After the Activation: Two Parks, 43 QSOs & a Great Weekend of Radio
I hope everyone has had a great week. I apologize for getting this out so late after the POTA activation. I have had a busy week myself, mostly trying to stay cool from this heat! 😊
Well, another POTA weekend is in the books, and this one turned out to be a pretty good one.
This weekend, I decided to activate two parks: Trim Cane and Lake Lowndes. The plan was to get out, enjoy some time on the radio, and hopefully put a few contacts in the logs. As usual, things didn’t go exactly according to plan—but that’s part of the fun.
Trim Cane
The first activation was at Trim Cane. I made 14 contacts there—13 on SSB and one on FT8.
The activation got off to a pretty good start, and I was able to work several stations without too much trouble. One of the highlights was getting to work Robert, KJ5QGY, and Robert, KD5FRY.
I also made contact with Paul, W4TBH, who happened to be operating from a location that made for a pretty interesting contact.
FT8 was something I wanted to experiment with during this activation, and it was definitely a different experience from sitting there calling CQ and working stations one at a time on SSB. Once I got everything going, the digital side of things started doing its thing, and the contacts began rolling into the log.
It was a good reminder that there is more than one way to enjoy this hobby.
Lake Lowndes
The second activation was Lake Lowndes, and this one was a little more interesting.
I activated the park twice on 20 meters. Between the two activations, I made 29 contacts.
I had originally hoped to get some time on 40 meters as well, but the band was pretty well covered up. I also didn’t get a chance to spend much time on 15 meters.
The noise level was another challenge. There were times when the noise made things difficult, but I was still able to pull out quite a few stations.
One of the things I really enjoy about POTA is that you never really know who is going to answer when you throw out a CQ. During this activation, I was able to make contacts reaching as far as Canada and Mexico.
That’s one of the things that keeps this hobby interesting. You can be sitting in a park in Mississippi with a fairly simple portable setup, and a few minutes later you’re talking to someone hundreds—or even thousands—of miles away.
Lessons Learned
One thing this activation really drove home for me was just how important antenna placement can be.
The antenna may be the most important part of the whole setup, and getting it into a good position can make a noticeable difference. I’m still learning what works best in different locations, and every activation seems to teach me something new.
That’s another thing I like about POTA. You’re not just making contacts—you’re learning how to operate better.
And sometimes, you’re learning because the plan you had in your head doesn’t quite survive contact with reality. 😂
The Numbers
When everything was said and done, I ended up with:
Trim Cane: 14 QSOs
Lake Lowndes: 29 QSOs
Total: 43 QSOs
Not a bad weekend at all.
More importantly, I had a good time doing it. I got to operate from a couple of great locations, experiment with different modes, make some new contacts, and learn a little more about portable operations.
And that’s really what it’s all about for me.
It’s not always about how many contacts you make. Sometimes it’s about the people, the place, the equipment, and everything you learn along the way.
Until the next activation, keep the antennas up, keep the radios on, and hopefully I’ll hear you out there.
73, KF5WZD
“It’s not always about the contacts. Sometimes it’s about the people, the place, and the view beyond the antenna.”
Hams Eating Chicken 