Many because of Christian (IX1CKN) who shares the next subject report:
by Christian (IX1CKN)
The Friedricshafen honest is without doubt one of the most attention-grabbing occasions for its social facets, the place you may lastly put a face to colleagues whose voices you’ve solely ever heard. Among the many numerous OM (radio amateurs) I met this yr was Gabriele IT9RGY, a flagbearer of the Italian Contest Membership. When he acknowledged Andrea IW0HK and me, he mentioned, referring to our respective SOTA/POTA actions: “You two are the true deal.”
I discovered that to be a really highly effective assertion, and I’m grateful to him for it. Personally, I attempt to doc every outing to seize the sensations it gave me, but in addition within the hope of inspiring somebody. Andrea is extra succinct than I’m (if we have been all the identical, the world could be boring), however his spirit is equivalent. Parks on the Air (POTA) is a way of thinking. It was no coincidence that, being in Germany for the Hamradio Messe, we had deliberate a collection of activations.
Our schedule was tight and impressive, and simply finishing it was a supply of happiness, however there’s extra to inform. In Germany, time for supper isn’t synchronized with Roman schedules. So, on Friday night, after leaving the restaurant (for dinner with the Summits On The Air group) at 20:23, I checked out Resort-Kilo and mentioned, “If I’m going to mattress now, I’ll digest in per week; let’s go activate a reserve!”
The best possibility within the space (after a disastrous expertise final yr in DE-0156, the park within the city middle internet hosting the honest) was DE-0766, the Seewald Panorama Reserve. It’s close to the FRN airport (and thus not removed from the fairgrounds), in a totally bucolic setting. A slender street cuts by way of meadows, with footpaths and bike paths main right into a wooded space.
We parked the automotive in one in all these spots. It took solely a second to arrange the vertical antenna within the subject, however the presence of a swarm of mosquitoes as massive as F-18 Hornets suggested us to function from contained in the automotive to avoid wasting our pores and skin (actually).
Andrea turned on the KX-3 (10 watts could be our fastened energy for this journey), and the 14 MHz calls started. Straight away, a really sturdy IZ3QFG Dario (simply 380 km from us) answered, highlighting an unusually brief skip.
We logged 20 QSOs in half-hour… Many have been from Italy (Spartaco from Grosseto at full scale, Mauro I1JQJ at all times energetic, and Beppe I1WKN a continuing), with two “park to park” contacts. A basic for a lot of OMs within the space, but in addition an amazing temper booster and a tasty appetizer for the subsequent day…
Saturday, the thirtieth, was set for an journey with the colours of radio. The honest till early afternoon (and on day 2, my key encounters have been Dino from Ham Radio Store and Vittorio I3VFJ, but in addition Giorgio IZ2XBZ, reunited after the early SDR years!), then heading in the direction of HB0, the nation I’d solely seen on others’ expeditions.
We entered from the Swiss canton of St. Gallen and arrived at Ruggell, the primary city within the Principality of Liechtenstein. The vacation spot was LI-0006, the Ruggeller Riet Nature Reserve. It’s a meadow with (few) bushes and spike-like vegetation. We parked the automotive by the roadside (lower than 100 meters from one other border, this time with Austria) and accessed the reserve alongside a motorcycle path.
No must search for an oasis with tables and chairs… Andrea virtually lay on the bottom whereas I arrange the vertical antenna.
In a minute, we have been on the POTA Cluster and began on 20 meters. A pile-up ensued. HB0/IW0HK and HB0/IX1CKN have been most likely the chance many have been searching for to fill a niche of their DXCC, and amongst buddies and different stations, we logged 47 stations in half an hour (with two “park to park” contacts).
We have been, I’m not ashamed to say, euphoric. You by no means understand how an activation will go, irrespective of how nicely you’ve ready, however when it really works out, it’s a satisfaction exhausting to place into phrases. We took the customary selfie (who is aware of after I’ll return to the fourth smallest nation in Europe!) and hit the street again, with one other cease deliberate.
In Austria, we had our eyes on AT-0153 (Mehrerauer Seeufer – Mündung der Bregenzerach Nationwide Park), a reserve extending alongside the lake of Bregenz. The scenario upon arrival, after parking, was extraordinarily “in style.” Total households have been sunbathing and swimming within the lake.
We searched, not with out ending up ankle-deep in a muddy quagmire (although the path bikers ought to have warned us, on such flat terrain!), for a spot the place we wouldn’t be too bothersome, arrange, and began.
Regardless of no recorded flares or CMEs, the propagation appeared to have worsened or was very totally different from not way back in Liechtenstein. The alerts from those that responded have been weak, however particularly fleeting. Very fleeting.
Some lasted simply lengthy sufficient for a reply and disappeared. Others needed to name us a number of instances (most likely as a result of the noise was arm-wrestling with our sign). Regardless of this, in 22 minutes on-site (with a looming dinner appointment…), we logged 19 QSOs (with the same old two “park to park” contacts, a pleasing fixed).
That was it for Saturday. The plan resumed the subsequent day, with one final activation on the way in which again Sunday. We selected CH-0079, Erlimoos Nature Reserve (in JN37tg, whereas all others talked about have been in JN47), about 30 kilometers from Bern. It’s a pond surrounded by bushes, in the midst of a meadow and farmland… From afar, it regarded like a Storm Thorgerson cowl.
Upon arriving on the reserve’s edge, we realized it will be the simplest scenario of the three days: there have been a few benches, and we made these our station, with the vertical antenna close by. Organising the radio and antenna was now a well-practiced routine, finished rapidly.
Propagation as we speak appeared absent, however some stations responded, although northern UK appeared as distant as ZL by way of the trouble required. In 21 minutes, we efficiently logged 16 contacts. Notice frequent to those traces: all numbers seek advice from voice contacts. Andrea made some CW QSOs on the finish of every activation, as he’s a wonderful telegrapher and didn’t really feel proper leaving any reserve with out utilizing the important thing, however these talked about listed below are all in SSB.
In three days, we went on the air from 4 totally different nations, totaling 102 QSOs. Nonetheless, the quantity isn’t what issues.
The expertise was intense and reminded us – as I’ve partly already written – that POTA is aware of no boundaries and, wherever you’re on this planet, for no matter purpose, a reserve to activate will not be removed from you… You simply need to go.
