In the chaos of the past two months, I managed to post a few field reports out of chronological order. I’m probably the only one who notices—these aren’t sequential stories, after all—but since I was there for each activation, it feels odd when the timeline’s off.

Case in point: you might recall this recent post where I shared how I finally landed an Elecraft K1 field-portable transceiver. I’d been hunting for a K1 for years, so I was thrilled when this one popped up locally in North Carolina.

Last month, I published this field report where I paired the K1 with my AX1 antenna for a low-profile (but high-performance) activation in Pisgah National Forest.

But here’s the thing: that was actually my second activation with the venerable K1. The first one? It took place along the Blue Ridge Parkway on February 24, 2025.

Taking the K1 to the Field!

It’s always exciting to take a new radio to the field—especially one I’d been chasing for so long. I purchased the K1 back in August of last year. As soon as it arrived, I tested it and realized it was in serious need of alignment.

I brought it over to my friend Vlado (N3CZ), hoping to use his signal generator to sort it out. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time that day, so I left the rig at his QTH. Then Hurricane Helene hit, and… well, suddenly it was 2025.

We finally got around to the alignment in February. As soon as it was dialed in, I hit the field.

Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378)

I made my way to a familiar spot along the Blue Ridge Parkway—the Folk Art Center—and set up the K1.

Mine is a four-bander (40, 30, 20, and 15 meters) with both the optional internal ATU and AA battery pack. To give the internal tuner a little workout, I paired it with my trusty Tufteln 9:1 End-Fed Random Wire antenna.

Once deployed, I hit the ATU button, and the K1 quickly found a solid 1:1 match. With logs at the ready, it was time to hit the airwaves!

Gear

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Radio

• Elecraft K1 (four band version with optional ATU and internal AA battery pack)

Key

• UMPP-1 Paddles by GM0EUL
• Key cable: Cable Matters 2-Pack Gold-Plated Retractable Aux Cable – 2.5 Feet

Antenna

• TufteIn EFRW QRP Antenna Long Wire
• ABR Industries 25’ RG-316 cable assembly with three in-line ferrites (Use Coupon Code ABR10QRPER for 10% Discount!)

Pack and Case

• Vintage Swiss Army Rucksack
• Ape Case Padded Camera Insert

Logging Supplies

• GraphGear 0.9mm 1000 Automatic Drafting Pencil
• Rite In The Rain Top Spiral Notebook

Battery

• Bioenno 3 Ah LiFePo Battery (Model BLF-1203AB)

Camera/Audio Gear

• DJI OSMO 4 action camera with Joby Telepod Sport Tripod
• DJI Wireless Microphones

On The Air

I started calling CQ POTA on 20 meters, thinking I’d eventually migrate to 30 meters if things slowed down.

Turns out, 20 meters kept me plenty busy.

I logged my first ten hunters in just eight minutes—the kind of fast-paced fun that makes POTA so addictive!

I stayed on the air for another 40 minutes and wrapped up the activation with 31 contacts. Among the regulars and familiar calls, a highlight was working HA9RE in Hungary. The last time I logged Elemer, I was operating my KX2 with the AX1 antenna at the Vance picnic shelter (2021). Thanks for hunting me again, Elemer!

QSO Map

Here’s what this six-watt activation looked like when plotted out on a QSO Map. Click on the map image to enlarge.

North America Detail:

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 YouTube monetization turned off, 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.

The K1 is so much fun!

As I’ve mentioned before, the Elecraft K1 is one of those radios that’s both a joy to operate and incredibly effective in the field. The audio and receiver performance are top-notch, and the rig itself is compact, lightweight, and—if you ask me—has a bit of a “cute factor.”

If you ever spot a K1 for sale, don’t hesitate to snap it up. They’ve been out of production for years and are only getting harder to find.

Just keep in mind that all K1s were built as kits, so always inspect the soldering job—quality can vary quite a bit from one unit to another. Also, they had a number of factory and user-installed options, like the internal ATU, noise-blanker, battery pack, and additional band modules, so take a close look at the radio (and any included documentation) to know exactly what you’re getting. A well-built K1 with all the right options is a true gem in the QRP world.

Thank you

Thanks for joining me on this activation! I hope you enjoyed the report and video as much as I enjoyed putting them together.

A big shoutout to those of you who support QRPer.com and the YouTube channel via Patreon, and the Coffee Fund. While never expected, your support means the world to me—and makes it possible to keep this content freely available for everyone.

As a bonus, Patreon’s integration with Vimeo lets me share downloadable, ad-free videos—and it also serves as a third backup for my archives.

Thanks again for spending a little of your day with me!

Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

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