On day 3 we arrived safely at Neys Provincial Park, near Marathon, on the north shore of Lake Superior. While our home, hundreds of kilometers to the south, was basking in thirty degree Celsius heat, we were shivering from the strong, cold wind blowing in off the big lake they call Gitchee Gumee. Neys Provincial … Continue reading 3000km, 13 Days and 5 Activations – Prisoners of War
Category: Outdoor Ops
3000km, 13 Days and 5 Activations – Not a Good Start!
Everything was packed and ready to embark on our 12 night camping and Parks On The Air (POTA) expedition to Northern Ontario. It would be about a three thousand kilometer round trip with stops at Chutes Provincial Park (VE-0181) on the north shore of Georgian Bay, then Pancake Bay Provincial Park (VE-0336) just north of … Continue reading 3000km, 13 Days and 5 Activations – Not a Good Start!
The Red Button and the Conservation Officer
A few kilometers south of MacGregor Point Provincial Park (where we were camped and successfully activated the day before) is an unusual Parks On The Air (POTA) entity called Stoney Island Conservation Area (#VE-1646). A Most Unusual ParkPOTA designations in Canada are usually reserved for National and Provincial Parks. But this park is a day … Continue reading The Red Button and the Conservation Officer
Wires that Stick and Ticks that Bite!
They say problems come in threes; they are wrong. This POTA activation involved four problems and one of them was bad! It was the end of the first week in May 2022 and XYL and I were on our first camping trip of the season with our old friend "Harvey". Harvey is a 19ft KZ … Continue reading Wires that Stick and Ticks that Bite!
First POTA Activation of 2022
Friday 29th April was a mild, sunny day in southern Ontario and I was eager to get outside and play radio. My wife suggested one of our favourite places, Black Creek Provincial Park in Northern Bruce Peninsula and I readily agreed. Most Ontario Provincial Parks are well signposted to make them easy to find. But … Continue reading First POTA Activation of 2022
Random Wire Revelations
Back to QRP I was inspired to dig my old Hendricks PFR3 QRP rig out of the closet recently. I wanted a super lightweight rig with an easy to deploy, but efficient, antenna that I could grab and go without any advance planning. VA3KOT's Hendricks PFR3 QRP/CW radio The antenna I chose was a random … Continue reading Random Wire Revelations
Wire Supports for Solid Ground
One of the challenges of living in the Great White North at this time of year is frozen ground. I was reminded of that just recently when, after a few days of milder temperatures, I optimistically stepped out of the house to probe the ground with one of the stakes I use for supporting the … Continue reading Wire Supports for Solid Ground
A Backpack Radio Lap Desk
It isn't always easy to find a picnic bench just where you need one for outdoor radio operations. Quite often a compromise is necessary. That is where my lap comes in handy. Somewhere convenient to put the logging notepad, writing instrument, CW paddles and a small clock for logging the time when contacts are made. … Continue reading A Backpack Radio Lap Desk
A DIY Clone of the Yaesu FH-2 Remote Control Keypad
The biggest disadvantage to using a Yaesu FT-891 transceiver for field operations may be that its small form factor means most features have to be accessed from the menu system. Fortunately, some of the most used features can be easily assigned to the front panel "A", "B" and "C" keys. That's great, but in the … Continue reading A DIY Clone of the Yaesu FH-2 Remote Control Keypad
Reverse Activation of a POTA Nonentity
Winters in Southern Ontario can be tough. Canadians are used to dealing with snow and ice, for sure. Some even enjoy the season. I know fellow club members who can hardly wait for the snow so they can get out on their snowmobiles. Snow Pile-Ups but no QSO Pile-Ups!The problem is, Ontario Provincial Parks are … Continue reading Reverse Activation of a POTA Nonentity
Ham Radio Outside the Box 