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!
Tag: POTA
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!
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
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
3000km, 13 Days and 5 Activations: Double the Activation Fun!
Sadly, after only two nights in Sleeping Giant it was necessary to start the long journey home. We would like to have stayed longer but there is a lot of competition for campsites in Ontario Parks these days. And besides, I had a mission to accomplish - I wanted to have another crack at activating … Continue reading 3000km, 13 Days and 5 Activations: Double the Activation Fun!
3000km, 13 Days and 5 Activations: Would that be Gulliver?
The TransCanada Highway between Neys and Nipigon is extremely hilly but our truck pulled our trailer up those hills with no problem. I had to gear down on the long descents to control our speed, especially on some of the sharp bends. Much of the route hugs the shore of Lake Superior with spectacular views … Continue reading 3000km, 13 Days and 5 Activations: Would that be Gulliver?
3000km, 13 Days and 5 Activations – Prisoners of War
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
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
