The Uncompromising Compromise
by Thomas (K4SWL) Over the years of doing amateur radio in general—and field radio in particular—I’ve talked a lot...
Category: SOTA
SOTA, POTA, and Pepper-Assisted Rapid Antenna Removal at Leith Hill
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Saturday, July 18, 2026, my friend Nick (M5NCW), his sweet dog Pepper, and I jumped...
N8PEM: A Zippy Paddle Story on Picea Benchmark
by Chris (N8PEM) At Hamvention this year, I ran into Rich, KE4WLE, and got a close look at some...
A Much Lighter Backpack: Activating Dirrington Great Law (GM/SS-225)
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Friday, July 10, 2026, I woke up fairly early, had breakfast, and packed my Savotta...
A Lewis & Clark POTA Journey
For years, Joyce/K0JJW and I have talked about following the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The main idea...
KI6CR: Two Swiss Summits – SOTA Activations at Schilthorn and Burgfeldstand (Part 2)
by Chris (KI6CR) What a beautiful week for radio in the Alps! My family and I were taking one...
From Alnwick to the Airwaves: Activating Ros Castle (G/SB-009) with the KH1!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Wednesday, July 8, 2026, my family visited one of our favorite places in Northumberland: Alnwick....
KI6CR: Two Swiss Summits – SOTA Activations at Schilthorn and Burgfeldstand (Part 1)
by Chris (KI6CR) What a beautiful week for radio in the Alps! My family and I were taking one...
Eight Parks, One Missing Mast, and the Midnight Sun: A CW-Only POTA Trek Along Sweden’s Kungsleden
by Nils (DF7CW) Greetings to the whole QRPer community — and especially to you, Thomas! My name is Nils,...
Sofas on the Air: Good Radio, Great Conversations, and a Memorable Weekend!
by Thomas (K4SWL) This past weekend, I had the amazing honor of being invited to the Los Angeles area...
Book Review: VHF, Summits, and More – Having Fun with Ham Radio by Bob Witte K0NR
by Jock Elliott (KB2GOM) Nearly 40 years ago, I passed my five-words-a-minute code test and written exam given by...
Meeting Friends on the Summit: A Special SOTA Activation at North Berwick Law
by Thomas (K4SWL) Tuesday, June 30th, 2026, was a very special day during our trip to the UK. Before...
The best-laid plans *do* work out, after you pivot a few times
As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!...
The best laid plans don’t always work out
As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!...
VHF for Parks On The Air?
Parks On The Air (POTA) has exploded in popularity, with most of the activity on the HF bands. That...
The fourth try is the charm!
As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things!...
VA3EKR: Algonquin 2026 Trip — SOTA, POTA, and Field Day!
by Scott (VA3EKR) A three-day radio outing in the Algonquin area, June 26–28, 2026: three SOTA summit activations, ARRL...
A Tour and Review of my Savotta Niukka 20L Radio Backpack
This summer, my family and I are spending several weeks in the United Kingdom, and naturally, I’m fitting in...
Colorado QSO Party
Here is a Press Release concerning the Colorado QSO Party. Like it says below, this is our chance to...
Summer in the UK: Please Put These Callsigns in Your HamAlert!
by Thomas (K4SWL) I will be spending much of the summer in the United Kingdom, and I plan to...
Operating W1AW/0 on Pikes Peak
In 2026, the ARRL is running a program to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States (America250). One...
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...
South Monarch Ridge Photo
In 2024, Joyce/K0JJW and I activated South Monarch Ridge (W0C/SP-058) on the Friday of the Colorado 14er & Mountaintop...
2026 Colorado 14er & Mountaintop Event
During the Colorado 14er & Mountaintop Event, amateur radio operators from around Colorado will be activating Summits On The...
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...