Worth Repeating
I love my time outdoors. My family is into camping, hiking, and being on the water when we can. Our best times have been on trips to the woods and that’s a big reason for my affection for POTA. I absolutely love being outdoors. In NE Ohio, that can be a challenge for a few months out of the year. When the snow is thick, it’s fine. But when the wind is tearing through the trees, it’s less fun to sit outside and copy code. It doesn’t mean that I won’t do it! The urge to be out there is greater than the need for comfort.
On a day like this past Monday, however, I don’t need any prodding to get out. The highs were supposed to hit the upper 40s and the wind was negligible. It was a perfect day to get out to the parks. Given that I had a few things to do, it made sense to stay closer to home and get out to Cuyahoga Valley National Park – US-0020.
Monday. 10 AM. February. It was a great time for someone who enjoys a little quiet to be at the park. There were no other visitors around. One other car in the parking lot, but that person was off running trails. I got myself settled near The Octagon shelter at a picnic tree off in the woods.
Gear
I wasn’t feeling like hauling a bunch of stuff so I went small. I took my Penntek TR-35 transceiver and my 40-20-10 EFHW antenna with my throw line. I tossed in my CW Morse aluminum paddles and took off. I have to admit, I’ve not used the TR-35 as much as I should have. It is a fantastic little radio. The audio out to my Anker portable speaker is fantastic and, like all things Penntek, the user interface is primarily analog. Switches and knobs. It feels like a radio should. And it certainly performs.
I prefer to pair my QRP rigs with resonant antennas. Wire antennas in particular are easier to deploy in the winter as the leaves allow me more room for my poor line throwing technique. I can get the line over some kind of branch at a decent height and run things up quickly. I’m not too proud to admit that it took four tosses to get the line where I wanted it. But the end placement was good, so I can’t complain.
Cold Weather
The thing about the cold is that there’s always going to be snow. The weather lately has been up and down in terms of temperatures. We’ve been getting snow and then rain and then more snow again. My wife calls it “Wintery Mix” in a mocking tone. It’s largely gross and leaves us with rotten snow that is more ice than anything else. When I showed up to my normal picnic table, I was not surprised to find a hunk of ice disguised as snow on it. But that’s OK! I carry my tarp with me on every trip to the park. Waxed canvas is gorgeous and waterproof. Keeps my gear nice and dry. And it looks cool.
I also take along my sitting pad to keep my pants dry but it’s not nearly as stylish as it is functional.
On The Air
The TR-35 does 40, 30, 20, and 17-meters. I started off on 40 and was not disappointed. I racked up 9 contacts in short order. My fingers felt a little clumsy as I haven’t worked with my CW Morse paddles in a while and have been spoiled by the pure joy that is my Begali Traveler. In spite of it, I managed to get my CQs out there.
Moving to 20-meters inspired a pile-up that lasted for the rest of my time in the field. Probably 30 minutes or so of nothing but people calling on top of one another. I find myself focusing on one tone and seeing how many characters I can catch. If I can catch a number, I’m in good shape (usually). Somewhere in the pile-up I did pick out Thomas K4SWL from qrper.com. Pretty sure that’s the first time I’ve gotten that particular member of the POTA royalty in my log.
The calls came easily and it made for a fun hour in the field. Again, this little rig is fun to operate and it feels like “Playing Radio” in the truest sense. It’s what I adore about both of the Penntek rigs I have. There is a beautiful balance of functionality and old school interface. Knobs and switches simply can’t be beat!
QSO Map
There weren’t any contacts further west than TX which isn’t surprising given the hour and day. That said, I’m really pleased with how the bands treated me. Here’s what it looked like on the QSO Map:
Final
It’s been difficult to get out this winter, but I’m glad that I found this window. Next time, I want to drag out my QMX+ to put it through its paces. Maybe later this week or next if the weather cooperates.
72 and thanks for reading!
