Amateur Radio Station WD8RIF | POTA Activation Strouds Run State Park + "Freeze Your B__

One member of the Southeast Ohio Radio Adventure Team succeeded in performing a valid activation of Strouds Run State Park, K-1994, in Ohio as part of the the Parks on the Air (POTA; link) program while simultaneously participating in the Arizona ScQRPion's annual Freeze Your B___ Off (FYBO) field event. On February 1, 2020, Eric McFadden, WD8RIF, visited Strouds State Park on a gray winter afternoon. Eric participated in FYBO in the Single-Op, Field category.

After a late start due to the need to have the car serviced, Eric arrived at Stroud Run State Park's Bulldog Picnic Shelter at 1949 UTC and quickly deployed his 28½' wire vertical on his 31' Jackite pole that was held upright by a drive-on base and set up his Elecraft KX3 inside the car. Eric was on the air by 2000 UTC. In order to qualify for the highest FYBO multiplier based on temperature at the operating location, Eric left the car windows open.

Eric began calling "CQ FYBO" on 80m but no QSOs were made on that band.

Switching to 40m, Eric's first QSO came at 2005 UTC with WA4AAK, who was partipating in FYBO and reported a temperature of 68°. Six more QSOs were made in this session on 40m, including a QSO with W2JEK who was participating in FYBO and reported a temperature of 70°.

Switching to 20m at 2031 UTC, Eric began calling "CQ FYBO" but no QSOs resulted from his calls. Giving up on running a frequency, Eric tuned around and made a BC QSO Party QSO at 2042 UTC with VE7KW and an FYBO QSO at 2046 UTC with K7TQ who reported a temperature of 65°.

Returning to 40m, Eric's call of "CQ FYBO" resulted in a FYBO QSO at 2053 UTC with KD4MSR who reported a temperature of 72°. Eric's final QSO of the outing came at 2102 UTC with N4SAX.

All of Eric's QSOs were CW and were made at the 5-watt level. The lowest temperature recorded by Eric was 40°, which provided him a x3 scores-multiplier.

Eric was disappointed to have only four QSOs with other FYBO participants. The rest of Eric's thirteen QSOs were with a mix of POTA Hunters and participants in the British Columbia and Vermont QSO Parties.

Eric also submitted his log to the World Wide Flora and Fauna in Amateur Radio (WWFF; link) program although his twelve QSOs were not sufficient to achieve a valid activation within the program which requires 44 QSOs be made.