so i finally did my first activation last weekend at a state park about 45 minutes from my house, K-4782 if anyone knows it, and wow i did not expect it to feel so different from just operating from home. i brought my KX2 and a random wire antenna i threw together the night before, honestly wasnt even sure the antenna was tuned right but the internal tuner seemed happy enough with it.

took me almost 20 minutes just to get set up because i forgot how awkward it is doing everything on a picnic table with wind and the coax kept sliding off. but once i started calling CQ POTA on 40m i was honestly surprised how fast people came back, like within maybe 30 seconds i had my first contact. ended up with 23 QSOs in about an hour which i know isnt a huge pile but it was enough to activate and i was pretty happy.

the thing nobody told me though is how much the hunters appreciate a slow careful operator. had one guy who must have been mobile because he was super hard to copy and we went back and forth like 4 times and i was worried i was holding up the frequency but people were patient. anyway im already planning my next one, thinking about trying SSB next time since i did this one all CW. anybody have tips for picking a good frequency when you get to the park? i always second guess myself on that part.

congrats on the first activation, that feeling when the pile starts answering your CQ is pretty great isnt it. for frequency selection honestly the best thing i do is check the POTA spots page before i even leave the house so i know whats already in use, and then when i get set up i do a quick scan and just listen for 30 seconds before i plant myself anywhere. on 40m SSB i usually start around 7.250 or so and work down depending on QRM but it really varies by time of day and where you are.

one thing that helped me a lot early on was self-spotting on the app as soon as i start calling, the hunters monitor that constantly and youll usually get a run going within a minute or two once your spot shows up. 23 QSOs for a first activation is solid, ive seen people stress out trying to get 10 and give up so you did fine.

im basically in the same boat as you, did my second activation last month and still figuring stuff out. the antenna thing is real, i spent way too long messing with my end fed last time and by the time i was actually on the air i only had like 45 minutes before i had to pack up. i keep telling myself im gonna do a dry run in the backyard before the next one but havent gotten around to it lol.

did you use the POTA app to log or just paper? i started with paper and then trying to upload later was kind of a pain so now i just use an app on my phone.