KA5TXN

  • IC-706MK IIG

    Mike – Tips, tricks, and what I learned about your rig are below. The rest of you can move along… unless you have and IC-706. Auto Repeater pg 32 and 53This is a function that sets repeater shift automatically. You… Continue reading

  • 240518-20 Weekend POTA

    Note: The image for this post is from the word Press AI. You just click a button, and it whips up an image based on the content of the post. I have no idea what those antennas are and I… Continue reading

    240518-20 Weekend POTA
  • 240511@US-3005 Eisenhower State Park

    Every app and webpage I frequent said the bands would be noisy and closed and they were not wrong.  But I went anyway. A slow day in the park beats any day at work, right?  Turns out, HF bands weren’t… Continue reading

    240511@US-3005 Eisenhower State Park
  • 20240510@US-3005 Eisenhower State Park

    A beautiful Friday, sunny and about 80 – there won’t be many more like this and I’m glad I got out to a park.  I tried Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge but found it under water from the recent rains.  Really… Continue reading

    20240510@US-3005 Eisenhower State Park
  • Embrace diversity! 

    We have this common draw, this shared fascination, a compulsion for some, that is amateur radio. In this world of instantly accessible and freely shared information, it’s so natural to burrow into a path of complete focus, hyper-focus.  Ever notice… Continue reading

    Embrace diversity! 
  • 240505@US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

    I wrapped the weekend with a final activation on Sunday at US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. A typical activation, typical for this weekend because it was dark and drizzly driving in but I single handedly changed the weather North Texas… Continue reading

    240505@US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
  • 240504, Weekend POTA: US-6553 and US-2991

    I missed a weekend of radio and I feel it.  Last weekend, I drove down to Clifton to shoot a Sporting Clays tournament with some good friends.  It was a great time; travel, catching up with friends, and punctuated with… Continue reading

    240504, Weekend POTA: US-6553 and US-2991
  • Adjusting Portable Antenna Length

    We learned to calculate wave length from frequency for the Technician ticket.  Or at least, we memorized the questions and answers for the test.  At the time, I thought it was an interesting tidbit of information but not critical to… Continue reading

    Adjusting Portable Antenna Length
  • 100th Park Activation!!

    I activated my 100th unique park reference today.  Not 100 activations, but 100 different locations. This milestone represents, in my mind, the difference between “does POTA” and “really does POTA”.  To anyone else, it doesn’t mean squat.  And that’s how… Continue reading

    100th Park Activation!!
  • POTA Maps in Google Maps App

    POTA.app has some fantastic resources for both activators and hunters. The Parks Map and the Parks List both offer extensive views of entity locations and relevant details. But I don’t like being tied to a web page – I want… Continue reading

    POTA Maps in Google Maps App