Field Report and Notes From M1GEO’s First SOTA Activation in Japan Please note that a version of the following post was originally published on the SOTA Reflector: My first JA activation - JA/KN-022 by George (M1GEO) A word of caution: this is more of a set of notes on what I did and how you may…

A New SOTA-Themed Book from GW4BML: Summit of Dreams I recently received a note from Ben Lloyd (GW4BML), who let me know about his newly published book, Summit of Dreams. While I haven’t read it myself, I’m always happy to help share projects from within the field radio community. Here’s how Ben…

A Conversation About Amateur Radio and Hurricane Helene with Mark Hurst on Techtonic I was recently invited onto Techtonic, the weekly technology program on WFMU, hosted by Mark Hurst. If you’ve never listened to Techtonic, I encourage you to check it out—it’s one of the most thoughtful shows out…

NM3A’s Ultralight (tr)uSDX SOTA Field Kit Many thanks to Dan (NM3A) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post. Dan writes: SOTA…

Gratitude, Community, and Hope: A Heartfelt Thank You Dear QRPer family, First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the outpouring of kindness following Hazel’s passing last week. Your comments, messages, stories, and virtual hugs brought such comfort to our family. Reading…

In Memory of Hazel Friends, This has been a difficult week, and it’s taken me until now to share this with you. My sweet furry companion and POTA/SOTA dog, Hazel, passed away last Friday. If you want to know what happened, keep reading--and please forgive me in advance for this diversion from our…

New Antenna, New Key, and New Friend: QRP POTA at William B. Umstead State Park by Thomas (K4SWL) On Saturday, November 8, 2025, we had an afternoon planned with the family in the Raleigh area. But that morning, my wife and daughters had other plans, which meant I could sneak away for a little…

The 2026 QRPer.com Calendar Is Here — And It Supports Local Recovery I’m excited to share something I’ve been working on behind the scenes: the 2026 QRPer.com calendar is now live on Zazzle. They happen to be running sales right now, so it’s a good moment to grab one. Each month features a QRP…

KV4AN: Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast Activations in November By Steven Krumm (KV4AN) The Gulf Coasts of Florida and Alabama are one of my favorite places to visit. Not only does the area have great natural beauty, but the coastal lifestyle is appealing. The area also has a number of state parks,…

Giving Thanks… It’s Thanksgiving here in the US, and I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for this wonderful community. QRPer.com has become such a special place because of the friendship, encouragement, and shared curiosity you all bring to it. Wherever you happen to be in the world…

SOTA With Friends: VA3EKR’s First Summit Activation on Dogback Mountain (W4C/EM-066) Many thanks to Scott (VA3EKR) who shares the following guest post, which was originally posted on his blog.  Note that I (K4SWL) will be posting my field report for this activation in the coming days! Thanks for…

My 2025 Holiday/Black Friday Radio Shopping List — What’s on Yours? Every year, we record a Holiday Shopping Show for the Ham Radio Workbench podcast. Most of us on the crew absolutely love that episode because it’s pure fun—just talking about gear, why we like it, and sharing little tips we’ve…

Final Bug-Out Month Activation: Rain, Wind, and Five Watts of Morse Code Fun! Wednesday, October 29, 2025, was a gusty, cold, rainy day. Not exactly the kind of weather that puts me in the mood for outdoor radio, but that’s what was on the menu. The day was packed with errands and projects, but I…

Pedestrian Mobile at Carl Sandburg: A Mini Field Report That Almost Wasn’t by Thomas (K4SWL) Two days ago, I received this message from my friend Eric (WD8RIF): Are you planning to write up a report for your 2025-09-21 activation of Carl Sandburg NHS? I notice you’ve not done so and I have to…

100 Milliwatts and a Wire: QRPp POTA at Fort Dobbs State Historic Site! On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, my wife and I were driving back from visiting our daughter in Greensboro, North Carolina, when we decided to swing by Fort Dobbs State Historic Site (US-6839) for a quick POTA activation. This…

Boomerang Radios: Anyone Else Have This Problem? You’ve likely heard me talk about what I call "boomerang radios"-radios that have such an odd, undeniable appeal that I own one, sell it, then eventually buy it again. To me, this is perhaps the ultimate compliment for a radio. Quite often, I let a…

KK6IK: Fall Afternoons at Wilder Ranch State Park (US-1207) By Scott Nacey (KK6IK) October 10, 2025 / November 9, 2025 It’s a little-known fact outside the San Francisco Bay Area, but fall is really our summer – don’t tell anyone. The weather is warm and sunny, perfect for hiking and being…

KD9ZAB’s Quick QRP Escape: POTA at Fults Hill Prairie State Nature Preserve (US-4124) by Adam (KD9ZAB) Sometimes radio isn’t just about the contacts — it’s about the excuse it gives us to put life on pause, breathe some fresh air, and disappear into nature for a bit. Friday, November 14, 2025, was…

Rain, Tea, and Morse Code: A Relaxing QRP Activation Under Shelter at Lake James On my way back from visiting my father--driving through heavy, unrelenting rain--I decided to stop for a reasonably quick POTA activation at Lake James State Park (US-2739). It was the sort of day where windshield…

Rediscovering the Elecraft K2: Why This Classic Kit Radio Still Shines in 2025 If you’ve been following my field reports lately, you may have noticed that I’ve been using the Elecraft K2 quite a bit. Part of that is because I took it along on a recent trip where I completed several activations,…

Five Watts and a Bit of History: Activating Guilford Courthouse National Military Park by Thomas (K4SWL) On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, we were in Greensboro, North Carolina, on our way back home to the mountains after visiting my daughter at college. We decided to stay overnight in Greensboro…

CalQRP Brings Hands-On Radio Fun to Pacificon 2025 Many thanks to Dan (N7CQR) who shares the following guest post: Pacificon QRP by Dan (N7CQR) I had the good fortune to attend the Pacificon hamfest over the weekend of October 10–12, 2025, in San Ramon, CA, in the East Bay Area. What made this…

KV4AN: Cumberland Mountain State Park Area Activations By Steven Krumm (KV4AN) Cumberland Mountain State Park (US-2939) is a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) era Tennessee State Park on the Cumberland Plateau near Crossville, Tennessee.  Interestingly, Sergeant Alvin York (WWI Medal of Honor…

One Watt POTA Fun: Let’s compromise a compromised antenna! by Thomas (K4SWL) On Monday, September 22, 2025, I visited my father in Hickory—in the foothills of North Carolina—and on the way home, I found myself with about an hour to spare. Naturally, that meant one thing: Parks On The Air (POTA)…

K4RLC: Radio Adventures in the Highlands of Scotland Gang aft a-gley by Bob K4RLC & MM/K4RLC But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men, Gang aft a-gley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy. -Robbie Burns, National…

A Bonus Blue Ridge Parkway Twofer Activation and My First Experience with Ham2K Portable Logger (PoLo) On Monday, November 3, 2025, I had a handful of afternoon errands to run. I’d scheduled them so I could move from one to the next without issue. After leaving the house and finishing my first…

Catching Up with a Friend and Logging 9,150 Miles per Watt from William B. Umstead State Park! On Monday, October 20, 2025, I was still in the Raleigh area of North Carolina. That morning, I dropped by NC State University for a brief visit, and afterward, I had the rest of the morning free to play…

3D Printable Mounts by KO4YLZ Many thanks to Dave (KO4YLZ) who writes: Hey Thomas, I created some generic mounts for the KX2, TR-35, and QMX that can be 3D printed. They're generic in the sense that I haven't added any specific provision for how the basic mount mates up with another…

M1GEO and M0WUT Activate All G/TW Summits in a Stormy Weekend Adventure Please note that the following field report was originally published on the SOTA Reflector: by George (M1GEO) On the weekend of September 13 and 14, 2025, Dan M0WUT and I took an impromptu trip to activate all of the G/TW…

A Compact, Made-in-USA Everyday Carry: The Blue Ridge Overland Gear Transit Bag by Thomas (K4SWL) As many of you know, I’m a certified pack geek. I love exploring different packs, pouches, and bags--whether for organizing radio gear in the field or everyday carry. I’m always on the lookout for…

Steve’s New Portable Vertical Antenna System by Steve (VA3FLF/NC4SR) Vertical antennas are now extremely popular for portable operations. The market has exploded with assorted brands and variations of antenna models. There are diverse types of radials, whips, ground planes, resonators, and…

Bug-Out Month: Peaceful Morning Activation And Coffee at Clemmons Educational State Forest by Thomas (K4SWL) After my last activation at Clemmons Educational State Forest, I was eager to get back there. As I mentioned in my previous video, it’s an absolutely superb park for Parks on the Air…

KI5OEB: Putting the IC-705—and Two Antennas—to Work at Salt Plains State Park by James (KI5OEB)  Today I went to my favorite park bench again! The activation had a little prep and desired tests included: the Just Okay Mini antenna and then a transition to a Coffee and Ham Radio Artemis EFHW made…

Why Every Activator Should Have a Low-Impact Field Radio Option As I’ve spent more time in the field over the years, like most of us, I’ve developed favorite spots: those familiar parks (POTA/WWFF) and sometimes summits (SOTA) that have become my home bases in the field. I know the staff, I…

NM3A’s QMX Backpack Go Kit Many thanks to Dan (NM3A) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post. Dan writes: QMX Backpack Go Kit by Dan…

Finding My POTA Bug Fist: A Field Test of the WB9CYY Bug Emulator at Clemmons ESF! On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, I was in Raleigh, North Carolina, spending the rest of the week with my wife and daughters during my daughter’s fall break from university. Even though I’ve lived in North Carolina…

VE3MKX’s $5 Flea Market Find: A Camera Case IC-705 POTA Field Kit Many thanks to Mike (VE3MKX) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this…

KD9ZAB’s First POTA Activation with the Elecraft KX2 (Fort de Chartres, Illinois) Many thanks to Adam (KD9ZAB) for sharing the following field report, originally posted on our discussion board, QRPer.net. First POTA Activation with the Elecraft KX2 — Fort de Chartres, Illinois by Adam (KD9ZAB) ON…

SOTA On Mount Mitchell: A Low-Impact Summit Activation Option with the Elecraft KH1 On Monday, October 13, 2025, my family took a trip we hadn’t been able to take in over a full year. Finally, the Blue Ridge Parkway had been repaired enough (post-Hurricane Helene) that the entire route to Mount…

NM3A’s Elecraft KX2 Trunk Go Kit Many thanks to Dan (NM3A) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post. Dan writes:  Elecraft KX2 Go Kit…

A New Way to View RBN Data: K5OHY’s Interactive Mapping Tool Many thanks to Paul (WA1VEI) who writes: I wanted to share this very cool tool I found that has been developed by Tim (K5OHY). I am always interested in how my signal is getting out on any given activation. I subscribe to QSOMap.com, so…

K8MDB: An Ultra-Light POTA Kit Built Around a Classic Mountain Topper By Chuck (K8MDB) What a great idea to explore field kits for fall! The October prompt had me digging through bins and drawers to locate all my small CW field radios and to weigh them for the first time. I was surprised by the…

Bug-Out Month Begins! My First Field Activation with the Vibroplex Original Deluxe As I mentioned in a previous post, I declared October, 2025 to be my Bug-Out Month. I did this primarily to motivate myself to get comfortable using a bug—a semi-automatic key—not just in the shack, but in the field…

K4ZSR’s Penntek TR-45L Skinny Field Kit Many thanks to Zach (K4ZSR), who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post.  K4ZSR’s Penntek…

NM3A’s LA Go Kit – A Complete (tr)uSDX Station in a Toiletry Bag Many thanks to Dan (NM3A) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post.…

Two Mansions and Two Radios: POTA with the TX-500MP and KH1 Many thanks to Mark (KB2PIZ) who shares the following field report: Breton Point State Park Activation (US-2870)  October 9, 2025 by Mark (JJ5GVY/KB2PIZ) After our work trip out west, my wife and I decided to take a vacation and drive up…

QRP POTA: Will the Elecraft KX1 pair with the AX3? (Of course it will!) by Thomas (K4SWL) The afternoon of Wednesday, September 17, 2025, was just calling out for a POTA activation. I didn’t have enough time in the day to travel further afield than my local Blue Ridge Parkway—my…

PA3AKC’s QRP Labs QMX EDC Field Kit Many thanks to Ron (PA3AKC) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post.  QPR Labs QMX EDC Field Kit…

Today’s Quick Field Report: KH1 Pedestrian Mobile Twofer (A Bug-Out Month Exception) Good afternoon, friends! I just wanted to share a quick field report from this afternoon. I had several errands in town today—really, I was out and about all day long. On the way home, during that final stretch on…

K4ZSR’s Comprehensive Elecraft KX3 Field Kit Many thanks to Zach (K4ZSR), who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post.  K4ZSR’s Elecraft…