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 Random files - Parks on the Air |
225 viewsWe activated J. 'SLOPPY' Floyd State Park US-2187 this Thursday Sept 25th. It was a sloppy activation on several levels. Because of the threatening rains we set up at the picnic shelter up by the restrooms on top of the hill. As we are setting up a big truck pulls up and is there to empty the sewage tank about 20 feet from the picnic shelter. The fellow said "this might stink a bit" He was right.
Then after a bit of aroma therapy the park ranger walked up and advised us the picnic shelter was reserved for the day and we needed to pack up and move to another shelter. Both of us had not noticed the little note in the sign on the shelter saying it was reserved. As Danny AG4DW noted in the future "We must check the reservation board on shelters from now on" (see attached photos of what to look for) So we quickly packed up everything and moved down the hill to the 'Not Reserved' picnic shelter, set up again and completed the activation. It never rained a drop! However on the drive home it pored down rain for a while. It was a fun but 'Sloppy' day.
For the activation part Allen KN4FKS made 32 SSB contacts 28 Park to Parks ( one of the P2P's was to California) with DX to Cuba and Poland.
Danny AG4DW cranked up the FT8 machine and made 31 contacts 25 on 10 meters and 6 on 40 meters. He had lots of DX into Europe. Germany(5), Hungary(2), Italy(2), Canada, Poland, Spain and Ukraine.
John KB4QXI was not able to attend, he spent the entire day waiting on a Windstream technician who never showed up. Customer service?
On Wednesday Danny AG4DW got to do something special in the POTA world. He was able to activate an "ALL TIME NEW ONE" (ATNO) A new state park was created in Tennessee on Sunday. Danny contacted the POTA coordinator for Tennessee and set things in motion. The park Ocoee River State park had the POTA number US-12663 by Tuesday night. Danny made tracks over to the park first thing Wednesday morning, set up and made 94 ATNO QSO's. He had 78 on SSB and 16 FT8 before the rain set in. Two other hams activated the park later that day. ATNO's don't last long so 'You snooze you loose" Congratulations to Danny on first getting the park listed then on grabbing the ATNO activation.
Fun days, fun hobby, always something new.
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499 viewsWe activated Crockford-Pigeon Mtn. Wildlife Management Area today (1-26-2023) at our Dougherty Gap location. We were hoping the sun would break through the clouds and spread a little warmth. That didn't happen, the wind blew, it was cold and it occasionally spit a little snow.
Allen KN4FKS worked off the Cameleon vertical with the extendable whip and four radials on 20 and 15 meters. Sixty contacts were made with 14 P2P and 3 Canadians. Danny Wooten AG4DW sat in Winston with Allen and handled logging duties keeping everything straight. John KB4QXI used his end fed half wave wire with the end up in a tree and rigged as a sloper with the feed on the ground. He covered 40 meters with 20 contacts and 1 P2P. He kept getting covered up by rag chewers who could not hear him.
Our CW whiz kid, Peter KX4BE used his new 75A Tarheel antenna on the 30, 20, 17, 15, and 12 bands. He had 84 contacts with 10 DX (all on 15m) and 2 P2P.
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453 viewsPOTA - Red Clay State Historic Park - 11-19-2021
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404 viewsThis Thursday we activated Pigeon Mountain US-3742 from inside the check station. With rain showers all around and the hot muggy weather it was certainly nice to have air conditioning and a roof over our heads.
We set two stations and shared radios and bands. Allen, KN4FKS, started out on 20 meters with 14 contacts, 12 P2P and no DX. Peter, KX4BE, broke out the key and worked 20 meter CW and made 13 contacts with all 13 being P2P. Then John KB4QXI made 18 contacts on 20 meters. Danny, AG4DW, set up his digital rig on 15 meters and made 28 contacts on FT8. He had 4 DX contacts to: Columbia, Belize, and 2 Canadians.
Thanks to the GA DNR folks who let us use the check station to avoid the heat and rain!
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429 viewsChickamauga Battlefield Park - 09-19-2020
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143 viewsYesterday Nov. 6, 2025 we activated three Tennessee parks at once: The Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area US-3971, the Prentice Cooper State Forest US-5499, and the Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park US-2955.
We set up in a small trailhead parking lot deep in the big woods. It was an absolutely gorgeous day with the sun shining, the leaves turning colors and moderate temperatures. The space weather also cooperated as the solar storm did not hit till later in the afternoon after we were finished. Also enjoying the day were numerous hikers who came and went all day so we had lots of contact with folks about ham radio and what we were doing.
On the radio it was a great day, Allen KN4FKS had 107 SSB contacts for the day. The first 19 were on 15 meters then switching to 20 meters made 88 more. Of those 30 were Park to Park contacts. A few were Canadians and one was from Spain.
Danny AG4DW had 65 contacts total with 31 SSB on 40 meters, 34 FT8 on 17 meters. He had 3 DX contacts all to Canada.
Ed KM6UTC made 49 total contacts as he explored the bands, He had contacts on 6,10,15, 20, and 40 meters. A few were SSB but most were FT8.
Dan K2DTS had 15 P2P on 20 meters SSB then 9 FT8 contacts on 15 meters. He had DX contacts with Cuba and a DXpedition in Burundi Africa.
The day could not have been better , great friends, great weather, great fall color and great band conditions. And peanut butter sandwiches !
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289 viewsOn Thursday Aug. 21, 2025 we activated the Vann House State Historical Site US-7457 This small park is only open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays so it doesn't see a lot of activations. There are lots of picnic tables and a wonderful shade tree to make it a pleasant site even on a hot day. The park manager lady is also a Ham so the staff is definitely POTA friendly. The adjacent museum and visitor center is worth a visit and the actual Vann house is amazing. Our native Americans did not live in Tepees.
Allen KN4FKS and Danny AG4DW shared a radio set up. They used the end fed wire and the ever trusty Icom 706 MKIIG. Allen made 37 contacts with 5 park to parks on 40 meters SSB. Danny made 22 contacts with 4 P2P also on 40 meters. It was tough work as we had a local QRM source giving us a 5-8 noise level on 40 meters and even 5-6 across all the bands. Don't know what it was but it made getting contacts a challenge. They could hear us but we couldn't hear them.
Dan K2DTS set up his trusty 17 ft. vertical on his car hood. He made 32 contacts on 20 and 17 meters on FT8 and had DX contacts in France, Slovakia, Belize, Guatemala, Czech Republic, Finland, and 2 in Germany. Dave KQ4GLQ set up his vertical and ran his ICOM 705 in a way cool go box set up. He made 61 contacts on FT8. I wore my special T shirt just for him. (see attached photos)
Earlier in the week John KB4QXI activated Berry College WMA 3734 on Wednesday and Danny AG4DW went to Estelle on Pigeon Mountain also on Wednesday. to edge closer to getting his KILO award for Pigeon. Dave KQ4GLQ and Tony WA4TW joined him there.
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46 viewsThis Thursday Dec. 11 we activated Cloudland Canyon State Park US-2169 from the main park site on top of the hill. The terrestrial and the space weather cooperated for a fun day of radio.
Danny AG4DW made 123 contacts, 81 SSB and 42 FT8 on 40 and 20 meters. He had 9 DX contacts 7 to Canada then Spain and Slovenia. He was using his elevated vertical, POTA Performer antenna.
Allen KN4FKS made 45 SSB contacts with 8 Park to Park contacts. He had 38 contacts on 15 meters and 7 on 12 meters. There were 11 DX contacts with 3 to Spain, # to Puerto Rico, 2 to Canada, and then Italy, France and St. Kitts-Nevis. Allen used his 17 foot vertical with 8 radials.
Dan K2DTS had 46 contacts on SSB. All were P2P contacts on pretty much all the bands from 10 to 40 meters. He had DX contacts in Chile, Ecuador, and 2 in Puerto Rico. Dan used his Rybakov vertical antenna. It is a 25 ft wire suspended off a 31 ft. SOTA Beam mast on a drive on support base, uses a 4-1 balun and a single 17 ft counterpoise radial. We found our new POTA antenna but no one had an N connector to UHF adaptor. The crank up tower is a bit rusty but looks promising for later.
John KB4QXI couldn't make it for the activation but texted us asking "How are band Conditions?" Danny texted back "There haven't been any decent bands since the 70's" Hi Hi.
On Tuesday Dec 9 Allen KN4FKS was running a shuttle for Karen his wife for a hike on several Pigeon Mountain Trails. While he waited for her at the Estelle Mine Road site he activated CPMWMA US-3742 he had 58 SSB contacts with 21 P2P contacts. He had 8 contacts on 20 meters, 3 on 40, 5 on 17, and the rest on 15. As usual from that location with the iron ore ground DX was coming in well. There were 4 to Canada, 2 to France, and Germany, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, England and a p2p to Portugal. He used the end fed wire sloper antenna.
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 Last additions - Parks on the Air |
0 viewsThursday Jan. 8 2026 we activated Chickamauga Battlefield US-0716 from the Brotherton Rd. picnic area.
Dan K2DTS set up his vertical and made 14 SSB contacts on 20 meters with all of them being Park to Park contacts. He had 4 to Canada, 1 to California and 1 to Texas.
Tony WA4TW also used his vertical and made 26 contacts with 20 being P2P contacts including two DX P2P's to Canada and Saint Lucia Island.
Allen also set his vertical antenna and made 32 SSB contacts half on 12 meters and half on 40 meters. He had 10 P2P contacts one of which was a DX P2P to Brazil and another to St. Vincent Island. When taking down the antenna he realized that when operating on 40 meters he had left one section of the expandable vertical down so no wonder he had a lot of less than strong signal reports. Hey we all make mistakes. Some of us more than others.
It was a vertical kind of day with all three stations using a vertical antenna. Band Pass filters were a necessity and worked to minimize any cross band problems.
Alan W4PLP stopped by as well as Casey KD4FYY. We had a few curious park visitors and gave out POTA brochures and Ham radio info sheets. We also had a rather unusual fellow sitting at a nearby picnic table when we arrived. Long story but it was a bit spooky to say the least. He soon left after we arrived.
Fun day in the park and had fun on the radio. Jan 10, 2026
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0 viewsThursday Jan. 8 2026 we activated Chickamauga Battlefield US-0716 from the Brotherton Rd. picnic area.
Dan K2DTS set up his vertical and made 14 SSB contacts on 20 meters with all of them being Park to Park contacts. He had 4 to Canada, 1 to California and 1 to Texas.
Tony WA4TW also used his vertical and made 26 contacts with 20 being P2P contacts including two DX P2P's to Canada and Saint Lucia Island.
Allen also set his vertical antenna and made 32 SSB contacts half on 12 meters and half on 40 meters. He had 10 P2P contacts one of which was a DX P2P to Brazil and another to St. Vincent Island. When taking down the antenna he realized that when operating on 40 meters he had left one section of the expandable vertical down so no wonder he had a lot of less than strong signal reports. Hey we all make mistakes. Some of us more than others.
It was a vertical kind of day with all three stations using a vertical antenna. Band Pass filters were a necessity and worked to minimize any cross band problems.
Alan W4PLP stopped by as well as Casey KD4FYY. We had a few curious park visitors and gave out POTA brochures and Ham radio info sheets. We also had a rather unusual fellow sitting at a nearby picnic table when we arrived. Long story but it was a bit spooky to say the least. He soon left after we arrived.
Fun day in the park and had fun on the radio. Jan 10, 2026
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0 viewsThursday Jan. 8 2026 we activated Chickamauga Battlefield US-0716 from the Brotherton Rd. picnic area.
Dan K2DTS set up his vertical and made 14 SSB contacts on 20 meters with all of them being Park to Park contacts. He had 4 to Canada, 1 to California and 1 to Texas.
Tony WA4TW also used his vertical and made 26 contacts with 20 being P2P contacts including two DX P2P's to Canada and Saint Lucia Island.
Allen also set his vertical antenna and made 32 SSB contacts half on 12 meters and half on 40 meters. He had 10 P2P contacts one of which was a DX P2P to Brazil and another to St. Vincent Island. When taking down the antenna he realized that when operating on 40 meters he had left one section of the expandable vertical down so no wonder he had a lot of less than strong signal reports. Hey we all make mistakes. Some of us more than others.
It was a vertical kind of day with all three stations using a vertical antenna. Band Pass filters were a necessity and worked to minimize any cross band problems.
Alan W4PLP stopped by as well as Casey KD4FYY. We had a few curious park visitors and gave out POTA brochures and Ham radio info sheets. We also had a rather unusual fellow sitting at a nearby picnic table when we arrived. Long story but it was a bit spooky to say the least. He soon left after we arrived.
Fun day in the park and had fun on the radio. Jan 10, 2026
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0 viewsWell I waited for everyone to show up at 10:00 am but nobody came. Friday Dec. 26 I activated Everglades National Park US-0024 from the Long Pine Key picnic area.
I set up the 17 ft. vertical with a single long counterpoise, used the trusty old ICOM 706 MkIIG at 100 watts. On 20 meters SSB I made 31 contacts with 9 Park to Park contacts as well. There was not a lot of shade in the picnic area so it got hot fast Just after noon it was 81 degrees F.
This was the first time I had activated the Everglades and the first time I've had to worry about alligators. The picnic area is next to a small lake and gators are plentiful there. While having lunch 4 acrobatic airplanes put on a show to my east. Fun day in an amazing national park.
Anybody else been out recently?Dec 30, 2025
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0 viewsWell I waited for everyone to show up at 10:00 am but nobody came. Friday Dec. 26 I activated Everglades National Park US-0024 from the Long Pine Key picnic area.
I set up the 17 ft. vertical with a single long counterpoise, used the trusty old ICOM 706 MkIIG at 100 watts. On 20 meters SSB I made 31 contacts with 9 Park to Park contacts as well. There was not a lot of shade in the picnic area so it got hot fast Just after noon it was 81 degrees F.
This was the first time I had activated the Everglades and the first time I've had to worry about alligators. The picnic area is next to a small lake and gators are plentiful there. While having lunch 4 acrobatic airplanes put on a show to my east. Fun day in an amazing national park.
Anybody else been out recently?Dec 30, 2025
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0 viewsWell I waited for everyone to show up at 10:00 am but nobody came. Friday Dec. 26 I activated Everglades National Park US-0024 from the Long Pine Key picnic area.
I set up the 17 ft. vertical with a single long counterpoise, used the trusty old ICOM 706 MkIIG at 100 watts. On 20 meters SSB I made 31 contacts with 9 Park to Park contacts as well. There was not a lot of shade in the picnic area so it got hot fast Just after noon it was 81 degrees F.
This was the first time I had activated the Everglades and the first time I've had to worry about alligators. The picnic area is next to a small lake and gators are plentiful there. While having lunch 4 acrobatic airplanes put on a show to my east. Fun day in an amazing national park.
Anybody else been out recently?Dec 30, 2025
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34 viewsThis Thursday Dec. 11 we activated Cloudland Canyon State Park US-2169 from the main park site on top of the hill. The terrestrial and the space weather cooperated for a fun day of radio.
Danny AG4DW made 123 contacts, 81 SSB and 42 FT8 on 40 and 20 meters. He had 9 DX contacts 7 to Canada then Spain and Slovenia. He was using his elevated vertical, POTA Performer antenna.
Allen KN4FKS made 45 SSB contacts with 8 Park to Park contacts. He had 38 contacts on 15 meters and 7 on 12 meters. There were 11 DX contacts with 3 to Spain, # to Puerto Rico, 2 to Canada, and then Italy, France and St. Kitts-Nevis. Allen used his 17 foot vertical with 8 radials.
Dan K2DTS had 46 contacts on SSB. All were P2P contacts on pretty much all the bands from 10 to 40 meters. He had DX contacts in Chile, Ecuador, and 2 in Puerto Rico. Dan used his Rybakov vertical antenna. It is a 25 ft wire suspended off a 31 ft. SOTA Beam mast on a drive on support base, uses a 4-1 balun and a single 17 ft counterpoise radial. We found our new POTA antenna but no one had an N connector to UHF adaptor. The crank up tower is a bit rusty but looks promising for later.
John KB4QXI couldn't make it for the activation but texted us asking "How are band Conditions?" Danny texted back "There haven't been any decent bands since the 70's" Hi Hi.
On Tuesday Dec 9 Allen KN4FKS was running a shuttle for Karen his wife for a hike on several Pigeon Mountain Trails. While he waited for her at the Estelle Mine Road site he activated CPMWMA US-3742 he had 58 SSB contacts with 21 P2P contacts. He had 8 contacts on 20 meters, 3 on 40, 5 on 17, and the rest on 15. As usual from that location with the iron ore ground DX was coming in well. There were 4 to Canada, 2 to France, and Germany, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, England and a p2p to Portugal. He used the end fed wire sloper antenna.Dec 12, 2025
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69 viewsThis Thursday Dec. 11 we activated Cloudland Canyon State Park US-2169 from the main park site on top of the hill. The terrestrial and the space weather cooperated for a fun day of radio.
Danny AG4DW made 123 contacts, 81 SSB and 42 FT8 on 40 and 20 meters. He had 9 DX contacts 7 to Canada then Spain and Slovenia. He was using his elevated vertical, POTA Performer antenna.
Allen KN4FKS made 45 SSB contacts with 8 Park to Park contacts. He had 38 contacts on 15 meters and 7 on 12 meters. There were 11 DX contacts with 3 to Spain, # to Puerto Rico, 2 to Canada, and then Italy, France and St. Kitts-Nevis. Allen used his 17 foot vertical with 8 radials.
Dan K2DTS had 46 contacts on SSB. All were P2P contacts on pretty much all the bands from 10 to 40 meters. He had DX contacts in Chile, Ecuador, and 2 in Puerto Rico. Dan used his Rybakov vertical antenna. It is a 25 ft wire suspended off a 31 ft. SOTA Beam mast on a drive on support base, uses a 4-1 balun and a single 17 ft counterpoise radial. We found our new POTA antenna but no one had an N connector to UHF adaptor. The crank up tower is a bit rusty but looks promising for later.
John KB4QXI couldn't make it for the activation but texted us asking "How are band Conditions?" Danny texted back "There haven't been any decent bands since the 70's" Hi Hi.
On Tuesday Dec 9 Allen KN4FKS was running a shuttle for Karen his wife for a hike on several Pigeon Mountain Trails. While he waited for her at the Estelle Mine Road site he activated CPMWMA US-3742 he had 58 SSB contacts with 21 P2P contacts. He had 8 contacts on 20 meters, 3 on 40, 5 on 17, and the rest on 15. As usual from that location with the iron ore ground DX was coming in well. There were 4 to Canada, 2 to France, and Germany, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, England and a p2p to Portugal. He used the end fed wire sloper antenna.Dec 12, 2025
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