I am very last-minute when it comes to planning trips. I guess it is a holdover from planning motorcycle trips, which can be highly weather-dependent. Now, I am not averse to catching bursts of bad weather during a road trip. In fact, I cannot remember a single cycle trip where I didn't get at least a drop of rain on me. Such is life in the Midwest around the Great Lakes! However, I am also not crazy enough to ride straight into an extended patch of bad weather that blankets an entire geographic region.
Sometime early in the year, one of our POTA enthusiasts mentioned that the 3rd Annual Michigan POTA meetup was planned for June. I filed it away in the back of my mind. Unfortunately, I got distracted by some minor health concerns and work, and it entirely slipped my memory. Needless to say, when I finally tried to look up the dates on Thursday, I found out it was happening on June 6th, 2026—only a few days away.
I usually try to work in a camping trip around the POTA meetup. But this year, I was caught a little unawares. I didn’t have enough time to verify the state of my camping gear, so camping was out of the question. At best, this had to be a day trip. I checked the weather, and it was going to be a gorgeous day here in Michigan. In addition, this year's meetup was at Hartwick Pines State Park (US-1503) near Grayling, MI. It is in the central part of the state, so I knew there would be some new hams making the trip out there.
Riding weather
A quick check of the maps indicated about 200 miles each way, with an estimated riding time of roughly 3 hours per leg. I packed up my KX-3, my N7DDC tuner, the Micro PA50+, and a small snack bag.
I departed at 0630 AM local time. Of course, it was at the very tail end of a shower. So, my streak of never having a trip without a drop of rain remains unbroken! Thankfully, the temps were in the mid-60s (about 20°C), so the rain didn't really matter. About 15 minutes into the ride, the rain clouds cleared out and the sun started to peek through. I could not have asked for better weather. I was incredibly comfortable under my riding gear. On the ride up, I made a quick stop at a rest area to gobble down my yogurt and banana, followed by a quick stop for gas. I rolled into the park around 0940 AM. The organizers were already out and about setting up for the meet.
I decided to squeeze in a quick activation since I had never activated this park before. I set up the KX-3 and the JPC-12 vertical. I started off on 40m but didn't have much success there. After about 20 minutes, I was left with just a single QSO. It was still a little too early for 20m, but when you're desperate, you'll try anything. I adjusted the loading coil on the JPC-12 for 20m and found that it tuned to a 1.3 SWR. I set the ATU in the KX-3 to bypass and hooked up my Micro PA50+ between the transceiver and the antenna. This was going to be the second field test for this amplifier since the firmware upgrade. I started to run at around 30W. Success at last! The new firmware held up flawlessly, and I got about 14 contacts in the next 30 minutes.
After that, I packed up all the gear and headed over to the picnic shelter to see if I could help with anything. The area was already set up. A great feature this year was POTA Bingo. It's a little hard to explain, but the concept should be clear from the image below. This game ensured that the hams mixed freely and got to know one another. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
After shooting the breeze for a while, it was time for lunch. Some of the hams took the opportunity to secure a local activation. It was fun to work hams sitting right next to you via 2m/70cm. The occasional feedback squeal from being too close was hilarious to watch. For those who were short of their 10 contacts, walkie-talkies were passed around so other hams could help them establish a contact. I will need to check the activation status of US-1503 around that time block.
After lunch, it was time for the traditional raffle. Alas, my luck did not hold out for a prize! Not to worry, though—completing my bingo card netted me a custom Michigan POTA coaster.
I cannot thank the meetup organizers enough. I have been privileged to attend all three meetups to date, and I am glad to see this event thriving and getting better every year.
With a great smile on my face, I snapped a picture of the trip odometer before heading home.
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