so i finally did my first parks on the air activation yesterday at a local state park, K-4566 if anyone knows it, and honestly it was kind of a mess but im pretty sure i still got credit for it. let me explain.

i set up my end fed halfwave off a tree branch which took way longer than i expected because i kept tangling the wire in the brush, and by the time i was actually on the air it was already getting close to golden hour and the light was fading. i was running my KX2 off a 3ah lipo and i jumped on 40m SSB around 7.255 and just started calling CQ POTA.

first like 10 minutes nothing. i was starting to wonder if i was doing something wrong. then a pile up kind of happened out of nowhere and i worked 11 contacts in maybe 15 minutes before the battery died. like just cut off mid-QSO which was embarrassing. pretty sure i heard the other station laugh but whatever.

so my question is, do i still get the activation credit? i logged 11 contacts and i know you need 10 minimum. also do i need to upload right away or can i wait a few days? i still havent figured out the adif export on my logging app.

yeah you definitely get credit, 10 QSOs is the threshold and you cleared it so you're good. congrats on your first one by the way, that pile up moment you described is kind of addictive once it happens right

for the upload you have up to like a week or so to get the log in, just dont sit on it too long or you'll forget. most people use HAMRS or fast log entry and both export adif pretty painlessly. if you're on your phone the HAMRS app will literally just let you upload straight from there. also next time bring a backup battery, even just a little 10000mah usb power bank can keep a KX2 running for a surprisingly long time on low power

oh man the battery dying mid qso thing has happened to me twice now. both times i was so focused on the pile up i forgot to watch the voltage. i actually just velcro strapped a little volt meter to my kit bag so its always visible now.

anyway yes your activation counts, 11 contacts is solid for a first time especially with antenna issues. the POTA site is pretty easy once you get the adif sorted, just make sure your park reference is in the right field in your log or it wont associate properly. i think its the sig_info field if i remember right, depends on your software though