📡🌲 Calling all ham radio enthusiasts! 🌊🎙️ Have you activated a new POTA location lately? Join me as I explore Skidaway Island State Park (POTA US02198), an incredible spot for both outdoor adventure and portable ops! 🚶‍♂️🌳https://jarrodandrews.com/pota-us-2198-skidaway-island-state-park-kq4tay/

So I was thinking for Field Day this summer of running it as a POTA/Field day set up. Within a POTA park, while participating in Field Day and earning contacts for both. I don't see anything in the POTA rules saying we can't do something like this. Anyone have any insight on this? 73's W7YWF

📻🌿 Ready for an outdoor adventure with a radio twist? Check out my latest POTA activation at Fort McAllister State Park (US-2715)! 🏕️ From stunning views to exciting QSOs, this trip had it all—including a few surprises! 🤩 Whether you're a ham radio enthusiast or just love exploring new parks, you won't want to miss this.

Read more and see how the day unfolded: 👉 https://jarrodandrews.com/pota-us-2715-fort-mcallister-state-park-kq4tay/

#HamRadio #POTA #KQ4TAY #Adventure

Hello! Does anyone here have issues with downloading the POTA certificates for the awards that's been achieved.

I've got about 4 certificates however when I click on them to download, I just get a spinning wheel and then nothing.

Any help would be appreciated

I've also tried different browsers and 2 computers

The wind today created an issue with keeping the antenna up. If I had a kite, it'd been perfect. As it was my mast kept collapsing. Worked 20m and 10m.

Looking back on my POTA activation at Paris Mountain State Park (US-2909) a couple of months ago. 🌲 A good day of radio in sobering times after Hurricane Helene’s recent impact. 📡 Read more: https://jarrodandrews.com/pota-us-2909-paris-mountain-state-park-kq4tay/ #HamRadio #POTA #KQ4TAY

I've been diving back into blogging during my downtime! 🌟 Back in October, I explored a stunning park in Kentucky that I can't wait to share with you. 🌳✨ It’s truly a hidden gem! Check out the article to see why this place is worth a visit! 💚👇https://jarrodandrews.com/pota-us-1286-natural-bridge-state-park-kq4tay/

Working towards my Kilo, less than 200 to go now. 20 meters was a bit noisy, with patience I work through it. I'm using the Packtenna's EFHW with 40m extension, up over a DX Commander 7m pole. Passed the frequency off to another POTA ham who just setup in an area without cell service. It was fun listening to the immediate pile up that resulted.

If you're in the Louisville, KY, or Clarksville, IN, area and searching for an extraordinary park to explore, look no further! This hidden gem is a must-visit destination that promises a refreshing and exciting experience. Don't miss out on discovering what this unique park has to offer! [KQ4TAY]

https://jarrodandrews.com/us-2255-falls-of-the-ohio-state-park-kq4tay/

Question; Is a national monument that is is within a national park a 2fer?

I have seen notes on park POTA pages that contain information for potential activators, etc., and wondered if there was a way to add such information.

This is common in the SOTA community where people upload photos, routes, GPX tracks, etc., to help would-be activators following. I suspect this isn't a POTA thing, but wondered in case I have missed something.

George, M1GEO.

I'll be in Seattle for a work trip in January and would like to fit in a POTA activation. It looks like there are a bunch of sites around the metro area and nothing in Seattle proper, so I'm looking for tips on good choices. I'll probably be activating in the evening, so my ideal park:

• Doesn't close at sunset
• Is easy to navigate with little more than a headlamp
• Has a picnic table with enough shelter that my radio and logbook don't get wet if it's raining :-)

Any suggestions? My main antenna is free-standing and I don't really want to be throwing line into trees in the dark, so a lack of convenient trees isn't a problem.

Sunrise at the Flight Park US-5929. Wind was a bit strong for the parasails.

Looks like a low contest weekend https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php Who's getting out and on the air?

After activating US-5929, I took a moment to watch others enjoy this park over looking Utah Valley on 12/7/24. The 20m band changed greatly after the sun rose over Mt Timpanogos.

POTA veteran here and I want to hear some stories from other POTA vets out there. What was your favorite award to chase or what award are you currently chasing now that you’re having a great time with?

The WAS award was my favorite to chase and chip away at. Hawaii, North Dakota, and Vermont were the last three hardest states for me to get. Hawaii was the last state for me, but because I got DC, which is the wildcard, I was given the award. That only made it worse and drove me nuts until I saw all those green boxes filled in. After months of chasing, I finally got a p2p with Hawaii (which happened to be a twofer as well) and I was so damn excited about it. That was a fun journey for sure checking off each state one by one.

What about you?

I’ve looked at the POTA site and don’t see how Worked All States operates.

I have 20 squares remaining out of 50 states and I have worked some states that aren’t appearing as a green filled box. I rarely hunt (unless I’m on an activation and work a few). I worked over 100 QSOs earlier this week, I’ve sent my logs and see empty squares for states that have answered my CQ POTA.

So how do I get credit for states for the POTA WAS awa

Good evening,

I've just got back from an attempt activation at GB-2447 Chadkirk and I only managed 4 contacts.

I have tried 20m, and got 3, tried 17m and got 1 local contact, nothing on 40m or 10ms.

I'm using an endfed longwire homebrew on a pole and with the same setup the other day manged 40 contacts on 20m Inc that of Europe, UK, USA and Canada.

I can hear a lot of people both uk and Europe but no one can hear me.

25w power max, yaesu 891, mat 30 tuner

Are the bands bad or is it my setup?

How do you talk about POTA with others outside the amateur radio community?

The rules around late shift and early shift are detailed in explain when it starts and ends, etc., but they don't explain what the time is in reference to?

This evening I was active across the start of late shift (1800z in the UK), getting on air with my first QSO at 1750z and the last at 1820z.

Does this activation qualify as a late shift? Is it only the QSOs after 1800z? The exact nature of what the start time refers to is not clear.

Any help appreciated.

73 de M1GEO/P

Earlier this summer after seeing a group of kite hobbyist at the park while doing an activation I figured it seemed like a fun challenge to run a kite antenna.

After learning how to fly a power sled kite and building a new EFHW, things went pretty smoothly getting the setup on the air for the first time :)

Kit Antenna

49:1 and Static Arrestor

Hi all. I can’t figure out what this icon means in the POTA app. I can’t seem to toggle it on or off. I haven’t found anything helpful In the documentation or in an inline search…

After reading some reviews and watching a few videos on portable parasitic arrays, I decided to set up my own. For the driven element I used my 6m-20m collapsable whip with a magic carpet ground plane. For my parasitic element, I used a 2nd collapsable whip that was grounded out with radials. Although I have seen different numbers suggested, I went with 105% of the length of the driven element for the parasitic one and 15% of the wavelength for spacing. between the two I aimed the array to 60 degrees from my location in Southern California for 10m.

Using 20 watts, I got a lot of good signal reports with plenty of 5-9s, a 5-7 in Delaware and 5-6 in St. Lucia. Overall very pleased with the results.

It does take a little longer to setup than a single collapsable whip and if you change bands, you have to adjust the length of both elements and the spacing. But for single band use you will pickup some directional gain. Definitely something I recommend and will keeping experimenting with!

https://preview.redd.it/yermofnvo70e1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fafe4b78f9b72d69929547f38a94b2d2b37b4586

I'm still fairly new to this, but I've been hunting POTA for a couple of months, and during the day I see most activations are on 20 meters, and in the evening it's mostly 40 meters. I see way less on 10 meters though. I'm wondering, why is the 10 meter band not as popular? Wouldn't the smaller antenna size make it a really convenient choice for something like POTA?

I'm only doing CW by the way, so maybe I missed out on something.