W1DED Worldwide Ham Radio

POTA Activator KB3CMT is on a Mission

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.

POTA Activating Every Day Without Fail: Meet WC1N

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.

Ham Radio Operator W6ZD Has Activated More Parks on the Air (POTA) Than Anyone in 2022.

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.

Parks On The Air: How It Started and Where It's Going

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.

Parks on the Air Activation Trip on the Backroads of Maine

If you enjoy the challenge of portable ham radio operations and, specifically, activating Parks on the Air, you should watch this fast-paced summary of a 4-day POTA trip to coast of Maine. The video includes insight into the various unique parks that were activated (13 total), radio and antenna setup, and operating results. If you're planning a trip to Maine, this video will provide you some perspective. If you're planning to activate anywhere, and especially multiple parks in a day, this will be guide in how to prepare and execute your activations. If you want to be reminded that often activations don't go as planned, there is that too

Beloud Founder Fred Dennin WW4LL and the Benefits of his Remote Ham Radio Station Network

Fred Dennin, WW4LL, has been part of the ham radio community the majority of his life. He's an avid DXer, competitive contester, and co-owner of BeLoud.US, providing remote access ham radio super stations located around the world. Fred was first licensed as a kid in Muncie, Indiana and spent lots of time operating with his best friend Steve Narducci, W9SN. Decades later, after many successful contest efforts but realizing their stations in Georgia (WW4LL) and Tennessee (W9SN) were just not enough to compete against the geographically advantaged Northeast operators. They began a search for land in Aroostook County Maine, did extensive viability testing, and ultimately found themselves in business together with their first remote access ham radio station. Listen to Fred talk about these experiences firsthand in this episode of W1DED in Maine. Thank you for joining the conversation.

Contest Crew: Episode 002 with host W1DED

Seasoned ham radio contesters, Chris Hurlbut KL9A and Dan Craig N6MJ, were able to join me late Monday night for our weekly Contest Crew discussion. They responded to questions posed by a couple of relative newcomers to the contest world, N0GJW and M6ECG. Per usual, their answers and perspective are useful reminders of what to do, and not to do, when working the pile-ups. Despite being undisputed champs, these two are also well known for their humor, humility and willingness to help the rest of us improve our skills. Join me for this second episode of the Contest Crew and subscribe if you like what you hear. PS. Randy K5ZD and Scott K0MD couldn't join us this week but they'll be back for future Contest Crew conversations.

Behind the Scene at W8S Swains Island DXpedition: Max George NG7M

Max George NG7M was one of the ten W8S ham radio operators to activate Swains Island in October 2023. Despite elaborate planning that spanned years and continents, their path included damaged crates, missing gear, delayed boat transport, debilitating illness, relentless mosquitoes and unbearable, sweltering heat. With thousands of QSO's in their logs, and the team safely back home, Max talks about some of the highs and lows of the 2023 Swains Island DXpedition. If you've ever wondered what needed to happen to get W8S in your log, listen to Max tell his story in this short video interview.

Rising Star: Philipp Springer DK6SP

Philipp Springer, DK6SP, was only 10 years old when he was first licensed (2008) and immediately became hooked on ham radio contesting. The specific interest took him to the 2018 World Radiosport Team Championship in Germany where he operated as Y82D. Although Philipp continues to study for his Master of Science degree in Logistics and Digitalization, he finds time to engage in ham radio leadership in very meaning ways. He is currently a board director of the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation, the president of the German DX Foundation, and a contest committee member with Youngsters on the Air. He’s also been the chair of the IARU Region I Youth Working Group. Philipp has some interesting, and very positive, perspective about youth in ham radio that focuses on networking and developing relationships with older amateur radio operators. Beyond contesting, Philipp has a particular interest in operating from DX locations and has an impressive list of countries where he has operated including 9A, 9J, A4, EI, ES, GW, P4, PJ2, PJ4, W8 and Z6. Listening to Philipp speak, and considering his oversized role in this hobby, will leave you encouraged about the future of ham radio. Thank you for watching, and subscribing, to W1DED Worldwide Ham Radio.

Geochron Maps the World: Patrick Bolan KJ7ZSU

Established in 1964, long before the internet revolutionized our world, the mechanical Geochron world clock stood as a marvel. It elegantly anticipated sunrise and sunset times worldwide, while also displaying the current global time. Notably, President Ronald Reagan presented a Geochron to Mikhail Gorbachev, symbolizing American innovation. This remarkable timepiece even made an appearance in the movie "The Hunt for Red October." Despite the internet's widespread influence, Geochron continued to produce a limited quantity of mechanical clocks. It was during this era that Patrick Nolan, KJ7ZSU, found himself in possession of one of these clocks in need of repair. To his surprise, he discovered that they were manufactured not far from his home. This revelation and subsequent interactions inspired him to acquire the company. In this interview with Patrick Bolan, we delve into his journey and challenges as he transitioned the company into the digital age, expanding its presence in ham radio enthusiasts' setups worldwide. Learn more about how the digital Geochron now tracks the grey line, satellites, QSOs, propagation, and more, catering to ham radio operators' evolving needs.