A New State (Commonwealth) I was first licensed as KC3JXQ and the 3 gives it away. I lived in Pennsylvania, but that was before I got into POTA and started getting out and activating. It didn’t become a thing for me until 2020 when my family and I moved to Ohio. So it was that…
Intro For the past few years, our family has gone to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a week of camping and relaxing in some of the most beautiful places along Lake Superior. I’m a Great Lakes kind of guy and my wife caught the fever when we moved to NE Ohio. Our travels have…
A Nice Ride This week both the terrestrial and solar weather were in agreement that I could bike out to Cuyahoga Valley National Park – US-0020 for an activation. I’ve been keeping my cycling closer to home due to rain and whatnot, but with sunny skies and an ionosphere that wasn’t really unhappy with us,…
Yes, I’m Still A Ham It’s been quiet around the blog, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been out and playing radio. With the weather turning into real spring and temperatures that are above the 40dF mark, I’ve been spending a lot more time outside on the bike and a lot less time in…
Back To The Park The temperature was supposed to hit close to 60dF on a cloudy Tuesday in early March and that just screams GET TO THE PARK! I had a lot to do that morning, but I wasn’t going to ignore this clear sign from the universe that I was meant to head out…
Where’s The Code? Right here: https://codeberg.org/jcw2112/KC8JCLogger/ Everything you need to know to run the software should be there. Good luck and shout if it works! How Did I Get Here? Every project, no matter how silly, has a starting point. This one started in the dreary December of 2024. The weather was even worse than normal…
QRP Fun with PCARS Every year, the Portage County Amateur Radio Service – aka PCARS – hosts a QRP contest at Fred Fuller Park in Kent, Ohio. This tradition goes back many years and it’s always a good time. Modes come and go and the rules shift a little, but mostly it’s an attempt to…
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…
The First Activation of 2025: Solitude It was absolutely silent and completely deserted at West Branch SP – K-1999 on 19-Jan. It was Sunday morning at about 10:00 local time and the temperature was sitting at about 20dF. There was a steady 6mph wind and it was a safe bet that no one would be…
Just last week I decided to join the Straight Key Century Club (SKCC) because Jim N4JAW posted about it on his blog and it jives really well with my 2025 Goal to do more conversational CW. I got my number and plugged in my straight key. Cool? Cool! The very next day, I decided to…