POTA – Page 12 – WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio

Outer Banks 2023

We made a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina this week for our annual family vacation. As in previous years, we rented a house on Currituck Sound. This time, however, we were just outside the village of Duck.

This was our first time renting this house, so I did a little prior research on the layout using pictures on the Realtor’s website and Google Earth. OK, I’ll be honest; I was looking for places to put my antenna. I had a couple of possibilities in mind, but I waited until we got there to decide where to set up.

My Set-up

It was brutally hot when we arrived on Sunday afternoon, August 13th; so I decided to forego putting up an antenna until the following morning. Instead, I surveyed the property to find a spot to set up the radio gear.

Later the next day, I strapped my 31-foot Jackite pole to a fence near the pole. The wind was pretty strong, so I used every velcro strap I had with me. Since these rental houses usually come with high noise levels, I kept the antenna about 40 feet from the house. I used the pole to support a 29.5-foot vertical wire, which was fed through my weather-resistant 9:1 unun. I had to use 50 feet of RG-8x to connect to the rig. That’s longer than I usually use, so I’m sure I was introducing increased coax losses. Life is full of trade-offs, I guess.

My 31-foot Jackite pole strapped to a fence about 40 feet away from the house

We were under an excessive heat warning for the first few days, so I kept my radio inside the building. I unclipped the bottom of the window screen enough to accommodate the coax. I cut a foam pool noodle to fit the width of the window. Then I made a lengthwise cut so I could fit it onto the window frame and seal the window a bit.

My operating position. A piece of foam "pool noodle" was used to seal the window where the coax enters. — My operating position. A piece of foam “pool noodle” was used to seal the window where the coax enters.

After getting it all together, I did a quick test. The KX3’s tuner provided a good match on every band from 80M to 10M. I’m sure the coax losses were helping to make it easier to tune the antenna. There was a fair amount of noise on 40M and below, but the higher bands weren’t too bad.

Antenna feedpoint. My homebrew, weather-resistant 9:1 unun was used to feed a 29.5-foot vertical wire.

While I was on 30M, I heard a station in Arkansas calling CQ. Despite some deep fading and static from storms in the area; we managed to complete the QSO. The antenna, while nowhere near optimal, was functional. Satisfied with that, I declared victory and headed out to join the rest of the family in the pool.

Wright Brothers Memorial (K-0797, KFF-0797

For the past several years, I thought about activating a park or two on the Outer Banks. For various reasons (mostly laziness), it hasn’t happened. I set out to change that this time around.

On Wednesday, I drove down to the Wright Brothers National Memorial (K-0797, KFF-0797), about 30 minutes away from where we were staying in Duck. I planned to go the day before, but I delayed it by a day, because of an excessive heat warning. There’s normally a fee to enter this park, but my Veterans ID card got me in for free.

Wright Brothers National Monument (POTA K-0797) Visitor Center
The Wright Brothers Monument
My parking spot at the Wright Brothers Monument (K-0797). There was no one around me when I started.

I operated from my truck in the main parking lot, using my TR-35 (five watts) and 12-foot loaded whip antenna. The bands were in great shape; I made my first ten contacts in ten minutes.

After about 50 minutes, it started getting hot and crowded; so I started packing up. This park is a very popular attraction; the empty parking lot I started in was now full. I ended up with 30 contacts in my log, including six park-to-park QSOs.

I had planned to activate a second park this week, but that didn’t work out. I’ll save that for next year.

Operating from the House

Besides the POTA activation, I made a handful of QSOs each day. The 30M and 20M bands, both having a low noise floor, were the most productive for me. These rental houses are chock full of light dimmers and other noise-producing amenities, so operating on the lower bands can be challenging.

Tuesday, August 15th, was the 30th anniversary of my first QRP portable operation. I wrote about that trip in a post from five years ago. It was fitting, I suppose, that I was portable this week.

Things also got a little dicey Tuesday evening. A storm blew in, and the high winds were bending my 31-foot Jackite pole further than I had ever seen. I hurried out and collapsed the pole before the heavy rain started. That pole has really taken a beating over the years, and this year was no different. The wind collapsed it a few times during the week.

Our view of Currituck Sound from the 3rd story deck

One of my last QSOs for the week was with EC1R, who was activating a park in northern Spain. I had to crank up the KX3 to 15 watts to make it, but I managed to bust through the pile-up he had going.

After a few final QSOs on Saturday morning, it was time to take down the antenna and pack up the radio gear. Our annual family vacation always seems like the shortest week of the year. This year was no exception.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Taking My FT-817 Back to the Field

Looking through some files recently, I came across the sales invoice for my old Yaesu FT-817. According to the invoice, my FT-817 was 20 years-old back in May. The ‘817 hasn’t seen much use lately, so I set out to change that.

I first saw the FT-817 at an Atlanticon QRP convention back in 2001. The FT-817 had just come out, and I wanted one the moment I saw it. It wasn’t until two years later that I finally pulled the trigger and bought one. The FT-817 became my main rig for many years, both at home and in the field. After I bought my Elecraft KX3, the FT-817 was only saw infrequent use in the shack.

The early FT-817s were plagued with a tendency to blow the finals. Sadly, mine was no exception. Despite being very careful, my finals went belly-up during a camping trip in 2006. I sent my rig back to Yaesu for repairs, and they installed the newer, more robust finals used in the FT-817ND. It’s been fine ever since—knock on wood.

Initially, I used my homebrew Z-match tuner with the FT-817. In 2009, I bought the LDR Z-817 auto tuner, which was designed specifically for the FT-817. The Z-817 certainly made tuning up a lot faster.

A while back, I tried to program some new repeater frequencies using Chirp on my laptop. Windows informed me that the chip in my old FT-817 CAT cable is no longer supported. I bought a new cable on Amazon, and I was soon back in business.

To prepare for today’s outing, I put fresh batteries in the Z-817. Since the FT-817 doesn’t have a memory keyer in it, I dug out my old NorCal Keyer. I built the NorCal Keyer from a kit not long after I purchased the FT-817, so it is also 20 years old. I gave the keyer a set of fresh batteries and programmed one of the three memories with a “CQ POTA” message.

With my trusty FT-817 in tow, I drove over the Valley Forge National Historical Park (K-0761, KFF-0761). I parked my truck in a spot that had a picnic table about 10 feet behind it. That allowed me to set up my homebrew 19-foot vertical on the truck and run an 18-ft length of RG-8x over to the rig.

My 20 year-old Yaesu FT-817 back in the field at Valley Forge National Historical Park (K-0761, KFF-0761). The blue box in the foreground is my NorCal Keyer, which I built from a kit 20 years ago.

Before starting my activation, I did some testing. The FT-817 and Z-817 combo played well with the vertical. I was able to easily get a good match from 40M through 10M. The earbuds I used were more sensitive than the headphones I use at home, so the sidetone was louder than I’m accustomed to. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember how to adjust the sidetone volume, and I neglected to pack my little FT-817 cheat sheet. So, I just pulled the earbuds out a bit and continued on.

Since the picnic table was only 10 feet from my truck, I was able to use my homebrew 19-foot vertical.

Once I got going, using the FT-817 brought back a lot of memories of portable outings from years ago. Happily, the old rig still works like a charm.

Despite some fading on the bands, contacts came easily. In a little more than an hour, I made 21 contacts with four park-to-park QSOs. Most of my contacts were on 40M and 20M, with one contact on 30M (a P2P). I also had a contact with W1AW/0, but the operator didn’t give his location.

It was a lot of fun getting my trusty FT-817 back out in the field again. The FT-817 isn’t my oldest QRP rig; that honor goes to my 30 year-old MFJ-9030 transceiver. I definitely need to dust off more of my old rigs and give them some QRP-portable love.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Call from a Museum Ship

Today was the last day of a heatwave we have been experiencing this week. It was the only free day for me this weekend, so I headed out to Evansburg State Park (K-1351, KFF-1351) for an activation. Having had a heat-related issue recently, I wanted to get out early and keep it short.

I set up my trusty Penntek TR-35 (5 watts) and homebrew 19-foot vertical. As is my normal practice, I started out on 40M CW. Before I started calling CQ, I made a park-to-park contact with a station in Maryland. Things got off to a slow start, but I managed to make my first 10 contacts in about 15 minutes.

I moved up to 30M and started calling CQ. The first station to call was NJ2BB. I immediately recognized the callsign as the amateur radio station aboard Battleship New Jersey (BB-62). The New Jersey is a WWII-era battleship, which is now a museum ship in Camden, New Jersey. I chatted with the operator, Tom, for a bit letting him know I was a former U.S. Navy Radioman, I always enjoy contacting museum ships; however, this was the first time one has called me.

USS New Jersey (BB-62) in California, 1985 (DoD photo)

After logging a few more contacts on 20M, I pulled the plug. After an hour, I ended up with 28 QSOs in my log, including two park-to-park contacts. The NJ2BB contact was certainly the highlight of my outing this morning.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Contacted by the Mothership

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.

WB3GCK at Valley Forge National Historical Park (K-0761, KFF-0761)

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

Independence Day POTA

I made an early trip to French Creek State Park (K-1355, KFF-1355) to get in a quick activation before the hot weather kicked in. Despite the lousy band condition predictions, I did pretty well in less than an hour.

Knowing that this park gets busy on holidays, I steered clear of the boat launch and picnic areas. Instead, I found a shady spot in a trailhead parking area. My rig today was my trusty Penntek TR-35 (5 watts) and my homebrew 19-foot vertical.

My parking spot in French Creek State Park near the Hopewell Lake Trail

My propagation app showed poor daytime conditions on 40M through 20M. Indeed, 40M was noisy; but I still heard quite a few loud signals across the band. Cell coverage here is poor (at least for my carrier). Using the Wi-Fi in my truck, however, I was able to post a spot and soon started receiving calls. It only took about 11 minutes to make my first 10 contacts.

I moved up to 20M and started off searching for park-to-park contacts. I heard N4NYM in there, but it sounded like Bill had a pretty good pile-up going. Instead of trying to break through with 5 watts, I moved up the band and started calling CQ. Again, the band seemed to behave better than the predictions. In fact, I seemed to have a pipeline to Florida today. During my time on 20M, N4NYM called me; so I eventually got that park-to-park contact with him.

Speaking of N4NYM, I ended up my activation with a second park-to-park contact with Bill, this time on 17M. By this time, the weather was heating up; so I packed up and headed home to enjoy the rest of the holiday.

In about 55 minutes, I worked 24 stations with three park-to-park contacts. My best “DX” today was Nevada on 20M.

I’d like to wish my fellow Americans a happy and safe Fourth of July.

73, Craig WB3GCK

A Reluctant POTA Activation

Today was one of those lazy days. I intended to go out to do some radio, but I came very close to talking myself out of it. In the end, I went ahead, and I’m glad I did. It turned out to be a fun activation.

I made a quick trip to nearby Valley Forge National Historical Park (K-0761, KFF-0761) and pulled into one of my favorite spots. Using my KX3 (5 watts) and my homebrew 19-ft vertical, I planned to spend an hour operating, regardless of the outcome.

Despite the “fair” propagation prediction, the 40M band produced 11 contacts for me. Once I moved to 20M, things got interesting. My 20M contacts included Germany and France. Sandwiched in between those DX contacts was one with fellow Polar Bear QRPer, VE3WMB. Michael and I exchanged the customary Polar Bear greeting, “GRRR.” My last contact on 20M was with W7AV in Washington State. It’s always fun to work both Europe and the West Coast in rapid succession. Moving back down to 40M, I picked up a couple of park-to-park contacts before calling it quits. My hour-long outing resulted in 20 contacts, including four park-to-park QSOs and the two DX stations.

As I was finishing up my contacts, I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw a man and woman closely inspecting my antenna. When I got out to take the antenna down, the woman asked me about it. I gave her my ham radio, POTA, and Morse Code speech, and I told her the places I contacted today.

The two people were soon joined by six children they had been hiking with. The woman asked me if I could explain to the kids what I was doing and how far I had gotten out. So, I gave the speech again. When I mentioned Morse Code, one girl excitedly said she didn’t know the Code, but she knew what it was. I’m not sure my impromptu show and tell produced any prospective hams, but it was fun talking with the kids.

In the end, I’m glad I talked myself into going out today. It was a short but fun activation. I didn’t take any pictures today; but, then again, there wasn’t anything noteworthy about my setup today.

Happy Canada Day to my friends to the north. To my friends here in the U.S., have a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday weekend.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Repurposed Antenna Parts – Round 2

In a recent post, I wrote about a vertical antenna I put together with an old homebrew loading coil and a 12-foot telescopic whip. I intended to add some marks on the coil for each band, so I could eliminate the need for an antenna analyzer during band changes. This time, I actually remembered to bring a permanent marker and got it done.

I drove up to Evansburg State Park (K-1351/KFF-1351) this morning for a quick POTA activation. Before I got going, I used my antenna analyzer to determine the tap points for each band. I used a Sharpie® marker to mark the coil for 40M, 30M, 20M, and 17M. Since the coil has sufficient inductance to load the 12-foot whip on 60M, I also marked that band (the top-most mark on the coil). Before I started operating, I went back and checked each tap location to confirm repeatable results. Using a Sharpie marker is a decidedly low-tech approach, but it serves the purpose.

My homebrew loading coil. If you look closely, you can see the marks I added. As shown, the coil is tapped for the 30M band.

To change bands now, I just move the tap to the appropriate mark. I still use an antenna tuner to deal with any minor variations I might encounter. Now I can change bands in the time it takes to move the coil tap and hit the “tune” button on the tuner.

Despite the so-so band conditions this morning, the 12-foot whip performed well. In less than an hour of operating, I made 18 contacts. Most of my contacts were on 40 and 30. There were two park-to-park contacts I’m aware of.

The 12-foot base-loaded whip in use at K-1351

My operations were interrupted for a chat with a curious park ranger. I gave him my standard Parks on the Air spiel. He had encountered POTA activators in another state park, so he had some familiarity with the activity. After a few minutes, he left to look into a reported issue on one of the hiking trails.

So, I’m pretty satisfied with this antenna. It has a length advantage over my Gabil GRA-7350TC antenna. Comparing coil dimensions, I suspect it also has an efficiency advantage over the Gabil antenna.

Regardless, I now have another useful option in my antenna arsenal.

73, Craig WB3GCK

POTA with Repurposed Antenna Parts

While going through my stash of old parts, I came across a coil assembly I built over 20 years ago. Originally, it was part of a homebrew antenna inspired by the MFJ-1622 Apartment Antenna; but I used it over the years with a variety of whip antennas while “stationary-mobile.” As I moved on to other antennas for my portable operations, the coil was relegated to the junk box and forgotten—until now.

I also had an old MFJ-1956 12-foot telescopic whip that I haven’t used in years. It was stashed away in the basement waiting to become part of a new antenna project. Having just installed a ⅜-24 antenna mount in the bed of my pickup truck, I thought the coil and whip might work well with it.

The coil is a beast. It’s made from 1.5-inch PVC pipes and wound with bare copper wire—16 awg, I think. I used four strips of nylon grommet edging material to keep the turns evenly spaced. (I don’t remember where I got the grommet material, but it’s similar to this Panduit product.) The coil is about 5.4 inches long and 2 inches in diameter with 40 turns. Using an online calculator, I figured the coil is approximately 25.4 μH.

The homebrew coil I built more than 20 years ago.

The coil assembly weighs in at a hefty 14.1 ounces, and the overall length is 10.5 inches. The whip is 24 inches collapsed and weighs 9.6 ounces, so it wouldn’t be my choice for a backpacking antenna. However, on my truck, it should do fine.

Using another online calculator, I reckoned the coil should be more than enough to resonate the 12-foot whip on the 40M band and possibly the 60M band. Since the whip, coil, and mounting bracket all use ⅜-24 hardware; it was just a matter of slapping it all on the truck to see what how it would perform.

To test it out, I made a trip to Valley Forge National Historical Park (K-0761, KFF-0761) this morning. With a minor geomagnetic storm underway, the forecasted band conditions looked pretty dismal. I also got an early start, since we were expecting some severe storms around mid-day. So, I wasn’t expecting much, in the way of contacts.

I mounted the antenna on the back of the truck and broke out the antenna analyzer. It took a bit of fiddling to find resonance on 40M. The lowest SWR was around 3.8:1. That’s not great, but my little Elecraft T1 tuner handled it with no difficulties. On the air, I was getting some decent spots from the Reverse Beacon Network, and I made about 8 contacts before moving to 30M.

My homebrew coil and 12-foot whip mounted on the back of my truck.

The SWR on 30M was down to about 2:1. Again, the T1 made sure my TR-35’s finals stayed happy. I made one park-to-park contact on 30M before moving up to 20M

The SWR on 20M was about 1.3:1 across the band. I made another seven contacts here, before stopping to do some experimenting with the antenna.

I checked 17M and measured an SWR of about 1.2:1 across the band. I didn’t try to make contacts on 17M. Instead, I went back to 40M to pick up a few more contacts before shutting down.

I intended to bring a Sharpie® pen along to mark the coil for each band to speed up band changes. Of course, I forgot to bring one along. Oh well, I’ll do that next time. For 15M and above, I’ll need to bypass the entire coil and shorten the length of the whip accordingly.

The static crashes were getting louder, and I heard thunder off in the distance. So, I called it quits. Just as I shut the rig off, the heavy rains started. I quickly took down the antenna and packed up to leave.

Despite the lousy band conditions and heavy QRN, I ended up with 18 contacts. I had three park-to-park contacts today. And, as it turns out, this was my 20th POTA activation at Valley Forge, earning me a “Repeat Offender” award for this park.

It looks like this mash-up of antenna parts works pretty well. I’ll give it another shot in a few days. Hopefully, the weather and band conditions will be better.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Bracket for the GRA-7350TC Antenna

Regular readers of this blog know that my homebrew 19-ft vertical is my go-to antenna for “stationary-mobile” operations. I use a low-tech mounting system in the bed of my truck involving a plastic milk crate, a cargo bar, and some bungees. When we go on our annual vacation to North Carolina, unfortunately, I have to remove the crate to free up storage space. I plan to activate a park or two while on vacation this year, so I wanted to come up with an alternate antenna arrangement.

I bought the GRA-7350TC antenna with this specific scenario in mind. Previously, I tested this antenna with a magnetic mount that I had stashed away in the basement. Although a couple of successful POTA activations proved its viability, I wanted something better than my little mag mount.

Browsing around on Amazon, I found a stainless steel bracket with an SO-239 to ⅜-24 mount. I was reluctant to drill holes in my truck, but I thought a couple of small holes in the truck’s bed wouldn’t be too bad. So, I placed an order.

The Sirio stainless steel antenna mounting bracket I found on Amazon — The Sirio M1 stainless steel antenna mounting bracket I found on Amazon

The bracket arrived the next day. It’s really heavy-duty and possibly overkill for my application. My local hardware store had an excellent selection of stainless steel hardware. I bought some #12 x 1-inch sheet metal screws and some star washers.

The next step was figuring out exactly where to mount it. I had to make sure that I could still close the truck bed cover without hitting it. By dumb luck, I chose a spot where I could use one of the screws that fastens the truck’s bed liner. This placed the mount close to where I wanted it. Then, it was a quick task to drill pilot holes for the three additional screws. Mechanically, it felt solid, and an ohmmeter check confirmed continuity to the truck’s body.

The bracket installed in the bed of my truck with the antenna installed. The black screw is an existing screw I took advantage of.

I gave the new mount a trial run at Ridley Creek State Park (K-1414, KFF-1414). It took me about a minute to get the antenna set up on the mount, and it was a perfect fit. I ran an 18-foot length of RG-8x coax (much longer than I really needed) to the Penntek TR-35 inside my truck.

Using an antenna analyzer, I first tuned it up on the 40M band. I couldn’t get the SWR down below 2:1. This also happened when using the antenna on a magnetic mount, too. I’m guessing a different length of coax or a counterpoise wire might help. In any event, I tuned the antenna to resonance and used a tuner to keep the rig happy. The first QSO was a station in Georgia who gave me a decent signal report.

The SWR on 30M was a bit lower but still above 2:1. Again, I had no problems making contacts with the antenna. On 20M and 17M, the SWR was down to about 1.2:1 or thereabouts.

Despite the time spent fiddling with the antenna, I logged 13 contacts, with three park-to-park QSOs. I also worked W1HNJ on 40M and 30M. As part of Museum Ship Weekend, they were operating the radio console from the hospital ship, SS Hope. The radio console is now part of the Chatham Marconi-RCA Wireless Museum on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

I still have some tinkering to do, but I think the mounting bracket will work just fine. I won’t be retiring my homebrew vertical anytime soon, but the GRA-7350TC gives me another option when the need arises.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Holiday Weekend Activities

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer here in the States. Although I had some family activities planned over the three-day weekend, I squeezed in some QRP-portable operations.

POTA at Marsh Creek State Park

On Friday, I drove over to Marsh Creek State Park (K-1380, KFF-1380) for an activation. I figured it wouldn’t be too crowded on a Friday, but I was wrong.

I wanted to operate from one of the picnic tables overlooking the lake. When I got there, folks getting a jump on their holiday picnics had already claimed them, so I ended up operating from the truck. I gave my newly acquired Gabil GRA-7350TC antenna another try, using the old magnetic mount I used last week. Like last week, I used my TR-35 transceiver at 5 watts.

My location at Marsh Creek State Park (K-1380, KFF-1380). The GRA-7350TC is mounted on the roof of my truck with a magnetic mount.

Band conditions were less than stellar on the lower bands, but a mini pile-up promptly greeted me on 40M. After logging a few quick contacts, things slowed down considerably. I spent most of my time on 30M, where band conditions seemed a little better. I also did some hunting on 20M before packing up. I finished up with 20 QSOs in the log, including five park-to-park contacts.

I don’t think the GRA-7350TC performs as well as my homebrew vertical, but it sure is easy to set up. Although I can set up my homebrew vertical in under three minutes, the Gabil antenna goes up even faster.

By the time I left, the parking lot was nearly full. I guess people were eager to get their long weekend started.

Bike-Portable in the Park

On Saturday, I went for a short bike ride on the Schuylkill River Trail. This was my first time on the bike since my latest round of knee issues sidelined me back in March. Before heading out, I threw in my TR-35, Elecraft AX1, and bike mount.

I started off from a trailhead parking lot close to Towpath Park—I didn’t want to overdo it with my knee. A mile and a half later, I was in the park setting up the radio. I set up the radio on a park bench near the remnants of the Schuylkill Canal and mounted my AX1 on the bike’s handlebars.

I planned to do some POTA hunting on 20M, but I found the band was wall-to-wall with contesters. I worked one contester in Wisconsin on 20M, but I had no success beyond that. My 5 watts and 40-inch whip was no match for the high-power contest stations in pile-ups. I checked 17M, but I didn’t hear much of anything there.

My view of the old Schuylkill Canal in Towpath Park

With one meager QSO in my log, I packed up and continued on my ride. It sure felt great to be back on the bike again. While I didn’t do so hot on the radio, my knee held up great on my short three-mile ride. I’m looking forward to longer rides.

Valley Forge POTA Activation

On Monday, I headed out early to get in a quick POTA activation at Valley Forge National Historical Park (K-0761, KFF-0761). I rolled into one of the picnic areas and found a nice shady parking spot.

My shady parking spot at Valley Forge National Historical Park (K-0761, KFF-0761)

As I was setting up, a gentleman walked up to ask about my antenna on the back of my truck. I gave him a quick explanation of ham radio and Parks on the Air. Normally, passersby would just thank me and move on. This fellow, however, tried to engage me in one of the most bizarre conversations I’ve ever heard. After a few minutes, I politely disengaged myself from his rambling and got on with my activation.

Today, I used my TR-35 and my 19-foot homebrew vertical. It took about 10 minutes to log my first 10 contacts on 40M. In a little more than an hour, I logged 23 contacts on 40M, 30M, and 20M. There were lots of activators out and about this morning; I made seven park-to-park contacts I know of.

All in all, I had a good weekend, and the weather was spectacular. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well and took some time to remember those who gave their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy.

72, Craig WB3GCK