Super Portable POTA: One Watt, One Tiny Key, Big Fun!

On Thursday, January 16, 2025, I had a long list of errands to run in town, including a session with my physical therapist. After all the heavy lifting and chainsawing I’ve done post-Hurricane Helene, my shoulder has been letting me know it’s not too happy. The PT sessions are definitely helping, though—they’re tough, but I’ve noticed big improvements, especially in how quickly my arm recovers after a day of chainsawing.

One upside to these sessions? My PT office is practically next door to the Blue Ridge Parkway. So, as a reward for putting in the work, I’ve decided to treat myself to a POTA activation—either before or after PT—whenever possible.

On this particular Thursday, my schedule dictated that the activation needed to happen beforehand.

To maximize my limited operating time, I went with my go-to minimalist setup: the Elecraft KX2 and AX1 antenna—a truly dynamic duo!

The UMPP-1

For scale, Peter sent me this pic of my paddle sitting on top of his Begali Expedition.

This activation was also my first opportunity to test the UMPP-1 mini paddle, a compact and lightweight Morse key designed for portable operations.

Back in December, Peter (GM0EUL) reached out to see if I’d be interested in reviewing one of his 3D-printed paddles. These have been gaining popularity among SOTA and POTA operators in the UK, and after taking a closer look, I decided to order one for myself.

What caught my attention was its small footprint and sturdy design—it looked like a key that could handle the demands of the field while fitting neatly into one of my self-contained SOTA kits.

Pricing with shipping is:

  • UK: £50
  • EU: 60 Euro
  • US: $70 USD

If you live outside these regions, I’d suggest you contact Peter prior to ordering.

I felt like $70 was a very fair price, especially with shipping included. More importantly, I love supporting independent makers in the ham radio world—these small businesses are what keep our hobby innovative and thriving!

Setup

As always, setting up the KX2 and AX1 was a breeze!

I then connected the UMPP-1 paddles—they’re certainly compact, but they felt great in the hand and quite sturdy. Despite their small size, I’m not too worried about them breaking when packed tightly in a field kit.

The default action and spacing felt just right to me, but Peter also includes a wee Allen wrench in the Altoids-tin-sized metal box that ships with the key, allowing for easy adjustments.

Gear

Note: All Amazon and eBay links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

Radio

Key

Antenna

Pack/Case

Log and Pen

Camera/Audio Gear

Creature Comforts

On The Air

After tuning the KX2, I decided to lower the output power to one watt. Probably not the best idea when using such a wee antenna and being pressed for time—but hey, life’s all about these low-power adventures, right?

I hopped on 20 meters and started calling CQ POTA.

Fortunately, as soon as my POTA spot was posted, the hunters started rolling in. I was relieved—since I had a hard deadline, my goal was to log at least ten contacts before heading to PT.

I ended up logging twelve stations in fifteen minutes! Not bad at all, considering I was running just one watt into a four-foot whip antenna.

I absolutely love this.

QSO Map

Here’s what this one-watt activation looked like when plotted out on a QSO Map (click to enlarge maps):

Here’s detail of the cluster of contacts I made in the NE US:

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 UMPP-1!

Peter has done a fantastic job with this compact paddle. I found that I keyed very accurately and really enjoyed using it.

Next time I take it out, I plan to pair it with my Senorg base to see how stable it is on the table. The UMPP-1 has a surprisingly strong rare-earth magnet inside, so I think it should hold nicely to that heavy base.

Lower Power, More Fun

Mike (KE8PTX) and I were just chatting about how much we both love operating well below the QRP “full gallon” of five watts. Mike is fully addicted to QRPp.

If I weren’t trying to cast my signal as far as possible to reach as many readers and subscribers as I can, I’d probably run one watt or less most of the time in the field.

There’s just a special thrill in making those flea-powered QRPp contacts! And when I run five watts now? It feels like I’m connected to a linear amplifier!

Thank you

Thank you for joining me during this one-watt 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 weekend ahead!

Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

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2 thoughts on “Super Portable POTA: One Watt, One Tiny Key, Big Fun!”

  1. Great report as always Thomas. I’ve not been able to hear you for a while now the stars are just not aligning for me. The pen caught my eye. Fountain pens have become my new obsession recently. Best of 73’s

    1. Thank you, Ronnie!
      Honestly, I just haven’t been out there in the field as much lately which is why you’ve probably had a difficult time hunting me. The first half of this year will be quite busy, but the second half should be much better and I’ll be out there more. I’m sure we’ll log each other a few times!
      Cheers,
      Thomas

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