Climb to New Heights with SOTA Part II
Stone Mountain is the nearest SOTA summit. Kennesaw Mountain and Brasstown Bald are also good spots. You can drive to Kennesaw Mountain National Park. (it can also count as a Park on the Air.) Call before you go and let them know you are coming. It is best to go during the week, as you can drive to the summit (not allowed to do so on weekends). There is a small parking lot at the summit. Also, there some benches that may be pressed into action. There are nearby trees which can be used to hang antennas, but the best spot for setting up is up a set of stairs, as show in the aerial photograph. There is a large patio that can be used. See the arrow on the photo. This is the patio. It involves climbing a flight of stairs, but you will have much more room there. You will need to bring your own chair and table, but the fence there might be a good thing to strap antenna poles to. If you are really venturous, you can hike to the tip top of the mountain and set up. I have not been there, but if you are using a handheld, the extra few feet in height might be an advantage. Good luck!
Breaking News: There is now a Parks on the Air program in Canada (https://cnpota.ca/). This one is sponsored by the Parks Canada. Heads up. You will need at least a General license to get in on this one. Canada is hard to reach from here, except with the occasional ten-meter opening. This is a good excuse to get your general class license. You can either vacation in a Canadian National Park or be content to be a “chaser” and contact activators from home. If you are considering a vacation in Canada, the author highly recommends Algonquin National Park in Ontario. The weather is cool during the daytime and downright chilly at night, but the scenery is breathtaking! There is much to do there. You may have to squeeze radio in somewhere. If you do go there, a memorable time is guaranteed.
Activators in a Canadian National Park “… must operate independently. Parks Canada cannot provide power sources for their equipment nor be expected to allow them to do any kind of formal interpretation at any of Parks Canada’s Sites.” Bring your battery and solar equipment.
There are many other national parks in Canada, and they are probably equally as beautiful. If you do operate from a national park there, be sure to notify our club reflector.
David
KJ4CMY