Parks on the Air
Ottawa State Fishing Lake, or as it is known to everyone around here, Lake Bennington, is a nice green wooded spot among miles and miles of wheat, sorghum, corn, and cattle. From time to time, I like to drive out here just for the woods that remind me of home. And there’s free primitive camping, […]
Plan for success by having a checklist so that critical pieces of gear aren’t left behind.
What Kansas doesn’t have in forests or mountains, it makes up for in geographical oddities. Mushroom Rocks State Park is only five acres in area and is littered with a collection of sandstone formations that look like eggs on top of pedestals. For a day in February, it was warm so there were lots of […]
In Part One, I wrote about the interaction between portability and capability with a focus on the radio transceiver itself. This time around, I would like to discuss how to pair a battery to your chosen radio. Again, portability and capability are paramount. Batteries are among the heaviest and bulkiest elements of any portable radio […]
POTA, or Parks on the Air, has to be one of the best ways to liven up your ham radio experience. It combines the thrill of making contacts with the refreshment of being outside. I can’t recommend it enough for hams, both new and experienced. Chances are, there’s a park close to you. Choose your […]
All amateur radio stations have the same five basic elements: a transceiver, an antenna, a power supply, a transmitting interface like a key or microphone, and a reception interface like headphones or a speaker. And of course, cables which connect all the aforementioned elements to the radio. There you have it! A complete amateur radio […]
Well, I haven’t been on the air at all in the past six months. My family moved from Arkansas to Kansas back in May. Between moving, house renovations, and my wife and I starting new jobs, there hasn’t been much time for hobbies. When things started to calm down a bit, I looked into getting […]
Dardanelle has always been the most happening place in Yell County. If you’ve read or seen True Grit, you’ll know a little about this particular locale. In days past, Dardanelle Rock was about as far up the river that steamboat traffic could travel. The rock outcropping gives some indication why; just below the water’s surface […]
It’s becoming a new pastime of mine to break up long trips by getting out of the car and finding a park to activate along the way. A quick search revealed that Ripgut Prairie Natural Area wasn’t too far off the beaten path of I-49. At the end of some two miles of gravel, you’ll […]
Two weekends ago, my wife and I went up to Kansas to visit her family and see our new niece. Since she is only days old, it doesn’t take much to tire her out. While my wife was spending time with her sisters and sleeping niece, I took the opportunity to go activate a park. […]
Amateur Radio Station WB0ISG 