I enjoy Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio, Field Days, QRP, satellites, and CW. I have many friends in the hobby that make it fun. I will keep you posted on what I learn about amateur radio on this blog.
Linda, Suzy, and I camped at Stone Mountain Park the first week of April 2025.
The mountain offers a Summits on the Air (SOTA) opportunity. Walking up the mountain was tempting, but I rode the Sky Tram instead. I took the Icom 705 and the Alexloop. I found the winds gusty on top, and they blew the loop tripod over. I managed to tie it down with a cord and my foot. I have more than enough contacts for SOTA and POTA, including 2-meter FM contacts as far as fifty miles.
The RaDAR Rally was on April 5th. I had many options among the park trails, but I settled on taking my one-kilometer walks from our campsite. My rig was the FX-4C, and the antenna was the SOTABeams link dipole. I made five contacts on three stops, setting up the dipole each time. The Alexloop would have been faster. My contacts included CW, SSB, and FT-8. The FT8CN Android App on my smartphone connects to the FX-4CR via Bluetooth. The highlight was a RaDAR-to-RaDAR contact with Chris, VA3ECO. Chris was using a snowmobile for his RaDAR.
Linda and I enjoyed the attractions in the park. It was Dinofest. We took in the drone, laser, and fireworks show on our last night.
RaDAR is Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio. The first Saturday of April and November are the RaDAR Rally Events. The upcoming RaDAR Rally is on April 5th, 2025. The rules are on www.radarrally.info. Go ahead and try RaDAR. It is a fun and exciting outdoor ham radio challenge. This was the topic of our Feb 24th, 2025, Beginner's Academy Zoom.
Linda, Suzy, and I embarked on a fifteen-night camping trip on October 12. We made two Georgia State Park stops on our way to Pigeon Forge, where we spent seven nights. Pigeon Forge has Dollywood and is next to the Smoky Mountains National Park. On the way back, we made two Alabama State Park stops. I took several of my portable rigs and two older rigs to participate in the Fall Classic Exchange CW event. I did not want to miss it. Our camping trailer is twenty-four feet long, and the tow vehicle is a Ford F-150.
The first stop was FD Roosevelt State Park near Pine Mountain, Georgia. I activated the Dowdells Knob Summit in the park for POTA and SOTA credit. I used the Elecraft KH-1 QRP CW rig with a whip antenna for two contacts and the AlexLoop magnetic loop for the rest. They were all 20 meters.
The second stop was Cloudland State Park near Rising Fawn, Georgia. I drove the last ten miles with a flat on the trailer. I activated the park for POTA using the Chinese FX4-CR and The Alexloop. I got five FT8 contacts using the Android FT8CN app and the rest on CW. All were 20 meters.
The third stop was the Foothills RV park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A few miles from the RV park, I had my second flat of the trip. I chose to drive it in a flat. I bought two new tires in town. Of course, the RV park is not POTA, but I drove to a beautiful picnic area in Smoky Mountain National Park. I used the FX4CR rig and the Alexloop and got ten 20-meter CW contacts. I especially liked the stream next to the picnic area.
Our RV site in the park had a deck with a nice view. I participated in the Classic Exchange event using my Icom 703, which is about 16 years old, and the Heathkit HW-8 rig, which is about 42 years old. I have even older rigs at home QTH, but these were the easiest to pack. The age of your rigs factors into the multiplier for the event. I enjoyed working the old rigs the other participants were using, too. Note that one contact was Steve K1NA, who was back in Dothan.
I worked ten POTA activators from the deck with the KH1 and its whip antenna for fun. You can all that Decks On The Air, DOTA.
Of course, Linda and I spent a day at Dollywood. My favorite part was riding the Steam Locomotive train. It was the real deal, including the whistle.
My new toy is a DJI Mini 4K Drone. At several stops, I sent it straight up and got a bird' s-eye view.
The fourth stop was Cathedral Caverns State Park near Woodville, Alabama. I met some hams who had come to the park for a Coleman Lantern Event. I activated POTA with the Icom 703 and the SOTABeams 40-30-20 link dipole. Linda and I took advantage of the Cathedral Caverns Tour. The guide did a great job.
The fifth stop was Cheaha Mountain State Park near Anniston, Alabama. I activated POTA at the campsite using the Icom 703 and the Elecraft KXPA-100 Amplifier. I worked Tom WD0HBR, portable, on 40 meters CW at the Wiregrass ARC Tailgate in Headland, AL. I then drove to the mountain's peak and activated it for SOTA, making four 20-meter CW contacts with the Elecraft KH1.
We took advantage of the mild weather and blue skies, saw lots of pretty trees, and drove the curvy roads. Linda enjoyed the attractions, and I participated in five POTA activations and two SOTA activations. Suzy met many fellow campers, dog lovers, and their dogs. It is hard to beat camping and ham radio.
RaDAR is Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio. The next RaDAR Rally is Nov 2nd, 2024. We cover how you can participate in our Beginner's Academy Zoom Meeting recorded on Sept 9th, 2024. Visit www.radarrally.info and join the RaDAR group on groups.io for more info.
Linda and I will take our camping trailer to Stone Mountain State Park, East of Atlanta, in the last week of July. Stone Mountain is the most popular park in Georgia, with the mountain itself, a lake, and several attractions. Our campsite overlooks Stone Mountain Lake.
Satellite view of Stone Mountain State Park, Georgia
Being a state park, my first thought is Parks On The Air (POTA). The park is reference US-9799. I will set up from the campsite and do several POTA activations. The site could be more spacious, but I can extend antennas in the wooded area toward the lake. I have been successful for POTA with the FX4-CR and the Alexloop. That rig will even do FT-8 via Bluetooth with my smartphone. My alternative antenna would be my SOTABeams link dipole. You just need ten contacts during the UTC day to activate. Multiple activations are in order.
My picnic table is set up for POTA with the FX4-CR and the Alexloop mag loop.
An even more exotic opportunity is Summits On The Air (SOTA). The summit is W4G/CE-003. As a college student, I have hiked up the mountain, but I am leaning toward using the Sky Tram. I only need four contacts for SOTA. I might get those on two meters, but HF with the Elecraft KH-1 will be fun. That's just what Wayne Burdick had in mind for the rig. It is a hand-held HF transceiver with a short whip capable of CW on 20, 17, and 15 meters. You trail a twelve-foot counterpoise wire when operating a pedestrian mobile.
Suzy and I do pedestrian mobile with the Elecraft KH-1.
But there is more! Stone Mountain Lake has Indian Island, accessible by foot via a covered bridge. Yes, the island is GA025L on the US Islands Award Program list. It has lots of foot trails. I could advertise an expedition to the island.
A likely stop on Indian Island in Stone Mountain Lake.
A must-do opportunity on Sunday, July 28th, is Flight of the Bumblees, a four-hour QRP CW event starting at 1 p.m. Eastern. I could choose the campsite, the island, or the mountain to operate from. I look forward to contacting the other bees. I have done FOBB for many years.
Remember the Alabama QSO Party on Saturday, July 27th. I may have to pass on that because we will likely meet relatives that day.
It pays to do a little research when camping or on vacation. This time, POTA, SOTA, US Islands, and FOBB are in play. Of course, it is not all ham radio; Linda and I will see the laser/drone light show, among other attractions. I'll give my friends a heads-up when we are on the air.
For the 2024 ARRL Field Day, Rick NZ2I of Panama City and I operated from Eastbank Campground in Southwest Georgia on the East side of Lake Seminole. We were a two-operator, two-transmitter Class B Battery entry. We got 350 contacts for 3500 points plus 450 bonus points. The heat was brutal, but we still had fun. Here are some photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nfWibga1dUe8SRLh8
