Presenter:  Steve Hudson, AA4BW

Steve has been a ham for close to six decades. He began peppering the ionosphere with RF in 1968 as WN4JXO, and he has been an active ham ever since. Steve is fond of CW, particularly QRP CW, but you’ll find him on SSB too. He has enjoyed QRP operation across the US and also in the western Pacific and in Europe. He also enjoys playing with antennas as well as homebrewing HF QRP gear. In recent years he’s discovered the fun of “Parks on the Air,” adding yet another dimension to his enjoyment of hamming.

Steve especially enjoys sharing the excitement of hamming with others. He has led forums and seminars for ham clubs across the United States as well as in Europe.

When not hamming, Steve is an award-winning travel and outdoor writer and enjoys hiking and fly fishing. He also plays a bit of bass guitar. He and his wife Trisha live in Canton, Ga., north of Atlanta.

Forum Description:   As many hams are discovering, POTA (Parks on the Air) is breathing new life into the ham radio experience. No matter what your interest in hamming might be, POTA provides myriad opportunities to enjoy our hobby in fresh and exciting ways.

In this dynamic and entertaining program, you’ll discover the fun of POTA and learn exactly how you can get in on that fun yourself. Here’s what we’ll explore in this presentation:

What exactly is POTA, and how does it work?

• What kind of gear do I need?
• The POTA website and how it can help you
• Starting out: being a “hunter” (your operating skills will skyrocket!)
• Going further: being an “activator” (you’ll feel like a rock star!)
• Putting together an “activator” station
• POTA-peditions, near and far
• Logging
• Recognition for your POTA accomplishments
• And more!

So get ready to experience hamming in a vibrant new way — with Parks On The Air…and maybe even on the way home this afternoon! You’ll have an absolute blast.

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