A Jury-Rigged Antenna Saves the Activation at Kinrin Park (JP-1653)
by Mark (JJ5GVY/KB2PIZ) The weather is getting more summer-like here in Takamatsu. That means hot and humid and rain...
Category: POTA
Does half and half equal a whole?
As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!...
Elecraft Introduces the New AX4 Portable Antenna & BL3 Balun
Elecraft has just introduced two new products that will likely attract the attention of many POTA activators and portable...
A snowbrush is essential POTA gear
As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!...
Persistance is Futile (Sometimes)
Yesterday was the perfect day to be out operating in a park, so I headed over to Valley Forge...
Back to Ritsurin Park for a Successful Activation!
by Mark (JJ5GVY/KB2PIZ) I reported on my fun non-activation of a non-POTA park the other day. My success rate...
Heading to Dayton Hamvention and Four Days in May!
Good morning, QRPers! As you’re reading this post, Tuesday morning, I’m already on the road heading to Dayton Hamvention...
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...
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...
When eight equals ten
As always there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!...
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...