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640 viewsJ. Floyd State Park K-2187 on 04-27-2022. We set up down by the dam of the lower lake. John KB4QXI worked 20 meters with a ham stick on the roof of his car and made 60 contacts, 4 P2P, 6 Canadians and Spain. Tony WA4TW went first on 40 meters using the End Fed Half Wave wire rigged as a sloper fed from the bottom. He made 60 contacts before lunch. After lunch Allen KN4FKS took over the microphone and Tony logged. Allen made 42 contacts with 2 P2P before the battery was almost gone at 7% remaining.
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640 viewsAllen KN4FKS headed over to Calhoun to activate New Echota State Historic site US-3722 and at the same time activate the 'Trail of Tears' US-3791.

He made 135 contacts, with 13 Park to Park contacts and 5 Canadians plus one Cayman Islander. 20 meters was hopping and contacts came quick and heavy. Had a nice chat with the park naturalist who was very familiar with Ham radio from her CERT experience in Paulding County GA.

ED KM6UTC made the trip to New Echota but as soon as he arrived got a call and had to leave. Bummer.

John KB4QXI was in West Virginia for an event and activated Coopers Rock State Forest US-5585 on Thursday as well. He made 26 contacts with one Canadian park to park three fer. (1 contact but three park numbers)

From Danny AG4DW
Having airport shuttle duties this Thursday morning, and a necessary trip to Dunlap, TN, to pick up a custom part I ordered, I decided to go a few miles further past Dunlap to Savage Gulf State Park, US-9718, in Grundy County. This is a new-to-me, gorgeous park with lots of trails, meadows and a large picnic area with massive wooden picnic tables. And the cicadas were deafening! 20 meter band conditions were not too bad and I got 9 SSB contacts, all park-to-parks, and 21 FT8 contacts in a little under two hours.

On the way home I took a little detour and stopped at another new-to-me park, North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Park, US-11879, on Montlake Road, near Soddy-Daisy, TN. This was a very difficult park to activate as it was basically a large hole in the ground (I guess that's why they call it a gorge) and not only did signals not want to get out, they didn't want get in either. After about two hours I only had six contacts and was about to give up and chalk up my first missed activation. Then I got a 3-fer park, in South Dakota, with two operators and it saved my bacon! I had a total of 14 contacts, 9 SSB and 5 FT8, all domestic.

I tried to make contact with KN4FKS, Allen, at New Echota State Historic Site, and KB4QXI, John, at Coopers Rock State Forest, in West Virginia, but I couldn't hear either one of them. Even tried to get AD4FM, Fred, via groundwave on Signal Mountain, just a few miles away, but no joy.

Band conditions this week were 100% better than last week. New Echota had a noise floor of about S-5 and nearby highway traffic was at times loud and a few times old cars came by with a bad spark plug wire and you would certainly know it. If you head there to activate take headphones so you can hear over the traffic noise.
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639 viewsChickamauga Battlefield Park - 09-19-2020 - W4TDH, W4LWC, K4MCX, N2YYP, N9MJH
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639 viewsOn Saturday, while a few were invited to spend time with the Ramblers, another crew of POTA operators went off to the Cherokee National Forest to activate.

This was made possible by a very cordial invitation by the Cleveland Ham Radio group and coordinated by Larry Wallace KN4JUU. Their club has a repeater at the top of Oswald Dome at an elevation of 3000’.

The drive up took us into the clouds/dense fog, where the taillights of the vehicle ahead were barely visible. My Land Rover has rear end fog lights from the factory I thought I’d never use… well they got turned on for this.

The road itself was not as in a poor condition as some may remember when heading to the Bat Cave . But it most certainly was much longer.

We arrived and set up with a variety of different radios and antennas. From that elevation even some 2m DX was easily possible.

The highlight of the day was lunch being cooked by our own Chef Boy R Jeff N2YYP. He had made up some Deer burgers the day before. Dangerous stuff! So good a person wanted to just keep eating them. Fortunately self control managed to prevail. Jeff I believe has been elected as the ‘official cook/chef’ for future adventures. I should mention there were dogs and sausages for those who didn’t want any Bambi. And also , Jeff brought some of his award winning Chow Chow. Stuff goes good on just about everything imo

Anyway, I digress. Activations went very well. What a wonderful locale to activate. Afterwards the fog had burned off, and the trip back down was simply Gorgeous! Vistas popped as we traveled down that were picture card perfect.

If the Cleveland crew ever offer the opportunity to go to their site again, I’d strongly encourage folk to take them up on it
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638 viewsPOTA - 2022-09-29 - Prentice-Cooper State Forest TN K-5499 was the destination yesterday. At the far end of Tower Road is a cliff top site overlooking the Tennessee River Gorge. Ed ran FT8 using his Mag-Loop antenna, Peter used his end fed wire to work CW, and Allen hung his wire EFHW and worked SSB. Allen Had 41 contacts with 10 P2P contacts. Peter had 55 contacts with 4 P2P and Ed had 35 contacts with 1 P2P. Great day, beautiful day, great view, and great friends.
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638 viewsActivated K-6267 Sequatchie Cave State Natural Area. Some kind folks spotted me on 20 meters as the cell service is very dismal as soon as you leave Hwy 28! I had 86 CW contacts and one SSB (my first spotter) 2 DX (Hungary and PR), 4 Canadians and 4 P2P. Propagation, I would say, was excellent, considering the location.
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638 viewsWe activated Johns Mountain WMA US-3758 Thursday afternoon and the sun was out. However the wind was howling and the temperature was dropping fast. Setting up antennas got everyone chilled then it got worse.

We had an old friend Dean Harris KK4BE join us for the activation and he set up outside on a table. John KB4QXI and Allen KN4FKS set up inside their vehicles to escape the wind. Dean quickly realized sitting outside was just too cold. While he was moving into his truck cab the wind blew over his folding chair.

John KB4QXI operated on 20 meters SSB using his Hamstick on top of his car. He made 105 contacts with 11 Park to Park contacts and 4 Canadian DX contacts. Dean KK4EB used his end fed sloper and made 22 contacts on 10 meters. two were P2P and 4 DX to Germany, Brazil, Argentina, and Wales. Allen KN4FKS used his vertical with the single long counterpoise to make 31 contacts on 15 meter SSB with 3 P2P and 6 DX contacts to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Alaska, and 3 Canadians.

It was a fun day but challenging due to the weather but we POTA'd on!
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637 viewsPOTA - Chief Vann House State Historical Site - 10-01-2021
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637 viewsPOTA - Crockford-Pigeon Mtn. at Atwood Point - 09-23-2021
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637 viewsPOTA - Johns Mtn WMA - 09-10-2021
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637 viewsPOTA - 2022-09-23 - We met at Atwood Point on Pigeon Mtn. this past Thursday. It is as far back in the woods as you can get on the mountain. John KB4QXI set up and we decided he would take 40 meters, Tony WA4TW set up and would take 20 meters. John had quite a day, 102 contacts with 7 P2P contacts.
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637 viewsPOTA - 20021027 - What a great activation! Ham radio, picnic, friends, and sunset, nothing better.

Allen KN4FKS was on 17 meters SSB and had 36 contacts with 4P2P, and 4DX. John KB4QXI had quite a run on 40 meters with 102 contacts and 8 P2P. He was still busy when he went QRT for supper. Peter KX4BE was on 20 meters CW and had 68 contacts, 4 P2P, and 3 DX. Karen KX4KM had 31 contacts on 20 meter SSB with 8 P2P. Ed KM6UTC worked digital QRP on 30 meters and had 19 contacts with 1 P2P and 1 DX
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