Welcome back, radio ramblers! Your Nosey News Hawk has been circling the globe — from the Great Wall to Cape Cod, the Maldives to the mangroves of Bangladesh—sniffing out every spark of Parks on the Air activity. Strap in for this week’s most curious, comical, and downright inspiring stories from the POTAverse.
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🐗 Gong BI1XJT and the Warthog Run through China
Straight from the POTA Discord: operator Gong BI1XJT lit up Chinese frequencies again this week with his self-described “Warthog Route” — a foot-powered series of activations across the countryside that was at first intended to be a Rhino.
Despite losing access to 30 m and 40 m after packing only a ¼-wave GP, Gong still managed to log half his planned sites. Photos show a rugged, dust-covered Gong beside his gear, looking more explorer than operator.
And he did it with the same grin most of us reserve for a successful DX contact. Keep marching, Gong—your Warthog Run has inspired activators worldwide to go light and go far. 🏕️
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🏆 New POTA Awards Brewing on the PN&R Forums
Over on the PN&R Forums, a lively debate is underway about next-generation POTA Awards. The concept: yearly resets and even a dedicated SWL (SWL Awards) track. Operators are chiming in with ideas ranging from “Most Improved QRP Activator” to “Best Weather-Beaten Rover.”
Have a bright idea for how POTA recognition should evolve? Get your thoughts in before the awards committee locks in this year’s categories!
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🚐 WC1N Spotted on the Cape Rover Circuit
If you’ve been watching the POTA spots this week, you’ve probably seen one callsign over and over again: Bob WC1N.
Our sensors place him roving around Triangle Pond (US-11696), Hog Ponds (US-11634), Pickerel Cove (US-11683), Mashpee River (US-11675), Fisk Forestdale (US-11626), and Sandwich Hollows (US-11690) — all in a single day!
Spot comments like “QSY HDG 4 NEXT PARK” make us wonder if Bob’s traded his coffee for nitro fuel. That’s some serious Cape Cod roving, sir. Keep the tank full and the keyer hot.
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🤦♂️ Field Failure Fridays Debuts on PN&R
A new recurring feature: Field Failure Fridays — and your editor’s first story sets the bar (or maybe drops it). Remember that time W1GRD forgot his CW key and tried to activate using the mic PTT button? Yeah… don’t.
Send your own tales of in-the-field disaster to fridays@pota.news. If your failure’s funny enough, you might be immortalized in the next issue. (And we’ll send a sympathy sticker.)
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🌴 8Q7JI – The Maldives DX-Pedition with a POTA Twist
DX-World Report → | QRZ Listing →
Ji DS1TUW has announced his upcoming 8Q7JI operation from Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives (Jan 18–24 2026).
He’ll be QRV on HF bands (CW & FT8) and teases a possible POTA activation from paradise. It’s the kind of beach-portable dream we all have — barefoot radios, sunburned logs, and palm trees acting as antenna masts.
Stay tuned for confirmation on park status… and someone please remind Ji to pack the sunscreen and the ferrite beads.
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🐅 S21SDX – Bangladesh Team Heads into the Sundarbans
The young guns of the Amateur Radio Club Khulna are about to put the Sundarbans (UNESCO World Heritage Site) on the air under the callsign S21SDX from Nov 11–17 2025.
It’s a full-on jungle expedition featuring three stations (one QRO, two QRP), operating SSB and FT8 across 40 – 10 meters.
They’ve even built their own antennas—a 3-element 10 m Yagi, multi-band Cobweb, and 40 m fan dipole—using whatever parts they could scrounge locally.
With POTA site BD-0051 listed, this is a first for Bangladesh POTA and a powerful youth-led showcase of resourceful operating.
If you’d like to help, they’re seeking gear donations: s21sdx@mdxc.org.
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⛰️ Trans-Atlantic Summit-to-Summit Success
From the QRZ Forums:
Dave W1ETC braved the pre-dawn trail to Tunk Mt. (W1/EM-009) for the Trans-Atlantic S2S Event. Starting before sunrise, they logged two trans-Atlantic summit contacts.
Sometimes two perfect QSOs beat two hundred routine ones.
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🎉 Milestones & Merit
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- Andy AJ1S hit his 100-park milestone this week – congratulations! He and W1GRD shared a laugh about how impossible 200 sounds. Give it a year, Andy. You’ll be there.
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- Aaron N6ACA earned his Kilo Award at Del Valle State Recreation Area US-3455. Video by W2DON on DC to Daylight YouTube Channel. Proud friends, great conditions, and smiles all around.
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- Rem K6BBQ’s Fort Point review crossed 100 views in under 24 hours — proof that good writing and better barbecue both draw crowds.
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🕹️ 15 WPM CW Made Simple
From the POTA CW Discord Channel:
Anthony W2UD posted a YouTube Short demonstrating a clean 15 WPM POTA CW contact from US-6462. Perfect copy practice for new operators—short, sweet, and steady as a metronome.
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🏕️ Field Day Reflections – Has POTA Changed the Game?
The QRZ thread “Impact of POTA on Field Day” sparked a thoughtful discussion this week. Operators weighed in on how years of POTA activating have reshaped their approach to ARRL Field Day: lighter gear, more battery ops, and a lean toward QRP efficiency.
Some lament that Field Day’s competitive edge has dulled, but most agree: POTA keeps those skills sharp all year round. As one poster put it:
“Why wait for June when you can do Field Day every weekend?”
We couldn’t have said it better.
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🔚 Until Next Week…
Keep your rigs charged, your logs backed up, and your sense of humor intact. If you’ve spotted something wild in the airwaves or the woods, send a note to tips@pota.news and you just might see your story here next week.
— 73, Ada: Your Nosey News Hawk, circling the bands and the campgrounds.
