The following image shows all of the POTA parks in my grid square EN92. There are 47 in total, 45 in Ontario and 2 in Pennsylvania.
Link to interactive map.
Yellow markers indicate parks to be activated as of September 27, 2023.
Blue markers indicate parks I have activated.
The software used to create the map is called EasyMapMaker
I purchased this utility wagon from Canadian Tire for use in my POTA activations. I hope to be able to load everything I need for an activation into the wagon, make it very handy to operate in a park when you are forced to walk in.
Here is a link to the documentation from Facebook by Greg KJ6ER on his Dominator Antenna. It is an EFHW vertical, no radials, no tuner required.
73
Al VE3GAM
Link to an article I have written on the Rybakov antenna. It consists of a vertical 25′ (7.6 m) wire, matched by a 4:1 unun and with 6 17′ radials. This is a non-resonant antenna, so it does require the use of an antenna tuner.
73
Al VE3GAM
Here is a link to the documentation I received from Greg KJ6ER on his Predator Antenna. It is an elevated vertical with elevated radials.
For more information about this antenna and to check out an avid fan of this antenna go to Simon VA7BIX’s Youtube channel at Ham Jazz
73
Al VE3GAM
There are quite the number of POTA entities around my home QTH, following is a list of the top 5 locations I have activated since Oct 7, 2021.
1. VE-1688 Ward McKenna Conservation Area located in south end of Aylmer, ON. This is an open area park, with tall trees for an antenna.
2. VE-5935 Cowan Recreation Park located in the north side of St Thomas, ON. There is a line of tall trees on the north side of the driveway as you enter the park, primarily used for soccer in the summer time.
3. VE-5541 EM Warwick Conservation area located off the old Hwy #3 southwest of Wallacetown, ON. There is a pavilion that you can operate from in the south end of the area, at one time, there was a tower just south of the pavilion that I operated from one time a few years ago. The tower has now been removed.
4. VE-5619 Springwater Conservation Area located southeast of St Thomas, ON. Lots of trees there, and trails to walk if you are so inclined.
5. VE-5622 Lake Whittaker Conservation Area located southeast of London, ON. Trees everywhere, so lots of antenna supports.
All of these areas get you out of your vehicle and operating a portable station among the trees.
73, Al VE3GAM
States already hunted for VE3LON:
Made my first POTA contact Oct 7, 2021, this shows the number of states that I have had a contact with someone in a POTA entity (usually a park) since that date. The hardest ones to get checked off are Hawaii and Alaska, in that you need to make a park contact with these states and not just a contact.
Greg VA3CBN and I met at this little roadside park on old Highway 3 southwest of Wallcetown, ON. This park is on the Trans-Canada Trail, 10 contacts made from this park within 100 feet of the road (trail) qualify as a POTA activation. My station setup consisted of a 20ah Bioenno battery, a Kenwood TS-50 transceiver, an MFJ-9494E tuner and a homebrew spike mount using old hamstick antennas for both 20m and 40m and 4 33 foot radials. Things were pretty quiet on the bands, eventually I stirred up some activity on 20m. My first 2 contacts of the day were with S51DX in Slovenia and LY5AT in Lithuania. After that I made 4 more contacts before giving up on 20m and switched to 40m.
It took a while but I did make 12 contacts today on 20m and 40m, 8 p2ps. My last 6 contacts were made with stations from the spot list, so spotting does help. How I wish that those band conditions would improve and make “making 10 contacts” a lot easier. 73 for now, Al VE3GAM
Making 12 contacts today, I successfully activated VE-5616 Hawkins Tract. Signals were still weak today, propagation conditions certainly could have been better.
Hawkins Tract has no vehicle access, so I used my new ground spike with my 40m and 20m hamsticks and 4 33 foot radials. I set up near the path through the woods and made a few contacts. I am pleased that I could complete an activation, this is not site that I would want to activate again and again.
Jeff K3JRZ recorded his POTA activation, snuck in at the end of this video: 40M Along The Canal POA Activation. Rough copy both ends that day, but we both stuck it out and made the contact.
Made 12 contacts today on the Trans-Canada Trail VE-5082 from a location just west of St Thomas, ON, near the intersection of Lyle Rd and Blind Line Rd. Six of the twelve were p2ps (park to parks). Radio conditions were not good, I did stick it out until I had made my 10 contacts.
73 Al VE3GAM
Looking at the weather forecast for the day, it sure looked like it would be a good day to go out and activate a new one VE-5617 Calton Swamp Wetland Complex. It is not too far away, southeast of St Thomas, Ontario. If only the propagation gods would smile down, then everything would be great.
Started calling CQ at about 12:30 pm local time, and finally managed to make the 10 contacts needed to activate the park by about 4 pm. Not a good day at the park, propagation was terrible. Perhaps another day will be better, I will keep my fingers crossed.
Thanks to all those out there who could hear my signal, I did make the minimum 10 contacts to activate the site. I never did make it to VE-5616 Hawkins Tract, I had planned to operate from there as well, but paucity of contacts sure slows you down. Another day…
Unless the propagation gods start delivering, my next activation attempt will be with some London Amateur Radio Club members on June 19th at VE-0255 Komoka Provincial Park. See you down the log… Al VE3GAM
