Amateur Radio Station WD8RIF | POTA Activation Sheltowee National Recreation Trail + Daniel Boone National Forest

On Saturday, July 27, 2024, two members of the Southeast Ohio Radio Adventure Team performed a successful two-fer activation of Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail and Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky as part of the Parks on the Air (POTA; link) program.

While in eastern Kentucky to provide communication support to the second annual Boone Forest Rally (info), an American Rally Association (info) super-regional stage rally, Eric McFadden, WD8RIF, and Miles McFadden, KD8KNC, found time for a quick two-fer activation of the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail within Daniel Boone National Forest at the McKee Sheltowee Trace trailhead. Eric and Miles had driven from southeastern Ohio into eastern Kentucky on Thursday and were to work radio at the start and finish controls of the shakedown stage on Thursday evening, work radio at the start and finish controls of special stages Hale Ridge 1 and Hale Ridge 2 on Friday, and work radio at the start and finish controls of special stages New Hope Tower 1 and New Hope Tower 2 on Saturday.

Having already scouted out the Sheltowee Trace trailhead at Elisha Branch on Friday, and with a scheduled stage-crew meet-up time of 11:30am in nearby Sand Gap, Eric felt he and Miles had enough time to drive from the hotel in Berea, Kentucky, to the trailhead, complete a quick activation, and arrive at the stage-crew meeting point with plenty of time to spare. This, in fact, turned out to be case.

Eric and Miles arrived at the trailhead at about 1230 UTC. Because of his desire to complete the activation quickly, Eric chose to deploy one of his end-fed random wire (EFRW) antennas on his 31' Jackite telescoping fiberglass mast supported on a drive-on base. He first tried his Tufteln (link) 35' EFRW, intending to slope it down to his campchair but quickly realized that there was no good spot to place his chair which wouldn't block access to others wishing to visit the trailhead. Setting aside the Tufteln EFRW, Eric deployed his 28½' speaker-wire antenna as a true vertical on the 31' mast and placed three 17' counterpoise wires directly on the ground. Setting up his Elecraft KX2 on his son's car's dash, Eric was on the air at 1241 UTC.

The Sheltowee Trace blaze at the
McKee Elisha Branch trailhead;
photo by Miles McFadden.

The station within Miles's Subaru
Impreza; photo by Miles McFadden.

Eric was surprised to see that he had good cell-signal at this location within the Daniel Boone National Forest, and that he would be able to spot himself on POTA Spots (link) and to use POTA Spots to identify possible park-to-park (P2P) QSO opportunities.

Eric began his operation on 20m by finding himself a clear frequency to run, beginning to call "CQ POTA", and self-spotting himself on POTA Spots. Unfortunately, several minutes of calling CQ on the band failed to produce even a single response.

Switching to 40m, Eric found a clear frequency, began calling "CQ POTA", and was pleased to be auto-spotted on POTA Spots. His first QSO came at 1248 UTC with KJ4R in South Carolina. QSOs came quickly, with Eric's thirteenth QSO coming at 1300 UTC with WB8DTT in Michigan. This run included QSOs with operators located in South Carolina, Ontario, Michigan (2), Georgia, Illinois (2), North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, and Delaware.

Eric finished his operation by consulting POTA Spots and hunting for P2P QSOs, and at 1305 UTC he completed a P2P QSO on 30m with KG8CO who was activating Tuscola State Game Land (US-6799) in Michigan.

In all, Eric completed fourteen QSOs, with one P2P QSOs. All of Eric's QSOs were CW and were made with five watts output. Miles did not operate but helped with station set-up and tear-down and did all the activation photography.

Eric also submitted his log to the World Wide Flora and Fauna in Amateur Radio (WWFF; link) program for an operation at Daniel Boone National Forest, KFF-4511, Sheltowee Trace NRT not yet being recognized within WWFF.

Bonus: photos from Boone Forest Rally

Connor Martell / Alex Gelsomino in #721
2015 Subaru WRX start New Hope Tower 1.

Pat Gruszka / Ross Whittock in #243
2019 Hyundai i20 start New Hope Tower 1.

Mike Tirpak / Chris Rotolo in #993 1993
Ford Escort RS Cosworth, already showing
body-damage,queuing to start New Hope Tower 1.

Cars queuing for the start of New Hope Tower 2.

The #993 1993 Ford Escort RS Cosworth of
Tirpak/Rotolo, off-course and DNF, with
broken steering and suspension,
about six miles into New Hope Tower 2.