This past week, I’ve been revisiting my shack, paring down, and reorganizing. By that, I mean separating the wheat from the chaff and reevaluating my grab-and-go radios and accessories.
Before Hurricane Helene (a moment in time I seem to use to benchmark events now), I picked up a few IKEA shelf organizers and was quite pleased with how neatly they displayed my gear. Over time, though, the shelves became a bit cluttered, so it was time to give them some care and attention.
While sorting through gear, I stumbled upon a small ditty bag holding my trusty portable ATU: the Elecraft T1.
I held it in my hand and tried to recall the last time I’d actually used it in the field. Maybe during this activation in July 2023? If I’ve used it since then, I can’t remember when.
A Shift in How I Pack
That moment made me realize I’d gradually changed how I pack for field outings without even noticing.
My brand new Icom IC-705 paired with the T1 during an October 2020 POTA activation.
In my early days of POTA—2019 and 2020—I relied heavily on the Elecraft T1 and antenna tuners in general. I loved the flexibility they provided when paired with a random wire antenna.
Even now, I often carry an ATU as a form of first aid for antenna malfunctions. While rare, these issues do happen. In the past five years, an ATU has saved me twice—once with a broken Trail-Friendly EFT antenna and once with a Tactical Delta Loop mishap.
For mission-critical activations, such as remote or rare POTA sites, or during multi-week family road trips, I always pack an ATU. It’s a safety net.
Lessons Learned Over Time
With countless activations under my belt, I’ve learned a few things about myself and my gear:
1. Better Antenna Deployment
I’ve become more skilled at setting up antennas. I now avoid snag-prone trees and branches and have additional supports when nature doesn’t cooperate.
2. Easier Activations Thanks to More Hunters
The POTA hunter community has grown exponentially since the early days. Back then, frequency agility was critical because working the same hunter across multiple bands was sometimes the only way to log ten contacts. It wasn’t unusual for hunters and activators to coordinate activation times and frequencies in advance to increase the chances of logging each other. Continue reading A Subtle Shift in My Field Gear: Rethinking the external ATU→
My wife and I head to Northern Michigan over the New Year’s holiday almost every year. It’s a nice way to wrap up the year and the busy holiday season. Most of our friends and family obligations are met, and we can spend time unwinding and exploring the wonderful things that Michigan has to offer.
This year was no exception. We found a nice place to stay in Frankfort, Michigan. Several breweries, eateries, coffee houses, hiking trails, miles of shoreline, and a local bookstore made this an ideal location for a few days with nothing pressing to accomplish.
Being a ham, I always take a peek around to see what POTA and SOTA entities may be nearby wherever we end up staying. I was in luck, there was a SOTA within a POTA just north of where we were staying. Along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (US-0767) is Empire Bluffs sand dunes (W8M/LP-019). This was too much to resist.
Sleeping Bear Dune National Lakeshore
As the plans firmed up around our timeline and bookings, my mind began to imagine the activation. I am well versed in POTA activations and have many tricks to overcome beaches, snow, lack of picnic tables, lack of trees, and many other things that can come my way. My mind began to question if I had the right gear to make this happen and I began to plan for a setup that could be deployed and operated in harsh conditions with little assistance from the environment around me.
I have learned from my previous experiences on the sand dunes of the Great Lakes that conditions can be challenging. I knew I would more than likely face snow on the ground, new snow in the air, wind, cold temps, sand, narrow dune peaks, local vegetation, and the challenge to hike all of my gear to the spot. Now it was time to take what I had and turn it into the SOTA/POTA setup that could get the job done.
The antenna would be the GabilGRA-7350[QRPer.com affiliate link] with three 13’ radials deployed out as far as I could get them. Gabil recommends setting the antenna to the general resonance area marked on the coil and using a wide range tuner to finish the job. I have found this to be true, especially analyzing the antenna on the soil in my backyard where I can get a 1:1 SWR match versus the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan.
Gabil GRA-7350, spare whip, and three 13′ counterpoises attached via 2mm banana plugs
I chose the CFT1 as my radio. It covers the bands that I would more than likely operate and with the Tufteln face cover it weighs around 8 oz.
20 meters being the primary band because with the wind and cold, I knew speed would be paramount. For the tuner and battery, I chose the mAT-10 ATU and the Talentcell 3000 mA Li-Ion[QRPer.com affiliate link]. Finally, the N0SA M7 iambic paddle.
CFT1, mAT-10 tuner, Talentcell battery, N0SA M7, Rite in the Rain book and pencil
To bring this kit together in a way that I could operate standing up, I needed some kind of bag or pouch to wear that would allow access to the tune button on the tuner, the volume and VFO on the radio, ability to log, and key without having to hold on to the paddle. As a fly fisherman I thought about a sling pack or a chest pack, but neither would work with any of my backpacks I planned to haul the antenna.
My friend Erik (WS3D) recommended a waist pack. At first glance I wasn’t sure this could meet my needs. Off to the local shopping center I went to see if I could find some options that could accommodate my SOTA kit. After going into five different stores that had some forms of waist packs, my local athletics sporting goods store had one that I thought might work with some minor modifications.
It was small, which meant it could easily fit into the backpack I planned to use. Once I got home, I was able to stuff each component into one of the several pockets provided on the pack. The question remained: how do I key without holding the paddle?
Following the tip provided by N0SA who designed and made the M7, Velcro attached to the bottom of the key would allow adhesion to the pack. I was able to purchase some of the “loop” material from JoAnn and got to work with my sewing machine. A small 2”x3” portion on the right side of the pack would allow for right hand keying while I kept the logger in my left hand. Keeping my right hand free to operate the message functions, volume, and VFO of the radio if needed.
Outdoor Gear fanny pack with sewn on hook and loop patch
As always there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things! ?
by Vince (VE6LK)
Ahhhh, the midwinter get-a-way. Everyone does it a bit differently, but for most of us, when you have only a few days and a couple of nights you don’t venture too far from home. And that’s how I landed in Jasper, Alberta, to stay for a couple of nights and sample the very awesome local restaurants, and of course to do some Parks On The Air.
I was accompanied by my wife and Wrangler, our Shiba Inu, for this trip and thus my activations needed to be family-friendly (ie. short!) and in scenic locations. They had to be parks I’d never done before and, at this time of year, be done from the comfort of my truck. But most importantly they needed to fit in among the restauranting we wanted to do.
The Athabasca Glacier is the most public of all the glaciers in the Columbia IcefieldNorth of the Columbia Icefield looking south. Columbia Icefields Skywalk is on the leftLooking north from the same spot as the photo immediately above
Jasper was the subject of an insane wildfire last Summer. 40% of the town’s structures and homes were destroyed overnight. This town runs on tourism and we were welcomed with open arms for our mid-week trip. Sadly, everyone has a story of loss in one way or another. I’ve been to Jasper several times before before, but the losses I saw – blocks-wide swaths of homes – caught me off guard emotionally. I took no photos out of respect to those that have lost everything; if you are really curious you can search for them via news sources. The landscape is changed, for now, as you can see through the trees and see the valleys around you due to the denuded or fallen timbers.
On Thursday morning my HamAlert went off as K4SWL was out at Pisgah National Forest, so I jumped into the truck for a quick P2P sortie and drove to the edge of town where electrical noise would be less. Upon my arrival my trusty screwdriver antenna would not move and, with my plan to contact Thomas scuttled, I headed back to the hotel.
Tools laid out and ready to go on the bed in the hotelA completed field repair
Fortunately I had packed an iFixit brand Pro Tech toolkit with me, and, along with my Leatherman ES4 and Victorinox knife -and a Breathe-Right strip in place of electrical tape- I was able to repair the motor drive wire where a previous repair had vibrated apart over the 15 years I’ve owned the antenna. That successful repair set me up well for my activations for the rest of the day.
And, yes, I did a proper repair along with a bit of preventative maintenance shortly after I returned home.
Yellowhead Pass National Historic Site
Once the repair was complete, I headed out to the Yellowhead Pass National Historic Site about 28km west of Jasper. The site is pretty much a roadside pull-out at the Alberta/British Columbia border and is adorned with historical plaques. Truck traffic was rumbling by not too far away from me so the local QRM proved to be a challenge. This park is a 2fer, and I had planned on turning around and going back to town until I saw a sign just 100 yards ahead advertising Mount Robson Provincial Park – and this is another POTA entity. Beside that sign was one advertising a truck pull-out 250 yards up the road… so a quick plan was hatched to add Mt. Robson to my day’s activities.
I completed both of those activations without too much difficulty on 10, 15 and 20m CW and packed up to head back to town to get a bite of lunch at the De’d Dog Bar and Grill as it had been recommended to us. Suffice it to say that I could not finish the bowl of bison chili and I want to eat again there on a future trip.
Maligne Mountain reflecting off the still water of Maligne Lake
With our bellies full, we headed towards our final stop of the day, the Maligne Lake Chalet and Guest House National Historic Site. It’s a 45km trip through some stunning scenery along the valley floor, and climbs 500m in only the last few kilometres of the road.
For this activation I was on 20m CW and then 20m SSB. The noise floor was zero, save for when I needed to run the engine to stay warm in the -8C weather. My wife took Wrangler out for a walk thus I had time to accrue 30 contacts. But it was late in the day and we couldn’t stay forever as the sun sets fast in the mountains -so it seems anyways- and we headed back to town.
A member of the local welcoming committee greets us on the road at Medicine Lake while some other members are seen grazing on the flats in the distance (at left, centre)Looking northward beside Medicine Lake. The fire damage is evident on the right-hand side of the valley and is about 10km north of the Jasper townsite.
We were reminded of the power of nature with the burned out forests that suddenly greeted us as we moved closer to town. It also reminds me that wildfires don’t discriminate and sometimes level one area and leave another, immediately adjacent, untouched. As we all do, I hope I never face that adversity.
What I’ve learned along the way
I was reminded of not only the awesome power of nature, but of the need to maintain our equipment. In this climate, a screwdriver antenna should be torn down and inspected at least annually, and I had not done this for a few years. I mean, after all, it has been working so why bother, right? Wrong – like all bits of our kit, maintenance is essential to trouble-free operations when you need it. I’m thankful I had a small toolkit along on this trip or there would have been activations on only 10m – the band the antenna was locked upon pre-repair.
First introduced to the magic of radio by a family member in 1969, Vince has been active in the hobby since 2002. He is an Accredited examiner in Canada and the USA, operates on almost all of the modes, and is continually working on making his CW proficiency suck less. He participates in public service events around Western Canada and is active on the air while glamping, mobile, at home or doing a POTA activation. You can hear him on the Ham Radio Workbench podcast, follow him on Twitter @VE6LK, check out his YouTube channel, and view the projects and articles on his website.
Last week, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, I finally broke a three-week no-POTA activation streak with a short trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway Folk Art Center.
Catching Up on POTA
Over the holidays, I’ve been doing plenty of POTA hunting from the QTH (you’ll see some reports and videos surface over time), but I hadn’t ventured out to a park for an activation. The holiday season kept me busy with family visits, birthdays, and home projects—most of which are ongoing, thanks to Hurricane Helene. Despite all of that, I found a lot of joy in portable POTA hunting from home.
Still, activating is in my blood. So when I found an opening on Tuesday, I seized the opportunity!
Back to the Folk Art Center
Now that the bridge on Highway 70 has been repaired, the Folk Art Center is once again my go-to spot for quick POTA activations. What was a frustrating 15–20-minute detour is now a simple two-minute hop—an improvement I deeply appreciate.
I pulled into the Folk Art Center parking lot around 1:00 PM. Unsurprisingly, the lot was empty—it was a brisk 28°F (-2°C), hardly picnic weather. Then again, POTA always warms me up!
Audrey
For this activation, I brought along my trusty Elecraft KX1 (affectionately named Audrey) and paired her with my Tufteln 9:1 End-Fed Random-Wire antenna.
It had been a while since Audrey had been out in the field, and I was excited to put her back on the air.
Frankly, post-hurricane projects have disrupted my POTA activation routine, and I’ve missed all outings like these.
Gear
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Many thanks to Pedro (PP2PB), who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page.
Pedro’s (tr)uSDX Compact and Affordable Field Kit
by Pedro (PP2PB)
Here’s my new kit.
This kit weighs just under 1,2kg and has phone and CW operations in mind. I might add some cables for digital modes, but I haven’t tested this rig with digital modes, just yet.
The (tr)uSDX was bought assembled with the LO bands RF board, and I assembled the HI RF board myself. I got Adam’s alternative case printed out for easy band switching and did a minor mod to the RF boards soldering a Zener diode reverse polarized as a high SWR protection.
I also added a USB port to the battery pack because the (tr)uSDX can operate with around 0,5W directly from USB and that’s a great way to test for SWR and fine tune the antenna without stressing the finals.
The manual antenna coupler is also my creation and even though it doesn’t appear on the exploded view it does fit in there no problem (it was added after I took the pictures).
Homemade 6W dummy load made inside a 90º BNC male connector (2x 100ohms 3W resistors in parallel) – great cheap insurance with these simple rigs.
Small USB Cable
Generic Earbuds
(tr)uSDX power cable with powerpoles
20m of 24AWG wire for the primary antenna with some generic red paracord for setting it up
Charger for the battery pack with powerpoles
Homemade battery pack using a 4S battery holder with 3x 18650 cells and a BMS board, and the extra space for a step down DC converter with USB out and the 12V powerpoles
Yesterday was one of those rare days where I had no pressing reason to leave the house—other than the temptation of a POTA activation. These days are a rarity, and honestly, staying home often wins out. As much as I love POTA, it’s also nice to settle in and simply enjoy being at home.
Yesterday afternoon, I deployed an EFHW antenna outside and tinkered with digital modes I hadn’t used in a while—mainly FT8, FT4, and PSK31. I connected my IC-705 to my MacBook Pro over WiFi using the excellent SDR-Control app.
When the cold started to bite (14°F/-10°C with a brisk breeze), I retreated indoors to my warm shack. With a mug of hot chocolate in hand, I performed a small ritual I repeat every few months as part of my field radio workflow:
Re-reading the manual
That’s right!
You’ll be seeing more of the Currahee soon!
I typically have a particular radio I want to revisit. Yesterday, I focused on the KH1 and the MTR-3B, as well as the new Currahee (see above).
Recently, while using the KH1 in the field, I couldn’t recall how to move between CW message memory banks (M1, M2, M3 and M4, M5, M6). Even though I know this radio well—since I’m in the testing group, it’s one I’ve explored extensively—I had a mental blank. So, I grabbed the manual, found the answer, and practiced the process until it felt second nature again.
After that, I skimmed the manual cover to cover. I didn’t read every single word but focused on pages that covered features I rarely use during POTA or SOTA activations.
Every time I do this, I learn something new.
I decided to make a short video about this habit of mine and why I think others should give it a try (see below). I get so many questions from readers about how to operate their radios—often their only radio—and it’s clear that many haven’t opened the manual since unboxing their rig. Instead, they rely on Google or YouTube for answers.
When someone asks me how to perform a specific function, I don’t want to sound grumpy by saying, “Read the manual!” Instead, I point them to the exact page they need and encourage them to read the entire manual. It doesn’t take that long and there’s a reward in the end.
Here’s the thing: when you invest in a high-quality transceiver, you owe it to yourself to fully explore its functions and features. Why not maximize your “return on investment” by understanding everything your radio is capable of?
Reading the manual isn’t just about solving immediate problems—it’s about discovering hidden gems that could enhance your experience on the air.
On the Ham Radio Workbench Podcast, we’ve talked about this very topic, and it turns out I’m not the only one who re-reads manuals regularly.
So, do you ever revisit your radio manuals? Have you found this practice helpful? I’d love to hear your thoughts—please share in the comments!
Many thanks to Glen (KC8LA) who shares the following guest post:
New QRPer and Eight Months with the Elecraft KH1
by Glen (KC8LA)
Let me introduce myself—I’m Glen, KC8LA. I’ve been a ham for 30 years, but I only started hunting POTA activators in mid-to-late 2023. Before long, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be fun to activate parks myself?”
Of course, YouTube was the place to learn how to get started. I saw that I’d need a portable radio (like the FT-891), a tuner, a power source, a multiband antenna, and a way to hoist it into a tree. Whew! It all sounded like a lot of lugging gear for just a couple of hours of radio fun. Was it worth it? Back to YouTube I went, searching for an easier way.
Over the years, I’d never thought much about QRP. Then, I stumbled across videos of Thomas, K4SWL, beta-testing a new self-contained Elecraft radio: the KH1. I watched every KH1 video I could find—so many that I joked Thomas became my “best friend” through the screen.
“This is it,” I thought. “I’ll get the KH1!” But when I checked the price, I had to pause and think. After a couple of weeks, I finally decided to order it on November 22, 2023, figuring it would arrive in early December, just in time to prepare for my first activation in January.
Nope. The wait time was three months, pushing the delivery date to February. I could wait, though! In the meantime, I set up my FT-891 in the Jeep using alligator clips to the battery, hamsticks, and a laptop table between the seats for my key and notepad. It worked, but I was just sitting in the Jeep. Come on, KH1!
Due to parts delays, the wait stretched to five months. While I waited, I practiced activating parks with the FT-891 and figured out the basics to be ready for the KH1’s arrival.
Finally, on April 18, 2024, the KH1 arrived. I was sitting on the porch when the mail carrier handed me the box. I opened it right then and there, assembled it, and made my first contact on 20 meters. My hands tremble a bit, so it was challenging, but I did it. Over time, I practiced and now comfortably run 18–20 WPM.
My first activation with the KH1 was on April 26, but it didn’t go as planned—only four contacts. Undeterred, I tried again the following weekend. Eight contacts. Still not a success. Thomas made it look so easy in his videos!
I began researching what I was doing wrong. I learned that a 5-watt activation takes longer than one at 100 watts (obvious in hindsight). Time of day, solar conditions, and operating on QRP-friendly frequencies all make a big difference. Once I adjusted my approach, my third activation was a success, and they’ve been going well ever since.
In the meantime, Hamvention rolled around, and since I live nearby, I put activations on hold. At Hamvention, I made a beeline to Wayne from Elecraft, shook his hand, and thanked him for dreaming up the KH1. We swapped some war stories—I even shared how I’d worked 3G0YA split on 15 meters from a park!
Anytime, Anywhere Radio Is So Much Fun!
Fall at Kiser Lake State Park (US-1966)
Since the KH1 arrived, I’ve completed 70 activations across 23 parks in three states, including seven parks in Utah over five days (a story for another time). Of those, 60 were with the KH1, with only four failures—two due to learning the radio and two from running out of time. I’ve logged around 1,000 activation contacts with the KH1 so far.
The KH1 goes everywhere with me, and I use it 95% of the time in its portable, self-contained configuration. Occasionally, I deploy my homemade “chalk line” EFHW antenna, which consists of 33 feet of 2mm throw line and 41 feet of 26-gauge wire. It’s compact, tunes well, and clips nicely to the KH1’s ES-20 case.
Pool mobile at Grand Lake Saint Marys State Park (US-1953)
I’ve done activations at a variety of locations: tire shops, birthday parties, weddings, bike paths, and even my living room chair. The KH1 makes HF portable operation so easy that I’m contemplating buying a second one as a backup.
Picnic table my home park, Sycamore State Park (US-1995)
The built-in key has been a mixed bag—I’m already on my second one, and I’ve had to use my backup key a few times. But the radio’s battery life has been excellent, easily lasting four two-hour activations before needing a charge. The tuner works flawlessly, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well the built-in speaker performs in quiet environments.
Exploring the Outdoors
Davey Woods State Nature Preserve (US-9403)
What I love most about the KH1 is how it’s transformed my radio journey. It’s encouraged me to get outdoors, discover new places, and revisit sites I haven’t seen in decades. My home park, US-1995 Sycamore State Park, is just 20 minutes away, and I’ve activated it 27 times, logging 594 contacts toward my Kilo award.
I’m still working, so I need to plan activations carefully for parks that are more than an hour away. But with the KH1, I’m always ready for an adventure.
Final Thoughts
North Country Trail National Scenic Trail (US-4239)
I would have never believed that a tiny radio with a 45-inch antenna could reliably make HF contacts, but the KH1 amazes me every time I pull it out. It’s my radio of choice for almost all CW contacts now—I’ve probably made fewer than 20 CW contacts on my FT DX10 and FT-891 since getting the KH1!
Yes, there are plenty of other portable radios out there, but for me, the KH1’s convenience, low “lug factor,” and quick setup time are unbeatable. I can be on the air in under a minute.
If you’re on the fence about trying QRP or the KH1, I say go for it. It’s a radio that has truly enhanced my life, and I can’t imagine my portable adventures without it.
Wednesday, December 18, 2024, was a full but wonderful day. My wife, daughters, Hazel the dog, and I spent it exploring Beaufort, Morehead City, and Atlantic Beach, North Carolina—coastal towns all within a ten-minute drive of one another.
The KX2 and AX1 earlier that day at Fort Macon State Park.
We started the morning at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. While my wife and one of my daughters enjoyed some shopping later, I managed a quick activation at Fort Macon State Park. (You can read that report and watch the activation video here.)
Afterward, we returned to our Airbnb vacation home around 2:00 p.m. for a late lunch. My daughters, still busy despite the holidays, were working on scholarship essays. With their fall term completed online due to Hurricane Helene’s damage in Asheville, they were determined to tackle deadlines before the new year.
While they worked, I felt the pull of POTA (Parks on the Air). However, I wasn’t in the mood for another car ride—especially not a 25-minute drive to the next site. Instead, I decided on a low-key radio session in the backyard, followed by some quiet time with a Sherlock Holmes mystery.
Before dinner, we planned to stroll through Beaufort’s historic district and waterfront. The constant low fog that day had transformed the scenery into something almost magical—perfect for an evening walk. (I’ve included some photos below for those interested!)
Portable POTA Hunting
Hazel, of course, wanted to participate!
I’d already discovered during the previous day’s hunting session that the Airbnb’s backyard had an impressively low noise floor for an urban area.
I suspect it was because many vacation homes in the neighborhood—including the one next door, which was vacant and on the market—were unoccupied during the off-season. Whatever the reason, it was a pleasant surprise for this QRPer.
KH1 Makes it Easy
My Elecraft KH1 has become my go-to radio for backyard sessions. Not only is it incredibly quick to deploy, but it’s also designed for handheld operation. No need to set up an antenna or find a place to sit—I can simply walk around, optimizing received signal strength and avoiding potential noise sources.
For this session, I grabbed the KH1, its whip antenna, and a 13-foot counterpoise. At the last minute, I also decided to bring my camera to record the experience. Though less action-packed than an activation, I thought it might still be worth sharing.
I kept things simple, using only the KH1’s internal speaker. While it’s not the best performer, I appreciate that Elecraft managed to include it—it’s a feature I wish my vintage KX1 had!
Gear
My full KH1 kit built into a Pelican M40 case.
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All screenshots from my action camera (I forgot to take photos with my iPhone!)
POTA hunting is a completely different experience from activating—and I love it.
As an activator, you’re in the spotlight, managing pileups and logging contacts as fast as possible. As a hunter with a handheld 5-watt radio and a 4-foot whip antenna, the challenge is flipped: you have to make yourself heard amidst louder stations, all with the goal of practicing good operating etiquette. Continue reading Portable POTA Hunting in Beaufort: A Relaxing Back-Yard Session with the Elecraft KH1→
In 2022, we created The QRPer Board, a discussion forum hosted at QRPer.net, where QRPers can ask questions, share insights, and explore amateur radio topics in depth.
Why use the QRPer Board?
The discussion board is the quickest way to get answers to your questions—much faster than sending an email to K4SWL–!
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How to join for free
Due to ongoing spam attacks, we manually verify new accounts before activation. Here’s how to sign up:
Once verified, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Note that our (amazing) admin is a volunteer and an active ham, so account activation may take up to a few days.
Explore and search QRPer.net!
The QRPer Board covers a wide variety of topics. Before posting a question, use the search bar at the top of any page to check if your question has already been answered.
For advanced searches, click the gear icon next to the search bar.
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For example:
pota site:qrper.net or penntek tr-35 site:qrper.net
A wonderful community
The QRPer Board is more than just a discussion forum—it’s a thriving community of like-minded QRP enthusiasts sharing their expertise and experiences. By posting your questions and engaging with others, you not only receive faster answers but also help grow this invaluable resource for the amateur radio community.
Many thanks to Conrad (N2YCH), who shares the following field report:
Testing a new Buddistick Pro at the Silver Sands State Park “Antenna Test Range.”
by Conrad (N2YCH)
Silver Sands State Park in Connecticut borders the Northern shoreline of Long Island Sound and is located in Milford, a town on the Western side of New Haven County. There is a field between the parking lot and the sound that is a perfect “parks on the air” activation location. There are no power lines nearby. It’s very flat with no trees, so there is nothing to block the signal. It’s very easy to access and has a spectacular view.
POTA Map showing the location of Silver Sands State Park in Connecticut
Local hams visit to do POTA frequently, and we often run into each other there. One of those hams likes to build and test antennas and dubbed the park the unofficial “antenna testing grounds.” I’ve also used the park to test a number of different antennas myself, and today’s post details the maiden voyage of a brand new Buddipole Buddistick Pro antenna that I received as a holiday gift.
After using a Buddipole vertical as my primary antenna for years for POTA activations, I was interested to see if the Buddistick Pro measured up. What makes the Buddistick desirable is how compact it is. It breaks down and fits into the zippered case it comes with, but when put together, stands tall.
Buddistick Pro case in the passenger seat with the instructionsThe Buddistick Pro set up at the Silver Sands “antenna test range.”
There are many videos and reviews of this antenna online, so I don’t want to re-hash what’s already been reviewed many times before. However, I did want to share how this worked for me.
Setting this up was a breeze; it took just a few minutes. I did bring along my RigExpert antenna analyzer to adjust it for resonance. I followed the instructions on where to tap the coil and how much counterpoise to let out. Everything is clearly marked, and the instructions tell you where to begin. However, the instructions are just the starting point. I had to move the coil tap a few turns to get the reading where I wanted it. Using the coil does narrow up the bandwidth somewhat, so it’s important to test it to see if you have it tuned for minimum reflected at the frequency you want to operate at. Once you have it tuned, you can leave the taps in place so you don’t have to do this each time.
Setting the coil tap for 20 meters1.16:1 SWR at 14.074 Mhz
One thing I wasn’t prepared for was frozen ground at the park. The temperature here in Connecticut has been below freezing for a few weeks, and the ground at the park was frozen solid, preventing me from using my electric fencepost to support the counterpoise. I improvised and used my Jeep bumper to hold it up.
The Jeep bumper counterpoise mount
Once I was all set up, I connected the RF cable to my Elecraft KX2 to operate QRP using FT8 on 20 meters. I hit the ATU button on the KX-2, and it quickly found a 1.0:1 match.
1.0:1 SWR
Next, I connected the computer, synched the clock, and called CQ. I had a pile-up right away.
WSJT-X and JTAlert screenshot showing stations callingPskreporter map showing spots during the activation
I use the pskreporter.info map to get an idea of how well my antenna is performing. Considering that I was running QRP, I was happy to see I was reaching the West Coast.
View from inside the Jeep at Silver Sands State Park
So, how did I do? In one hour, I completed 32 QSO’s with three of those being park to park contacts. I maintained a steady stream of callers throughout the activation. The coverage exceeded my expectations.
US-1716 POTA activation QSO map on 12-27-2024, FT8 and FT4 on 20 meters
The Buddistick Pro, when packed neatly in its case, slides right into a normal-sized backpack with ease, along with the radio, computer, and a spare battery. For me, it will be a good, light companion antenna for the KX2 while doing POTA or SOTA.
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I’ve become more skilled at setting up antennas. I now avoid snag-prone trees and branches and have additional supports when nature doesn’t cooperate.
The POTA hunter community has grown exponentially since the early days. Back then, frequency agility was critical because working the same hunter across multiple bands was sometimes the only way to log ten contacts. It wasn’t unusual for hunters and activators to coordinate activation times and frequencies in advance to increase the chances of logging each other. Continue reading A Subtle Shift in My Field Gear: Rethinking the external ATU 
I also added a USB port to the battery pack because the (tr)uSDX can operate with around 0,5W directly from USB and that’s a great way to test for SWR and fine tune the antenna without stressing the finals.
