Amateur Radio Station
I am very pleased to, today, receive my Worldwide Flora Fauna (WWFF) Hunter Certificate for working 14 European DXCCs within the program.
I am a keen hunter for Parks on the Air (POTA) stations, and there is a lot of overlap with this program. Therefore, I am very happy to be awarded this certificate.
If you are interested in starting to hunt or activate WWFF sites, you can check out my guide HERE (link opens in new tab).
-M7OJA
If you have read any of my previous blog posts, you will know that I have an affection for the E7POTA group of radio amateurs. Their work has always been innovative, creative and showed the best that portable radio can offer. With Parks on the Air (POTA) an ever-growing scheme within the hobby, it’s great to have a group of keen operators who are a perfect example of how to participate and enjoy the outdoors while winning awards.
I was speaking with Husein, E75HZ, who drew my attention to the activities of another member of the team. Dino (OE2BRO) has recently modified his trusty Kawasaki motorcycle specifically for portable radio activations and the result is impressive. Husein writes:
“From the very beginning of the E7POTA story, colleague Dino (OE2BRO) surprises us again and again with his creativity and passion for radio amateur activations. His latest idea – to combine his love for motorcycles and POTA activations – has resulted in a unique project that could set new standards in mobile activations.
Dino converted his old but reliable Kawasaki into a real little POTA rig. Along with the carefully crafted mounts, he mounted a modified pole for the Rotary Dipole antenna, while on the handlebars he installed a practical mount for a QRP radio (Xiegu G90 or similar). The power supply is provided by self-modified batteries, designed precisely for such off-road challenges.
The preparations took several days, mostly due to waiting for the delivery of certain components, but the result was worth every moment of the invested work. Dino successfully and stylishly activated two Austrian POTA parks – AT-0334 and AT-0335 – (the first activation) using the call sign OE/E7POTA.
The smile on his face speaks volumes. The activations were more than successful, and for some of these parks they were the first recorded activities. His moto-approach attracted attention both among hams and beyond, as a great example of how passion, technical ingenuity and a spirit of adventure can come together in an unforgettable experience.
Is Dino the first to activate POTA destinations in this way? Maybe he is, or maybe not – but one thing is certain: his project is unusual, innovative and inspiring.
73 and 44 from the E7POTA community – and congratulations, Dino!“
Often in amateur radio, the perfect solution isn’t readily available and requires some creativity. This is the best example of that, and this proactive and innovative approach to portable activating by Dino and the other members of E7POTA is exactly why I love the group and the POTA scheme as a whole.
If you haven’t already watched my recorded interview with Esad E77PY, another member of the E7POTA group, you can can check this out HERE (link opens in new tab). If you would like to work E7POTA on the air, keep an eye on the POTA Cluster and follow the group on Facebook HERE (link opens in new tab) for info on upcoming activations and activities.
73 and 44 de Oscar M7OJA.
This evening, the 26th April 2025, band conditions were fantastic. Across 15m, 17m and 20m, there was a wide opening from the United Kingdom to North and South America and Australia in particular. I managed to work all 6 continents this evening, and the distribution of FT8 contacts were scattered across the globe.
Thanks to the high sunspot number and SFI, the bands have been in great shape recently. In addition to widespread FT8 openings, many SSB contacts to North America were also possible. Did you manage to get any in the log?
Last weekend (19-20th April 2025) was the Spring edition of the “Support Your Parks Weekend” event. This is a quarterly event run by the Parks on the Air (POTA) team encouraging radio amateurs to “get on the air” from/to a park to support the program.
I was pleased to be able to make contact with Riso OM6RT in his activation of Rumanovský park. Luckily for me, this meant I was issued with the special award for the event, which you can view below.
I continue to support the Parks on the Air program, and I am pleased that such events exist to support the portable community within the hobby. Some of my best contacts have been while activating a local park/beach, and the proximity to the sea in my local area boosts signal propagation.
I was very pleased to open an airmail letter to find my DX Century Club (DXCC) award. One of the most prestigious and most sought-after awards in amateur radio, I was delighted to receive mine.
The award celebrates making QSOs to 100 different DX entities, and proof of contact (QSL) must be provided for each.
More on the scheme can be found HERE (link opens in new tab).
I have launched a new series of articles on my site, titled “Foundation Stories”. In the United Kingdom, there are three tiers of amateur radio licence; foundation (M3, M6, M7 prefix), Intermediate (2E0 and 2E1 prefix) and Full (M and G prefix).
This series focuses on the first of these, celebrating the entry level licence and opening the hobby to new people. Thanks to online examinations offered by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), more people than ever are taking up the hobby and getting involved.
In the first of these articles, I had a Q&A session with John M7DDL (now 2E0IYB) on his experience in amateur radio, particularly with getting his foundation licence and the online examination.
You can view this HERE (link opens in a new tab).
If you are a foundation licence holder and would like to share your story as part of this series, please contact me HERE.
This weekend, the CQWW WPX (Prefix) award on SSB was held, one of the biggest events in the annual contesting calendar.
I took part as M7OJA from my home QTH with 25w, a 5 band cobweb and 10-40m end-fed. I entered the fixed, single-op, low-power, all-band category with youth overlay.
In total, I achieved 546 QSOs to 65 DXCCs.
Contests like this help to keep the bands alive, with no shortage of DX available this weekend.
As I was away from the shack today, I decided to leave my radio (Yaesu FT-991A) connected to my PC (running MMSSTV) to see if any SSTV images could be decoded.
I was very surprised when I returned to the shack to find over 100 images saved. Although some were blurry and distorted, the majority were clear and readable.
The following images were received 20/03/2025 between 11:00-17:00 on 20m SSTV (14.230MHz) with a cobweb antenna:
A never-before-seen scale expedition is planned to Bouvet, the most remote island in the world. Planned for February 2026, the 3Y0K team of 18-24 operators are planning to operate on the island for around 3 weeks. The group has a budget of approximately $1.6 million dollars funded by various DXpedition groups and corporate sponsors.
The group plans to arrive on the island by helicopter (by the Norwegian Polar Institute) before sailing on an icebreaker for around a week. Two camps are planned to be setup, one focusing on North American contacts and the other on the rest of the world. SSB and CW will be prioritised, with some operation on digital modes such as FT8 and RTTY and via the QO-100 satellite.
The DXpedition will participate in various awards schemes, with the following references:
Parks on the Air (POTA) –BV-0001
Islands on the Air (IOTA) – AN-002
World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) – LAFF-0044
Summits on the Air (SOTA) – BV-001
QSL cards will be offered for any contacts during the expedition. Currently, a PayPal Online QSL Request (OQRS) and Logbook of the World (LOTW) confirmation will be $15, with bureau requests priced at $3. Direct cards will also be answered, with a suggested minimum contribution of $5 or more. For those unable to make a financial contribution, a free bureau QSL card option will become available after the expedition and when other requests are processed.
QSL requests will be available via Charles M0OXO at his website HERE (link opens in new tab).
Further information about the expedition is available at the 3Y0K dedicated website, accessible HERE.
Here is a selection of the QSL cards I have received direct in the post this month.
I upload a QSL card from my personal archive every day on my Instagram page. Take a look and follow me HERE (link opens in new tab).
A new guide is live on my website titled “Improving your QRZ Page”. The guide covers how to format your page, useful information to include in your biography, how to add images and set featured images and how to embed useful tools such as POTA Statistics and Clublog OQRS into your QRZ page.
You can view the guide HERE (link opens in new tab).
So far, I have received positive feedback from the guide, and I hope it will be useful for you.
73 de M7OJA.
A new ongoing challenge and awards scheme has launched. Grids on the Air (GOTA) provides the opportunity to claim awards for working as many grid squares as possible on Phone and CW modes only (a similar award scheme operates for digital modes).
The awards scheme, which is accessible via their website HERE (link opens in new tab) is now accepting log submissions. Endorsed by the RSGB, GMdx, AGCW and others, the program provides an addictive and fun way to chase grid squares and receive awards in the process.
You can also join the Facebook group to connect with other chasers HERE (link opens in new tab).
Each unique grid square will count towards your total, and a leader board is available on the website to compare yourself with other chasers. Only QSOs from after January 1st 2025 are valid for the awards.
The special callsign E7POTA from Bosnia-Herzegovina is now active on the HF bands for the Parks on the Air (POTA) program.
E7POTA and OE/E7POTA will be active across the HF bands on SSB and FT8/FT4. Keep an eye on the POTA cluster HERE (link opens in new tab) for information. The callsign is also active on Facebook and you can follow them HERE (link opens in new tab).
An award scheme for the special callsign is also available, awarding diplomas for making QSOs with the station. Details of the award scheme is available on their website HERE.
I am pleased to have received the Bronze Award so far, and I will continue to work the callsign in their POTA activations.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Esad E77PY, one of the activators and leaders of the E7POTA callsign. You can view the interview HERE (link opens in new tab).
Despite a minor solar storm causing disruption and poor propagation on HF, I enjoyed operating today. I achieved 200 QSOs on Sunday, including 60 Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) contacts, 11 Parks on the Air (POTA) contacts and a new DXCC (Cocos Keeling Island) on 20m SSB.
On Sunday 10th March 2025, the first round of the Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) contest took place. The aim of the contest is to provide an opportunity for young people (under age 25) to be the focus of a contest. For 12 hours, amateurs all over the world made contact with each other, with bonus points available for QSOs with under 25s.
I chose to take part in the “6 hour” category of the contest, and as I am 21, I am classed as a “YOTA” station. In between other things, I put a few CQs out on 20m and 40m and finished the contest with 60 in the log. The oldest operator I spoke to was 82, and the youngest was only 7 years old operating with a youth club in Hungary!
Log submissions are to be in Cabrillo format and can be submitted HERE (link opens in new tab).
A few statistics from my log is below:
Keep an eye on the website for more information. When the article is published, it will appear under the “Getting Started” tab on the navigation menu. I will also notify via Instagram and my free newsletter.
– Oscar M7OJA
Last night, the 24th Feb 2025, I took part in the RSGB FT4 contest for the first time. I was using a 20.5m 49:1 end-fed. As the contest began, my strategy was to start on 20m for any DX contacts before moving on to 40m for as many European DXCCs as possible.
Within about 5 minutes of the contest starting, I realised I wasn’t going to get far on the 10w I was using to enter into the “10w Restricted” category, so I increased my power to the maximum 25w as permitted by my licence. This meant I was able to achieve more points and countries, but this was a disadvantage as I had to enter in the 100w category.
My first contacts as the contest began were to the USA, Morocco and the Canary Islands before moving on to 40m. Unfortunately, I do not have access to 80m at my home QTH, meaning I was unable to collect DXCCs from this band.
On 40m, I was slowly but surely beginning to collect DXCCs, until my computer crashed and I had to restart before JTDX would work again. This set me back around 10 minutes.
Owing to a couple of last minute DXCCs, I finished with 40 QSOs and 25 DXCCs in the log, which was nowhere near the highest score, but still fun to participate and nice to gain a couple of new countries on FT4.
You can read more about the RSGB FT4 contest HERE (link opens in new tab).
73 de M7OJA
Due to the activity of Solar Cycle 25 and a high SFI and Sunspot count, the HF bands have been particularly good this weekend.
I took full advantage of the good conditions this weekend and operated over a variety of modes and bands on HF from Friday to Sunday.
To summarise my activity:
| Total In The Log (ITL) | 575 QSOs |
| New Countries (DXCCs) | 9 New (Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahrain, Armenia, French Guiana, Thailand, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize) |
| Total Countries (DXCCs) | 70 ITL This Weekend |
| Parks on the Air (POTA) References | 10 References |
| Bunkers on the Air (WWBOTA) References | 2 References |
A statistical view of my weekend activity is below, showing my overall statistics, a list of worked countries, a map of Europe and a worldwide map.
I have been lucky enough to work the DXPedition to Nigeria this weekend and a bonus contact as I am writing this to 4S7SPG, DXPedition to Sri Lanka.
Always take advantage when the bands are strong, as you never know what DX is possible with a limited setup.
