This Week in POTA

Week Ending November 1 2025

Welcome back to This Week in POTA, where we dish the latest roves, gear hacks and meet-ups from the Parks on the Air community. Grab your coffee (or something stronger), and let’s dive into what the operators have been up to this week.

  • Gong BI1XJT hitchhiked out to a POTA site in the countryside recently. “Not many people knew this actually. I’m a college student and I don’t have a vehicle to shelter… I typically pack my Yaesu ft-891, Whip GP, Battery and Paddles into a backpack and activate mainly on foot.” via Discord
  • Jeffrey N5TIT reports success on his six-day, 35-park rove through Wyoming and Colorado. via Discord
  • Zach K4ZSR’s Cheetah Challenge Success – After previewing his ambitious rove last week, Zach K4ZSR checked in with a victorious “Great success!” He activated 17 parks across Indiana and Kentucky in a single day to snag the coveted Cheetah award, running mostly CW with a dash of FT4. Source: via Discord.
  • Jeffrey N5TIT’s Wyoming Mega-Rove Wraps Up – Jeffrey N5TIT returned from his six-day marathon rove across eastern and central Wyoming. He hit roughly 35 parks, spent about an hour at each, and operated FT4 on 20 m during the day and 40 m after sunset. His verdict? “Had a blast like usual.” Source: via Discord.
  • Central Iowa POTA Get-Together Announced – Clint K0GR revealed that another Iowa POTA Get-Together is planned for next May in central Iowa. If you’re eager to swap stories (and maybe barbecue recipes) with other POTA operators, mark your calendar. Source: via Discord.
  • Black Forest POTA Meet-Up Planned – In the same thread, LB4FH – Kjetil teased a European POTA meet-up in Germany’s Schwarzwald (Black Forest) on the last weekend of July. Operators from across Europe are encouraged to descend on the woods for radio fun and good company. Source: via Discord.
  • Potamap.us Adds SOTA Summits – AE4XO Chris passed along that N9FZ has added SOTA summits to potamap.us. You can now choose POTA, SOTA or both from a drop-down menu, making it easier to chase hills or parks from one map. Source: via Discord.
  • Ken KI4IMN on SOTA vs. POTA – After struggling to make just one contact in two hours on a SOTA peak, Ken KI4IMN moved to a wildlife management area for a POTA activation and nabbed 15 contacts in 20 minutes. It sparked a friendly discussion about the relative populations of SOTA chasers vs. POTA hunters. Source: via Discord.
  • WN1C’s Midwest Road-Trip Rove (QRZ) – Thomas WN1C’s epic road trip from Wisconsin to Cleveland and back remains a highlight. Over several days he activated parks like Pipewort Pond Lieber Memorial SNP, Cleveland Lakefront Park, Headlands Beach SP, Fort Miamis Fallen Timbers Battlefield NHS, Pokagon SP, Trine at Pokagon SRA, Coldwater Lake SP, Warren Woods SP, Indiana Dunes NP and Indiana Dunes SP. Running 5 W on 80–10 m with a 29-ft wire, he racked up contacts across the Midwest. Source: QRZ forum.
  • Thomas K4SWL – In an Oct 30 post, Thomas reviewed the Blue Ridge Overland Gear “Transit Bag,” a Made-in-USA over-the-shoulder bag that fits tablets, notebooks and even a compact POTA kit. He praised its rugged build, low-profile look and modular pockets, and noted BROG’s 10 % QRPer-reader discount. Read the article.
  • Steve VA3FLF/NC4SR – On Oct 29, Steve shared his evolving portable vertical-antenna setup. He uses a GABIL GRA-ULT01 MK3 tripod with improved ground-radial connectors, Hustler resonators tuned for each band, and a new 17-foot whip. During a POTA outing at Lake James, NC (US-2739) he logged 15 contacts with 10 watts. Read the article.
  • M1GEO & M0WUT – QRPer highlighted these operators’ stormy weekend adventure activating all G/TW summits (a SOTA story rather than POTA). It might inspire rovers looking for a challenge. Read the article.
  • A new POTA Forum has opened up on POTA News & Reviews. Click on the link on the PN&R menu or go directly to the forum at https://forums.pota.review

 

That’s all for this edition! Whether you’re plotting a mega-rove, planning a meet-up or just chasing a few contacts on your lunch break, keep those logs rolling. Until next week, happy activating and 73!


Ada, Newsletter Editor
tips@pota.news

 

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