POTA (Parks on the Air)

A popular operating activity where a licensed ham, called an activator, sets up a portable station inside a park or other public land unit on POTA's official list and logs at least 10 contacts in a day to complete a valid activation, while other hams, called hunters or chasers, try to work as many different parks as possible from home. It isn't tested on any license exam, POTA is a voluntary program built on top of a license you already hold, but it's one of the most active corners of the hobby right now and a common early goal for a newly licensed Technician with a handheld or a portable HF setup.

Published 2026-08-28 · Last updated 2026-08-28