It was a while I had the idea to try some POTA Activations, but did not happened until yesterday ! It was not really an activation planned, just like a “Sound check” to see HOW, WHERE and WHEN….

Checking the POTA MAPS around my village Arma di Taggia where I live, I realize that there are several Referencies valid for the POTA Program…. also, this period is the part of the year when I start to have some free time… and still, last year I bought the amazing XIEGU X6100 with the intention late or soon to use it on a POTA occasion.

Then yesterday I started my exploration … beside the XIEGU, I put in the car a Vertical Telescopic Antenna , a second Lonwire Antenna homemade (just in case), 10 meter cable, a small and portable magnet CW key

I decided to visit the first place, referencied for POTA … I knew little bit this area as I was in my past a passionated mountainbiker and dowhiller (before the eletric hi ), and I remeber that there was a nice and a beautiful lawn with excellent 360-degree exposure …

The weather was perfect, about 20 degres, calm of wind, no clouds…. excellent… let’s try ! Installing the transmission line required not more then 10 minutes in total … and I was on air as IK1TTD/P from Carpasina POTA IT-1046 (about 1020 slm). I immediately realize a small trouble… the cigarett lighter I intend to use as source was not working in the car, so I was forced to use just the life of the battery of my Xiegu, which is just a bit more then 1 hour.

Well, at the end it is just a test, so after this nothing will be wrong.

I started calling, regulating the power at 3 Watt only to try conserve as much I can the internal battery… after few call the first reply from CT1EHX, and he passed me 599 ! wow … the 3 watt are working gooooood !

So happy for that, I restart calling, and after 3 minutes LY5G landed to my “shack”, giving me 579 … very good indeed ! Few more calls, and I did a DL1, and HA7 and then came SQ9OKG/P fight from another Park (PL-1939) … it was very interesting to have a qso with somebody else in another Forest far away in the Wolrd at the same time !!

Then I proceed forward, getting replies every 2-3 minutes… DL3, EA7, E77,IT9, G4, HA7, OE3 … Best QRB was with UT2UN with 1837 km … no bad for my ridicoulous 3/5 watt !!

After a bit more then 1 hours, and about 20 qso’s, my RTX shutted down without a second chance, battery was arrived at then end ! Damm, it was so funny ! Well, test is done !

Super excited for this short but addictive experience, I packed everything to go back on my way, and after a quick check of other future Referencies in this nice area, I went home.

Now I am planning the next Real activation, with a brand new Lithium Battery that will grant me a much longer time of transmission, and probably also with a bit more power then only 5 watt !

Be ready folks, the new Park Leader is on his way ! See you next week ! 73 de IK1TTD/P