Tag: rag chew

Unexpected Family Reunions on the Road by Brian (K3ES)I don’t know how others feel, but one of the things that really appeals to me about the Parks on the Air (POTA) program is the sense of community that it encourages among participating amateur radio operators.  This is as true no matter how we participate.  I … Continue reading POTA Brings Us Together: Eyeball QSOs and POTA Adventures on the Road →

Many thanks to Todd (W2TEF) and Becky for sharing the following guest post: POTA on Ellis Island by Todd Foster (W2TEF) All the Parks Originally licensed in the late 1990’s, I re-tested and got my ticket again at the end of 2023. In 2024 I discovered POTA, inspired by QRPer and elmered by Tom N2XTO … Continue reading POTA on Ellis Island: Planning, plotting, and activating! →

Here’s what I love about the Elecraft KH1: It’s always with me, tucked away in my EDC pack. It’s super quick to deploy. It lets me hop on the air–anytime, anywhere–and work my friends when they’re activating a park or summit. Yesterday afternoon, I activated Lake James State Park (US-2739) for about an hour. The … Continue reading Parking Lot QRP DX: The Magic of the Elecraft KH1 →

Many thanks to Michael (BD4AAQ) who shares the following guest post which was also cross-published on the SWLing Post: Titbits of SEANET (South East Asia Amateur Radio Network) by Michael (BD4AAQ) On 3rd October 2024, the 48th SEANET Convention was finally convened in Negombo, Sri Lanka. The SEANET convention, a gathering of a group of … Continue reading Michael attends SEANET 2024 in Sri Lanka →

Veterans Day Thoughts:  Activating from the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site Veterans Day 2024 dawned gray and overcast in northwest Pennsylvania, so I decided to spend some time working on the next field report from our 6-week trip through the states of the American West.  It occurred to me that spending some of my holiday … Continue reading Brian activates Minuteman Missile National Historic Site →

Two days before Hurricane Helene impacted western North Carolina (Wednesday, September 25, 2024), I stopped by the Blue Ridge Parkway for a quick POTA activation to thoroughly test my MTR-3B self-contained field kit. This was crucial, as I had plans to conduct multiple SOTA activations during the 2024 W4 SOTA campout in north Georgia the … Continue reading Testing my MTR-3B field kit before a weekend of SOTA (spoiler: that never happened) →

As always there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things! Dear readers, admittedly the title is clickbait, but I assure you that there is truth behind it. As you already know, I occasionally travel for work and lately I’ve been working inside a correctional institution for … Continue reading Vince gets out of jail long enough to do a handful of activations →

Many thanks to Brian (K3ES) who shares the following guest post: Six Weeks and 7300 Miles:  Activating on the Road by Brian (K3ES) This article gives an overview of a driving trip across the United States and back that included activation of Parks on the Air (POTA) entities in 21 states along the way.  We … Continue reading Six Weeks and 7300 Miles: Activating on the Road →

Please note that this POTA (Parks On The Air) activation took place on September 19, 2024—eight days before Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina. This is one of a few field reports and activation videos I’ll be sharing that took place before Helene’s arrival. As I mentioned in my last field report, I haven’t been … Continue reading Testing New POTA Gear: High-Band QMX, Explorer Carbon Fiber Mast, Pressure Paddle, and a Packed Nemo Resolve 25L →

By Teri KO4WFP In my last article, I activated Hanging Rock Battleground State Historic Site and then Glenn and I spent the evening at an Airbnb in Camden, South Carolina. Monday, October 14th was the last day of our trip. There was no way this POTA Babe was missing out on an activation on the … Continue reading The POTA Babe Donates Blood at Congaree Bluffs Park →