WICEN POTA Training Activation
On Sunday, 12 July 2026, members of WICEN WA headed out to Herrison Island in the Swan River, Perth, for a training activation combining emergency communications practice with some POTA (Parks on the Air) fun.
Club members Bob VK6KW, Mark VK6XLZ, Phil VK6DEV and Beau VK6BJR were joined by five other Western Australian amateurs to set up two HF POTA stations for the day. Meanwhile, Mack VK6KN brought along his portable VHF/UHF POTA setup, drawing plenty of attention with an impressive 2m amplifier.
The team arrived on site just after midday and had stations calling CQ across the bands by early afternoon. Conditions stayed kind until around 3:30pm, when a drop in temperature signalled the end of a great day out in the park.
The Results
Phil VK6DEV had a strong day on 40m, logging 23 contacts with stations from all around the state. Mack VK6KN wrapped up with about 13 contacts spread across 2m and 70cm, plus a nice bonus contact on 6m.
Learning on the Day
True to the training spirit of the activation, part of the group spent time working to get an additional station on air using an Icom IC-705 paired with a variety of improvised antennas. While that particular station didn’t manage to log a contact, the exercise was far from wasted — plenty of knowledge and hands-on experience was exchanged between operators, which is exactly what these training days are for.
Wrapping Up
Days like this are a great reminder of why WICEN WA training activations are so valuable — combining real-world HF and VHF/UHF operating experience with the kind of problem-solving and troubleshooting that matters when it counts. Thanks to everyone who came along and made it a successful (and social) day on Herrison Island.
73 from WICEN WA
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If you’re interested in supporting community events like this and developing your emergency communications skills, we’d love to have you join WICEN WA!