Brew and Activate

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’ll walk through:

A custom AI prompt you can copy and use before every activation

How to tailor it to your radio, antenna, and power level

A “what-if” scenario prompt to test different setups before you leave the house

Real examples of how this helps you pick the right band, mode, and strategy

This isn’t about replacing skill—it’s about making better decisions before you ever key the mic.

🧠 TRY IT YOURSELF

Run this before your next activation and see what changes:

Your starting band

Your contact rate

Your overall success

Then come back and let us know 👇

*************************************************************

Affiliate Links:

I receive no compensation for these and want to pass on the savings to all my followers.

Mad Dog Coils: Receive an additional clamp when ordering any Mad Dog Coil - Use N1JUR in the order/shipping notes https://maddogcoils.com.au/

Reliance Antennas: 10% off with Free Shipping. All orders of any Reliance Antenna or product use N1JUR at Checkout. https://www.relianceantennas.com/

Seeed Studios: Discount Codes on all Meshtastic Devices on my website n1jur.com

SpoolTenna: https://spooltenna.com

SHOW LINKS:

Discord Brew and Activate - https://discord.gg/EcuySeKkVv

Brew & Activate Podcast - https://rss.com/podcasts/brew-and-activate/

Brew and Activate Merch - https://livefreeandham.com/shop

POTA Bucket List - https://n1jur.com/pota-bucket-list

Guests/Hosts:

Shannon's Channel (KC1OHT) https://www.youtube.com/@shannonkc1oht

Help Support the Channel:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/N1JUR

Buy Me a Beer: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/n1jur

N1JUR & KC1OHT Shop: https://www.livefreeandham.com/shop

Follow me on:

Website: https://n1jur.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1jur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092365884527

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.

We’re joined by special guest Facundo (KK4ODA), the creator and developer of Tiles On The Air, to break it all down:

What Tiles On The Air is

How it works

How it compares to POTA and SOTA

How YOU can get started

Whether you're a seasoned activator or just looking for something new to try, this might be the next program you add to your rotation.

🔗 Learn more about Tiles On The Air:

👉 https://tilesontheair.com

*************************************************************

Affiliate Links:

I receive no compensation for these and want to pass on the savings to all my followers.

Mad Dog Coils: Receive an additional clamp when ordering any Mad Dog Coil - Use N1JUR in the order/shipping notes https://maddogcoils.com.au/

Reliance Antennas: 10% off with Free Shipping. All orders of any Reliance Antenna or product use N1JUR at Checkout. https://www.relianceantennas.com/

Seeed Studios: Discount Codes on all Meshtastic Devices on my website n1jur.com

SpoolTenna: https://spooltenna.com

SHOW LINKS:

Discord Brew and Activate - https://discord.gg/EcuySeKkVv

Brew & Activate Podcast - https://rss.com/podcasts/brew-and-activate/

Brew and Activate Merch - https://livefreeandham.com/shop

POTA Bucket List - https://n1jur.com/pota-bucket-list

Guests/Hosts:

Shannon's Channel (KC1OHT) https://www.youtube.com/@shannonkc1oht

Help Support the Channel:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/N1JUR

Buy Me a Beer: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/n1jur

N1JUR & KC1OHT Shop: https://www.livefreeandham.com/shop

Follow me on:

Website: https://n1jur.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1jur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092365884527

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 Hours (Wh)

⚡ Why your battery NEVER lasts as long as you think

⚡ How modes like SSB vs FT8 completely change runtime

⚡ Voltage sag (and why your radio shuts off early)

⚡ Cold weather performance (this one gets people every time)

⚡ The simple formula to actually plan your activation time

👉 Plus: I built a simple battery calculator you can use on your phone in the field so you never have to guess again.

👇 Grab the calculator here:

[INSERT YOUR GOOGLE SHEET LINK]

---

💡 Bottom line:

Amp hours tell a story…

Watt hours tell the truth.

#POTA #HamRadio #AmateurRadio #BatteryPower #FieldRadio #PortableOps

*************************************************************

Affiliate Links:

I receive no compensation for these and want to pass on the savings to all my followers.

Mad Dog Coils: Receive an additional clamp when ordering any Mad Dog Coil - Use N1JUR in the order/shipping notes https://maddogcoils.com.au/

Reliance Antennas: 10% off with Free Shipping. All orders of any Reliance Antenna or product use N1JUR at Checkout. https://www.relianceantennas.com/

Seeed Studios: Discount Codes on all Meshtastic Devices on my website n1jur.com

SpoolTenna: https://spooltenna.com

SHOW LINKS:

Discord Brew and Activate - https://discord.gg/EcuySeKkVv

Brew & Activate Podcast - https://rss.com/podcasts/brew-and-activate/

Brew and Activate Merch - https://livefreeandham.com/shop

POTA Bucket List - https://n1jur.com/pota-bucket-list

Guests/Hosts:

Shannon's Channel (KC1OHT) https://www.youtube.com/@shannonkc1oht

Help Support the Channel:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/N1JUR

Buy Me a Beer: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/n1jur

N1JUR & KC1OHT Shop: https://www.livefreeandham.com/shop

Follow me on:

Website: https://n1jur.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1jur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092365884527

🚨 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

The story behind the app and where it’s headed next

Live Q&A with the creator 👀

🔗 Check out POTACAT:

👉 https://potacat.com

*************************************************************

Affiliate Links:

I receive no compensation for these and want to pass on the savings to all my followers.

Mad Dog Coils: Receive an additional clamp when ordering any Mad Dog Coil - Use N1JUR in the order/shipping notes https://maddogcoils.com.au/

Reliance Antennas: 10% off with Free Shipping. All orders of any Reliance Antenna or product use N1JUR at Checkout. https://www.relianceantennas.com/

Seeed Studios: Discount Codes on all Meshtastic Devices on my website n1jur.com

SpoolTenna: https://spooltenna.com

SHOW LINKS:

Discord Brew and Activate - https://discord.gg/EcuySeKkVv

Brew & Activate Podcast - https://rss.com/podcasts/brew-and-activate/

Brew and Activate Merch - https://livefreeandham.com/shop

POTA Bucket List - https://n1jur.com/pota-bucket-list

Guests/Hosts:

Shannon's Channel (KC1OHT) https://www.youtube.com/@shannonkc1oht

Help Support the Channel:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/N1JUR

Buy Me a Beer: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/n1jur

N1JUR & KC1OHT Shop: https://www.livefreeandham.com/shop

Follow me on:

Website: https://n1jur.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1jur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092365884527

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 week on Brew & Activate, we break down how to host your own POTA meetup for Support Your Parks Weekend.

Whether you’re bringing one friend or your entire club…

This episode will help you turn a simple activation into something memorable.

👉 Support Your Parks Weekend is the perfect excuse to get people together and get on the air.

Grab your coffee — and start planning your activation.

*************************************************************

Affiliate Links:

I receive no compensation for these and want to pass on the savings to all my followers.

Mad Dog Coils: Receive an additional clamp when ordering any Mad Dog Coil - Use N1JUR in the order/shipping notes https://maddogcoils.com.au/

Reliance Antennas: 10% off with Free Shipping. All orders of any Reliance Antenna or product use N1JUR at Checkout. https://www.relianceantennas.com/

Seeed Studios: Discount Codes on all Meshtastic Devices on my website n1jur.com

SpoolTenna: https://spooltenna.com

SHOW LINKS:

Discord Brew and Activate - https://discord.gg/EcuySeKkVv

Brew & Activate Podcast - https://rss.com/podcasts/brew-and-activate/

Brew and Activate Merch - https://livefreeandham.com/shop

POTA Bucket List - https://n1jur.com/pota-bucket-list

Guests/Hosts:

Shannon's Channel (KC1OHT) https://www.youtube.com/@shannonkc1oht

Help Support the Channel:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/N1JUR

Buy Me a Beer: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/n1jur

N1JUR & KC1OHT Shop: https://www.livefreeandham.com/shop

Follow me on:

Website: https://n1jur.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1jur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092365884527

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 wreck your activation

• And one FINAL BOSS question that… yeah… it’s gonna sting

No trick questions.

No easy outs.

Just the kind of stuff that shows up when things go sideways in the field.

👉 Play along live in chat

👉 Drop your answers (no Googling… we will know 😄)

👉 See where you actually stack up

If you score:

8/10 = You’re dangerous

10/10 = You’re running the next activation… no excuses

Grab your coffee ☕

Warm up the rig 📻

And let’s see who actually knows their stuff.

#POTA #HamRadio #AmateurRadio #ParksOnTheAir #BrewAndActivate

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 has changed the culture of portable radio. Are operators listening on the bands anymore… or just watching the website?

We explore:

• Why self-spotting became the norm in POTA

• Whether calling CQ without a spot still works

• The rise of “stealth activations”

• How spotting changes pileups

• What this means for hunters and activators

And we ask a dangerous question:

What would happen if the POTA spotting page disappeared for a day?

Grab your coffee, your radio, and jump into the chat — because this one should spark some opinions.

Because great operators don’t just make contacts… they make the hobby better.

*************************************************************

Affiliate Links:

I receive no compensation for these and want to pass on the savings to all my followers.

Mad Dog Coils: Receive an additional clamp when ordering any Mad Dog Coil - Use N1JUR in the order/shipping notes https://maddogcoils.com.au/

Reliance Antennas: 10% off with Free Shipping. All orders of any Reliance Antenna or product use N1JUR at Checkout. https://www.relianceantennas.com/

Seeed Studios: Discount Codes on all Meshtastic Devices on my website n1jur.com

SpoolTenna: https://spooltenna.com

SHOW LINKS:

Discord Brew and Activate - https://discord.gg/EcuySeKkVv

Brew & Activate Podcast - https://rss.com/podcasts/brew-and-activate/

Brew and Activate Merch - https://livefreeandham.com/shop

POTA Bucket List - https://n1jur.com/pota-bucket-list

Guests/Hosts:

Shannon's Channel (KC1OHT) https://www.youtube.com/@shannonkc1oht

Help Support the Channel:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/N1JUR

Buy Me a Beer: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/n1jur

N1JUR & KC1OHT Shop: https://www.livefreeandham.com/shop

Follow me on:

Website: https://n1jur.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1jur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092365884527

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 rise of micro-activations and what they mean for the hobby.

We explore:

• Why short activations are becoming more common

• The impact of digital-only activations

• Whether speed is helping or hurting operating skill

• What hunters actually think about quick activations

• How to balance efficiency with enjoyment

And we ask a tough question:

Are we optimizing POTA… or rushing through it?

Grab your coffee, your radio, and join the conversation — because this one hits close to home for a lot of operators.

*************************************************************

Affiliate Links:

I receive no compensation for these and want to pass on the savings to all my followers.

Mad Dog Coils: Receive an additional clamp when ordering any Mad Dog Coil - Use N1JUR in the order/shipping notes https://maddogcoils.com.au/

Reliance Antennas: 10% off with Free Shipping. All orders of any Reliance Antenna or product use N1JUR at Checkout. https://www.relianceantennas.com/

Seeed Studios: Discount Codes on all Meshtastic Devices on my website n1jur.com

SpoolTenna: https://spooltenna.com

SHOW LINKS:

Discord Brew and Activate - https://discord.gg/EcuySeKkVv

Brew & Activate Podcast - https://rss.com/podcasts/brew-and-activate/

Brew and Activate Merch - https://livefreeandham.com/shop

POTA Bucket List - https://n1jur.com/pota-bucket-list

Guests/Hosts:

Shannon's Channel (KC1OHT) https://www.youtube.com/@shannonkc1oht

Help Support the Channel:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/N1JUR

Buy Me a Beer: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/n1jur

N1JUR & KC1OHT Shop: https://www.livefreeandham.com/shop

Follow me on:

Website: https://n1jur.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1jur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092365884527

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 + Voice vs Voice + Digital

• Antenna isolation and RF considerations

• Battery and power management

• Logging without creating upload nightmares

• The “semantics” — should you even do this?

If you’ve ever thought:

👉 “Could I run two bands at once?”

👉 “Should I?”

👉 “Would hunters hate me?”

This episode is for you.

*************************************************************

Affiliate Links:

I receive no compensation for these and want to pass on the savings to all my followers.

Mad Dog Coils: Receive an additional clamp when ordering any Mad Dog Coil - Use N1JUR in the order/shipping notes https://maddogcoils.com.au/

Reliance Antennas: 10% off with Free Shipping. All orders of any Reliance Antenna or product use N1JUR at Checkout. https://www.relianceantennas.com/

Seeed Studios: Discount Codes on all Meshtastic Devices on my website n1jur.com

SpoolTenna: https://spooltenna.com

SHOW LINKS:

Discord Brew and Activate - https://discord.gg/EcuySeKkVv

Brew & Activate Podcast - https://rss.com/podcasts/brew-and-activate/

Brew and Activate Merch - https://livefreeandham.com/shop

POTA Bucket List - https://n1jur.com/pota-bucket-list

Guests/Hosts:

Shannon's Channel (KC1OHT) https://www.youtube.com/@shannonkc1oht

Help Support the Channel:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/N1JUR

Buy Me a Beer: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/n1jur

N1JUR & KC1OHT Shop: https://www.livefreeandham.com/shop

Follow me on:

Website: https://n1jur.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1jur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092365884527

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 term

In Episode 1, we covered mindset.

In Episode 2, we covered tools and tactics.

Now we’re talking maturity, awareness, and leveling up.

Because the goal isn’t just to break the pileup.

It’s to become the hunter activators want to hear.

If you hunt Parks on the Air, chase activations regularly, or want to improve your operating skill — this episode is for you.

📻 Join the conversation in the comments:

What’s one hunter habit you’re working on improving?

And if you missed the first two episodes in the series, start there and work your way up.

Smart hunters use tools.

Great hunters know when to ignore them.

*************************************************************

Affiliate Links:

I receive no compensation for these and want to pass on the savings to all my followers.

Mad Dog Coils: Receive an additional clamp when ordering any Mad Dog Coil - Use N1JUR in the order/shipping notes https://maddogcoils.com.au/

Reliance Antennas: 10% off with Free Shipping. All orders of any Reliance Antenna or product use N1JUR at Checkout. https://www.relianceantennas.com/

Seeed Studios: Discount Codes on all Meshtastic Devices on my website n1jur.com

SpoolTenna: https://spooltenna.com

SHOW LINKS:

Discord Brew and Activate - https://discord.gg/EcuySeKkVv

Brew & Activate Podcast - https://rss.com/podcasts/brew-and-activate/

Brew and Activate Merch - https://livefreeandham.com/shop

POTA Bucket List - https://n1jur.com/pota-bucket-list

Guests/Hosts:

Shannon's Channel (KC1OHT) https://www.youtube.com/@shannonkc1oht

Help Support the Channel:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/N1JUR

Buy Me a Beer: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/n1jur

N1JUR & KC1OHT Shop: https://www.livefreeandham.com/shop

Follow me on:

Website: https://n1jur.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1jur

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092365884527