Is POTA as Easy and Fast as Youtubers Make It Look?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- The answer is yes and I demonstrate how even my relatively mediocre ability to handle a pileup still results in a quick activation. Nothing as fast as@hamradiotube or anything, but still a good time.
Radio - FT891
Antenna - Reel Pota-ble Antenna
Power 100w (I normally run 50 on ssb)
Suggestions and tips towards the end of the video.
![[Live] : ONE 168 วันนี้!! "โจนาธาน vs ซุปเปอร์เล็ก"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0jIN65KgJsI/mqdefault.jpg)
Every activation is different, every park is different. Some parks have a huge field and you can set up an EFHW (and move the direction around), some are small parking lots and you can only use a hamstick on a magmount, and you often don't know until you get there. Sometimes the conditions are great, sometimes they're terrible. I've fought for an hour to get 12 contacts, and other times gotten over a hundred in 20-30 minutes. Every activation is an adventure, just like most everything in this hobby. Just have some fun doing it.
Use the satellite view in Google maps. You get a great sense of what you’re working with. Tuskegee National Forest between Auburn, Al and Montgomery, Al crosses I-85 at the rest area. You can activate the forest at a place where you have good facilities.
When it comes to activating, I'm never in a hurry. I look at it this way, anything over 10 is gravy. My average activation time in my very limited attempts to this point is 30 minutes from set up to tear down and I'm averaging around 18 contacts. More than good enough for me. I'm always more interested in where I'm being heard rather than how often anyway. The video idea is a good one. I went out last weekend for an activation after a 3 or 4 month unintentional break and the rust was real. There would have been plenty to dissect. Rust or no rust, unkeying after QRZ and hearing multiple stations coming back is glorious.
Sometimes. However I JUST got my general so my experience with POTA has been 2m/70cm and 10m. 6m is never open here in CA when Im on the air. I always try. I am looking forward to my first POTA where I can use all the HF bands. Even on 2m simplex I'll rack up 50 or so contacts in a couple hours. For the comparative short range compared to HF I call that pretty good.
I have never tried POTA. Do you just pick a simplex frequency and start calling away?
@@chrissewell1608 on HF I find a clear frequency and follow etiquette asking if its In use. I do this 3 times to be sure. I try to pick one near other activity so people might find or see me on a waterfall if they have one. On 2m. I'll use 146.520 if its clear. If it's not I'll ask to make a cq call and say I'm listening on 146.580 so people can get me. Most people are pretty cool about letting me break In. Being courteous goes a long way.
You made it look easy over the weekend. Got my hooked on pota as well
It’s as easy as you want it to be. If you bring out tons of gear, it will be hard. If you keep your setup simple, it’s easy.
So true. I tried to anticipate every point of failure and loaded down the truck. What a mess that was. Radio, battery coax antenna and stick expert worked much better and I could get it all in the car.
Yep. I take my 991a so the radio is big but it's fine to work out the rear hatch of my rogue or set up a small table/use a park table.
@@Proc3000 I work out of my Kia Niro a lot. Tri-Mag mount on the top with a 20 meter ham stick. In that configuration I got the Canary Islands with my IC-7300.
@j.d.-alawyerexplains5064 did you see that one with a handstick where I got Hawaii on ssb? The "keep it simple Sean"method
Very true!
Thanks for posting this and the after action at the end. Still trying to figure all of this out and it was very helpful for me!
That is so cool! I kinda know, KD4YDC! He lives in the next town over from me, here in Ga. He works with the Natl. Weather Service. Great guy!
Very cool!
Hey Sean. Great to see you out at Moraine Hills this morning. GREAT day for POTA. Plus now I can say I shook hands with an internet celebrity! 😅 thanks for all the great and helpful stuff you put on your channel. 73, Tim KD9LAI
Pleasure meeting you. Hope the KB9BVR Groundplane worked out well!
@@HAMRADIODUDE I think it went ok. I was in a hurry, basically doing POTA "smash & grab," just wanted to get enough for activation then get out. Sooo, got 19 in 45mins. [only counted 18, cuz I flubbed someone's call sign]. That was on 40m running 50w on my IC-7300. Nothing from Mars or Venus, and nothing from out west, but got MS, AL, upper pen MI, DE, RI, VA... so I'm happy enough. Had I wanted to stay longer, and had I brought my laptop, I'd have done 15-20mins of FT8 just to see where I was being heard. Next time. Gotta say, so far, KB9VBR's screen groundplane is FAR preferable to messing with a thousand wires of radials running everywhere. 73!! T.M.
As a TH-camr I have to be honest and say "not always". I do try to show those not so great activations as well.
That park is about 1 hour drive south from my farm. I does seem to be a popular one to activate. Currently I’m in the process of rebuilding my QTH and mobile stations. I plan to become active in POTA both as Hunter and eventually as Activator. Appreciate your recording and sharing this opportunity to prepare before actually participating.
73 Steve AA4SH
I'm looking for a house out that way, north of or in / around Fayetteville. Looking forward to activating some parks out there and maybe meeting some locals. (Unsure when)
73!
Thank you so much for sharing this experience ! Well done !
We've had activations where the first 9 are there right off the back and you are struggling for an hour for that 10th; band conditions, antenna orientation, solar activity etc. We've had others where we are done 7 to 10 minutes. If you have the time, it's not about getting it activated quickly (unless you are roving), it's about getting out, getting as many hunters as you can and enjoying where you are at. Late shift? Bring plenty of bug spray. We usually make a day of it, be it at 1 park, or moving between many. Its about fun. I find the operations where you have to struggle are more worthwhile. You have that one station across the pond that is a 2-1 and you are fighting to make him out because you want that contact. The surprise when DX happens and you reach North Africa (Mililla enclave of Spain) off of 50 watts and an EFHW strung only 6.5 feet off the ground. It's just getting out and having an experience and being surprised by what you experience. Why would you want to rush that?
Just returned from late shift at K-9122. Thanks to my POTA friends, picked up 75 total for about 2 hours 30 minutes. 20W, CW, random end fed, flashlight & food, lol WB2SMK
Sometimes they go really fast, and sometimes they take forever to get 10. I've had valid CW activations in less than 10 minutes, and I've also had them take over an hour to get my 10. SSB usually generates more callers, so getting 10 can be a little easier. I agree on recording yourself. I record every activation, even if I don't put it on TH-cam. For reference, I generally only activate using CW, so having the video (and especially audio) does several things for me. It allows me to go back and listen and cross check calls with what I wrote down. A lot of times you'll blow a call and not even realize it. Next, it let's me hear how well I'm keying. I've noticed that my fist has gotten better pretty much every video. Last, it lets me see the overall progression of my ability to run a pileup or pull calls out of the mud. On CW, pulling calls out of a pileup becomes an art (especially when most of the pile is zero beating you). On SSB however, it can actually be even more hectic because you generally have more callers, so being able to pull calls out of that mess becomes a valuable skill. At the end of the day, I say go out and do an activation. Don't worry about whether you'll be good at it or not. The only way to learn is to actually do it, so I say rip the band aid off and go do an activation
I always enjoy your videos Dude, I wish my activations were this “slow”
Greetings from another FFF... N4FFF. Also northern Alabama in the Huntsville area haha
Haha, That is awesome. If we had a group of FFF's calling CQ together, we could sure confuse a lot of people :).
That’s a mighty nice pileup!
"Is it as easy as TH-camrs make it out to be?" -- yes.....and no.
Here's my recommendation: if one is looking to get into POTA, make things simple for one's self. Put what you think you're going to need in a backpack, seal that backpack up, and take it out to the backyard. Set up all the equipment out there, and see if you can do it without going back in the house. Once you have everything you needed set up and make a successful contact, tear it all down, lay it all out in front of you, and make a checklist. This checklist can be used to then pack and re-pack that bag -- either at home, or out in the field. Of course it'd be nice to have a dedicated kit -- that way one doesn't have to constantly tear-down the home station to go activate a park, but a dedicated kit isn't necessary, so long as you have a checklist and stick to it.
The second piece of advice I'd give to those that have never activated a park is to use your local parks that may not necessarily be POTA parks as a proving ground for yourself. Take your equipment out, set-up, make some contacts simply as a portable station. This will help build your confidence in your kit and work out any issues in set-up/tear-down, without the "pressure" of an actual park activation attempt. In this respect, the 'proving ground' park is where you can better your skills, test antennas, and dial-in your kit.
When you go to activate a park, don't re-invent the wheel. Do the exact same thing you did at your proving ground park, because you now know that works. Use the tools at your disposal - if you can spot yourself on the POTA page, do it. If you're using digital modes, check to see if you're getting out on pskreporter. Give yourself plenty of time to do what you want to do: "a quick activation" is something that will come, eventually, but shouldn't be expected right off the hop. Look closely at your signal flow as soon as you start operating, and if you find you're not making contacts, stop and look for the reason why. There's nothing worse than blowing through an entire battery, only to find a setting wrong on the radio, or a poor cable connection. Look at your ALC, look at your output power, look at your SWR, and monitor those things throughout your activation.
As you get some experience under your belt in terms of proving ground /P exercises and actual park activations, then you can start adding stuff or changing things up a bit...a hike in past the picnic tables and out in the woods a bit (many of my activations have been "fallen tree portable" where I hike in and find a fallen tree, and set-up just sitting on a log) , or digital modes as opposed to voice or CW.
The main thing is to keep things simple at first and keep it fun: this ain't meant to be a chore. If you're not having fun and learning along the way, you're doing it wrong.
Solid advice about the local parks. I found there is a local park near me which has a wooded area. No one knows about it, I go there nearly daily and setup/try different things (Because I am in an HOA and will get harassed if I even think about gear in the yard again). This is the perfect place for me to practice setting up/taking down and new techniques, without driving to the other side of town for a state park AND the pileups. Cheers.
I paper log every activation. My handwriting stinks. So I ask people to respot me, and then I take iPhone pictures of the POTA spot history. Many times I’ve had call signs I couldn’t read later that were in the history and the screenshot I took.
I have everything from a tiny 5 Watt qdx, battery about the same time, phone and quick vertical setup….yes, easy
I like banging out a POTA activation in under 10 minutes on 2M up on Mt Diablo. I haven't been up there in a while, I need to head back up.
Thanks for all your videos. I just recently started POTA activating and I'm wondering what logging app you appear to be so effortlessly using on your phone? Any other logging suggestions and tips would be greatly appreciated. As of now, I'm paper logging, then having to manually transfer everything to a computer program, not fun.
The app is called hamrs. I prefer paper logging myself but am finally getting used to the app hamrs. I can use it for an activation, export the ADI, save a copy to my drive and then send a copy off to the pota site. I will say that is way more convenient than paper logging. Speaking of paper logging, I have a lost activation I got to go find, I should have used hamrs 😊
Yes it is
How do you find the park number? Thank you for your time and help.
At pota.app/#/ , there is an option to search parks by name or via a map. The park number will be displayed on each of the parks listed. Good luck!
Good question. I have not tried POTA yet!
Pretty much, I just need to get my paper logs uploaded. K-2160 this afternoon while waiting to get my passport. Beautiful gorge trail the steps will kill ya though.
On the "spots" list there are entries that are grayed out. What are these?
Dude ! Reduce the number of syllables in your callsign, like 'Whisky Nine Fox Fox Fox'. Each time you used Foxtrot, you had trouble / missakes / lost in the pile-up. Still tho, it was cool to watch you do ya thang.
I don't get POTA, SOTA, IOTA, what denotes an Activation ?
Foxtrot is really the NATO standard, so that's what I primary use. I did nothing wrong or incorrect there. Nine should have been NINER. Each program (Ie POTA SOTA IOTA) has their own standards for an official activation. You'd have to check their rules. For example, on SOTA, you cannot have any equipment on a car and must be xxx Meters from the summit While acquiring (I think) 5 contacts.
Dudes callsign sounds good on CW….
Pileup work can be fun. Sometimes if it gets real heavy, you could start asking for sections. Like 9’s first and then 8’s, then 7’s….. just go down the list.
Activations can run however you want!
If you are using an EFHW anybchoke ahould be at the end of the co-ax before the radio as the coax acts as a counterpoise. You didn’t mention up front what antenna you are using.
Hi Jerry in the description I mention I'm using the reel portable antenna that I reviewed the other day.
Its easy when you have a healthy body and good support group.
Farily easy when you're old and fat and refuse any support groups.
7 broken ribs, 1 hip so no "easy buttons" here 😊
Did you pick a fight with a grizzly? Hope you heal quickly.
It’s 100% as easy as the tubers make it seem LOL POTA is the best thing to happen to ham radio in a long time
This is only half of the experience. Probably should have showed the setup and takedown for the full experience.
Here you go th-cam.com/video/1tJTydHFNjo/w-d-xo.html
I think alot of the times when you tubers advertise/live stream there going to be people waiting for them .
Why do you need a choke?
to prevent my coax from potentially acting as part of the antenna. It's been a few months, I don't remmber if i was using a counterpoise that day, but I rather choke it anyway.
It takes about an hour.
I am old school. I would be faster, using a pad and pencil to log contacts in the field.
Is POTA even legal ? 7.113 Prohibited transmissions.
(a) No amateur station shall transmit: Communications, on a regular basis, which could reasonably be furnished alternatively through other radio services.
This sounds like a QRZ.com discussion. I don't go there, but I would bet this is a discussion right now. Basically ANY communication on Ham radio is illegal then. Why? Because anything with ham radio can be relayed with Cell phone radio services, reasonably. So my opinion would be no. I would suggest for an official answer, contact an attorney who specializes in FCC Rules and Regulations.
Pota isn't transmitting communications. Im not broadcasting news, the weather, or other items. Im talking to people in a park. Its a 2 way communication of a "personal nature:
@@HAMRADIODUDE Ok here what the FCC wrote me. Case Id: HD0001047131
Summary: Rule Clarification
Description: Hello and good day. I was hoping I could get some clarification on this paragraph that I read in 47 CFR Part 97:113 it says. (5) Communications, on a regular basis, which could reasonably be furnished alternatively through other
radio services. Does this rule still apply today? The way I read this is "Does other radio services mean cell phones , Internet email, CBRS GMRS ? Thank you. Here there response: Dear James Horak,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Yes, the provisions of 97.113(a)(5) continue to apply. The purpose is to protect and promote the shared status of amateur bands so licensed amateurs can pursue the radio art and the hobby while not using the service as a substitute for other communications means.
If you have any further questions or need additional information, please submit a help request at www.fcc.gov/wireless/available-support-services or call the FCC Licensing Support Center at (877) 480-3201.
Sincerely,
FCC Licensing Support Center
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM EST, M - F
I'm curious as to the question. Why is POTA being singled out here?
It totally is legal. The keyword here is "regular basis". No one is setting up a permanent broadcasting service in a park. This law is aimed at pirate radio services.
If you spot yourself, it’s quick and fun! Thanks for the video. K7DFL
Great video! de W2CSI