Today I went out and activated a park. Before I left I logged the upcoming activation on the POTA site.
When I got to the field I was calling CQ POTA de KD7J, I had no cell service and completed the activation. When I got in cell range I could see I was picked up by the rbn on all the bands I worked but was never spotted on the POTA website.
After looking at the POTA website tonight it seems the rbn should have spotted me on the POTA website. Did I need to call CQ POTA de KD7J us-5456 to get the auto spot on the website? Or is there something else I should have done.
Thank you,
Jeffry
KD7J
Question on RBN and POTA
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Brian - K3ES
- Posts: 121
- Joined: Fri May 27, 2022 12:55 pm
- Location: NW Pennsylvania
Re: Question on RBN and POTA
Hi Jeffry,
For context, I activate only CW mode, and I rely heavily on being spotted from the RBN. I have not done digital modes, so perhaps others could comment if that is your interest area.
Make sure you schedule an ACTIVATION before you head out. It lets you identify a park, and the time frame you expect to be there. When RBN picks up your CQ call, POTA.app will match it up with the scheduled activation to create a SPOT. If you enter a SPOT before you head out, it will only remain active for 30 minutes before it disappears. Without an active SPOT or a current ACTIVATION schedule, POTA.app will not recognize your call on RBN as significant.
Also, when scheduling an activation, I always include "CW" in the ACTIVATION comment field. Otherwise, I think SSB is the default mode, which can make it more difficult for CW operators to find my spot.
On rare occasions the RBN to POTA spotting functionality has stopped working. Reliability has improved greatly, and I have not had this problem in the past year or two.
Best 73 de Brian - K3ES
For context, I activate only CW mode, and I rely heavily on being spotted from the RBN. I have not done digital modes, so perhaps others could comment if that is your interest area.
Make sure you schedule an ACTIVATION before you head out. It lets you identify a park, and the time frame you expect to be there. When RBN picks up your CQ call, POTA.app will match it up with the scheduled activation to create a SPOT. If you enter a SPOT before you head out, it will only remain active for 30 minutes before it disappears. Without an active SPOT or a current ACTIVATION schedule, POTA.app will not recognize your call on RBN as significant.
Also, when scheduling an activation, I always include "CW" in the ACTIVATION comment field. Otherwise, I think SSB is the default mode, which can make it more difficult for CW operators to find my spot.
On rare occasions the RBN to POTA spotting functionality has stopped working. Reliability has improved greatly, and I have not had this problem in the past year or two.
Best 73 de Brian - K3ES
Re: Question on RBN and POTA
Thanks for the response. I was running cw and had posted an activation on the POTA website ahead of time. So maybe it was just an unlucky day.
I will give it another go when I head to a park with cell reception so I can check if it is working.
73
KD7J
Jeffry
I will give it another go when I head to a park with cell reception so I can check if it is working.
73
KD7J
Jeffry
Re: Question on RBN and POTA
Jeffry,
Like you and Brian, I too have had occasions when setting an activation failed to get me me spotted with CW even though the RBN picked me up. I remember that lasting for several days, maybe even a week or two once. Eventually I chalked it up to challenges between the pota & rbn sites.
Likewise it sounds like you were on the track and simply ran into one of those service challenges.
On my list (has been for a while) is to figure out how to use sotamat to self-spot.
72 de Todd W2TEF
Like you and Brian, I too have had occasions when setting an activation failed to get me me spotted with CW even though the RBN picked me up. I remember that lasting for several days, maybe even a week or two once. Eventually I chalked it up to challenges between the pota & rbn sites.
Likewise it sounds like you were on the track and simply ran into one of those service challenges.
On my list (has been for a while) is to figure out how to use sotamat to self-spot.
72 de Todd W2TEF
Re: Question on RBN and POTA
Closing the loop on this one. Did everything the same as last time posted the upcoming activation on POTA earlier today then went out to the park after work. RBN picked me up and I was spotted on the POTA website. So it was just bad luck on my part this weekend.
72
Jeffry
KD7J
72
Jeffry
KD7J