This Saturday (19/07/2025) saw the 2nd round of the Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) contest. This 12 hour contest gives the chance for younger operators to speak to experienced contesters to get a feel for the format and pace of contesting.
As a young operator (21 years old), I had the pleasure of giving away 11 points per station per band, and operated for the full 12 hours. My station config and details are below:
Usually during a contest, the bands can be quite chaotic and it is hard to find a clear frequency. When you do find one, it’s common for another station to start calling over the top of you. Luckily, the YOTA contest encouraged some of the best contesting etiquette I’ve heard on air. Operators were very patient with all stations, particularly YOTA operators.
Throughout the day I heard a variety of operators from all different ages. The oldest operator I spoke to was 90 years old and the youngest was only 7 years old (operating using her father’s callsign and supervision). This event gives a great chance for operators to get their children involved and hopefully encourage the next generation into the hobby.
Conditions were quite difficult on the day due to varied solar activity and propagation. Quite unusually, 20m died off as usual but opened up again to inter-Europe later in the evening. 40m was poor throughout the day and only started to pick up around 1900UTC.
You can find out more about the YOTA contest HERE(link opens in new tab).
Map of my contacts – courtesy of QSLWorld.Statistics of my contacts – courtesy of QScope.
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.
Dino used a Rotary Dipole fitted to a modified mount.
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.
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