by William Eric McFadden
From the state nature preserve's website:
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Scioto Brush Creek State Nature Preserve protects over a mile of Scioto Brush Creek which is one of the most biologically diverse streams in Ohio. Scioto Brush Creek has over 70 species of fish including longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) and rosyside dace (Clinostomus funduloides).
The preserve contains mature trees, spring wildflowers, and rare species. The preserve protects one of four populations of the Federal Threatened Appalachian spiraea (Spiraea virginiana), a shrub known only in Ohio from the Scioto Brush Creek watershed.
Pictures
Description
On Thursday, June 6, 2024, one member of the Southeast Ohio Radio Adventure Team performed a successful activation of Scioto Brush Creek State Nature Preserve in Ohio as part of the Parks on the Air (POTA; link) program.
While driving to Portsmouth prior to two days of communications-support to the Southern Ohio Forest Rally (info) in Shawnee State Forest and Zaleski State Forest, and following a successful combined SOTA activation of 1190B and two-fer POTA activation of Tar Hollow State Forest and North Country National Scenic Trail (link), Eric McFadden, WD8RIF, stopped at Brush Creek State Nature Preserve for a quick activation.
Eric arrived at the Scioto Brush Creek State Nature Preserve parking area on Tatman-Coe Road a few minutes past 2000 UTC to find the parking area to be unoccupied by persons or vehicles. Prior to setting up his station, Eric took a few minutes to take photographs.
The Brush Creek State Nature Preserve sign.
The trail leading to the canoe/kayak launch.
The view of Scioto Brush Creek at the canoe/kayak launch.
The River Otter Trail trailhead.
Because of the threat of rain, Eric chose to operate inside his car in order to protect his transceiver and paper logs. He deployed his 28½' end-fed wire as a vertical supported on a 31' Jackite telescoping fiberglass mast on a drive-on base, and laid three 17' counterpoise wires directly on the ground. Mounting his Elecraft KX2 on a dash-mount inside the car, Eric was on the air at 2027 UTC.
Eric's KX2 station inside his car.
Eric's mast and antenna.
Eric was pleased to find he had good cell-signal at this location and that would be able to spot himself on POTA Spots (link) and to use POTA Spots to identify possible park-to-park (P2P) QSO opportunities.
Eric began his operation on 40m by finding a clear frequency to run and beginning to call "CQ POTA". He was auto-spotted on POTA Spots and his first QSO came at 2030 UTC with his good friend Thomas, K4SWL, in North Carolina. QSOs came quickly, with Eric's tenth QSO coming at 2039 UTC with W3GX in Virginia. This run included QSOs with operators located in North Carolina, Georgia (2), Ohio, Virginia (2), New York, South Carolina, Maryland, and Michigan.
Switching to 20m, Eric found a clear frequency to run, called "CQ POTA", and was again auto-spotted. His first QSO in this run came at 2044 UTC with WA5RML, and his second came at 2047 UTC with AA5D, both of whom were in Texas.
Switching to 30m, Eric found a clear frequency to run, called "CQ POTA", and was auto-spotted on POTA Spots. He made a single QSO on this band, at 2056 UTC, with N2IGW in New York.
In all, Eric made thirteen QSOs. All of Eric's QSOs were CW and were made with five watts output.
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