The first news about the "new" Fort Henry is that it is terrible. They have now paved the parking lot making it almost impossible to use at any other time than very early morning, we should be OK between 0500 and 0800, but not later than that due to vehicle traffic on the site.
Secondly they now have a "rent-a-cop" on site who came over to ask what the hell we were doing, and thirdly the new visitors center built on the east side of the parking lot is filled with a dozen or so huge plasma screens, and we now have a noise floor level of S7 on all bands.
It works very well and we were getting out with no problem. First station worked with it was PI9SRS, a Scout Troop radio club in Spijkenisse, Netherlands, on 20m who gave us a 54.
Next up was a check into Ontars on 3.755 who gave us a 59. The best contact of the morning was with ZL2WL, Wayne in Hastings, New Zealand, also on 20m who gave us a 55. Not too shabby for a antenna made up of scrap aluminum.
So now the journey starts to find a new, quiet, hassle free early morning operating spot in or around Kingston. Makes me wish I was back home in BC operating up in the mountains again. Oh happy days!!
Good morning Bill,
ReplyDeleteToo bad for your loss of the Old Fort Henry hill. It sounded like it was an ideal spot to set up and operate from.
Why not Lemoine Point? I would think that would make a nice place to operate from unless of course the nature buffs and seasonal bugs make it less than pleasant.
Locally, I go to the Larose Forest. It is not so far from home and there is a nice parking area that I set up in. Mid summer there is hardly anyone else to be seen in the forest but when the weather is cooler in the Fall and Spring and even in winter there are plenty of others enjoying the forest; sometimes it is too crowded.
Hope you find a nice place from which to operate.
cheers, Graham ve3gtc