Three Bikes & Three Hams: Playing Hooky from Hamvention!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On May 17, 2026, Eric (WD8RIF), Len (W8VQ), and I decided to play hooky from Hamvention...
Category: MORSE CODE
From NPOTA to POTA: En Route to Dayton and Making New Friends from Down Under
by Thomas (K4SWL) Picking up where I left off after the last field report, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026,...
Ten Years Later! A Three-Fer at Tar Hollow with Eric (WD8RIF)
by Thomas (K4SWL) On the morning of Wednesday, May 13, 2026, I was in Athens, Ohio, at the QTH...
Don’t Worry… You’re Doing Fine
by Thomas (K4SWL) As you might imagine, I’m at the receiving end of a lot of emails and messages...
Lake Alma State Park by Brompton: A Hamvention Week Warm-Up POTA Activation With Friends
by Thomas (K4SWL) Tuesday, May 12, 2026, was a long but wonderful day—and the perfect prelude to a week...
What was your first major receiver?
I started in the ham radio and shortwave listening hobby in 1972. By 1975, this was my first real...
Morning POTA: Just Enough Radio Before a Road Trip!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On the morning of Tuesday, May 5, 2026, I had my bags packed and ready to...
Morning POTA: Taking the Argonaut VI Out for Fresh Air
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Monday, May 1, 2026, my wife and I had plans to spend part of the...
Appalachian Trail Magic and a Trailside POTA Activation!
by Thomas (K4SWL) In March, our friend Emily set out on an incredible six-month adventure: thru-hiking the entire Appalachian...
Roadside POTA Twofer: Testing DB4REB’s KH1 Angled Pressure Paddles!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, I visited my buddy Vlado in South Asheville and, on the...
QRP in the Spirit of POTA at Marugame Castle
by Mark (JJ5GVY/KB2PIZ) Golden week in Japan is a 5 or so-day stretch of holidays to give the hard-working...
Testing DB4REB’s Clever KH1 Accessories on the Blue Ridge Parkway
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Monday, April 6, 2026, my wife was meeting some friends at a café in Black...
VHF/UHF Lift and a First CW SOTA: EI3LH’s Marconi Day Milestones
Many thanks to Ian (EI3LH), who shares the following post, originally posted on his blog: Marconi Day: A Day of...
POTA with Friends: Zach’s First CW Activation, New Gear, and Tough Bands!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Friday, April 10, 2026, my friends Zach (AI4ZD) and his daughter Maggie (KR4FTN) were in...
Johnston Mill State Nature Preserve (US-3859) – A Pedestrian Mobile Slog with a Surprise Finish!
by Thomas (K4SWL) Yesterday—Friday, May 1, 2026—my wife and I had a full day in the Raleigh–Durham area of...
RARSfest Road Trip + A Spontaneous POTA Activation with Vlado
by Thomas (K4SWL) The first weekend of April 2026 was the RARSfest in Raleigh. Even though I had just...
N1RWJ: My First CW POTA Activation (Don’t Wait to Try It!)
by Rob (N1RWJ) There’s a point in learning CW where you know enough to get on the air—but not...
One Watt of POTA Tomfoolery at Clemmons Educational State Forest!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, my wife and I were still in Raleigh, North Carolina, enjoying...
Super Portable & Super Fun: Pairing the KX2 and AX1 at Duke Homestead State Historic Site
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, my wife and I were in Durham, North Carolina, visiting a...
EI3LH: CW for Pop Pickers!
Many thanks to Ian (EI3LH), who shares the following post, originally posted on his blog: The (not really) mysterious world...
Low-Impact QRP: Pairing the G106 and Just OK Mini at Bennett Place State Historic Site
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, my wife and I drove into Durham, North Carolina with a...
4 Hours, 7 Contacts: When POTA Doesn’t Go as Planned (Kochi Castle, Japan)
by Mark (JJ5GVY/KB2PIZ) My wife had a 5-hour meeting in Kochi, Japan. I was fully supportive! I had 5...
TinyGawant in Tough Conditions: A Hard-Fought but Fun POTA Activation!
by Thomas (K4SWL) Yesterday afternoon (April 15, 2026), after wrapping up a few appointments in town, I decided to...
My First Pebble HF Activation: One Watt, iPhone-Powered POTA!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, my daughter Geneva (K4TLI) and I made our way to Zebulon...
Radio Therapy in a Pollen Haze: Pairing the K2 and MC-750 at Umstead State Park (US-2755)
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Monday, March 23, 2026, I made a short pilgrimage to William B. Umstead State Park...