Amateur Radio Station WD8RIF | POTA Activation Strouds Run State Park

On Tuesday, December 23, 2025, one member of the Southeast Ohio Radio Adventure Team performed a successful bicycle-portable activation of Strouds Run State Park (US-1994) as part of the Parks on the Air (POTA; link) program.

Taking advantage of an unseasonably warm (55°) but drizzly winter afternoon to do both a bicycle ride and a POTA activation, Eric McFadden, WD8RIF, bicycled from his work-office's parking lot to Bulldog Shelter within Strouds Run State Park.

Eric arrived on his bicycle at Bulldog Shelter at 1839 UTC and began setting up his Elecraft KH1 station in the unoccupied picnic shelter. Because the grassy area around the picnic shelter was saturated like a sponge, and he didn't want to walk on it, Eric chose to do this activation using his Elecraft AX1 whip as the antenna. Placing his KH1 on the table, mounting the AX1's 48" whip on a Tufteln (link) Right Angle Antenna Adapter with Stand, placing a single 13' counterpoise wire on the shelter's concrete slab floor, and connecting his earbuds and Whiterook MK-33 single-lever paddle, Eric was on the air at 1847 UTC.

As has usually been the case at this location, Eric had cell-signal at Bulldog Shelter, and he would be able to access POTA Spots to spot himself and to find Park-to-Park (P2P) QSO opportunities.

Eric started his operation on 20m by finding himself a clear frequency to run, self-spotting himself on POTA Spots, and beginning to call "CQ POTA". His first QSO came at 1849 UTC with K0FD in Missouri. This was followed at 1855 UTC by a QSO with VE3TEF in Ontario, at 1859 UTC by a QSO with N1XV in New Jersey, and at 1901 UTC with K2MYQ in New Jersey.

Pausing to work a station he could just hear on the edge of his receiver band-pass, at 1907 UTC Eric made a P2P QSO with W1WDH at Reed Bingham State Park (US-2195) in Georgia.

Following this QSO, Eric found that the frequency he had been running was now occupied by a SOTA activator, so he found a clear frequency, spotted himself, and began calling "CQ POTA". His first QSO in this run came at 1913 UTC with AI5KR in Arkansas. QSOs came steadily, if not exactly quickly, with Eric's fifth QSO in this run coming at 1922 UTC with KE5AQD in Texas. After the second QSO in this run, Eric rearranged his 13' counterpoise wire so that it extended outside of the shelter house, in the hope this would increase his QSO rate. This run included QSOs with operators located in Arkansas, Georgia, New York, Texas, Vermont.

Having succeeded in validating his activation by making the required ten QSOs, Eric finished his activation by hunting for additional P2P QSOs. At 1925 UTC, he made a P2P QSO on 20m with W4LOO at Savannas Preserve State Park (US-3654) in Florida, and at 1928 UTC he made a P2P QSO on 20m with WB3TUA at Engelmann Woods Natural Area State Conservation Area (US-12571) in Missouri.

In all, Eric made twelve QSOs, including three P2P QSOs, in thirty-nine minutes of on-air time. All of Eric's QSOs were CW and were made at five watts output.

Following the activation, Eric took some more photos, tore down his station and re-packed his bicycle, and began his ride back to his car.

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.