This Is How I Roll !

 

 Amateur Radio has come a LONG WAY since I was first licensed in the early 60's. 

 I never imagined that the tiny device I used to sneak and listen to the 1961 World Series Baseball  games while sitting in my grade school class would in part, lead to the development of Amateur Radio equipment minimization that has allowed me to transport my entire Ham Radio station and other equipment on a bicycle which has led me to billed myself

"N4JAW - Ham On A Bike" 

  

This is "How I Rolled" in 2025 for some of my Parks on the Air activities. 

January 2025

January weather in the Ohio River Valley in the U.S. can be unpredictable and because I have a few bikes; I have different options to use to tackle potential treacherous road conditions when doing my winter Parks on the Air activations. Daily snow for most of the month limited my POTA activations to a handful. 

I was able to capture a few deer out foraging for food during an activation at Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve. 

 During that activation I used the outstanding the CW MOUSE Paddle I received from Mike / KN6FQM to review.

 

February 2025

Not much snow in February 2025 but temperatures were normally cold which allowed me to dress properly and get in a few POTA activations riding my 1970's model  Raleigh Record and using my Yaesu FT-817 for a POTA activation on the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail US-4572 along the shores of the Ohio  River at Waterfront Park, Louisville, KY. USA,

 

March 2025

The usual cold temperatures continued in March 2025 with little measurable snow but cold temperatures. As the says goes, "There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing", allowed me to use my SE Lager Single Speed for my Ham on a Bike POTA activations using my QRP Labs 40 meter QCX Mini and the Tufteln Kneeboard with my American Morse Equipment Ultra Porta Paddle and my YouKits HB-1B, ATU-10 Auto-tuner with Sporty's Pilot Kneeboard the CW Mouse paddle.

April 2025

April brought warmer temperatures which meant more opportunities for POTA activations, doing some bicycle training using my SE Lager Single Speed. Nice to have a few QRP radios like my YouKits HB-1B and QCX Minis to use with my Jackite telescopic pole in the Nature Preserve before seasonal foliage expanded.  Reached a milestone with my 300th Parks on the Air activation from Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve US-7956, Louisville, KY. USA

 

May 2025

Most of May was spent kit building and repairs of some of my Ham Radio equipment in preparation for summer operating. All of May's POTA activities were from Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve using my SE Lager Single Speed to transport equipment.  It was a QRP Labs month using my QCX 40 Meter Mini for Morse Code, my QDX operating FT 8 and the highlight of the month was making contacts with recently constructed PIXIE QRPp CW Transceiver. 

June 2025

Summer season brought out my Surly Long Haul Trucker (LHT) touring bike to increase my equipment load.  The LHT can easily handle carrying my Deluxe Buddipole Antenna system, 16Ah battery, 60 watt solar panel, Yaesu FT-891, Panasonic Toughpad, food, water, etc. 

June is the beginning of hot and humid weather conditions in the Ohio Valley region of Kentucky. It is the start of my "Beat The Heat - Dawn Patrol" Ham radio and  cycling activities. At it worst; sunrise temperatures can be in the mid 80 with dew points above 70 and humidity over 85%. I'm out before day break and back home before10 am local time, well before that thermometer gets into the 90's with increasing threats of afternoon thunderstorms.

My pre-dawn operating not only gives me reprieve from the heat and humidity but I can enjoy deer sightings at Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve and through other parks on my ride to operate on the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail US-4572 at Waterfront Park on the Ohio River at Louisville, KY. USA.

July 2025

All of my POTA activations for this month were made using my Buddipole Deluxe antenna system in various configurations. July begins those hot, humid conditions with pop-up thunderstorms in the afternoon that often brings severe weather in the afternoon. That makes sunrise operating vital.  I was able to make the trip across the Ohio River into Southern Indiana to activate at the Falls of the Ohio State Park US-2255 along the Lewis and Clark Trail in Clarksville IN. USA US-4572 and at Waterfront Park in Louisville, KY. USA.  Additional activations were made at Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve in Louisville, KY. USA with almost daily stops by the Louisville Zoo near the Preserve to commune with the giraffes at the enclosure.

     

August 2025

August lived up to be its usual hottest month of the year and almost all of my POTA activations performed at dawn.  Another month of using my Surly LHT to transport my Buddipole, Jackite Telescopic Pole, QRP QCX mini / QDX, FT-891, and MFJ Manual Tuner.  Not only was I able to capture several serene sunrises, my daily deer sightings, visits with the giraffe at the Louisville Zoo but the QSO of a lifetime using my sunrise greyline on 40 meters to make a QRPp contact with VK5LA / Andy.  

   

September 2025

Cooler September temperatures provided the perfect weather to cycle across the Big Four Bridge over the Ohio River from Louisville, KY. USA into southern Indiana for POTA activations at the Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site US-6970 in New Albany, IN, The Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, IN. USA and the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail in Jeffersonville, IN. USA  along the shores of the Ohio River. Also made my yearly trek to E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park US-1254 in eastern Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA and several activations at Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve with visits from "Rocky" squirrel gathering nuts for the fall and winter.

October 2025

My Parks on the Air activities waned beginning in October as I started a part-time job in order to begin saving funds for 2026 Bike Tours and maybe purchases of some ham radio equipment. 2025 Bike Tour plans were scratched as I continue to recovery from my last Bladder cancer treatments in 2023. However, I was able to get in a few Morse Code, FT-817 Signalink / Panasonic ToughpadFT8 activations including using my QRP Labs QCX 20 Meter Mini I repaired.

November 2025

November turned out to be colder than usual which between work and cold rainy weather I was unable to do as many POTA activations as I wanted. Still a cold day doing POTA is better than no POTA at all.  The big takeaway from November was preparing my Dahon Folding bike for winter and snow riding. The Dahon Folding bike allows easy transport on Public Transportation if I so chose on those  winter days when snow icy road conditions may cycling especially dangerous. 

November gave me much excitement with my purchase of an All Classic Ham Radio; the HeathKit HW-8 Morse Code Transceiver. I had built a HW-8 in 1978 which got lost over the years. I've been looking for one of these in fairly decent condition and I found one in exceptional mint condition for its age. I also rpair my Radio Adventure Paddle to join back with my QRP Labs QCX Mini Twins; Bada Bing and Bada Boom (40 & 20 Meters)

December 2025

The last month of 2025 was dismal as I battled a respiratory for the month which threaten to prevent me from reaching my 400th Parks on the Air activation at US-7956 Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve in Louisville, KY. USA.  In spite of snow, cold temperatures and work I was not going to be denied reaching my goal. 

Many thanks to all from the Amateur Radio community who helped make 2025 such a GREAT year for my ham radio Parks on the Air adventures. And mujch thanks to all for allowing me to share my experiences.  

73 and hope to share more of HOW I ROLL in 2026!