Amateur Radio Station WD8RIF | POTA Activation Strouds Run State Park

On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, one member of the Southeast Ohio Radio Adventure Team performed a successful impromptu activation of Strouds Run State Park (US-1994) as part of the Parks on the Air (POTA; link) program.

At the end of the work day, Eric McFadden, WD8RIF, made the impulsive decision to visit Strouds Run State Park for his 99th activation of the park in his quest to earn the Eagle's Nest Repeat Offender Activator Award for 100 activations of the park. This was despite an approaching thunderstorm and winds already gusting to 30mph, as well as solar indices indicating poor HF propagation.

Eric, along with his wife Vickie and their small dogs, Theo and Ginny, arrived at Bulldog Shelter within Strouds Run State Park at about 2130 UTC. Vickie and Ginny chose to stay in the car. After giving Theo the chance to claim ownership of nearly every post and tuft of grass at Bulldog Shelter, Eric chose a well-positioned picnic table within the picnic shelter, set up his Elecraft KX2, erected his Goture Red Fox Super Hard 720 carbon-fiber mast on a spike (hoping that the gusty winds wouldn't blow it down), sloped his Tufteln (link) 35' EFRW antenna from the KX2 up to top of the mast, and deployed three 17' counterpoise wires directly on the ground. Eric was on the air at 2142 UTC.

Eric's Elecraft KX2 station.

Eric's mast and antenna, as viewed from his
operating location, being buffeted by the wind.

While Eric was setting up, a young couple arrived, equipped with fishing gear. Theo, of course, being a freelance therapy dog, demanded to provide his services to the couple, after which the couple prepared their gear and started fishing, leaving Theo and Eric alone again in the picnic shelter.

The young fisherwoman, fishing in Dow Lake,
as seen from Eric's operating location.

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

Eric started his operation on 20m by finding a frequency to run, calling "CQ POTA", and was auto-spotted to POTA Spots. His first QSO came at 2144 UTC with W7AQB in Missouri. QSOs came steadily, if not quickly, on the band plaqued by atmospheric noise, with Eric's sixth QSO coming at 2156 UTC with KZ1J in Massachusetts. This run included a P2P QSO with NM5BG who was activating Santa Fe National Historic Trail (US-4579) in Kansas and QSOs with operators located in Missouri, Maine (2), Florida, Kansas, and Massachusetts.

Pausing to hunt for P2P QSOs, at 2203 UTC, Eric made a P2P QSO on 20m with W9MIC who was activating Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area (US-6329) in Florida.

Returning to running a frequency on 20m, Eric's first QSO in this run came at 2208 UTC with AA4MX in Florida. This was followed at 2209 UTC by a QSO with K0TFL in Iowa.

Pausing again to hunt for P2P QSOs, at 2212 UTC Eric made a P2P QSO on 30m with N4GF who was activating Occoneechee Mountain Natural State Conservation Area (US-3847) in Florida.

Seeing that other activators were now being spotted on 40m, Eric switched to that band, found a clear frequency, began calling "CQ POTA", and was auto-spotted on POTA Spots. His only contact in this run came at 2232 UTC with KB9RPG in Indiana.

Noticing that K4NYM was now being spotted on 20m, and after earlier failing to hear him well enough on 12m and 15m to have any success at working him, Eric paused to try to work him, and at 2234 UTC he did succeed in completing a P2P QSO on 20m with K4NYM who (Eric later learned) was performing a four-fer activation of Florida Trail National Scenic Trail (US-4559), Green Swamp Wilderness Park Reserve (US-5330), General James A. Van Fleet State Trail (US-3627), and Withlacoochee State Forest (US-4646) in Florida.

Returning to 40m to run a frequency, Eric made one additional QSO, at 2236 UTC with his good friend K8RAT in central Ohio. The wind really gusting at this point, and discretion being the better part of valor, Eric decided to end his operation after his QSO.

In all, Eric logged thirteen QSOs, with seven P2P QSOs, in just about fifty-four minutes of on-air time. (Because of K4NYM's four-fer, Eric would receive credit for having completed fifteen QSOs.) All of Eric's QSOs were CW and were made at five watts output.

At the end, Eric was very pleased that the gusting winds had failed to blow his mast or antenna down.

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.