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The Arkansas River Headwaters is a unique recreation area that follows the upper Arkansas River in Colorado, extending roughly from Leadville to Pueblo. POTA has it listed as the Arkansas River Headwaters State Park, but the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website shows it as the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area. This area is a bit unique, a cooperative effort involving Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Bureau of Land Management, and the US Forest Service. See map here.

Joyce/K0JJW and I decided to activate this park earlier this week, enjoying a nice sunny day. We operated from the Collegiate Peaks Overlook, which has a picnic area and an excellent view of Mount Princeton and adjacent peaks.

For POTA, our standard station configuration is the Yaesu FT-991 transceiver driving an end-fed halfwave antenna, usually on 20m or 15m. We have a collection of end-fed halfwave antennas that cover 40m and up.  We have bigger and smaller transceivers available to us, but the FT-991 is small enough to be portable but includes an antenna tuner and has 100 watts of output available. (Typically, we run about 50 watts of RF output on battery power.) Our power source is a Bioenno 12V 20aH LFP battery.  This battery is lightweight and compact, capable of running the FT-991 for hours.

Bob working VE4RBH and AG7KO on 20 meters.

We set up our station on a convenient picnic table. We had hoped to lash the mast to a conveniently-located post or tree, but none were present. Our backup plan was the drive-on mount, held by the front tire of the truck. The 20m band was alive so we just set up on that band and never looked back. We also worked some of the locals on 2m FM. It is always fun to see who shows up on that band.

Here’s Joyce working AA5UY in Louisiana.

I don’t think we have really optimized our POTA setup but we have found an approach that works well. Never underestimate a properly-fed halfwave antenna up in the air.

73 Bob K0NR

The post POTA: Arkansas River Headwaters State Park (K-1208) appeared first on The KØNR Radio Site.

So we have all enjoyed the odd bargain direct from China, Tax free! But come the 1st January 2021 here in the UK things are about to change.

 A few people are thinking that small purchases won't be affected. Sorry, they will. The £15 VAT-free limit is being abolished. Even if you only want £1 rubber glass hammer along with a  matching left-handed spanner, the firm will have to register and pay the tax up front.

The only saving grace is that private sales between individuals, and gifts, will still be tax-free up to £39.

With goods sold via on-line marketplaces like ebay, Amazon etc, the onus will be on the marketplace, not the individual trader, to register for VAT.. Whatever, it's the consumer that will suffer.

 

*******Happy Xmas and a Better 2021 to you all.******

I was wandering up and down the 20 meter CW portion of the band, yesterday. At one point I heard a very faint signal down in the sticks calling CQ, I listened and listened and still not sure if I got his call correct, no one was answering the call so I answered back…

( Py2AA de N7KO N7KO N7KO K )

The op answered back ( N7KO de PY2AAM TNX FER CALL UR RST 339 33N name is ROD QTH is Santa Cruz Do Rio Pardo, BRAZIL HW CPY N7KO de PY2AAM )

I got his full call this time. We were able to make the exchange, RST, rig es Ant, QTH. It was difficult but we pulled it off. Here is the email he sent me, after I sent him one thanking him for taking the difficult journey with me.

*****************************
(Olá amigo Ken!
Fiquei muito feliz em receber seu e-mail.
E também feliz pelo nosso encontro em CW, sou um eterno aprendiz desta arte maravilhosa que é a telegrafia.
Realmente estava com um pouco de dificuldade de escutar sua estação, devido a QSB e QRN…valeu muito o nosso esforço porque agora tenho um novo amigo. )
******************************

The reason why I shared this email is I can only read English and I had to copy and load it into a translator to understand what he said. But when we communicated using Morse Code there was no language barrier. You all know this as I did but this drove it home.

Now if I had waited until I was sure I got the Op’s call 100% before answering, I may have missed connecting to a new friend in another country. If I was not using CW neither of us could have communicated to one another.

Ken G
N7K0
73′ everyone

2021 QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo

Last year in my blog I asked this same question, but it was before the Expo had started. I received a mixed bag of responses but now that one Expo has completed some of my readers may have a better idea about the Expo and if they will attend this year?

In my humble opinion, over this past year are a few new givens......COVID is still with us and a new type of stain noticed, video conferencing for personal and business has become the norm, working from home is no longer a novelty, most if not all ham radio clubs have cancelled monthly in-person meetings. On a positive note, clubs have stepped up and offered 2 meter weekly net meetings, club meetings via the many video conferencing programs, contesting has been tweaked to allow for events such as field day to be a success, there is a vaccine to bring hope for 2021 and finally on March 13-14 the 2nd QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo begins. 

I did attend the online Expo last year but in a very part-time effort. At times, I found it frustrating to find my way around (which I did mention in my online survey to the hosts) navigating to sections of the Expo. I found some seminars a bit "fluffy" in content and some were just an advert. Last year it was free this year it's 10.00 early bird or 12.50 at the door.....virtual door that is. I will say that if I am going to drop 10.00 I will make more of an effort to attend the site more often over the 2 days. I have not as yet decided if I am going to drop the 10.00 but will take some time to look over the changes that are in effect for the 2nd annual show. 

My questions to the blog readers are: 

-Did you attend last year's QSO Today Virtual Expo?

-If you did what is some of your input regarding the show?

-If you did not attend why not? 

- Who is going to attend this year either for the first time as an alumnus and why? 

The backroom boys 1976-1978, were the lads who did the lighting, sound, and projection of films for the school plays, and performances. Working at the back of the school hall, in and outside of school time.

 Recently all four of us got together and went back to visit what was left of Aelfgar school, Rugeley, where we were educated in our senior years betweek 1974 and 1979.

Who is this scruffy lot? 

Dave, Phil, John and me.  

This was taken outside of the front entrance of the old original school building which is now a YMCA hostel and Doctors surgery.

All of us have a radio connnection. Myself and Dave became radio amateurs, Phil's Dad was a Radio Ham, John and I used to build crystal sets and regen radios in the school holidays.

The school hall and library has already gone and was rubble.

The new part of Aelfgar survived two major fires, gutting the hall and library on both occasions, in the period of when we were all educated there. But had been closed for several years before they decided it was of no further use and the land was to made available for housing.

 Merry Christmas to all