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405 viewsTony, W4TDH at Johns Mountain Overlook 5-21-2020
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405 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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404 viewsW4TDH, Tony - POTA, Johns Mountain Overlook 4-30-2020
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404 viewsPOTA - Chickamauga Battlefield - KO4DRX, Matt and KN4FKS, Allen
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404 viewsPOTA - Crockford-Pigeon Mtn. WMA K-3742 - 1-19-2022
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403 viewsPOTA, Johns Mountain Overlook 5-21-2020, Tony W4TDH
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403 viewsPOTA, Fern Cave 11-18-2020
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403 viewsPOTA - 2022-08-18 - Today the crew activated two different parks. Peter KX4BE went North to Hiawassee Wildlife refuge TN K-7598 and had 60 contacts mostly CW 10 park to parks and 1 DX to Switzerland. The rest of the gang went to Crockford-Pigeon Mtn. WMA GA K-3742 at the South Brow road site. The bands were wonky today. Stations would go from a 5-9 signal to a 4-3 in 30 seconds then come back up. The noise floor varied from an s-2 or 3 all the way to s-8 at one point.
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403 viewsPOTA - 20221103 - Crockford-Pigeon Mtn. WMA K-3742 today from the Estelle Trailhead field. Today Tony WA4TW with help from David KO4YQD made 37 contacts on 20 meters SSB with 19 P2P and 1 DX contact. Ed KM6UTC had 28 contacts on 40 meters digital with 1 DX. Allen KN4FKS just helped Tony chase parks. John KB4QXI overslept and was late arriving and was having vehicle electrical issues. While we were there Jeff N2YYP rode up on his horse and with two fellow riders and visited with us for a while.
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403 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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402 viewsCloudland Canyon 11-05-2020
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402 viewsPOTA, Fern Cave 11-18-2020 - KB4QXI, KN4FKS, W4TDH, W4LWC, N9MJH
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