One of the cool things about Parks on the Air (POTA) is that the simple exchange and lack of rules is encouraging some operators to try their hand at CW. Not only are some of newer operators working POTA, they’re also making regular CW QSOs as well. This is great for all CW ops as it increases activity on the bands.
The problem is that newer ops are not often familiar with common operating procedures, and the lack of rules can be confusing to new ops. For example, the POTA protocol is for “hunters” to send their call once when responding to a CQ POTA. Most of the time, the activators are able to get the call the first time, but if there is some fading or several stations call at the same, they might miss the call or not get the complete call.
When that happens, the protocol is for the CQing station to send “?” or “QRZ?” This means that the hunter should repeat their call sign. Many newer operators don’t seem to understand this, though, and they get confused. So, if you’re hunting, and you hear “?” or “QRZ?” jump right in there again with your call sign.
If the activator sends a partial call sign followed by a question mark, only reply if that partial call sign matches your call sign. For example, if an activator sent “KEB?” I’d know not to respond because that string isn’t part of my call sign. On the other hand, if the activator sent “KB6?” I’d know that they heard me, and I’d’ jump right in and send my call sign again. I’d maybe even send it twice for good measure.
Be patient
My second tip is to be patient with an activator. If they don’t reply to you on the first call, try again. Any number of things might cause an activator to not hear you, or they may hear you, but decide to reply to someone else first. Don’t disappear on the activator. Just wait till they’ve completed the QSO and try again. The activator wants to work you as much as you want to contact them.
When you call the second time, maybe try sending a little slower. That might help the activator pick you out of the noise or the pileup.
These are some tips that I’ve picked up over the years. I hope that you found them useful, and that they will help you make more CW POTA contacts.
Another thing to point out to activators. Please start sending your callsign more often. Many occasions I’ve sat there listening to a POTA op in a pileup just going dit dit at the end of a QSO and waiting for the next call, serveral minutes straight. Part of this is hunters park their web browser on the POTA website, tune to the frequency that says its active and if they hear, what they think (hopefully) is the POTA op and just throw their callsign out there. This is incorrect too. Doesn’t matter how you want to do it, at the beginning when another station calls you, or at the end before you dit dit but you can’t just run a frequency and never send your callsign. I’m hearing a lot of this and I think it’s time to shore up the operating procedure a little. I don’t really care if you don’t send what state you’re in but as an activator, but for those of us who don’t use the POTA website much, it does provide valuable context to the QSO. I’m not a POTA activator, never have, but I think these are good tips for beginners as well.
Good point, Ted.