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POTA Exchanges

As a reminder, POTA is not a contest, and the activity is meant to be fun, flexible, and just structured enough to have fun!? Combined with the fact that logging is done by the Activator, there's no requirement to match up how multiple parties log contacts - or what the park number(s) is/are, or even to ensure that the caller knows that they're calling a POTA.? Due to the spotting website, many Hunters will already know the park number or numbers they are calling, but in a pileup hearing the park number may make them comfortable that they've reached the station they expected.???

As a result, there's no specific exchange required for POTA activity.? But don't take it from us, the :?

Exchanges

POTA does not require a formal exchange. Many activators exchange actual signal reports and their location, in addition to the callsign. Name and other exchanges are optional.

Of course, context and the personal style of the operator will take effect given this freedom.? And there are differences in what's common on voice activations, versus CW or digital modes (remember, all simplex modes with a callsign exchange are valid for POTA).? Typical "scripts" follow, as well as some links to examples in real life, but feel free to add your own personality into your activations!? You'll also learn to tune your call and exchange to the conditions - both on the bands (is everything 5x9 or are you scraping through 3x3s?) and how active things are (are you managing a pileup after being recently spotted in a rare park?).

Typical Morse/CW Exchange for POTA

Activator: CQ CQ CQ POTA DE [activator’s call x2] K

Hunter: [hunter's call]

Activator: [hunter's call] TU UR [signal report x2] [activator state x2] BK

Hunter: BK TU UR [signal report x2] [hunter state x2] BK

Activator: BK TU 73 DIT DIT

Hunter: DIT DIT

Typical (Short) Voice/SSB Exchange for POTA

Activator: CQ Parks on the Air, CQ Parks on the Air, this is AA1N at US-0745, Alpha Alpha One November, CQ POTA

Hunter: KB9VBR

Activator: KB9VBR, you're five-nine into US-0745, Concord Massachusetts, back to you

Hunter: thanks, I have you five-seven in Wisconsin, 73!

Activator: Roger, thanks for hunting, QRZ POTA?

Park-to-Park Exchange (Voice)

Activator: AA1N, QRZ POTA?

Remote Activator: KJ6ER, park-to-park

Activator: KJ6ER, you're five five in US-2435, go ahead with your park...

Remote Activator: AA1N, you are five-by-seven US-4571, that's fourty-five-seventy-one, whoo-hoo!

Activator: Thanks for four-five-seven-one, have a great activation!

Remote Activator: 73 and POTA On!

Activator: 73 from AA1N, CQ POTA, QRZ?

Don't Be Surprised

... if Hunters ask for your park number, state, how much power you're running, what antenna you're using, or how many contacts you've made (especially on Voice modes).? Not everyone wants to chat, and in many situations you may have multiple callers in a mini (or not-so-mini) pileup.? Some callers are less-experienced and looking for a quick interaction.? Others like to make a connection and find out something about you.? Remember, there's no way to "get it wrong" as long as you got their callsign for the log.? And as noted above, inject your own style if you're feeling talkative!

Speaking of pile-ups, even if you don't spot yourself at the beginning of an operation or when you QSY to a new band, you're likely to get spotted by a hunter once you make a couple of contacts.? In this case you may get more calls all of a sudden, or in bursts when spots hit the site.? You may also get hunted by international stations, or notice a lot of park-to-park contacts coming in.? If you get overlapping calls when you call CQ, just ask for a suffix or prefix you heard, or ask "QRZ?" or "again?".? In better propagation conditions this can be a bit of a challenge, but you'll learn to run with it soon enough - and it's great experience for contests and other on-air events.? Most hunters are well-behaved and cooperative - ask them to space out calls if needed.? Working with a repeating "rhythm" can help the hunters know when to call you.? As always, make it work for your style.

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CW Tips

In general, CW operators won't be chatty when doing POTA--that being said, if you're the activator, you get to run your activation the way you want. In general, though, they will pretty much stick to the script with some variations. Many operators will add a greeting (GA, GM, GE); some will add GL (good luck) at the end; some may sign off with "[hunter call] de [activator call]"; some may add "TU [your name]" if you've worked them before or if they just see your name on QRZ/POLO. Some operators will ask for your park number if they are doing a park-to-park (P2P); however, since the POTA website now automatically gives credit to both activators for doing a park-to-park, not everybody will do this.?

Pile-ups are not uncommon, especially if you are running more than 5w. If everybody is coming at you at once and you are able to pick out (for example) a W2 station but not the rest of their call, send back "W2?". You'll just get the W2 station coming back--usually. As always, there might be people who will come back multiple times with their unrelated call--maybe they couldn't hear you, maybe they thought you misheard them, maybe they just want to break through the pile up and get in your log--who knows. Just keep repeating the characters you get, and hopefully you'll get the rest of the W2 station's call!

Many operators running QRP will sign off with "72" instead of "73"--it's not quite enough power to warrant a full 73! ;)

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Video Examples

Becky N4BKY and Michael N4FFF make great videos about POTA, CW, and having fun with radio.? Their CW-POTA introduction video is a great watch overall, but in particular here's a link to their .

Thomas K4SWL usually makes long-format, lightly edited videos showing his POTA activations - mostly CW and mostly QRP.? Don't miss his (and also check out his with his own and guest's posts).