On my way down the Maine coast from my parents’ place for an event in Portland on December 28th, I decided to cut over for a personal activation at US-2387 and a shared activation with the club call at US-8287. The sun was just setting behind the heavy cloud cover when I arrived next to the Capitol Building to set up. I did my portion of the activation, then got permission for K2HRC to turn over for the club’s QSOs on different bands. Covering out 13 QSOs across 17 and 20m worked out reasonably promptly in 21 minutes despite the darkness (by the light of the streetlamps).
The Capitol Park has ample parking around its perimiter on a snowy winter Saturday evening between holidays. I set up on the Union St side a couple blocks in; approximately across from the State Planning Office building. Also being almost empty of visitors may antenna deployment straightforward with moderate sized trees around the stone picnic tables. Footprints and ski marks indicate that the perimeter of the park is well used in the snow. Of course, it probably is packed around by vehicles during the week, when there’s more moderate weather, and when there are politics to happen.
