Ham, pota, Uncategorized

Equipment I use for #POTA – Parks on the Air – #amateurradio #hamradio 

Andrew Woodward

One of the things I love about Parks on the Air is the ability to combine my passions for nature, radio, computers and doing something global or worldly into one activity. With Parks on the Air, I take my radio gear to a designated park and engage over the air with fellow amateur radio operators around the world, some too who are also in parks.  

Over the last 18 months, I have fine tuned how I do it through lot of trial and error. I have also got a few things to make life a lot easier. This post is more about the logistics rather than the radio, computer or software side of the experience.

You can do POTA very lightly or very heavily. Somedays I go out with just one box of electronics and the vertical antenna. Somedays I take the whole shack with me… long wire, masts, rigging, additional antennas and adapters, tools and spare parts. It can be quite a show.

Go kit (one box)

I switch between my MacBook Air M2 running SDR Control for Icom and Gridtracker or my Lenovo Thinkpad running Icom’s RS-BA1v2, Win4Icom and WSJT-X/Gridtracker.  

Full kit

Support kit

I have tried a variety of trolleys and boxes, most of which ended in frustration. Not enough room, not waterproof, opening when dropped, etc. So, I decided to go all in on some kit from Ryobi. It has a series called Ryobi LINK which is like Lego for storage boxes and it’s just awesome. All up, I spent about AUD450 on the gear. It all fits nicely into the back of the car too. I got the:

In this configuration, the big box is for the “Go kit”, the small box is for extra antenna gear, one larger box is for electronics, the other is for rigging and the crate is for the cooler, hats, jackets and personal belongings.

For shade and rain protection, I picked up a Spinifex Gazebo Backpack Blue 2.1 m from Anaconda. This is small and light and can be put up easily by one person. You can’t stand in it but it’s quite good for sitting at a table with. It’s perfect for the mobile shack. As for a chair, I had a few camping type chairs but they were for relaxing or slouching. I wanted something that was more like an office chair with a solid base and back. From BCF, I got a Wanderer Lightweight Tourer Extreme Directors Camp Chair. And finally from BCF also, I got a folding aluminium table Wanderer Aluminium Folding Table II. It all works pretty well and cost about AUD250 for the three pieces. I’ve also ordered this Hartman umbrella cover from Bunnings to put the masts and pole in for storage and car rooftop transportation.

All in all, I think I pretty much have a POTA and portable shack caper sorted now. 

Advice is welcome.

A campsite setup featuring a portable canopy, a table with a laptop and equipment, and stackable storage bins on a grassy area by the water.
Stacked Ryobi storage boxes labeled for various uses, including 'Rigging,' 'Electrical,' 'Antenna,' and 'Radio 60,' positioned outdoors among greenery.
A stack of gray storage bins with yellow handles on a wheeled cart, positioned near the open back of a white SUV in a gravel area surrounded by greenery.
The open trunk of a white SUV displaying several yellow-lidded storage bins stacked inside.
Image showcasing RYOBI LINK modular storage system packaging including a 3-piece rolling storage kit, medium tool box, and crate.
A printed brochure featuring specifications and images of RYOBI LINK modular storage solutions, showcasing various storage boxes and organizational systems.

1 May 2026