by William Eric McFadden
From the Tennessee River Valley website:
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Construction on Wheeler Dam began in 1933 and completed in 1936. Wheeler was the second dam that TVA built and is located in northern Alabama. The reservoir helps cover the shallow, rocky area that made navigating this stretch of the Tennessee River hazardous. Private industry has invested about $1.3 billion in the waterfront plants and terminals at Decatur, Alabama, the largest city on the reservoir.
The dam and reservoir are named after "Fightin' Joe" Joseph Wheeler, a general in the Confederate army and a leader of the United States Volunteers during the Spanish-American War.
Pictures
Description
On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, one member of the Southeast Ohio Radio Adventure Team performed a successful activation of TVA Wheeler Dam Public Park National Recreation Area (US-13083) in Alabama as part of the Parks on the Air (POTA; link) program.
While in northern Alabama to adopt a small dog, and following a successful POTA activation of Joe Wheeler State Park but before visiting the dog-shelter to meet and adopt the dog, Eric McFadden, WD8RIF, visited nearby TVA Wheeler Dam Public Park National Recreation Area to perform his second POTA activation in Alabama. Eric was accompanied by his wife Vickie and their small dog Theo.
Eric, Vickie, and Theo arrived at TVA Wheeler Dam Public Park National Recreation Area at about 1610 UTC, finding the lovely CCC-era stone picnic shelter to be unoccupied.
The CCC-era picnic shelter.
After checking out the area, Eric decided to perform his operation on his folding camp chair on the concrete pad behind the picnic shelter, underneath ancient oak trees and overlooking the spectacular Tennessee River. Eric deployed his Tufteln (info) EFRW as a 29' sloper up to the top of his Goture Red Fox Super Hard 720 carbon-fiber mast held upright on a spike stuck into the very hard soil, placing two 17' counterpoise wires directly on the concrete pad. Placing his Elecraft KX2 on his folding camp chair's flip-up table, and connecting his Whiterook MK-33 paddle and earbuds, Eric was on the air at 1627 UTC.
Eric's KX2 station, after he moved it to the stone wall—see below.
Eric's mast and antenna.
Eric's entire station.
Eric had cell-signal and would be able to access POTA Spots to spot himself and to find Park-to-Park (P2P) QSO opportunities.
Eric started his operation on 40m. After finding himself a clear frequency to run, Eric began calling "CQ POTA" and was auto-spotted on POTA Spots. His first QSO came at 1630 UTC with AA5UZ in Louisiana. QSOs came steadily, with Eric's fourth QSO coming at 1639 UTC with Eric's good friend K4SWL in western North Carolina. This run included QSOs with opertors located in Indiana (2), Louisiana, and North Carolina.
Switching to 20m, Eric found himself a clear frequency to run, began calling "CQ POTA", and was auto-spotted on POTA Spots. His first QSO in this run came at 1643 UTC with N1XV in New Jersey. QSOs again came steadily, with Eric's eighth QSO in this run coming at 1659 UTC with AC0DK in Wisconsin. During this run, wind gusts acting on the mast and antenna threatened to pull Eric's KX2 off his folding camp chair's flip-up table. In response, Eric moved his KX2 onto the stone wall in front of his chair, partially to relieve the tension on the antenna wire, partially to give his KX2 a grippier surface to sit on, and partially to ensure that if his KX2 were pulled onto the ground, it would hit relatively soft dirt instead of concrete. (Fortunately, the KX2 was not pulled to the ground.) This run included QSOs with operators located in Colorado, Manitoba, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico (2), New York, and Wisconsin.
Switching to 30m, Eric found a clear frequency to run, and was auto-spotted on POTA Spots. His first QSO in this run came at 1704 UTC with K3ONW in Pennsylvania.
With responses to his calls seemingly non-existent, Eric paused to check POTA Spots for P2P QSO opportunities, and at 1708 UTC he made a P2P QSO with W4DHW who was performing a two-fer activation of George Washington & Jefferson National Forest (US-4526) and Blue Ridge National Parkway (US-3378) in Virginia.
Resuming his run on 30m, Eric managed to make one final QSO, at 1714 UTC, with VE3LDT in Ontario.
In all, Eric made fifteen QSOs, including two P2P QSOs, in a bit more than forty-five minutes of on-air time. All of Eric's QSOs were CW and were made at five watts output.
During his operation, Eric enjoyed hearing osprey calling each other and, later during his operation, to see at least three of these large and majestic birds cavorting in sky above the park.
After finishing an activation, Eric and Vickie explored more of the VTA Wheeler Dam Public Park and the adjoining Joe Wheeler State Park, and visited the Wheeler Dam Overlook.
The 6,342' Wheeler Dam as viewed from the
VTA Wheeler Dam Public Park picnic area.
Tennessee River as viewed from the VTA boat ramp.
Wheeler Dam and the associated hydroelectric plant
as viewed from the VTA Overlook. Humans and
birds both seem to enjoy the fish to be found in the
turbulent water at the dam's outflow. The far end of
Wheeler Dam includes a large boat-lock facility.
The Wheeler Dam informational sign.
(return)