Completing a NY SOTA activation had been elusive for me for the last several years. Seems like every time I am in NY I am always short on time or not anywhere close to a SOTA summit. Heading home from Maine I was able to squeeze in a short activation first thing Saturday morning. Considering the close proximity to NYC and surrounding areas and the fact the summit looked on the small side, I wanted to get in and out quickly.

 Arriving we found parking and I found a spot that was open to the northeast. I made a couple of contacts on 2 meters using my new custom carbon fiber yagi antenna. Along with the new mast, I was trying out my custom arrow elements that I had modified with elastic cord that gave me super fast set up and tear down; perfect for this activation. After barely eeking out four contacts, I headed back to the car which was a good call, because the trail dog was overheating after a short walk with my wife.

Overall, this activation was brief but a good test of my gear. I wouldn’t go out of my way to activate this summit again, but if you are in the area it might be worth it. At least the views of the Hudson River were nice.

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