OAUSA Net - August 27, 2020 - Parks on the Air (POTA)

[DaveK]

Parks On The Air

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sponsors National Preparedness Month each September to promote family and community disaster and emergency planning throughout the year. We thought that it would be a good idea to get a bit of a head start, so we selected a topic for the net that promotes these goals and incorporates the kind of activities that we favor - exploring our great parks, right here in the USA.

Our topic for the net this week is the Parks on the Air organization (POTA, https://parksontheair.com/.) Their objective is to support and promote portable amateur radio operations in national and state/province level parks, with a focus on encouraging emergency awareness and communications.

We cant think of a better way to combine two of our favorite topics - Ham radio and outdoor adventures.

[Hmfigueroa]

Parks on the Air

The Parks on the Air program is an international program to encourage amateur operators in developing their skills, building communities, and similar to Field Day demonstrating the amateur radio service to the public.

Parks on the Air or POTA welcomes Amateur Radio operator of all experiences to participate. There is no stuffy exchange required. have a bit of a conversation if you like or power through a pile up if that is what you like. You can mix operating special interest groups like Summits on the Air or the like to make the most of your operating time. All of the heavy lifting and responsibility lies in the hands of the Activators who are responsible for submitting their logs to assign credit for qso's completed for Hunters, and fellow Park to Park Activators.

As a hunter, amateur radio operators my operate from anywhere they can hear a Parks on the Air activation; Home, Mobile, QRP, Portable.There is no requirement for an Hunter to submit logs unless they wish to complete a Park to Park contact. Hunters will receive credit for the QSO without regard to the Activators successful completion of 10 required QSO's

All POTA activation stations are completely located and operated from within recognized National and State Parks, or within 100 feet of National Historic Trails, and National Scenic Trails.
Contact Rules

All POTA participants are requested to follow several rules that are available on the official Park on the Air website.

operators are requested to abide by the Ham Radio Operating Ethics, and the DX Code of Conduct.

While POTA is not necessarily a DX type program, the DX Code of conduct is a great set of operating guidelines to enable efficient use of on-air time that is a useful skill set to use for any operating event.

Feel free to review the Ethics document at your leisure, in essence be a good respectful person and treat others how you would like to be treated.

Here we will discuss the DX Code of Conduct and how it relates to all amateur radio operations.

DX Code of Conduct

1. [1] Listen Listen Listen
   
   [2] Only call if I can copy the DX station properly
   
   [3] I will not trust the cluster, I will be sure of the DX call sign before calling
   
   [4] I will not interfere with the DX station or anyone calling and never tune up on the DX frequency
   
   [5] I will wait for the DX station to end a contact to before calling
   
   [6] I will always send my full call sign
   
   [7] I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval, I will not call continuously.
   
   [8] I will not transmit when the DX operator calls another call sign, not mine
   
   [9] I will not transmit when the DX operator queries a call sign not like mine
   
   [10] I will not transmit when the DX operator requests a geographic area other than mine.
   
   [11] When the DX operator calls me I will not repeat my call sign unless I think it was copied incorrectly.
   
   [12] I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact
   
   [13] I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect

Hunting POTA

If you hear a Parks on the Air station calling CQ, give a call. When you get more involved, you can check for POTA spots. this is an online resource to watch for POTA stations on the air that is updated once a minute. The POTA website will have planned activation listed so you can look for stations that you as a chaser might be looking for. The best part,as a chaser all you need to do is make a contact with a POTA station and you will receive credit for the contact. Any contacts you make with a POTA station will count, even those made before you sign-up for the program.

POTA Planned Activation and Spots

potaplannedactivations.png (115.96 KiB) Viewed 919 times

https://pota.us/#/activations is the website for this information.

Registering for Parks on the Air

Once you choose to get involved it actively participating in the POTA Program, registering at the program website http://www.parksontheair.com

Once you are a registered member of POTA you can activate POTA designated Federal and State Parks, and national trails by transmitting from a designated POTA Reference.

Activation Rules

The activator and all the equipment you use must be located within the perimeters of the park, and on federal or state/provincial owned property. No land based repeaters, Sats are OK.

No private property, use POTA map site and official park maps,sites to verify you set up operations within park boundaries.

No trespassing, even to access public lands

Activator is responsible to ensure operating location is valid

10 completed qso's are required to successfully activate the POTA activity. In all cases logs must be submitted to ensure Hunters receive their activity credit.

All log days begin at 0000z-2359z Log submissions may cover multiple days.

This is enough to get you started in a basic POTA activation.

There are facilities to enable digital modes, multiplier credits for activating multiple POTA references such as activating a recognized trail in a recognized park.

[Hmfigueroa]

How to locate a valid POTA Reference

A great first step is to consult the Parks on the Air Map at https://pota.us/#/map. This will give you a map that you may need to scroll around to locate some land. Entering information into the menus at the top of the page will narrow your results.

Parks on the Air Map Search

potamap1.png (245.19 KiB) Viewed 920 times

Here is a screenshot of the extreme Southern California Area. Scroll around the map and locate yellow dots that indicate POTA recognized parks.

Yellow Dot Selected

potamap2.png (334.26 KiB) Viewed 920 times

Click on one of the yellow dots to bring up the POTA park designation that will be used to activate the Park on the Air.

Anza Borrego California State Park

potamap3.png (255.77 KiB) Viewed 920 times

In this example Anza Borrego Desert State Park Designated K-1126 has been selected clicking on more info will bring up useful information such as the park website, GPS location (Lat and Long), and many will have a link to an official park map.

Select Park Map

potamapcaparks.png (735.87 KiB) Viewed 920 times

Looking at the map displayed you can look to see where potential operating site could be located. This will allow you to Activate your POTA Park and get on the air in the outdoors.

[k9atk]

Please check inn
K9ATK BRIAN
K9FOG TRISH
KD0EXI CHEYENNE
KD0RHA TYLER
KD0GPE AUSTIN
thanks

[NotAMog]

Please check-in -

John - KN6VL

Bruce - KD6GCO

[Jeff-OAUSA]

Please check me in. Thanks.

WD6USA

[KA9WDX]

Check in please - thanks - Bernie

[AK6DH]

Count me not checked in, the Antelope Valley Amateur Radio Club Mets tonight.

David - KN6FPS

[Voodoo Blue 57]

Check me in please!

Phil

[Geoff]

Please check me in.

Thank you.