On Friday, November 15, 2024, a window of opportunity opened up for me to fit in a POTA activation—and I couldn’t be happier I took it!
Life in Swannanoa is gradually normalizing after Hurricane Helene, but free time remains scarce. I imagine my neighbors would echo this sentiment, especially since so many of our local businesses—lifelines for the community—are gone.
One example: Our post office
Take our local post office, for instance. Severely damaged by flooding, it operated from a temporary mobile unit for about a month.
Unfortunately, as cold weather settled in, the mobile post office was shut down, and operations were moved to a facility 40 minutes away—a location entirely out of my regular travel routes.
The staff there have been working tirelessly under challenging conditions, but receiving both mail and parcels has become an unreliable ordeal. Parcels are delayed, letters are misplaced, and some items—like our insurance check and my daughters’ university acceptance letters sent in October—have yet to arrive.
Thankfully, in this digital age, we’ve found workarounds. Most communications can be routed online, and we are now having our parcels sent to my friend Vlado’s QTH for safekeeping. Thank you so much, Vlado!
We’re sorting it all out, but we know that some items will simply be lost in the confusion and shuffle.
An Unexpected Activation Window
On this particular Friday, I planned to pick up two FedEx packages from Vlado after dropping my daughter off at her Shakespeare rehearsal. When I called to confirm the delivery time, Vlado and I discovered that the packages wouldn’t arrive for several more hours.
Suddenly, I found myself with a two-hour window—just enough time for a quick POTA activation!
Pisgah National Forest (US-4510)
The closest POTA site to my daughter’s rehearsal spot was Sycamore Flats in Pisgah National Forest, about a 20-minute drive away. Factoring in setup, teardown, and round trip drive, I’d have roughly an hour for the activation.
Shaking things up
As I drove, I pondered how I could make this activation unique.
I rarely stick to the same setup, preferring to experiment with different radios, antennas, and configurations. This time, though, my SOTA pack and EDC bag contained the same gear I’d used in previous activations: my Elecraft KX2, KH1, an EFHW antenna, and a few other field accessories.
Then I remembered the AX1 in my LowePro Case—it had been a while since I used this compact antenna in the field.
Inspired to make things even more challenging, I decided to attempt the activation with only one watt of power.
That would turn a routine activation into something a wee bit more adventurous.
When I arrived on site, I chose the picnic shelter as my location since it wasn’t occupied and it had some of the only picnic tables still in place after Helene flooding.
Setup was quick, and in no time, I was ready to hit the air!
Gear:
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Radio
Antenna
- Elecraft AX1with 3D-printed Bipod
Pack/Case
Camera/Audio Gear
- DJI OSMO 4 action camera with Joby Telepod Sport Tripod
- DJI Wireless Microphones
On The Air
If you watch my activation video (see below), you’ll notice that after tuning up, I remembered to lower my power before calling CQ. (My KX2 always defaults to 5 watts, which is typically my maximum output power.) As I adjusted the power level to one watt, I thought, “Why not lower it a bit more?”
So, I did. I ended up setting the power to one-half watt—a mere 500 mW.
The plan was simple: I would try to make at least one contact using this ultra-low power setting. If it proved too challenging, I’d bump the power back up to one watt or higher to complete the activation.
With an hour to play radio, I had the luxury of patience to fish for hunters using this super-compromised setup.
I started calling CQ, and my good friend Vlado (N3CZ) kindly spotted me from his QTH.
What happened next blew my mind.
As soon as my spot posted, I heard a response to my CQ POTA call. It was KE4WLE in Ohio. Wow!
Moments later, WA0RXR called in from Iowa. What!?!
Next came K2ZC in New Jersey, followed by my buddies WD8RIF in Ohio and K3ES in Pennsylvania. This was incredible!
The calls kept rolling in steadily, far exceeding my expectations.
In just 25 minutes, I had logged 20 contacts, including two Park-to-Park QSOs: one with W4LOO in Florida and another with KI5GTR in Arkansas.
As the steady stream of hunters began to slow, I decided to switch bands. I moved up to 17 meters, hopeful for at least one contact there.
The Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) auto-spotted me shortly after I started calling CQ. Almost instantly, I heard K5KHK calling from New York.
Then, one after another, I logged K2ZC in New Jersey, W8BG in Ohio, KQ4DFV in Florida, and VE3KZE in Ontario.
WOW!
With these five additional contacts, I wrapped up the activation with 25 total QSOs made across two bands in just 34 minutes.
All with a four foot loaded whip antenna and 1/2 a watt!
[Insert happy dance here.]
My logs:
QSO Map
Here’s what this one half of a watt activation looked like when plotted out on a QSO Map.
Note that Paul (W4LOO) was actually operating from a park in Florida rather than from his QTH in Utah:
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.
QRPp Reflections…
For me, simply lowering the power turned an otherwise ordinary activation into something truly extraordinary.
I’m no stranger to super-low power (QRPp). In fact, I recall a particularly successful activation where I operated with just 100 mW. Of course, in that case, I was using an efficient 40-meter end-fed half-wave antenna.
This time, however, I was working with a compromised four-foot portable telescoping whip antenna, set up in a picnic shelter nestled in a valley. I can’t help but wonder what I might have achieved with the same setup on a SOTA summit!
I guess I’ll have to save that experiment for another activation.
If you’ve experimented with QRPp and compromised antennas, I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
Thank you!
Thank you for joining me on this activation.
This “radio therapy” has been a profound source of joy and balance for me these past few weeks.
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 each week, 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 weekend as we approach the Holiday season!
Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)
Sounds like a lot of fun and a lot of bang for the…watt. Thanks for sharing this.
73 de Arnie W8DU
p.s. Can you share the .stl file for the AX1 3d printed tripod?
I’m surprised you were 1/2 watt, I had no problem copying you. That antenna really works.
Bill, W8BG
Very fun video, Thomas. I think it helps a lot, being in -4 land….the AX1 is more of a challenge up here in the PNW, with the mountain ranges. Glad you’re able to get some activations in.
I’m loving my new KX2! (My KX3 is feeling ignored!)
72, Vic KB7GL
Vic, your QTH is very close to mine. I’m sure the mountains are not helping unless we hike to the top of one, but I suspect the big issue is that at .5W Thomas’s signal footprint still covers the very relative dense ham population east of the Mississippi river, whereas if we go out at the same time of day, our signal footprint will cover the relatively sparse ham population in the PNW. Sadly POTA hunters are not evenly distributed across the face of the earth!
Fantastic! There’s always someone telling us to not use the AX1, “put up a dipole” they say. Ha! As I’ve said before, a true QRP enthusiast and user of compromise antennas must be a believer in Gooch’s Paradox, which David Newkirk has expressed as “RF gotta go somewhere*.” I’ve also seen the Paradox expressed as “Some things must be believed to be seen.” I think that encapsulates the secret to QRP success very well. 🙂
(*Kirk Kleinschmidt, NT0Z, mentions this quote in his book Stealth Amateur Radio. In Chapter 4 of the book Kirk writes about first hearing this from David, W9BRD. Interesting to note, there is a picture of Wayne Burdick, N6KR, on the cover of the book. I believe I first encountered David’s quote in a QST article many years ago.)
What length of counterpoise did you use for this activation?
That info would be appreciated in all postings. Thanks.
I used the 13′ counterpoise that ships with the AX1. For 30 and 40M, I use the longer 31′ counterpoise.
Thank you. Postings describing various counterpoise lengths with the AX1 or other antennas are always appreciated. That’s still a weak point for my operations.
No worries! I’ll do my best to keep including this. It is, indeed, an essential part of the antenna system.
Here’s a counterpoise “system” that I have made extensive use of, and it works very well for me. As Thomas mentioned, the AX1 comes with a 13 foot counterpoise, and the AXE1 comes with a 31 foot (or is it 33 foot?) counterpoise. Rather than carry two counterpoises, I made up a single one with an inline connector.
The counterpoise starts with a 2.5 mm banana plug, which plugs into the little hole near the DC jack. At the 13 foot point I have a connector consisting of an inline 2 mm banana jack, insulated with heat shrink tubing. Connected to that is an additional length of wire that starts with a 2 mm banana plug, also insulated with heat shrink tubing. This additional length of wire is sufficient to make the entire counterpoise 31 (or 33?) feet long.
Now here’s the thing: whenever possible I use the full length counterpoise, even with just the AX1 (I.e., no AXE1), and even on the bands above 17 meters. (I can usually get a match on 15, 12, and 10 meters.) If I don’t want to drag all that wire and I’m on 20 meters or above, I just detach the second, longer section. Note that I connect my counterpoise to the KX2 this way whenever I’m using the AX1 connected directly to the KX2, either “HT” style for pedestrian mobile, or with a right angle BNC adapter for picnic table portable.
But wait, there’s more: I use a similar system on my KH1 and I have found that I can get a good match and full power out on 30 meters just using the whip antenna on the screw post if I use the full length counterpoise. (Only about half power with the 13 foot counterpoise alone.) On the KH1 I have a pigtail “permanently” attached to the ground lug with a ring lug. The pigtail (about three inches long) terminates in an insulated 2 mm inline banana jack. The shorter counterpoise plugs into the pigtail, and the extension plugs into the shorter counterpoise, just as with the KX2.
The counterpoise that comes with the AXE1 40m Extender is 33′.
Oops! Thanks, Eric!
I don’t know, maybe y’all have doped your picnic shelters. What do you put in those things!?
🤣