Activation Report: Sawgrass Lake Park (US-6700) — May 14, 2026
- 9 min reading time
Park: US-6700 · Mode: FT8 · Bands: 40m / 20m · Radio: Xiegu X6200 · Power: 5W · QSOs: 16
Eighth activation at Sawgrass Lake Park. The radio keeps performing and the bands delivered something worth talking about this morning — China and South Korea on 40m, Australia on 20m, all on 5 watts before 9:30 AM.
The Park
Sawgrass Lake Park is a Pinellas County park on the edge of Sawgrass Lake right here in St. Pete. Four hundred acres of genuine Florida wilderness — a mature maple swamp, an elevated boardwalk winding through the trees, an observation tower overlooking the lake, and more wildlife than you can keep track of between contacts. One of the largest maple swamps on the Gulf Coast, free admission, and it qualifies for POTA as US-6700. I keep coming back because it keeps delivering.
Quiet Thursday morning. Warm, a little overcast early, the kind of Florida morning that reminds you why you live here.
The Setup
Xiegu X6200, DigiPi, Android tablet, ammo can LiFePO4 battery box. The antenna was the Radioddity HF-010. Each band gets tuned before connecting the radio using the NanoVNA — that is where the SWR readings come from. Once the antenna is dialed in, the X6200's built-in ATU fine-tunes from there.
NanoVNA readings came in at 1.175 on 40m and 1.189 on 20m. Both bands tuned clean. Power was 5 watts for the entire activation.
On the Air
Started on 40m FT8 at 7.075 MHz. First QSO at 07:44 AM with KE4IHI in EM82 — -17 sent, -15 received, solid opening exchange. W1RCP in EM81 came back at -07 sent / -02 received. AB4KN in EM73 returned a +00, which is about as clean as FT8 gets.
Park qualified at 08:23 AM with KN4VTX — 10th unique contact, 39 minutes after the first QSO. Full 40m log:
| Time | Callsign | Grid | Sent | Rcvd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07:44 AM | KE4IHI | EM82 | -17 | -15 |
| 07:52 AM | W1RCP | EM81 | -07 | -02 |
| 08:05 AM | AB4KN | EM73 | -11 | +00 |
| 08:08 AM | K4LOY | EM73 | -10 | -18 |
| 08:11 AM | KK4RXE | EM75 | -17 | -11 |
| 08:12 AM | KC4DPT | EL95 | -09 | -08 |
| 08:17 AM | KQ4RME | EM82 | -14 | -10 |
| 08:20 AM | KC4WQ | EM78 | -16 | -12 |
| 08:22 AM | W9FTR | EM60 | -13 | -13 |
| 08:23 AM | KN4VTX | EM60 | -07 | -16 |
| 08:26 AM | KA8OAT | EL97 | -14 | -11 |
While running on 40m, PSKReporter was showing reception reports from China and South Korea. 5 watts, a portable antenna, a picnic table in St. Pete — and someone on the other side of the Pacific had the signal. Long-path propagation on 40m in the morning will do that.
Swapped to 20m FT8 at 14.075 MHz at 08:39. Retuned with the NanoVNA — came in at 1.189, then let the ATU finish the job. Five more contacts:
| Time | Callsign | Grid | Sent | Rcvd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:42 AM | KJ5LMM | EM11 | -06 | -02 |
| 08:48 AM | KF9UG | EN71 | -16 | -14 |
| 08:56 AM | K4XN | FM16 | -09 | -13 |
| 09:04 AM | AA9RR | EN62 | -10 | -09 |
| 09:20 AM | WE9V | EN52 | -03 | -09 |
WE9V in EN52 came in at -03 sent — strongest signal report of the day. Shortly after the band swap, PSKReporter picked up reception reports from Australia. Same power, different band, different part of the world.
Would I Activate Here Again?
Every time. Eight activations in and Sawgrass Lake Park still delivers. Familiar site, fast setup, consistent results on multiple bands, and enough Florida wildlife in the background to keep the morning interesting even between contacts. The Radioddity HF-010 continues to earn its place in the bag.
Activation Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Activation # | 22 |
| Park | Sawgrass Lake Park |
| Park Ref | US-6700 |
| Date | May 14, 2026 |
| On Air | 07:44 AM |
| First Contact | KE4IHI — 07:44 AM |
| Notable DX | China + South Korea (40m PSKReporter) · Australia (20m PSKReporter) |
| Total QSOs | 16 |
| Power | 5W |
| Bands | 40m / 20m FT8 |
| Radio | Xiegu X6200 |
| Antenna | Radioddity HF-010 |
| Weather | Clear, warm |
All-Time POTA Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Activations | 22 |
| Unique Parks | 13 |
| Total QSOs | 594 |
| Best Activation | 75 QSOs — Skyway Fishing Pier (US-1916) |
Full log uploaded to pota.app. Photos and video from the activation on TikTok @grumpagrinch.
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