POTA Course
Take your ham radio hobby into the great outdoors! After taking this course, you'll know how to join in POTA from home, choose the right gear for the field, deploy portable antennas in any environment, master the art of "activating" a park, and join the thousands of hams participating in this worldwide phenomenon.
Escape the Shack: Master the Art of Portable Power
Join over 500,00 operators in the the global phenomenon of Parks On the Air® (POTA)!
You’ll start by learning how to “hunt” stations from home, and then move to “activating”, where you can turn any park into your personal radio station! Whether you’re hiking into a remote wilderness or setting up at a local state park, POTA is the most addictive way to get on the air. This course gives you the “field-craft” skills to leave the backyard behind, deploy a high-performing station in minutes, and become the operator everyone is trying to find.
Who This Course Is For
We’ve heard from so many students that they want to get involved in the POTA program, but they just aren’t sure where to start – it can feel OVERWHELMING. From setting up equipment, to what to say on the air, submitting your logs, and more. If that sounds like you…
You’ve come to the right place!
This course will teach you the fundamentals of Parks on the Air® (POTA) and the art of portable field operations in amateur radio!
We’ll start with the very basics of joining in by “hunting” from home, and build all the way to advanced topics so even if you’re already involved in POTA, you can learn pro tips & tricks.
Why Take This Course?
We’ve compressed years of POTA knowledge into a professionally produced, structured program that makes it EASY to learn, saving you time and frustration.
Great for Beginners: No more confusion! Just easy to understand videos, lessons, and guides that teach everything step-by-step.
Structured and Comprehensive: Our POTA program takes you from beginner to advanced with step-by-step guides that guarantee your success and ensure you don’t miss any important information.
Bonus Materials: The course is jam-packed with downloadable PDFs and reference guides.
Pro Tips & Tricks: Even if you already have some POTA experience, we’ll cover pro tips like CW operations, solar and power management, setting up a mobile station, station optimization, and more.
By the end of this course, you’ll be a POTA Pro!
Take your radio to the great outdoors.
Parks on the Air (POTA) operations open the door to communicating from state parks, national forests, and scenic nature preserves across the globe. Mastering portable field communication is one of the most exciting and rewarding paths in amateur radio, allowing you to explore rapid station deployment, battery power management, resonant wire antennas, and portable logging to join a massive community of outdoor enthusiasts and “activators”.
Course Syllabus
This course starts with the basics and guides you step-by-step through the essential skills needed to confidently participate in Parks on the Air (POTA). It’s packed with high-quality videos, practical field-ready guidance, real-world operating tips, and helpful resources to make getting on the air simple, fun, and rewarding.
An overview of what to expect from the course, how it’s structured, and how to get the most out of your Parks on the Air (POTA) learning journey.
Learn what Parks on the Air is, how the program works, and why it has become one of the most popular operating activities in amateur radio.
Discover how to participate in POTA by hunting activators, making contacts from home, and learning the flow of POTA operations before activating yourself.
Explore popular and proven radios for POTA, including portable-friendly options and key features to look for when choosing your setup.
A breakdown of effective antenna options for POTA, from simple wire antennas to portable commercial solutions that perform well in the field.
Learn how to safely and efficiently power your POTA station using batteries, solar panels, and other portable power solutions. We’ll make practical recommendations as well as cover advanced power options and solar setups.
See how to build a reliable POTA go kit that keeps your gear organized, lightweight, and ready for quick deployments.
A step-by-step checklist to help you plan, prepare, and avoid common mistakes before heading out to activate a park.
Review popular logging software options for POTA and learn how to log contacts efficiently in the field, ADIF submission best practices, and more.
Follow a practical walkthrough of activating your first park using voice (SSB), including calling CQ, managing pileups, and making valid contacts.
Learn the basics of CW POTA activations, including calling procedures, pacing contacts, and operating efficiently on Morse code.
Explore how to activate parks using a mobile setup, including choosing the best equipment, a detailed step by step installation guide, power considerations, and operating tips. The most comprehensive mobile operations guide ever created!
A guided tour of the POTA website showing how to submit logs, track activations, and work toward POTA awards.
Helpful tips, common issues, and real-world troubleshooting advice to improve your POTA activations and overall operating success.
Meet Your Instructor
Taught by Ham Radio Experts
Jim Reed, N4BFR
You’ll hear from various domain experts with decades of experience, led by lead instructor Jim Reed (N4BFR). Jim is an Amateur Extra class ham who specializes in making complex concepts easy to understand—whether you’re just getting started or looking to expand your skills. He’s an experienced satellite operator, a passionate educator, and an instructor for multiple Ham Radio Prep courses. Jim is also a volunteer examiner and award-winning ham, having earned honors such as DXCC, Worked All States, and Worked All Continents. His background includes active participation in both space-based operating and public service communications.
Jim Reed, N4BFR
Lead Instructor
Partner Instructor
James Cribbs, N0WRL
Founder and CEO
James Cribbs, N0WRL
James is the CEO and Founder of Ham Radio Prep and World Radio League, and an Amateur Extra operator dedicated to advancing ham radio education. Andy, a General operator and Product Manager at World Radio League, brings hands-on experience and a practical approach to every lesson.
Andy Perryman, N0APX
Andy Perryman, N0APX
WRL Product Manager
PLUS bonus tips and tricks from some of the most active POTA operators!
Designed to Make Learning EASY
No matter how you learn best, this course will work for you.
We’ll take you through everything step by step with stunning visual videos, guides, quizzes, and downloadable PDF references that turn you into a POTA pro. You’ll learn everything from gear selection to digital field-logging, designed to make you ready for action.
Earn Your POTA Course Completion Certification
Earn your POTA Course Completion Certification from Ham Radio Prep! This certificate, provided by Ham Radio Prep, validates your successful completion of the course, confirming your ability to navigate park boundaries, utilize real-time spotting networks, and successfully execute park activations. It serves as a testament to your skills in handling complex pile-ups and maintaining professional logging standards under the unique challenges of the great outdoors
POTA Course
Master the art of portable operations and become a POTA Pro
$99 $59
Early Bird Special
- Lifetime Course Access with No Hidden Fees
- Comprehensive Instructional Videos, Professional Quality
- No experience required! Teaches you step-by-step
- Premium Videos, Lessons, Quizzes, Downloadable PDFs & Reference Guides
- Includes course completion certificate and free gift upon course completion.
One-time fee, lifetime access.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
If you're not happy with the course for any reason, ask for a refund within the first 14 days and we'll give you your money back!
Pricing
Bundle 2 Advanced Operating Courses
$198 $99
Save 50%
One-time fee, lifetime access.
Bundle 2 Advanced Operating Courses
$198 $99
Save 50%
One-time fee, lifetime access.
Advanced Operating Package
$421 $149
- BIGGEST SAVINGS! Save 65% When You Get All 4 Courses!
- Package Includes HF Masterclass course, POTA Course, Emergency Communications 101 course and Satellite & Space Operations course
- Lifetime Access So You Can Study At Your Own Pace
- FREE BONUS! 🎁Get access to the Ham Radio Basics Course!
Save 65%
One-time fee, lifetime access.
BEST DEAL
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
If you're not happy with the course for any reason, ask for a refund within the first 14 days and we'll give you your money back!
HF Masterclass
- Comprehensive Instructional Videos
- No experience required! Teaches you step-by-step.
- Everything you need to learn to operate on HF
- Radio and Equipment not included.
- One Time Purchase, Lifetime Access
Save 60%
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
If you're not happy with the course for any reason, ask for a refund within the first 14 days and we'll give you your money back!
Note: We highly recommend getting your General License so you can follow along with the class and transmit on all the frequencies in the course.
If you have your Technician License, you can still purchase this course. However, you will only be able to transmit HF on a portion of the 10M band with Technician privileges. You can still listen on the other frequencies.
60,000+ Students Trust Ham Radio Prep
These are REAL, verified reviews from our students!
Matthew Carlson
- Verified
Great product!
Matthew Carlson
Presentations are wonderful. Well done. I enjoy having a text-based lesson to read as well.
Paul Abelquist
- Verified
Essential Emergency Info!
Paul Abelquist
Complete and concise information regarding public emergency communications.
Scott Hertzog
- Verified
Great videos!
Scott Hertzog
The course offers practical discussions without unnecessary padding or filler content.
Justin Jarvis
- Verified
Honestly, loved all of it!
Justin Jarvis
Learning more about emergency communications and ham radio in general was enlightening.
Jason Smith
- Verified
Everything about the course was good!
Jason Smith
Following along with the race prep and seeing how a real-world event works was incredibly insightful.
Brandon Cromer
- Verified
It was all great!
Brandon Cromer
This course provided all the EmComm basics in one place, explained in an easily digestible way.
Marvin Nash
- Verified
I couldn’t stop watching it. Very well put together!
Marvin Nash
Exploring the various options I can choose as an Emergency Communicator was enlightening. It was fascinating to see the different paths and opportunities available in this field.
Spencer Ash
- Verified
Broad coverage of the topic.
Spencer Ash
I’ve gained extensive coverage of the topic, focusing on how to get involved and effectively communicate its importance.
Roy Sparkman
- Verified
Be prepared at all times!
Roy Sparkman
I’ve learned the need to adapt to different environments and change frequencies in case I’m called upon in an emergency. I understand that I won’t always have the opportunity to set things up ahead of time, whether it’s a train wreck, a chemical spill, or other urgent situations. I need to be prepared at all times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely not! Even if you are a complete beginner, this course will teach you everything you need to know to learn Parks on the Air operations starting with the basics. We recommend having at least an amateur radio General License, but even if you have a Technician License you can participate on the 10m band.
Inside the course, we’ll take you through equipment selection. In order to perform a operate POTA, you’ll need at least a basic HF ham radio, antenna, COAX cable, and power source. If you haven’t purchased equipment yet, we’ll walk you through the best equipment options for all price ranges in the course.
Our team has spent hundreds of hours to design and produce a course that makes it EASY to learn Parks on the Air, and ultimately saves you time and frustration.
- Higher Production Value -> Our course is engaging and easier to follow for all learning styles
- Comprehensive and Structured -> Our course teaches you all of the important concepts step-by-step that to guarantee your success and ensure you don’t miss any important information
- Learn from the Experts -> skip the line and learn directly from the experts with decades of ham radio experience, including years of POTA experience
- Bonus Materials -> Our course contains bonus materials like PDF guides to download for reference
When you buy this course, you’re buying decades of experience, hundreds of hours of work, jam-packed into an easy to use format.
And if that wasn’t enough, it’s backed by a 14-day 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
It’s a no-brainer!
