Chiavari: Two Parks, Two Activations, and a Trip to the Beach
by Christian (IX1CKN) When you are away from home, Parks On The Air is first and foremost an opportunity...
Category: POTA
A Beautiful Morning POTA Activation and a Proper Lesson in Troubleshooting!
by Thomas (K4SWL) Early on the morning of Wednesday, September 9, 2026, I decided to head out for another...
Whipping Up Some Contacts
In my last post, I mentioned how I damaged the telescopic whip, which is part of my Gabil GRA-7350TC...
Testing the New Chelegance JKEYER-CPO16 on a POTA Activation
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, my wife and I dropped off our daughter at college after...
The Solar Cycle Is Changing. Don’t Panic.
by Thomas (K4SWL) Several people have asked me lately what it’s going to be like as we move out...
Successful Activation with a Few Issues
I made a run up to French Creek State Park (US-1355, KFF-1355) for a quick, early-morning activation. While my...
KB2PIZ: Three Parks, One Activation, and a Lot of Lessons Learned
by Mark (KB2PIZ) 0 for 3 activations: super fun, and amazing lessons learned in trying to activate North Lake...
My New-to-Me mcHF: Building a Full Field Kit & First POTA Activation!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Monday, September 7, 2026—Labor Day—I got up early and headed out to William B. Umstead...
One day, two summits, two failed attempts.
As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!...
Tims Ford State Park: Proving New Gear in the Field
by Steven Krumm (KV4AN) Tims Ford State Park (US-2980) is a Tennessee State Park between Lynchburg and Winchester in...
Wrapping Up the Lewis & Clark Trail
More from the trip: A Lewis & Clark POTA Journey | On The Trail | West Over Lemhi Pass...
Bug Fist Practice: Pairing the Bug Emulator and Begali Traveler for a Morning POTA Session!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On the morning of Sunday, September 6, 2026, I was in Raleigh, and our family, of...
KB2PIZ: Persistence Pays Off at Saltwater State Park (US-3262)
by Mark (KB2PIZ) Each September, I head to Auburn, Washington. This year I brought my Lab 599 TX500, an...
Executing Plan B at US-1351
Sometimes things just don’t go according to plan. I have proven that many times over the years. My activation...
Arrived at the Pacific Ocean
We continued on our trip following the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail, crossing Idaho into Washington and Oregon....
Extraordinary SOTA on Vetter Mountain with N6ARA, KD7DTS, and K6ARK
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Saturday, August 22, 2026, I found myself waking up in California, preparing to do something...
Rainy Morning by the River
My (far) better half and I spent the weekend out in Central Pennsylvania to watch our grandson compete in...
A Hike by the Lakes at Banff’s Sunshine Meadows
As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!...
The Chickadee Double Tap’s Maiden POTA Voyage & My New TR-25 Peanuts Pencil Case Field Kit!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Thursday, September 3, 2026, I left my house pretty early for a one-and-a-half-hour drive to...
West Over Lemhi Pass
We continued on our trip along the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail, traveling across Montana and seeing many...
The Xiegu X6200 Returns to the Field: QRP CW from William B. Umstead State Park (US-2755)
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Saturday, August 15th, 2026, I had a full day ahead with family—most notably, moving a...
Four POTA Activations That Didn’t Go According to Plan
by Thomas (K4SWL) I often talk to people who are getting into POTA and SOTA, and they’ll sometimes tell...
More Gabil on a Table
One of my favorite ways to use my Gabil GRA-7350TC antenna is on a picnic table within arm’s reach...
Morning POTA at Umstead: Low Battery Forces One-Watt CW with Poor Bands
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Friday, August 14th, 2026, I was in Raleigh, North Carolina with my family, preparing both...
WR7D: A Very Moving POTA Trip
by Ken (WR7D) I previously wrote an article about a trip to Hungary with my daughter, who was working...