by William Eric McFadden

From the Strouds Run State Park website:

Located outside of the city of Athens and within easy driving distance of Ohio University, Strouds Run State Park surrounds Dow Lake and draws a mix of trail and lake users. Miles of hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding provide scenic views from rugged trails. The lake offers boating, paddling, swimming and a shaded campground.

Pictures

Description

On Saturday, March 18, 2023, one member of the Southeast Ohio Radio Adventure Team performed a successful activation of Strouds Run State Park (K-1994) as part of the Parks on the Air (POTA; link) program.

Having made himself a goal of earning in 2023 the Bear Cave Repeat Offender Activator Award by performing sixty activations of the park, Eric McFadden, WD8RIF, visited the small boat-ramp area at Strouds Run State Park on a cold, blustery, and wintery mid-March morning to perform his 54th activation of the park.

Eric's station on the shore of Dow Lake Eric arrived at the small boat-ramp area at 1337 UTC, deployed his 28½' wire vertical supported on his 31' Jackite telescoping fiberglass mast and drive-on base, set up his KX3 in the car, and was on the air at 1345 UTC.

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

Eric began his operation by checking POTA Spots for P2P QSO opportunities and at 1345 UTC he made a P2P QSO on 20m with special event station N4G performing an activation of Twin Rivers State Forest (K-4642) in Florida.

Finding himself a 20m frequency to run, Eric began calling "CQ POTA" and was pleased to be quickly auto-spotted to POTA Spots. Eric's first QSO in this run came at 1348 UTC with WB6POT in California. QSO came steadily, with Eric's eleventh QSO in this run coming at 1401 UTC with KJ7DT in Idaho. This run included QSOs with operators located in Florida (3), California, New York, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Georgia, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Idaho.

Eric's station on the shore of Dow Lake Pausing to check POTA Spots for P2P QSO opportunities, at 1403 UTC Eric made a P2P QSO on 20m with VE6LK who was performing a two-fer activation of Carburn Natural Area (VE-5933) and The Great Trail of Canada National Scenic Trail (VE-5082) in Alberta, Canada. This was followed at 1406 UTC by a P2P QSO on 20m with WI0S who was activating Catalina State Park (K-1055) in Arizona.

Finding himself a frequency on 40m to run, Eric began calling "CQ POTA" and self-spotted himself on POTA Spots. Eric's first QSO in this run came at 1412 UTC with WA4RCW in Tennessee. QSOs came steadily, with Eric's eighth QSO in this run coming at 1420 UTC with K9ABR in Illinois. This run included QSOs with operators located in Tennessee, Ohio (3), Michigan, Illinois (2), and Wisconsin.

Pausing to check POTA Spots for P2P QSO opportunities, at 1426 UTC Eric made a P2P QSO on 40m with KU8T who was activating Lost Bridge on Salamonie Lake State Recreation Area (K-4178) in Indiana.

Returning to 40m to run a frequency, Eric's first QSO in this run came at 1430 UTC with K3MRK in Pennsylvania. QSOs came steadily, with Eric's ninth QSO in this run coming at 1436 UTC with N3RN in Pennsylvania. This run included QSOs with operators located in Pennsylvania (3), Ohio, Virginia, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Georgia.

Switching to 30m, Eric's first QSO there came at 1441 UTC with WD8JVV in Ohio. QSOs came steadily, with Eric's eighth QSO in this run coming at 1448 UTC with VE3JZT who was performing a two-fer activation of Great Lakes Waterfront Trail Recreation Site (VE-6003) and Confederation Beach Park Conservation Area (VE-5356) in Ontario. This run included QSOs with operators located in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Carolina, Indiana, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Ontario.

Eric completed his activation by again checking POTA Spots for P2P QSO opportunities and at 1450 UTC he made a P2P QSO on 20m with NA4A who was performing a two-fer activation of Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (K-0161) and Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (K-3791) in Alabama. Finally, at 1453 UTC Eric was chuffed to make a DX P2P QSO on 10m with HI0LT who was activating Monte Cristi Submarine National Park (HI-0042) in Dominican Republic.

In all, Eric made forty-two QSOs, with ten P2P QSOs. All of Eric's QSOs were CW and were made at five watts output.

Eric also submitted his log to the World Wide Flora and Fauna in Amateur Radio (WWFF; link) program for an operation at Strouds Run State Park, KFF-1994.

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