Tootfinder

To replace my lightweight linked dipole antenna for #POTA I am iterating on a #FreeCAD design for a winder that works with wire that shouldn't be bent sharply around the edges of a more typical winder.
This design allows either figure-eight or circular winding with a minimum repea…

Today I went to Swift Creek Bluffs State Nature Preserve, just a few miles from my house, and stumped up to the ridge for some #POTA #HamRadio therapy. Tossed a 40m EFHW into the twigs and a 13' counterpoise wire over a branch of a nearby sapling, connected to my tiny QRP unun, and hoo…

Today's SYP (Support Your Parks) #HamRadio #POTA #QRP CW adventure had limited time, so I wasn't sure I'd actually stay for 10 QSOs. But then I discovered that park

I have colorized my dual-operator CW #POTA script and turned it into a cheat sheet with an example on the reverse side, centered so you can print it duplex and cut it out if you like.

• Dual-OP-CW-POTA-Cheat-Sheet.pdf if you just want to print

Today's 20m #HamRadio #POTA activation of US-3844 Jordan Lake State Recreational Area. The first 10 QSOs (conversations) were 2-operator on SSB with my wife doing her first-ever activation, then once she successfully activated and called it quits, I went on to hunt another 10 park-to-p…

Drilling for #AmateurRadio #POTA, I cranked the Morse Walker noise up to "heavy" and was surprised when I heard only one caller when the counter said I had two. The other was literally lost in the noise.…

Doing a dual operator CW #POTA activation QRP now from US-6888 with Brantley K4CBW — hunt us now for double credit on 15m 21.030.5 🤞
"CQ POTA DE KZ4LY ES K4CBW" and we'll both give you an RST and a park!

Today's #HamRadio #POTA (Parks On The Air) adventure. Absolutely gorgeous, couldn't-be-better fall weather on a Saturday, so that it was a little surprising that we found parking space and that all the picnic tables were empty. Used my spiderbeam push-up mast to hold my inverted-v link…

In my #HamRadio #POTA adventure today, I got my inverted-V linked dipole caught in twigs today and it died. The silicon wire winds easily around a tight radius, which is nice for putting it on the winder, but also winds around twigs easily, and that fine wire breaks easily. Easier than…

Today's #HamRadio #POTA CW activation of US-3847 Occoneechee Mountain Natural State Conservation Area (four hunting park-to-park QSOs, six running calling CQ) along with tonight's SST together made a milestone for me: Now 75% of all my logged QSOs are Morse code.
I still marvel t…

Today is my "hamiversary" — Today last year, the wheels at the FCC turned and I was awarded the #AmateurRadio call sign KZ4LY.
Today I celebrated by going to park US-2755 after work and doing some QRP CW #POTA.
I was in a hurry and missed disconnecting the 20m link on t…

Today's #HamRadio adventures... My oldest and I went to do #POTA together. He's a technician, and 10m was mostly dead where we were, except for a booming SSB QSO with California to a club doing the CA QSO party, so he didn't get his 10 today.
I started running CW QRP (5W) on on 1…

Today's 5W QRP #HamRadio #POTA activation of US-4857 Jordan Lake Educational State Forest was fun radio therapy. Successful QSOs on 30 meters, 20 meters, and 17 meters. Ironically, I set up a 40m end-fed half-wave antenna, and then only one of the 10 QSOs was on a resonant ban…

This afternoon's 10–15W SSB #POTA #HamRadio activation. Three QSOs on 15m including Dominican Republic. Then when I needed just one more QSO to successfully activate US-4857 for my first time, I got Germany with a 33 signal report on 15W. ❤️ Most of the QSOs were on only 10W.