Our next SOTA/POTA will be October 8th . Pack Monadnock is another destination that gives you the choice to either hike up or drive up via the auto road making it an easy choice to add to the list. Pack also gives really good views of the surrounding countryside which only increases the appeal of this mountain particularly at this time of year.
I’m planning on being on the summit at 11:00 am but I plan on being their most of the afternoon so don’t worry if you can’t make it till later . There is a scattering of picnic tables so don’t forget to pack a lunch. We are getting close to leaf peeping season so it is advised to get a parking permit online for the auto road. Here is a link to get a permit.
Jamey AC1DC making some POTA contacts
If you’ve never been to Pack Monadnock travel west on 101 towards Peterborough. Miller State Park is on the right-hand side of the road across the street from the old Temple Mountain Ski area.
Please leave a comment on the story so I have an idea of how many people are planning on attending.
Great news for fans of our SOTA / POTA hikes. If you made it to our August membership meeting then you already got the lowdown but for anyone that might have missed it then I’ve got the schedule here for you and it begins in just a few short weeks. Covid is mostly in our rear mirror so we can finally meet in groups and start having some fun.
Abby AB1BY portable operating from the summit
On September 10th we will be headed to Mount Kearsarge in Warner N.H. We plan on taking the auto road from Rollins State Park to 1066 Kearsarge Mountain Road. The 3 1/2 mile auto road terminates at a parking lot and picnic areas. Let’s plan to meet up in this parking lot at 10:00 am You can choose to operate here or hike a .5 mile to the summit. If you’re a purist you can start on the other side of the mountain at Winslow State Park and hike the whole mountain with only modest effort and meet us. It is necessary to buy a parking pass and it is best to do this several days or a week ahead of time to ensure they don’t sell out. If they do you will be stuck at the bottom waiting for someone to come down as they only let a certain number of vehicles up at one time. Here is a link to the State of NH State Parks page where you can get the parking pass.
As far as operating from Kearsarge you can operate anything from an HT to the newest and best that is commercially offered or your own home-brewed rig. Seeing the range of what others brought is part of the fun of these activations. I’m bringing my MFJ qrp rig I’ve run this rig before but haven’t had any luck yet so I’m hoping to have better luck this year.
Here is the rest of the SOTA / POTA scheduled for 2022
October 8 th Pack Monadnock
Hope to see a lot of you on Kearsarge in a couple of weeks!
Our first SOTA hike of 2021 is this Saturday. It’s looking like we may get some rain for our 2021 Mt. Kearsarge activation but I’m holding out to at least get some decent propagation I will get together with Fred Thursday or Friday evening to make the final call If Saturday is a total washout then Sunday is the rain date. You can follow the comments on this story for the word on whether the hike is a go or no go. Bring a sweater or fleece and a rain jacket just in case it can get pretty breezy and cool in the mountains even if we manage to get bright sunny skies. I will be monitoring the Henniker 147.195 machine as well as 147.555 simplex on the ride up.
Fred AB1OC and Anita AB1QB’s Mt. Washington operating position
The plan for our 2021 Mt. Kearsarge activation is to meet at the base of the auto road at Rollins State park 1066 Kearsarge Mountain Road Warner, NH 03278. I just went to their website here and they recommend a reservation so plan on calling them at this number Phone: 603-456-3808 as walk-in parking spaces are limited.
Anyone that wants to hike up from the other side and meet us here is the physical address of Winslow State park 475 Kearsarge Mountain Rd, Wilmot, NH 03287. Check The nhstateparks.org website you may need a parking reservation on this side of the mountain as well.
We will most likely be operating from the picnic area at the end of the auto road. If anyone wants to operate from the actual summit it is only .5 miles away. I’m not sure how long a hike it is from Winslow State Park.
As far as radios an HT with an upgraded rubber duck can get you surprising performance from even a modest rise in altitude so if that’s all you have bring it and try it out. Fred will have his 6-meter station with him and I’ll have my 6-meter QRP rig and a new homebrew Moxon antenna ( I haven’t even had a chance to check it on an analyzer) I’m itching to try this antenna out. If we’re lucky and get some e-skip on 6 it could be an interesting day.
Anita AB1QB and Curtis N1CMD SOTA operating
Here’s the rest of the 2021 schedule:
August 14 – Pitcher Mtn.
September 25 – Mt. Kearsarge
October 9 – Pack Monadnock
November 6 – Kidder Mtn.
Hope to see you on Saturday! If the club breakfast was any indicator we can expect a good-sized crowd.
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