by Micah N4MJL
Recently, I examined the POTA app map and discovered a new yellow dot along my work commute that I had not yet activated. I have activated most of the POTA parks between Charlotte, NC and my home in Virginia that are not too far off my route of travel.
Upon further investigation, I learned that the new yellow dot belonged to the Yadkin River State Trail (US-12320). It is over 200 miles long. I chose to attempt activating from the Yadkin River Park on the Davidson County side of the river, just off I-85.
There is a nice walking bridge over the river with benches and historical signs along the walking trail. I thought about activating from one of the benches on the bridge, but there are some large power lines going over the bridge, making some heavy RFI noise on my KH-1.
After exploring the established walking trail, I found some makeshift chairs down by the riverside. It was pretty muddy, and I didn’t feel like wallowing in the mud while throwing a wire in a tree. I decided to use my Elecraft KH-1 whip antenna in the pedestrian mobile configuration.
As soon as I started calling CQ, a swarm of mosquitoes started feasting upon me. It didn’t help that I was wearing shorts and flip-flops.
I had just finished flying a four-day trip in Charlotte (CLT) and was on my way home. I had changed out of my uniform at a rest stop right before this activation. I was supposed to fly three flights today, but because of a maintenance delay, crew scheduling had already re-crewed my last two flights. I was getting home six hours early and getting paid! It usually doesn’t turn out this well for me. Normally, I’m getting junior manned into flying into my day off.
My first couple of contacts on the 20M band came quickly. I logged 8 contacts on the 20M band before they petered out. I noticed that there was a lot of QSB fading occurring. I tried tuning in other activators throughout the country who I should have been hearing just fine on 20M with no success.
My first two contacts on 20M were from Colorado and Arizona. After the 20M band died a silent death, I put on the AXE1 40M loaded coil antenna extender and threw out the longer counterpoise. I was able to log 5 more contacts on the 40M band and 1 contact on the 30M band.
After just over one hour calling CQ, I was able to get 14 contacts with two P2P.
Some people on the POTA Facebook page have commented on my activation photos that the KH-1 whip antenna is “garbage.” I do not think this is the case.
I have lost count of the number of POTA parks that I have successfully activated using the KH-1 whip antenna. Obviously, I would prefer to get a wire up in a tree when possible instead of using the whip antenna. However, many of the parks that I have activated would not have allowed a wire to be hung in a tree. I like using a very small stealth setup that does not attract much attention. I am always surprised when stations start calling me back.
I have also failed to activate many parks due to current band conditions/choice in whip antenna. But these are the things that make ham radio fun.
Small Success Story:
Before I started the activation, I noticed this sign for Davidson County. I took a picture of it so that I would remember to give credit for specific counties in the Logbook of the World for my hunters.
During the activation, after my second contact on 20M, I started getting QRM from close-by stations. The KH1 doesn’t have great filters, and the QSB from stations fading in/out was starting to get confusing. When I finally realized that a station was calling me, sending very slowly with repeats, I realized this station was asking what county I was located in. I grabbed my phone to look at this picture and sent him “QTH Davidson County” twice. The other station responded back with “RR TU 73..”
I am pretty sure it was one of the two stations I had already finished with who was calling me back. Unfortunately, the band conditions were getting bad. The RBN had not picked me up for a bit, and another POTA station started calling CQ right on top of me. The joys of activating QRP during the current solar conditions.
As you all know, I am a very green op! Anything outside of the canned POTA QSO does get difficult for me to copy. I can run my POTA exchanges at 18–20 WPM, but in order to keep up with a ragchew, I’m operating at about the 10–12 WPM range. So for me to copy a message outside of the canned CW POTA exchange during an activation is a small victory for me on my CW journey.
Since the bands have been in pretty rough shape lately, I have been practicing more CW copying with ARRL QST Bulletins from the W1AW archives. It is an awesome resource for new CW ops like myself. You can listen to parts of QST magazine sent in CW, ranging in speeds as slow as 5 WPM up to 40 WPM. After you listen to the message, you can click on the text file to read/grade yourself on what was sent.
13 WPM Code Archive
I give myself an 80%–90% accuracy score at 13 WPM copy. Unfortunately, my copy accuracy takes a giant nosedive when I go up to the next speed of 15 WPM.
In addition to listening to W1AW, I have been playing a lot of MorseRunner. It is a free program that simulates running a contesting station with or without a simulated pile-up. I have been practicing receiving stations from 18–26 WPM. I enjoy trying to break my previous scores copying international and domestic callsigns.
During my long drives commuting to/from work, I have been using Morse Code Ninja.
Practice · Morse Code Ninja
This has been instrumental in my pursuit of head copy. There are numerous exercises, with hyperlinks to many different speeds. The hyperlinks’ default setting opens YouTube, where you can listen to the sessions.
I recommend doing the bulk downloads. This gives you the option to do a bulk download at your chosen speed to your media player of choice. I have downloaded all of the 20 WPM lessons into my iPhone podcast app for offline use. This allows me to access them without being connected to cell or Wi-Fi. I have been working my way through all of the 20 WPM lessons.
The 5-letter word lesson that I am currently working through is just over 5 hours of riveting CW material! I’m definitely not near the land of head copying, but I’m slowly working my way there!
72 and thanks for hunting!
~ N4MJL
Very enjoyable article.
Thank you,
de Jeff WD4ET
Wow, Micah! You’re doing a brilliant job with your CW, and it’s clear you’ve got some serious dedication to it.
I love that you’re using commute time for code practice—such an effective use of those hours. And yes, having everything downloaded for offline use really makes a difference.
I couldn’t agree more about the KH1 whip antenna—and the AX1, AX2, and AX3, for that matter. I use them frequently during activations. A few times a year, someone (usually not from our QRPer community) will discover one of my videos or reports and email me to say how ineffective those antennas are. The funny part is, I almost always complete activations with them—unless the bands are truly in the dumps.
Just a few weeks ago, I only had a one-hour window and brought the KH1 along because it was already in the car, despite rough propagation. I ran out of time with just 2 or 3 contacts short of a valid activation. No big deal. 🙂 Later that day, a reader mentioned they ran QRO just to ensure they could validate within their 90-minute window. Honestly, I’m not sure I would’ve done any better with an EFHW. Maybe, maybe not!
What I do know is this: it was still way more fun getting on the air than sitting it out!
Another great report, Micah—thank you for sharing!
Cheers,
Thomas
K4SWL (or VY2SW at the moment!)
Don’t worry about what other operators say about your choice of antenna. Sure, we would all like to take a Sterba Curtain antenna with us, but the best antenna is the one you brought with you.
Congratulations on your success with CW – perfect mode for your activities.
Hope to work you soon.
Steve hit the nail on the head with ‘best antenna is the one you have.’ You may miss some contacts with the whip, but you’ll miss 100% of the contacts with no antenna! Sure, the whip is not as good as a bigger and higher antenna, but it still works.
Regarding the KH1 built-in whip antenna system – is it the best antenna for QRP ever made? No. Will you make contacts and activate parks and summits? Yes!
Another great post, thanks!
Yep, any time you mention the whip on either the KH1 or KX2 Facebook group some troll will come along and tell you how bad it is. Well, I’ve never used any antenna other than the whip on my KH1, and I have worked 13 countries with it. Best DX was 9A/F5SNJ in Croatia, who was operating from 9A1TT at a distance of 5059 miles (1012 miles per watt).
W1AW code practice is a great resource! Although not as convenient as the online files, I like the on-air practice because it takes you through the whole range of speeds, going from fast to slow and then slow to fast on alternate days. Going up helps to push yourself by continuing to a speed beyond where you are comfortable, and then coming down from the faster speeds, your comfortable speed starts to sound slow and easy!
Enjoyed reading your post.
Once you can make a contact on your antenna, it is working.
73 de N2NWK
POTA ON!
Great post! Flip-flops and shorts sound dangerous in summertime NC/VA!
Congrat’s on copying that query outside the POTA script: I resonated with that piece of the story particularly. It’s a good sign of progress doing that.
Re: antenna: you were out in the field, activating a park. Your critics were at home making trouble on a forum. Who was the more successful radio operator in that exchange?
I, too, have enjoyed using MCNinja recordings on long car trips. However, I seem to have taken to heart admonitions to relax while listening to CW: now those sound files make me incredibly sleepy. No matter the time of day, it’s like a Pavolvian response! I don’t play them when I have family in the car, and I’m growing wary of playing them when I’m in the car alone! But what better way to redeem lost hours of travel?!?
73 de Todd W2TEF
Micah, it sounds like you’re doing everything right and succeeding . You love CW and are working at it. 15 wpm will come, perhaps surprising you one day.
Back in the 90s I had a blast with my NorCal 40a (1 1/2 watts) and a hamstick antenna on the roof of our Suburban. I had many very nice QSOs with it. Your set up reminds me of it.
72,
George KG8DA
Excellent and informative report. Hope you get another chance along the Yadkin after cold weather kills the mosquitos 🙂 — n4gf