Author: n4mqu

Activating my home park breaking the 100 QSO’s

Amateur Radio, Portable, POTA


I activated my home park today NC K-3854 flower Hill State Nature Preseve. If the FCC had an Aptitude test for getting your amateur radio license I would receive a low score but my enthusiasm overcomes that. I did have a few visitors to the nature preserve that was interested in what I was doing.
Equipment
* MFJ-1984HP, ENDFED 1/2 Wave 40-10M
* IC-706MKG HF/VHF/UHF All Mode Transceiver
Once again it didn’t take me an hour setting up the endfed. Thanks for the 101 contacts. This was the best solo QSO count I ever had. Thanks to the hunters and p2p. De n4mqu

 

 

 

Activating my home Park #25

Amateur Radio, Portable, POTA

Equipment

MFJ-1984HP, ENDFED 1/2 Wave 40-10M
IC-706MKG HF/VHF/UHF All Mode Transceiver

Great weather for activating Flower Hill State Nature Preserve my local park NC K-3854.I had to get out of the house for another house showing. I used my MFJ-1984HP, ENDFED 1/2 Wave 40-10M. It’s not taking me an hour to set up anymore. Thanks for all the hunters and p2p. De n4mqu.


 

Flower Hill Working on the Kilo Award

Amateur Radio, Portable, POTA

 

 

Location: NC K-3854 Middlesex 
Date: 202201031

Equipment 

  • Chameleon Portable HF Antenna CHA HYBRID Micro
  • IC-706MKG HF/VHF/UHF All Mode Transceiver

There are various options in setting up the vertical antenna. Today I used the Cha Spike mount.

We had a busy month getting our house ready for the market.  I decided to start activating parks when we schedule appointments to show. This was the first day I did this. Chose to use my Chameleon Portable HF Antenna CHA HYBRID Micro with the Cha Spike Mount. Everything went perfectly even with me attempting using my iPad with the HAMRS software as I was making contacts. I used a hybrid method I wrote the call sign down on paper and typed it in.  I made 34 contacts.

My DX contacts.  I decided to start on 15 meters then switched to 40 meters.

Unfortunately some people like to use the park as a dump. I made a call to the management and left them a message.

As always follow my activations POTA page.

Gov Aycock Birthplace Fall Festival

Amateur Radio, Portable, POTA

Location: NC K-6835 Governor Charles B. Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site

Date: 20221029

Equipment 

  • Chameleon Portable HF Antenna CHA HYBRID Micro
  • IC-706MKG HF/VHF/UHF All Mode Transceiver

There are various options in setting up the vertical antenna.  I used the Cha Spike Mount. With no counterpoise.  
Today amateur radio was invited by the parks administrator to operate our amateur radios.  We had 12 licensed amateurs and their families show up,

Thanks to all the licensed amateurs that I remembered. If I didn’t list you let me know.

  • N4MQU
  • K4HNT
  • KN4DLM
  • KN4RZD
  • KI4NBV
  • K3UI
  • KO4TAZ
  • kE4LJV
  • NY4NC
  • KE4NKY 
  • W2CK
  • K4KDP

Fall Festival Stats

K4HNT 10
KN4RZD 24
N4MQU 35

 

NY4NC truck

KE4NKY with the chickens

 

K4HNT

AJ KN4RZD making his first activation

12 year old visitor talking to Canada

15 year old talking to Spain

W2CK, N4MQU, K4KDP, K3UI, KE4LJV

 

K-6964 #1 Voice of America State Game Land

Amateur Radio, Portable, POTA

Location: NC K-6964 Voice of America State Game Land

Date: 20220923

42 contacts 

Equipment 

  • MFJ-1984HP, ENDFED 1/2 Wave 40-10M
  • IC-706MKG HF/VHF/UHF All Mode Transceiver

Operators Brandon KO4YJA, Mark N4MQU

Prior to this activation the site had only been activated 4 times.  After we arrived we could see why. A lot of challenging obstacles.  I had my vertical but could not find my spike mount so Brandon improvised one using one end of the Endfed of the antenna using his wagon and the vertical I had.  

The video shows a better view of how we set up the antenna.  

To follow all of my POTA activities go to mt POTA page.

K-6923 Lower Fishing Creek State Game Land

Amateur Radio, Portable, POTA

Location: NC K-6923 #1 Tar River State Game Land

Date: 20220916

31 contacts 

Equipment 

  • MFJ-1984MP, ENDFED 1/2 Wave 40-10M
  • IC-706MKG HF/VHF/UHF All Mode Transceiver

  • MFJ Model MFJ-969 Deluxe Versa Tuner II antenna tuner 

Operators Brandon KO4YJA, Trip N4NTO, Mark N4MQU

Some parks we go to do not have paved walkways and manicured grounds so be careful and stay hydrated and be aware of your surroundings.

N4NTO watched some video about length

IMG_3151

K-6956 #1 Tar River State Game Land

Amateur Radio, Portable, POTA

 


Location: NC K-6956 #1 Tar River State Game Land

Date: 20220916

24 contacts 

Equipment 

  • MFJ-1984MP, ENDFED 1/2 Wave 40-10M
  • IC-706MKG HF/VHF/UHF All Mode Transceiver

  • MFJ Model MFJ-969 Deluxe Versa Tuner II antenna tuner 

Operators Brandon KO4YJA, Trip N4NTO, Mark N4MQU

 

This was a spur of the moment activation.  I had wanted to activate the parks in Tarboro  and I had asked my friend N4NTO about access etc. It turned out he wanted to activate parks but hadn’t done it and wanted to get with someone with some experience before he did a solo activation.

I unloaded my equipment and gave an overview of what we were going to do.  I had packed my straight key with me and pout that in line and before I knew it Tripp was making contacts.  By the way back in the 80’s Tripp was one of the Elmer’s that helped me increase my CW speed to 13 wpm so I could upgrade to General.  In the meantime The Sheriff (Brandon) showed up ready to do his first activation. So we had 3 operators for the park. Tripp and Brandon really did a great job.  Brandon was the lead operator and really showed his radio skills.

K-6956 did have a bit of a line noise in the park should you decide to activate it. See the article with the video on the line noise