Attempted on July 11th, 2025
So, I wanted to go out for another activation. However, I did not want to go too far to do so. Rio de Los Angeles State Park is so close to me that is makes sense to go there for a “quick” activation. For me, a quick activation is one that takes less than three hours. Go figure. It is not bitterness, it’s a trend. But it’s not all Mother Nature’s fault. My attempt today was done with fair conditions for the 30-10-meter bands. I grabbed at the straw I saw on the Discord server where one operator said the conditions seemed fine and ran with it.
Albert’s saw me just as they opened where I ordered a breakfast burrito. While eating my burrito I was pensive and excited at the same time. I was thinking about the conditions, and excited to get one more notch on my key. I drove the six remaining miles to the park and found it quiet and fresh. Mornings always have the promise of a new day for me. I parked, got my backpack, coffee thermos, and I walked over to the nearby bench to set up.
Originally, I set up in direct sunlight as “my” normal bench was occupied by two men eating…burritos. Once they left, I halted my set up and moved to their now empty, shaded bench. It was so nice there. It was a beautiful day, cloudless, and the breeze I got under that shade was absolutely wonderful. Things were looking up!
This time I was using my new Elecraft AX3 antenna. Deployment of the antenna could not be easier. The AX3 pack comes with its own 3’ of coax; super nice. The first thing I noticed was the noise floor. This is the first time I’ve experienced a significant noise floor in the field. The noise was a steady S7, with peaks to S9. That made it hard to hear weaker signals, go figure. I do not think it was the antenna, however, next time I use it I’ll spill the tea.
Sweeping the 20-meter and the 15-meter bands and did not reveal a soul. Once back on 20-meters, sweeping again, I happened to hear some code. “There is hope!”, says I. I then settled on 14.0555 and dove into uncertainty calling CQ POTA. Four minutes into my HF adventure I got a contact! From Arkansas no less. Things were looking up, because after another four minutes Oregon came up with my second contact.
I was back in familiar territory because for about 20 minutes there was nothing. Mother Nature was teasing me. I decided to hunt parks instead. I was now looking for 20-meter entries on the spotting page. Seventeen minutes after the last call, I got a Canadian operator. This gave me hope to continue down this path. Evidently, this was a path to perdition, as my results mirrored what many times, I experience in my shack doing exactly the same thing, no contacts. I saw the writing on the wall and called the activation. I did remember to post QRT this time.
It was a shame, really, as the day was beautiful and sunny with that breeze under the shade of the tree making it perfect operating conditions, environmentally. So, I packed up everything into my backpack and headed to the car. I headed back with mixed feelings. I was frustrated because the outcome this day was definitely a high probability. However, I gave it a shot.
Don KC0DWZ mentioned I should try later in the day. Yes, he has a point. However, I’ve always avoided the evening time thinking I did not have enough time before closing. And, with the current conditions in Los Angeles, it may be prudent not to do so. However, the park is in a quiet area and does close at 2100 so there is just enough time for my four-hour activations. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
There is always another tomorrow!
Activation Statistics
| Location | DM04vc, 34.09973, -118.23608 |
| Activation Attempt | 95 |
| Date | July 11th. 2025 |
| Park | US-3548 Rio de Los Angeles State Park |
| Park Activated? | No |
| First Activation | October 22, 2022 |
| Previous Attempts | 23 |
| Previous Activations | 19, 83% |
| Park to Park Contacts | 1, CA-1576 |
| Number of Contacts | 3 |
| DX Contacts | 1, Canada |
| Historical Contacts | 292 |
| Mode | CW |
| Radio | Elecraft KX3 |
| Antenna | Elecraft AX3 |
| Tuner | Internal |
| Power | 5W using a 3Ah Bioenno battery |
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