Many due to Brian (K3ES) who shares the next visitor publish:
by Brian (K3ES)
This text offers an summary of a driving journey throughout america and again that included activation of Parks on the Air (POTA) entities in 21 states alongside the way in which. We left our house in northwest Pennsylvania on September 18, 2024, and returned on Halloween. Throughout our time away, we spent about 3 weeks driving and three weeks visiting with my dad and mom at their house close to San Francisco, CA. With such an epic scope, I plan to jot down a number of articles about numerous POTA activations accomplished throughout our journey. The truth is, I accomplished one article early, and it has already been revealed on QRPer.com: K3ES’ Unplanned activation of Yellowstone Nationwide Park. This report supplies the background and a broad overview of our journey.
My mother and pa have made the Bay Space of California their house for 40 years. They left Pennsylvania on their very own nice journey within the mid-Nineteen Eighties, whereas I used to be attending graduate faculty in Pittsburgh. Dad accepted a switch, so that they packed up the home, dedicated their belongings to a shifting firm, and drove their automotive throughout the nation in 4-1/2 days to satisfy the movers. I used to be in a position to go alongside on that driving journey (I returned to Pittsburgh by airline), however I’ve at all times wished to do it once more, spending a bit extra time to see the sights.
My dad is a hero to me. I’ve by no means been in a position to match his work ethic or his skill to plan and execute initiatives. From house repairs to electronics initiatives, Dad was at all times engaged on one thing, and usually had a number of initiatives going without delay. His workshop was effectively geared up, and he spent a variety of time there. Now, approaching his ninetieth birthday, Dad has been slowing down. He’s not in a position to make use of the store, however he remembers how essential it has been to him. So, we deliberate this journey to assist Mother clear out the store, and to let Dad see his reliable instruments shifting to a brand new house the place they can be utilized and appreciated.
Having retired in 2021, my calendar is extra open than it was throughout 31 years of employment. I’m grateful for this. My spouse, Becky, and I have been in a position to organize different commitments to offer ourselves time for an journey. So the 2 of us packed the again seat of my 2015 Toyota Tundra pickup truck for six weeks of journey, being cautious to depart seat area for POTA canine Molly. We saved the truck mattress empty, in order that area could be obtainable to carry house instruments and store provides from California. This is able to be our alternative to journey throughout the American west. Forty years after my unique cross-country driving journey, I’d lastly get to cease and see sights alongside the way in which.
In one other article revealed on QRPer.com earlier this yr: K3ES Travels: Ten Days of QRP with Compromised Antennas, I defined Becky’s nice concept: that I ought to activate all 50 of our United States. At that time, I had activated parks in solely 6 states. By the point we left on this journey, my complete had inched as much as 11 activated states. So our aim could be to activate as lots of the western states as doable. Ohio, Indiana, Washington, Oregon, and California have been already within the carried out column, courtesy of some earlier journey, however that left a variety of territory to cowl.
Since we have been leaving in September, we have been assured that the climate could be favorable for driving throughout the northern tier states. Leaving California to return house in late October, we knew that snow was doable within the mountain passes, so we deliberate to take a extra southerly route. What remained was to regulate the path to cowl all the states alongside or close to our meant journey path. In complete, together with a side-trip to activate a brand new California park through the Autumn Assist Your Parks occasion, we traveled 7300 miles: 3800 miles touring westward, 200 miles for the California side-trip, and 3300 miles touring eastward on the return house.
Once we left our driveway, we had the broad define of the route. We additionally had an concept of a few of the parks that I’d activate on the journey. We didn’t have an in depth itinerary. The truth is, although we knew the fundamental route, and we had reserved rooms for less than the primary two nights. I inspired Becky to depart issues a bit open-ended, regardless of her penchant for cautious planning. This was sort of essential, as a result of I’d be doing all of the driving. Don’t get me flawed. Becky is a superb driver, it’s simply that she is intimidated by my truck. We would have liked its cargo capability, however I turned the only driver. So we would have liked to have the pliability to cease sooner, or press on longer, relying on my skill to proceed driving safely.
After stopping for the evening, we often set our journey objectives for the following day or two. If we have been drained, we might reduce the following day’s journey shorter. If not, we’d determine to go additional. We additionally settled on the parks we might go to through the subsequent day’s travels. Even then, we allowed ourselves to make adjustments if a chance offered itself, and greater than as soon as, it did.
Conserving our journey plans a bit free labored rather well for us, notably after we found that the majority resorts welcomed Molly as a visitor (for a nominal pet charge, after all). We had anticipated extra problem, and have been very pleasantly stunned that just about each resort alongside the way in which was “pet pleasant”. The extra freedom allow us to alter our plans at occasions, like including Yellowstone Nationwide Park to the journey route, after we had initially anticipated to overlook it.
On our return journey, we realized that stopping for a park activation labored rather well as a break throughout lengthy days of driving. We might stretch, eat lunch, take Molly for a stroll, and CW would assist me to clear my head earlier than the rest of the day’s drive. The truth is, we scheduled extra activations in IL, IN, and OH for simply that cause, although I had beforehand activated parks in these states.
In the long run, I accomplished 34 activations of 32 distinct POTA entities through the journey. I activated in 18 new states throughout our travels, and completed with 29 of fifty states activated. Once I accomplished my activation of Mesa Verde Nationwide Park, I used to be throughout the activation zone of the Park Level SOTA summit (W0C/SJ-019), yielding a simultaneous SOTA/POTA activation. The next Desk lists the activations accomplished throughout our journey. Earlier than leaving, I had already activated OH, IN, and CA, so they don’t rely among the many 18 new states.
Desk: Parks Activated Throughout the Journey
| Date | State | Park ID | Park Identify | QSOs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/19/24 | IL | US-4099 | Moraine View SP | 12 |
| 09/19/24 | IA | US-2311 | Pikes Peak SP | 27 |
| 09/20/24 | WI | US-1471 | Perrot SP | 11 |
| 09/20/24 | MN | US-2466 | Afton SP | 14 |
| 09/23/24 | ND | US-5748 | Fort Abercrombie SHS | 27 |
| 09/23/24 | ND | US-4239 | North Nation Path NST (2-fer with US-5748) | 27 |
| 09/24/24 | SD | US-0850 | Minuteman Missile NHS | 23 |
| 09/25/24 | SD | US-0005 | Badlands NP | 11 |
| 09/25/24 | SD | US-7487 | Buffalo Hole NGL | 34 |
| 09/26/24 | SD | US-0786 | Mount Rushmore NM | 11 |
| 09/26/24 | SD | US-4524 | Black Hills NF | 22 |
| 09/27/24 | SD | US-0786 | Mount Rushmore NM | 49 |
| 09/27/24 | NE | US-7478 | Oglala NGL | 18 |
| 09/27/24 | WY | US-0920 | Devils Tower NM | 15 |
| 09/28/24 | MT | US-4502 | Custer Gallatin NF | 16 |
| 09/29/24 | WY | US-0070 | Yellowstone NP | 11 |
| 09/29/24 | ID | US-4475 | Caribou Targhee NF | 13 |
| 09/30/24 | UT | US-3075 | Nice Salt Lake SP | 11 |
| 10/01/24 | NV | US-2640 | Washoe Lake SP | 12 |
| 10/19/24 | CA | US-0651 | Level Reyes NS | 11 |
| 10/24/24 | AZ | US-0030 | Grand Canyon NP | 33 |
| 10/25/24 | AZ | US-0057 | Petrified Forest NP | 18 |
| 10/26/24 | CO | US-0051 | Mesa Verde NP | 23 |
| 10/26/24 | CO | W0C/SJ-019 | Park Level SOTA Summit (joint with US-0051) | 23 |
| 10/27/24 | NM | US-0933 | Fort Union NM | 17 |
| 10/27/24 | NM | US-4579 | Santa Fe Path NHT (2-fer with US-0933) | 17 |
| 10/27/24 | OK | US-7481 | Rita Blanca NGL | 14 |
| 10/28/24 | KS | US-9191 | Pawnee Rock SHS | 19 |
| 10/28/24 | KS | US-4579 | Santa Fe Path NHT (2-fer with US-9191) | 19 |
| 10/29/24 | MO | US-3345 | Accomplice Memorial SHS | 14 |
| 10/29/24 | MO | US-3356 | Mark Twain Birthplace SHS | 14 |
| 10/30/24 | IL | US-4097 | Kickapoo SRA | 17 |
| 10/30/24 | IN | US-10247 | Lawrence Creek SNR | 23 |
| 10/30/24 | IN | US-2256 | Fort Harrison SP (2-fer with US-10247) | 23 |
| 10/31/24 | OH | US-3515 | Lake Milton SP | 30 |
| Shading denotes my first activation within the indicated state. |
One of many wonderful issues about our stunning nation is that every state has a seemingly completely different character than all the others. Whereas there may be similarity, topography, geography, local weather, and vegetation mix to make one thing distinctive. From a POTA activator’s perspective, this uniqueness signifies that you should be able to deploy antennas utilizing quite a lot of completely different methods. Dwelling in Pennsylvania (Penn’s Woods) signifies that I’m able to discover a tree at nearly any location the place I select to activate. That is undoubtedly not the case in lots of different states.
Equally, the variety of individuals current in a park can bias antenna choices. For instance, within the extremely visited Nationwide Parks, I selected to make use of my stealthiest antenna deployment choices – consciously sacrificing acquire to maintain my operation invisible. I took with me, and used: a number of completely different antennas, my arborist throw-line package, and a number of telescoping masts. The tiny AX1 antenna gave me a really stealthy possibility, when wanted, and it pulled in contacts like a champ.
As a result of most of my park activations have been match right into a journey day, I attempted to maintain them brief. I labored to get a minimal of 11 QSOs at every park, however I attempted to not name QRT when there have been hunters nonetheless actively attempting to make contact. Whereas the 20m band has been hit or miss for me up to now, it labored extraordinarily effectively on this journey. Normally, I accomplished the complete activation on 20m.
I assume I ought to be aware that my type for subject operations is to maintain my gear small and lightweight, in order that it could serve me in quite a lot of settings: from activating within the truck, to picnic desk operation, to mountaineering to extra distant websites that lack developed infrastructure. Two decisions assist me to satisfy the small and lightweight goal. First, I function at 5 watts or much less, which permits an environment friendly transceiver to function for a very long time on a small, gentle battery. Second, I function utilizing CW mode, which frequently lets me select small, gentle transceivers. CW additionally offers me a more practical sign at QRP energy ranges. With a set of earbuds, I can scale back the audio signature of my operations to virtually nil. This considerably improves operational stealth.
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Having activated so many alternative POTA entities throughout the nation throughout this journey, this text barely scratches the floor. Since I’m not the most effective at remembering to take photos throughout my activations, I used to be lucky to have Becky alongside as designated photographer. Along with her photos in hand, I plan to jot down a number of extra subject studies to offer QRPer.com readers a extra full sense of the expertise. Some upcoming studies will undoubtedly deal with the spectacular surroundings at specific parks that we visited. Some studies will deal with antenna decisions and configuration, with an eye fixed towards antenna efficiency through the activations. I’m actually not but positive what different matters might recommend themselves, so keep tuned.
One factor I can say with certainty. Even three weeks of journey by way of greater than 20 states leaves me awed by how way more there’s to be seen and carried out than there stays time to do it. This journey has created resolve to do extra journeys like this, not solely to proceed our quest to activate 50 states, however to see extra of the states we’ve got already visited.
Finest 73 de Brian – K3ES, XYL Becky, and POTA Canine Molly
