Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you. It’s a simple way to support the site and helps me keep sharing useful content for new and curious hams. Thanks for supporting W2DIY!
One of the best parts of ham radio is getting out of the shack and taking your station into the great outdoors. This summer, I’m challenging myself to do just that — and I’m calling it
POTAble Adventures.
POTAble Adventures is a new section of
W2DIY where I’ll document my portable operating journey, share gear setups, activation logs, and lessons learned from the field. It’s all about
Parks on the Air (POTA) — one of the most accessible and rewarding ways to get active on HF.
The Summer Goal: 40 Parks in Suffolk County
Here’s the mission: activate
every single POTA-recognized location in Suffolk County, New York by the end of the summer. That’s 40 parks — and with the warm weather, time off from college, and some gear upgrades in the works, there’s no better time to try it.
Each park activation will get its own blog entry under this category, where I’ll post photos, what worked (or didn’t), and what I learned from the activation. Whether I get 10 QSOs or only two, it’s all part of the experience — and I’ll be sharing it right here.
More Than Just Suffolk
While this summer’s focus is on Suffolk County,
POTAble Adventures will continue long after that. Anytime I hit the road with my gear, whether it’s a nearby state park or a cross-state road trip, you’ll find those updates here.
It’s part of my broader ham radio journey — getting on HF, trying new modes, and building real-world skills through real-world operating. I hope these posts help inspire other new operators to get portable too.
If you’re local and want to try a joint activation, reach out. And if you’ve got tips, tricks, or gear suggestions, I’m always learning.
Let’s see how many parks we can knock out together. Stay tuned for the first activation post — coming soon!
73,
Daniel // W2DIY
