From the park website:

As one of Ohio's resort parks, Burr Oak State Park blends modern convenience with Ohio's wilderness spirit. Miles of forested ridges and hollows can be found here. The park offers a rustic full-service lodge with family suites and a cozy campground with easy access to the lake. A substantial trail system ranges from moderate to difficult with portions intersecting the statewide Buckeye Trail.

Pictures

Eric operating; photo by Miles McFadden
Little Mindy-dog; photo by Miles McFadden

Description

On Friday, March 19, 2021, two members of the Southeast Ohio Radio Adventure Team performed a successful activation of Burr Oak State Park Ohio as part of the Parks on the Air (POTA; link) program.

Eric McFadden, WD8RIF, and Miles McFadden, KD8KNC, performed the activation of Burr Oak State Park on a lovely last-day-of-winter at the Burr Oak Lodge and Conference Center parking lot. Eric and Miles were accompanied by little dogs Mindy and Theo. This activation was a quick, single-band, activation in pursuit of the POTA Repeat Offender Activator Award for Burr Oak State Park and was Eric's eighteenth activation of the park.

The quartet arrived at the Burr Oak Lodge and Conference Center at about 1815 UTC and Eric found a parking space well away from the few cars in the lot. He and Miles quickly deployed his 28½' wire antenna on his 31' Jackite telescoping fiberglass mast and drive-on base. Because the outside temperature was only about 50° and the wind was gusty, Eric chose to operate inside the car and he installed his KX3 on the car's dashboard. Eric was on the air at 1834 UTC.

With the good cell-signal at this location in the park, Eric was able to use the POTA Spots website to look for possible park-to-park (P2P) QSOs and to self-spot himself.

Eric began operations by looking on POTA Spots for possible P2P QSOs and at 1837 UTC he succeeded on making a P2P QSO on 40m with KU8T who was activating Lost Bridge on Salamonie Lake State Recreation Area (K-4178) in Indiana.

Finding a clear frequency on 40m, Eric spotted himself to POTA Spots and began calling "CQ POTA" and his first response was received at 1841 UTC. QSOs came quickly and by the time he had called it quits at 1905 UTC, Eric had made twenty-two QSOs. This run of QSOs included a P2P QSO with K4NYM who was activating Fort Foster State Historic Site (K-3621) in Florida.

In all, Eric made twenty-two QSOs. All of Eric's QSOs were on 40m, were CW, and were made at the 5-watt level.

Miles did not operate but did all the activation photography, helped with set-up and tear-down, and ensured the dogs remained safe.

Eric also submitted his log to the World Wide Flora and Fauna in Amateur Radio (WWFF; link) program.

(return)

---