POTA from St. Kitts

Hey folks,

Back in April 2025 I worked V47JA and learned about a fantastic opportunity to visit St. Kitts & Nevis. My XYL and I had stopped there on a cruise years ago and loved it, so the chance to really explore this beautiful tropical island — with nice accommodations and a ham radio along for the ride — was an easy yes. I highly recommend reaching out to John at W5JON if you’re thinking about a trip like this. (Here, take my money!)

To shorten a long story, I wasn’t able to get my license sorted before we left home. My application and fee had already been delivered and signed for, so right after picking up the rental car I headed straight to the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) office. You can find them here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/KnuUHpd8Dyh9rmnt7 or call +1 869-466-8997. I met the right gentleman, and in short order he handed me both a paper copy and a PDF of my new call sign: V4/W4IO. If you’re planning a similar trip, feel free to contact me for more details.

We spent a full week on the island, and I’ll write up a separate post soon sharing our adventures, great places to eat, relaxing beaches, and all the wildlife encounters (mongoose, monkeys, and wild donkeys included!).

For radio, I brought my Icom IC-705 and the Chelegance JPC-12 vertical I’d used on Statia. John also has a great radio available at his rental house — I connected my rig to his 40-foot vertical and worked all sorts of new countries I’d never logged before. For POTA I stuck with the JPC-12, though I’ve since learned it really benefits from a much better radial setup.

First Activation: Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park (KN-0003)

Our first POTA stop was the impressive Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park (KN-0003) — a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s absolutely worth the $15 per car admission. Keep an eye out for African Green Vervet monkeys on the drive up or down; they’re a common sight!

Regarding permission to operate (especially at a UNESCO site), it’s a good idea to contact them ahead of time or check with staff on arrival. In my case, I explained what I wanted to do once on site and was told to enjoy myself. I set up in a grassy area on the upper fortress right next to a cannon — pretty much the perfect POTA operating position. When rain moved in, I had to relocate the rig and laptop inside the fortress walls. Luckily the coax was long enough to reach shelter, and I finished the activation from there.

I logged 17 QSOs on 15 meters FT8. Definitely put this historic fortress on your bucket list — the views and cannons alone make it special!

Park info: https://brimstonehillfortress.org/

Second Activation: The Royal Basseterre Valley National Park (KN-0002)

The next day (June 6) I activated KN-0002 The Royal Basseterre Valley National Park and added 12 more QSOs to the log, also on 15M. Much of this park is a large open green space, but one area is more noteworthy - National Hero Park. It seemed closed, so I setup in the parking lot and made some QSO before packing it back up, with a beautiful beach on my mind! As I was packing it up, I noticed a park worker leaving for lunch, I had no idea that anyone was there, and the place appeared to be closed. I got the activation, but I definitely want to stop by and spend more time in the National Hero's Park.

Both activations were a lot of fun and a great way to kick off licensed operation from St. Kitts. Operating portable in the Caribbean definitely comes with its challenges (heat, rain, and antenna setups), but the experiences more than made up for it.

If you ever get the chance to visit St. Kitts, I highly recommend it. Between the history, friendly people, wildlife, and radio opportunities, it was a trip we won’t soon forget.

73, Rick / W4IO (V4/W4IO)