My Gear
Everything I carry to a park activation, tested in the field here in Florida. Affiliate links help keep this site running at no extra cost to you.
Radio — Xiegu X6200
This is my go-to for POTA. The X6200 is a true shack-in-a-box — it runs HF and 6m, supports SSB, CW, AM, FM, and digital modes, has a built-in automatic antenna tuner, and packs a replaceable 3200mAh battery good for 4–5 hours of field operation. The 4-inch color display with waterfall spectrum is genuinely useful for finding activity fast. Running at 5W off the internal battery it punches well above its weight. I've worked stations across the country and into the Caribbean from Florida parks with this rig.
Buy from Radioddity and use code W4GGJ for $15 off
Buy the Xiegu X6200 at Radioddity
Antenna — Generic 18.3 ft (1/4 wave) QRP Vertical
My POTA antenna of choice is a generic 18.3-foot stainless steel quarter-wave vertical covering 14–30 MHz (10 through 20 meters) right out of the box, rated up to 300–600W so it handles the X6200's 5–8W with zero stress. Lightweight, quick to deploy, and built for exactly this kind of portable field operation.
For the ground system I use the JPC-12 grounding counterpoise plate with 8 radial wires, each 17 feet long, laid out on the ground around the base of the antenna. Eight radials at that length gives a solid ground plane and makes a noticeable difference in signal — it's worth the extra two minutes of setup time at the park.
For 40 meter operation I add an induction loading coil, which brings the antenna into resonance on 40m without needing a completely separate wire. One antenna system, three band groups covered, fits in a small bag.
Buy the antenna
Buy the grounding counterpoise plate
Buy the 40m induction loading coil
Field Power — Custom-built LiFePO4 battery box
I built my own portable field power unit rather than buying a commercial solution. The enclosure is a large plastic ammo can — rugged, weatherproof, and sized just right for a clean field power build. Inside I wired 4 LiFePO4 8Ah 12V batteries in parallel, giving a total capacity of 32Ah at 12V. That's enough to run the X6200 through multiple activations without worrying about running dry.
The panel features a digital voltmeter display so I always know my state of charge at a glance, a 12V cigarette lighter plug, USB-A and USB-C ports for charging accessories and powering the laptop, a master power switch, and two Anderson Powerpole connectors for direct radio connection. Everything you need in the field, nothing you don't.
Home-brewing your own field power is one of the most satisfying builds you can do for POTA — you get exactly the capacity and connections you need, in a package that holds up to real outdoor use. I'll do a full build writeup with parts list at some point for anyone wanting to replicate it.
Ready for the third park!
Home Station Radio — Yaesu FT-450
My home shack rig. Not portable, but rock-solid for fixed station operation. This is what I run on the home G5RV for DX chasing, digital modes via the DigiPi, and general HF work.
Digital Modes — DigiPi
A Raspberry Pi-based portable digital station running WSJT-X. I built and configured — it handles FT8, FT4, and other WSJT modes both at home and in the field when I want to run digital on an activation. If you're curious about the DigiPi setup, I'll be writing it up in detail soon.
Home Antenna — G5RV
52-foot legs, fed with ladder line transitioning to coax through a choke balun at the feedpoint. Center is up at 36 feet. Covers most HF bands with the ATU-100 handling the matching duties.
Tuner — ATU-100
Compact external auto-tuner. Handles the impedance mismatch between the ladder line and coax on the home station without any drama.
Logging
DXKeeper — logs every QSO and auto-syncs to LoTW, QRZ, ClubLog, and eQSL. Set it and forget it.
Awards
- ARRL Worked All States — Mixed
- ARRL Worked All States — Digital
- QRZ DX Award
This page gets updated after every activation when I add or swap gear. 73 de W4GGJ
All gear sourced from Radioddity — use code W4GGJ for $15 off your order.
More Gear — Full Amazon Storefront
The list above covers my main station and field kit, but there's a lot more that goes into a complete ham radio setup — coax connectors, adapters, tools, accessories, and all the small stuff that adds up. I've put together a full Amazon storefront with everything I use or recommend across my shack, portable kit, and mobile setup.
Browse My Full Gear List on Amazon
Affiliate links help keep this site running at no extra cost to you.