From the park's website:

Located in the heart of Ohio's agricultural country of Pickaway and Fayette Counties, Deer Creek State Park is central Ohio's vacation showplace. A collage of meadows and woodlands surround the scenic reservoir. This 2,337-acre resort park features a modern lodge, cottages, campground, golf course, swimming beach and boating for outdoor enthusiasts.

Pictures

The park sign
Views of the lake: 1 | 2 | 3
Eric operating; photo by Miles McFadden

Description

On Saturday, August 3, 2019, two members of the Southeast Ohio Radio Adventure Team performed a successful activation of Deer Creek State Park in Ohio as part of the Parks on the Air (POTA; link) program. Eric McFadden, WD8RIF, and Miles McFadden, KD8KNC, visited the park following a visit to the Voice of Aladdin ARC Columbus Hamfest and a POTA activation of Madison Lake State Park (link).

The pair arrived at Deer Creek State Park after lunch at ice cream in Mt. Sterling 1715 UTC and found a quiet picnic area overlooking the lake for the activation. Eric and Miles quickly deployed the 28½' end-fed vertical supported on an MFJ-1910 33' fiberglass mast and set up the KX3 on Eric's folding camp chair. Eric was on the air by 1730 UTC.

Eric started operations with a QSO on 80m with his good friend and fellow SEORAT-member K8RAT, Mike, at 1732 UTC.

Switching to 40m, Eric's first QSO there was with WA9ZDC at 1736 UTC. QSOs came slowly with Eric's sixth QSO with a POTA Hunter coming at 1744 UTC with W9AV. At this point, responses to Eric's calls of CQ just seemed to stop.

Eric switched to 20m but no one responsed to his CQs there.

Fortunately, at 1800 UTC, the North American QSO Party began. Switching back to 40m and tuning around, Eric easily made six QSOs with participants of this event between 1801 and 1810 UTC.

Switching back to 20m and tuning around, Eric made two North American QSO Party QSOs, at 1813 UTC and at 1817 UTC.

All Eric's QSOs were CW and were made at the 5-watt level. Miles didn't operate but did much of the expedition photography, helped with set-up and tear-down, and helped with navigation.

Eric also submitted his log to the World Wide Flora and Fauna in Amateur Radio (WWFF; link) program although he didn't make enough QSOs to to achieve a valid activation within the program which requires 44 QSOs be made. However, the WWFF program allows these 44 QSOs be made over any number of visits so a valid activation within WWFF is still possible if subsequent visits to the park are made.

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