Activated on March 22, 2024
I am glad I did the activation yesterday as it is raining today at the moment. For sure it is a soft, gentle rain however, it was forecast to rain today, so I went to the park yesterday to keep my kit safe. My fear is getting my kit wet. I got to K-3548 Rio de Los Angeles State Park later than normal getting there about a quarter to one in the afternoon. My usual spot was taken so I went to what I call, “The Side Bench”. Basically, it’s uncovered bench but for the shade of a small tree.
As I got out of Betelgeuse and walked over to the bench I was struck with the verdant beauty of the sight before me. The recent rains really brought this area to life! You see, in all my activations here, I never really had this point of view, making it all the more surprising. Apart from getting better at the operation of my KX3, I also need to better understand the functions of my DJI Pocket 3. The video recorded does not capture the vividness of the scene in front of me, which is a shame because you’re missing out, and that is on me. As it turns out, I had it in the wrong recording mode, one suited for post processing.
However, I was set up and calling CW about 50 minutes after my arrival.
When I am activating, I am never in a hurry. I like to enjoy the view and relax. Of course, that relaxation is broken with hunters giving me a serious focus on my task! In the mean time I was enjoying the greenery with the soft breeze counteracting the heat of the sun just right. Did I mention the beautiful blue sky? I guess I just did.
This time I paired my KX3 with my MPAS 2.0 vertically staked to the ground. I do not vary much from things once I know they work. So, I don’t experiment much. I know that the AX-1 antenna from Elecraft works quite well, and it certainly is the one to go to when in confined spaces. Having said that, the MPAS is a hassle-free, no-mess piece of kit that allows me to switch bands effortlessly at the push of a button. There is no getting up to change the antenna’s configuration to do so.
I was on three bands during the activation; 20, 40, and 15 meters. I got 2, 1, and 13 contacts respectively. It seems to me that I have an expectation of constant contacts. I see guys from the mid-west and the east making contacts like they are catching fish in a barrel. Well, it seems that way, especially when they are running QRP. I might be a little jealous. Whattayathink?
Understanding that propagation is controlled by Mother Nature, I was pleased when she let me make contact with New Hampshire and northern Alberta Province in Canada. But for me, the topper of all toppers, was getting contacts from Japan! Not only one, but I got two! Man! I was jazzed! While I was working on the first one, I recognized the 7N call and I had to curb my enthusiasm so as to not screw up the contact out of excitement (see what I did there?). I did pretty well, actually, until I got my second one. I tell you, that I was really a-whoopin’-an-a-hollerin’, at least on the inside.
During the activation I recognized several callsigns from friends I’ve never met, save for one. Isn’t it funny? You have friends you make through the hobby, and very seldom are there any opportunities to meet those friends. At least for me, that is. As I sat there making contacts, I began to recognize contacts I made in the past. For me, they are a disembodied groupings of letter/number combinations. Don’t get me wrong, it fills my heart when I make a contact. Through the magic of radio, in truth, I punch a button or slap a paddle or hit the PTT, and my signal goes through the ether ending up in someone else’s radio…and they hear my message! How exciting is that? Now in my case, I’ve spent a couple of years learning Morse Code on Zoom. In that time, I’ve made friendships with some and gotten to know them and what they share about their lives. So, when one of these friends calls me during an activation, it is that much more special.
So, thank you, Jon, Kelly, Andrew, and Don, for helping make my activation that much more awesome.
Breaking the 5P rule, Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance, the results of which were memorexed in the video above, brings on consequences. It’s stupid, really, as are most blunders. So, after receiving my new KX3, I perused the manual on connections, keys, mode, but concentrated on CW operations. Eventually, I thought, I’ll get around to sideband. That eventual happening came sooner than I thought as I wanted to do something different with the KX3. I thought I remembered something about the ACC1 port and the mike, but really it was a passing glance. Basically, I did not know what I was doing with the radio, and to my embarrassment, you get to see it in the video. That stays in because I get to show the way of how not to do something dumb for newer operators. The military has an acronym for that: RTFM, read the fine manual. Well, this is the polite version anyway.
The activation was great. Of course, that was enhanced by contacts with my friends and the three DX contacts. On the other hand, my stupid human trick was captured live and memorexed for posterity. The upside is that I keep making mistakes, and that is a great way to learn. So, I guess I will be learning, and learning, and learning…
Activation Statistics
| Activation Number | 48 |
| Date | 22 March, 2024 |
| Park | US-3548 Rio de Los Angeles State Park |
| Number of Contacts | 16 |
| DX Contacts | 3 |
| Park Activated? | Yes |
| Previous Attempts | 10 |
| Park to Park Contacts | None |
| Mode | CW |
| Radio | Elecraft KX3 |
| Antenna | MPAS 2.0 in the vertical configutaion staked to the ground |
| Tuner | Internal |
| Power | 5W using a 3Ah Bioenno battery |
Leave a Reply