FR 0x009: Quechee State Park

Ref: US-3138
Rig: Elecraft KX2
Ant: CHA LEFS 4010
Power: 5W
Key: BaMaKeY TP-III
HT: BTECH UV-PRO + SignalStick
Tab: Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+
Ruck: 5.11 RUSH 12 2.0 24L
Logging Gear:
    Battle Board Aviation Kneeboard
    Rite in the Rain Notebook #935
    Rite in the Rain Metal Pen #97 
Other Gear:
    Weaver Arborist 12oz throw weight and line
WX: ~27C gusts up to 11kph, partly sunny, thunderstorm warning

I was passing through Vermont this weekend, and thought it would be a good opportunity for me to finally get back on air. The Quechee State Park was along my route and I was glad I stopped there: it’s a beautiful park with lots to do and the staff is very helpful. The small day pass fee is totally worth it.

I was in a bit of a rush, so I didn’t have time to hike to the Quechee gorge, which is apparently the deepest in the state. Fortunately for me, the parking lot by the entrance had lots of trees, so the antenna deployment was straightforward. If you’re looking for a quick activation this park is a great option. Keep in mind that the space in the lot is limited, so a car activation may not always be possible.

The park offers decent APRS coverage. I was able to access APRS services by bouncing my signal via W1UWS-1 to a number of local gates, but it will probably take a few retransmissions to get the job done. I was unable to get my beacons out, which I suspect is an issue with my setup.

The conditions were great, but as is tradition I’ve picked the worst time to return from hiatus: the IARU world championship was running this weekend. The bands were packed to the brim; luckily I was still able to successfully activate the park.

Thanks to the P2P calls:

• Roger KE5AQD at the US-3038 McKinney Falls State Park
• Ron W2ELS at the US-6532 Erie Canalway Corridor National Heritage Area

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