Parks on the Air (POTA) Announces New Annual Plaque Event

POTA has announced a new event that is an expansion and upgrade to their Plaque Event that has happened in years past during the July Support Your Parks Weekend. Tonight I welcome Matt Heere from the POTA Team to come onto the livestream and talk about this event. We all know that POTA isn't a contest, but this event, inside of the POTA effort, might be considered a contest - what are your thoughts?

 

WOW!!! Hasn't this all been discussed since last Wednesday???? You are a little late to the game again!
https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?th...ent-new-parks-on-the-air-plaque-event.852729/

 

This was discussed last wednesday. what up with the late news..............all the same info as last wednesday feed....lame lame lame.

come on Jason you can come up with better topic for vids

 

It is just like summer field day, If there are points that lead to being placed on a list, It the order of most contacts to least contacts, it is, by definition, a contest. Why are we so afraid to call these events contests?

 

In my humble opinion, if there is more than one person going after the same unique award, certificate, plaque, whatever, it is by definition a contest.

 

yes that true nor do they belong on the warc aka 17 and 12 meter bands

 

For this one event I would agree and that's likely why they are keeping the plaque event off WARC bands and 60 meters. As for the rest of the time with POTA (or any other OTA programs for that matter) everyone can work towards the same certificates etc. as they progress. With no end date for regular POTA activities you can't declare an overall winner.

 

Go POTA on the on AIR, I like these Ham operators who take to it the Air with the enthusiasm, and the love of ham radio, its biggest opportunity to show the general public about ham radio, let alone promoting the hobby, I have seen a lot of young people very interested in ham radio, because they know that their cell phone can be compromised,knowing that ham radio is a stand alone to communicating with other’s, W6FRD.

 

I think it’s a great idea. POTA on!

 

why does such competitiveness needs to always happen......is it really about who get the most points , is it really about who has the most power..........what is this really about. contest or not to contest.........awards are giving for people that complete a task of somewhat degree of difficulty.
For me I just like the contacts and the fun of it.....the competing part...ill leave that to those that need to be validated.

 

but its not just this one event they are taken a count on all activation's with that its now a contest and per the arrl rules no contesting on any of the warc bands period. but yet you here them everyday on them

 

Only the contacts during the 48 hour period count towards the plaque event and the plaques/awards, so I'm not sure I follow how all of POTA is now a contest. It just isn't, it's an activity that encourages operators to get out of the shack and get on the air and collect some digital paper along the way.

 

You receive certificates / awards for milestones in POTA. The only competition you have is with yourself. By your logic you can't count any contacts on WARC bands for WAS or DXCC through the ARRL, yet the ARRL has specific awards for those bands for DXCC

 

This is the only POTA contest. It happens once per year. The other 363 days of the year, there is no contest. No one is competing against anyone else, for anything. Perhaps you should do some reading before judging, without having all of the information.

 

As I see it!

@W6LEN I do not view WAS, WAC, DXCC Entities (he he, I said entities) Awards, etc. as contests, but "paper-chasing" by hammies. It is much different than hammies who chase points to get their call sign published in QST or CQ Magazine. Right?

Everyone gets a trophy!