Bonham State Park is a small gem of Texas state parks.  It’s small, as state parks go, but beautiful and friendly.  The ranger at the entry point was sure to remind me that park access is free to veterans and remembered me from an earlier visit.  She told me, “Another radio guy just came in, are y’all meeting up?”   Uh oh, what Hameth dare transpasseth in my parketh?

According to the park website, “Northeast of Dallas is a small park filled with natural beauty. At Bonham State Park, you’ll find a serene 65-acre lake, hilly trails, colorful history and a quiet place to relax.”

Parking near my usual picnic table, I found Wilson, NT5AT, setting up for SSB in the back of his SUV.  He was using a Xiegu G90 into a telescoping vertical with radials.  Wilson was really open and friendly and we chatted a bit about POTA and activations.  He’d planned to operate on 20 meters and offered to let me have it.  I replied, “No way, you take it.  I’ll run a random wire and band-hop around you”. Drats!  I’d hoped to rejoin the 20m dance party I’d left at the Eisenhower Birthplace earlier today.  That’s what I get for stopping at Watson Burger between parks.

After the smiles, good lucks, and the usual promises to say something if there’s interference, I grabbed my pack and went to my table.  I decided on the random wire antenna and KX2 (for its awesome ATU).

Rig-

• Elecraft KX2
• BaMaKeY TP-III

Antenna-

• Packtenna End Fed Random Length, 9:1

Power-

• Bioeno 6ah

I struggled, from the start.  I used four throws to get a line on a suitable branch, likely because I’d assured Wilson how convenient it is.  Oh yeah, brand new friend, I’ll just throw a wire up in a tree over there because I’m a nonchalant pro at activating. Open mouth, insert foot.

I hunted two parks on 17 then set in to call…. And call…. And call.  I attracted four more hunters with about five minutes between each. 

I felt like that lonely inmate, rattling my tin cup across the bars of my cell door and was reminded of an early conversation with my first Elmer, AA2MA, Mark Morgida.  I’d stumbled into my first SSB contest and couldn’t find room on the band to call CQ.  I later asked, “What the heck, Mark, how do you find room to operate?” He replied, “There’s a contest going on, you can always find room on a closed band – try 6 meters.”

Today, I hopped up to 15 meters and made seven more contacts then called it a wrap.  I finished the activation with a lucky 13 QSOs, disappointing in volume, but the weather had turned and the park came alive in the new sunshine. 

CU AGN ES 73,

KA5TXN Mark
DitWit