Category: Outdoor
Haunoldköpfl and Antelao: Two SOTA First Activations in the Dolomites
The weather forecast, the shift schedule and the construction schedule finally make the long-planned SOTA first activations "Haunoldköpfl I/AA-059" and "Antelao I/VE-001" come true. I do know these summit tours, but 20 years ago I had…
Planned Antenna Workshop or an Unplanned Field Day?
What was originally planned as a structured antenna workshop ultimately turned into what radio amateurs love most: a vibrant field day full of hands-on practice, exchange and genuine radio enthusiasm. Several of our newly licensed and…
SOTA meets Star Wars – May the 4th be with you!
For about a year now, I've been roaming through Carinthia's forests, hills, meadows and mountains as a SOTA activist – equipped with a radio, antenna, an old-fashioned paper log and occasionally more optimism than sense of…
POTA in Austria: Amateur Radio from Parks and Nature Reserves
A sunny afternoon in a national park, the antenna strung between two trees, the transceiver on the picnic table — and radio amateurs from around the world are calling you. That's Parks On The Air (POTA)…
The Best Portable Antenna for SOTA and POTA
When you pack your rucksack to activate a SOTA summit or visit a POTA park, one question matters above all others: which antenna are you bringing? The requirements are clear — lightweight, compact, quick to set…
When the Capercaillie Displays, Radio Gets Tough
Today could have been so easy. On the way from Vienna to Carinthia, I wanted to quickly activate Kreuzeck OE/ST-243 near Scheifling — that was the plan. Weather check, perfect spot to park the car check,…
TOTA Spotting – How to Get Visible as an OE Activator
Towers On The Air (TOTA) is growing in Austria. But how do you spot yourself properly at a lookout tower? Here is the compact guide – including PoLo, WhatsApp and cross-spotting on SOTA/POTA.
Field Day: Amateur Radio Under the Open Sky — How to Plan a Successful Participation
When the days grow longer and the weather beckons us outdoors, many radio amateurs feel the excitement building: Field Day is approaching! Whether on an alpine meadow in the Austrian Alps, atop a hill overlooking vineyards,…
TOTA – Towers On The Air: Climb the Tower and Call CQ!
Guest article by Josef | OE3FJS Be honest: Have you ever climbed an observation tower, reached the top, enjoyed the stunning panoramic view – and thought: "Man, I really should call CQ from up here!"? No?…
Ice skate deep snow activation at Freiberg (OE/KT-106)
I had my very first SOTA QSO with Michael OE5HKT on Buschberg OE/NO-207 at 491m on June 14, 2025. Arnold OE1IAH took me and a few other newly licensed people under his wing that day, and…
CQ SOTA - Funk, frost, cold fingers and a barking co-operator
Spontaneously - and in the increasingly desperate hope of escaping the persistent fog in the valley - we decide to go on an after-work trip to the Dobratsch one wintry afternoon. Also there: Finot, our always…
Radio and skiing at the end of the world
The story started with our visits to the radio camp in Döbriach on Lake Millstättersee. The idea was actually to get our son interested in radio engineering. But it infected me with the radio virus. I…
