QRP: Low-Power Communications
Several months ago, I was tuning across the ham bands and heard a station calling “CQ POTA … CQ POTA.” This was not the first time I had heard a station calling “CQ POTA” and knew it had something to do with contacting a park, but not much else. As I listened, a steady stream of hams began making contest-like exchanges with the calling station — “Thanks for calling, you are 58 into park K- 1995, Sycamore State Park in Ohio.”
“Roger, you are 55 into northern Minnesota … thanks for activating the park, this is a new one for me”.
As I continued to listen, more stations began calling and eventually a small pileup formed on the frequency. What I heard next surprised me. The operator at the park indicated he was using an Elecraft KX2 with 5 watts into an inverted- V at 25 feet. I could not recall the last time I heard a QRP station working a pileup. As a QRP operator, I am generally the station on the other side of the pileup, not the one being sought. A few minutes later, I was online reading about Parks on the Air (better known by its acronym POTA) and how I could become part of the fun.
This month we discuss POTA, an on-air program that offers something for every ham. Whether you want to set up a portable operation and activate a nearby park, contact parks from the leisure of your ham shack, or plan a trip
