so i finally signed up on the POTA website and picked a park near me, K-4835, which is just a state recreation area about 20 minutes from the house. ive done a couple activations before but always with my elmer Dave who basically ran everything while i just logged. tomorrow im going solo for the first time and honestly im a little nervous about it.

my plan is to bring the FT-891 and a linked dipole i built last winter, run it off a 20ah lifepo4 battery. i figure ill set up on 40m first since thats usually pretty reliable in the afternoon and maybe hop to 20m if i need more hunters. my goal is just 10 QSOs which i know isnt a lot but i just want to get that first activation under my belt without Dave holding my hand lol.

anything i should know that i maybe havent thought of? like do i need to spot myself or will hunters find me? i always forget how that part works when dave does it

spotting yourself is honestly the most important thing you can do especially for a first activation. go to pota.app and you can self-spot right from your phone, just put in your callsign, the park reference, your frequency and mode. hunters check that page constantly so once you're spotted you'll usually get a pileup going pretty quick. dont wait around hoping someone will spot you, just do it yourself.

also one thing i wish someone had told me early on — when you get to 10 contacts dont just stop if the pileup is still going. keep working them, it makes the park easier for the next activator and the hunters love racking up their own numbers too. 40m is a great call for afternoon, maybe check 20m CW if SSB gets noisy, but sounds like you have a solid plan. good luck tomorrow you'll do fine

bring more water than you think you need, i always forget this part and end up miserable halfway through lol. also make sure you know ahead of time if the park requires you to stay on designated trails or if you can set up anywhere — some state rec areas are picky about that and the last thing you want is a ranger making you tear down your antenna after you just got spotted.

oh and write your park reference number on a piece of paper and keep it next to you. sounds dumb but when youre in the middle of a pileup and someone asks for the park number its way easier than trying to remember it or fumble with your phone