Field Day in the Shoshone National Forest – 2025 Recap This year’s ARRL Field Day found me traveling through the scenic wilds of Wyoming, specifically in the Shoshone National Forest at Fiddlers Lake Campground (grid square DN52np). Despite being off-grid and running solely on emergency power, I was able to jump into Field Day and make the most of it. Day 1: Digital Start, SSB Wins I operated 1B battery on my 12 amp hour Read More …
POTA at Dugway Recreation Site – Two Days, Two Activations, and Plenty of Fun This weekend I had the chance to activate a new-to-me POTA location: the Dugway Recreation Site BLM Management Area, a quiet and scenic spot tucked right alongside the North Platte River. I ended up activating the park twice over two days, and both sessions turned out to be short but satisfying. Day 1 – FT8 Contact Run For the first activation, Read More …
Ham Radio Station Report Location: Odenton, Maryland (operating from our daughter’s backyard) Operating Mode: FT8 & Phone Radio Equipment: Xiegu G90 Antenna: 20-meter dipole Transmitter Power: 10 watts RF My portable ham radio station in Odenton, Maryland, setup in our daughter’s backyard, is a remarkable example of how a minimal yet intelligently configured setup can yield impressive results. By employing the Xiegu G90 radio, 20-meter dipole antenna cut to resonance, and leveraging 10 watts of Read More …
A Quiet Work Week, POTA Activation, and Hidden Beauty in Wyoming This past week, we turned a quiet corner of Wyoming into our work-week hideaway. Tucked away from the world, this spot offered the kind of seclusion that’s hard to come by—we saw just one vehicle pass the entire week. It was exactly what we needed. While Gayla was busy giving her video presentation, I took the opportunity to set up my HF radio station Read More …
After a long day behind the wheel, I was more than ready to shut things down and enjoy some peace. We landed at Juniper Point Campground, nestled in Fred Hayes at Starvation State Park, Utah. This spot offered a perfect combo of rugged beauty and radio potential. The evening started simple—steak on the Coleman Camp stove, and some eggs boiled for deviled eggs later in the weekend. Camp cooking doesn’t get much better. But the Read More …
On our way south from Glacier National Park, we made a quick overnight stop at Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. I couldn’t pass up the chance to activate a new POTA park (US-4499), even if it was just a short visit. With limited time and daylight, I went with a simple but reliable setup: a 72-foot random wire tossed into a tree using my throw weight, fed through a 9:1 UNUN. My rig was running just 10 Read More …
We can not just go to Glacier National Park and not activate it. We stayed one night at Bowman Lake which is a very touristy place that is off the beaten path. This place did not have any cellular service or Starlink internet service. I did end up using the GPS dongle to synchronize my FT8 clock on the computer. The antenna of choice is the 26 gauge 44 foot long wire on the 27 Read More …
I have been wanting to try FT8 on my ICOM IC-706 for quite some time. Recently my brother finally got his ticket and is a General Class. He also purchased a Yeasu FT-450 as his first HF rig. In the past I have done a few digital modes such as PSK31, SSTV, and some RTTY! But for the life of me I could not get FT8 to work with my ICOM IC-706. My brother did Read More …