Copasetic Flow

 What a gorgeous day to hang out in the mountains! I drove a bit outside of Las Cruces, NM over the weekend to play radios! KO6BTY first activated this very spot in the park using TouCans and a vertical antenna in December of last year. I used the same setup this time with one change. Instead of using a tent pole as a mast, I actually remembered to take the carbon fiber fishing pole we usually use off the airplane with me this time. You can see TouCans enjoying the view out over the White Sands Missile Range in the picture to the left.  Propagation wasn't spectacular either afternoon, so no off-the-continent DX, but I did get pretty good coverage of the United States and a few QSOs into Canada! I'll have more updates on the park activation later, but for now, here's the animated QSO map.

 The sky was gorgeous! The Milky Way was finally out on this trip, so there were great photos. Ham radio also did really well on 20 meters QRP. Park: Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument K-4551   Take US 70 out of Las Cruces headed East Towards Alamogordo. After you get through the pass, look for a sign on the right hand side after the rest area, but before you get to the Missile Range entrance. Camping out here is only $7 a night. You don't need a reservation. The place is gorgeous. What else can I say? Radio Details: I was at the park for two nights—silly Southwest Airlines and weather delays—but at a different site each night, so the antennas were pointed different directions. You'll see this in the map below if you zoom in far enough. The radio was the old POTA workhorse: the RockMite on 20 meters.  I wound up out on the mountain for two nights. Here's the first antenna placement: and here's the second QSO/ RBN spot map: The map above is both nights combin...

So, I used a voice recorder for my last three calls of my Orgna Mountains K-4551 POTA. My phone then promptly dumped the recording, and no logs!!! If you are one of the three hams, (or even if you just know them/ who called in late this morning from K-4551 , please holler at me here or at hcarter333@gmail.com. I'd love to send out QSLs and also for the hams to get credit for the park.

 I've been able to play radios in the mountains of New Mexico this week. I made three contacts at Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument on Friday afternoon with the little Rockmite. The views were gorgeous, complete with shooting stars ! From the radio's point of view on Friday afternoon when I made two QSOs , the park looked like this.