POTA – Activate All RI wildly successful

Parks on the Air (POTA) is one of the most popular ways to get on the air and practice portable operations. 

What can we say now that two weeks have passed since Rhode Island hosted the first and wildly successful Parks on the Air (POTA) – Activate All RI?  This community building initiative was proposed and led by Jim Garman, KC1QDZ. It was hosted by the Newport County Radio Club and aligned to wrap-up at Colt State Park with the club’s annual “Outdoor Adventure” picnic. 

Here’s a preliminary review of the available POTA – Activate All RI data with some first lessons learned. 

Over the five days of Wednesday to Sunday September 6 – 10, 2023 every one of Rhode Island’s 53 POTA parks was activated at least 4 times for a total of at least 262 POTA activations; at least 11,000 QSOs were made by at least 35 radio amateur activators exploring every part of our state during splendid New England fall weather. 

Over 50% of these POTA activations happened because of the generous outpouring of support by nationally-known POTA operators in solidarity with Jim Garman, KC1QDZ and his vision of all that the first-ever Activate All RI could be. Adding in the regional POTA community networking Jim, KC1QDZ had built as he grew from POTA newbie to a passionate POTA leader, and the outcome stands as an unforgettable reminder of what’s possible when we reach out and come together to flexibly deliver on a shared mission led by a next-generation leader.

Here are preliminary data take-aways:

1) POTA National Ambassadors

Five top POTA operators traveled to RI at their own expense to inspire and support this first-ever POTA: Activate All RI outdoor adventure. Thank you! 

Their phenomenal passion and dedication set a memorable high bar for all of us to aspire towards in the years ahead. It was frankly astonishing to watch these disciplined radio amateur operators, all of whom have made 10,000 to 200,000 QSOs activating hundreds or thousands of POTA parks. 

With patience and unflappable commitment, they pretty much activated from sunrise to past sunset for our five day marathon, calmly logging 132 POTA activations and over 5000 QSOs. 

Thank you to these unforgettable POTA radio amateurs who delivered an average of over 1000 QSOs per operator:

• Kerri Wright, KB3WAV from Maryland; currently #2 on the POTA Top Activator Leaderboard 
• Brian Duddy, N2BTD from New York; he was a comet of QSOs for his few days available
• Lou Nickles, WZ3J from Maryland 
• Scott Major, K3SDM from Kentucky
• Curtis Turner, KB3CMT from Pittsburgh 

2) RI & Regional POTA Heroes 

Pilgrim Amateur Wireless Association (Taunton, MA)

Another group of activators had been mentoring Jim, KC1QDZ since he was a new POTA operator; they had all become close friends along the journey. These hams rallied around his vision for a welcoming and collaborative Activate All RI, and stepped up to the fun. Special thanks to these three top operators from PAWA, an Eastern Massachusetts radio club in nearby Taunton, MA. All very active in POTA, these hams brought camaraderie and the experience of each having completed between 10-40,000 POTA QSOs. 

• Fran Kelly, KC1NDQ
• Rob, WC1N
• Mike, N1NTM

Rhode Island POTA Heroes – a remarkable collaboration 

POTA – Activate All RI was remarkable for a new spirit of collaboration across RI radio clubs and operators. 

Providence Radio Association (W1OP)

• Between September 6-10, 2023, this dynamic large club contributed six activations and over 500 QSOs to POTA – Activate All RI. This is in addition to the club’s already impressive commitment to activate Beavertail Lighthouse with over 30,000 QSOs already logged. 
• PRA club member Dave, W3DRE went further and stepped up to activate at least eight other parks during the September 6-10, 2023 special event window, contributing 584 QSOs. Pre and post-event, Dave continues to actively get on the air via POTA, and has completed his POTA certificate for Activated all US – RI. Congrats! 

RI / CT  Individual + Other Club Contributor Heroes 

• Brian, N1BS – a highly active POTA operator offered over ten activations in less-frequently activated rural RI parks. Activated All US – RI.
• Kathy, KA1THY – thank you for an  impressive contribution of at least ten activations and over 500 QSOs logged during September 6-10, 2023.
• John, K9JFB – another highly active reliable operator for difficult parks, delivering at least seven activations and 566 QSOs.  Activated All US – RI.
• Glen, W1GHD – thank you for spending your weekend in RI helping activate four parks and offering hunters a hundred QSOs.
• Matt, NA1Q – thank you for joining in from MA to contribute three activations and 45 QSOs as inspiration to keep activating RI POTA parks. 
• Peter, K1AV (BVARC – former club president) – great to meet you at the recent HamXpo,  and thank you for activating two parks with Dave, W3DRE from W1OP. Positive cross-club collaboration, for sure! 
• Jason, AA1VV (Fidelity Amateur Radio Club) – thank you for contributing three activations and at least 185 QSOs. Can’t wait to see how your POTA journey unfolds!
• John, AJ1DM (Westerly Amateur Radio Team and ARRL RI Section NTS CW Traffic Handler) – Great to see your contribution joining POTA for a first activation. Thank you!

Plus, thanks to the four visitors to Rhode Island who jumped in while traveling to activate a park or two:

• Ray, K1RAH 
• Dimitris, NE1D
• Michael, KC1OCA 
• William, K2HVN 

3) Newport County Radio Club (NCRC)

About fourteen NCRC members helped activate parks during Activate All RI. Going into the event, only two club members were in that “passionate about POTA” camp – with over 10,000 logged activator QSOs. For the rest of us, POTA is probably more like a prompt to have fun getting on the air quickly with a flexible portable set-up. Many hams new to POTA expressed an interest in making that first activation, and more needs to be done to understand what kind of resources would deliver a bias toward action. 

Jim, KC1QDZ assigned those who signed up to specific parks they were to activate – and everyone delivered on their commitment. This happened without the use of a master daily schedule of who would be where at what time each day and on what band (as some felt would have delivered better results). 

There is no getting around the reality that this first Activate All RI was unique and special because of the outpouring of support among the larger national and regional POTA community for Jim, KC1QDZ and his enthusiasm to make this happen as a gift for RI and those seeking to hunt RI parks. Were a club plan to rely only on in-club activators, it would require significant prep getting new operators trained and ready to deliver and log the kind of QSO rate found in this premier POTA – Activate All RI, 2023. 

Stay tuned for Jim’s ongoing commitment to lead POTA – Activate All RI in a 2024 variation.

• NCRC Accomplished POTA Activators (Activator QSOs: 10,000-20,000; both already completed Activated All US – RI. Both accomplished contesters and top Field Day contributors.) Both actively and selflessly supported others to achieve their goals during this ambitious venture.. 
  • POTA Lead – Jim KC1QDZ – more than 7 activations during Activate All RI
  • Willy Maclean, W1LY – 12 park activations during Activate All RI, including helping a club member achieve a goal of activating Block Island; contributed 654 QSOs, including from parks difficult to activate.

• NCRC Advanced Beginner Activators (QSOs: 50-1500) Thank you!
  • Mike, AA1XQ > 6 activations / 179 QSOs
  • Randy, K8ZFJ > 5 activations / 75  QSOs
  • Bob, WB4SON > 4 activations / 143 QSOs
  • Rob, KB1ZZU > 3 activations / 104 QSOs
  • Scott, N1SWT > 3 activations / 102 QSOs
  • John, K1JSM > 3 activations / 83 QSOs
  • Nancy, KC1NEK > 2 activations / 81 QSOs
  • Jim, KA1ZOU >  2 activations / 31 QSOs
  • Corry KE1AK > 1 activations / 41 QSOs

• NCRC First time as POTA Activators – Congrats!
  • Greg Bonaguide, WA1VUG
  • Bruce Braga, W1UQN (CW)
  • Paul K1YBE: no logs uploaded – first POTA (pending) (microwave band)

Summary Finding 2 weeks out*

*Best estimate based on POTA log data as of 23 Sep 2023

POTA – Activate All RI parks (September 6-10, 2023) 

Project Lead: Jim Garman, KC1QDZ 

Club Host: Newport County Radio Club (NCRC)

Sept 6-10, 2023 POTA Activate RI	5-day Total	Natl POTA Ambassadors	RI & Region Heroes	Newport County Radio Club host	Travelers
Activations	262	132 (50%)	75 (29%)	55 (21%)
QSOs	11,104	5,182 (47%)	4,082 (37%)	1,840 (17%)
Activators	36	5	13	14	4
QSO/Op avg	308/op	1,036/op	314 /op	131 / op
Activations/op		26 avg	6 avg	4 avg

 

Congrats to at least 4 new POTA Activators: K1YBE, WA1VUG, W1UQN, AJ1DM

PLOA Wrap-up Picnic 

Thank you for making this a successful collaboration. It was wonderful to meet so many of you and your families at the Outdoor Adventure wrap-up picnic at Colt State Park on Sunday September 10, 2023 hosted by the Newport County Radio Club.  

Thank you for making this year’s picnic so remarkable.

 

ARRL National, Division, and RI Section Leadership: 

Kevin Beal, K8EAL (CT); Phil Temples, K9HI (Boston)

ARRL RI Section Cabinet: Mike Corey, KI1U; Dave Neal, W2DAN

 

NCRC Officers: Nancy Austin, KC1NEK; Paul Fredette, K1YBE; Rob White, KB1ZZU

NCRC Executive Committee: Bob Beatty, WB4SON; Willy Maclean, W1LY; John Vecoli, KC1KOO; Dick Bianco, KC1IPJ

POTA – Activate All RI project lead: Jim Garman, KC1QDZ

PLOA – picnic project leads: John Mills, K1JSM; Willy Maclean, W1LY; Jim Sendrak, KC1YG

PLOA 2023 – Honoring Silent Key Jack Garforth, N1JK

POTA National Activators:

• Lou Nickles, WZ3J from Maryland 
• Scott Majors, K3SDM from Kentucky
• Curtis Turner, KB3CMT from Pittsburgh 

POTA RI & Regional Hero Activators:

• Fran Kelly, KC1NDQ (Pilgrim Amateur Wireless Association – PAWA)
• Rob, WC1N (PAWA)
• Mike, N1NTM (PAWA)
• Dave, W3DRE (Providence Radio Association – W1OP)
• John, K9JFB 
• Glen, W1GHD  (CT)
• Jason, AA1VV (Fidelity Amateur Radio Club)

NCRC POTA Activators (not mentioned earlier)

• Mike Seil, AA1XQ
• Randy Jones, K8ZFJ
• Scott Toner, N1SWT
• Greg Bonaguide, WA1VUG 

NCRC Members at the wrap-up PLOA picnic (not mentioned earlier)

Alan, KB1DJ

AnnaLivia, KC1SWJ

Bill, W3CJK

Bob, KC1RFM

Bob, NE1E

Brian, N1TBT

Crystal, KE1KAT

Dave, KC1IPA

Ed, W1NQH

Hayden, KC1IPM

Jacqueline, KC1SWT

Jeff, N1CSE

Jim, KJ6YKT

John, N1SXB

Keith, KC1LPV

Keith, W1KJR

Linda, KC1SWV

Mark, KB1RYX

Mike, WA1KSN

Nolan, K1PRU

Patricia, K2PRU

Rich, N1ZSR

Scott, WX1X

Sean, K1SDM

Steve, KC1AQQ

Steve, N3VHI

Teri, W1PUP

 

Thank you to everyone for making this experience so unforgettable.

73, Nancy Austin, KC1NEK

NCRC club president (2022-2023)

RI Section Manager 

For more on POTA, see: https://ri-arrl.org/pota/