Blog Archive — Page 3

POTA/WCA Activation Report: Steamer Point and Highcliffe Beach

Written on Tuesday 17 Feb 2026

Another trip home for my logging assistant meant another portable radio trip this morning, this time two POTA parks adjacent to WCA G-00148 Highcliffe Castle. The two parks are GB-4052 Steamer Point Nature Reserve and GB-1726 Highcliffe to Milford Cliffs SSSI. Now technically, these two do overlap: However, the overlap...

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A "New Parks Alert" Script

Written on Sunday 8 Feb 2026

Some idiot set himself a challenge in 2026 to activate every POTA park within 20 miles of home. That’s great, except that when January 1st rolled around I had 14 left to do—and now, a month and four activations later, I have… 23 left. Unlike SOTA, with its relatively constant...

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145 Alive at Fontmell Down

Written on Saturday 7 Feb 2026

This year, the 145 Alive activity is joined by its side project, “More on 144”—extending the normal FM-only activity to SSB on the lower part of the 2m band as well. One of my Radio New Year’s Resolutions was a POTA activation entirely on VHF, plus I still needed to...

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Planning the 25-Park Rove

Written on Friday 30 Jan 2026

As I discussed in my end-of-year radio wrap-up, I’ve got a bunch of plans for POTA roves over the coming year, such as the 10 parks/10 miles/10 hours rove on foot, and my first 15-park rove. The 15-park rove will hopefully cover every park in the Purbecks in a day-long...

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Gigawiggles, or, the Caterpillar Centipede

Written on Saturday 17 Jan 2026

Before we begin, there are a few things you should know. Along with the Second World War and the 1966 World Cup final, the British are weirdly obsessed with caterpillar-themed children’s birthday cakes. Despite the lawsuit, most large UK supermarkets have one. Some time around 2022, Sainsbury’s sold a longer...

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SOTA Activation Report: Hardown Hill

Written on Wednesday 7 Jan 2026

Today’s journey back and forth along the coast gave my logging assistant and I one last chance for an activation over the Christmas break. This time it was the turn of G/SC-011 Hardown Hill, conveniently en route through the village of Morecambelake (home of the famous Dorset Knob (oh ah))....

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POTA/WCA Activation Report: Nothe Gardens

Written on Tuesday 6 Jan 2026

This afternoon I took the opportunity to swing by new POTA park GB-5719 Nothe Gardens, right next to WCA G-01117 Nothe Fort, the Napoleonic defense that dominates the Weymouth coastline. I had hoped to take in a second park on the way home, so I brought along the QRO kit,...

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POTA/WWFF Activation Report: Garston Wood and Martin Down

Written on Sunday 4 Jan 2026

As the new year dawned, fourteen POTA parks remained in my quest to complete every park within 20 miles of home. Of those, two stood out as a pair with a reasonable walk between: GB-0202/GFF-0100 Garston Wood and GB-0258/GFF-0124 Martin Down. My logging assistant wanted one last proper hike over...

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52 Week Ham Radio Challenge Weeks 49-52, and the Christmas Wrap-Up

Written on Friday 26 Dec 2025

It’s the end of the 52 Week Ham Radio Challenge for 2025, and what a journey it’s been! The final Christmas Wrap-up and New Year’s Radio Resolutions are below, but first, the results of the challenges from weeks 49-52: Clean up your shack and post the most curious item you...

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POTA Activation Report: Langley Wood and Pepperbox Hill

Written on Friday 19 Dec 2025

With my logging assistant back from University, it was time for another portable radio adventure: two of us, and two parks to activate on our first POTA excursion into Wiltshire. Since we had a student’s sleep schedule to contend with, we didn’t set off until 1300 local time, which on...

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