Portable Ham Radio Adventure
Our goal is to share how amateur radio, outdoor exploration, and activities like Parks on the Air, along with contests and travel, can transform everyday moments into real-world adventures. You’ll discover inspiring stories that encourage you to step outside your comfort zone, try new things, and turn learning into memorable experiences with your family and friends.
Parks On The Air
It’s the adventure of going somewhere new, setting up, and seeing what the world sends back.
Parks on the Air (POTA) is where amateur radio meets real adventure. It’s about stepping off the pavement and into places you might never have explored otherwise deep in the woods, along rugged shorelines, across rolling hills, or beside quiet lakes where the only noise is the wind and your signal going out.
Every activation becomes a journey. You might find yourself hiking gear into a remote forest, setting up near crashing waves, or discovering hidden locations tied to history, like rare references connected to shipwrecks in Lake Michigan or sites tied to World War II. These aren’t just operating spots they’re destinations with stories, waiting to be explored.
POTA pushes you to go beyond the routine. It challenges you to think differently, adapt to your surroundings, and embrace the unknown. Weather changes, terrain shifts, setups don’t always go as planned and that’s part of it. The adventure isn’t just where you go, it’s how you figure it out along the way.
What makes it powerful is the freedom. You’re not tied to one place. Your station moves with you, whether that’s a backpack, a simple antenna, or a quick setup on the edge of a trail. Each location offers something new, and no two activations ever feel the same.
POTA turns amateur radio into something you don’t just operate it’s something you chase. The next park, the next rare reference, the next place you haven’t been yet.
Grab your gear, head somewhere different, and see where the signal and the adventure takes you.
Life at Terminal Velocity
a reminder that amateur radio can go anywhere—even 14,000 feet above you.
Carlos Ortiz K9OL is redefining what amateur radio can look like taking it far beyond the shack and into the sky. Through his project, Life at Terminal Velocity, he combines radio operation with skydiving to create a one-of-a-kind experience where RF meets freefall.
Carlos isn’t just operating radios he’s making contacts while descending from thousands of feet in the air. Known for his “parachute mobile” QSOs, he brings a sense of creativity, energy, and unpredictability to the hobby. Whether calling CQ mid-descent or experimenting with portable setups, his work shows that amateur radio doesn’t have to stay grounded.
His passion for radio started early and continues through hands-on experimentation with everything from HF and VHF to SDR and Raspberry Pi–based setups. That same curiosity drives his content, where he documents not only the thrill of airborne contacts but also the builds, ideas, and challenges behind them.
Carlos has also brought this excitement into the broader ham radio community. At events like Dayton Hamvention, he’s demonstrated live airborne contacts, connecting with operators on the ground while descending from altitude turning radio into a shared, unforgettable experience.
What makes Life at Terminal Velocity stand out is its spirit of adventure. It’s not about perfect conditions or traditional setups it’s about pushing boundaries, trying something new, and having fun along the way.