Activated on May 24th, 2024
It was a long day, as it was the earliest I left the house to activate a park. First, I went to pick up my friend Carol K6NF near the Los Angeles International Airport. Her husband came down for a conference near LAX and she decided to come down to see if we could go activate. Even though we were both delayed, she by traffic and me waiting for Subway to open, we did arrived at the designated pick-up spot within two minutes of each other. Now, that’s military precision!
We set out towards a close-by eatery, Denny’s, and had a relaxing breakfast. Sorry, Albert! Surface streets, with a twenty-minute ride, put us in US-3451 Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area. Carol was impressed with how beautiful the park is, noting the trails, ducks, and the lake. She wanted to take a walk around the lake after the activation. Once at the top lookout, she again mentioned how nice the park was.
In the end, we arrived at the park around 1030. This is about the normal time I arrive for my activations anyway. As is generally my habit, the antenna was put up first. She helped me set it up and remarked on how easy it was to set up with basically two folding parts. We took our time setting up as she literally had nowhere to go until later in the afternoon.
We finally finished the set up and about 45 minutes later I called CQ POTA for the first time around 1115. Starting out on the 10-meter band my frequency was 28.063 MHz. Again, the activation was touched by Mother Nature’s fickle finger of fate. The Solar Terrestrial chart showed 17 through 10 meters were good for the day. Naturally we started there.
Of course, after fifteen minutes on 10 meters we had nothing to show for it. Not a hint of a shadow of a signal. This now familiar pattern continued as we QSY-ed to the 12-meter band. The silence was just as deafening there as well. We could only take such an assault for a little over ten minutes before moving on the 40-meter band. As I wanted to make sure we could contact some local friends, we ended up on 7.063 MHz. The pattern continued. Sure, 40 meters was way below what the Solar Terrestrial data showed, but I was determined to try. Who knows? One day I could break the laws of physics.
The weather started getting chillier. Yes, the sky was overcast. To be sure, the sun did peak out abashedly from behind the clouds, only to hide behind the nebulous curtains again. The whole time providing a slight gentle breeze.
Fifteen minutes or so later, we left 40 meters and arrived at the 20-meter band. We landed on 14.063 MHz, and that is where things changed. Finally, Carol and I were engaged in a contest to see how well we could hear the incoming calls. Almost all contacts had good clear audio, however their weaker signals were easily impeded upon by the three Q-Sisters, QRM, QRN, and QSB. Many times, we got a call and after responding with their call and signal report, the station simply vanished into the ether, never to be heard again.
If I remember correctly, there were only two calls that we responded to with confidence after hearing the call sign. Even though the Solar Terrestrial data showed that 20-meters and below were poor, that is exactly where we found the mother lode. All contacts were in the western states except for one: Michigan. This time around, Alaska was the only DX. I generally get several mid-west and eastern states, but that was not the case this time.
One of the surprises for me was getting a local friend on 20-meters. I spent some time on 40-meters for my local friends hoping to get in contact with them without success. However, once on 20-meters I did get one friend, Jon, from Torrance, about ten miles or so from my location. Ground wave? Possibly. Although the altitude difference did not hurt.
Activating from a park is a little different than sitting in your shack. Whodda thunk? Your environment in the shack is very different from that of a park. This is obvious, of course. In a park you have constant distractions like noise, wind, birds, and a different set of interferences. The Q-Sisters this time provided their usual challenges. The most notable was QSB and the effect it had on vanishing contacts.
About 40 minutes later we moved up to the 17-meter band landing on 18.088. My friend, Jon, contacted me here again—not bad for being close by. In all I made four California contacts; one in Northern California, and three in Los Angeles County. Go figure. With the band drying up, I sent out a QRT. It was Carol’s turn to activate and set up on 21.063 in the 15-meter band. And just like that, I heard Andrew calling CQ POTA! Well, hells bells, I answered him and made contact right-away ending my activation for the day. Thank you Andrew!
Carol, by the way, ended up with six contacts on a couple of bands. However, her patience ran out and I can’t blame her. She preferred that I go first, as this was only her second activation attempt. However, she did experience the difficulties I had, and the time it took, so after her sixth contact her tank was dry, and she called it.
The schedule for the day allowed us to be at the park for a much longer time than normal for me. Arriving shortly after 1030 and leaving the activation site between 1530 and 1600, we took a stroll around the lake afterwards. There were ducks, a small marsh, and a small waterfall. I left the house around 0730 and did not get back until 1830 or so. Yes, it was a long day, but nonetheless, enjoyable.
Having an idea of what to expect does help in preparations for the activation, like taking lunch and a way to make hot tea. Patience and perseverance help you get through the dry spells. That said, yes, I would do this again. Except for my stupid human trick, forgetting to put back my memory card back in the camera, it went as expected. I was “off my game” with the video side, and I think it showed. This is where experience comes in. Next time.
Ciao for niao…
Activation Statistics
| Activation Number | 64 |
| Date | 24 May, 2024 |
| Park | US-3451 Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area |
| Number of Contacts | 13 |
| DX Contacts | 1 |
| Park Activated? | Yes |
| Previous Attempts | 6 |
| Park to Park Contacts | 1 |
| Mode | CW |
| Radio | Elecraft KX3 |
| Antenna | MPAS 2.0 in the vertical configuration |
| Tuner | Internal |
| Power | 5W using a 3Ah Bioenno battery |
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