I had to drive down to Tipton, IN, just north of Indianapolis, today for work. I was asked to give a talk for a unit at Notre Dame that was hosting a retreat. So I naturally figured out how to get in some POTA while I drive around Indiana.

After stopping in the office to print off my talk, I left a bit early so that I could activate my home park, US-2265, Potato Creek State Park. The heat is finally breaking this week and it felt so pleasant out in the park, which was very good because I was dressed for work in an Oxford and chinos. I was probably the most dressed-up POTA activator today.

I threw a line up into a tree, got my Tufteln 9:1 QRP EFRW antenna nearly vertical, turned on the KX2 and began calling CQ on 20m. I activated the park with 11 QSOs in 13 minutes. 20 meters has been a bit strange recently and seems very short such that I was able to get my buddy Justin (N8JMS) in Ohio, which is typically just 40m territory for me. He was hunting me from his house and was on a bug, so I got the most proper of rogers from him.

I had originally planned to log on paper, so that I could use my phone to film a video of today’s activation. However, I realized the stand I have for my phone keeps squeezing it in a way that initiates sending out an SOS alert and that seems like a bad idea. I will hopefully remember to grab my Sony ZV-1F from the office tomorrow so I can film my activations once in awhile.

While I kept with my KX2, I wanted to use a different key today, so I reached for my Zippy paddle from Zeus (K8CES). I love this paddle so much. Zeus made this for me last fall and then upgraded it last winter when we met up for a POTA weekend at Potato Creek with the aforementioned Justin, Conor (KF8CNK), and Paul (KE9BHN). I printed off a magnetized case for it and it stores perfectly in my bag with my other keys.

After a successful activation, I packed up and headed down to Tipton. After my talk, I took a long route home so that I could activate two new parks: Tippecanoe State Park (US-2271) and Tippecanoe River State Nature Preserve (US-12010). I posted up at a picnic table right next to a creek and the whole scene felt like the shire.

While I love the KX2, I thought that I should use another radio for this activation, so I pulled out my QMX high band. I am in love with this radio. I recommend it to everyone who asks because I genuinely cannot believe how good it is. I paired it with an antenna that has been with me since the beginning of my ham journey: the Chelegance MC-750.

The stock radials that come with the MC-750 work very well, but I read that quarter wave verticals benefit from a better ground radial system, so I cut new radials that seem to give me better performance and certainly seem to lower the noise floor.

I started on 15m and got 4 QSOs, moved down to 17m and got another 4. I had hoped to activate the whole park without having to resort to 20m, but everyone was hanging out on 20, so I got another 4 there. It was nearly 7pm my time, so I grabbed the 40m coil for the MC-750 and jumped on 40.

After getting a few QSOs there, I realized everyone was still on 20m, especially my friends out west. I had maybe moved down a bit too soon, so I jumped back on 20m to finish out the activation.

I got 26 QSOs over the hour and a half I was there. One of the best parts of this hobby is that I am getting to know people on air and look forward to hearing their call signs. When I began, I was holding on for dear life and just praying to get through the QSO. Now I hear them on air and it feels like hearing from a friend. Today I got Julia (N1XV) on both 15m and 17m and Michael (WB3DDJ) on 20m and 40m, both of whom have hunted me several times in the past. I also got another one of my regular hunters: Brian (VO1AW), who is up in Newfoundland.

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At a glance

Park: US-2265, then US-2271 and US-12010
When: July 20 2026, 15:31-1545; 21:59-23:24
QSOs: 37
Bands: 15, 17, 20, 40

Station

Transceiver: Elecraft KX2 and QMX High Band and Midband with N6ARA SWR Meter
Antenna: Tufteln 9:1 QRP EFRW in a tree, Chelegance MC-750 with homemade radials
Key: K8CES Zippy Paddle; N0SA Composite
Power: 5w
Logging: Carrier Wave (my preferred app for logging on an iPhone)