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After a valid activation and exploration of Bullard Creek Wildlife Management Area, Daisy and I headed to Reed Bingham State Park (US-2195), roughly a two hour drive. Along the way, we passed a huge lumber mill and drove through the communities of Douglas, Nashville, and Willacoochee.
Reed Bingham State Park, located in southwest Georgia, is named after Amos Reed Bingham, who envisioned a dam on the Little River to provide electricity to the rural community. Even though the flow of the river was not sufficient for that purpose, Colquit and Cook counties purchased 1,600 acres along the Little River and deeded the land to the state of Georgia, creating the park. A 400-acre lake was created in 1970 by the current dam and provides recreational opportunities for park visitors.
Besides working toward my 60 new-to-me park activation goal, the trip to Reed Bingham served another purpose – refining my camping set-up and routines before my twelve-day POTA trip this summer. I made quite a few notes about equipment that would make camping life better and realized I need to think through where to keep certain items so I can lay my hands on them more easily and quickly.
A new item I purchased for hiking and camping trips is a hitching system for Daisy. I want her to be able to “free range” while I set up camp, make meals, or visit the bathhouse but still be contained. Ruffwear makes a hitch system with a daisy-chain (aptly named, don’t you think?) on one end and a kermantle rope on the other.
I ran the daisy-chain around a large pine and then, as there was not another tree close enough, the kermantle rope to the rails on the top of Kai. A large carabiner slides up and down the rope and Daisy’s six-foot leash attaches it to a clip on the back of her new harness. The system worked well and eliminated her getting tangled in a lead line while in camp.
After setting up camp and eating supper, it was time to fit in an activation. There were two trees near the campsite – a large oak and shorter-than-usual pine tree. I opted for the pine tree as it was closer to my tent. (I longed to sit in the comfort of my tent on my Thermarest chair for the activation.)
It took me several throws but eventually the Tufteln EFRW was installed and the coax run into the tent. Before I could get on the air, though, a neighbor stopped by with his two granddaughters inquiring as to what I was up to. We had a quick chat, with me explaining the equipment and then letting them listen to some morse code. The two young girls couldn’t have looked more bored but the grandfather was fascinated and reminisced that he learned morse code in the Boy Scouts.
My outreach and educational duties done, it was time to have fun on the air. I wondered how well 20 meters would behave. In 20 minutes, I worked 14 stations (not bad!)
As I now had a valid activation, it was time to hunt.
I couldn’t hear many stations but managed to work Ken AK0A at US-2335. I then resumed calling CQ, again on 20 meters, picking up five more stations before hunting again. Timothy K8NWD at US-3384 and I had a park-to-park QSO before I moved to 40 meters for two more stations including John N8JY. (John is working toward the “Hunted Operator to Operator” award for which a hunter has 50 contacts with an activator, in this case me. His goal is to have more CW activators for this award. He and I have 15 contacts so far.) At this point it was after 8 PM so I called QRT.
Given how variable the bands conditions have been of late, I was thrilled with two valid activations in one day. I do look at the A-index, K-index, and SFI numbers often before I head out for a POTA and, if there’s been a massive CME as we’ve recently experienced, I opt to stay home. But when you have reservations somewhere out of town, you take your chances. My point is, though, you never know until you try what the bands will give you. Sometimes what happens is rough and other times are magic.
After this day full of adventure and fun, it was time to stow my antenna/coax and re-charge my KX2 for tomorrow. You know the POTA Babe isn’t going to just drive home without fitting in one more activation, right? It just so happens that along the route is Alapaha River Wildlife Management Area. Would the sun give me three valid activations on my trip? Stay tuned…
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