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POTA

POTA

Parks on the Air (POTA) is a popular activity among amateur radio operators where they set up and operate portable stations from national and state parks.

The goal of POTA is to promote the use of parks while encouraging amateur radio operators to get outdoors and make contacts from unique locations.

POTA helps build awareness of amateur radio, provides a fun operating challenge, and encourages portable operation skills.

General Ham Resources

POTA Examples

  1. Activation: Activating a park involves setting up an amateur radio station within the boundaries of a designated park and making contacts with other operators. Learn more about POTA Activation Guidelines.

  2. Chasing: Operators who make contact with a station operating from a park are known as "chasers." Chasers help support activators by providing contacts and helping them reach their goals. Find details on POTA Chaser Information.

  3. Portable Equipment: POTA activators often use portable equipment, including lightweight transceivers, antennas, and power sources. The emphasis is on mobility and ease of setup. Read about Portable Equipment for POTA.

  4. Log Submission: After activating a park, operators submit their contact logs to the POTA website to receive credit for the activation and to help maintain accurate records. Learn about Log Submission for POTA.

  5. Community and Awards: POTA offers a range of awards for activators and chasers, encouraging participation and friendly competition. Discover more about POTA Awards and Community.

Local Club Activities

Portable Operating Group
The Portable Operating Group is a Special Interest Group of the Raleigh Amateur Radio Society.

Created on February 15, 2022, for the purposes of demonstrating amateur radio in public and preparing radio amateurs to operate beyond the conveniences of their home stations, our goals include:

  • Practicing the rapid deployment, assessment, and troubleshooting of equipment in the field
  • Providing opportunities for Technician and General class license holders to operate on HF bands in order to gain experience with General and Extra class license exam topics
  • Providing operating opportunities to hams without a home station
  • Practicing for handling pile-ups by activating POTA entities
  • Introducing the public to the amateur radio hobby in a positive way

What We Do

To fulfill our goals, the Portable Operating Group ventures into the field each month (more or less) with portable amateur radio equipment to operate for a few hours in public places. Often our activities will include activating a Parks on the Air (POTA) entity.