Field Operations: Fort De Soto East End — Sunshine Skyway, 60K Likes, and a Pelican Rescue
- 5 min reading time
Location: Fort De Soto Park East End · Mode: FT8 · Band: 20m · Radio: Xiegu X6200 · Power: 5W · QSOs: 18 · Type: Portable Operations
The only cement bench on this side of the park. I found it, I claimed it.
This one was not a POTA activation — I applied for BOTA (Beaches on the Air) but have not heard back yet so today counts as a portable ops activation. No reference number, no leaderboard, just radio on the water with one of the best backdrops in Florida.
The Setup
Fort De Soto Park's east end faces Tampa Bay directly toward the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. I found the only cement bench on that side of the park, set it up under a palm tree right at the water's edge, and called it my operating position. The HF-010 went up, the X6200 came out of the pack and onto the bench alongside the 32Ah LiFePO4 ammo can battery, and I was on the air with the Skyway stretching across the bay behind me.
Station on the bench — storm clouds building behind the Skyway. Still made contacts.
SWR on 20m with the HF-010 came in at 1.050 — right in line with what this antenna has been delivering consistently. Warm day but a steady bay breeze kept conditions comfortable for the full session.
On the Air
18 QSOs in roughly three hours on 20m FT8 at 5 watts. Two contacts into Puerto Rico and one into Canada rounded out the geographic spread. Not a record session but solid results from an unaffiliated portable operation with storm clouds building in the background.
60,000 Likes
During the TikTok live from this activation Tava One crossed 60,000 total live likes — a milestone reached across all TikTok live sessions combined. A good number to hit at a good location.
The Pelican
The wildlife moment of the day had nothing to do with the radio. A park ranger arrived on the east end shoreline and waded into the shallow water to rescue a brown pelican that had become entangled in fishing gear. The ranger carefully cut the line free, crated the pelican, and transported it to a wildlife vet. The whole rescue played out right next to the operating position — one of those moments that reminds you why parks like Fort De Soto matter.
The Location
Fort De Soto's east end is underused compared to the main beach. The shoreline is quieter, the water is calm on most days, and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge fills the eastern horizon from any point along the bank. For portable radio operation it checks every box — easy access, waterfront position, shade available, and a backdrop that does not exist anywhere else in the Tampa Bay area.
Once the BOTA application is approved this location gets a lot more interesting on paper. For now the 18 QSOs and the Skyway in the frame are enough.
Activation Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Fort De Soto Park — East End |
| Type | Portable Operations (BOTA pending) |
| Date | May 13, 2026 |
| QSOs | 18 |
| DX | 2 × Puerto Rico · 1 × Canada |
| Power | 5W |
| Band | 20m FT8 |
| Radio | Xiegu X6200 |
| Antenna | Radioddity HF-010 |
| SWR | 1.050 |
| Duration | ~3 hours |
| Milestone | TikTok 60,000 likes hit during live |
All-Time POTA Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Total POTA Activations | 21 |
| Unique Parks | 13 |
| Total QSOs | 578 |
| Best Activation | 75 QSOs — Skyway Fishing Pier (US-1916) |
Photos and live video from this activation on TikTok @grumpagrinch.
New to FT8 or portable operation? My book FT8 for the First Time is available on Amazon Kindle and paperback.
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