My QRP-portable operations seem to have come to a grinding halt this month. I won’t bore you with the reasons, but a quick POTA activation today ended my slump.
I spent about an hour today in Valley Forge National Historical Park (K-0761, KFF-0761), parked in one of my favorite spots. The propagation forecast was less than spectacular, but I forged ahead.
Using my trusty Penntek TR-35 and my homebrew vertical, I started out on 40M. After calling “CQ” a few times, I received an ear-shattering call from W1AW, the station at ARRL Headquarters. The operator identified himself as “John,” and said he was operating from “the Mothership” in Connecticut. That gave me a chuckle. What a great way to start an activation.
I normally reduce the power output of the TR-35, when I’m tuning up. After three or four contacts on 40M, I noticed I had forgotten to turn the power back up. So, for the first few contacts, I was only running a couple of watts. I guess band conditions weren’t all that bad after all.
After an hour, I had 15 contacts in the log, with two park-to-park QSOs. My best “DX” today was California on 20M.
It was just a short outing, but it sure felt good to get back out there.
73, Craig WB3GCK
WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio 