We’re getting our first real taste of winter weather here in southeastern Pennsylvania. It’s been below freezing all weekend, and there’s a Winter Storm Warning in effect for Monday. So, I thought I would squeeze in a pair of activations at Valley Forge National Historical Park (US-0761, KFF-0761) this weekend before the snow gets here.
Valley Forge NHP is just a few miles from home, and I regard it as my “home park.” I’m getting close to a POTA Kilo Award here, so this was a good chance to continue inching towards that milestone. Unlike George Washington and the Continental Army in 1777-1778, I didn’t spend the winter here; I was only here a short time each day and went home to a warm house and hot coffee afterwards.
On Saturday morning, I parked in my usual spot at a popular trailhead. There were a bunch of trail runners there, so I was surprised by the number of cars there. My setup for both days included my usual Penntek TR-35 (5 watts, CW), MFJ-1977 12-foot whip, and homebrew loading coil.
Over the next hour and a half, the hunters kept me busy. I operated on 40M, 20M, and 17M, with most of my contacts on 20M and 17M. When I finished up, I had 71 contacts in my log. I’m not sure, but I think that’s a personal record for me. Among those were one park-to-park and six DX contacts: France (3), Finland, Germany, and Italy. I also worked a couple of California stations.
Even though I was hunkered down in my truck, the inside temperature was only in the low 40s (F). My CW was getting a little sloppy, so I guess my old arthritic fingers were telling me it was time to wrap it up for the day.
I went back to Valley Forge again this morning (Sunday). When I arrived, it was colder than yesterday. The air temperature was 23º F (-5º C) and a wind chill of 12º F (-11º C). So, I set up my antenna in record time, to avoid getting my fingers numb. The good news is that there was more sun today, so the truck was about 10 degrees (F) warmer than yesterday.
The 40M band had RTTY contest stations all over the place, so I started out on 30M. About half of my contacts today were on 30M. The 17M band was a lot less productive than yesterday, only yielding four contacts. I found a clear frequency down on 40M, so I finished up there.
In an hour and a half, I made 50 contacts, two of which were park-to-park. I only had one DX contact today (DL8NDG). I’m still 28 contacts short of a Kilo Award, so I think one more activation should do it.
But, that activation will have to wait. Between the snow tomorrow and a medical procedure later in the week, it might be another week or two before I can get out again.
For now, it’s time to dig out the snow shovels.
72, Craig WB3GCK
WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio 