parksontheair.com/POTA - Parks On The Air

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POTA Activations
Thots on POTA Activations
Parks on the Air or POTA grew out of the ARRL sponsored program to get hams to visit and operate portable from every US national park during the 110th anniversary year of the establishment of the first national park. That was called National Parks On The Air or NPOTA. The program sparked so much interest that when the year ended another group formed specific to encourage the same idea, hams visiting and operating within national and state parks, recreation areas, forests, etc. And it has been thriving since.  I got interested a couple years ago and began "hunting," that is searching on the air for "Activators," guys (and gals) who were operating from a park. More recently I began preparing to be an Activator. As of this writing I've only been to three parks and had just a handful of successful activation but expect to continue. The links above are to pages talking about my activations. The text below describes my preparations for activating.
2022-02-19 What do you do on a very cold, sunny Saturday? You set up a portable radio on the floor in the living room in front of a magnetic loop and do some POTA hunting! Five CW QSOs on this setup! Three on 20m in the CW DX contest, one with a POTA station in Florida and one on 40m with a skcc guy in Illinois. None DX! Just decided to do something different! Haven't played with a magnetic loop for a long time so was rather pleasantly surprised that it worked.
There is something rewarding about making even a few contacts with an unconventional setup now and then. It made this Saturday afternoon stand out in the pack today! It also gave "portable operating" a new dimension. I'm not ready to abandon the out-of-doors and parks but this was a fun and very simple alternative.
2021-05-28 My current minimal POTA package based on my IC-705 and SignaLoop mag loop with a 29ft end fed as backup weighs in at 14lbs. The antenna in its pack weighs 4lbs and the radio pack including batter, coax, etc., weighs 10lbs. The jury is still out on the SignaLoop but I'm encouraged.
Oh, I forgot. The tripod adds another 2-1/2lbs. The instructions say you can hang the loop too. It might be a challenge to keep it pointing in the right direction!
2021-04-02 Here's my latest iteration of kit for a POTA activation. Weighs 10lbs. Radio: IC-705, external 6Ah battery, mic, key, note/log pad and pins.
Antennas: 40-10 EFHW antenna and a DIY wire version of the WRC mini for 20, 30 & 40 meters along with 2 25ft lengths of RG-174 coax. Also includes some cord to suspend the antenna and a 20ft fiberglass pole and snow-marker stake for setting it up free standing. One additional item that will be in the car is a drive-on (or free standing with rocks) drop-in mast stand.
And oh yes, my cell phone will be in my pocket for spotting! I plan to "test" it in the yard later today to see what's missing. 
So, I put up both antennas in the yard this morning. The vertical worked well and everything needed was in the pack. Needed to add 2 tent pegs and 2 red marker cones to set up the EFHW as an inverted vee. It also worked well. NOW ready to go do another activation. Since I'll have the car nearby, I'll have some backup stuff!
2021-03-05 ​Here is my complete QRP POTA station. I've used it with minor variations for 275 Activation contacts so now I seldom take anything else.
The Xiegu X5105 transceiver weighs just 2 pounds and has more than enough features for my needs. I use either the straight key built onto my note/log pad or the DIY paddle.
The antenna is a light weight version of the QRPGuys Tri-Band vertical. I say light weight because the one pictured in the plastic bag has 24 gauge RCA speaker wire for both the radiator and four 10' counterpoise wires, weighing just 3-1/2 ounces. The feedline is a 25' RG-174 coax. The little common mode choke is needed for 40 meters.
The yellow cord is for suspending the antenna from a tree, though I most often use the fiberglass fishing pole. The orange and white snow marker can be used to mount the pole. Simply press it in the ground six inches or so and strap the fishing pole to it with two pieces of 1/8in bungee cord.
What I like most about the kit is its self-contained simplicity. Setup is also very easy almost anywhere. My most common addition to the kit is a drive-on stand for the antenna mast, making it even easier to set up. My DIY stand can also be used free standing if it's not too windy.
If you have worked me during an activation within the past six months or so, this is likely what I was using.
2021-03-02 ​Fourteen contacts at k-4265 this afternoon on 20, 30 and 40 using my QRPGUYS Tri-band vertical with radiator and 4 ten foot radials made from 24gauge RCA speaker wire. FL, Puerto Rico, NM among others. 3 P2P. X5105, QRP. Another happy outing! Thanks everyone.
2021-03-01 ​Since the cold and snow arrived here in SE Wisconsin my POTA antenna attention has turned to vertical antennas. I've pretty much looked down on verticals most of my 60+ years in ham radio, never having much success with them. But now they are becoming one of my favorite antennas, particularly for POTA. Their small footprint, ease of transport and deployment, and effectiveness make them ideal for a POTA activation.
My transformation started with the QRPGUYS tri-band vertical for 20, 30 and 40 meters. It progressed further when I got a 213" whip for my Wolf River Coils TIA 1000. Now, I'm fixated on those two, along with my own DIY versions, with the vertical radiator cut to be a 20 meter 1/4 wave long, about 16'. Further, horror of horrors, I use just four ten-foot counterpoise wires!
I find that combination, compromise as it may be, a good balance between performance and portability. A further compromise, many will say, is placing the loading coil on the bottom.
For my WRC I put four collars on the coil preset for 30, 40, 60 and 80 meters. By bypassing the loading coil and adjusting the radiator length I can use it on most of the bands above 20 meters as well. I achieved the same thing with my DIY ones by putting links in the vertical element for the bands above 20 meters.
One thing I have run across is that for 30m and 40m, I may need to add an inline common mode choke to keep the RF from messing with my rig. By simply inserting it at the rig, the problem seems to be solved.
I don't think I'll ever go into the field again without one of these antennas in my bag, whatever else I may plan to use. If interested, you can see my experimentation with this antenna on my website at https://www.huyettm.net/14-wavel-20-meter-veritcal.html. I'm not selling anything, just passing on my experience in case it helps someone else. Note the page is kind of a lab notebook, not a polished publication!
2020-11-14 Logging! Recording, Preparing, Checking and Submitting contacts is a critical part of the POTA process. After nearly a dozen activations, I've settled on using DIY paper log in the field and then transferring that to the Android phone based VLS Logger for checking and to submit them. I at least am not efficient enough enter them directly into VLS Logger in the field. It goes well if what I enter is correct as I enter it. But the moment I mess up, things go crazy and likely I'll have a busted entry. I've tried a couple other apps as well with similar results. Paper is just more forgiving! I've settled on VLS Logger as it's so simple. And if you use the reference option, choosing POTA, what you export will be exactly what POTA wants. That file is also useful for importing the file into other programs like HRD, etc. I also use the program ADIF Master to fix any errors before final submission.
2020-06-25 Well I came very close to doing my first park activation two days ago. My wife and I and our two local grandkids went to the Wisconsin Rocky Arbor State Park, K-1467 near The Dells in central Wisconsin, about a two hour drive from here for a two night camping trip. On the second day I set up my QRPGuys EFHW using my 15 foot collapsible fiberglass fishing pole mast. It was kind of a dog leg arrangement given the shape of our site but it was up. I connected my X5105 and played around on both 40 and 20 meters for about half an hour. Not many signals. I answered a couple CQs but no one heard me. Then it was time to go eat. The spotty rains had interfered with our on-site cooking plans so we ended up going into The Dells to eat. Not exactly roughing it, but we had a good time anyway. And our tent kept us dry. I had the park number (K-1476) and everything all ready to "just do it," but alas.... Next time!
2020-04-27 I've now made 191 contacts with POTA (Parks on the air) stations as a hunter since my first one back in October of 2018, an average of ten per month. But the pace has picked up. I've averaged 23 per month in the past six months. It is a lot of fun. All have been with 20 watts or less and 15% of them being at 5 watts.
In addition, I've been refining my portable operating kits. I now have two kits ready to go. One is QRP only based around the xiegu x5105 radio. It is light weight, including a backup battery just 6-1/2 lbs including a fiberglass mast. I've used it quite a bit in the back yard and feel pretty confident that it is ready to "grab and go."
The second one is based around the xiegu G90 radio. That kit with a wire antenna and a 20 ft fiberglass pole weighs around 10 lbs.
Antenna wise, I have several good options. My favorite, and I think best performing one, is the EFHW (end fed half wave) based on the QRPGuys transformer kit. A second wire option is a 29 ft end fed wire and 17 ft counterpoise based on the QRPGuys 9:1 UNUN. Both are light weight, small and easy to deploy either using trees or a fiberglass mas.
For situations where the antenna must be free standing I have the Wolf River Coils TIA vertical with tripod. Its bulkier and heavier but not prohibitive, particularly if you can drive to your operating site. I don't think it performs quite as well as either of the other two but it is not a bad option. Many POTA activators use it or one like it.
Picture
My x5105 QRP "go kit" in use in my back yard making contacts in the Florida QSO Party.
So, until I get up the courage and opportunity to go do a real POTA activation, I'll keep working with these two kits so when he time comes, I can grab and to with confidence!
2019-09-30 For quite a while now I've been "dreaming" of setting up in a nearby state park and operating as a POTA station. In fact I made plans to do that this summer on a Boundary Waters Canoe trip with my two sons and one grandson. At the last minute I scrapped those plans out of concern for weight and time. That was a wise choice as there really wouldn't have been time and it would have taken me away from the main purpose, to spend time with those guys. But that didn't kill the original idea.
I have two rig packages that are perfect: First, my Xiegu X5105. Second, my more recent Xiegu G90. I've actually had both in the field, the X5105 to a local lake with a friend and the G90 to a local forest preserve. Both performed well. I used the Wolf River Coils TIA 1000 vertical antenna for both which performed well also. Both setups were light, simple to set up and easy to transport.
I even have a 40 meter QCX transceiver by QRPLabs which would be perfect as well. And I have quite an assortment of wire antennas in addition to the Wolf River Coils vertical. So gear is not a problem!
My G90 and Wolf River Coils vertical on a picnic bench at nearby Seno Forest Preserve.
While waiting for the courage to actually get serious about it, I've started being a "hunter"! The POTA Spots web page on their website makes that really simple. Simply look at who is on what frequency, tune up and give a listen! And if they are in range for current propagation, give them a call. Most of them I've worked have been SSB but some CW. And with patience, I almost always get them if I can hear them. The secret, since I'm running 20watts or less seems to be to wait until the big guns have had their turn and then call. It is actually pretty simple and is also fun!
There are several other similar programs that make it equally as easy to find stations on mountain tops or in other outdoor places and make both their day and yours! Give it a try. WorldWide Flora and Fauna. Field Radio.