Spirit Rock Conservation Area is located at the top of the escarpment in Wiarton, Ontario (home of one of Canada's leading weather forcecasters, the albino groundhog "Wiarton Willie", who issues only one weather prediction per year in February). Access to the park is difficult. It is easy to drive right past the main entrance on … Continue reading POTA Activation VE-5658 Spirit Rock Conservation Area
Category: Outdoor Ops
Vertical Antenna Redesigned
I have posted before about my DIY vertical antenna. It is a rapid deployment antenna that has served faithfully for several POTA activations. But, recently I came to realize it wasn't meeting my needs for all three ways in which I needed to deploy it. Time for a redesign! My vertical antenna is a centre-loaded … Continue reading Vertical Antenna Redesigned
POTA – in Bear Country!
Most of us who live in North America are aware of bears. Many of us actually actually live in areas designated as "bear country". The eastern part of the continent is home to black bears who are generally not aggressive. The west is home to grizzlies and that is a whole different story. Black bears … Continue reading POTA – in Bear Country!
POTA – I got it all wrong!
In my previous park activations I was content to be a "ten and done" activator. That is, I made the required minimum ten contacts to achieve a successful activation then quit. To be completely honest, I usually hung in to make at least one or two additional "insurance" contacts - just in case a dupe … Continue reading POTA – I got it all wrong!
QSO with North Pole Alaska
I was out on another Parks On The Air activation on Monday 1st August. It was a holiday in most of Canada so the XYL and I set out early to avoid the anticipated crowds in the park. Our destination was the popular Sauble Falls Provincial Park (VE-0378) near Wiarton, Ontario. Sauble Falls is a … Continue reading QSO with North Pole Alaska
No Antenna? No Problem!
You would think I might have learned from experience. Never rush out to do a POTA activation without first checking that all the necessary parts of my portable kit are packed. The last time I made this mistake it was the power cable that was missing. This time I arrived on site without an antenna! … Continue reading No Antenna? No Problem!
Grounds for Improvement
As I write this post my sophisticated home weather station shows the temperature has just edged over the 30 degree Celsius mark. I call it sophisticated because it synchronizes with the US national time standard in Fort Collins, Colorado by receiving VLF (Very Low Frequency) radio signals - without an antenna! Wait a Canadian corn … Continue reading Grounds for Improvement
A Thousand Screaming Demons
I guess I must be some kind of masochist. Picture me sitting under the hot Sun, CW paddle strapped to my right knee, logging pad balanced on the other knee, swatting at all the winged, man-eating pestilences that infest every Ontario summer, while sweat pours down my face and drips onto my logging pad. Yes, … Continue reading A Thousand Screaming Demons
80m Band Antenna Fits Into Just 1 Square Foot!
Incredible isn't it? But can it really work? "It must be a compromise antenna, or very low efficiency." "Why don't you just put up a good old-fashioned dipole? "One square foot? Are you crazy?" No, we'll yes, I may be a bit crazy but believe me, the performance of my "one square footer" is no … Continue reading 80m Band Antenna Fits Into Just 1 Square Foot!
3000km, 13 Days and 5 Activations: Rattlesnakes
After what seemed like a very long and wet journey, heading south for 75km to Sault Ste Marie, then 300km east across the top of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay to Sudbury, then south again for another 80km, we arrived safely at our destination of Grundy Lake Provincial Park. Our total journey had been 455km … Continue reading 3000km, 13 Days and 5 Activations: Rattlesnakes
