Elecraft KX3 Macros for DXpeditions & POTA Using the QRPWorks SideKar

 In my previous post Elecraft KX3 Macros for Multi-Mode POTA Activations, I wrote about the recursive macros I programmed into the KX3 to switch between the 3 most common modes (CW, SSB, FT-8/4) I use during my POTA activations. I also mentioned that I recently acquired a QRPWorks SideKar Decoder Edition. To say this is a memory keyer is a misnomer. Yes, the 'keyer' not only allows messages but also macros and it allows 20 message/macros in 10 different groups for up to 200 messages/macros. It also has a built-in logger (up to 1000 QSOs), wireless keyboard support (2.4 GHz keyboards), and a decoder for CW, RTTY, and PSK31! In short, this is a game changer as I continue my 1-man DXpeditions and international POTA park activations!

Working "pileups" from a DX entity is more demanding than the pileups POTA activators typically encounter when activating parks in the US. So, to help manage the pileup on CW and (sometimes) SSB, I work SPLIT. Split operation is essentially transmitting on one frequency but listening on another. For example, in CW mode I always work split up 1 which means I will transmit on 14.025 MHz, but I am listening on 14.026 MHz. If another station transmits on 14.025 MHz, I will not hear them, and even worse, the stations that are listening for my signal may not hear me if someone is also transmitting on my DX frequency! (Setting a rig for split operation is explained in the transceiver's manual.)

Since I already used 7 of the 8 available rig macros on the KX3, I wanted a way to include macros for split operations, and also for RTTY and PSK31. Enter the QRPWorks SideKar! The SideKar will store up to 20 messages/macros. So, back to macro editing, I created a few more macros for my upcoming DXpedition activations. 

Line items 1 - 3 and 6 - 8 are messages assigned to the respective function keys on the wireless keyboard. Line items 11 - 13, and 16 - 20 are macros assigned to ALT key + function keys F1 - F3 an F5 through F10 respectively. Let's take a closer look at the macros. Referring back to my previous post, pressing PF1 on the KX3 will configure the KX3 for either CW, SSB, or FT-8 mode. So, first I will set the KX3 into CW mode, find an open frequency, then press ALT + F1 to put the KX3 into split operation listening up 1 KHz. That macro is:

 SWT25;SWT25;UP4;BW0050;FT1;LK1;

These commands are specific for the KX3, but the idea of what the macro does is generally universal if you can load macros into your rig, so lets take a look at what these commands do.

SWT25; -  simulates pressing the A > B key to set VFO B to VFO A

SWT25; -  pressing the A > B switch a second time copies all configuration
                 settings from VFO A to VFO B

UP4; -    changes VFO A up 1 KHz 

BW0050; - increases the 'listening' bandwidth of VFO A

FT1; -    puts the transceiver into SPLIT operation

LK1; -    Locks VFO A (the CW macro turned on RIT to adjust VFO A if needed)

The macro on line 12 basically does the same thing as the macro on line 11, but it puts the rig into split operation with a 5 KHz offset between VFO B and VFO A for SSB mode. The macro on line 13 unlocks VFO A, turns off split operation, and sets VFO A, to VFO B frequency since that was the transmitting frequency. 

The values used for offsetting the frequency are a bit cryptic, and the values may be different for your transceiver. For Elecraft the values are listed below.

0 = 1Hz

1 = 10 Hz

2 = 20 Hz

3 = 50 Hz

4 = 1 KHz

5 = 2 KHz

6 = 3 KHz

7 = 5 KHz

8 = 100 Hz

9 = 200 Hz

The macros on lines 15 - 17, and 18 - 20 are similar to the macros created for FT-8 modes and frequencies in the previous post but configure the KX3 for RTTY and PSK modes and calling frequencies on 20-, 15-, and 10-meter bands respectively.

The messages and macros I use for POTA activations are very similar to the ones I use for my 1-man DXpeditions except I don't include the macros for split operation. (NOTE: I do use split on my DXpeditions even when I'm operating from a POTA referenced park, but I don't call "CQ POTA.") 

The SideKar utility allows us to define 20 messages or macros in 10 groups. That's 200 possible message/macros. I created groups based on my favorite activities when operating portable (including my DXpeditions) as shown below. 

Line items 1 through 10 are contest messages for running and pouncing in CW and RTTY modes for the CQ WW WPX contests. When I am at a DX entity during a contest weekend, I simply change the [callsign] to the appropriate callsign for the DX location I am operating from, connect the SideKar to the computer, download the contest messages/macros into the SideKar and go into contest mode! At the end of the contest, I connect the SideKar back to the computer, select my DX callsign, and download those messages/macros back into the magic box! 

I also tried to keep messages/macros on the same function keys for ease of use, but I also made-up 4"x6" cheatsheets with the message/macro assignments on one side and SideKar shortcut keys commonly used on the other side of the card for those times when I might be experiencing a senior moment. 

Elecraft KX3 Macros for Multi-Mode POTA Activations

When I activate parks, I often try to operate in more than a single mode to provide a variety of ways for hunters to contact me. But switching between the modes often entails various adjustments and changes to menu settings for optimum performance of the rig. Occasionally when I switched between operating modes, I always seemed to forget one or two settings even with a cheat sheet. Fortunately, the Elecraft KX3 and other rigs make it easy to switch modes and automatically change the different settings using macros. In layman's terms a macro is simply a sequence of codes that automatically perform a repetitive set of actions programmatically. For example, on the KX3 in SSB mode I always set the bandwidth to 2.8 KHz, set AGC to slow, and AFX mode set to "delay." But when I switch to CW mode, I set the bandwidth to 250 Hz, the AGC is set to fast, and AFX mode is set to "pitch," and in FT-8 mode the bandwidth is set to 4 KHz, the AGC is turned off, and the AFX mode is also turned off. These are just a few of the different settings I use when switching between modes. So, instead of having to remember all the customs settings for each mode, I wrote some macros specifically for my Parks on the Air (POTA) activations and uploaded them to my KX3 to make mode and band changes brain-dead simple.  (I have a second set of macros that I use for my 1-Man DXpeditions where I only operate SPLIT for CW (and sometimes SSB) and F/H mode in FT-8 and will detail that in a later post.)

The commands for programming macros for the KX3 (and KX2 and K3) are found in the Programmer's Reference. The programmer's reference explains all the command codes to adjust various settings and menu options in the radio. There are a lot of options, but each macro is limited to 120 characters, so the settings for each macro must be chosen carefully. Elecraft also provides a utility program for each radio that allows users to create macros and test them before uploading them to the radio. So, without further ado, here are the macros I wrote specifically for my US POTA activations with a brief explanation of each. Let's start with my macro for phone mode or SSB. The macro is:

MD2;BW0280;PA1;NB1;NL7;GT004;MG40;MN135;MP000;MN082;MP001; 

MN105;MP001;MN110;SWT27;SWH18;SWT19;SWH26;MN255;

Notice each command is followed by a semi-colon (including the last command in the string), and there are no spaces between commands. The following is an explanation of the settings: 

• MD2; - sets the mode to USB  
• BW0280; - sets the bandwidth filter to 2.80 KHz. 
• PA1; - turns the preamp on
• NB1; - turn on noise blanker
• NL7; - sets noise blanker level to 7 (mid-range)
• GT004; - set AGC to ON (if turned off) and AGC to SLOW
• MG40; - sets MIC GAIN to 40

All MNxxxx commands are settings accessed via the menu functions. MPxxx are the specific bit menu parameters.

• MN135; - MIC BIAS menu item
• MP000; - sets MIC BIAS OFF (not needed for my headset)
• MN082; - MIC BUTTON menu item
• MP001; - sets MIC BUTTON to PTT
• MN105; - AFX mode menu item
• MP001; - AFX audio mode to DELAY

The next set of commands are used to control the macro assignment buttons PF1 and PF2 and which macro they will call. 

• MN110; - Macro Function menu item
• SWT27; - taps the ATTN (#2) button to call MACRO 2 (CW settings)
• SWH18; - assigns MACRO 2 to the PF1 button
• SWT19; - taps the NR (#1) button for MACRO 1 (SSB settings)
• SWH26; - assigns MACRO 1 to the PF2 button
• MN255; - exits the menu 

Let's assume the radio is in SSB mode when we start. PF2 is set to MACRO 1 which are the SSB mode settings. This is because when switching bands, the KX3 will revert to the previous settings used on that band. If I still want to operate in SSB mode, I simply press PF2, and it will automatically reset all the settings based on my SSB macro commands. Pressing the PF1 button will call MACRO 2 and change the radio settings to the configuration I use for CW mode operation and is described below.

MD3;BW0025;NB1;NL7;GT002;PA1;RT1;RC;KS020;MN135;MP000;MN082;MP000;MN105;MP002;MN110;SWT20;SWH18;SWT27;SWH26;MN255;

• MD3; - sets the mode to CW
• BW0025; - sets bandwidth to 250 Hz
• NB1; - turns on noise blanker (NB)
• NL7; - sets noise blanker to 7 (mid-range)
• GT002; - sets AGC to FAST
• PA1; - turns on preamp 
• RT1; - turns on RIT
• RC; - centers RIT
• KS020; - sets key speed to 20 wpm
• MN135; - MIC BIAS menu item
• MP000; - sets MIC BIAS to OFF
• MN082; - MIC BUTTON menu item
• MP000; - sets MIC BUTTON to OFF
• MN105; - AFX Mode menu item
• MP001; - AFX audio mode to PITCH
• MN110; - Macro Function menu item
• SWT20; - taps the APF (#3) button to call MACRO 3 (FT-8 settings)
• SWH18; - assigns MACRO 3 to PF1
• SWT27; - taps the ATTN (#2) button for MACRO 2 (CW settings)
• SWH26; - assigns MACRO 2 to PF2
• MN255; - exits the menu 

For POTA activations in the US, I do not operate SPLIT, so I am not worried about setting VFO B. Also, although VOX is requried on the Elecraft for CW, I do not have a command to turn on VOX because the only way to do that programmatically is to simulate pressing the VOX button. However, if VOX is already turned on in CW mode, and I send a command to 'tap the VOX button' (SWT29), it will actually turn VOX off. So, this is something I must remember to check when switching to CW mode.

Note that the macro assignment portion of MACRO 2 reassigns the PF1 button to MACRO 3 (FT-8 mode), and the PF2 button is assigned to MACRO 2 (CW mode). Again, when changing bands, the band retains the last used configuration, so pressing the PF2 button will reset the radio settings to my CW mode settings to continue using CW on a new band. Pressing the PF1 button will activate MACRO 3 which configures the radio for FT-8 mode, and specifically for FT-8 on 20 meters as shown below.

FA00014074000;DELAY;MD6;DT0;BW0400;AG015;MG040;MN128;MP000;MN105;MP000;MN135;MP000;MN110;SWT19;SWH18;SWT28;SWH26;MN255;

• FA00014074000; - sets VFO A to 14.074 MHz
• DELAY: - delays processing commands for @10 ms for band changes
• MD6; - sets the mode to DATA
• DT0; - DATA A mode
• BW0400; - sets bandwidth to 4 KHz
• AG015; - sets AF Gain to 15
• MG040; - sets Mic Gain to 040 
• MN128; - AGC mode menu
• MP000; - turns AGC off
• MN105; - AFX mode menu
• MP000; - turns AFX off
• MN135; - MIC BIAS menu
• MP000; - turn off MIC BIAS
• MN110; - Macro Function menu
• SWT19; - sets MACRO 1 (SSB macro)
• SWH18; - assigns MACRO 1 to PF1 (loops back to SSB mode)
• SWT28; - taps the SPOT (#4) button to call MACRO 4
• SWH26; - assigns MACRO 4 to PF2
• MN255; - exits the menu 

The AF Gain and Mic Gain settings may vary depending on your sound settings on the computer and the settings in WSJT-X. Also, some rigs may perform better with AGC turned on. These are my preferred settings. 

Notice that in MACRO 1 (SSB Mode), we assign PF1 to MACRO 2 (CW Mode). When we press PF1 to switch to CW mode, PF1 is reassigned to MACRO 3 (FT-8 mode). Pressing PF1 again will change the radio configuration to 20-meter FT-8 mode and reassigns MACRO 1 to the PF1 button again. This is a recursive macro; meaning that simply by pressing PF1 we will cycle from SSB mode to CW mode, to FT-8 mode, and back to SSB mode again. 

Also notice that in FT-8 mode the PF2 button is assigned to MACRO 4 instead of MACRO 3. MACRO 4 - 7 are another set of recursive macros for use when the radio is in FT-8 mode. Pressing PF2 button will cycle from FT-8 on 20 meters, to FT-8 settings on 17 meters, to FT-8 settings on 15 meters, to FT-8 settings on 12 meters, to FT-8 settings on 10 meters, then back to FT-8 settings on 20 meters again. MACROS 4 - 7 are listed below. 

FA00018100000;DELAY;MD6;DT0;BW0400;AG015;MG040;MN128;MP000;MN105;MP000;MN135;MP000;MN110;SWT21;SWH26;MN255;

 

FA00021074000;DELAY;MD6;DT0;BW0400;AG015;MG040;MN128;MP000;MN105;MP000;MN135;MP000;MN110;SWT29;SWH26;MN255;

 

FA00024915000;DELAY;MD6;DT0;BW0400;AG015;MG040;MN128;MP000;MN105;MP000;MN135;MP000;MN110;SWT32;SWH26;MN255; 

 

FA00028074000;DELAY;MD6;DT0;BW0400;AG015;MG040;MN128;MP000;MN105;MP000;MN135;MP000;MN110;SWT28;SWH20;MN255;

These macros set the most common settings, and especially the settings only accessible via the menus that I regularly change between modes during my POTA activations. Using a macro to avoid having to navigate the menu to modify settings is a real time saver, and also ensures that I don't inadvertently forget a menu setting. I recently added the QRPWorks SideKar Decoder Edition to my kit. QRPWorks also has a utility to program macros into the SideKar that can be used to control the radio, and I programed several macros for RTTY and PSK31 modes (that I'll outline in a separate post).

And although this post is focused on the Elecraft KX3, these macros and also be used the KX2 with some minor modifications. But most importantly is knowing that many modern transceivers can be programmed with macros and learning how to program your rig with macros can save some time, and potentially some frustration. If you have other settings, please add your comments. Your advice may be useful to others. 

My Very First Dx-Pedition (2017)

 Every summer my family took a sailing trip to the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada. The Gulf Islands seem less crowded than the San Juan Islands of Washington state. The islands are beautiful, and the anchorages are peaceful. Also, my daughter really loves Thetis Island, and every year we made it a point to spend at least 3 -5 days at Telegraph Harbor Marina. 

I was first licensed in 2016 and jumped into the hobby headfirst. By early 2017 I made my first portable Parks On The Air (POTA) activation from Blake Island (K-3161), and now I was heading up to Canada for summer vacation with the family. It would be the perfect opportunity to put my newly acquired CW skills to the test, give my portable kit another trial staging my portable setup from the sailboat, and most importantly operate a DX station instead of chasing DX from the home shack!

Our route to Telegraph harbor always had us sailing past the Sandstone Rocks islets just off the southern tip of Tent Island. These 2 islets are very small sandstone rocks (hence the name) that rise about 3 meters above the high-water line. The larger of the 2 islets has a small beach to land a dinghy, some scrub brush, and a very small Cyprus tree that is barely clinging to life. This I thought would be a perfect location to once again test deploying my kit from the sailboat into a dinghy, and landing on a beach and setting up a portable station in some remote spot. This was all a precursor for my planned 2019 departure to sail across the Pacific Ocean and activate various islands. 

So, in August of 2017 we arrived in Telegraph Harbor and got settled in for the evening. The next morning, I loaded my complete kit into my Northface XL Base Camp Duffle bag, put the bag into the dinghy and headed out of the harbor towards the islets. About 30 minutes later I arrived at the islets and slowly approached the beach on the southeastern side of the larger islet. Landing was a bit delayed because I didn't want to startle the seals which had taken up slumber positions on the rocky ledges. Some slipped back into the water and raised their heads in curiosity, others just lifted their heads momentarily and laid back down and closed their eyes. 

Once on the beach, I secured the dinghy and strapped the duffle bag on my back to begin the short climb to the top of the rock. Fortunately, the top of the islet was reasonably flat. How grass and trees grew there was beyond me as the soil was not more than 2-3 cm deep. I erected my Buddipole dipole antenna and secured the guy lines to the small Cyprus tree, a rock, and a piece of driftwood that I recovered from the beach area. Next, I setup my Helinox Table One Hard Top Camping Table  and Helinox One chair (which I love because they pack up small and are extremely light weight), then setup my Elecraft K2 and KAT 100 tuner, got out my Vibroplex Vibrokeyer and RadioSport headset and settled back in the chair and began calling "CQ de WA7WJR/VE7/P."

I made 20 QSOs from those islets during 3 hours of operation. I took a break to walk around the islet a bit, stare back at the seals, and watch a myriad of boats pass by on their way to Telegraph Harbor or points further north. I operated a few more times but this was certainly a high point.

For Americans operating in Canada is very easy since the US and Canada have automatic reciprocal license privileges. This means a US citizen only needs his/her FCC license, passport (or government issued ID), and append the Canadian call area to his/her call sign. However, the band plan in Canada is slightly different than the US band plan. See Radio Amateurs of Canada Band Plan for details.

POTA REPORT - Fort Worden State Park, WA (K-3194)

Late September is really a beautiful time here in the Pacific Northwest. Days tend to be in the 70's, mostly sunny, and the leaves on the tree are just starting to turn to welcome the autumn season to western Washington. So, to celebrate my 23rd anniversary the wife and I drove over to Port Townsend for a few days. And because my wife understands my passion for ham radio and has infinite patience, she agreed to let me play radio at nearby Fort Worden State Park. 

So, on our second day we drove out to the park and found a nice shady spot at Point Wilson near the lighthouse where I setup my Buddipole, a table, 2 chairs, and my POTA kit. I almost always work 20M and this outing would be no different. I started with FT8 and made 16 QSOs, then switched to phone and made 5 QSOs, tried CW for about 5 minutes with no takers, then back to FT8 for 2 more contacts. The band conditions weren't the best on this day, and I didn't want to press my luck, so after an hour I called it a day and packed things up so we could spend some time exploring the park. 

WA7WJR working a phone near Fort Warden's Point Wilson Lighthouse (K-3194)

After an hour playing radio, it was time to explore the park to enjoy the beautiful day, the natural surroundings, and...

Caution signs are synonymous with FUN!!! 

Let's go in here!

Fort Worden is a HUGE park. Lots of open space, lots of trails, lots of sandy beaches (don't go swimming...the water is damn cold), lots of historic buildings (some of which you can rent), campgrounds, a lighthouse at Point Wilson, and of course the old gun batteries that protected the US from crazed hordes of marauding Canadians. 😂

There aren't a lot of picnic tables (other than at the campgrounds), but there are plenty of places to setup a portable rig and start POTA'ing.  Also, if you stay at the campground or in one of the available residences for rent, you can operate throughout the night. This being an old Army base the park is massive. I was quite impressed with the beauty of looking out over the Strait of Juan De Fuca and Admiralty Inlet of Puget Sound, the historic significance of the park and its well-preserved buildings, and the natural beauty. And exploring the battery magazines was fun!

                         I've got this...                              Honey, we have a problem!

Oh...if you're planning on exploring the battery magazines you should take a headlamp or a flashlight. There are some interesting passageways in the main battery to explore! 

POTA REPORT - Blake island, WA (K-3161)

It was February 2017, I just finished building my Elecraft K2 and KAT-100 kits, the Buddipole antenna arrived via UPS, and the weather was looking unusually good for February in Seattle. I did a dry run of setting up my first portable kit in the back yard. Made a checklist, then carefully repacked my kit. Everything was a go! 

My portable kit at the time was rather simple. An Elecraft K2 & KAT-100 combination, the Buddipole antenna, a 12 VDC 12Ah SLA battery, and a small Heliox table and chair which all fit nicely in a North Face duffle. Friday morning, I departed Elliott Bay Marina for the roughly 10-mile trip to the "back side" (western side) of Blake Island to grab a mooring ball. I have sailed over to Blake Island many times with my family. I knew the island very well, but once secured on the mooring, I took the dinghy ashore to do a bit of reconnaissance to find a spot to setup on Saturday. After locating an ideal spot on the "spit" on the northwest part of the island I went back to the boat to relax for the evening.

Saturday morning was beautiful but pretty darn cold. I really didn't want to leave the warmth of the Dickenson diesel heater warming the cabin of the sailboat. But, after a couple cups of hot black coffee and a hearty breakfast I layered up and ventured out into the cockpit, carefully loaded my kit into the dinghy, and made my way to the island. This time of year, I pretty much had the island to myself except for the ranger who lived on the other side of the island, a gaze of racoons, and the occasional sighting of a deer. There was no wind, and the sun was warming things up rather nicely...well, as nice as you can expect for February in Seattle. At least it wasn't raining!

I found my spot, setup my Buddipole antenna, setup the table and chair, sat down and went to work. In the span of 2 hours, I had made 10 QSOs. It was my first time to operate portable. It was my first time to operate QRP. And, although I didn't realize it until later, it was my very first Parks On The Air (POTA) activation! (In all honesty I didn't know I was activating a POTA site at the time, and later found out that past activities could be logged with POTA.)  I was pretty darn excited, but despite the sunshine the cold got the better part of me, so I called it a day. But a very good day indeed!

Getting to Blake Island is not easy. because the island is only accessible by private boat. (Pre-pandemic Argosy Cruises in Seattle would take visitors out to the island to visit Tillicum Village, but Argosy has opted out of that agreement in 2022.) On the east side of the island is a small marina (which fills quickly in the summer), a ranger station, Tillicum Village (which is closed), 2 pavilions, lots of picnic tables, plenty of open space and a campground nearby. On the west and southwest side of the island are mooring balls, campgrounds, sandy beaches (not for swimming unless you like bathing in 52 F water year-round), and a few picnic tables. It is possible to anchor boats, but the bottom profile has a steep drop off, and the currents and winds can sometimes cause poorly set anchors to drag. 

POTA REPORT - Rooster Rock State Park (a 5-fer)

 

This past month (August 2022) I travelled to Oregon for a few days to help my daughter get moved into her apartment for her junior year at Reed College. Most of my time was spent putting together IKEA furniture, but I did manage to squeeze out a 4-hour chunk of time to go play POTA. So, after studying the POTA map page I decided that I'd drive out to activate Rooster Rock State Park (K-2850) along the Columbia River. 

The Columbia River area is an activator's "dream spot." In Washington I have activated a "2-fer" (a state park within the boundaries of a national forest) a few times. But this was my first "5-fer" primarily due to the confluence of 3 national historic trails. The park references are: 

• K-2850 - Rooster Rock State Park
  
• K-0731 - Columbia River Gorge National Forest
  
• K-4576 - Oregon National Historic Trail
  
• K-4572 - Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
  
• K-3424 - Ice Age Floods National Scenic Trail 

After a brief 2-hour activation I had 42 QSOs in the log, but since it's a 5-fer it counted as 210! It was a nice break in the day. I wish I could have spent longer, but I wanted to get back to Reed before Rush hour.

Rooster Rock State Park is about 20 miles east of Portland on Interstate 84 at Exit 25. It is a day use only park, so you have to check the website for times. The parking area is massive, and numerous picnic tables that line the bank of the Columbia River. It's very easy to simply park, setup your kit on one of the many picnic tables and get on the air while watching eagles soar, large white herons stalk for prey in the tidelands, an occasional river barge pass by as the mighty Columbia River flows towards the Pacific Ocean. 

The trees along the bank are not tall, so a wire antenna is probably not the best choice here. I almost always use a Buddipole dipole antenna for my POTA activations, and there is ample space for a dipole or vertical antenna. There are also picnic tables and pavilions (available to rent) in areas away from the river with trees of sufficient height if you need a tree to raise your wire antenna.

Visitors will need a day pass ($5 USD) or an annual Oregon Park Day Use Parking Permit. There are numerous (flush) toilet facilities in the park, a ranger station, lots of trails, and for anyone who feels the need to operate a ham radio and activate a park in the nude there is a special section of the park where clothes are optional. 

I was there on a weekday, and the park was relatively empty. I suspect with the park's close proximity to Portland, the beautiful setting, a popular place for windsurfing/kite boarding, boating, fishing, hiking, etc., this place is probably pretty busy on weekends. 

Operating POTA / DX In Guam

Rainbow over Guam

In Late February I flew back to Guam to do some much-needed work on my sailboat, and while here I definitely wanted to activate the 2 parks (K-0762 and K-0110) identified by the Parks On The Air team. The park activations in Washington and Texas were precursors to my 1-man holiday style DX / POTA activations.

The work on the boat took up more time than expected. Also, unusually strong trade winds made putting up the Buddipole antenna rather precarious and presented an almost constant risk of breaking or bending something. And to be completely honest, I did in fact break one extension arm and bend one of the extension shock-cord whips while setting up and a gust came from the opposite direction from the prevailing winds! Finally, although we are not yet in the rainy season, there were numerous rain showers that soaked various the island periodically throughout the day. The short story is that I didn't get on the air and play radio as much as I wanted, but I'm not finished yet and there will be more to come!

War In The Pacific National Historical Park 
(POTA K-0762)

Asan Beach Park

The War in the Pacific National Historical Park is actually 6 separate parks on the island of Guam. The largest of the 2 parks is Asan Beach in the village of Asan. This was the site of one of 2 main landing sites when the US Marines stormed Guam in 1944 to defeat the Japanese. However, very little remains of the fortifications and the area has been transformed into a popular beach park on the island. 

6 Units of War In the Pacific National Park in Guam

Working POTA/DX in Guam

On March 7, 2022, I activated the War in the Pacific National Historical Park (POTA K-0762). There are few picnic tables and no pavilions that would provide shade or protection from the weather. After spending a day to reconnoiter the vast park I finally decided on an area next to the parking lot at Asan Point to setup next to some bushes that would provide necessary shade. But the shade didn't appear until around 3 pm local time, and the park closed the gates at 6 pm. So, that gave me a 3-hour window to operate.

Asan Beach ops

I parked next to the grassy area where I setup my POTA shack. The POTA / 1-man holiday style DX shack that travels with me on my sailboat consists of a Helinox Table One Hard Top collapsible table, and a Helinox Chair One XL collapsible chair, a Honda EU2000i portable generator (very quiet), a Buddipole dipole on a Mastwerks 23' mast, a Powerwerx 30 amp switching power supply, an Elecraft KX3 transceiver, an Elecraft KXPA100 amplifier, and a Microsoft Surface Pro 2 tablet for running WSJTX for FT8 operations and ACLog for logging, and a Begali Adventure key for CW ops. The entire setup takes about 20 minutes. Tear down goes a little faster.

The first activation of this park was highly successful with 87 FT8 QSOs on 20M in about 3 hours of operation. Most of the QSOs were Japanese stations, but also include Indonesia, China, Brazil, Austria, Italy, Hawaii, Republic of Korea, North Macedonia, Texas, France, Spain, England, European Russia, Asiatic Russia, Australia, Denmark, and Canary Islands. I would say the propagation was great!

Based on my results from March 7, I returned to the same exact location in the park and setup on March 8. On day 2 of POTA operations at K-0110 I only made 74 FT8 QSOs on 20M. Hunters and DX'ers were from Republic of Korea, Japan, Texas, Hawaii, Uruguay, New Zealand, France, Asiatic Russia, China, England, Argentina, and Taiwan. Unfortunately, I had to stop transmitting and take 3 short breaks because the amplifier overheated. The average temperature in Guam is about 86F (30C) degrees. I only operated at about 50 watts and thought the almost constant winds would keep the amplifier cool. But for some reason on this day, I encountered an overheating problem. 

Ga'an Point Park

20cm Cannon

After a long break, on March 27 I activated the War in the Pacific National Historical Park at Ga'an Point in Agat village. This was the second primary landing beach for US Marines in 1944. This park is much smaller than Asan Beach but has the remains of a Japanese 20cm coastal defense gun, an anti-aircraft gun, a pillbox, and small caves where Japanese soldiers slept. There is no gate on this park, and it is open 24 hours a day. There are 2 picnic tables and a public restroom, but no pavilions for protection from the weather. As a big plus, it is a mere 3 minutes from the Agat Marina where I keep my boat.

Ga'an Point Ops

After finding a nice shady location to setup my portable "shack" and the antenna I started operations once again. This time along with the usual over-abundance of Japanese stations, I also had a total of 122 FT8 QSOs with Alaska, China, Republic of Korea, Texas, Washington, Hong Kong, Indianna, Canada, California, Indonesia, Oregon, Taiwan, Brazil, Asiatic Russia, Fiji, Australia, Hong Kong, Scotland, and the Republic of Korea.

All in all, with a little over 280 QSOs logged, March was not such a bad month.

Guam National Wildlife Refuge
(POTA K-0110)

Star Sand Beach

The second identified POTA park on the island of is the Guam National Wildlife Refuge. This is on the very north end of the island past Anderson Air Force Base which occupies much of the northern part of the island. The refuge is open Wednesday through Sunday from 07:30 am until 4:00 pm. Gates close at 4 pm! I drove up to the refuge and was introduced to the superintendent. Fortunately, she was familiar with amateur radio and showing her the POTA website helped explain my intent. She required that I submit a special use permit (something I wish I would have looked into earlier). Once submitted it only took about 1 week for approval. There were lots of restrictions; however, I was able to setup my POTA shack in 'disturbed' areas adjacent to parking areas. Not the most scenic area of the refuge, but I was able to operate inside the park boundaries!

Map of wildlife refuge on Guam

Finally, on the afternoon of April 2nd, I drove up to the refuge, setup the POTA shack and started FT8 operations on 20M and made 68 QSOs. Since I had to shut down at 3:45 PM I knew that I wasn't going to get as many European stations as I got at the War In The Pacific parks since most of those QSOs occurred after 4:00 pm local time. However, along with the Japanese stations I had contacts with New Caldonia, Republic of Korea, China, Asiatic Russia, Australia, Taiwan, Hawaii, Indonesia, and Washington. 

Moved ops for passing squall.

I decided to go back Sunday morning April 3rd and try again. I arrived at around 8 am, setup and started transmitting again. I wasn't getting pounced on by POTA hunters and DX'ers as in previous activations, to I switched to 15 meters and things started piling up. Unfortunately, around 11 am my amplifier stopped working. The KX3 was putting out a signal, but there was only a small trickle of power coming out of the amplifier. There were no over-heat indications. I tried shutting down and restarting. Taking a break to let it cool down. But nothing seemed to revive the amp. So, I shut things down and packed the kit back up. Fortunately, I was still able to make 50 QSOs, so the POTA activation still counted. 

AH2/WA7WJR POTA 405 QSOs

LESSONS LEARNED

• When setting up a tripod hang a bag of sand or rocks from the bottom of the mast. This is an old photographer's trick to steady camera tripods. The additional weight is useful during assembly, while raising and lowering, and adds overall stability to the antenna rig.
• Attach the guy lines to the mast, raise the mast, and secure the guy lines prior to attaching the antenna elements. This will prevent the mast from falling over with the antenna elements attached before the guy lines are secured. (Don't ask how I know this.)
• If the park is a wildlife refuge, make sure you contact the park superintendent and inquire about special use permits well in advance of your planned operations. Also, check with staff as to operating locations within the refuge.
• Find a shady spot to operate preferably with a good breeze. Don't forget water, sunscreen, and a good hat!
• Carry spare Buddipole extension arms and whips, or an alternate antenna (e.g., wire antenna).
• Pavilions are not always available. I'm going to look for a small 2-person tent to setup on days that have some probability of rain. 
• When you go to a park to activate it for Parks on the Air talk to staff/rangers first to let them know what you're doing. Spend some time to identify operating locations that don't disturb the environment or other park visitors. And most importantly...spend some time enjoying the park and its beauty! Walk the trails, take a tour if available, and learn about the park's significance.