Going with Plan C

I set off this morning to activate Norristown Farm State Park (US-4363, KFF-4363) with a specific plan in mind. We’re talking about me, of course; so things don’t always go as planned. Today was a good example of that.

If a specific parking space was available, I planned to use a loaded whip on my truck and operate from a nearby park bench. Failing that, I figured I would set up at one of the picnic pavilions with a vertical of some sort. When I rolled in, however, the parking lot was crowded and people were setting up for an event under the pavilions. So, I was off to come up with a Plan C.

I drove back up the road a bit and pulled into a mostly empty trailhead parking lot. Off to one side, I found a secluded picnic table tucked away in a wooded area. About five minutes later, I was on the air. 

I sometimes think that my 50+ years of ham radio have been an ongoing quest to simplify my operations. My recently acquired KH1 is definitely a giant step in that direction. Everything I need (except for my earbuds) is attached to the radio.

Looking at the propagation forecast, I opted to forego the KH1’s whip antenna and go with something larger. So, I went with the 9:1 end-fed random wire from AD8HK Antenna Systems mounted on a cheap 19-foot telescopic pole. The ground was a little soft, so it took me a few tries with my homebrew ground mount to get the antenna reasonably vertical. 

Even with a vertical just under 18 feet, the 40M band was productive today. After eight quick‌ contacts, things slowed down, and I changed bands. The 30M band produced one contact, while 20M was good for a half-dozen more. I went back down to 40M to pick up a few more before calling it quits. After about an hour, I ended up with 18 contacts, five of which were park-to-park.

I have to say I’m really having fun with the KH1. It’s ideal for the short activations I tend to do. The battery life is nothing short of exceptional. This was the second activation since I last charged it, and I could probably do four or five more.

72, Craig WB3GCK