You would possibly recall that my associates Eric (WD8RIF), Miles (KD8KNC), Brian (K3ES), Kyle (AA0Z), Charlie (NJ7V), and Joshua (N5FY) all performed hooky on the ultimate day of the 2024 Hamvention (Sunday, Might 19) and as a substitute activated a few POTA websites.
I wrote a brief area report about our first activation at Pater State Wildlife Space (US-9492). It was a number of enjoyable regardless of the tough bands.
Our subsequent cease was Whitewater Canal State Historic Website in Metamora, Indiana, about an hour’s drive from the primary park.
Solely 4 of us continued to the subsequent park; Kyle and Charlie wanted to go to the airport, and Joshua wanted to start out his drive again to Georgia.
I used to be enthusiastic about visiting Whitewater Canal as a result of it will be my first official POTA activation in Indiana.
We arrived round 1:00 PM and opted to seize lunch at a close-by pizzeria earlier than activating.
Round 2:00 PM, we grabbed our gear from the automobile and walked throughout the highway to the park grounds.
The Whitewater Canal State Historic Website provides a glimpse into the Nineteenth-century canal period.
Constructed between 1836 and 1847, the Whitewater Canal was a 76-mile waterway that linked the Ohio River to Hagerstown, facilitating the transport of products and agricultural merchandise.
This engineering feat performed a significant position within the financial growth of the area, contributing to the expansion of cities and industries alongside its path.
As we speak, the preserved part of the canal, together with the historic grist mill and different buildings, stands as a testomony to Indiana’s wealthy industrial and transportation heritage.
I’ve all the time been keen on railroads and canals, so this website was good because it featured each operating parallel to one another!
Eric, Brian, and I (Miles didn’t activate) have been cautious to arrange throughout the precise park boundaries.
On this case, it was a bit of tough to find out the precise boundaries as a result of the city and park mix collectively.
I used the Parceled app on my cellphone to verify our location.
Eric arrange his Elecraft KH1 station at a picnic desk beneath a big tree.
Brian arrange his KX2 on a lined bench subsequent to Eric, utilizing his Elecraft AX1 antenna mounted on a clamp secured to the bench.
Brian’s website was tremendous stealthy behind the signal–since he operated with earphones, you couldn’t hear him and barely might see him!
I needed to place some area between my station and theirs, so I arrange beneath the shade of a tree (it was blazing sizzling that Sunday) and deployed my Helinox tenting chair.
I then deployed my Chelegance MC-750 vertical for 20-meter operation since Brian and Eric have been on different bands.
I linked the MC-750 to my Elecraft KX2, which I mounted on my kneeboard, and was able to play radio! My hope was that band situations can be first rate.
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I began calling CQ POTA, and luckily, the contacts began rolling in.
You’ll hear a number of waterfall QRM within the activation video. Sadly, in the course of the previous few activations I had not arrange my wi-fi mics correctly, in order that they weren’t recording audio on the KX2 and from my lapel which might have actually helped.
Then once more? Sounds of waterfalls, site visitors, folks, wildlife are all par for course with POTA!
Inside 9 minutes, I had logged the ten contacts wanted to validate the activation. A kind of contacts was Eric, who labored me park-to-park from about 25 meters away.
I labored yet another station, then determined to hunt different parks.
I efficiently hunted N0ANE at US-2510 on 20 meters, then WD8RIF once more on 30 meters.
I then known as QRT to permit both Brian or Eric to leap on 20 meters, which was clearly in higher form than different bands.
Right here’s what this five-watt activation regarded like when plotted out on a QSO Map:
Right here’s my real-time, real-life video of your complete activation. As with all of my movies, I don’t edit out any elements of the on-air activation time. As well as, I’ve monetization turned off on YouTube, though that doesn’t cease them from inserting advertisements earlier than and after my movies.
Notice that Patreon supporters can watch and even obtain this video 100% ad-free by Vimeo on my Patreon web page:
Click on right here to view on YouTube.
It all the time feels good so as to add one other state, province, or nation to the checklist of POTA websites activated.
Put up-activation, we toured the Whitewater Canal Grist Mill (thanks for the ticket, Brian).
They’ve accomplished an ideal job preserving the historical past of this mill and canal. For those who ever activate this website, take the time to do the tour—it was fairly informative.
On the way in which out, all of us bought stone-ground corn merchandise made that morning on the mill. I grabbed a bag of their cornmeal and their yellow grits!
The drive again to Dayton was clean, and as soon as we arrived on the lodge within the late afternoon, we mentioned our goodbyes to Brian, who then began his journey again to Pennsylvania.
It was such a pleasure hanging with Brian on this POTA tour to Indiana!
The following morning, Eric, Miles, and I packed the automobile and headed to Wapakoneta, Ohio, to tour the Armstrong Air and House Museum, then activate yet one more park—my first pedestrian cellular activation the place I actually logged miles of strolling whereas working the KH1. You’ll be able to learn that area report by clicking right here.
Thanks for becoming a member of Eric, Miles, Brian and me throughout this activation!
I hope you loved the sector report and my activation video as a lot as I loved creating and reviewing them! It’s such a pleasure to re-live these activations.
In fact, I’d additionally prefer to ship a particular because of these of you who’ve been supporting the location and channel by Patreon, and the Espresso Fund. Whereas not a requirement, as my content material will all the time be free, I actually respect the assist.
As I discussed earlier than, the Patreon platform linked to Vimeo makes it doable for me to share movies that aren’t solely 100% ad-free but additionally downloadable for offline viewing. The Vimeo account additionally serves as a 3rd backup for my video recordsdata.
Thanks for spending a part of your day with me! Have an incredible week forward–ensure you get pleasure from a bit of radio time alongside the way in which!
Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)
