Goldendale Observatory State Park
| Date/time | 2022-08-30 1900Z-1945Z |
| Rig | MCHF @ 10 W |
| Antenna | 17′ whip |
| QSOs | 1 |
My first ever attempt to activate a park was a complete bust. I called CQ for 45 minutes and had one answer– a station from Alaska who gave me an RST 229. It’s tempting to blame the low power, but 1600 miles on 10 watts is fairly respectable. And, I’ve had little trouble making QSOs in my back yard with this same set up. It was all the more surprising/confusing because I was later able to see that I was spotted just fine in the western US and Canada, even into the mid-west.
It was a hot day in Goldendale, with temps in the high 90s. There was no shade to be had. I was set up on a picnic table fully exposed to the sun, and although I had water and a hat, after 45 minutes of futility it was hard to maintain enthusiasm, so I packed up my stuff and headed back to my air-conditioned car.
