CFT1 QRP: Labor Day Morning POTA with Vlado at Lake James State Park!

Labor Day weekend turned out to be full of labor here at QTH K4SWL. My wife and I had numerous projects to tackle, and my daughters had various activities scheduled as well. By Sunday, my wife looked at me and said, “You need a break. Why not spend tomorrow catching up on POTA?

That was music to my ears.

I messaged my buddy, Vlado, to see if he might be interested in joining me, and he quickly replied, “Of course!

So on Monday, September 2, 2024, Vlado packed his radio gear in my car, and we discussed where we should go. We had most of the day for radio, but we needed to decide if we’d head north, south, east, or west. In the end, we chose to travel east, as it offered the most options, including one site Vlado had never activated.

We decided to start at Lake James State Park. Since Vlado had only activated Lake James for the first time the previous day at the Paddy’s Creek Access, we opted for the Catawba River Access.

Lake James State Park (US-2739)

It was Labor Day, so we knew Lake James would get busy around lunchtime, which is why we hit it early. I also knew Paddy’s Creek Access would be much busier today because it has the beach, and I remembered how full the parking lot was during my Labor Day activation in 2023!

At 9:00 AM, when Vlado and I arrived at the Catawba River access, we were among the few people there, so we had our pick of spots to set up the POTA station.

For convenience—especially since there had been a deluge of rain the night before—we chose a spot close to the car, where I’ve activated a number of times in the past.

I also took this opportunity to show Vlado how to use an arborist throw line.

While I didn’t record the antenna deployment—frankly, I didn’t think about it at the time—I wish I had. Vlado was a natural!

On his second-ever throw, he snagged the perfect branch to deploy a 40-meter end-fed half-wave antenna.

CFT1 Time!

The CFT1 with Tufteln cover/stand, audio cable and pack with battery.

I knew exactly which radio I wanted to operate during this activation: the CFT1 by Jonathan (KM4CFT).

I had only recently swapped out my Beta unit for a production CFT1. As a thank-you to Beta testers, Jonathan let us keep the units we tested. I worked with Jonathan and Dan to return the Beta unit and compensate them for the difference.

In truth, there were only a few changes, mostly cosmetic, between the Beta and production units. The biggest improvement for me was that the Beta unit lacked a way to adjust the sidetone level independently from the AF gain. The production unit has this feature, which was my primary motivation for upgrading.

In addition, I prefer using radios that match what my readers and subscribers have. When I use a Beta unit, even if the changes are purely cosmetic, it generates more questions.

Interestingly, this wouldn’t be Vlado’s first time using the CFT1. He must have been one of the first people outside the Beta testing team to try it because we used it on Field Day alongside the TR-45L and X6200 (although you won’t see it in my report since it was still somewhat of a secret project at the time).

We paired my MW0SAW 40-meter EFHW and Bamakey TP-III with the CFT1. I also used my Anker Soundcore Mini speaker for audio.

Time to POTA!

Gear:

Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

On The Air

Beforehand, Vlado and I decided to set up just one station and take turns activating.

Vlado went first! He called CQ POTA, and hunters started replying.

Within eleven minutes, he had already logged his first ten contacts for a valid activation. He added three more, bringing his total to 13 contacts, before handing the key to me.

Here are Vlado’s logs:

Vlado certainly warmed up the band because activity only increased as the morning went on.

I worked my first ten contacts in just eight minutes!

The pileup kept growing.

At this point, I felt a bit guilty continuing to answer calls since Vlado and I were splitting our time, and we had at least one more activation planned for the day. However, he encouraged me to keep working the pileup.

In the end, I logged 24 contacts in 20 minutes! For me, that was operating at full throttle!

What a blast! Here are my logs:

QSO Map

Here’s what this five-watt activation looked like when plotted out on a QSO Map. Note that this is just a map of my contacts:

Activation Video

Here’s my real-time, real-life video of the entire activation.  As with all of my videos, I don’t edit out any parts of the on-air activation time. In addition, I have monetization turned off on YouTube, although that doesn’t stop them from inserting ads before and after my videos.

Note that Patreon supporters can watch and even download this video 100% ad-free through Vimeo on my Patreon page:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Loving the CFT1!

After my first report and video of the CFT1 (back when I had the Beta unit), I received a lot of comments about how the CFT1 looks like the QRP Labs QMX. It’s true! Jonathan, being a big fan of QRP Labs, was likely inspired by the QMX. But, to be clear, that’s where the similarities end.

The QRPLabs QMX

Internally, the CFT1 is a completely different radio—it’s more akin to the Elecraft KX1, if anything.

An assembled QMX costs only $170–180 plus shipping, making it one of the best radio deals in the world. The kit (without the enclosure or any add-ons) is about $103—a bargain!

The CFT1 kit is priced at $349.95 plus shipping, which is similar to what the Penntek TR-35 sold for.

I’ve been asked why the CFT1 costs more and why someone might choose it over the QMX. Here are a few points from my replies:

  • The CFT1 is easier for beginners to build, and there’s even a $30 option for pre-wound toroids.
  • The CFT1 is a simpler radio overall. Jonathan designed it to be user-friendly in the field without the need for a manual or reference sheet.
  • The CFT1 has four programmable CW memory buttons on the front panel—brilliant for field operators who frequently use message memories.
  • Like the QMX, the CFT1 is a cottage industry product made in the USA, and purchasing it supports future developments.

I’m a fan of both the QMX and the CFT1.

If you’re after a feature-packed, affordable QRP radio kit, go for the QMX.

If you want a simpler, CW-only radio with excellent audio and receiver characteristics, the CFT1 is a great choice!

Both radios are excellent options, and I love that we live in a time with so many fantastic field radio choices.

I’m incredibly proud of Jonathan—it’s hard to believe the CFT1 is his first radio design. It’s more refined, right out of the gate, than many radios I’ve tested over the years.

Thank you

Thank you for joining Vlado me during this activation!

I hope you enjoyed the field report and my activation video as much as I enjoyed creating them!

Of course, I’d also like to send a special thanks to those of you who have been supporting the site and channel through Patreon, and the Coffee Fund. While not a requirement, as my content will always be free, I really appreciate the support.

As I mentioned before, the Patreon platform connected to Vimeo makes it possible for me to share videos that are not only 100% ad-free but also downloadable for offline viewing. The Vimeo account also serves as a third backup for my video files.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me! Have a brilliant week!

Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

PS: Consider joining our discussion board at QRPer.net! It’s a vibrant community of radio operators who enjoy helping and supporting each other.  Click here to join for free.

2 thoughts on “CFT1 QRP: Labor Day Morning POTA with Vlado at Lake James State Park!”

  1. Some additional points about the QMX vs the CFT1:
    – The CFT1 can handle a higher voltage range, so you don’t have to worry about what battery you use with the radio.
    – The CFT1 uses a different amplifier inside which is more tolerant to bad SWR than the QMX.

    I should also point out that the only reason the panel design is similar to the QMX is that there is no other layout that is equally ergonomic that would not needlessly make the radio larger. The green LCD is a great option for outdoor use because it can still be read in direct sunlight. I wanted to go with an OLED display but found it handles poorly in direct sunlight.

    Given that the internals are a superheterodyne, I decided to price it the same as other Superheterodyne radios like the KX1, mountain toppers and Penntek radios.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.