Ham radio news
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VA3EKR: Algonquin 2026 Trip — SOTA, POTA, and Field Day!
by Scott (VA3EKR) A three-day radio outing in the Algonquin area, June 26–28, 2026: three SOTA summit activations, ARRL Field Day with club station VE3QCW, and two POTA park activations. Below is a picture of the outside of our cabin at Wolf Den Nature Retreat, a nice cabin that had all the amenities, and was … Continue reading VA3EKR: Algonquin 2026 Trip — SOTA, POTA, and Field Day! →
G7LFC: Activating Jubilee Tower Historic Site (GB-3261)
by Derek (G7LFC) Living in the North West of England, I am surrounded by great places to visit and operate amateur radio. We’re also blessed with a good number of POTA locations to activate, so I often don’t have to travel far. My latest activation was in the Forest of Bowland, an area of outstanding … Continue reading G7LFC: Activating Jubilee Tower Historic Site (GB-3261) →
A Father’s Day & Birthday POTA Activation at Flagstaff Park (GB-4364)
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Sunday, June 21, 2026, I woke to one of those beautiful mornings that makes you want to spend every possible minute outdoors. While much of Europe was already experiencing a heat wave, we were fortunate in the Berwick-upon-Tweed area to have very pleasant conditions. It was perfect weather for a POTA … Continue reading A Father’s Day & Birthday POTA Activation at Flagstaff Park (GB-4364) →
VU3GLJ: A Thoughtfully Equipped QRP Field Backpack
Many thanks to Bharath M. Palavalli (VU3GLJ), who shares the following post, originally published on his website: Preparing a backpack for field operations by Bharath (VU3GLJ) I’ve been talking about field operations and a backpack preference for all radio equipment since I’ve started documenting my journey. I’ve finally managed to start putting things together for … Continue reading VU3GLJ: A Thoughtfully Equipped QRP Field Backpack →
EI3LH: The Joy of a “Failed” Activation
Before we get to Ian’s excellent post, a quick note from Thomas: I’ve been editing a number of my recent field activation videos, and one thing I’ve heard myself say over and over is, “I long ago gave up the idea of the concept of a failed activation.“ Band conditions over the past few weeks … Continue reading EI3LH: The Joy of a “Failed” Activation →
Siccar Point: A POTA Activation at the Birthplace of Deep Time
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Saturday, June 20, 2026, my wife and I decided to spend the day exploring one of the most remarkable places along Scotland’s southeastern coastline: Siccar Point. The Siccar Point Site of Significant Scientific Interest (GB-1358) is tucked away in the Scottish Borders overlooking the North Sea. I’d been eyeing this park … Continue reading Siccar Point: A POTA Activation at the Birthplace of Deep Time →
VA1ASP’s Canada Day POTA Marathon: Ten Parks in One UTC Day
by Sarah Aspen (VA1ASP) I’m Sarah Aspen, VA1ASP. To celebrate Canada Day, I thought it would be fun to try to do POTA activations of 5 National Historic Sites. When I woke up early, the sun was just over the horizon, and the weather promised to be amazing. I got up early and rode my … Continue reading VA1ASP’s Canada Day POTA Marathon: Ten Parks in One UTC Day →
WB5DYG: When Portable is All Ya’ Got!
by Ron Parks (WB5DYG) June 25, 2026 A few months ago, my family and I began the process of relocating from San Tan Valley, Arizona to a new home in Tennessee. Quite a process, and my station had to get packed up early for the realtors who simply do not appreciate the beauty of ham … Continue reading WB5DYG: When Portable is All Ya’ Got! →
The New Elecraft AX4: First-Ever POTA Activation on the Beautiful Berwickshire Coast!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Friday, June 19, 2026, I woke to overcast skies but otherwise beautiful weather. The temperature was absolutely perfect—especially considering that much of continental Europe was about to be hit by a significant heat wave. Scotland, thankfully, managed to avoid the worst of it. Later that morning, my wife, daughters, and I … Continue reading The New Elecraft AX4: First-Ever POTA Activation on the Beautiful Berwickshire Coast! →
KK4Z: A Sea to Summit POTA Rove
Many thanks to Scott (KK4Z) who shares the following post from his blog KK4Z.com: by Scott (KK4Z) It started with an 11-hour drive. It actually started before that. I had a wish to operate from Cape Hatteras. During my EmComm years, each season, I would track hurricanes and create my own predictions. Cape Hatteras, because of … Continue reading KK4Z: A Sea to Summit POTA Rove →
/PM: An Impromptu Pedestrian Mobile Two-fer in Berwick-upon-Tweed
by Thomas (K4SWL / M5SWL) On Friday, June 26, 2026, our family spent the day together in the wonderful town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. We’re staying nearby this summer, and Berwick has become our base for just about everything—shopping, errands, provisions, and, in my case, excellent coffee. One place I especially love is Northern Edge, a café … Continue reading /PM: An Impromptu Pedestrian Mobile Two-fer in Berwick-upon-Tweed →
N7JTT: Two Days, Two Antennas, One Remarkable Community
by John (N7JTT) San Juan Islands BLM National Monument (US-12461) The past two days offered a reminder of why portable radio continues to captivate me. The equipment was simple, the power output modest, and the operating locations only a few miles apart, yet each activation produced an entirely different experience. Together, they demonstrated the value … Continue reading N7JTT: Two Days, Two Antennas, One Remarkable Community →
First UK POTA Activation: Cheswick Sands Nature Reserve (GB-5716)
by Thomas (K4SWL / M5SWL) On Thursday, June 18, 2026, my family and I made the short trip to Cheswick Sands Nature Reserve (GB-5716), just south of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, we’ve been in the UK since June 16, when we landed in Edinburgh. I intentionally skipped doing an activation … Continue reading First UK POTA Activation: Cheswick Sands Nature Reserve (GB-5716) →
VA3MZD: The Bruce Trail and Parks on the Air
Many thanks to Rod (VA3MZD), who shares the following article he originally submitted to the Bruce Trail Club’s newsletter earlier this year. Rod wrote this piece to introduce Bruce Trail hikers to Parks On The Air and amateur radio. by Rod Murray (VA3MZD) Have you ever been hiking along the Bruce Trail or through a … Continue reading VA3MZD: The Bruce Trail and Parks on the Air →
A Tour and Review of my Savotta Niukka 20L Radio Backpack
This summer, my family and I are spending several weeks in the United Kingdom, and naturally, I’m fitting in as much portable radio as humanly possible as MM5SWL, M5SWL, and hopefully, MW5SWL. In a previous post, I mentioned that I decided not to bring my trusty GoRuck GR1 backpack. Instead, I took the opportunity to … Continue reading A Tour and Review of my Savotta Niukka 20L Radio Backpack →
Share Your Field Reports with the QRPer Community!
by Thomas (K4SWL) One of the things I love most about QRPer is that it isn’t just a collection of my own field reports—it’s a community resource built by field operators from around the world. Over the years, contributors have shared hundreds of field reports, and I know from the comments and emails I receive … Continue reading Share Your Field Reports with the QRPer Community! →
A Formula 1 Field Test: Pairing the Mountain Topper MTR-4B and Markus’ Legendary TP-III Paddle!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Monday, June 8, 2026, I headed to the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378) with a simple objective: put a recently acquired Mountaintopper MTR-4B through its paces during a Parks on the Air activation. An Unexpected Flea Market Find Last year at the 2025 Dayton Hamvention, while browsing … Continue reading A Formula 1 Field Test: Pairing the Mountain Topper MTR-4B and Markus’ Legendary TP-III Paddle! →
Testing the New Tufteln Reel Antenna!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, I headed out late in the morning for a quick Parks on the Air (POTA) activation with one primary goal in mind: testing a new antenna that Joshua (N5FY) had recently sent me. Joshua designed this antenna as a new reel-based antenna system. In fact, the antenna … Continue reading Testing the New Tufteln Reel Antenna! →
A Quick Update from the UK
by Thomas (K4SWL/MM5SWL) I’ve received several emails asking how things are going here in the UK, so I thought I’d post a quick update here on QRPer.com. I shared an audio dispatch with my Patreon supporters shortly after arriving, but I thought it would be nice to catch everyone up on what we’ve been doing … Continue reading A Quick Update from the UK →
Pop-Up Thunderstorm Forces a Mid-Activation Change of Plans!
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, I made my way to the Zebulon Vance Historic Birthplace (US-6856) for an afternoon POTA activation after spending part of the day running errands in town. My primary goal for this activation was to use my Yaesu FT-818 field kit (in the Hidden Woodsmen M55 Haversack)—the same … Continue reading Pop-Up Thunderstorm Forces a Mid-Activation Change of Plans! →
EI3LH: An Irish Island IOTA Adventure!
Many thanks to Ian (EI3LH), who shares the following post, originally posted on his blog: Boats, birding, classic cars, fountain pens and a double POTA ATNO activation. by Ian (EI3LH) They say that amateur radio takes you to places you’d have likely never ventured to otherwise (they say a lot don’t they?). I’ve only held my … Continue reading EI3LH: An Irish Island IOTA Adventure! →
Summer in the UK: Please Put These Callsigns in Your HamAlert!
by Thomas (K4SWL) I will be spending much of the summer in the United Kingdom, and I plan to be quite active with portable radio. If all goes according to plan, you’ll hear me using the following callsigns: England: M5SWL Scotland: MM5SWL Wales (hopefully!): MW5SWL If you’d like to put me in the logs, please … Continue reading Summer in the UK: Please Put These Callsigns in Your HamAlert! →
HRWB Post-Hamvention: Borrowed Gear, Good Friends, and a Brilliant Activation
by Thomas (K4SWL) On Monday, May 18, 2026, I was still in Dayton, Ohio following Hamvention. I was there with my friends Eric (WD8RIF) and Len (W8VQ), and we had plans for the day. The Ham Radio Workbench crew has a tradition that I absolutely love. After the whirlwind of Four Days in May and … Continue reading HRWB Post-Hamvention: Borrowed Gear, Good Friends, and a Brilliant Activation →