Fellow WARS members and friends:
Mindy KM1MDY has organized a new POTA Saturday may 15 at Blue Hill in Milton, MA. Her notice is below.
Dan
W1DAN
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Hello Radio Friends! Here is the OFFICIAL invite to the Blue Hills POTA activation. We will start out playing radio in a field at Houghton’s Pond, and then if we feel like it, some of us will hike to the top of Great Blue. As always, these are come if and when you want, and are meant to be very relaxed free-flowing get-togethers. Bring any equipment you want to test out, or just use ours. With band pass filters we can get several HF bands on the air simultaneously. If you get a preferred parking spot (see below), you will be able to operate with your car close by. We are starting out on the early side to try to secure good parking. Restrooms are closed, so keep this in mind. You will get one more confirmatory email from me the week before (mostly watching the weather).
WHO: Anyone interested in Ham Radio. No need to be a licensed ham operator. No need to be a hiker.
WHAT: Parks-On-The-Air (POTA) activation of Blue Hills Reservation
WHEN: Saturday May 15th, beginning at 10am until you go home.
WHY: Just because darnit! And you can get a POTA point…
WHERE: Houghton’s Pond in the Blue Hills Reservation (in the field near Picnic Site 5 on the Houghton’s Pond Brochure).
PARKING: Preferred Parking is across from the intersection of Blue Hill River Road and Eileen Road (42.207692, -71.100664).
Additional parking along Blue Hill River Road toward the ball fields and Hillside Street. See Maps.
HIKING: If there is interest, some of us will hike up Great Blue (from the Reservation Headquarters to the Eliot Tower/ Blue Hills Observatory). Great Blue is the tallest hill in the blue hills. We will take the Racoon Hollow Path which starts across from Houghton’s Pond. See map. We will see who is interested the day of, and decide how/when to proceed then. NOT EVERYONE HAS TO GO! Flatlanders can stay in the field and keep activating POTA! There is no road to the top of Great Blue that is open to the public to my knowledge.
Notes:
1) The Blue Hills is tremendously popular. People are constantly coming and going. There is a ton of parking, but it still may fill up. Just be patient and you’ll get a spot. We are going to try to get there on the early side though. I of course have an unmistakable green van…look for it!
2) Bring your own radio equipment or use ours!
3) No ham radio license necessary to enjoy this outing.
4) Bring a handi-talkie. Set it to the STARS W1UQ repeater (see #4). We will have a Radio Adventure NET on the W1UQ (i.e. STARS) Repeater at noon. (146.985 Output, 146.385 Input, PL In 88.5, PL Out 88.5). We will monitor the repeater. I’ll try to monitor 146.52 as well.
Yours Truly,
KM1NDY
KM1NDY