On Saturday, June 10th we’ll be activating Miller State Park (POTA KFF-2662) and Mt. Pack Monadnock (SOTA W1/HA-041) in Peterborough, NH. This is also the date of the ARRL’s June VHF contest! Miller State Park does have an auto road up Pack Monadnock and there is a $4 fee per person. There are picnic tables at the top if you would like to pack a lunch. I am thinking we should plan on arriving at 11:00 am and hopefully set up and ready to go by 12:00 pm.
This should be a great opportunity for a wide range of our members to get out and activate portable. With three activities going on we should have something to tickle your fancy. Below is a quick description of each activity with links for more in depth information.
SOTA is an amateur radio award scheme for people who want to get out and operate portable from mountain peaks. A couple of important rules for SOTA are that you can only activate a peak once in a calendar year – so if you’re using your own call sign you won’t be able to activate Pack Monadnock again until 2018 – and you must operate separately from your car (nothing attached – antenna, battery, etc) and you cannot use fossil fuels. You must operate battery, solar, wind, hydro powered. You may work all modes (CW, digital or voice) on all bands.
POTA (Parks on the Air) is much more lenient, as far as operating possibilities. You, or your vehicle, must be totally within the park and you can operate using fossil fuels (generator or car). Parks can be activated more than once in a calendar year and QSOs are cumulative for the park if you return. Here is a link to a quick description for getting started with POTA. You may work all modes (CW, digital or voice) on all bands.
ARRL June VHF contest begins on Saturday at 2:00 pm and runs through Sunday at 11:00 pm. I have never participated in a VHF contest, but being on top of a mountain can only help!
In order to keep some organization to the activation, I have created a Dropbox file for members to sign up and list any equipment they would be willing to bring.
Let me know if you have any questions, suggestions, etc.
73,
Jamey KC1ENX
