Spearheaded by a group of dedicated Hams from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canadian National Parks On The Air (CNPOTA) is a new program (modeled after ARRL’s defunct National Parks on the Air) that gives amateurs plenty of opportunities to operate from Canada’s national parks and historic sites, while encouraging chasers around the world to contact locations in the Great White North. Adventure-seekers can choose to go portable in the 220 sites on the CNPOTA’s list, including Ivvavik National Park of Canada (protecting a portion of the calving grounds of the porcupine caribou herd) and Fort Mississaugua National Historic Site of Canada, featuring a 19th century brick tower within star-shaped earthworks. As of May, the program had received over 1,000 logs.
For rules, FAQs, a complete list of qualified sites, contact information and more, visit the CNPOTA site. Also check out the Parks on the Air (POTA) program. Here is a rundown of gear used by DX Engineering’s John, KJ3X when activating a park:
Yaesu FT-891 HF/50MHz All Mode Mobile Transceiver
SOTABeams Tactical 7000hds Compact Heavy-Duty Telescopic Mast
SOTABeams Band Hopper Portable Dipole Antenna
DX Engineering RG-8X PL-259 Low-Loss 50-ohm Coax Cable Assemblies
Bioenno 20ah Lifipo Battery or a 100ah Lead Acid Battery depending on weight concerns
Heil Proset 3 Headphones for noisy conditions
Solar panel (on some outings)
