Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio

Veteran Ham Radio operator and contester, Fred Dennin WW4LL, explains the planning, strategy and execution behind his very successful (winning) ARRl 10 Meter contest entry.  Fred explains that despite a last minute change in operating stations, moving to low power, and antenna issues, good planning and skills was able to overcome those obstacles. His team, operating remotely as PJ4LL from Bonaire, earned themselves the top spot in the Multi/Single Low Power category.

Jeff Pulver, WA2BOT, agreed to talk to me about his experience operating a remote super station in the 2022 ARRL SSB Sweepstakes. Not only did I get interesting insight into ham radio contesting, and the Sweepstakes specifically, but I also heard a fascinating story about how ham radio opened up an amazing, unimaginable, world of success for Jeff.  Join our conversation to hear exactly how a 9-year old’s fascination with amateur radio led to contesting which led to contesting software development and eventually put Jeff Pulver on the cutting edge of VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) technology and the regulatory decisions that created a new industry. If there ever was a story about how ham radio can contribute positively to a career path, this is it.

If you're interested in where the next wave of ham radio operators will come from, you need to meet Vicki Carnes, AD3I. Vicki is known as the "spark plug" in her local club, the York County Amateur Radio Society, and nowhere is this more true than in her work with the youth of South Carolina. Whether a chance encounter with a Cub Scout troop while on a Parks on the Air activation, developing a formal training course for Girl Scouts to earn their ham radio merit badge, or working with the local public schools, you'll find Vicki at the center of the conversation and leading the way.

Eric Olson, KD9TEZ (now KH6WI), is on active duty for the United States Navy in Hawaii. With 13 years of military comms experience, and the desire to add an engaging pastime to his schedule, becoming a licensed amateur radio operator was a natural. Given strict restrictions to operating from his home QTH, Eric immersed himself in Parks on the Air. This was fortuitous for all of us who needed a park activation in Hawaii to fully complete the Worked All States award. Eric has been nominated as an outstanding operator and recognized as such by Parks on the Air.

John Gendron, NJ4Z, recently returned from a 7-day DX Parks on the Air activation at K-0066 Virgin Islands National Park, St. John, USVI. John also operated with his club callsign, KP2/K4YTZ, while putting over 2300 contacts in the log. In this interview, John talks about the impetus to activate St. John, the preparation involved, the gear he chose to take on the plane, and the lessons he learned for his next POTA DX trip. John also speaks to the impact that Parks on the Air has had on his club, the York County Amateur Radio Society, and the overall ham radio community.

Iliyas Campbell, MM0MMN, has been traveling Scotland to activate parks, many for the first time, for Parks on the Air hunters everywhere. The photos and videos that he takes along the way are stunning and another reminder of why many ham radio operators enjoy operating portably. Iliyas talks about specific activation locations, the gear that he takes along, and how he operates from his home near Gleneagles Scotland.

Curtis Turner, KB3CMT, first responded to a Parks on the Air activator, KB3WAV, in 2018. After learning more about the program by listening, observing and making contacts with activators (hunting in Parks on the Air parlance), Curtis eventually made a decision to go to a POTA approved park, setup a portable ham radio station, and make the 10 QSO minimum required to have an official POTA activation. Curtis hasn’t looked back since as he’s racked up a very impressive set of statistics that have placed him in the top 50 activators world wide in terms of all-time unique parks activated, total parks activated and total contacts from those parks. Per usual, those that went before the rest of us have much to offer in terms of equipment choices, setup decisions and operating techniques.

Bob Farquharson has 543 Parks on the Air activations placing him 43rd worldwide (at the time of this interview) on the all-time top activator’s list. He is also one of only six amateur radio operators recognized with the Bailey-Sprott award for those few activators that have activated a park every day in 2022. In addition to POTA, Bob is passionate about Summits on the Air (SOTA). In this conversation, Bob shares his insight into planning, equipment choices, safety and his unique experience with harsh weather activations in Northern Maine.

Jim Cruz is currently at the top of the Parks on the Air leaderboard for number of unique parks activated in 2022. Jim has activated a mind-boggling 633 unique parks this year with two more months to go. When I saw his callsign on the POTA website with his associated statistics, I knew Jim's insight would be invaluable for my own POTA journey. Like POTA founder and president, Jason Johnston, W3AAX, Jim told me that he doesn’t do interviews despite having had several requests. I took this as a reflection of the man I’ve gotten to know; a man who is modest about his accomplishments and activates primarily to satisfy his own internal drive to plan, execute and succeed. I’m honored that he agreed to appear in this video interview to impart some of his vast knowledge and operating stories to the ham radio community. And, this was just the tip of the iceberg. Thank you for watching today on W1DED in Maine.

Jason Johnston is the founder and president of the wildly successful Parks on the Air (POTA) program. With over 325,000 participants since the program’s inception in 2017, Parks on the Air, and it’s underlying principles, clearly resonates deeply within the ham radio community. Parks on the Air encourages amateur radio operators to develop the expertise to operate portably while visiting qualifying national and state parks. The hams that do so are called Activators and those that make contact with them are referred to as Hunters. With over 9,000,000 QSO’s logged to-date, and the rapid expansion of the program worldwide, Parks on the Air has earned a special status in the ever evolving world of amateur radio.