Brew and Activate

One of the biggest myths in amateur radio has nothing to do with antennas... it's the coax connecting your radio to them. Does coax really have to be 18 feet long? Can changing the length of your feedline lower your SWR? What exactly is velocity factor, and why does everyone seem to have a different answer? This week on Brew & Activate , we're diving into another ham radio rabbit hole to separ...

Who needs another pair of socks when you can bring another antenna? This week, Brew & Activate is coming to you from my Airbnb for a special Vacation Edition! There won't be the usual 90-minute show or deep technical dive. Instead, we're slowing things down, grabbing a cup of coffee, and seeing what happens when portable ham radio becomes part of the adventure. We'll be setting up a travel-fri...

We spent the last two episodes learning what SWR and resonance actually mean. Now it's time to answer the biggest question of all: How do you know if an antenna is actually performing? In this final installment of our three-part antenna deep dive, we're moving beyond analyzer readings and getting into what really matters on the air. We'll explore why two antennas with identical SWR readings can pe...

Most amateur radio operators learn that a low SWR means a good antenna and a high SWR means a bad one. But what if that isn't the whole story? In this episode of Brew & Activate, we're tackling one of the biggest myths in amateur radio: the idea that resonance and SWR are the same thing. We'll break down what resonance actually means, why reactance (X) is often more important than SWR when tun...

This Friday on Brew & Activate, Mike N2MAK joins me to talk about the upcoming ARRL June VHF Contest — what it is, how he is preparing for it, what operators should expect, and why VHF contesting might be way more connected to portable operating than people realize. We’re going to dig into the crossover between portable radio, VHF/UHF operating, contest strategy, field setups, antennas, locati...

Most ham radio operators know they should pay attention to SWR. Far fewer understand what SWR is actually trying to tell them. In Part 1 of our new 3-part antenna series, we're getting nerdy and diving deep into one of the most misunderstood topics in amateur radio. We'll break down Standing Wave Ratio (SWR), what causes it to change, what the numbers really mean, and why low SWR doesn't automatic...

Antennas might be the most important part of your portable ham radio setup — and also the thing most of us overthink, misunderstand, rebuild, argue about, and occasionally blame when the bands are just being rude. This week on Brew & Activate, I’m joined by Matt from Reliance Antennas to talk about everything antennas. We’ll dig into portable antenna setups, POTA operating, end fed antennas, r...

This week on Brew & Activate, we’re keeping it loose and opening things up for a live POTA, portable radio, and Tiles on the Air Q&A. Bring your questions about activations, hunters, gear, antennas, go-kits, logging, pileups, quick lunch-break activations, or whatever RF weirdness is currently living rent-free in your brain. We’ll also take a few minutes to talk about Honor & Activate,...

What’s actually in your POTA bag… and is it really ready? This week on Brew & Activate, we’re talking about one of the most common portable ham radio problems: keeping your POTA go-kit organized, charged, packed, and actually ready for the next activation. Because let’s be honest — most activations do not fall apart because of the radio. They fall apart because the coax is missing, the battery...

In this episode of Brew & Activate, we’re diving into a practical way to use AI for POTA — no hype, no fluff, just something you can actually use before your next activation. Instead of bouncing between solar data, propagation maps, and signal reports… we’re using a simple, repeatable AI prompt that turns all of that into one clear answer based on your gear, your power, and your setup. 👉 We’l...

Is Tiles On The Air (TOTA) the next big thing in ham radio? In this episode of Brew & Activate, we’re diving into a brand new program that’s starting to get attention across the hobby — Tiles On The Air. Instead of parks or summits, this program focuses on grid square activations, bringing a fresh twist to portable operating and giving hunters and activators a whole new way to get on the air....

Ever had your radio die right in the middle of a pileup? Yeah… it’s probably not your battery. It’s your math. In this episode of Brew & Activate, we break down battery math in a way that actually matters in the field —no fluff, no overcomplicated engineering talk… just real-world understanding you can use on your next activation. We cover: ⚡ The difference between Amp Hours (Ah) and Watt Hou...

🚨 SPECIAL GUEST ALERT 🚨 This week on Brew & Activate, we’re joined by the creator of POTACAT — one of the most talked-about tools in the POTA community right now. If you’re a POTA hunter or activator, this is one episode you don’t want to miss. We’re diving into: What POTACAT actually does (and why people are buzzing about it) How it can help you hunt smarter and activate more efficiently Th...

Support Your Parks Weekend is coming up… And instead of activating alone, what if you turned it into a full-on POTA meetup? More operators are starting to use events like SYP Weekend to bring people together for: • Group activations • Club meetups • Multi-operator park setups So how do you actually pull that off? And more importantly… How do you do it without turning it into total chaos? 😄 This w...

Think you’re a solid POTA operator? Cool. Let’s test that. This week on Brew & Activate, we’re putting the Brew Crew to the test with a 10-question POTA quiz designed to separate the “I make contacts” crowd from the “I actually understand what’s happening” operators. We’re talking: • Real-world activation scenarios • Pileup strategy • Propagation curveballs • Logging mistakes that quietly wrec...

Do POTA activators need to self-spot… or should they just call CQ and let radio happen? This week on Brew & Activate we dig into a debate that’s been quietly heating up across the POTA community: self-spotting. Some operators say spotting immediately is just good operating — it helps hunters find you, helps QRP stations get contacts, and keeps activations efficient. Others say instant spotting...

POTA activations used to mean setting up, settling in, and spending time on the air. Now? More operators are running 15–20 minute activations, squeezing in parks during lunch breaks, and even going digital-only to get quick contacts. So the question is… Is this just efficient operating? Or are activations starting to feel like drive-by contacts? This week on Brew & Activate, we dive into the r...

What happens when you bring TWO radios to a POTA activation? Today on Brew & Activate, Eric (N1JUR) and Shannon (KC1OHT) dive into SO2R — Single Operator Two Radios — and what it would actually look like in the field. Is it efficient? Is it chaotic? Is it advanced operator maturity… or just picnic-table-level overengineering? We break down: • What SO2R really means in a POTA context • Voice +...

Most hunters focus on getting logged. Great hunters focus on how they operate. This is Episode 3 of our Brew & Activate Hunter Series — and we’re going beyond tools and timing. In this episode, we dive into: • Advanced POTA hunting strategy • Reading activator patterns • Pileup etiquette that actually helps • Why reputation matters on the air • Avoiding burnout and keeping hunting fun long ter...

Last week on Brew & Activate, we talked about the hunter mindset — why great POTA hunters win with patience, timing, and calm decision-making. This week? We go tactical. In Episode 2 of our hunter series, we break down the tools, tactics, and radio techniques that actually help you break POTA pileups — without turning this into a gear flex session. Because here’s the truth: Most hunters don’t...

Most Parks on the Air content focuses on activators — but this episode is for the other half of the contact: the hunters. Why do some POTA hunters consistently break pileups with ease… while others struggle even with good gear? In this Brew & Activate episode, we dig into the hunter mindset that actually wins contacts: Why timing beats callsign volume How great hunters listen before they trans...

Batteries don’t get the glory in POTA — but they absolutely decide whether your activation ends with a full log… or packing up early. In this episode of Brew & Activate, we break down POTA batteries the right way: No spec-sheet flexing. No marketing hype. Just real-world field experience. We cover: What a POTA battery actually needs to do Why stable voltage matters more than raw capacity Handl...

Parks on the Air (POTA) is supposed to be fun… but myths and bad advice stop a LOT of hams from ever activating. In this episode, we break down the Top 5 most common POTA myths — and explain why they’re flat-out wrong. We cover things like: ❌ “You need a perfect setup before you activate” ❌ “You need high power to be successful” ❌ “You need expensive gear” ❌ “If you don’t get a pileup, you’re...

Support Your Parks Weekend: Winter is here—and Brew and Activate is getting you ready. We’re talking the origin story of Support Your Parks, how to plan a safe and efficient winter POTA activation, and then we’re ending with a community challenge: The Brew and Activate SYP-Winter Challenge: Get 10 QSOs on 60m (SSB or FT8) during an activation, then try one weird thing for 15 minutes: 30m (CW/FT8)...

Unlock the secrets to crystal-clear audio on portable HF operations in this hands-on live stream. Whether you’re a new activator, a portable contesting enthusiast, or someone asking “why does my audio sound bad?”, we break down what makes good audio in the field: clean transmit versus loud transmit, why microphone choice matters more than power, proper gain staging, and why DSP isn’t a magic fix....