by Teri (KO4WFP) After a five week break from POTA, it was time to get back in the game! I leave for my North Carolina camping/POTA trip Sunday, July 14th and frankly miss being out on an activation. To remedy that situation, Monday, July 8th, I headed to Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area (WMA), POTA park … Continue reading Back in the Game for the POTA Babe →

Many thanks to Doug (KO4WDE) for sharing the following guest post: POTA and FBLA by Doug (KO4WDE) I have recently found myself fully immersed in the world of Future Business Leaders of America, as my wife is the chapter leader for the middle school where we teach.  She started the program with just a handful … Continue reading Guest Post: Combining POTA with an FBLA national competition road trip! →

How I worked the #19 most wanted CW DXCC as a pedestrian mobile station by Leo (DL2COM) A couple of months ago, I started using the app HamAlert to keep track of interesting DXpeditions and rare call signs just to check if I would be able to copy their signal on my home-made WebSDR at … Continue reading A QRP Morse Code Exchange with a Monk →

Many thanks to Alan (W2AEW) for the following guest post: Trapped EFHW antenna story (it’s all Vince’s fault) by Alan (W2AEW) One of my favorite antennas to use for POTA activations is a 40m EFHW wire.  When properly tuned and deployed, it can be used on 40, 20, 15 and 10m without the use of … Continue reading W2AEW’s Trapped EFHW Antenna Tutorial: Building a Smaller, More Versatile Solution for Portable Operations →

by Teri (KO4WFP) Okay. Y’all haven’t heard much from me lately and may be wondering, “What the heck is the POTA Babe up to?” Actually, a lot! Earlier this year, I asked QRPer readers for suggestions as to parks to visit for a summer POTA trip to either North Carolina and/or Virginia. I appreciate all … Continue reading Where the Heck is the POTA Babe? →

Many thanks to Christian (IX1CKN) who shares the following field report: Friedrichshafen: POTA Across Borders by Christian (IX1CKN) The Friedricshafen fair is one of the most interesting events for its social aspects, where you can finally put a face to colleagues whose voices you’ve only ever heard. Among the various OM (radio amateurs) I met this year … Continue reading Friedrichshafen: Christian and Andrea’s Multi-Country POTA Rove →

Many thanks to Lee (M0VKR) who shares the following field report and video: SOTA CW Activation on High Willhayes Dartmoor by Lee (M0VKR) It was an overcast and breezy morning when wife Joanne and myself Lee, M0VKR set out on our latest SOTA (Summits on the Air) activation adventure. Our destination was High Willhays, the … Continue reading QRP SOTA: Lee pairs the KH1 and MPAS 2.0 to activate High Willhayes (G/DC-001) →

Many thanks to Sam (WN5C) who shares the following guest post: Notes from a homebrew POTA adventure Sam (WN5C) I recently wrote about the homebrew transceiver I built to operate on a month-long trip through the American Southwest. Upon arriving back in Oklahoma here’s the final outcome: 27 days, 40 parks, and 669 QSOs. I … Continue reading WN5C: Notes from a homebrew POTA adventure →

Many thanks to Scott (VO1DR) who shares the following guest post: Coffee, Cobblestones and Contacts – Portable in Portugal by Scott Schillereff, (VO1DR), St. John’s, NL, Canada On a recent trip throughout Portugal (May 29 – June 12), I operated /P QRP CW at five locations, with varying success.  Here are some details and pictures … Continue reading VO1DR Portable in Portugal: Coffee, Cobblestones and Contacts! →

by Vince (VE6LK) Field Day 2024 started out with the best of plans to be spent with the best of friends and ended up totally different – and, unexpectedly, I had a hoot! With my carefully made plan behind me, my new last-minute plan was to run solo for Field Day in the backcountry of … Continue reading Experimenting during Field Day 2024 →

Many thanks to Lee (M0VKR) who shares the following field report and video: Activating Lewesdon Hill with the Elecraft KH1 by Lee (M0VKR) After taking a day off from work my wife Joanne and I pondered about what we could do. “Shall we go over to Dorset to that hill you have spoken about and … Continue reading M0VKR’s Lewesdon Hill SOTA activation with the Elecraft KH1 →

by Matt (W6CSN) Bletchley Park Most readers of this blog are probably familiar with Bletchley Park and the significance of this place in breaking the codes used by the axis military forces during the second world war. The electromechanical systems developed and used here to aid the codebreakers in their daily work led directly to the electronic digital computers … Continue reading UK POTA Rain and Shine →

Many thanks to Steve (MW0SAW) who shares the following guest post: Getting a KH1 into Wales and activating a couple of SOTA summits by Steve (MW0SAW) I suspect like many QRP enthusiasts, when the brochure of the KH1 surfaced on the Elecraft FTP site, and the YouTube videos appeared, I worked myself into a frenzy … Continue reading From Customs to Summits: Steve’s KH1 journey into Wales and onto summits! →

Many thanks to Joe (N0LSD) who shares the following guest post: Independence River Wilderness – Adirondacks, NY by Joe (N0LSD) A recent family engagement offered me the perfect opportunity to travel to a part of my state I rarely get the chance to visit. This trip would be a single over-nighter, but allow for the … Continue reading Joe’s Adirondack Adventure: POTA activations in the Independence River Wilderness →

Many thanks to Drew (W8MHV) who shares the following guest post: QRP in Thailand by Drew (W8MHV) I travel to Southeast Asia each year and usually have a few weeks in Thailand, but this year we planned on a longer stay. My XYL (N8MHV) has family in Thailand and we own a condo in downtown … Continue reading QRP in Thailand: Drew’s Journey to Get Licensed and On the Air →

Many thanks to Sam (WN5C) for sharing the following guest post: Homebrew in the Field by Sam (WN5C) What a week it’s been! I have the opportunity to spend a month traveling through and camping in the American Southwest (specifically, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado) doing archaeological work. And of course, that means the prospect … Continue reading Sam’s Thunderbird Mk 1 Takes Flight: A Homebrew Radio Field Report from the American Southwest →

by Teri (KO4WFP) It is said that all good things must come to an end and a POTA trip is no exception. Packing up camp at Reed Bingham State Park the morning of June 3rd was an easy endeavor.  Daisy and I were soon headed toward Savannah with a POTA planned along the way at … Continue reading The POTA Babe Reaches the Halfway Mark! →

We’re excited to welcome Bryce Bookwalter (KD9YEY) as a guest contributor on QRPer.com! I had the pleasure of meeting Bryce at the 2024 Hamvention, where he shared his plans for an ambitious hiking adventure next year. Knowing he wanted to incorporate radio into his journey, I asked if he’d be willing to bring us along … Continue reading Guest Post: Preparing radio and trail gear for a once-in-a-lifetime, epic through-hike →

After a valid activation and exploration of Bullard Creek Wildlife Management Area, Daisy and I headed to Reed Bingham State Park (US-2195), roughly a two hour drive. Along the way, we passed a huge lumber mill and drove through the communities of Douglas, Nashville, and Willacoochee. Reed Bingham State Park, located in southwest Georgia, is … Continue reading Overnight at Reed Bingham State Park for the POTA Babe →