Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to have a friend that wanted to get out and play radio. John (KO4DFO) and I both enjoy the outdoors, and we both like keeping our radio kits fairly small and portable. Though, the last time we went POTA-ing we kept our respective kits so small we had to borrow from one another to have one working station. Hey, if you never fail, did you really try anything worth trying? The forecast was calling for rain, but we decided to go anyway. A quick trip down I-65, and we arrived at Yanahli Wildlife Management Area (US-3970).
I brought along my Yaesu FT-891, a kit-built EFHW, and a laptop complete with my arcOS USB and a Digirig + cable. Getting setup down by the river was quick, and I had 13 FT8 contacts logged in a little over 30 minutes. John started off with his FX-4CR and an EFHW, but had a little trouble getting it adjusted to an acceptable SWR. No worries, though! He brought along an easily deployed vertical and decided to get on the air with his backup plan. He was ticking off Park-to-Park contacts on 20M SSB just by scanning around the band in no time. He was also kind enough to let me try out a second FX-4CR he had gotten a deal on (he seems to be a magnet for deals). A quick read of the manual, and it was set to the right ITU region, its previous owner having been in Germany. 20W and a wire netted me 7 more contacts on 40M SSB, with a mix of CQ replies and Park-to-Park hunting.
The rain never came while we were there, and the peacefulness of an overcast day on the radio next to the river was good for my spirit. Thanks, John, for being willing to brave the elements so we could get on the radio and get a little mud on our boots and tires! Let’s go again, soon!
