I did another brief Parks on the Air (POTA) activation today. My target this time was PA State Game Lands 234 (K-8931). This one was close by, as a section of it is only 15 minutes from home. It was certainly quieter than my last activation.
The parking area is right across the street from a residential area. Also, there were powerlines directly across from me. There was a steady stream of hunters coming and going, so the parking area was crowded. It’s dove season here in Pennsylvania.
With all the hunting going on, I didn’t venture into the gated area. Instead, I operated from the parking area. I used my usual setup—my 19-foot vertical on the back of the truck and my KX3 (5 watts) inside.
I started off on 40M with a park-to-park (P2P) contact with VE2VIA in Quebec. After spotting myself, things picked up. I soon had my required ten contacts. After 30 minutes, the 40M activity began to slow down. I moved up to 20M and had 4 QSOs, including a P2P contact with KØBWR in Idaho. Despite some powerline noise, the 30M band produced another ten QSOs.
On four occasions, I stopped to answer questions from curious hunters. They were fascinated with my antenna and the fact that I was using Morse Code to communicate. I’m always happy to stop and give ham radio a plug.
I packed up after an hour and fifteen minutes. I ended with 29 QSOs, including the two P2P contacts. Thanks to WD9IGY, who worked me on both 20M and 30M.
This outing was a fitting wrap-up for a long holiday weekend here in the U.S. I hope my fellow U.S. hams had a safe and happy Labor Day.
73, Craig WB3GCK
WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio 