I made a long overdue visit to a nearby park yesterday. Norristown Farm State Park (K-4363, KFF-4363) is only about 30 minutes away, but it has been six years since my last activation. So, I set out to rectify that.
This time around, I parked in the lot near the park office, a few spaces away from where I parked six years ago. Being a working farm, this parking lot is surrounded by cornfields, making it an unusual setting for a state park.
This time around, I used my current go-to setup: Penntek TR-35 (5 watts) and 12-foot loaded whip. I noticed that there was some local noise on the bands. It was most noticeable on portions of the 20M band. Undeterred, I got on the air.
I started on 40M, but that was slow going. After logging three contacts, I moved up to 20M, where I spent most of my time. I also checked 17M, and that band seemed in good shape as well.
After an hour and 20 minutes, I logged 34 contacts, including five park-to-park contacts. Some highlights:
- European contacts with Spain, Italy, and Germany. (WWFF spots always seem to bring out the DX stations.)
- K4NYM called me on 17M from Florida. Bill was working a “3-fer,” giving me three park-to-park contacts with one QSO. Thanks, Bill!
I’m not sure why it took me so long to get back here, but I’ll definitely visit more often.
72, Craig WB3GCK
WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio 