Parks On The Air

[Ahoward2k]

I went to get my ham technician and got a little carried away so I'm an extra class ham. I have been looking into parks on the air and think it could be really fun to fold into overlanding. Basically you go to state or national parks, set up a radio, usually HF but there's nothing saying you can't use VHF. You then try to make contact with a many stations as possible. You send in the logs and track your progress.

 

[Tundracamper]

When I was overlanding in WV, I drove up on a car that looked like they had a radio station setup in a dispersed campsite. The antenna must have been close to 30’ tall. I guess that’s what you are referencing?

 

[Ahoward2k]

Nowhere near that tall. But yes

 

[M Rose]

Nowhere near that tall. But yes

My POTA setup has a 50’ mast… and yes POTA and Overlanding go hand in hand…

 

[Ahoward2k]

Nowhere near that tall. But yes

My POTA setup has a 50’ mast… and yes POTA and Overlanding go hand in hand…

My icom 7300 should get here tomorrow. Also bought a wolf river tia. Hopefully HOA friendly

 

[Ahoward2k]

Nowhere near that tall. But yes

My POTA setup has a 50’ mast… and yes POTA and Overlanding go hand in hand…

What are you running?

 

[Tundracamper]

Hopefully HOA friendly

I don’t think it’s legal to use “HOA” and “friendly” in the same sentence - assuming HOA is what I think it is.

 

[smritte]

Agreed. now you get to learn "stealth" antennas.
"No, Really....its not an antenna its a.........."

 

[Ahoward2k]

Hopefully HOA friendly

I don’t think it’s legal to use “HOA” and “friendly” in the same sentence - assuming HOA is what I think it is.

Unfortunately it's exactly what you mean. But it's a tuning coil with a 102" whip, so 11ish feet. The yard nazi comes around on Tuesday so just take it down if I'm running it in the front yard because of the dogs

 

[smritte]

Can you hang a di pole to a tree in the back yard?

 

[Ahoward2k]

Can you hang a di pole to a tree in the back yard?

No tree in the back yard.

 

[Ahoward2k]

I'm going to try to activate a park in the morning on 20m

 

[M Rose]

What are you running?

Depends on what vehicle I’m in, and what park I’m activating, and if I’m going SOTA as well.

Bronco for a day activation I’m running an Icom IC-7100 with a 53’ random wire End-Fed antenna. If I’m activating multiple parks in one day in the bronco I just use my ATU loaded 108” whip.

If I’m going to be base camp I run a Yasue FTDX10 with a DX Commander Classic multi-band 1/2 wave vertical 80-2m.

If I’m in my wife’s 4Runner it’s the FTDX10 with a 160m OCF Dipole at 100’ in the air.

If I’m going to be doing both POTA and SOTA I use a QRP Labs QCX Mini on 40m and an Anytone 878 plus 2

The 7300 is a great radio, but as a mobile for POTA it’s kind of a bear… it’s best to be used at a base camp or as a home base station… Unless you have lots of room for your batteries, charging system, and the radio itself. My FTDX10 is about the same size as the 7300, and that’s why it very seldom goes out for day POTA use….

 

[JeepingMike]

Absolutely! I just upgraded this spring and got into POTA this fall, and setup my equipment specifically to be able to use at home or on the go. FT-891 with EFHW at home and BuddiStick Pro on the go. Combining two things I love, outdoors and radio. I see it as testing my amateur radio equipment and capabilities offgrid from anywhere. When hunting POTA from home, it gives me the same opportunity to test from a fixed on/off-grid location.

 

[Sparksalot]

Before POTA was a thing I was doing this while camping. I run QRP HF. One trip I was on 20 meters in early May. I worked W9IMS, through a pileup. The operator was stunned when I told him my setup.

W9IMS is the call of the club station at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

 

[Ahoward2k]

I'll be running an icom 7300 through a wolf river silver bullet tia. Power is a bioenno 15ah battery. I'll likely be hitting 20m around 10 central

 

[J.W.]

My POTA setup varies depending on the destination but I use my 7300 and a Buddistick Pro probably more than anything. I also use a Chameleon EmcommIII EFHW in an inverted V on a SotaBeams Tactical Mini quite a bit. I ended up activating 50 unique parks in 2021. Overlanding and POTA are two hobbies that definitely compliment each other.

Hope to catch you on the air

 

[Ahoward2k]

I'm going to try to activate LBJ grasslands this morning on 20m. I got my 7300 yesterday so it's a trial by fire.

 

[M Rose]

I'm going to try to activate LBJ grasslands this morning on 20m. I got my 7300 yesterday so it's a trial by fire.

I hear 20m is dead for POTA today. 160 is hopping though.

 

[Ahoward2k]

20m was hopping today. Couldn't hardly get a word in edgewise. I hit Ontario a few times from North Texas