ham-radio

  • POTA – Self-Spotting

    With a radio, we can very slowly scroll our VFO and listen for activity.  It’s fun, it’s exciting, but it’s not super efficient when the objective is to rack up a mass of contacts.  No matter how slowly we roll… Continue reading

    POTA – Self-Spotting
  • 240330@US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

    These are specials days – days to notice and enjoy – before the heat sets in.  They won’t be here long.  They say Spring in North Texas is beautiful.  It is, especially when it lands on a weekend. This activation… Continue reading

    240330@US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
  • POTA – How To Get Started

    Admin Sign up right here https://pota.app/#/signup  simple as that.  They give you a couple of choices of how you can log in – I use my amazon account, you do you. Read The Rules This part’s important, not because I’m a… Continue reading

    POTA – How To Get Started
  • What’s POTA?

    From Wikipedia, POTA, Parks On The Air, is an international radiosport award program that encourages licensed amateur radio operators to visit, enjoy and operate portable equipment in a variety of parks and public lands. From parksontheair.com, it facilitates international portable… Continue reading

    What’s POTA?
  • 240326@US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

    Hagerman has to be one of my favorite parks.  At 39 miles from home, it’s close enough to go regularly and far enough away to have actually gone somewhere.  I frequent the day-use picnic area on the North end of… Continue reading

    240326@US-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
  • 240325@US-2991 Bonham State Park

    Bonham State Park is a small gem of Texas state parks.  It’s small, as state parks go, but beautiful and friendly.  The ranger at the entry point was sure to remind me that park access is free to veterans and… Continue reading

    240325@US-2991 Bonham State Park
  • 240325@US-6553 Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site

    Not the most beautiful Monday for radio.  Overcast, drizzly, and in the 50’s, it was the kind of day where my recliner has much more influence than it should. Overdue for some POTA-therapy I was going – lazy or not.… Continue reading

    240325@US-6553 Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site
  • Learning CW – Drills and Practice

    There’s a load of tools online for learning Morse Code – some are helpful and some are not. I’ve challenged and improved my copy with the tools below. Interesting to me, the code translator does two things I value. It… Continue reading

    Learning CW – Drills and Practice
  • 240317 @ Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

    A beautiful afternoon in the park on Sunday – and to make it even better, I had a buddy join, NZ5K, Mike Mitchell.  Our radio goals couldn’t be more different. I’ve always approached my activations from the “solo” perspective.  It’s… Continue reading

    240317 @ Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
  • 240316 @ K-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

    The Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge is my “home” park and this activation was my 57th, there.  It’s beautiful, but in a wetlands kinda way and through my POTA eye, it’s accessible (no gate), has decent antenna trees, is seldom crowded,… Continue reading

    240316 @ K-0548 Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge