W2LJ QRP .... Do More With Less

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Going cold turkey

Posted: 30 Dec 2016 07:36 AM PST
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"Going cold turkey" - a phrase familiar to some - unfamiliar to others.
Perhaps many of my readers from outside the US have never heard of this
American slang term before. It means to break a habit ...... by stopping.
If you happen to smoke and decide to stop "cold turkey", that means
stopping. Period. No gradually smoking less and less until you quit. Nope,
you throw away your last pack of cigarettes into the trash can and never
smoke again.

I smoked for a very brief period of time (maybe 1/2 a year) when I was in
college and to this day, I'll enjoy a cigar at a wedding, if they're being
offered; but I never smoked to the point where it became a habit. I can
imagine though, for a hard core chain smoker, the thought of going "cold
turkey" probably produces cold sweats and chills down the spine.

Thanks to the ARRL, many of us have become addicted to National Parks on
the Air. I say that in a teasing and friendly manner. But the fact
remains that for the past 12 months we have really enjoyed chasing and
activating the over 400 National Park System entities.


A lot of folks went in whole hog and seemed to make it their mission to
activate as many entities as possible. Some made it a family affair,
taking their spouses and children on a tour of the USA. Some seemed to take
a sabbatical from work in order to satisfy their craving. Some slept in
cars, hopping from site to site, alternately activating and then hunting
for a spot with WiFi so they could upload their logs to Logbook of the
World. A lot were like me, activating sites that were relatively close to
home when chores and family commitments allowed some of that seemingly
rare commodity - free time. One thing seemed certain, though, whether you
were a hard core NPOTA'er or just an occasional dabbler ...... everyone who
got involved had a good time.

So it is with mixed emotions that I anticipate the end of NPOTA 2016. I
will always have fond memories of my activations, and of how I incorporated
NPOTA into the 2016 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt, and of the many hours I spent
behind the key (and microphone) as a chaser. I think I spent more time
behind the microphone this year than in all my 38 years of Amateur Radio
combined.

I will also fondly remember the friendships that have formed with many
activators and fellow chasers on the air and through the NPOTA page on
Facebook. Call signs have become names and faces instead of just random
letter/number combinations. In a few instances, Hams that I have known for
years and have only worked via Morse Code have now become familiar voices!
And when was the last time a fellow Ham gave you cookies or a pizza for
working them? Chalk up those innovative ideas for fellowship to NPOTA!

For many, NPOTA became an opportunity for us to rethink how we thought
about Amateur Radio. A lot of us had to shed all previous notions and start
thinking outside the box. For many it was the first time they ever operated
outside the home Shack other than Field Day. NPOTA became a fantastic
opportunity to learn about what works and what doesn't. Many of us became
more in tune with our equipment, using it in ways we never had before,
expanding our capabilities and experiences. It was an opportunity for many
to build and experiment with new antenna systems, new power systems, new
ways of doing things that were previously taken for granted. For many of
us, it also became a school for learning (real fast!) how to improvise when
piece of equipment was forgotten; or how to make quick (and sometimes not
so pretty) repairs when something would break or malfunction. Through it
all, we became better Amateur Radio Operators because of it; and there's no
amount of money you can place on that.

It will be very hard for all NPOTA'ers when 23:59:59 UTC rolls around on
December 31st and it's all gone; and we're all going "cold turkey". As far
as this particular event is concerned, microphones and keys will go silent
and we'll only have the sweet memories of the past 12 months to comfort us.
It will seem strange not to turn on the rig and twiddle the dial looking
for that new entity to work - looking for familiar call signs that we could
count on to be activating some new place of historical significance.

So many thanks go out. To Sean Kutzko KX9X and Norm Fusaro W3IZ from the
League, who did a magnificent job tending and managing the NPOTA program.
To the ARRL for sponsoring the event and making the resources available
that are necessary to run something of this magnitude. Web space and
server space don't grow on trees, so the next time you're ready to grouse
about "What does the ARRL do for me?" ....... well, here's a good example.

Thanks to the many before mentioned activators, who provided me with so
many moments of fun as well as so many moments of anticipation, and yes,
even some moments of frustration. Many thanks to the chasers who worked me
(and will work me tomorrow during my two, final activations). Without all
you fine folks, this NPOTA concept would have been just that - a concept.
You all breathed life into what may well go down in history as the most
fondly remembered activity the ARRL ever sponsored.

Lastly, so many thanks to the National Park System and its employees. You
have been the most kind and gracious hosts to all of us these past twelve
months. You not only were knowledgeable and competent guides, you also
became good friends. We are in your debt for your generous hospitality.

72 de W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!