WELCOME
TO
K2FRD!
The intrepid Labrador Explorer Fred Stevens K2FRD during my first visit in 1997.
WELCOME
TO
K2FRD!
The intrepid Labrador Explorer Fred Stevens K2FRD during my first visit in 1997.
MORE ADVENTURE, HAM RADIO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS: I volunteered for, and on
23 September 2001, was activated for the disaster relief effort in New
York City after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade
Center. Working for the Radio Operations section of the Brooklyn Chapter
of the American Red Cross with my duty station at the newly-opened Respite
One at Ground Zero within the Hot Zone perimeter surrounding the destroyed
Twin Towers' "Pile". I, like most operators, functioned alone for four days
(usual tour of duty) with little sleep with "The Pile" and remaining damaged
buildings less than 100 yards away. Providing messaging capability for
the police, firemen, and other workers at Ground Zero, and back-up communications
for the Red Cross, we became redundant when phone service was restored
on 26 September and our services were no longer needed. Respite One provided
the rest station for all Ground Zero workers, serving them hot meals, cots
for rest, light entertainment, message services, replacement clothing and
equipment, mental health and first aid services, and otherwise serving
as a place to escape grim reality for awhile. Amateur radio operators provided
critical services and gave yeoman efforts during the first two weeks of
the crisis. Technically, this was my third war (Vietnam and Grenada being
the first two) and my mental and physical responses and functions were
automatic due to these previous experiences. I am proud to have been a part
of this operation and I derived a great deal of satisfaction from my service.
If the need arises, I will return to Ground Zero or to anyplace else where we
are threatened.
For a detailed realtime narrative of my experiences
at Ground Zero, click
here.
HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF: I volunteered for and was quickly activated
for ham radio emergency communications duty following Hurricane Katrina at the end of August 2005.
On 7 September 2005, I departed the Scout Camp where I worked during the summer and headed for the
South with my Jeep and travel trailer, fully equipped for sustained portable emergency communications
operations in remote areas. (I can operate completely independently without resupply, commercial
power, nor anything else beyond what I carry with me for two to three weeks.)
BOY SCOUTING AND HAM RADIO
As one might conclude, Boy Scouting has been a major activity in my life. I combine Scouting with ham radio wherever and whenever possible (see more details below) Recently, a group of ham-Scouters devised a Scout Camp Calling Protocol (SCCP) in which Scouts at Camp may complete Radio or Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge requirements, observe demonstrations, pass NTS traffic back home to their families, or just ragchew with Scouts at other Camps. The SCCP may be found HERE.
BIOME RESEARCH SERVICES
Details on my wildlife and environmental consulting firm Biome Research Service may be found here: http://homepage.mac.com/k2frd/brs.htm .
Arriving on 9 September, I arrived at the American Red Cross staging area in Montgomery, AL for
subsequent reassignment to the stricken areas of Mississippi. However, due to a communications
mix-up, I ended up assigned to Riverside Hospital in Franklinton, Washington Parish, LA (about 50
miles north of New Orleans). Within less than 24 hours, the hospital had commercial communications
restored (cellphone service) and I was struck with a moderate case of heat stroke from the 90's
temperatures and humidity. Since my services were no longer needed and I wasn't doing too well
myself, I departed the area after five days in the deep South and headed to my normal winter
quarters in Arizona.
MORE HIGH ADVENTURE: After the winter of 2002-2003 almost killed me with near-record
snowfall alternating with ice storms, I decided I don't need winter anymore, so
sold my home and moved to the road permanently as a fulltime Rver with a small
camper trailer (19.5', fully self-contained) and a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited as a tow vehicle. I'll be
traveled the south, southwest, and Pacific Northwest and returned to Labrador in
summer 2004 for my next DXpedition. - updated 14 July 2004
3FEB04 Am presently located at a very isolated and primitive campground in Coronado National Forest
in southwest Arizona about four miles north of the Mexican border (west of Nogales), where I plan
to stay through the end of February. I've travelled more than 8000 miles since 5 December
in my quest to get away from winter and have largely managed to do so. It's relatively dry and warm
here (cool at night, 60s in daytime) with little rainfall and NO SNOW!
I've got all the comforts of home, especially since I purchased and installed my portable Direcway
satellite internet system which I power off the trailer's battery banks through a small inverter
(see photo). Nuisance, my little 11-year-old kitten, faithful companion, and navigator is perfectly happy
wandering around the campground (presently empty except for myself and the permanent "host", a
Volunteer and former US Forest Service employee) looking for rattlesnakes or other trouble (hasn't
found any yet).
14 JUL 04 After this Labrador adventure ends in September, I will relocate to parts south and southwest
again to seek even more adventures.
,br> Following my latest Labrador adventure, I returned to the US via New
Brunswick where I visited with my friends Dan and Brenda Hubert near Miramichi. Dan is VE9DAN and we had carried
on a lively PSK-31 correspondance while I was in Labrador. He's also a Canadian license examiner and
while I visited and with another VE9 as witness, I took my Canadian license exams, both Basic and
Code and am now VO2FS which will save a lot of agony during transmission (my old VO2/K2FRD portable
callsign was quite cumbersome in CW and while in QSO with non-English speaking hams).
NEW! 2004 Labrador Pictures
2001
Labrador DXpedition photos (2 per page, heavily compressed for fast download)
SEPTEMBER 2004 THROUGH APRIL 2005: The Southwest beckoned again and I returned to Arizona for the winter
where I spent the wettest winter in decades. The desert flowers bloomed like nothing in memory and, I'm\
told, like it will not again for many years. Among mini-adventures are exploration of several
abandoned gold mines in the Harcuhala Mountains. I return to NY State for the summer to work in the
Nature Program at my old Scout Camp.
SEPTEMBER 2005 TO ?: (Entry dated 28 Sep 05) Following my brief tour of duty for Katrina relief, I headed
back to my now permanent winter feeding grounds in the desert about 90 miles west of Phoenix (60 mi
east of Quartzsite). This is a tiny semi-boondocking RV park -40 units on 40 acres in the middle of
nowhere- with low rates, isolation, very friendly people, and NO S**W.
See: Snowbird West RV Park, Salome, AZ
This little park provides access for me to all sorts of new sights and adventures including abandoned
gold mines, ghost towns, strange new wildlife and plants, especially reptiles and birds, most or
many of which I've never seen before since I had always worked in more northern climes.
W. Frederick Stevens
EMAIL
FRED STEVENS K2FRD
DETAILS of
My Recent Labrador Mini-DXpedition From May to September 2004.
Return
or Go To Otschodela Council Amateur Radio Group KZ2BSA (OCARG) Home site
(ABOVE) String bogs, like this one adjacent the
Trans-Labrador Highway, are a fairly common sight in northern Quebec and
western and central Labrador, Province of Newfoundland, Canada. My 1997
Adventure to Labrador from Baie Comeau, Quebec to Labrador City, followed
a dirt and gravel road which, for much of its length, was little more than
an improved trail. I arrived in early June to find the lakes still frozen,
a condition which continued throughout the month, thawing just in time
for me to return to my native Upstate New York for a family reunion. But,
I enjoyed Labrador so much that I turned around and drove the 1200 miles
back for the month of August. This time, the lakes and fish were waiting
for me. My only regret was that at the time I did not have a mobile HF
transceiver. I rectified that situation and then some for the June through
August 2001 adventure as a full-blown ham radio DXpedition. I used the
callsign VO2/K2FRD and made over 1500 contacts in 123 DXCC countries, all
50 States, and all 10 Provinces.
BIOME RESEARCH SERVICES
Wildlife and Environmental Consulting
FRED'S VITAL DETAILS:
PO BOX 1473
SALOME, AZ 85348
b. 6 November 1945
B.S. 1968. Cornell
University, Ithaca, NY; Major: Wildlife Biology
M.S. 1975. University
of Washington, College of Forest Resources, Seattle, WA;
Major: Wildlife
Biology. Thesis title: Biology of the European Rabbit
Oryctolagus
cuniculus on San Juan Island, Washington.
U.S. Army Signal
Corps RA 1968-1972, USAR 1972-1992. Lieutenant Colonel, Retd.
Misc: widower,
camping, coin collecting, fly-tying and fly fishing, outdoor travel, canoeing, very active
Boy Scouting Volunteer at District and Council level, amateur radio (Amateur
Extra), amateur radio in faraway cold places, reading, writing, tinkering...
Return To Fred K2FRD page
LINKS:
Go
To Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) page
Go
To Labrador 2001 DXpedition Main Page
2001
Labrador DXpedition pictures (2 per page, heavily compressed for fast download)
Labrador Pictures Page
Two
Labrador Pictures Page
Three
Labrador Pictures Page
Four
Labrador Pictures Page
Five
Labrador Pictures Page
Six
Send
email to Fred K2FRD
