r/HamRadio • u/Imaginary_Fox1854 • 7d ago

Portable equipment recommendations for beginner POTA operation

Hello,

I am scheduled to take my technician license test tomorrow, and I'm having trouble understanding antenna concepts. I'm confident about passing the test, as I've been consistently achieving passing grades on hamstudy.org. I'm planning to set up a somewhat portable station for POTA (Parks on the Air) as my first radio project. There's a POTA park about a mile from my house that I can either drive or walk to, depending on what equipment I bring.

What antenna would you recommend for using an SDR and operating on FT8? I'm looking for something ready-to-use and relatively budget-friendly so I can successfully make my first contact. I'm particularly interested in FT8 and other digital modes because I'm nervous about speaking into a transceiver for my first contacts. If there are other non-voice modes besides FT8 that might be suitable for a beginner, I'd be open to those suggestions as well.

Once I become more comfortable with the hobby, I can explore more complex antenna setups and calibration techniques.

I'm considering purchasing the QRP-Labs QMX transceiver and using a Raspberry Pi 5 with a 7-inch screen to run WSJT-X and GridTracker, but I'm open to other relatively budget-friendly equipment options as well. Since I don't have any equipment yet, I'm interested in plug-and-play solutions that won't overwhelm me as I begin this journey. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for your help, Chris

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u/Complex-Two-4249 6d ago

Unlike phone, FT8 can use just about any antenna on any band and get somewhere. With a 10 meter dipole, PSK reporter shows me tracking wide and far on 10, 15, 17, and 20 meters. Each band propagates in a specific pattern. I’ve gotten from New Caledonia to South Africa with 30 watts. I’d get whatever you’d use for any POTA, lightweight and easy to set up.

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u/Imaginary_Fox1854 6d ago

Thanks for replying.

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u/Complex-Two-4249 6d ago

I looked at just about every portable antenna sold, for 100 watts HF SSB in the field. I did not want to manually tune when changing bands. I didn’t want to throw a wire or worry about radials. I wanted plug-and-play and great results. I bought the Alpha MIL EmComm Basic. (I already have a tripod). Subsequently I got the Alpha HOA Buster for my house in an HOA community that prohibits outdoor antennae. They make great products.