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's station under the water tower

Description

On Sunday, May 2, 2021, one member of the Southeast Ohio Radio Adventure Team performed a successful impromptu activation of Burr Oak State Park in Ohio as part of the Parks on the Air (POTA; link) program. Eric performed the activation under the park's water tower.

Eric hadn't planned to perform an activation of Burr Oak State Park but following an easy two-fer activation of Wayne National Forest (K-4521) and North Country National Scenic Trail (K-4239) at the nearby Tom Jenkins Dam (link) and the suggestion by his good friend K8RAT that he should consider activating Burr Oak, Eric decided he would visit Burr Oak for his twenty-first activation of the park.

Eric arrived at the water tower at about 1425 UTC and quickly deployed his 28½' wire antenna on his 31' Jackite telescoping fiberglass mast and drive-on base and, because he had forgotten to pack his folding camp-chairs, set up his KX3 inside the car. Eric was on the air at 1435 UTC.

As at previous visits to this location, Eric found he had good cell-signal and he was able to spot himself on the POTA Spots website and to use POTA Spots to identify possible Park-to-Park (P2P) QSOs.

Eric began operations by looking on POTA Spots for possible P2P QSOs and almost immediately made a P2P QSO on 20m with K4NYM who was activating Tenoroc Wildlife Area (K-6327) in Florida.

Moving to 40m, Eric spotted himself on POTA Spots and began calling "CQ POTA". QSOs came steadily and in about twenty-five minutes Eric had completed fifteen QSOs.

In all, Eric made sixteen QSOs, including one P2P QSO. All of Eric's QSOs were CW and were made at the 5-watt level.

Eric also submitted his log to the World Wide Flora and Fauna in Amateur Radio (WWFF; link) program for an operation at KFF-1938.

(return)

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