POTA Money Pit: Stop Burning Your Cash on Useless POTA Trash!

POTA Newbies: Stop Wasting Money on Fancy Gear - Simplicity is Your Secret Weapon!

Are you new to Parks on the Air (POTA) and overwhelmed by the endless array of gear options? Take a deep breath and step away from that shiny, expensive equipment. The truth is that amateurs often make the mistake of overcomplicating things, and POTA is no exception.

Regarding POTA activations, the old adage "less is more" couldn't be more accurate. Here's why keeping it simple works best:

Portability is key: The essence of POTA is getting out into nature and operating from parks. Lugging around excessive gear defeats the purpose and makes setup more cumbersome.

Reliability matters: Complex setups mean more points of failure. A simple, well-tested system is far more likely to perform consistently in various outdoor conditions.

Focus on skills, not stuff: Your operating skills and knowledge of propagation will have a far more significant impact on your success than any fancy gadget.

Budget-friendly: Save money for travel and park fees instead of wasting unnecessary equipment.

Faster setup and tear-down: With a minimalist approach, you'll spend less time fiddling with gear and more time actually operating and enjoying the outdoors.

Remember, some of the most successful POTA activators use remarkably simple setups. A basic radio, a wire antenna, and a power source are often all you need to make contacts and have a blast.

So, before you click "buy" on that expensive new POTA gadget, ask yourself: "Do I really need this, or am I just caught up in the hype?" Chances are, trading the daily charts of gear acquisition for actual on-air time will significantly improve your results.

Embrace simplicity, focus on developing your skills, and you'll soon find yourself enjoying POTA more than ever – with both your wallet and your backpack feeling a lot lighter.

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[vladtepes]

1. The inline power meter is useful for monitoring battery and for estimating battery use. 2. If you have accessories the power pole box is useful (I have a simpler one than you) if you have other items requiring DC. [e.g. tuner, or keyer] 3. 17 ft whips are great for setting up a 1/4 wave vertical (a spike mount is useful here too). 4. the Faraday cloth can serve as the ground plane for a vertical with or without additional radials.

[paulKJGKK]

Ok, this one cracked me up. I've got most of the "junk" you showed. I will say, the battery meter I use on every activation and the faraday cloth works fabulously under my Chameleon SS-17. I carry it along as a backup in the event my radial wires disconnect from the banana plug or some other issue occurs. I think Ham radio in general is great for collecting tons of "junk". 73 and keep the videos coming.

[MyHamRadioJourney]

This was a GREAT video! I am still new at POTA with 20 CW Activations. I did buy the POTA floppy hat because I needed one. You are right. It only takes a radio, antenna, throw line, coax, a battery, and some time. Thanks for sharing this important informational video. 73s

[DKONV]

Duuude, you got a new Haircut and looking good. You got a lot of Stuff there on the Shelf. Uncle Günter is a Pack Ratt himself and needs to go thru his Mess and generating some Space in his little Basement Room. Happy Humpday, Stuart 💯🙋‍♂

[donmurphy]

Well said and I agree! But when your new you try a lot of things. Live N Learn!!

[trevordecker]

I use a faraday cloth under my jpc-12 i use for pota. Much easier to deploy and pack up than the radials. The cases and containers i tried to use... All junk. I now have everything in a backpack and my jpc-12 bag. Hike in or drive in ready. I use a small 6aH battery if i take it on vacation, or 2 10AH batteries for camping.

[dylanschulz]

You can get on the air with a lot better signal by just going to the hardware store. I haven't seen many antennas for sale that are very good. They are selling convenience.

[cornbread-KORN]

That faraday is very good to use as a table cloth under a radio 👍👋😂🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺

[rclewen]

I also have too much POTA stuff, but I have the advantage of being a full time RVer, so my space is limited 😀. I do use my Faraday cloth every time I set up my 17' whip and I use the inline power monitor to keep track of battery status while operating.

[FrancoDX]

I looked at some of this stuff like the faraday cloth for example but still continue to use just my Yaesu FT897, a jump start battery and a couple of ham sticks. The hobby in general can become a bottomless pit in terms of cost and sometimes for little reward. 73

[billchinook]

I bought an small amp. Never had a need for it so I sold it. Very happy working only QRP now.

[jerryKBGCG]

I use my Faraday cloth on about half my activations

[JD-]

I’m trying to up my POTA game, definitely would accept donations of lightly used junk.

[KJRZOnTheAir]

A lot of new people to POTA overthink of what they need to start. All one needs is a radio, power, antenna and cables of all mentioned. I understand the idea of wanting to bring more people into the hobby, but I don’t get it where people want to put on a big show for people at a park. Not everyone, but there are some people. I’ve never wanted to advertise to the world that I’m there with expensive radio equipment. If people come by and ask me what zI’m doing, I’ll gladly talk to them. Plus some POTA entities are more sensitive than others. Flight 93 National Monument is one of them. I’ve seen people ask how to activate there. Keep a low profile in the parking lot, make your contacts and get out. 73 Stuart.

[thegrassisbluer]

A fuse box and a watt meter are great if you operate portable so much that you always have a station with multiple pieces and a battery system separate from the vehicle's power in a box set up in your car. They're a great investment in your gear in that case. However, both the pieces of gear you showed are convenience items, and someone who's just a little handy could homebrew a power solution with fuses and monitoring for a fraction of the cost.

I went out and got a 17ft whip because I can't make that myself, but I made my feedpoint. I got into radio to learn and make, not spend spend spend!

[kevin_wbpoh]

I was lucky as I didn't buy a lot of "junk". My antenna was just like the one I have at home, so I didn't buy the fancy vertical antennas and "Faraday Sheets". One thing that you referred to as "junk" is the power monitor, and I do use it as a reference for battery life.

The only potential waste of money were the two laptops I bought as they are hardly ever used. I almost never do digital for POTA, and only use the laptops if I know I am doing a major contest, like ARRL Field Day, CQWPX CW, or CQWW SSB during a POTA activation.

[lonewolfhamradio]

Great content, is that a Royal Corps of Signals flag in your garage?

[tcort]

If I ever want to talk myself out of buying a new piece of equipment, I just add up how much my current setup costs and divide that by the number of QSOs I’ve made with it. That’s the cost per QSO and it’s much higher than I’d like it to be.

[aexo]

I've sold allot of things. I have just enough to do well. YES YES YES the battery meter is at the top of the list of useless things

[WDOMHamRadio]

I experiment with a lot of different stuff, so most of what I've bought has gotten, or will get used. 😀