My SMALL Foot and POTA activations.

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The Parks on the Air program has revitalize my passion for Amateur Radio.  I am fortunate to live in an urban area where I have several POTA sites near my home that is convenient for me to activate by bicycle or if I choose, public transportation.  The metropolitan Louisville area and the southern Indiana cities of Jeffersonville, Clarksville and New Albany, located along the Ohio River across from Louisville, KY. USA has an abundant area of parks and historical POTA sites that provide stunning, serene, and picturesque areas to setup to operate portable Ham Radio activities. Below is an example of a portion charming scenery of Louisville, KY's Waterfront area near downtown along the Ohio River which is part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail (US-4572) that is part of the Parks on the Air list. 


A portion of the waterfront  on the Ohio River at  Louisville, KY USA


There is one drawback urban Parks on the Air operating especially along the banks of the Ohio River between Indiana and Kentucky ...  PEOPLE. And in some cases wildlife have to be taken into consideration when choosing a spot to setup. 

If you look closely at the above photo you see an large crowd  gathered at one of the open air concert sites along the waterfront near downtown Louisville, KY. USA. There are miles of public waterfront area of the Ohio River between Louisville, KY and neighboring Jeffersonville, Clarksville, and New Albany, IN.; where you can find as few as a couple of hundred to several thousand park users at any given time of the day, night and year.  There are times for me when a SMALL FOOTPRINT is a MUST for POTA activations in the urban Parks on the Air sites in my area. 

What follows are photos of some of the antenna options I use to provide a small footprint at some the POTA sites in my area. 



Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail
https://www.nps.gov/lecl/index.htm
Banks of the Ohio River between 
Kentucky and Indiana
Parks on the Air Site 
US-4572
EM78cg and EM78dg



I am lucky to have this historical entity in my backyard. The development of the shorelines for public use along the Ohio River in Louisville, KY. USA, Jeffersonville, IN. USA. and New Albany, IN. USA has been tremendous over the last couple of decades and continues to be developed. Louisville's Waterfront Park and surrounding area has miles of acerage to enjoy. 

There are areas along parks on both side of the Ohio River where you cannot have anything hanging from a tree nor place any stakes into the ground, so you have to be creative in raising an antenna as seen from these photos on the lawn below the Big Four Bridge at Louisville's Waterfront Park.


Big Four Bridge Lawn 
Waterfron Park
Louisville, KY. USA
 

32' Random Wire
17' Counterpoise
11 meter SOTABeam
Travel Mast
32' Random Wire
17' Counterpoise
11 meter SOTABeam
Travel Mast



 SOTABeam Travel Mast
velcroed to swing post






Almost a mile west from this part of the waterfront is a area called the "Great Lawn" where thousands gather for the Kentucky Derby Festival Air Show and Fireworks display. Another area where a small footprint is needed.


Great Lawn Overlook Ohio River
Louisville, KY. USA

80 - 10 Meter
Alpha Mag Loop
mounted to three 3' PVC tubing
 




Further upstream are the public and private wharfs which at times areas can become flooded.  Photos of flooded / not flooded Public Wharf and Private Wharfs. 


Louisville, KY. USA Public Wharf
on the Ohio River
Flooded
 
 



Louisville, KY. USA Public Wharf
on the Ohio River
Not-Flooded


 40/20 Tuftlen Linked EFHW 
11 meter SOTAbeam Travel Mast
Sloper configuration




Louisville, KY. USA Private Wharf
on the Ohio River Flooded







 40/20 Tuftlen Linked EFHW
  Sloper configuration with
20 foot B&M Black Widow Crappie Road

 




When the waterfront is filled with visitors, I operate adjacent to the Louisville Rowing Club's facilities along the banks of the river away from the beaten path which gives me an option where being away from the masses I can have a bigger footprint if wanted.  A couple of years ago I had erected a QRO 60 - 10 meter Linked Dipole up on a 30' Jackite Pole. I figured no one would notice my antenna. Someone did notice the top of my antenna behind the bluff along the path. It was Mike / N4DCW, the SOTA Summits on the Air - W4K/ Kentucky Division - Association Manager.



Louisville Rowing Club
Waterfront Park
Louisville, KY. USA 


QRO 40 - 10 Meter EFHW 
Sloper configuration
up 30 feet into a tree







Carrie Gaulbery Cox Park part of the
Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail
along the shores of the Ohio River
between Kentucky and Indiana


A few miles east of downtown Louisville is Carrie Gaulbert Cox's Park which is along the the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trial (US-4572) on the Ohio River where I have antenna setup options. In this photo due to the number of visitors I chose a random wire.



Carrie Gaulbert Cox Park
Louisville, KY. USA


32' Random Wire / 17' Counterpoise 
40 - 10 meters
11 meter SOTAbeam Travel Mast







Jeffersonville, IN. USA
Waterfront on the
Ohio River


Across from Louisville, KY. is Jeffersonville, IN. another part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail (US-4572) with scenic views looking toward Louisville with beautiful frontage park area along the banks of the Ohio River like this one next to Jeffersonville's Riverfront Stage.  One view looking east toward the stage, another looking west toward the Big Four Pedestrian Bridge connecting Kentucky/Indiana, and another view looking west to the twin vehicular bridges (I-65).  Spikes into the ground and lines into trees are forbidden in this part of Jeffersonville's waterfront.






Waterfront Park and River Stage
Jeffersonville, IN. USA 

32' Random Wire / 17' Counterpoise 
40 - 10 meters 
11 Meter SOTAbeam Travel Mast
32' Random Wire / 17' Counterpoise 
40 - 10 meters
11 Meter SOTAbeam Travel Mast






Alpha Mag Loop
80 - 10 Meters






The Falls of the Ohio State Park
Clarksville, IN. USA
US-2255


The Falls of the Ohio State Park Parks on the Air site/US-2255 is located in Clarksville, IN. USA and is a part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail Parks on the Air site US-4572.  


Falls of the Ohio State Park
Parks on the Air Site
US-2255




Falls of the Ohio State Park
Parks on the Air Site
US-2255
Lewis and Clark
 National Historical Trail
US-4572
























This is another park along the banks of the Ohio River where a small footprint is a necessity due the volume of park visitors in the vast area of the park property.  In most areas of the park, I used my Buddipole Deluxe Antenna pack as a Buddistick or Buddipole Dipole configurations. 


Buddipole
Vertical
Buddipole
Dipole


  
























George Rogers Clark Homesite
Clarksville, IN. USA
US-2255 & US-4970

George Rogers Clark had a homestead overlooking the Falls of the Ohio. The replica of his homestead recently burned down leaving the area not as visited prior to fire.  Thus allowing more antenna options at the site which is part of the Falls of the Ohio State Park property.


Alpha Mag Loop
80 - 10 Meters 




40 - 10 Meter EFHW Sloper
11 Meter SOTAbeam Travel Mast







Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site
New Albany, IN. USA
US-6970

One of the most restricted Parks on the Air properties in my area is the Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site (US-6970) about a half mile north of the Ohio River in New Albany, IN. USA.  You are not allowed to set-up on the grounds during operating hours of the mansion.   Monday and Tuesday are the days the mansion is closed; so that's when I operate at this site at the rear of the property. 


Culbertson Mansion
New Albany, IN. USA
Culbertson Mansion
New Albany, IN. USA
























Buddipole Deluxe
Buddistick Configuration



Alpha Mag Loop
80 - 10 meters









Riverfront Park
New Albany, IN. USA

One final site along the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail on the Ohio River across from Louisville is the Riverfront Park of New Albany, IN/ USA.  This riverfront park can become crowded on any given day, some choosing a spot to operate can be troublesome and essentially I need a small footprint no matter what type of antenna I use.  My activations here have always been at sunrise so I only have to contend with the early morning walkers. When the river rises activations are pointless.


Amphitheatre at
Riverfront Park
New Albany, IN. USA

QRO 40 - 10 Meter EFHW
up 30 feet from the top of the Observation Platform


Flooded Riverfront Park
New Albany, IN. USA


I've been asked by some operators why I seem to have an arsenal of atenna, antenna options and configurations.  I have a saying about antenna. They are like underwear, you can never have too many.



Comments

  1. Johnson's TechworldOctober 29, 2024 at 9:44 AM

    Wonder how far from your home do you travel maximum on your bike for activations? 73 de Jon, VU2JO

    ReplyDelete

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