Preparation:

This is a park that I recently got added to the POTA system – I had planned to activate it the previous week but plans changed and I could not add this to the list of my “First Activator” parks – but that’s OK. At the same time as proposing this Natura 2000 park, I also proposed the Crescentia Pilgrims nature trail walk, which at 77 km long, I consider a long trail. Unfortunately under regulations brought in, by POTA Germany at the start of November 2024, the minimum length of any new trail to be added to the scheme is 150 km – so just the major European trails which either start or pass through Germany will be accepted. So be it – it’s a shame as I believe a trail even a “short” one of 77 km gives many more opportunities for activation than a park. The location I chose on the park’s edge was also on the Crescentia trail, as you will see from the photos, so this would have been a “2-fer” for POTA hunters.

This activation was planned to coincide with another Museum for my wife, this time “Kunsthaus” in Kaufbeuren. As with the last activation I also needed to have the dog along and as such, I needed an easy (work from the car) spot with good dog walking trails. I found this on the very southernmost part of the park’s border on the outskirts of the village called Ölmuhlhang. At least that is what it is called on Google Maps. In my “Navi” however, I could not find it and signposts were not indicated until I got to my parking spot. The village is known as Kleinkemnat and only a very small part of it is called Ölmuhlhang. In any case, this location was only 6 minutes drive from the centre of Kaufbeueren so a very practical solution for a “family outing”.

The equipment would again be the ever-reliable Xiegu G90 and the Komunica HF-PRO2 antenna on a magnetic mount on the car roof. I planned to operate on 10 and 20 metres.

The Activation

POTA DE-0888

The weather was not nice—around freezing. The trip to Kaufbeueren went quicker than expected. At least it did until we got into the town to find the main road closed completely and the diversion very badly signposted. Luckily guessing where the diversion was “supposed” to go, we got back to the part of the main road that we recognised after the section that was closed. After dropping my wife off near the “Kunsthaus” Museum, I carried on along the roads that I felt were heading in the correct direction, hoping to see a signpost to Ölmuhlhang but not seeing one until the point where I recognised the car park from my check of the area using Google street view, the day before.

This was a simple, free car park, that might hold perhaps 6 or 7 cars, but for my purpose it was fine. So I parked up and decided that after the drive from home, the first priority was the dog’s walk during which, following the Crescentia trail, took us down into the forest, over a small bridge over a stream and up to a nice secluded grassy area, which would be fine for a “real” portable (i.e. not from the car) operation, when the weather is warmer. the trail is marked by crosses – one was at the car park and the next could be seen at the top of the next rise but we decided to turn around at this point to return to the car and set up for operation. Several of the pictures below were taken from this trail.  

Once the radio and antenna were set up, after my disappointment last time starting on 10m, I decided to start on 20m and it paid dividends with lots of hunters. This time there were no park-to-park contacts in the log and the skip on 20m was short apart from a contact with a station in the Azores, all contacts were in Europe. Initially, calls were slow coming in but after a while, I had a pile-up that lasted about 25 minutes. Following this I decided to give 10 metres a go – it was a waste of time. I could not raise any calls and the only stations I could hear on the band were the usual high-power Russian ones. I decided that as I had 24 contacts in the log, this time I would take the time to pack everything up correctly and take the dog for another walk – this time along the track that marks the edge of the park and after that it was time to return to pick up my wife and head home for lunch.

Photos:

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Equipment taken:

• Xiegu G-90 radio.
• 6-metre mast and linked dipole (not used).
• Komunica Power HF-PRO2-PLUS-T loaded vertical antenna.
• Three magnets, car roof antenna mount.
• 12 Ah LifePO4 battery.
• 4Ah Eremit LifePO4 battery (not used).
• Plastic painter’s sheet (used) and seat pad (not used).
• Lightweight headphones.
• Smartphone for spotting.

Log:

DE-0888 Staffelwald bei Irsee

Conclusions:

• A nice trip out with a good number of contacts in a short time. Again, the simple car set-up worked out well.

73 ’til the next activation!