My POTA Kit
So I’ve been doing POTA for over two years now with over 5000 contacts and over 156 parks activated under my belt. I have been able to work out my “go bag,” so I can easily setup in under 5 minutes - including the antenna.
So now that I have this blog to chronicle my radio adventures, I decided I might be able to share some of my experience and get you out and activate a park.
Now let me frame this topic a bit…
The goal of my setup is to get an activation setup within 5 minutes or less. I drive a lot for work, so the opportunity to activate a park between client visits sometimes is live a RADAR for me.
A setup that quickly maintains the line of efficiency makes things very easy to get up and running.
This is the difference between a successful activation and a failed attempt, as the airwaves can be challenging no matter how good your setup is.
I am fortunate to get the opportunity to activate new parks. This, for me, requires some quick scoping out and locating a spot.
My Setup
So with my setup, I have the non-negotiables.
Black mesh zipper bags - This stores all cables, flexible ties, connectors, antennas, interfacing coax, and radios. These are the ones ladies use for makeup items. You can find them on Amazon.
Radio Bag- I have an Oakley Mail Currier bag - which is no longer made) that houses my radio, logging tablet, battery, power cords, and watt meter. The fold-over zipper case has additional zippered storage where my zipper pouches are all organized. I also have a Rig Expert Stick 230 and Powerwerks in-line watt meter to round out the bag.
I carry a pen and yellow stick-its, a 2-way mike splitter - for dual activations, a Digi Rig, and charging cables for the smartphone.
Everything in the bag is power poles and provides easy use when I need to cable power together.
The Logging Computer - I have two devices. I use an iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard for regular logging - an on/off switch is a must! If you can afford it, I would get the iPad with cell, as it makes it easy to do callsign lookups and synch the log.
I am in the process of building a computer for digital modes. But for this post, I saved that for another post as a video would help explain the process.
I use HAMRS for logging and Dropbox to sync my logs. My process is simple: setting up the log file in HAMRs and exporting the ADI file to Dropbox. When I get home, I open up the log file with ADIF Master, confirm all fields, park, and other items are in check, and then upload the file to the POTA.APP website for processing. Then, to give proper credit to the hunters, I created a profile on Ham Radio Deluxe for the park, ensuring the Grid Square is correct for the location profile of the park and imported the log file. HRD then does the heavy lifting for QRZ and LOTW.
Antennas
I can go into greater detail on these antennas - and will at a later date, but I’ll list them here to explain my kit. I do have many so let me explain
Spring/Summer/Fall Activations -
I use a combination of two antennas. My first go-to antenna is the Wolf River Coil TIA 1000, with the center-loaded section. I use the 24” base and have the dual collar option.
I use a combination of two antennas. My first go-to antenna is the Wolf River Coil TIA 1000, with the center-loaded section. I use the 24” base and have the dual collar option.
I also have a Buddiepole Pro, and this antenna doesn’t get a lot of use as sometimes the counterpoise can be finicky and need more attention to get set up. I do have to give this antenna more field time in the spring.
Winter/Cold Activations -
I do most, if not 90%, of my activations in the winter from my truck. I purchased in the spring of 2022 a Yaesu ATAS 120a and mounted this to my back rack.
I run a few wire antennas, with the Chameleon EFLFS 80-10 Lightweight Sloper being the one I use mostly. I plan to do some additional reviews on these at a later date. But I have used this once at a POTA Meetup with success and on several Field Day events.
Batteries
I haven’t tried the gamut of batteries out on the market, but my stable includes a 15-ah and 20-ah Bioenno battery. Both of these are charged using the Bioenno charging plugs, and I have never run out of power. I have a solar charge controller from Buddipole (Powermini 2) and a 60-watt panel. Still, I haven’t taken the time to assemble this kit with a 60-watt solar panel, but it will be forthcoming.
I know I can go further into the rabbit hole, but this is an excellent place to ask… What do you want to know about my setup?
I plan on posting more videos on YouTube and social media, and you can always come back to my site for the latest updates.
My question to my visitors is, what you’d like to know more about? My antennas? Setup? The tech? Let me know in the comments.