Supercharge Your POTA Activations with Hidden Award Opportunities

Enhancing Your Parks On The Air Activations: Adding Value Beyond POTA

Parks On The Air (POTA) activations are exciting opportunities for amateur radio operators to combine their love for the outdoors with their passion for radio communications. However, there's more to these activations than just POTA itself. By considering additional award programs and societies, activators can add significant value to their outings and provide hunters and chasers with even more exciting opportunities. Here are three ways to enhance your POTA activations:

World Castles Award

Many POTA locations include historical fortresses or castles, which can qualify for the World Castles Award. After completing your POTA activation at such a site, consider uploading your log to wcagroup.org. This adds an extra dimension to your activation and allows hunters to work towards another prestigious award. Be sure to research the history of your POTA location beforehand to determine if it qualifies for this award.

Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS)

Also known as Lighthouses On The Air, the ARLHS program is perfect for POTA activators operating from historical lighthouses. Before your activation, check the arlhs.com website to see if your chosen lighthouse is listed. If it is, you can add your activation to the ARLHS website and promote it in various Lighthouse Facebook groups. This cross-promotion can attract more hunters and allow them to work towards lighthouse-related awards.

Summits On The Air (SOTA)

If your POTA activation occurs at a mountain summit, consider adding it to the Summits On The Air program. SOTA is a popular award scheme for radio amateurs who enjoy operating from mountainous areas. Participating in both POTA and SOTA simultaneously offers chasers the chance to log contacts for two different programs in one go, potentially increasing your QSO count and providing more value to the amateur radio community.

To maximize the visibility of your multi-program activations, consider using cqgma.com, an excellent tool for spotting your activities across various groups. This resource can help you share your activations more widely and potentially increase the number of QSOs you make during your outing.

By incorporating these additional programs into your POTA activations, you're enhancing your amateur radio experience and providing hunters and chasers with more opportunities to work towards different awards. This approach can lead to increased engagement, more QSOs, and a richer experience for everyone involved in the amateur radio community.

Remember to always check the rules and requirements for each program before participating and ensure that you follow all guidelines and regulations for operating in your chosen location. With careful planning and extra effort, your POTA activations can become even more rewarding for you and the wider amateur radio community.

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