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Ham Radio Holiday Gift Guide 2026 Part 2–POTA Presents: Transceivers, Batteries, Books & More

November 11, 2026

There are legions of ham radio operators who feel Parks on the Air® (POTA) has been a true gift to the amateur radio community. If you’d like to introduce a fellow ham to the magic of activating parks, the holidays are a perfect time to extend to them the gift of POTA. We promise, they’ll be happy you did!

We’ve highlighted below a few of the POTA-, SOTA-, and IOTA-friendly products you’ll find at DXEngineering.com. As a disclaimer, please note that we’ve barely scratched the ionosphere of all the portable operating gear available at DX Engineering. A quick search on “portable” will introduce you to hundreds of options: transceivers, wire and vertical antennas, masts, equipment cases, mast trailer hitch mounts, HF QRP bandpass filters, reference books, and much more in a range of prices.

Not sure what gifts to choose for the hams in your life? A DX Engineering Gift Card in denominations from $25 to $500 is a guaranteed winner.

DX Engineering Gift Card
(Image/DX Engineering)

Look the Part

For operators who want to display their love of portable ops while looking good and feeling comfortable in the process, here’s the ideal gift: a DX Engineering GO Portable Polo Shirt. Designed in a sleek light sterling gray with DX Engineering and GO Portable logos, these polos feature a subtle mini grid texture that elevates everyday wear with a polished, modern look. Crafted from lightweight 4.6-ounce 100% polyester jacquard, they offer moisture-wicking, odor-fighting, stain-release, and snag-resistant properties that keep you looking sharp and feeling great all day long. Available in men’s small to 5X large.

DX Engineering Portable Polo Shirt
(Image/DX Engineering)

The Gift of Knowledge

DX Engineering carries many reference books for fans of outdoor operating. ARRL’s “The Parks on the Air Book” gives you a look at the setups and processes of 14 operators from a variety of skill levels and backgrounds, offering advice and motivation for taking your radio out to a park.

Parks on the Air Book
(Image/ARRL)

Salty Walt’s Portable Antenna Sketchbook

Salty Walt’s Next Level Portable Antenna Sketchbook

These two popular books from Walt Hudson, K4OGO (Salty Walt of the “Coastal Waves & Wires” YouTube channel), will give your gift recipients hours of fun building and experimenting with a nice variety of proven antennas. Walt’s books feature hand-drawn antenna designs and plenty of operating wisdom for those who are passionate about making QSOs in the great outdoors.

Salty Walt Antenna Sketchbook
(Image/ARRL)
Salty Walt Next Level Antenna Book
(Image/ARRL)

Transceivers

Have you been a really good operator this year? We thought so! Why not reward yourself with an upgraded transceiver that’s perfect for your portable adventures. Feeling generous? Maybe there’s a ham on your list who could benefit from a brand-new rig with more bells and whistles. Here are a few available at DX Engineering:

Yaesu FT-891 HF/50 MHz All Mode Mobile Transceiver

Yaesu FT891
“I’ve had this radio for about a year. It’s coupled together with a MAT-30 Tuner. When it comes to portability, operating POTA or SOTA, it’s the perfect radio because it is small and doesn’t draw much power…It’s great for portable. You won’t be disappointed.” – Ed, DX Engineering Customer (Image/Yaesu)

Icom IC-705 HF/50/144/430 MHz All Mode Portable Transceiver

Icom IC705
“I recently got into QRP. This radio is absolutely incredible. The receive on it blows my mind…I get out into POTA about three times a week, and I have no issues making contacts with this radio on 5 and 10 watts to include DX. I do not miss 100 watts at all. I come home very satisfied after doing QRP POTA…I cannot imagine a radio of this type being much better than this.” – Scott, DX Engineering Customer (Image/Icom)

Yaesu FT-710-FIELD HF/50 MHz Base/Portable Transceiver

Yaesu FT710-FIELD
“I can’t give this rig enough praise. I have one at home and this one for POTA. Absolutely love this rig. Hands down the best value for the money in my opinion in every way. Super simple to set up and operate in the field no matter what mode of operation you choose.” – James, DX Engineering Customer (Image/Yaesu)

Icom IC-7300 HF Plus 50 MHz Transceiver

Icom IC7300
“I have owned quite a number of transceivers during my 46 years at this wonderful hobby and have to say this rig is a blast. Primarily I use it in the field for POTA operations or just a day away from the home QTH. Very easy to use, great audio, 100 watts all day, and numerous features packed into this compact rig.” – James, DX Engineering (Image/Icom)

Also check out the Icom IC-7300MK2—an enhanced version of the IC-7300—featuring improved Reciprocal Mixing Dynamic Range (RMDR), built-in CW decoding, and RX antenna IN/OUT connectors for external filters or preamps.

See all the base, mobile, and handheld transceivers available at DX Engineering.

Power, Power, Power

Bioenno Power LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) Batteries

Bioenno Battery
Bioenno Power BLF-1220A 12VDC, 20Ah, 40A max discharge, 480W max power LiFePO4 battery (Image/Bioenno Power)

 “Great for POTA. With my FT-891, I can get about 6-7 hours of continuous POTA use out of this (BLF-1220A), mostly doing 100W SSB with some occasional FT8. Battery provides the necessary amps with no trouble. Recharges in a few hours with the Bioenno charger. The Anderson Powerpole® connectors make it a snap to use out of the box with my radio and power meter. Couldn’t ask for better.”

Jeffrey, DX Engineering Customer

Find many more Bioenno Power LiFePO4 batteries, battery and charger combos, foldable solar panels, solar charge controllers, and solar panel/battery/and charge controller packages at DX Engineering.

12 V Power, Inc. Portable 12 Volt Power Boxes

12V Power Box
Enjoy compact, grab-and-go power with these portable power boxes. Measuring 10.75″ x 9″ x 4.5″, they feature a 20Ah or 30Ah LifePO4 battery (depending on the version) and provide 30 amps of continuous power via the cigar plug socket (15A), a pair of Powerpoles®, and 3 USB ports (two USB-C rated at 30 watts and a USB-A port rated at 18 watts). They include a 4A charger for fast, safe recharging. (Image/12 Volt Power)

Armor for Your Transceiver

Armoloq’s Tactical Protective Armor (TPA) makes a great choice to safeguard your transceiver investment. They feature a rugged, two-piece frame made from CNC laser-cut 1/8-inch 5052 aluminum, which securely mounts to the radio’s chassis. Finished with a matte black powdercoat, the TPA offers a wraparound design that shields both the radio body and control head while maintaining full access to controls and ports. Read more about Armoloq and its products in this OnAllBands article.

Armoloq TPAs are available at DX Engineering for popular rigs from Alinco, AnyTone, Icom, and Yaesu.

Armoloq Radio Case
Front view of the Armoloq cage fitted on the Icom IC-705. (Image/Armoloq)

Also choose from a nice selection of enclosures at DX Engineering:

NANUK Plus Analyzer
This combo includes a NANUK case in your choice of color and a RigExpert MATCH Antenna Analyzer. (Image/DX Engineering)

Stay tuned! Next week OnAllBands will be covering portable antennas, telescopic masts, solar panels, and more in Part 3 of our 2026 Ham Radio Holiday Gift Guide.

The post Ham Radio Holiday Gift Guide 2026 Part 2–POTA Presents: Transceivers, Batteries, Books & More appeared first on OnAllBands.

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