The Tulsa Amateur Radio club is a registered club with the Parks On The Air (POTA) program. Beginning in 2026, there will be organized park activations for TARC members who are interested in participating in the program and contributing to club activation statistics as well as accumulating individual contact statistics. The POTA program, and POTA activations, are a great way to develop portable HF deployment skills and capabilities which could be useful for emergency communications as well as an enjoyable aspect to the hobby of amateur radio.
What is Parks On The Air?
Parks On The Air, or POTA, is an ongoing program to develop communications skills and refine portable operating abilities in thousands of federal and state parks, forests, wildlife management areas, historic and scenic sites and trails across the world. The program was born out of an ARRL program in 2016 celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park System in the US to encourage operators to set up portable stations within a national park and to make contacts between the individual parks as well as to hams in their homes. The program was so popular that it evolved into what is today Parks On The Air, and has expanded beyond the united States into many countries and territories across the globe.
What do I need to become involved?
First, you must be a FCC-licensed amateur radio operator. All license classes may participate within their allowed license grant restrictions.
Second, you should sign up for the POTA program by registering an account on www.parksontheair.com. After creating your account, you should take time to read all of the documentation and guidelines.
Third, get out there and POTA!
Okay, I’ve created my POTA account. Now what?
There are several experienced POTA activators within TARC. If you are not an experienced portable operator, you might want to consider teaming up with one of the several experienced POTA activators within TARC, or, joining one of the organized club activation events.
You could also get started from home as a hunter – someone who works activated parks from home, or portable or mobile. As there is only one activatable park within Tulsa County, getting out to one of those might be challenging or time-consuming for some.
I want to go activate a park. Do I need special equipment?
Possibly, but not necessarily. At a minimum, you need the following:
- A transceiver, with capabilities to allow you to transmit and receive on frequencies allowed by your license class. Normally, POTA activations are on HF and 6M, but VHF and UHF simplex communications are allowed. See the POTA rules.
- – an antenna system. You will find as many approaches to portable antenna systems as you will ham activators. Experimentation is encouraged, as what works well for one activator might not work well for another. A long wire antenna such as an end-fed, is great for a location that has trees, for example, if you can toss a line up into it. Of course, if you go to a park without trees, that could be a problem. The antenna system includes your feedline as well, as well as radiating elements, supports, adapters, or other parts you might need. Don’t overcomplicate things either, though. This is one aspect where seeing what other activators are using with success is worthwhile.
- – a power source. Remember that AC power is not generally available at all parks, and at all locations within parks where hookups are available. Most activators use batteries, and, again, there are multiple approaches to this. Many activators use LiFePO4 batteries, which have become larger in capacity and less expensive in recent years. Again, though, you should decide what works best for you.
- – a logging system. This could be something computer- or mobile-device based, or just paper and pen. Accurate time logging is very important, however, so if you choose to use pen and paper you should make sure you have an accurate time source with you.
- Most hams have all, or at least most, of the above. If you don’t, however, remember that TARC has two go-boxes available for members to check out and use which have everything you would need as an activator. If you don’t have your own equipment, this is certainly an option.
- Another option is to team up with another activator who has equipment and would be willing to take on a second operator. This is allowed under POTA individual (not club) activations. See the POTA documentation about mic passing, as well as the POTA club activation guidelines.
Can I activate the club call outside a club activity?
Actually, yes, you can. There are no restrictions on the ability for a club member to activate the club call sign outside of an organized club activity. However, you or your ad hoc group must abide by the guidelines spelled out in the club activation guide on the POTA site, especially with reference to logging, duplicate contacts and mic passing.
I’ve made an activation with the W5IAS call sign. What do I do with the log?
Send your completed log as an email attachment to pota@w5ias.com. Be sure you have a correctly-formatted .adi file to ensure acceptance of the log. It is the responsibility of the individual activator(s) to ensure correctness of log entries to ensure the club and the individual activator(s) receive POTA credit for their contacts.
Okay, I’ve read all this, but I have questions.
Please direct questions to pota@w5ias.com. One of the POTA coordinators will respond to your question as soon as possible.
We look forward to many successful POTA activations, both for the club and for individual members. Get out there and POTA on!
-o0o-
And now, here are the (current) details for the 2026 TARC Club POTA activation:
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
Time: TBD, but the park event permit will be valid from 8AM until 10PM local time.
Location: Keystone State Park, Pavilion #4 (highest point in the park!)
Important details:
- TARC club members and guests who want to participate in the event are welcome. You will NOT have to pay a park entry fee (normally $10 per car, except if military veteran or over age 62; check travelok.com for specific details and to register your license plate if you meet one of the two previous criteria) as long as you park your vehicle in the vicinity of Pavilion #4, where the activation will be held;
Club members who are licensed but do not have a portable setup ARE welcome. There will be several stations set up for operation, and operators can cycle in and out, so there will be opportunities for all to get on the air;
- Per the POTA club activation guidelines, an operator can NOT operate outside of his/her privileges, even while using the club call sign, which we will be using. This is different from ARRL Field Day rules, so be aware. Technician-class licensees DO have a portion of the 10M phone allocation, between 28300-28500 kHz, and there is generally a lot of activity there for POTA events provided the band conditions permit. Also, everything from 6M up is available, and it is our intention to operate VHF and UHF simplex (no repeater contacts allowed!) during our activation, so those are also possibilities;
- Don’t forget that TARC has two HF go-kits with nearly everything you will need for a portable station activation, so this may be an option for some’
- *ALL* HF stations will be *REQUIRED( to operate with a bandpass filter. NO EXCEPTIONS. If you do not own a bandpass filter, there will be filters available for use for all HF bands EXCEPT 30M or 60M. This requirement is in place to minimize or eliminate interference between the multiple stations that will be operating simultaneously. If you have bandpass filter(s), feel free to bring them, especially if you have a 30M or 60M filter. Please mark your filters to ensure you get them back. Also, short jumpers would be greatly appreciated;
- All individual operators will be responsible for his/her own logging, and all logs must be submitted in the approved .adi format via email to pota@w5ias.com after the event. They will be checked before they are submitted. Also, don’t forget that your accurate logs will ensure that both you as the operator and the club as the activator gets credit for your contacts/QSOs;
- Don’t forget appropriate supplies besides any equipment you may bring, such as food and/or beverages, chairs, tables, sunscreen, bug spray, or other outdoor necessities. At this time, there are no plans for a burger burn or other organized meal, but that could change.
- PLEASE, if you plan to come, or are interested in coming, or just want more info, don’t hesitate to email pota@w5ias.com. We would like to have a good idea about how many folks are coming. If you are planning to come, we would appreciate knowing:
- – Your name
- Your call sign and license class
- What time(s) you plan to arrive and depart
- If you will be bringing equipment to operate, and, if so, generally what you will bring and what bands/modes you plan to operate
- Whether or not others may operate your stations, if you are bringing one
- If you might need a particular item for portable ops (e.g. battery, portable antenna, etc. This does not include bandpass filters)
- We hope that this will prove to be the first of many successful and enjoyable POTA activations for the club and for anyone new to POTA. Thanks for your interest!
Follow This link for updated info on the event!