Many thanks to Micah (N4MJL) who shares the following guest post:

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Elecraft KH1 Anytime and Anywhere Adventures

by Micah (N4MJL)

Anywhere and anytime—that’s how I like to describe my Elecraft KH1. This radio goes everywhere I go. As an airline pilot, I bounce from coast to coast and everywhere in between almost daily. Since I’m constantly on the move, my radio gear has to be small and compact.

I’m a third-generation ham radio CW operator. Anyone who’s heard me on the air knows I’m still quite new to CW. I only started running CW activations with POTA/SOTA in the spring of 2024. Here’s the gear that’s been working well for me, along with a few photos from the locations I’ve had the pleasure of activating.

I’ve found that the Pelican M50 micro case is the perfect “shack in a box” for my KH1. This setup goes everywhere with me. Here’s what fits perfectly in the M50:

• Packtenna 9:1 random wire
• 20 ft BNC coax
• Panasonic ErgoFit earbuds
• SP4 paddles from CW Morse
• KH1 (fully loaded with internal battery and tuner)
• 30 ft throw line
• Write-in-the-Rain notebook
• High Visibility Orange Cap-O-Matic Fisher Space Pen (with lanyard)
• Desiccant silica gel pack

In pedestrian mobile configuration, the KH1 is a solid system. I’ve done several activations this way. That said, after 45 minutes of holding the KH1 in this setup, I’m ready to wrap up! Having a portable shack that lets me deploy a random wire that tunes 40-15m and a more ergonomically designed key drastically improves my capabilities.

In many urban environments where I activate POTA, pedestrian mobile is essential. Unfortunately, the security in urban parks can be unpredictable, and the KH1 allows me to operate on the go and quickly move if needed.

Some of you may be wondering what I did to the inside of my M50 case. Well, in my defense, it’s my wife’s fault. She left me unsupervised with a glue gun and a bit of alcohol. When my KH1 arrived this spring, solar conditions were poor, so I had a few days to think and decided to turn the case into a makeshift Faraday box. I used Polyken aluminum tape, cardboard, and a glue gun to line it. Now, I know what you’re thinking: there’s no electrical bonding between the lid and lower box due to the rubber seal, so will this really work as a Faraday cage? Maybe, maybe not—but it sure looks cool! What do you think?

In addition to the M50 case, I carry a support pouch (Magpul DAKA, size small). This heavy-duty, water-resistant pouch contains:

• 31 ft counterpoise wire
• AXE1 40m antenna extender
• Bioenno battery 12V 3Ah (backup battery—“1 is none, and 2 is 1” if you know, you know!)
• KH1 power cable
• KH1 right-angle antenna mount

These items aren’t essential but are nice to have for longer activations.

When I’m done flying and ready to play radio, I pack all this gear into my Flash 22 day pack. This compact, minimalist pack takes up almost no room in my flight bag and even has a built-in whistle on the chest strap, which is perfect for California!

When conditions allow, I enjoy using the full five watts of power. My go-to antenna is the SOTAbeams Band Hopper III, which is a versatile half-wave linked dipole:

• Rated 125 watts
• Center-fed with 33 ft RG174 coax
• Guying system included
• Resonant on 20m, 30m, and 40m (no tuner needed, though the KH1 tuner will also tune up 17m and 15m)
• Built-in balun
• Weighs only 14 oz

The wire/guying winders are excellent, and I’ve used this system in all kinds of environments, from sandy beaches to mountain tops above the treeline. I replaced the aluminum tent pegs with plastic ones to keep TSA happier.

The SOTAbeams Tactical Mini Mast fits diagonally in my 22″ roller board. I wrap heavy rubber-coated wire around it to secure it to posts or shrubs when needed.

Along with this radio gear, I also manage to pack a change of clothes—usually enough for a five-day trip. I typically fly three trips a month, each lasting four to five days. My roller board carries me and my radio gear from plane to plane all week long.

On a short backpacking trip along the Appalachian Trail (June 3, 2024), I activated SOTA summit W4V/BR-007 Three Ridges and the Three Ridges Wilderness area (POTA US-9959). The mountain in the distance is The Priest (W4V/BR-002), which I activated earlier this year with my LNR Precision MTR4B.

The summit of Three Ridges is a densely wooded area, so I stopped below the summit to enjoy the view, grab a quick snack, and play some radio. I snagged two POTA-only QSOs with W8WZ in Louisiana and KU8T in Indiana using the KH1’s whip antenna. Once I reached the summit, I used the Packtenna 9:1 random wire for my activation.

A 2-inch binder clip is an essential piece of my kit. I avoid cutting and printing the Elecraft-provided log sheet because all those loose pieces of paper would blow right off a mountain! Instead, I clip sheets of Write-in-the-Rain paper to my log tray, as I tend to sweat a lot, and regular paper would end up as a soggy mess.

Don’t underestimate the KH1 whip antenna! On September 6, 2024, I activated Harkening Hill (W4V/RA-008) using the whip in a 90-degree adapter, as shown in the picture above. I’ve logged contacts with California (WB6POT) on two different Virginia summits using just the whip antenna. A few minutes after snapping this photo, EA7GV gave me a 339 report from Spain on 17m. I logged 11 contacts in 40 minutes—quite a fast pace given my level of CW proficiency.

August 11, 2025 – Salt Lake City, Utah (W7U/SL-022, 7,500 ft MSL):

In the picture above, my SOTAbeams 3-band linked dipole is performing well. Setting up a resonant, center-fed linked dipole isn’t always possible due to space, but when I can, the results from the full five watts are impressive! You can read more about this activation here.

August 25, 2024 – Grandeur Peak, Salt Lake City, Utah (W7U/NU-065, 8,299 ft MSL):

Grandeur Peak has a small, busy activation zone where pedestrian mobile was the only feasible setup. I even managed to log my dad, AC0UT from Missouri, on this activation! You can read more about this SOTA adventure in the Wasatch Range here.

In Spokane, Washington, the pedestrian mobile configuration wasn’t cutting it, so I deployed my Packtenna 9:1 random wire EFHW up in a pine tree to complete a two-fer POTA activation. The EFHW is quick to set up with my throw line and has the added bonus of being low-profile, so it doesn’t attract too much attention from passersby. I ended up using the stock Elecraft key for this activation, as I forgot to repack my regular paddles after a practice session at home.

The Centennial Trail (POTA US-3171) runs through downtown Spokane near my hotel, but I walked six miles north on the trail into Riverside State Park (POTA US-3257) to find a quieter spot. Yes, that’s a 12-mile round trip, but I probably would have walked it even if I wasn’t doing an activation. Being a pilot means sitting a lot, so POTA and SOTA activations are a great excuse for me to stay active!

During an overnight stay in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I pulled off a two-fer POTA activation. I highly recommend Lakeshore State Park (US-1461). Right in front of my picnic table was the Hank Aaron State Trail (US-9800). It was a pleasant morning on 40m, complete with coffee, donuts, and playing radio—until the coffee kicked in and I had to make a quick dash for the restroom!

This was my first activation where I reached ten contacts on 40m in a single session. It was also my first time using the AEX1 40m coil antenna extender, which worked like a charm. Here, I used the KH1’s stock key, as I’d forgotten to pack my preferred paddle key.

Dockweiler Beach (US-3425) in Los Angeles has been a challenge—I’ve failed to get ten contacts here on three separate attempts! This beach is adjacent to LAX, and the constant jet noise from incoming and outgoing planes is tough to work around. I’d love to set up my SOTAbeams Band Hopper III linked dipole in the sand, but I’m sure the lifeguards wouldn’t be too thrilled.

It took me three attempts to successfully activate Fort Point in San Francisco. On my first try, I realized my radio’s battery was almost dead due to an accidental power-on during my walk to the park. I didn’t have a backup battery with me that day—a rookie mistake! When it comes to batteries, “1 is none, and 2 is one.”

To prevent future mishaps, I now cover the power switch with a small piece of electrical tape. I also switch the KH1 into TX TEST mode before shutting it down, allowing it to serve as a practice oscillator without transmitting. I’ve assigned this function to one of the programmable buttons for quick access. You can read about my three-POTA San Francisco activation here.

The Maritime National Historical Park (US-0757) in San Francisco was my very first activation attempt with the KH1, and I learned a lot from it. Initially, I failed due to an operator error—I had accidentally set the power to low, so I was only transmitting at 2.5 watts. I didn’t catch this mistake until I was back at my hotel and reviewed the manual. On this first attempt, I also tried hunting for ten contacts instead of calling CQ, as I wasn’t yet comfortable calling CQ in CW.

However, on November 4, 2024, I finally activated US-0757. Sitting on the bleachers next to a less-than-responsive fellow (probably just sleeping), I had an S4 noise floor with occasional loud electrical snaps from bird deterrents nearby. I logged 5 QSOs on 20m, 4 on 17m, and 2 on 15m. Most notably, I worked EA1AF in Spain on 15m. Initially, I thought his callsign was a zero, but he heard me well enough to correct my mistake despite my 539 signal.

The KH1 is an investment, for sure, but I think it’s worth it. Pedestrian mobile operation isn’t for everyone, but it’s convenient to have a compact, lightweight, five-band CW radio that’s ultra-portable. Every time I use the KH1, I’m impressed!

Until next time—73!

Micah (N4MJL)