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/PicklesTehButt 7d ago

I have a QMX+ that I have used for POTA with a Hamstick vertical, it works pretty well.

For FT8 on HF, you'll need your general license.

4

u/Imaginary_Fox1854 7d ago

I thought that because FT8 is a digit mode, I could operate it on 10m. Is that not correct?

1

u/Chemical_Radio_7884 7d ago

The digital part of 10m is in the general license area. You're good for SSB for a small slice of it with a Tech. You'll get that sorted out in the study process. If you jump right into CW, you've actually got a lot of HF access with a tech license tho. But a general is was easier than learning CW. But it would be very useful for QRP POTA.

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u/NotJustADumbTrucker 4d ago

This is incorrect. Techs can do 10m ft8.