When eight equals ten
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Category: POTA
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...
Paul Modifies the Chameleon CHA PRV 2.0 for Backpack Portability
by Paul Patsis (W7CPP) There are certain situations where a vertical antenna makes a lot of sense for portable...
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...
K3ES: Activating the Allegheny National Wild & Scenic River
by Brian (K3ES) If I had Looked, I would not have Tried! I was puttering around the house on...
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...
Visitors, Geese, and a Busted Activation
This was supposed to be a post about how I made a bazillion POTA/WWFF contacts in an hour. Yeah,...
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...
All Aboard the Struggle Bus
I carved some time out of the chaos that is my life lately for some much-needed “radio therapy”. I...
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...
Why are my POTA & SOTA activations often so short?
I received the following question from a reader recently, and I thought it deserved a proper reply here—especially since...
KK6IK: Norwegian Coastal POTA In Trondheim
By Scott Nacey (LA/KK6IK) April 14, 2026 How often do you get to do a POTA Activation from a...
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...
A Surprise in the Mail
It’s been crazy around here in WB3GCK-land lately, so I’ve had very little time for ham radio. However, a...
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...
A Spring Sunday in Japan: Cemeteries, Cherry Blossoms, and POTA
by Mark (JJ5GVY/KB2PIZ) April 5, 2026, started out as a normal Sunday morning. Do a load of laundry, vacuum,...
Just Two QSOs Short: A Fun Activation at Ritsurin Park (JP-2051)
by Mark (JJ5GVY/KB2PIZ) My wife had a dentist appointment at 4:00 PM. That gave us all afternoon to go...
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...
Putting Europe on the Air: A KX2, an Eurail Pass, and Ten First-Ever POTA Activations
By Richard (KE4WLE) March 2026 I didn’t originally plan this as a POTA trip. I was accepted to speak...
Exceeding My Low Expections
I’ve always heard that if you keep your expectations low, you’ll never be disappointed. My activation this morning was...
Impromptu Activation: Fighting rough propagation with the KX2 AX3 combo!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Sunday, March 22, 2026, I spent the day driving and enjoying time in Greensboro with...