Activation Report: Honeymoon Island State Park (US-1880) — April 29, 2026
- 4 min reading time
Mode: FT8 (Digital) · Bands: 40m / 20m · Radio: Xiegu X6200 · Contacts: 45 · Park: US-1880
Honeymoon Island State Park, POTA reference US-1880, just off the causeway in Dunedin. 45 QSOs in the log across two bands. Hot, muggy, and the bugs were absolutely relentless from the moment I pulled into the parking lot.
The park
Honeymoon Island is one of the most visited state parks in Florida and it earns that reputation. The island sits at the northern end of the Pinellas peninsula connected to Dunedin by the Dunedin Causeway, with Gulf of Mexico beaches on the west side and Tampa Bay on the east. The park covers over 2,400 acres and offers some of the best preserved slash pine forest left in the region alongside osprey nesting areas, shorebird habitat, and the kind of coastal scenery that reminds you why people move to Florida in the first place. It's a legitimately beautiful operating location — when the bugs aren't eating you alive.
The reason for the visit
Planned activation. New park in the log.
The setup
Standard field kit — Xiegu X6200 at 5 watts, Raspberry Pi 4 running DigiPi, Android tablet for spotting and control, and the 18.3ft telescoping vertical with all 8 radials deployed. The DIY LiFePO4 battery box handled power. I arrived at opening and was the first car in the park — always a good sign for a clean operating environment. Set up at a picnic table inside a covered shelter in the picnic area, well away from the beach. The antenna was planted about 20 feet from the shelter with all 8 radials spread out around the base.
The bugs
I need to talk about the bugs. I arrived at opening — first car in the park. The moment I opened my car door in the parking lot they were already on me. Not near the beach, just in the picnic area, and they were absolutely relentless.
A word on bug spray — don't apply it inside the car. The fumes in an enclosed space are genuinely dangerous. The right approach is to apply it before you leave home, then reapply after you arrive once you're safely outside and away from the vehicle. I learned this the hard way standing next to my open car door getting torn up while trying to get the spray on fast enough.
On the air
Started on 40 meters and worked 4 QSOs before the band lost momentum. Switched to 20 meters and that's where the activation really opened up — 41 contacts on 20m FT8 for a total of 45 QSOs. Park qualified comfortably and well past the minimum.
I went live on TikTok during the session but cell service at Honeymoon Island was not cooperating. The live kept dropping and coming back and eventually I just ended it rather than put viewers through a constantly buffering stream. Some parks have great cell coverage, some don't — Honeymoon Island is firmly in the don't category, at least where I was set up.
The heat and humidity were significant factors today. Late April in Florida is already pushing into summer territory and operating in direct sun with no breeze is genuinely uncomfortable. Morning activations are the right call here — get in early, get your contacts, and get out before the afternoon heat sets in.
Would I activate here again?
Next visit I'll apply bug spray at home before I leave and reapply once I'm out of the car — not inside it. I'll arrive at opening again since having the park to yourself is worth the early alarm. And I'll pick a spot with shade, which the covered picnic shelter provided nicely. The cell coverage issue is worth noting for anyone planning a TikTok live from the picnic area — manage your expectations or plan to operate without the live.
Full log uploaded to pota.app. 73 de W4GGJ
