By Teri KO4WFP
Jonathan KM4CFT reached out to me recently to inquire if I was interested in trying his CFT1 QRP transceiver. The inquiry both surprised and delighted me as I’ve never had such an opportunity.
I nearly said no because I am no antenna expert and, as this rig has no internal antenna tuner, I’d need to learn more about antennas, SWR, and resonance.
My limited antenna experience dates back to when I first entered the hobby. I had ZERO antennas and no idea where to start. An acquaintance suggested I make a home-brew linked dipole and gave me a few pointers in doing so. I vividly remember limping through learning how to trim an antenna. That project taught me that I want as low a SWR as possible and to cut the antenna for the portion of the band on which I want to operate.
Those of you who read my articles here on QRPer know that I use an Elecraft KX2 for my field operations. I’m very happy with this radio and love that it has an internal antenna tuner. But the CTF1 does not. Here is where my hesitation and trepidation at trying this unit entered the picture. I figured the antennas I use on a regular basis might not play nice with the CFT1 and hence my reluctance to say “yes” to this opportunity.
But this is ham radio, right? In ham radio, we relish challenges because they are opportunities to learn. This was my opportunity to learn not only about antennas in general but also to be more thoughtful as to how I deploy them in the field. This was an opportunity for growth.
I dug out the RigExpert Stick antenna analyzer I purchased nearly three years ago and tested each of the antennas I currently have, just for jollies. I understand that many factors impact SWR – height of the antenna, coax length, proximity of other objects, etc. For the purpose of this exercise, I just wanted a ball park idea as to what antennas I could or could not use with this rig without a tuner.
I found both the home-brew linked dipole and the Chelegance MC-750 would work fine. Out were the EFRW and AX1. As I’d been hankering for an EFHW in my kit, I purchased the Sparkplug EFHW and trimmed it. These kinds of projects intimidate me because I do not have much experience with them; however, one cannot learn what one does not attempt.
I used the CFT1 on three activations: April 25th at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) (US-0522) with the Chelegance MC-750, April 30th at the refuge again but this time with the Sparkplug EFHW, and Thursday, May 1st at George L. Smith State Park (US-2179) with the Chelegance again.
It was a warm day at the refuge on April 25th. I selected an open area in which I had set up in the past. There were wild blackberries growing directly under the oaks in the shade. The view was lovely and, when not engaged with the activation, the red-wing blackbirds, coots, and other birds kept me entertained. Unfortunately for me, the sun moved out behind the oak trees not long after I arrived and I soon called QRT to avoid being baked.
I was pleased with the QSO map for this activation – 27 contacts on 40, 20, and 17 meters over the course of an hour and a half.
My second experience with the CFT1 was on April 30th, again at the Savannah NWR, however, this time using the Sparkplug EFHW. I found a different spot, one I passed up before but was usable today as it was freshly mowed. There were wonderful, tall oak trees at this location which afforded shade and high, unencumbered branches for installing an antenna aloft.
I had plenty of time to play radio this day. I worked 57 stations over the course of three hours which included six park-to-park QSOs – Owen NA2MM, Ed N2GSL, John N2YC, Chris K0BUF, Ken WD9DWX, and Martin N9WPY (thank you, gentlemen).
This day was also the first time I saw the alligators out in force at the refuge – ten spotted along the wildlife drive. I also spotted swallowtail kites, black and white birds with sweeping forked-shaped tails. They migrate here for the summer and are known to eat their prey (they love dragonflies) in flight. On the 25th, I spied just one bird but on this day, I saw three! Watching them is a privilege indeed.
My final activation with the CFT1 occurred at George L. Smith State Park on Thursday, May 1st. I’d been hankering to return and retrieve the throw weight I lost lodged in a pine tree previously at this park.
Daisy accompanied me this day since leashed dogs are allowed here. Before activating, we walked the same trail as on our previous visit for the Georgia State Parks on the Air event. Daisy has slowed down quite a bit this year so we took our time. She rested when I took frequent breaks to watch water striders and a damselfly as well as identify bird calls (Great Crested Flycatcher and Eastern Towhee) and a plasmodial slime mold.
I was thrilled to find storms had saved me the trouble of dislodging my throw weight. It was lying under the pine tree in the pine straw, twigs, and vines!
After returning from our hike, I set up near the mill along the lake. There was enough shade for both Daisy and me. She promptly took a nap while I set up the Chelegance MC-750 and got down to the business.
The bands were rough this day. It took an hour to get 11 contacts. (Ouch) This is ham radio, though. You never know what band conditions are going to be like. You do the best you can with what the ionosphere gives you. Would I have liked more contacts? Sure. However, I got to spend the morning on a walk with Daisy and learn about the various creatures we encountered, afterwards playing radio with a lovely view of the lake. Nothing to complain about there.
What about the CFT1? The rig performed well in my assessment though keep in mind, the only other QRP rig I’ve used is the KX2. The RSTs I received were in a similar range as that of the KX2. Of course, propagation fluctuates so one cannot make an apple-to-apple comparison. The CFT1 is simple and straightforward to operate and I really like that.
I did have three concerns with this rig. The first is that you cannot control the monitor volume separately and have to open the rig to adjust it. This may be a minor concern for most people, but I often tweak my monitor level on the KX2 depending on conditions and whether I make a video recording of the activation. However, I’ve been told it is common in this class of radio for the sidetone volume to be tied to the audio gain.
The second concern is, according to the rig’s specifications, the rig’s output jumps to 8 watts on 40 meters. I recently purchased the N6ARA MiniSWR – a QRP external antenna tuner – and the specifications state it is rated for 3-5 watts. If I use an antenna like the AX1 or the EFRW, I figured I could not use the MiniSWR with the CFT1 on 40 meters.
I reached out to Jonathan about this issue and he felt the N6ARA MiniSWR would work fine with 8 watts provided you do not tune for extended periods. He also said that Ara was a beta tester for the CFT1 and designed the 40-15 version of the MiniSWR to be used with this rig. He said he’d reach out to Ara to see if there were any issues with the tuner on 40 meters but I did not receive a response before this article ran.
The third concern is the price. The CFT1 costs $400 fully assembled. I am traveling to Canada this summer and want to add a second QRP rig to my kit. I debated between the QMX by QRP Labs and the CFT1. I ended up purchasing the QMX mostly because of the price. I understand that the QMX costs less to a great extent because it is made overseas and in larger quantities. That being said, if I did not already have the KX2 and was purchasing my first QRP rig, I’d seriously consider the CFT1, partially because of its ease of use but also because, in the responses I received from Jonathan, the rig appears to be well thought out.
All in all, I enjoyed using the CFT1 and appreciate the opportunity to learn about this QRP rig. In the process, I also learned more about antennas and added a new one to my kit (the Sparkplug EFHW). There is always something one can learn in this hobby – either about electronics or equipment or operating – or when it comes to POTA, the natural environment around us.
Equipment Used
[Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]
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- CFT1 QRP Transceiver
- Bioenno 12V 15 Ah LiFePO4 battery (overkill for this rig but what I had on hand from POTA with the Yaesu FT-891)
- CW Morse Single Paddle Cootie Key
- BaMaTech III Paddle
- Sparkplug 50-watt EFHW antenna
- Chelegance MC-750 100-watt antenna
- Chelegance MC-750 tripod
- 50 ‘ length Tufteln RG-316 Coax
- Tufteln Knee Board
- Helinox Zero High-back Chair
- Weaver Throw Weight
- Marlow Excel Throw Line
- iPhone 16 Pro
Order and build a CFG1 with any assistance you might need. I built one on the dining room table in our rented condo in Florida this winter. It’s a great first time build and just the feel of using something you have built yourself makes every contact extra special. The four built in cw memories are very helpful in POTA.
The QMX has too many built in features and just the learning curve for features you don’t need or use can detract you from your first love, POTA, and can cause you frustration when an inadvertent button push makes it do something you aren’t wanting or don’t remember how to undo.
And remember having two rigs is a safety feature. Even KX2s do have their issues from time to time.
I have both the KX2 and CFT1 (and QMX+) and find the CFT1 meets most of my portable needs in a nice form factor.
Dave:
I do not have time to build a radio given the commitments on my plate right now. I agree that having a second QRP rig is a good idea. There is a reason the military motto – “Two is one and one is none” – exists.
I appreciate the heads up about the menus/buttons on the QMX. The rig should arrive in time for me to familiarize myself with it before my trip.
Thanks for your comment and helpful information.
72,
Teri KO4WFP
The POTA Babe
Teri-
A great post, and I don’t comment often. Great pictures!
The wild blackberries are known as ‘dewberries’. Both they and blackberries are members of the rose family- with about 200 species. We have them in a meadow across the road from us. 72- Dave, K1SWL
Dave:
I appreciate the feedback on the photos. Photos are an important part of sharing a story. I upgraded this year from an iPhone 11 to an iPhone 16 Pro specifically with photos and video in mind. I am very happy with the capability of the iPhone 16 Pro and now use it for all my photos and most of the video I capture.
As I mentioned at the end of the article, there is always something to learn so thank you for educating me as to the dewberries.
I am glad you enjoyed the article.
72,
Teri KO4WFP
The POTA Babe
Teri,
Thanks for the QSO on the CFT1 on April 30 to Colorado. I have both the CFT1 and the QMX. One point…the finals in the CFT1 are much more robust than the QMX and will tolerate a poor SWR. A 3.0 SWR would not worry me with the CFT1 but would be risky with the QMX. Both are great rigs.
Brad, AB4BA
Brad:
I appreciate the heads up about the finals in the QMX and will keep that in mind. You are welcome about the QSO and I hope to see you on the air again.
72,
Teri KO4WFP
The POTA Babe
Thanks for the article – interesting for sure – what where your thots on the spark plug antenna – it interests me – thanks and 73 Brian VE7JYD
Brian:
As for the Sparkplug EFHW, I’d like to use it more before sharing my thoughts. I’ve had only two POTAs with it – the one with the CFT1 and one about a week later with the KX2, but the latter POTA was on a day with really poor band conditions. (We seem to have had a lot of that lately.)
I am glad you found the article interesting.
72,
Teri KO4WFP
The POTA Babe
But were you able to dislodge your throw weight?!?!
Ian:
Yes! Actually, I suspect weather (storms in the past few weeks) dislodged the throw weight. I found it on the ground under the tree. It is now back in my possession, ready to be used on a future activation. Hopefully, the POTA Babe and her throw weight will live happily ever after.
Thanks for your question, Ian.
72,
Teri KO4WFP
The POTA Babe
Greetings Teri !
I like your matching shoe laces to your throw string and that turtle that was wondering what you were up to.
I wanted to let you know about these WAGO 221-2411 Wire Connectors, Lever Nuts Connectors.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR53N1BV?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
They have a nice case with a strong dual lever that allows you with your EFHW or dipole to add sections FAST for different frequencies, press both levers down and your locked in on both sides for your stripped wire. Say you wanted to try 60 meter USB, no problem to add a length for the EFHW or that 40 meter dipole or do 75 or 80 meters etc. Watch those alligators in those back woods areas. I saw a U-tube video of one jumping up at least 4 feet to snap a quad copter down that was hovering above it. Don’t underestimate them.
Also you might try in line for SSB one of those TenTec Model 715 which is a true….RF speech processor.
It has (higher ratio of average-to-peak power from a lower power SSB transmitter) compared to traditional AF clipping, AF compression, or RF compression found in typical HF transceivers. I shut off compression and equalization in the rig and just run with this little unit. You can adjust the band-pass for narrow for DX or natural voice. I was the one who let you know about that portable chair with sun shade
Have fun !
Rich:
Thank you for the recommendations. I’ll check them out. I’ve been thinking about building another homebrew antenna just for learning sake. The connectors would work fine for that.
You are correct about the gators. They can move very fast in a burst of speed when they want to. The wonders of the camera and lenses I use make them seem much closer than they actually are. This POTA Babe wants to continue doing POTA and not become someone’s lunch – hi hi.
It great to hear from you again. Keep having fun in the hobby!
72,
Teri KO4WFP
The POTA Babe
Teri,
Another great article.
I have to add that you can’t go wrong with the QMX. It is a solid radio with a great receiver, wonderful CW filtering and, should you ever do FT8, a sound card built in – plus features like a built-in SWR bridge capability (oh, and now SSB too). I love mine and actually prefer it to my KX2 and KX3 for weight, simplicity and portability when hiking.
I hear that the CFT1 is really nice but just in case you have any second thoughts – I thought that I’d add a little support for the QMX too!
72 de Scott, KK6IK
Scott:
I had a difficult time choosing between the QMX and CFT1. It wouldn’t surprise me if I end up with both in my portable kit eventually because having options is good. I never thought I’d be an op with multiple QRP rigs but it appears I am headed that direction – hi hi.
I very much appreciate your comment and vote for the “QMX Team”. I look forward to working with the rig this summer.
72,
Teri KO4WFP
The POTA Babe
I agree. You need options. True.
Hi Terry and just wanted to add a few comments. I just purchased a kit version of the CFT1 from Johnathan at the Hamvention in Xenia and plan to build and operate it as another rig for portable use. I already have too many great rigs- mostly Elecraft but after playing with one last fall at the Pacificon Hamfest, I decided to pick one up as the extremely good audio and very low noise floor was impressive-much like the Pentek rigs that Thomas K4SWL uses often. That plus the ease of operation sold me. A couple of issues with the QMX that I chose not to deal with are (as mentioned) the complicated menu system plus less flexibility for slightly mis matched antennas. In addition note that you have to be very careful not to power the QMX with more than 12 volts, which rules out batteries such as the Bioenno LifePo4 unless you use a battery buck unit to reduce the voltage to 12V. TMost LifePo4 s put out almost 14 V. These certainly aren’t insurmountable problems, but for me I didn’t want to have to alter my current setup for one radio compared to the rest of my rigs.
For antennas , I have various options and a couple of very capable antenna tuners- the ZM2 from Emtech and a neat homebrew unit from a friend. One thing I wanted to point out is that Ara’s (K6ARA) unit you mentioned isn’t an antenna tuner but rather a handy little SWR meter for portable QRP work. You’ll still need a tuner to bring the antenna close to 50 ohms as ‘ seen’ by the radio for maximum power transfer to the antenna, and to protect the radio from high SWR. The Elecraft T1 is also a superb stand alone tuner , but these days very spendy unless you find a used one. And there’s other options for tuners at the QRP level. The ZM2 is a kit, but not complicated and a very flexible unit as it’s small and versatile- with a built in SWR indicator and will tune random wires, end feds, coax antennas and open wire feed lines. Good luck and as you said, there’s always a learning curve.
Ł
Dan:
Thank you so much for your detailed comment. In light of the information you shared plus what others mentioned, I just cancelled my order for the QMX and placed an order for the CFT1 already built. I love learning and the details of what does and doesn’t work well, the ins and outs of equipment is interesting. However, at the end of the day, what I love MOST about ham radio is actually getting on the air and communicating with others. The CFT1 seems like a better fit for my interests in the hobby.
I also appreciate the recommendation for the ZM2. I am NOT an electronics guru but I’ve built a few things so I’ll give this unit a go. I want to experiment and learn more about antennas after this experience with the CFT1 so having a tuner in my kit will be helpful.
Yes, there is a learning curve in this hobby. Sometimes it makes me groan (like deciding to change my order for the QMX) but other times it is exciting. I LOVE to learn and this hobby never disappoints me in that aspect. I appreciate hams like yourself sharing your knowledge and willing to educate a fellow ham on her journey.
72,
Teri KO4WFP
The POTA Babe
Absolutely! We are all on a learning curve. I’ve been at this for years and years still feel I’ve just barely scratched the surface. I attended the FDIM conference last weekend and boy do I have a lot to learn. I just want to add that I think the QMX is a great radio and for many operators they’ll be very pleased with it. So much of our choices is individual depending on our operating style and what clicks with us. Hans Summers made a brilliant presentation on his path to bring SSB to the QMX, and what was ironically funny was that Johnathan KM4CFT,designer of the CFT won a QMX in a drawing at FDIM,and Hans won a Zbitx which is Asher Farman’s’ design. This is also an interesting rig and I got to see it in action at a POTA activation by Vince VE6LK. Johnathan was hoping that Asher would win a CFT just to complete the circle! They all have enormous respect for each other,which is great. We are truly blessed to have such great choices right now for QRP radios. I think you’ll find the ZM2 to be a fun a pretty simple kit and the size and functionality are very nice. Again there’s a number of good choices for antenna tuners worth considering. And Aras’ little mini SWR device can be very useful. Now I just need to find some time to build my CFT-maybe we can do a P2P/CFT when we’re ready!
Dan:
Well, it looks like I will end up with BOTH the CFT1 and the QMX afterall. I sent an email requesting the QMX order be cancelled but no one at QRP Labs has read it! So I’ve asked them to go ahead and send the assembled radio when it is done. The CFT1 shipped yesterday. I figure I better get both radios anyway given the economic uncertainty and price increases the tariffs have caused.
I love the irony of the FDIM story you shared. But then, that is what ham radio is about – cooperation and respect RATHER than competition. (At least that is my approach in ham radio.)
I ordered the ZM-2 kit after watching a few videos and reading reviews. I’m headed out on the road for a bit but will assemble the unit when I get back. Building the kit (including winding the toroids) will be a good learning experience for me but not as overwhelming as a rig might be.
As you said, we are all on a learning curve. There is so much one can experience and learn in this hobby and I love that.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, Dan.
72,
Teri KO4WFP
The POTA Babe
That’s great! You can’t have too many radios-just look at Thomas! Although I think you’ll find that the CFT1 is a bit more field friendly I’m sure you’ll sort out the QMX and put it to good use. Enjoy the build of the ZM2. If you haven’t done toroids yet I strongly recommend practicing the ‘solder blob’ method where you use solder and your hot iron to melt the insulation off of the ends of the magnet wire rather than scraping or sanding the insulation off. That can weaken the wire,plus using the blob method pre tins the wire which makes soldering into the circuit board much easier. With some practice you’ll get the hang of it. Now off to start my build of the CFT1 kit. Good luck.
Great write-up! Love the pictures and extra non radio details of your adventure! We keep looking for alligators at the places we go, but so far we haven’t seen any.
Mike:
Thanks for your comment. Glad you enjoyed the article.
After agonizing over which rig to choose, it looks like I won’t have to choose afterall. As per my comment above, it looks like I will end up with both the CFT1 AND the QMX. More ham radio fun, right? That should keep me plenty busy (coupled with a tuner kit to build and new antennas) in portable operations for some time.
72,
Teri KO4WFP
The POTA Babe
Teri, what about an antenna with incorporated matchbsox )
https://qrper.net/viewtopic.php?p=1465#p1465
that may fit rigs w/o an internal ATU and will be usable on harmonics
Andrew:
Oh, Andrew. You are determined to help me learn more about antennas.
I’ve decided to take a deeper dive into antennas later this year when I’ll have more time. I’ve got enough on my plate this summer with two trips and new gear to learn how to use plus several projects. I’ve bookmarked the site you referenced.
Thanks for the comments you share on my articles. I appreciate them.
72,
Teri KO4WFP
The POTA Babe