Description
On Thursday, August 7, 2025, one member of the Southeast Ohio Radio Adventure Team performed a successful activation of Pilot Knob State Nature Preserve (US-7963) in Kentucky as part of the Parks on the Air (POTA; link) program.
On his way to McKee, Kentucky, to participate as a radio operator in Boone Forest Rally, Eric McFadden, WD8RIF, stopped at Pilot Knob State Nature Preserve for the activation. Eric was accompanied by his friend Len Touth, W8VQ, who performed his own POTA activation.
Eric and Len arrived at the state nature preserve's trailhead parking area at about 1830 UTC. Although Len had brought his own station, a (tr)uSDX and a 40m EFHW antenna, Eric offered Len the chance to operate his Elecraft KX2. Len immediately accepted the offer, so Eric deployed his 29' EFRW antenna as a vertical supported on a Jackite 31' telescoping mast held upright in a drive-on base, placing three 17' counterpoise wires directly on the ground. Eric placed his folding campchair at the mast's base, and placed his KX2 on the chair's flip-up table. Len was on the air and began his operation on 20m.
The Pilot Knob WMA sign.
The KX2 station.
Len operating the KX2.
While Len was busy making QSOs, Eric quickly set up his Elecraft KH1 station on another folding campchair placed near the WMA's sign, deploying a Tufteln (link) 4:1 EFRW antenna, with the 15' radiator supported as a vertical on a Goture Red Fox Super Hard 720 carbon-fiber mast bungied to the campchair and the single 7½' counterpoise wire placed directly on the ground. Placing his KH1 on the campchair's flip-up table, Eric was on the air at 1904 UTC.
The KH1 station.
Unexpectedly, Eric and Len found they had cell-signal and they would be able to access POTA Spots to spot themselves and to identify Park-to-Park (P2P) QSO opportunities.
Taking advantage of a super-easy P2P QSO opportunity, Eric's first QSO came as a result of finding Len on 20m and completing a quick QSO.
Since Len was already running a frequency on 20m, Eric started his own operation on 40m. Finding himself a clear frequency to run, Eric began calling "CQ POTA" and self-spotted himself on POTA Spots. His first QSO in this run came at 1920 UTC with KU3J in Pennsylvania. Conditions on 40m were rough, and QSOs came slowly. Eric's second QSO on 40m came at 1923 UTC with N4EX at Laurel Summit State Park (US-1372) in Pennsylvania. This was followed at 1925 UTC by a QSO with KB4LCI in Virginia, and at 1930 UTC by a QSO with KC8JNL in Michigan.
Eric operating the KH1; photo by Len Touth.
A snap of a butterfly Eric made
while he operated the KH1.
Switching to 30m, Eric found a clear frequency to run, began calling "CQ POTA", and self-spotted himself on POTA Spots. His first QSO in this run came at 1938 UTC with W0VI in Minnesota. Following this QSO, as Eric continued to call "CQ POTA", his KH1, which was sitting in the direct sun at this point, began displaying the message "HI TEMP" and shutting off the transmitter. Eric first tried to cool the rig by covering it with a piece of paper, but this failed to keep it cool enough, and the rig continued to shut down during transmit.
With Len having finished his operation with twenty QSOs in the log, Eric abandoned the KH1 and switched his operation to the KX2 station. Since 20m had been good to Len, Eric found a clear 20m frequency to run, began callng "CQ POTA", and was auto-spotted on POTA Spots. His only QSO in this run came at 1952 UTC with W0MM in Texas.
Switching to "hunting mode", Eric consulted POTA Spots to identify P2P QSO opportunities. At 1957 UTC, he made a P2P QSO on 20m with WB9CYY at Lower Wisconsin State Riverway State Park (US-5643) in Wisconsin. At 2002 UTC, he made a P2P QSO on 20m with NZ1J at Wharton Brook State Park (US-1728) in Connecticut. At 2006 UTC, he made a P2P QSO on 40m with WG8X at Geneva State Park (US-1952) in Ohio. Finally, at 2015 UTC, he made a P2P QSO on 20m with NS1C and WC1N at Fort Revere Park State Park (US-8386) in Massachusetts.
In all, Eric made twelve QSOs, with six P2P QSOs, in about eighty minutes of on-air time. All of Eric's QSOs were CW and were made at five watts output.
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