What is Parks on the Air?
Parks on the Air (POTA) is a program that was born out of the ARRL's National Parks on the Air Event in 2016. Since then it has spread to become an everyday occurrence. Points can be awarded for those who activate from a national or state park and those who hunt these activations also receive points and awards.
Members of the W4TRC radio club participate in POTA as both Activators and Hunters. The club will regularly go out as a group to activate different parks in the area. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us as we activate different parks - you do not need to be a club member to participate!
Activators must set up in a registered POTA location. (Visit pota.app for a list and map of locations) A successful activation consists at least 10 contacts. These contacts can be made on any band or mode of operation (except for terrestrial repeaters).
To learn more, you can visit parksontheair.com, or reach out to the W4TRC POTA Coordinator, Justin Compton (KO4DCD).
Upcoming POTA Events
| Date | Name | Type | POTA Park Number | SOTA Summit Number | Location | Distance | Summit Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 4, 2023 | Watauga River Bluffs State Natural Area | POTA | K-6278 | Watauga, TN | 40 minute drive | Arriving at part at 10AM with the expectation being on air by 11AM. | ||
| March 4, 2023 | Cherokee National Forest | POTA/SOTA | K-4525 | W4T/SU-038 | Grindstone Knob, TN | 1 hour | ||
| April 1, 2023 | Cherokee National Forest | POTA/SOTA | K-4525 | W4T/RV-001 | Holson High Point, Elizabethton, TN | 1 hour, 20 minutes | 10 | |
| May 13, 2023 | Southwest Virginia Museum State Park | POTA | K-1320 | Big Stone Gap, VA | 45 minutes | |||
| June 3, 2023 | Sycamore Shoals State Park | POTA | K-2979 | Elizabethton, TN | 40 minutes | |||
| July 1, 2023 | Natural Tunnel State Park | POTA | K-1309 | Duffield, VA | 45 minutes | |||
| August 5, 2023 | Bays Mountain State Natural Area | POTA | K-6234 | Kingsport, TN | 10 minutes | |||
| September 2, 2023 | Clinch River State Park | POTA | K-0577 | St. Paul, VA | 55 minutes | |||
| October 14, 2023 | POTA/SOTA | |||||||
| November 4, 2023 | Warriors' Path State Park | POTA | K-2982 | Kingsport, TN | 10 minutes | |||
| December 9, 2023 | Kyles Ford Wildlife Management Area | POTA | K-7600 | Kyles Ford, TN | 55 minutes |
