POTA Local Parks Progress

POTA Local Parks Progress is a simple Python script that queries the Parks on the Air API to find your closest parks, prints them in a list starting from the closest, and includes the status of whether you have activated them yet or not. The output looks like this:

It also generates a KML file that you can view in Google Earth:

What?

Parks on the Air is an Amateur Radio activity where radio operators set up portable stations in country parks, nature reserves, etc. to enjoy the great outdoors alongside their hobby.

There is a set list of parks world-wide which count for the program, which is regularly updated to include new locations by a team of volunteers.

"Activating" a park consists of going there, setting up a portable radio station, and making at least 10 contacts with other radio stations around the world, following the POTA Rules.

This software helps POTA activators keep track of their progress through their local parks, find the closest park they haven't activated yet, etc.

Usage

There are multiple ways to install Python scripts, but it will work fine wherever you use Python and however you like to manage it. See the pipx and virtual environment examples below for two examples.

pipx

pipx is a tool to help you install and run end-user applications written in Python. It creates an isolated environment for each application and its associated packages and makes the apps available in your shell.

A complete example for Debian & derivatives such as Ubuntu is shown below:

sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv pipx
git clone https://git.ianrenton.com/ian/pota-local-progress.git
cd pota-local-progress
pipx install .
pota-local-progress <num_parks> <callsign> [ <grid> | <lat> <lon> ]

If pipx install warns you about your path and running pipx ensurepath, do that before running the application.

Virtual Environment

If you don't want to use pipx, using venv and pip is a well accepted alternative, and should be used in preference to installing packages system-wide.

A complete example for Debian & derivatives such as Ubuntu is shown below:

sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv
git clone https://git.ianrenton.com/ian/pota-local-progress.git
cd pota-local-progress
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install .
pota-local-progress <num_parks> <callsign> [ <grid> | <lat> <lon> ]
deactivate

General Execution

To run the script:

pota-local-progress <num_parks> <callsign> <grid>

or:

pota-local-progress <num_parks> <callsign> <lat> <lon>

You will need to set the three or four command-line arguments appropriately for your query, as follows:

• num_parks tells the script to consider this number of parks closest to you.
• callsign is your amateur radio callsign, with which the script will look up your stats using the POTA API.
• grid is your Maidenhead Grid location
• Alternatively, you can supply a more accurate lat and lon in decimal degrees.

So I might for example run:

pota-local-progress 10 M0TRT IO90br

or:

pota-local-progress 20 M0TRT 50.71407 -1.87479

The output will be written to the terminal window. The script will also create pota-local-progress.kml for you to view in e.g. Google Earth.

Warning

Always do your own research to find out if it is possible and legal to activate a park, regardless of whether it appears within this software or on the POTA website, and abide by the POTA rules.

This software makes a number of queries to the "public but unofficial" POTA API. It caches the result for one day, to avoid overloading the servers with repeated requests. Please do not abuse the API by hammering it with an undue number of requests.