On Thu 6-Nov-2025 6:32a, Jimmy Anderson@1:105/7.0 said to Rug Rat:

You might be a bit disapointed then with POTA, as the majority of the contacts with POTA operators are very contestest like, in that they are out there to make as many contacts as possible within the time of their activation. At the same time there are a lot of people waiting to make contact with them. Very rarely will they take the time to "TALK TO YOU"... It is exchange contact information, and off to the next station. The majority of DX is like that is well. That is not to say I have not had longer QSO with either, but it is not the norm.

Rug Rat (Brent Hendricks)
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Brent, While reading your post I thought about one Field Day just after I got home from being in the Navy .

I served as a Radioman, anyway at the FD site I sit next to a OT CW OPR doing the Dupe Log.
After some time where he was asured I was copying Calls as well as he heard them and letting him know if the station wasn't a dupe he got to where he didn't ask me if the station calling CQ FD had ben worked or not.
He accepted my assistance
Some years later I heard him talking on 75M phone about needing a variable capacitor out of an old AM radio.
I had one in my junk box and broke in to the QSO and told him so and where I lived.
He came by ,got the junk radio , chewed the fat a bit and went on his way.
One hams junk was another hams treasure
73 de Ed W9ODR . .
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Rug Rat wrote to Jimmy Anderson <=-

You might be a bit disapointed then with POTA, as the majority of the contacts with POTA operators are very contestest like, in that they are out there to make as many contacts as possible within the time of their activation. At the same time there are a lot of people waiting to make contact with them. Very rarely will they take the time to "TALK TO YOU"... It is exchange contact information, and off to the next
station. The majority of DX is like that is well. That is not to say
I have not had longer QSO with either, but it is not the norm.

I second this. POTA is not for ragchewing; it is very much like a
contest to get as many contacts within the time you are activating a
park for POTA.

I have an ICOM IC-706MKII and a BuddiPole tat I may connect to my
mobility scooter as it has two 12 volt, 60 amp batteries I could tap
into to run a low-power mobile station I can use to activate a few parks
here in town once spring comes.

Back to the original point, yeah, you'd have better luck with a ragchew
by just calling CQ.

-- Sean KD4TD

... We now return to our regularly scheduled flamethrowing.
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Hello Brent,

>> You might be a bit disapointed then with POTA...

Points taken regarding the contest-like characteristics of the program, but I have encountered a number of POTA and SOTA operators who will chat a bit during QSOs.

That is more my style. As an activator, keep it relaxed, fun and interactive. As long as I make at least 10 QSOs it's all good.

When hunting I adjust to the operator's style. If they are rapid-fire I respond in kind; if they want to chat a bit I'll do that too.

POTA inspired me to earn my General ticket as most of the action tends to be on the 20 meter band. For me, it's a lot of fun and very enjoyable.

73,
Jason KO6IOJ

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On Mon 10-Nov-2025 8:22p, Jason Brady@1:218/910.0 said to Rug Rat:

Hello Brent,

>> You might be a bit disapointed then with POTA...

Points taken regarding the contest-like characteristics of the program,
but I have encountered a number of POTA and SOTA operators who will chat a bit during QSOs.

They are out there (Just like there are stations that will try to stop and rag chew during a contest..).. It is just not the norm. I give warning because you hear people all the time how they were put off from ham radio after getting their license and feeling that nobody really wanted to talk to them.

My response to that may sound a bit odd, but I feel that those people just toss away the hobby because it was not what they expected, are the ones that either got into it for the prepper aspect or like the example above not only believed the marketing but like all endevors had a starry eyed vision that they where going to get their ticket and everyone on on the air would want to talk to them for hours on end and instead of taking the time to find their niche either found the "sad ham theory promoting YouTube channels" and to save themselves the bruised ego belived the probelm is "those old timers.." or put their license aside..

Rug Rat (Brent Hendricks)
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