PRESENTER OPINION :Get a load of this…→

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PRESENTER OPINION :Get a load of this…

Ground-mounted verticals are all the rage these days in portable HF operations. This is particularly true in POTA activations. We all like to get extra mileage out of our verticals in terms of their frequency range and efficiency, no?

One method is to add an inductor to the radiating element to extend what its length looks like for RF resonance. Some versions of this are to bottom-load the vertical (Wolf River Coils does this with their Sporty Forty coil) as well as center-load it (as does Chelegance does with some of their JPC line of verticals). There are top-loaded designs, too.

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PRESENTER OPINION : A POTA Procedural Proposal→

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PRESENTER OPINION : A POTA Procedural Proposal

I often do POTA activations with two friends: Paul, KW1L and Rick, K8BMA. We almost always operate CW. On a recent activiation, Paul asked if there was a way to do a joint activation like many phone operators do. If you hunt phone POTA activators, they often say something like, “Stand by for a second operator,” then the second operator gets on and makes their contact.

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ARRL Section Changes

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The ARRL have announced the following section changes

Sacramento Valley Section

Jay Ballinger, N6SAC, of Antelope, California, has been appointed Section Manager of the ARRL Sacramento Valley Section, effective 16th July 2025. He will serve the remainder of a term that expires on 30th September 2027.

He replaces Dr. Carol Milazzo, MD, KP4MD, who was appointed as Pacific Division Vice Director. Dr. Milazzo has served as Section Manager since 2015.

Atlantic Division

Martin “Marty” Newingham, AG3I, of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, has been appointed Vice Director of the ARRL Atlantic Division, effective 15th July 2025. Newingham will serve the remainder of a term that expires 31st December 2026.

He replaces Martin J. “Marty” Pittinger, KB3MXM, who resigned from the position in April.

Newingham is an ARRL Life Member and a Gold level contributor to the ARRL Diamond Club.

The ARRL Atlantic Division is comprised of the ARRL Sections of Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland-DC, Northern New York, Southern New Jersey, Western New York and Western Pennsylvania.

Pacific Division

Dr. Carol Milazzo, MD, KP4MD, of Citrus Heights, California, has been appointed Vice Director of the ARRL Pacific Division, effective 9th July 2025. She replaces John Litz, NZ6Q, who acceded to the position of Director in May. She will serve the remainder of a three-year term ending 31st December 2025.

Since 2015, Dr. Milazzo has served as Section Manager of the ARRL Sacramento Valley Section. She is a Volunteer Examiner and an ARRL Life Member.

The ARRL Pacific Division is comprised of the ARRL Sections of East Bay, Sacramento Valley, San Francisco, San Joaquin Valley, Santa Clara Valley, Nevada, and Pacific.