POTA Activation - Strouds Run State Park, US-1994, March 29, 2024

On an sunny but breezy March evening, Josh Senefeld, N8VXR, conducted a successful Parks on the Air activation of Strouds Run State Park, US-1994.

Josh arrived to Strouds Run and found his usual activation sites to already be occupied, so he drove around for a bit and found a spot close to the boat launch around 2141 UTC and started to unpack his gear. The gear unpacking took shorter this time because Josh had managed to condense his gear to almost fully fit into his backpack, minus his radio, battery, and ground plane. After unpacking his backpack Josh found a spot to set up his Wolf River Coils 213" whip. As this was another new site at Strouds Run, he had to find a good spot to setup his antenna to be away from himself or any passersby's. After choosing his spot, Josh attached the antenna to the ground spike, then unrolled his window screen ground plane, and of course, still used the same sticks from his first activation at Strouds Run. As always he retracted about 6" of the whip, attached the window screen ground plane, then attached the coax to his radio. Josh was on the air by 2151 UTC.

Josh's operating position.

The antenna setup.

The view of the whole site.

Josh started off his activation grabbing a Park-to-Park QSO with KE0VNY in US-11148 in Minnesota at 2156 UTC before finding a clear frequency (14.252 MHz) and calling CQ. His fist contact on 14.252 MHz came from KJ5DWW from Texas at 2159 UTC, then AD2MM in New York at 2200 UTC. His second Park-to-Park QSO came from AI7QG in US-5599 in Idaho at 2203 UTC, then just two minutes later at 2205 UTC came Josh's 3rd Park-to-Park QSO with N5DDW from US-1109 in Arkansas. More just kept coming, next was K5EFY from US-0661 in Florida at 2209 UTC, next as K1WIT who was in two parks in Massachusetts, US-2451 and US-8395 at 2214 UTC.

Josh then decided to get out and shorten his antenna in order to to switch to the 17 meter band. He found a clear frequency (18.138) and started calling CQ, Josh's first 17 meter contact from Strouds Run came from WB9EWJ in Arizona at 2222 UTC, then K4DBL from Texas a minute later, then his last came from KG5UN from Mississippi two minutes after that at 2225 UTC. Josh then switched back to the 20 meter band and started hunting Park-to-Park QSOs, Josh found AJ4GY in US-2936 in Tennessee, then found KF8IV and K8MRD in US-3056 in Texas, N0FUK in US-1482 in Wisconsin, and then W3BAY in US-0247 in Florida. Josh then found another clear frequency (14.326) and called CQ for a bit getting 3 contacts with KC1QQK, W1WWA, and W7ML. 

Josh then decided to finally try out his WRC Sporty Forty coil, after retracting the whip, he attached the coil to the base, then reattached the whip, he found that retracting about one full section would put the base of the dip around 7.250 MHz. Josh first decided to hunt some Park-to-Park contacts and got three with WA3XLJ in CA-1323 in Ontario at 2256 UTC, KC8LUB in US-2975 in Tennessee at 2300 UTC, and KO4UWM in US-2191 in Georgia at 2302 UTC. This was also the start of late shift at Strouds Run (2300 UTC to 0700 UTC), so Josh, working towards his Late Shift Activator award found a clear frequency (7.236 MHz) and started calling CQ at 2302 UTC. His first three contacts came from W8JDE in Michigan, then KE4LRS in Georgia, and WF8U from Northeastern Ohio for a little in-state action. His only Park-to-Park while running the frequency came from KD4M in US-3845 in North Carolina.

Overall, Josh made 55 QSOs, 10 of them being Park-to-Park, in 1 hour and 20 minutes of operating time. All of his QSOs were SSB and were made with 50 watts of output power.