PURPOSE: POTA Activation (K-1141)
GRID: DM13CN
LOCATION: Crystal Cove State Park | SoCal
COND: Day - Calm - 82F - Clear
OPERATOR: KK4EMP
OP DATE: 20220516
Work sometimes brings me to some pretty remarkable places and the southern California coast has definitely been one of them. This place was just up the road from where I was staying and not but a stone’s throw from the park parking lot, was this cliff overlook that proved ideal for some radio equipment.
The weather was perfect and like typical southern CA, it was sunny but not unbearably hot like the humid southeast I’m more accustomed to. Setup was simple here since I was able to use one of the large railing post as a support for my 20m vertical without the need to run any guylines. Here I’m using a Buddipole Versatee mounted to a camera monopod along with the Rigid Shock-cord Adjustable Whip antenna and a single couterpoise wire (you can see it going out of frame to the right). For a transmitter, I’m using a Yaesu FT-891 with some 3D printed rails and a smallish Bioenno 6ah LFP battery tucked into the front compartment of my backpack.
Overall the activation was successful and I made a quick XX contacts on 20m SSB no problem. POTA (parks on the air) provides an excellent avenue to get out to new unknown places and test out different gear and techniques. Practicing with your equipment is vital to determine what you can count on when you actually need it. It also provides opportunities to make field repairs when gear breaks down (it will happen) which is a skill you can’t simply just read about and expect to be effective.
Bottomline, get out there to new places, practice with your gear and experiment. Never stop learning and never be afraid to change things up. 🗲
