POTA

• 2026-07-18

• 2026-07-18

• 2026-06-20 — Satellite QSO via AO-73 , worked N2FYA_John through the AO-73 linear transponder while activating Blakeley State Park (US-11292) for POTA.
• 2026-06-20 — South Alabama POTA Posse group activation at Blakeley State Park (US-11292), the same outing as the AO-73 satellite QSO above — multiple Posse members on-site together.
• 2026-06-03 — 6m SSB POTA activation from US-3711 (Weeks Bay), including a QSO with KQ4TPD and at least four park-to-park contacts received; the band stayed open afterward.
• 2026-05-18 — CW as a lifestyle : daily Morse practice and POTA hunting, working toward being fully conversational on CW.
• 2026-05-16 — Lunch-break POTA hunt from the work parking lot : worked K5DB and N5ZE, activating US-7178 in Arkansas (EM26WD, 565.8 mi), on 20m SSB.
• 2026-05-03 — 3,000th POTA QSO , logged at US-3711 (Weeks Bay) — plus the first two Meteor Scatter POTA QSOs ever, during the same activation. One of those two is confirmed as W9VHF via W9VHF’s own public ClubLog record (AE4JC, 2026-05-03, 6m, MSK144); the second station isn’t identified in the post text, only visible in the attached WSJT-X screenshots — not claiming more precision than that.
• 2026-05-03 — MSK144 Meteor Scatter POTA QSO with W9VHF (Indiana), from US-3711 (Weeks Bay) during the Eta Aquarids period — confirmed as one of the “first two” MS POTA QSOs logged that day via W9VHF’s own public ClubLog record.
• 2026-04-05 — N4MZ Amateur Radio Club POTA and RaDAR Rally Event , South Alabama.
• 2026-03-22 — 2m SSB POTA activation with an Elk Antenna from US-3711 (Weeks Bay), rigged on a portable mast during good VHF conditions: 10 stations worked.
• 2026-03-07 — The story behind the N1CC award , named for a QCWA member, shared with the Parks on the Air (POTA) group.
• 2026-02-08 — Group POTA operations at the Alabama Battleship (US-11376) with N5VJX, KQ4TPD, K4WXX, and WA4USA — a morning session together.
• 2026-01-14 — Interview with Jamie Millington, M7JMU (UK) : a friendship that started with a beach-to-beach POTA contact — working from a vehicle in Fort Morgan while Jamie operated from a UK beach. Still in touch on X and Signal, watching for the right conditions to reach each other again.
• 2025-12-06 — Several local N4MZ ham radio operators transmitting from the Alabama Battleship, remembering what happened on December 7, 1941.
• 2025-08-28 — Workflow tip : a selection toggle in Ham2K PoLo Logger reformats ADI export filenames automatically for POTA submission, ending the manual renaming of every export.
• 2025-08-02 — Daily CW practice with the CW Studio app , working 10-20 WPM while hunting POTA activators.
• 2025-05-03 — First confirmed POTA CW contact , after months of practice — three years earlier, working CW had seemed impossible.
• 2024-11-04 — Short trips to the park for digital ham radio practice , getting comfortable with modes and setups — noted as the first POTA QSO with JS8Call.
• 2025 — KQ4TPD worked ZL1CZ in New Zealand on 10 meters SSB via grayline propagation, 7,923 miles (12,751 km) radio to radio, during a POTA activation from the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. A friend’s contact, shared here — not Matthew’s own.
• 2024-06-15 — Squeezed out 13 QSOs on 20m SSB during a POTA activation — HF bands were strange with heavy QSB (S5 to S1); heard Australia but got no answers on bands that looked “good.” Still fun.
• 2024-06-10 — Tested a new 100Ah mobile power supply during a POTA activation: ran 50 watts SSB for about 30 minutes, reaching coast to coast on 20m plus a bonus DX QSO with Spain. The battery used only 3.5Ah.
• 2024-05-10 — 63 contacts in 49 minutes on 20m SSB during a POTA activation of the USS Alabama Battleship Park, despite poor HF conditions — worked across the United States.
• 2024-04-28 — Unexpected DX during a morning POTA activation at US-3711 (Weeks Bay): worked VK3YV in Australia (QF31au, 9,360.6 mi) on 20m SSB.
• 2024-04-25 — Lunchtime mobile POTA activation at US-6358: worked KI5DVX (EM13KR, 631 mi) on 20m SSB, 59 with some QSB.
• 2024-04-19 — Barely squeaked out 12 contacts at a favorite POTA park on HF — bands were tough with loud static, but still an enjoyable activation.
• 2024-03-29 — Group POTA activation at Fort Morgan (US-0025): logged KJ6ER as a park-to-park contact from California on 20m SSB, while W6DFM operated CW alongside. A good time at the beach.
• 2024-03-23 — First-time activation of Chewacla State Park (US-1038), during a visit to Auburn, Alabama.
• 2022-09-30 — First-ever Parks on the Air activation, as KQ4AWC, at Meaher State Park (US-1047) — 85 phone QSOs logged. Confirmed via pota.app activation history, sorted oldest-first.