Florida QSO Party from the Everglades | N3QE, Tina & POTA

Tim Shoppa N3QE is a seasoned contester chasing a different kind of edge, packing a competitive station into a carry-on and heading deep into the Everglades for a Parks on the Air activation during the Florida QSO Party. What began last year as a spur-of-the-moment detour, rebooking a flight, grabbing a painter’s pole at Home Depot, and improvising an inverted V in a remote campsite, turned into one of his most memorable operating experiences. The combination of low noise, strong high-band propagation, and POTA spotting created a surge in contacts and a new appreciation for portable contesting. This year, he returns with intention: a refined setup, a 3-element inverted V Yagi, and a 3D-printed center insulator designed to make band changes less painful in the field. Shoppa’s approach reflects how naturally contesting and Parks on the Air can complement each other in practice. POTA operators bring enthusiasm, real-time spotting, and a welcoming on-ramp to activity, while contesters contribute pacing, structure, and operating discipline. His activation sits right at that overlap, where a casual hunter might stumble onto a contest station and both walk away with a contact that counts. And then there’s “Tina,” his AI-generated contest voice, returning for 2026, eliminating the need for a microphone entirely while pushing the boundaries of how operators interact on phone. There’s also something refreshingly human underneath the technical ambition: a contester from suburban Maryland adapting to life dozens of miles from the nearest power line, relying on a rental car battery, and learning that success sometimes means fewer backups and more trust in your system. His goal isn’t perfection, it’s progress. Better than last year. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Special thanks to DX Engineering for continuing to support operators wherever they set up, from remote parks to competitive stations around the world. Your commitment to POTA activators, DXers, and contesters keeps the hobby moving forward.