![\"!st](\"http:\/\/w4kaz.com\/qth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1-20240225_102059_sm.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLast month we finally got a chance to take the radio for a spin to work the NC QSO party from a few parks.\u00a0 A ‘few’ parks turned into two parks, but I did learn a few things.\u00a0 The weather in my area turned out to be perfect for a nice ride to a couple of portable operating areas.\u00a0 Comfortably cool temps and crystal clear skies.<\/p>\n
I decided to approach the trip as an Out-and-Back.\u00a0 Drove out to the first park with intent on making stops to set up the portable antennas at each location.\u00a0 Had just barely enough time at the first stop to get set up before the 10am local start.\u00a0 Then things quickly went sideways.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Used a hitch mounted mast receptacle to hold the antenna mast, a 32 foot telescoping fiberglass pole.\u00a0 The mast supported a 40m\/20m trap dipole, which I probably damaged by breaking a partially corroded wire on one of the traps.\u00a0 Ends were tied up on some of the nearby coniferous biological antenna supports.\u00a0 The station itself is an Elecraft K3 powered by a 100ah LifePo4 battery, on trickle charge from a 100w solar panel on the vehicle roof rack.\u00a0 All set up on back seat of the vehicle.\u00a0 Parked in the shade because comfort is more important than charging the battery.\u00a0 Location numero uno was at McKinney Lake State Fish Hatchery Pota k-8010<\/a>, Richmond county NC.<\/a>\u00a0 Unfortunately no photos of either the station or other sites due to ‘plan divergence #2-Lost Phone!’.<\/p>\n Maybe a bit over-ambitious.\u00a0 The first event occurred when the antenna suddenly lost its nice low SWR on 40m.\u00a0 It is a 40m\/20m trap dipole that has been in use for a couple of years.\u00a0 Made just a handful on 40m to start then moved to 20m.\u00a0 The antenna was still OK on 20m.\u00a0 Curious.\u00a0 After a bit I dropped the antenna to try to debug the 40m issue and noticed the wire coming out of the trap to one 50m leg appeared corroded.\u00a0 Wasted too much time fiddling with antenna instead of operating.\u00a0 Wire corrosion plus over-vigorous installation Mistake #1.<\/p>\n After burning too much time at the first location, moved on to POTA#2.\u00a0 Ate my lunch there an could not find phone.\u00a0 Spot#1 was just 6 miles away, so retraced to POTA#1 to see if I had dropped it there.\u00a0 No Joy.\u00a0 Mistake#2<\/p>\n Decided to skip spot#3 and drove directly to spot#4, Lee State Game lands, Pota K-06920 in Lee county.\u00a0 Set up the 40m EFHW, and had decent runs on both 20m and 40m.\u00a0 Success!\u00a0 Neither 10m nor 15m were delivering, so skipped any time there.\u00a0 This had the sun beginning to fall below tree line, so packed up the kit and moved to spot#5.\u00a0 No photos taken, still had not found phone.<\/p>\n Spot#5 turned out to be occupied, and no other locations in the pota had been scouted.\u00a0 Mistake #3.\u00a0 At this point I mostly bailed.\u00a0 Parked the car at home in driveway for a handful of Q’s on a hasty 20m vertical(non pota).\u00a0 Then ditched entirely for food.<\/p>\n The broken antenna is going to be replaced.\u00a0 A functional backup will also be added to the travel list.\u00a0 The real downside did not show up until later, when the logging computer quit taking a charge.\u00a0 Very likely RF damaged.\u00a0 Bleh.<\/p>\n What was pounded in again is that wasting time during the event is costly.\u00a0 ALWAYS have a backup.\u00a0\u00a0 The “lost phone” was not lost but had slid down between seats inside an invisibility cloak. Found that at home by dialing the number.\u00a0 Not knowing was rain on the parade.<\/p>\n Taking the time to activate LEE and RIC was worth the effort.\u00a0 It should be feasible to easily activate four different counties\/Potas as a portable in the 10 hour period.\u00a0 More than that would require more research or an area with a higher concentration of Pota entities.\u00a0 Travel time is an issue.\u00a0 Operating from POTA entities was also worthwhile, and the first time scout of the sites was useful for future POTA activations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Last month we finally got a chance to take the radio for a spin to work the NC QSO party from a few parks. A ‘few’ parks turned into two parks, but I did learn a few things. The weather in my area turned out to be perfect for a nice ride to a couple of portable operating areas. Comfortably cool temps and crystal clear skies.<\/p>\n I decided to approach the trip as an Out-and-Back. Drove out to the first park with intent on making stops to set up the portable antennas at each location. Had just barely enough time at the first stop to get set up before the 10am local start. Then things quickly went sideways.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Station <\/p>\n Used a hitch mounted mast receptacle to hold the antenna mast, a 32 foot telescoping fiberglass pole. The mast supported a 40m\/20m trap dipole, which I probably damaged by breaking a partially corroded wire on one of the traps. Ends were tied up on some of the nearby coniferous biological antenna supports. The station itself is an Elecraft K3 powered by a 100ah LifePo4 battery, on trickle charge from a 100w solar panel on the vehicle roof rack. All set up on back seat of the vehicle. Parked in the shade because comfort is more important than charging the battery. Location numero uno was at McKinney Lake State Fish Hatchery Pota k-8010, Richmond county NC. Unfortunately no photos of either the station or other sites due to ‘plan divergence […]<\/p>\nDiverging from the plan<\/h4>\n
![\"1st](\"http:\/\/w4kaz.com\/qth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1-20240225_102046_sm.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"W4KAZ](\"http:\/\/w4kaz.com\/qth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/2024ncqsop_results.png\")
<\/p>\nDamaged goods:<\/h4>\n
Lessons<\/h4>\n
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