This Week In POTA

Hello, my little radio renegades! It's your favorite Nosey News Hawk Ada flying low over the POTA landscape to bring you the week’s juiciest tidbits. Grab your coffee (or your QRP rig) and let’s dive into what’s been squawking in the airwaves this week. 🦅📡🎙️

Virginia Throws Up the “NO ACTIVATION” Sign 🚫🦌🎣

Remember those charming Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and State Fishing Lakes in Virginia that we loved activating? Well, they’re now officially off-limits. As of early December 2025, every WMA and fishing lake in the state has been marked “inactive” on POTA.app. Conservation officers have been asking activators for Special Use Permits (SUPs), only to turn them down. The consensus from the mapping team is that there’s no path forward to legally activate these spots, so they’ve pulled the plug to avoid fines or bad press.

TL;DR – no more deer, ducks, or fish as your audience in Virginia. Stay on the right side of the game wardens, folks!

What you can do now:

• Keep your activation footprint small
• Be mindful of seasons, habitats and the primary purpose of the land you’re on.
• Smile and stay courteous if approached by officials; they don’t know a dipole from a fishing pole.
• If told to pack up, don’t argue – just log it as an incomplete activation and move on.
• Report any issues to your state mapping rep so the community can stay informed.

PN&R Hitches a “Pack Mule” 🐴🏆

The folks over at PN&R have been busy cooking up a revamped awards program. The conversation culminated in a brand‑new award called The Pack Mule. Yes, you heard that right: strap the rig on your back and earn an endorsement for being a true road‑(er… trail‑) warrior by logging a minimum of 100 complete activations that include a minimum 1km hike. Yup, it recognizes those of us who carry the entire station in on our back, in the spirit of the SOTA Mountain Goat award. Read the rules here.

Rumor has it there will be seasonal challenges too. Start training those mules and your legs – the Pack Mule award might just become the new badge of honor!

DX Adventures: Montserrat Magic 🇲🇸📻🌋

Leave it to AD7N (Ben) and friends to warm our hearts in December. A small but mighty team headed to beautiful Montserrat (VP2M land) from November 26 through December 5. They operated as VP2MAD, VP2MMA, VP2MMG and VP2MWK on 160–6 meters. If you snagged them in your logbook, congrats! If not, at least enjoy the eye‑candy: Ben sent a stunning shot from his portable shack overlooking the Caribbean.

Ben teased us by planning to activate both Montserrat POTA sites while down there for CQWW. If you worked him as VP2MAD, give yourself a gold star and maybe a fruity umbrella drink.🍹

Antarctic & Exotic Spots: CQ from the Edge of the Earth 🧊🏔️🐧

The Discord chat lit up with notices that DP0GVN (Neumayer Station III in Antarctica) was on the air activating AQ‑0046. If you’ve never hunted a penguin‑friendly park before, now’s your chance. Meanwhile KC4/KL5SE popped up on AQ‑0077 at 14.243 MHz. Time to dust off those ice‑breaker QSL cards!

BJ KO7T delivered some sobering news on Vietnamese licensing: the friendly VARC facilitator Mr. Nguyen Ai Bac has stepped down, and there will be no new licenses issued for 2026 until the government figures out the rules. So if you’re dreaming of a 2026 POTA activation from Vietnam, hold that thought – maybe plan for 2027 instead.

DX from Dubai, Anyone? 🏙️🌍🎧

K4MW Peter reported that A65D was lighting up AE‑0021 (Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve in Dubai) on 10 meters. He was easily workable with 100 watts and a dipole from Virginia. Shortly after, the operator was calling “QRZ North America” – if you were on the right frequency, you might have had a desert QSO! 🐫

Poll of the Week: How Do YOU Activate? 📊

Paul W7PFB ran an informal poll on activation styles over on Discord. Here’s the breakdown among just over 80 respondents:

• Operate from inside my vehicle: 16 %
• Outside but supported by the vehicle: 13 %
• Picnic shelter or cabin: 19 %
• Picnic table (not sheltered): 21 %
• Portable chair/table a fair distance away: 18 %
• Pause during a hike to activate: 10 %
• Something else: 4 %

Seems like picnic tables and portable setups are the most popular, with the “hike & mic” crowd gaining traction. Keep those backpack straps tight and those coilies wound!

CW Spotlight & 15 wpm Practice 🎧📻

Anthony W2UD shared a 15 wpm CW POTA activation video for those learning Morse code. It’s a neat listen for picking up common exchanges like CQ, POTA, TU, 73 and state abbreviations. Check it out if you’re honing your dits and dahs:
https://youtu.be/9YcWTMOExXc.
.

Cold‑Weather Warriors ❄️🧤🚙

Ron KC0ZPS braved 20 °F (‑7 °C) temperatures for a CW activation using his Packtenna at 100 watts. He reported no issues except cold hands – solved by touching the antenna base every ten minutes to keep warm. That’s ham radio dedication!

Quick Hits & Miscellany 🗞️🦅

• Tim K5OHY is rumored to be the “Hunter King” of the week according to Ben – keep chasing those rare ones, Tim! 👑
• W2DON asked if anyone played in the contest last weekend. If you did, brag about your QSO count!
• Joe N4BJH echoed the Virginia WMA news in the group chat and provided a long-form summary of the closure’s implications.

Final Thoughts

With Virginia shutting down WMAs, new awards trotting in, exotic activations from Montserrat to Antarctica, and snow‑covered paddles clicking away, it’s been a jam-packed week in the world of POTA. As always, your Nosey News Hawk will keep her beady eyes on the bands and her claws on the keyboard to bring you the latest gossip and DX goodness. Don’t forget to strap on your pack, tighten your guy lines, and maybe pack some hand warmers – winter’s here but the radio never sleeps.

Until next week… keep those frequencies clear, the antennas pointed and the emojis flowing! 😎🎧🦅

73, Ada, Your Nosey News Hawk

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