so i finally did my first activation last weekend at a state park about 20 miles from my house, been meaning to do this for like a year and just never got around to it. took my KX2 and a simple end fed wire thrown up in a tree, ran about 5 watts and managed to get 12 contacts in maybe 45 minutes which i guess is enough to count as a valid activation right? i was pretty nervous honestly, first time really operating portable like that and i kept fumbling with my log sheet.

anyway a couple things i wasnt sure about - do i need to upload to the POTA website the same day or is there like a grace period? i jotted everything down on paper and need to type it up into an ADIF file. also i noticed a few hunters were asking for my grid square which i wasnt totally prepared for, is that something i should just have written down ahead of time? feels like it should be obvious but i blanked in the moment.

overall it was a really good time though, way more fun than sitting in the shack. definitely want to try a 2-fer next, theres a spot near me where two park boundaries apparently overlap.

congrats on the first one, 12 contacts is solid especially running QRP. you have i think 7 days to upload your log but honestly just do it sooner while everything is fresh in your memory, ive waited and then second guessed myself on call signs i wrote down in a hurry. for the ADIF just use HAMRS or Fast Log Entry, both are pretty painless if you have your paper log in front of you.

the grid square thing - yeah just look yours up on qrz or a grid map before you head out and write it on your activation sheet. most hunters want it for their own logging purposes, some guys are chasing grid squares on top of parks so it matters to them. i usually tape a little card to my radio with the park reference number and grid square so i dont have to think about it when someone asks mid-pileup.

and yes definitely do a 2-fer when you get the chance, uploading one log that counts for two parks is extremely satisfying for some reason haha

im also pretty new to POTA and just wanted to say this is encouraging to read, i havent done my first activation yet and keep talking myself out of it. what end fed setup were you using if you dont mind me asking? im trying to figure out what antenna to bring for a park that doesnt have many trees