Wow too many acronyms in that title…
This week’s Not Live Live Stream:
Trying Stream Yard from phone
I don’t like making “10 and done” activations
Next time bring the FT-891
Next is road trip is next weekend!
Used Stream Yard with the phone this time, instead of using YouTube. This will be useful for live streaming POTA and SOTA activations in the near future. I will be able to show on screen useful information like what frequency I am on and the park and / or summit designator.
I'm getting better with this one shot vlog style video, but still need to relax and slow down. It will come with more practice. I'm still up in the air on if this style of video would be a good fit for my YouTube channel or not. Guess the best way to find out is post some publicly and see what the viewer reaction is like for them.
I'm not a fan of doing a "10 and done" activation. Meaning just get the minimum number of contacts and calling it good. However when you are going QRP with not the best band conditions, sometimes it can really be a challenge to get to 10 contacts.
All three activations took more time than I would have liked to get to 10. It just wasn't in the cards for having a pileup or fast activation. I've talked to some friends online you saw my spots, but couldn't hear me. I have no doubt I would have been more successful using my 100 watt FT-891, instead of the IC-705.
On my next trip I will be bringing my Yaesu FT-891. I really enjoy operating QRP from the field, however there is a place and time for it. During poor band conditions, on a tight time schedule on the road is not the place and time.
During my road trip back from Arkansas I pulled off the highway several times to check out a couple of different state parks. I could not get a cell signal to spot myself at any of the locations. Being pressed for time, I didn't think I'd be able to be successful just calling CQ while QRP. If I was able to operate QRO, I would have gone for it.
From now on my radio rule for road trips is: if I only have room to bring one portable radio, it will be the 100 watt Ft-891. However, if I would just stay focused on becoming proficient with CW.....
I'm already packing for my next ham radio road trip. This upcoming weekend I am meeting Norm and Greg from the Shacking Off YouTube channel and Evan from Hamaholic for a POTA campout in an Iowa State Park. I have gotten to know these guys pretty well through discord, and this should be a good time.
Arkansas Road Trip Footage
I did get some video recorded of the three activations I made on my road trip, and will be making at least one video out of it. On my way home from Little Rock, AR I made three activations in three different states. Each state was new to me for POTA.
My first activation was K-0646 Buffalo National Wild and Scenic River in Arkansas. I pulled off the highway and found a nice trail that went past an old homestead and had some nice overlooks of the river. I sat up at one of the over looks and was fairly successful with 10 contacts, however I did have an error logging and missed out on a 11th since one QSO was with a 2fer. I forgot to correct my log before uploading to the POTA website...
The next activation was K-1768 Lake of the Ozarks State Park in Missouri. This was near my first stop on my way home. After I checked into the motel, I made a quick trip to checkout the park. Again I found a nice trail to hike and setup my station on a hill over looking the lake. This activation was more of a struggle with barely getting 10 contacts. I continued trying to get the 11th contact for a good 20-30 minutes after the 10th with no luck.
My plan was to get up early the next morning and try again at a different location at the park. However rain with a chance of thunderstorms persuaded me to hit the road and drive towards my next destination.
The third and final POTA activation on the road trip was K-0983 Campbell's Island State Historic Site in Illinois. My second stop and final stop for the night on my road trip was in the Quad Cities on the Iowa and Illinois boarder. I've had my eye on this park since its a historic site on an island on the Mississippi river.
I was thrown off by the size of this state park. I guess I should have taken a better look at the map. I drove onto the island expecting it to pretty be the park itself. However the park itself was about the size one would expect for a small city park, and the majority of the island was residential. Minor details over all, for the park was nice and right on the Mississippi.
Again I had to struggle to get 10 contacts. Lots of noise on the bands and I was just not being heard. I tried setting up at two different locations and called CQ twice for about 45 minutes total time calling, while yielding just 5 contacts total. I hunted other parks for the remaining 5. Again I stayed at it for at least 20 additional minutes for the 11th contact that I never got.
