POTA BBQ at Assiniboine Park

We’re heading outside this summer! Join the Radio Amateurs of Manitoba for a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation paired with a club BBQ at Assiniboine Park. Whether you’re chasing parks, operating HF, or just coming out for a burger, there’s something for everyone — and bring your family!

Event Details

📅 Date: Sunday, June 8, 2026
🕖 Time: 6:00 PM CDT (1800 local / 2300 UTC)
📍 Location: Picnic Site 19, Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg
👨‍👩‍👧 Family: All are welcome!

Food & Drinks

We’ll be firing up the grill with:

• Burgers
• Hot dogs
• Salads
• Drinks

Full details to be finalized — stay tuned for updates.

RSVP link coming shortly! We’ll be sharing a sign-up link so we can gauge attendance and make sure we have enough food for everyone. Keep an eye on the website and the nets.

Finding Us — Picnic Site 19

Use the map below to find Picnic Site 19. The site is circled for easy reference.

Parks on the Air Activation

Assiniboine Park (CA-1048) is a valid POTA location, and we’re making the most of it! The club will be supporting two HF stations operating on different bands, both activating under the club callsign VE4BB.

We also encourage members to bring their handhelds, tripods, and roll-up J-Poles — and this is where it gets really interesting for credits (see below)!

How Logging Works for Club Activations

Just like Field Day, the club callsign VE4BB is used over the air and recorded in the STATION_CALLSIGN field. The individual making the contact logs their own callsign in the OPERATOR field. Once uploaded to the VE4BB account, POTA awards credit to both the club callsign and the individual operator’s callsign. That means if you sit down at one of the HF stations as the control operator, your 10 contacts count toward activating Assiniboine Park for you personally — not just for VE4BB!

Note that the two club HF stations cannot work each other for contact credit, as POTA prevents a callsign from working itself.

The Handheld Angle — Your Own Mini Activation

Here’s where it gets even better for those bringing handhelds. If you operate under your personal callsign rather than VE4BB, you are essentially running your own mini-activation alongside the club’s. Make contacts with the club stations (or other members on simplex), submit your own separate log, and you can earn your own QSO, Park-to-Park, and activation credits for CA-1048!

If you want to understand the rules a bit more, you can read them over here.

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We look forward to seeing you out there. 73, Radio Amateurs of Manitoba