Build a Complete POTA Station for Under $500

Build a Complete POTA Station for Under $500

Every week I see the same question in ham radio forums: "I just got my General — how much do I need to spend to do POTA?" The answers usually involve $2,000 Icom rigs and name-brand everything. But here's the thing — I've done dozens of activations with a setup that cost me less than $500 total, and I've had pile-ups on 20 meters just like the guys running a thousand watts from their trucks.

If you're looking to get on the air from a park without emptying your savings account, here's exactly what I run and what it costs.

The Radio: Xiegu G90 (~$450)

Yes, this eats most of the budget. But hear me out — the G90 gives you 20 watts on HF, a built-in antenna tuner, and a detachable head for flexible mounting. At around $450 new, it's the cheapest HF rig I'd actually recommend for someone who wants to do more than QRP. The built-in tuner alone saves you $100-150 on an external one.

If $450 is still steep, watch the used market. QRP rigs like the (tr)uSDX pop up for under $100, and the Xiegu X6100 hits the used market around $350 now. But for a first POTA rig that covers all the bases without a bunch of accessories, the G90 is hard to beat.

The Antenna: Homebrew EFHW (~$30)

This is where budget operators win big. An End Fed Half Wave antenna covers 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters — the bread-and-butter POTA bands — and you can build one for about $30 in parts. You need a 49:1 transformer (about $15-20 on Amazon or eBay), 66 feet of wire, and a few connectors. There are dozens of YouTube tutorials that walk you through it in an afternoon.

If you'd rather buy than build, the Reel POTA-ble EFHW runs about $80 and comes ready to deploy. But honestly, the homebrew version works just as well. I built mine with wire from Home Depot and a toroid I wound myself — it's survived two years of being stuffed in a backpack.

A simple dipole is even cheaper. Two lengths of wire, a center insulator, and some paracord to hoist it into a tree. Total cost: maybe $15. The tradeoff is you're stuck on one band unless you bring a tuner, which the G90 handles anyway.

The Power: LiFePO4 Battery (~$55)

Forget lead-acid. A 12V LiFePO4 battery is lighter, charges faster, and lasts way longer per cycle. A 16Ah unit runs about $55 on Amazon and will power a G90 at 20 watts for an entire afternoon of activating — easily 4-5 hours of operating with plenty to spare. I've never drained mine in a single activation.

The premium option is a Bioenno at around $150, but for getting started, the budget LiFePO4 packs from brands like TalentCell or EcoWorthy work fine. Just make sure it's actually LiFePO4 (3.2V cells) and not a lithium-ion pack — the chemistry matters for safety and longevity.

The Accessories: Mast, Coax, and Odds and Ends (~$40)

You'll need a few more things to tie it all together:

  • Coax cable: A 25-foot run of RG-174 with BNC or SO-239 connectors. Light, cheap, and good enough for mid-power at HF. About $12-15.
  • Mast or throw line: A collapsible fiberglass crappie pole ($15-20 at Walmart) makes a great portable mast. Or just bring a throw bag and some paracord to get your wire into a tree for free.
  • Anderson Powerpoles or barrel connectors: Whatever your battery-to-radio connection needs. A few bucks.
  • A folding camp table or clipboard: You probably already own something that works.

The Logging: Free (Yes, Really)

Here's where a lot of budget guides just say "use a paper log." And sure, paper works. But then you get home and have to manually type everything into an ADIF file, format it for the POTA upload, and hope you didn't misread your own handwriting for that DX station's callsign.

I switched to Hamtrax last year and it changed my whole post-activation workflow. It runs in the browser on my phone — no app to install — and it automatically creates separate folders for each activation. When I'm done, the ADIF export is ready to go. No transcription, no reformatting, no "wait, was that a 7 or a 1?"

HAMRS is another solid free option for basic field logging, and Ham2K (PoLo) does nice things with GPS-based park detection. But Hamtrax is what I've stuck with because it handles the whole picture — POTA logs, DXCC tracking, QSL management — not just the in-field piece. And it's free, which matters when you're building a budget station.

The Total

Let's add it up:

  • Xiegu G90: ~$450
  • Homebrew EFHW antenna: ~$30
  • 16Ah LiFePO4 battery: ~$55
  • Coax, connectors, throw line: ~$40
  • Logging software: $0

Total: roughly $475-$500.

That gets you a complete, field-ready HF station that covers 160 through 10 meters with a built-in tuner, enough battery for a full afternoon, and a logging workflow that doesn't require a laptop.

Where to Cut Costs Even Further

If $500 is still too much, here are real ways to get lower:

  • Buy used. The ham radio resale market is massive. A used Yaesu FT-818 or Xiegu G90 can save you $100-150. Check QRZ Swapmeet, ham radio Facebook groups, and local club swaps.
  • Go QRP. A (tr)uSDX or QDX at 5 watts can be had for under $100. You'll work harder for contacts, but it's doable — especially on FT8/FT4 or during good band conditions.
  • Use what you have. Already own an HT? Some 2-meter POTA activations happen on FM repeaters and simplex. It's not HF, but it counts.

Just Get Out There

The biggest lie in ham radio is that you need expensive gear to have fun. Some of my best activations have been with a wire in a tree, a battery on the ground, and a $450 radio on a picnic table. The bands don't care what brand your coax is.

If you've been waiting to try POTA until you can afford "the right setup" — stop waiting. Build the budget station, pick a park, and get on the air. You'll upgrade later because you want to, not because you need to.

If you want a free way to manage your logs across activations, Hamtrax runs in your phone's browser and handles POTA folders automatically.

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