Shawn Warren, KC1NQE, writes on the CT-POTA mailing list:
Greetings, Connecticut POTA Activators,
I hope everyone is off to a great start of the year. It is amazing to see this group evolve and all the fun we are having. For this Winter’24 SYP we are going to take our efforts to the next level.
Main Event
The weekend of January 19th-21st, we plan to activate as a group utilizing the K2D call. If you’d like to participate in this event, sign up HERE, and/or send an email to KC1NQE with your Call Sign, intended park if you plan to be in a park during the net, cell number, and if you will be joining us at Wharton. We will assign rover numbers for K2D (ex K2D/r1), which you can use during the entire weekend. This falls under the use of a club call rules, so K2D and your personal call will get credit for the contacts while activating K2D/r. [Station Name: K2D | Operator: Your personal call]. More information will be given to those signing up.
Meet Up Details
We will be hosting a gathering at K-1728 Wharton Brook SP 675 US-5, North Haven, CT 06473 11a until about 2p. This is a family friendly event, all visitors are welcomed to join and operate the K2D station – this is a great opportunity for unlicensed friends and family, and newly licensed individuals to activate on HF. Bring your pota gear and pota gear accessories for a tailgate show-and-tell, along with a mug for hot beverages.
P2P Net Details
We would also like to light up the spot page with K2D (pota admins are aware). With the success of the CT P2P net during the Fall’23 SYP, and the excellent suggestions to make it better, we are going to have another go at it. Just before 11:30a on Saturday Jan 20th, a mass text with a frequency for the net will be sent out to those signed up and in a park. The frequency will be somewhere between 7.185 and 7.210, with the expectation of QRM. K2D will act as a net control, utilizing the sign up list to start making calls- when called, treat it like any P2P contact – Call, Park, Sig. This initial call up will act as a check in to the net – if you miss the first go around, opportunity will be granted at the end . Make a list of the stations you hear on the check in or print the signup sheet to bring with you. Once the check in is complete, Net Control (K2D) will give control to the next person on the list who will then make calls to those that checked in, then return the net to K2D. Make a general ‘any missed stations call’ at the end before returning the net to K2D. Other stations should take note of late check ins and add them to their list. Those that have already gone and missed a QSO with the late check in can do so when the missed station call is made by the late check in.
Contingency Plan
Connecticut winter has been kind to us so far, but we all know how that can go. If snow prevents us from utilizing a safe, and within the rules, activation location at Wharton Brook, we will divert to K-1717 Sleeping Giant SP 200 Mt Carmel Ave, Hamden, CT 06518. If the gathering is canceled due to weather, the assigned rover calls are still usable for the weekend.