Location: NC K-3854 Middlesex 
Date: 20220913

Equipment 

• Chameleon Portable HF Antenna CHA HYBRID Micro
• IC-706MKG HF/VHF/UHF All Mode Transceiver
• MFJ Model MFJ-969 Deluxe Versa Tuner II antenna tuner

There are various options in setting up the vertical antenna.  Today I started with the antenna mounted on the trailer hitch. I also added a counterpoise.  The first contact was my friend n4awp. He said he could barely hear me.

As you can see the antenna is leaning.  I decided to move it from the jaw mount to the spike mount.

it is still leaning but it is acceptable.  I added three counterpoise to the antenna. After I connected the radio the 40 meter band the swr was good but 20 was bad.  I had to add the tuner.

So it turned out to be a good day for activating since I got my 10 contacts but I kept loosing my shade. I didn’t stay as long as I would have liked.

Here is one option I used at a park, my luggage rack.

 

 

Location: NC K-3854 Middlesex 

Date: 20220912

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

 

The trials of setting up and end fed is daunting for me.  I have 3 options. Potato gun, fishing rod, or throw line.  So far the potato gun seems to work best for me.  The only draw back is the compressor but that isn’t too bad.  I am not a fisherman so the fishing rod hasn’t worked for me.  The throw line may work when there is a clear line of trees.

The other problem I have is preventing getting the wire and rope tangled.

One possible key is to carefully putting away the rope and wire as you pack from your activation.  I have a tendency to be in a hurry to pack up after an activation. 
I’ve enjoyed using various bands during my activations.  I still want to add more bands and add CW and data. Thanks to all the hunters and p2p.

Follow my activations on my POTA page.

Location: NC K-3854 Middlesex 
Date: 20220909

Equipment 

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

I had just heard about a new tool called Arborist Friend.  My local Stihl dealer didn’t know what that tool was so I described it and he did have a throwline combo with weight so that is what I purchased.  It still took an hour for me to put my antenna up but I had a great activation.  Here is a link to my YouTube video with tips for after the activation and where the antenna ended up.  I had 42 contacts.  One friend said I was 59+ today but they couldn’t hear me yesterday. I had a mother and her 17 year old daughter stop by.  The mother said she had been seeing me and was wondering what I was doing.  I explained it to her and gave her my card.  I hope they will get involved.
Thanks for all the contacts and P2P.

Please follow my activities on my POTA page.

 

 

Another fun activation at my home park NC K-3854. I activated with my moon car 2006 Scion with 253K. I am going for my repeat offender award. I have 14 activations now. I used my chameleon antenna today. Thanks for the hunters and p2p. I experimented with radials today. I didn’t need the tuner. I am amazed at how much I am learning after being a ham for 38 years. De n4mqu

 

 

 

I decided to activate right after breakfast. It started off slow and after about 5 contacts I felt a few rain drops and I moved it in the car. 40 meters turned out to be my band of choice today.  It started out slow but after I moved to the car my contact pace picked up.

I still need to improve my installation abilities on my MFJ-1984MP End Fed antenna.  It took an hour for me to erect it.  I tried 30 pounds on my antenna launcher and it bounced back to me. I used 60 and that worked better.

Thanks for all the hunters and P2P.  Thanks for reading and follow my POTA page.

 

 

 

 

 

Inspired by a question at the last Occoneechee Amateur Radio Society meeting, I decided to set up a get on the air event at a Parks on the Air park.  The question came from a family living in the Sandhills NC area.  How do new people get experience learning about radios.  I thought one answer would be to hold a Parks on the Air event at a park called House in the Horseshoe in Sanford, NC.  I made a call to the facility and they were very receptive and they were open on Labor Day weekend (Saturday). I publicized it an a few other hams decided to join us.  We had a total of 5 stations set up.

An impromptu Amateur Radio exam was held by the FCVET.  Thanks to the VE’s W4CEC, KO4IHM, WO4ROG, N4MQU.  It was a great opportunity for two of the VE’s to get experience as a VE as they prepare to support the future Sandhills VE team.  

Thanks to all the visitors, K4PKD, W2CK, Jay, Margaret, and Nelson Scout Troop 910, KQ4AHI, KQ4BDT, KQ4BQA, KQ4AHK .

Thanks also to the hospitality of the staff of House in the Horseshoe.

 

This was a multiple club event. Occoneechee Amateur Radio Society , Johnston Amateur Radio Society, and  Sandhills Amateur Radio Club.
Thanks to the Sandhills Amateur Radio Club for stepping up first with operators on a holiday weekend. Many members are members of multiple clubs.

According to figures posted the contacts made are as follows

1. KO4VIA 1
2. WO4ROG 29
3. W4CEC 15
4. N4MQU 13
5. KO4IHM 29
6. KM4WII 13

We also had JARSCOM. A ambulance converted to a communication vehicle.  This inspired a couple of visitors Jay & Margaret Rogers to stop by.  Turns out their son is KE4NKY Domingo Rogers the membership chairman of JARS.  Seriously this was a complete coincidence  They were visiting the park.

After JARSCOM showed up we had Nelson from the park office pay us a visit.  I had told him earlier the ambulance would be there.  He told me he use to work as a paramedic and he also worked at an ambulance manufacturer.  He was very much interested in how we converted it.  I also learned the park would like to know how many contacts we made.  They would be able to use that as outreach credit. It pays to make contact with park officials.

Thanks go to Johnston Amateur Radio Society for allowing JARSCom to be used for public outreach.  Also thanks to Jon Veno (KO4VIA) for driving the vehicle to the event.

The day was a successful day. 1 person made his first park activation, 1 person made his first contact on hf, and 1 person made a contact as a guest operator on HF. 

Take a look at the promotional video I made.

Please follow my activities on my POTA page.

I think I will have to come up with another way to put the parks I do multiple times on my website.  This activation was done with my MFJ Endfed antenna.  
Can you see the difference between this one and the activation I did the day before with my vertical?  My friend Andy would say ask Steve. I like having both antennas available to me.  I am getting pretty good at setting up my vertical antenna quickly in about 15 minutes.  It takes me about 45 minutes to set up my Endfed. 

Please follow my activities on my POTA page

 

Vertical

 

This is my home park.  I have officially decided to get the repeater offender award.  This activation was made with my vertical. 

Thanks for reading.  Be sure to bookmark my POTA page here.

For this activation I was attempting to find Shocco Creek State Game Land but I ran across this one and decided to recover the day and activate it for the second time. See my article.     
You really have to be careful picking your spot not a wide road.  I found a spot that I was able to pull over and erect my Chameleon vertical. I made 13 contacts and decided to stop. When I looked at my numbers when I got home I saw that was the same number of contacts I made on my first activation here.

The video I made on searching for the other site is  Here.

Follow my POTA activity here.

Thanks for reading.