Fall POTA Activation and Picnic Recap
October 20, 2026
On Saturday, October 17, the club set up at Moraine State Park (POTA park US-1387) for our fall activation and picnic at Pleasant Valley Pavilion No. 2.
Everyone who came seemed to have a good time. Everyone did their own thing with their own equipment, and some tried their low power QRP radios with success. The last Ed, WA3YOA, heard from Al, N2MA, he had 15 contacts before lunch. Mark, KB3LYB, made digital contacts with a QRP rig he built from a kit. By comparison, QRP on Field Day is next to impossible given the number of higher power stations on the air that weekend.
Scott, KC3MMG, brought his Starlink satellite system, which supplied WiFi so anyone who needed to sync their computer clock could do so. Ed used it to log into the W3EXW D-STAR controller computer to reboot and relink it. Jeff, N3EVN, was using it for Jamboree on the Air (JOTA), the Scouts’ annual radio event, and access to the BSA reflector was important. Fortunately, Jeff had his hotspot with him as a backup when needed.
Reed, WW3A, a club member who lives in Florida, worked Scott on 20 meters. That was Scott’s tenth contact (the number POTA requires for a valid activation), making Scott an official POTA dude. JOTA stations tried to reach us without any luck: the New York QSO Party was on the same weekend, and its big signals were killing the bands.
Special thanks to Gary, KB3GUZ, who made the whole day happen. It was his idea, and he reserved the park, handled all the logistics, and brought and cooked the food.
