Many thanks to Thomas (WN1C) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post. 

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KX3 and Speaker Wire Camera Bag Activation Kit 

by Thomas (WN1C)

For the QRPer’s Field Radio Kit Gallery, this is my KX3 and speaker wire in a camera bag activation kit.

This kit is the continuation of the equipment I used for my Maine ATNO expedition and other activities on that return to my parents almost a year ago. Primarily, it’s a change in bags and an improvement of the audio connection options for more sustained activations. Writing up this kit for the gallery also will probably be an incentive for further change. With how loosely packed it is, there’s space for options! You can see this kit in action on my recent trail activation.

The outside is the discontinued Peak Design Everyday Messenger 15″ v1. I picked this up lightly used on my local craigslist with an eye for expanding the kit contents capabilities. In that endeavor, it has been successful, but concentrating on this configuration to start:

There’s a certain pattern (that I might not keep following in future re-packings), but the arrangement internally is:

• Outer pouches: coax, radials, headlamp as necessary
• Lid flap padded pouch: infrequently used adapters and short cables
• Left division: antenna(s), throw line and weight, headset, coax, banana cables
• Mid-left division: logging pouch with paddles and notebook
• Mid-right division: KX3 with cover and heatsink
• Right division: power cables, hand microphone, lithium-ion battery banks, LiFePO4 battery pack
• Flopping around on top: TH-350 HT
• Front zipper pouch: additional notebooks, earbud headphones, pen, coax, ARRL VE badge

Of course, not all of this gets used at the same time. Different LiFePO4 options with Anderson Powerpole connectors can be substituted. For quick and lighter operating (or when wearing more hats), the headset can be left behind. Anyway, to the details!

So, what is all of this?

Bags

• Peak Design Everyday Messenger 15″ v1 (discontinued, acquired second hand) with an additional bright red divider stolen from one of my Crumpler camera bags
• Case Logic accessories pouch from who knows where (underneath the notebook)
• One of WesSpur’s low cost throw line bags (don’t get it, it’s smelly plastic and falls apart, as shown in the picture)

Radios

• Star of the show: Elecraft KX3 in the “KX3 Pack” configuration (KX3, KXAT3, KXBC3, MH3) with Side KX KX3 Combo panels and cover, plus an aftermarket heatsink
• TYT TH-350 tri-band HT (144-222-430 MHz) with bundled SRH-17 tri-band whip

Getting RF Out

• 2x 28′ (ish) speaker wire on BNC-F to binding posts/banana connector, in use for a while, though now beefed up with a bit of heat shrink and crimped spade lugs
• 4x 17′ speaker wire shorted together on dual banana plug (radials)
• 6′ RG-58 BNC-M to BNC-M with a random split ferrite on it from who knows where
• 2x Pomona banana test leads for occasions of connecting more things together
• 60′ Marlow Excel Throw Line 2mm (a K4SWL recommendation)
• WesSpur 10 oz Throw Weight
• Assorted S-Clip Plastic Carabiners for the speaker wire, throw line, and whatever else needs clipping together
• CablesOnline 25′ RG-316 with BNC for spare feedline
• 2 foot BNC RG-316 jumper
• Adapters: BNC F-F coupler, BNC-M to dual Banana-F/Binding Post, Dual Banana-M to BNC-F, BNC tee, BNC to center Banana-F/Binding Post; all provide options of hacking some options together

Getting Signals In and Out

• Koss SB-45 Communication Headset (cheaper relative of the popular Yamaha headset; it shows, mostly in the cable quality)
• Bamatech Bamakey TP-III Rot (an excellent set of dual paddles that can also serve PTT duty) stored in an Altoids Peppermint tin
• Cable Matters Retractable 3.5mm Audio Cable
• Hosa YMM-261 Stereo Breakout to allow use of the SB-45 electret mic with another switch wired to a 3.5mm plug for PTT on the KX3 mic port rather than just VOX
• Custom microswitch to 3.5mm PTT (not very good at its job) using this snap switch
• Elecraft MH3 hand mic from the kit configuration
• Old Apple earbuds, headphones only (TRS)

Power

• Bioenno BLF-12045W 12V / 4.5Ah LiFePO4 pack (can be substituted with the 3Ah pack I also have)
• Anderson PowerPole to barrel plug for KX3 power
• Old (sometimes RF noisy) USB Type-A power banks, one with a built-in flashlight (souped up with a much nicer white LED)
• Misc USB cables, A to Micro-B and C for charging from batteries

Documentation

• Würth Elektronik promotional waterproof paper spiral notebook
• Pentel Graphgear 1000 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil
• Uni-Ball Onyx Black Pen
• Peter Pauper All Terrain Waterproof Notebook (spare paper and for location/entity notes)
• Discontinued L.L. Bean LED Headlamp (3x AAA)