lake

Lather, Rinse And Repeat

May 28, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Tuesday Evening Recon

May 19, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Busy day today. We went and voted and then had breakfast at the Blain Hotel. When we went home, SWMBO suggested that we tackle the bamboo before it got too hot. Good idea. We cut the hell out of the remaining stalks and are getting it under control (knocking on wood). This past week we decided to buy a woodchipper (yes, a dangerous toy in my hands) to get rid of the cut bamboo and some brush piles that have accumulated. It should be arriving on Thursday, so we are looking forward to that. We also have a new wheelbarrow coming to haul the chips.

As for the recon, SWMBO again made a suggestion. She desired to take a drive and look for Bigfoots (Bigfeet?). We set out on a couple back roads and found ourselves up on Hemlock Road. We saw a lot of squirrels (living); in fact,14 of them. We also saw 3 bunnies, 2 chipmunks, 1 turkey, and 1 whistle pig. The animals are really getting active in this warm weather. It was about 30C (86 F) when we started. Once we got onto Hemlock Road we rolled the windows down and enjoyed the ride. As we were tootling along, we saw a black snake lying in the road in front of us. Of course we had to stop and take a few pictures. This one measured about 1.2 meters (4 foot) and was taking up most of this narrow dirt road. After we took pictures and lectured the critter on road safety, I shooed it off the road by gently pushing it with a stick. The snake was very obliging and went off to the side. A short distance further along we spotted a porcupine who had been chewing on a wooden sign. He started to move away when he realized we were there but I was lucky enough to get some video footage which I will post a link to below.

We didn’t do any POTA activations yesterday or tofay but I am hoping to get out this weekend. As always, I have my Yaesu FTM-400 on in the car and keep it on 146.520 MHz. I also have it sending updates to APRS if anyone wants to track me.

Enough for now. I have to play adult tomorrow and Thursday so I am goinf to relax now. Namaste, kidlets and keep your reality in line with real life.

A video of a porcupine

If Its Weird And It Works It Isn’t Weird

May 13, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

Greetings kidlets.

Due to the nature of my job, my work schedule is non-standard. A 2-week cycle goes: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Monday and Tuesday; each day being 12 hours (1900 to 0700). It gives me every other weekend off and gives time off during the week. This schedule came about because we need the NOC manned (personed?) 24 hours a day.

I try to do an activation every week, though sometimes it doesn’t happen that way due to weather, my non-work schedule, and life in general. SWMBO is pretty tolerant of me and my foibles including my owl decoys and gnomes.

Today I activated Tuscarora State Forest US-5479 for the 16th time. It is close by and there are a lot of nice areas to activate from. I was up on Elk Hill this afternoon (just North of Newville PA) and the weather was nice. It was partly cloudy and 17C (64 F) while I was there, though it did start to cloud up before I left. I heard Red-eyed Vireos, Black-throated Green Warblers, Ovenbirds and Yellow-rumped Warblers. I didn’t see to many animals, just a couple squirrels. Over the course of about 3/4 hour, I was able to work 13 contacts including a station from Brazil. This was in spite of the static crashes that were dominating the bands due to approaching thunderstorms. Generally, you can hear static crashes from storms a few hundred miles away.

A word or 2 about safety: I do not operate during thunderstorms. When portable I shut down when a storm approaches. At home I disconnect my antennae and wait the storm out. It would not be fun to have my rig blown up by a nearby lightening strike.

Anyway, I am back at home, just finished supper and am relaxing with my cats. I hope the week is kind to you. For your enjoyment, I am including some of the local plant life from my activation site. Namaste

Missie, Moxie and Ptolomey keeping watch

A Month Of Sundaes?

May 10, 2026May 10, 2026 / KB3CVO / Leave a comment

When I was a kid I heard adults referring to wanting a “month of Sundays”. My imagination went right away to 30 days of ice cream treats. Imagine my disappointment when I found out how wrong I was. Since I was forced to assume the mantle of “adulthood”, my perspective has changed. I could use a 30-day stretch of relaxation and slack time. Here is to retirement coming sooner than I expect lol.

Today, SWMBO and I took my mother-in-law to the local grocery store so that she could get out of her apartment for a bit. She seemed to enjoy the break. Afterwards SWMBO and I ran a few errands and had lunch. As it was a nice day (65F or 13C), we took an indirect and circuitous route home that took us into Tuscarora State Forest up and over Elk Hill.

When we got home, I packed up my radio kit, grabbed my owl, Tootsie, and set out for Elk Hill. It only takes about 20 minutes to get there from my house and I was soon set up to play POTA. Tuscarora State Forest is US-5479. The location I chose was at a turn-out on the top of the hill. Within 14 minutes I had worked 10 stations. I continued until my coffee ran out and finalized with a total of 17 contacts in 33 minutes. Not too bad for a casual Sunday afternoon. When I first pulled in there was a white car that remained the whole time and left as I was about to leave. A forest Ranger pulled up at one point and asked if I was ok. I assured him that I was and told him I was just operating ham radio. He gave me a thumbs-up and drive off with a smile. I did hear and record the following birds: red-eyed vireos, black-throated green warblers, black and white warblers and blue-headed vireos (all of which would be great names for Punk bands).

The drive home was pleasant and peaceful. After I did my stationary bike ride along with playing a video game, SWMBO and I made omelets for supper. Now I am relaxing with my kittys and hoping for a quiet evening.

Namaste, kidlets and keep your reality feasible.