By Teri KO4WFP
Fall climate has lastly returned to Savannah, Georgia so it’s time to get out for extra Parks on the Air. Monday, November 18, I headed to a park I had but to activate – the Savannah Nationwide Wildlife Refuge (US-0522).
This park and I’ve historical past collectively previous to my involvement in ham radio. In my 20’s, I volunteered for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and frolicked at this refuge in numerous capacities. I used to be additionally employed by a gentleman who owned Fife Plantation, property adjoining this refuge. I used to be his “eyes and ears” at conferences held to debate deepening the Savannah harbor and examine/assess the environmental impacts of that effort. These conferences taught me a lot in regards to the refuge and its relationship with business throughout the Savannah River. To return to this park as a ham added yet one more chapter for the refuge and me.
As a lot of the refuge is wetland accessible solely by boat, the simplest strategy to expertise this park is to drive the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, accessible from SC Freeway 170. This drive is a loop by the southern impoundments which can be managed for resident in addition to migratory hen populations.
After you flip onto the wildlife drive, there may be an info kiosk to the left with maps and an informative show concerning the historical past of the location.
The land on which the refuge sits was initially occupied by the Yamacraw Indians. Later it was used for rice cultivation, being constructed and maintained by enslaved African Individuals in addition to immigrant Irish laborers. The rice tradition within the space collapsed after the tip of slavery and rising competitors. The two,352 acre refuge was established by President Calvin Coolidge in 1927. Immediately, the land is managed to supply habitat for waterfowl and different wildlife and is the most important federally protected tract of land on the Georgia coast.
This explicit morning, the air was crisp (within the decrease 50’s) and I had the park (for the time-being) to myself. As I want to make use of a wire antenna and had introduced with me the Tufteln EFRW, I wanted to discover a tree through which to put in that antenna. As you may see from the pictures, there will not be many timber to be discovered right here. Nevertheless, dotting the wildlife drive are what are often known as oak hammocks.
Oak hammocks are little islands of excessive floor amongst the wetlands and they’re populated by hardwoods akin to oaks. There are fairly just a few alongside the western part of the wildlife drive. I made a decision to make use of the primary sizable one I encountered. Using this as my QTH allowed me to park and arrange nicely off the drive. At most parks I go to for POTA, I not often see anybody. That isn’t the case right here for the reason that park is situated not removed from downtown Savannah, a preferred vacationer vacation spot, and it’s simply accessible by automotive.
Though my Marlow arbor line usually doesn’t hold up in timber, I believe oak timber current a lot of alternative for that to occur with their myriad twisty twigs and Spanish moss so I want to keep away from them. However, if I need to put a wire up on this park, oak timber are about my solely choice. The actual tree I thought-about would permit me to run my antenna northwest and away from the drive. That location would additionally present shade from the solar by a lot of the morning.
As soon as my antenna was put in and I used to be comfortably settled, I acquired right down to enterprise – the rationale I used to be right here: an activation!
Forty meters was not an choice resulting from RFI. That was not shocking given the business throughout the river and the presence of monitoring tools, and many others. within the refuge. So I started with 30 meters. Not lengthy after I known as CQ, Sean N3RTW answered and the enjoyable started!
After logging 4 contacts on 30 meters, that band dried up. So I switched to twenty meters and remained there for 20 minutes. When there have been no extra callers, I hunted (Sure! A park with good cell service!) and labored Jack K3JAS at US-1365 and Paul KE9BHN at US-1012.
I then moved to fifteen minutes and struck gold – 5 DX stations! I not often chase DX, so once I hear a DX station, that’s large deal for me. I added two new nations to my log – Finland (Pertti OH5TQ) and Switzerland (Guido HB9BQB). I additionally labored one station (Nicholas NI0CK) on 10 meters, a band on which I’ve solely had two POTA QSOs beforehand.
The enjoyable wasn’t over! I switched again to twenty meters to work no matter new callers could be current and, after logging 10 stations, returned to searching different activators. I like serving to different activators, one thing I can do at a park with good cell service which permits me to entry the POTA web site. Looking added ten extra contacts to the log for this activation.
At this level, I wanted to name QRT due to a day appointment. I soooo wished to remain on the air and hunt extra activators. Increasingly more had been popping up on the POTA website. Nevertheless, with a sigh, I dutifully turned off the rig and stowed my tools within the automotive.
This was an superior activation. I had essentially the most park-to-park QSOs I believe I’ve had at any activation – eleven! I labored 5 DX stations together with two new nations. For these of you who comply with my YouTube channel, you recognize as nicely there was no strain to video this activation resulting from a current determination I made. These issues mixed with my previous reference to this park made for a really special occasion.
I plan to pursue a kilo at this park, partially due to the cell service but additionally the shut proximity to my dwelling. I wasn’t conscious simply how shut this park is – fifteen miles, a twenty-five minute drive. How superior is that!? A kilo on the Savannah Nationwide Wildlife Refuge (US-0522) appears like a fantastic objective for 2025, proper?
Talking of targets, the place do I stand as to the pursuit of 60 parks for 2024? I presently have 47 legitimate activations at new parks for this yr. In actual fact, that could be a matter for an upcoming article. So, as I usually say, keep tuned…
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