I am a passionate POTA activator. In my 200+ POTA activation’s, I have always logged contacts on paper.
I like paper logging because I can write down multiple call signs in a pileup very quickly. This allows me to move from hunter to hunter very efficiently. Paper logging is fast.
The drawback? When I return home I have to key in the contacts from the paper log. This is not much of a problem when you do a “Hit-N-Run” with a dozen contacts, but it is very painful when you have long-running activation’s with more than a hundred contacts.
I never use a standard radio microphone on my FT-891 POTA rig. Instead, I use a Heil single earpiece headset and a Heil HS-2 Hand Switch with a shortened cable. This allows me to hear signals better, and still hear surrounding sounds in the park. The hand switch really works great.
The big reason I do not use a computer logger is because one of my hands is required to key the mic. I am a pretty lousy typist, and doing the hand dance between a computer keyboard and the hand mic is very inefficient.
In fact, when I watch POTA YouTuber’s do the mic/keyboard wrestle it make me laugh.
Since I am always in pursuit of doing things better, I pondered the idea of using a mic foot switch to free my hands to do computer logging.
I came across a simple temporary switch idea used by musicians, mainly guitar players. They place small switches on the floor and press them with their feet to create special effects like distortion. Brilliant.
I created a similar foot switch to key my radio mic. It consists of a 3D printed case, a rugged temporary switch, a piece of wire, and a phone plug that works with the Heil headset. Costs less than $20.
Here are the parts:
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- Momentary soft-touch foot switch $7.99
- 1/4″ solder type audio connector $5.99 (Adjust for your radio/headset)
- RJ-11 line cord $7.99 (Probably have this lying around. Length 8′)
- 3D printed case
I printed the case in black PETG on my Prusa 3D printer. I then painted it with some orange Rustoleum rattle can paint I had in the shop. I used the red/green wires from the RJ-11 wire to connect to the switch and 1/4″ plug.
I placed a rubber grommet in the wire hole of the case, slid the wire through the grommet and soldered it to the switch. I then sealed the wire entrance and the bottom plate with silicone before screwing it in place. This helps keep dirt and moisture out of the case. The switch is compact enough to fit in my field backpack.
I tested the switch this week when I activated US-3426 (Doheny State Park). I used my favorite POTA logger (SmartLogger) to log contacts in real-time.
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- The switch performed great. Just the right size and it does not tip over
- The 8′ cord was the perfect length to keep it out of the way
- Having both hand free is a game-changer
- SmartLogger makes it super easy to log contacts
– Call-sign lookups, simple P2P logging, time-stamping
I logged 121 contacts with SmartLogger. I waited until I got home to submit the log to the POTA website, but I could have done it right at the park.
Looks like I am now a convert to POTA computer logging.
POTA On!
73,
N1SPW