In late August 2024, I came across what I considered a great deal on a fantastic radio, which I’m excited to share with you in the following field report.
Please note that this POTA (Parks On The Air) activation took place on September 5, 2024 (almost exactly two months ago)—three weeks before Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina. This is one of a few field reports and activation videos I’ll be sharing that took place before Helene’s arrival.
I haven’t been back to the Vance State Historic Site since the storm, as it’s been closed. Located in the Reems Creek valley, the site likely experienced extensive flooding. I hope this park can recover and reopen soon.
I hope you enjoy this field report and activation video. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reliving it while preparing this for you.
Thank you! Thomas (K4SWL)
Reunited with the Model 539
In late August, I was browsing the QTH.com classifieds when I spotted a radio I hadn’t seen for sale in some time: the Ten-Tec Argonaut VI QRP transceiver. This radio had been on my mental watchlist for years.
The seller was asking $440, which I considered a great deal for a radio that, to my knowledge, hasn’t been in production since Ten-Tec closed its Sevierville, TN factory in 2016.
This radio and I have some history together. I was one of the original volunteer Beta testers for the Argonaut VI and, in 2012, wrote a full review of the production model.
Ten-Tec offered me a chance to purchase my Beta unit (updated to full production specs) with a modest discount. But at the time, I simply couldn’t afford it; we’d just built our house, and I couldn’t justify the purchase, especially since I’d also reviewed and bought my Elecraft KX3 that same year.
I always planned to get an Argonaut VI eventually—better late than never, right?
As I mention in my activation video, I plan to make a “Getting to Know You” video for the Argonaut VI soon, so I won’t dive deep into why I love this radio here.
The takeaway? I feel the Argonaut VI has some of the best overall receiver performance of any radio I’ve used. It’s quirky and certainly not perfect, but its excellent receiver, filtering, audio, and QSK make it a benchmark QRP transceiver.
Getting Reacquainted
While the Argo VI was en route to my QTH, I wanted to refresh my memory on its operation.
Since it had been twelve years since I last used the Argonaut VI, I had to revisit my own review to remember some of its nuances!
When it arrived, I quickly put it on the air and operated it from my shack until I had a chance to take it to the field on Thursday, September 5, 2024.
Vance Historic Birthplace (US-6856)
As I always do with smaller POTA sites like Vance, I called ahead to make sure the picnic shelter wouldn’t be reserved at my arrival time. The park ranger replied, “It’s all yours, Thomas!”
The weather was nearly perfect that Thursday, with a hint of fall in the air.
En route to the site, I thought about my antenna options. Since the Argo VI doesn’t have a built-in ATU, I opted to use a resonant antenna for simplicity. In the end, I chose my Chelegance MC-750 vertical, which I set up next to the picnic shelter.
The MC-750 is a quarter-wave antenna, so I extended the telescoping whip for a match on the 20-meter band.
I don’t yet have a field kit specifically built around the Argonaut VI, so I simply brought along various accessories in my Husky weathertight storage box.
I set up the radio, tuned to 20 meters, checked my settings, and was ready to take the Argo VI on its first POTA activation!
Gear
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
For those who haven’t followed my previous posts, we live in a rural mountain community in Swannanoa, NC, and were hit hard by the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricane (later Tropical Storm) Helene. I’ve been sharing regular updates to chronicle our recovery efforts and, naturally, to highlight the vital role amateur radio has played throughout.
Normalization
Things are moving forward here with both our family and our community.
The past two weeks have involved the administrative tasks that come with the property damage from an event like Hurricane Helene: dealing with insurance/FEMA, banking, gathering estimates, budgeting for clean-up, arranging contractors, and so forth.
Last week, the adjuster for our vacation rental came out and was incredibly thorough. We learned that the tree landing on the roof not only poked through the master bedroom ceiling (which we knew) but also damaged the rafters on that side of the house.
Arborists removing the tree from our rental house in October.
The impact even separated the ceiling drywall from the walls, and the oak floors will need replacing. It will require more work than we initially anticipated.
The challenge now is getting this work done before spring of next year (when the tourist season starts back up). We’ll need to find contractors to work on both the vacation rental and our residence. Fortunately, the repairs to our home are less extensive and can wait until the rental is fixed.
Our neighbors on the road are also working through everything with their insurance. Now that the road is passable, adjusters can reach each house more easily.
We’re also setting up FEMA inspections to help cover some costs that insurance may not, such as debris removal and damage to the driveway and our multi-family road.
As I mentioned in a previous update, despite misinformation spreading around, FEMA has been excellent. They were among the first on-site, checking in on everyone post-Helene, arranging supply drops, and assisting with applications. We received initial assistance quite promptly.
Goodbye, Ella Sue
Another milestone: Our beloved Subaru Forester made its final journey.
This car, which has served as a fantastic POTA mobile over the years, accumulated nearly 150K miles with our family since 2017. It’s been a workhorse and still ran like new. While I dread the search for a replacement, we’re likely to get another Subaru, though it won’t be easy with the current shortage of used cars in our area post-storm. Any used car we consider will need a thorough inspection to ensure it wasn’t previously flooded.
Yesterday in town, we noticed a lot of temporary license plates, reflecting just how many people are replacing their vehicles post-Helene.
Thankfully, we still have the C40, so we’re not in a hurry.
Our Subaru went through a lot over the years. You might remember when a bear got in and tore up the interior after opening all four doors looking for food, even though we’d been careful to remove everything edible. Earlier this year, it was rear-ended by a one-ton truck on I-40 and still got us safely to my mother’s funeral on time.
Then, during Helene, two trees landed on the hood. When the tow company arrived, they managed to start it up and drive it down the hill, even though the engine had been pinned under heavy trees for over a week.
Ella Sue was tough!
More Aftermath
This community church on Bee Tree Road was completely destroyed.
As more local roads open, we’re seeing a clearer picture of what happened along the Swannanoa River.
Yesterday, my wife and I drove down Old Hwy 70 for a dentist appointment and saw that the flood line had reached over one story high in places. Trees along the road were littered with debris swept down by the floodwaters, including clothing, toys, roofing materials, and even vehicles wrapped around trunks.
Heather and I noticed a park bench still lodged high in a tree, the same one I spotted during my mountain bike ride into Black Mountain in late September–two days after Helene hit
The railroad through Buncombe county was damaged severely. Check out this hi-rail ballast dump truck we spotted in Black Mountain.
Driving along that stretch, it looked as though the flood had just happened, even though it’s been over a month. A large section of Old 70 remains closed for road repairs, and piles of debris still line the road—remnants of so many homes and businesses.
I didn’t take photos along Old Hwy 70 because I was driving, and there were too many construction vehicles working to repair the road and clear away debris. Even after a month, the sheer amount of debris—pieces of people’s lives—piled up along the road was staggering, and it’s taken this long just to clear a path.
Gratitude
Seeing all this, we’re so grateful that none of our friends or family lost their lives in this storm. The official death toll for NC has exceeded 100, with some people still unaccounted for.
Our GMRS radio network is coming together here on our road and in the valley.
I tested our new repeater, and it’s working beautifully across the entire road, even handling a 1,000’ (305m) elevation change. I can reach it from Swannanoa, Black Mountain, and even parts of east Asheville.
I’m currently evaluating handheld GMRS radios to recommend models that work best for our neighbors.
The UV-5G Plus programmed with our repeater and simplex frequency.
I should have received both of these radios a week ago, but Amazon shipping to Swannanoa is still problematic. Even though I’ve been sending all of my shipments to official Amazon lockers (instead of to our post office) both radios from separate orders failed to deliver. Amazon cancelled the orders and I called customer service to have them replaced.
Delivery disruptions like this are understandable given the circumstances. Patience is key!
If anyone has other recommendations for GMRS handhelds with USB-C charging, please let me know in the comments. I’ll eventually post a review of all these models.
Four Words: Thank you so much!
As always, I’m incredibly grateful for the kindness and support from this community. If I haven’t responded to your emails or comments yet, please know it’s because I’ve been focused on helping my family and neighbors.
A special thank you to Vince (VE6LK), who managed QRPer.com for all of October—a massive help! Since things are starting to normalize here, I’m ready to resume site management.
To everyone who reached out with messages (well over 300!), thank you so much. Though I may not be able to reply to all of them, please know I’ve read every word, and your support means the world to us.
Thank you all for being such an incredible community and support network!
Many thanks to John Hartzell (W3HN) and Zach Hartzell (NI4K) who share the following guest post:
Activating Grassy Mountain, GA for SOTA and two POTA parks at the same time (all while figuring out what not to do next time)
by John (W3HN) and Zach (NI4K)
Sometime in early 2024, my son Zach contacted me and said, “Dad, the Georgia SOTA and POTA folks are having a campout in October. Why don’t you visit us in Atlanta and we can go camping, meet some fellow hams, and activate a SOTA peak or two?” It made sense, as Zach had become the most active ham in the family, had taught himself CW, loved an excuse to go camping, was a natural organizer, and had been the impetus for my handful of POTA activations. And it was all easier now that I had retired in December 2023.
The “campout” was the W4SOTA campout, planned for Wednesday, October 2 through Sunday, October 6, 2024, at the Lake Rabun Beach Campground at the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. Zach got his camping vehicle, Thor the Taco truck, ready for the jaunt. A Taco truck (for the handful of folks out there that don’t know this), is a Toyota Tacoma pick-up.
“Thor” is the name the truck acquired because of its imposing demeanor.
Thor at Wind Cave National Park
It has four-wheel drive, a three-inch lift, the metric equivalent of 33” tires, a Go Fast Camper pop-up camper over the bed, an electric winch, a silly number of extra lights up front, and is equipped for some of Zach’s hobbies. Air compressor for mountain biking? Check. Back-up battery with separate charging system for ham radio and a 12-volt refrigerator? Check. A pullout kitchen with a sink and two-burner stove? Check.
Winter Field Day in Northern New Mexico
Both 2-meter FM and GMRS radios in the cab for communicating with your mountain biking and camping buddies on those weekends on western Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands? Check.
Thor in North Georgia
It even has 12-volt DC available via Anderson power connectors in the cab, because you never know when you might be driving cross country and come to a lonely park in serious need of a POTA activation.
Zach emailed me spreadsheets with gear lists and options. I ignored them, scribbled unintelligible notes on my yellow pads, and ended up bringing everything that might arguably be used for SOTA, POTA, Winter and Summer Field Days, or to run a 1970s era government emergency communications center. Truthfully, that is an exaggeration – I didn’t pack the warm clothes required for a Winter Field Day.
Zach paid for a campsite, and our trip south from Pennsylvania was planned, when everything came to a screeching halt on September 30, 2024. Hurricane Helene had severely damaged areas of Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia. Zach soon learned the original campout was cancelled when he received an electronic refund for the campsite. Some of the original attendees were unable to make it, including Thomas (K4SWL) who was reporting regularly on the devastation and challenges to his family and neighbors from his QTH outside of Swannanoa, North Carolina, just east of Asheville.
We couldn’t confirm if there was a substitute campout. Despite this, we decided to push on with a modified weekend. My wife and I drove south to Atlanta, Zach organized his gear, he helped me “sort” (i.e., drastically cut back) my gear from multiple plastic tubs, and we had use of a cabin near Ellijay, Georgia, within a short drive to the summit and parks Zach had mapped out. We decided we could pull this off, and on Friday, October 4, Zach and I loaded Thor and were soon booming north from Atlanta on US-575.
View from overlook on forest road leading to Conasuaga Lake, GA
Ellijay, Georgia is a nice town. After a lovely rooftop dinner, a good night’s sleep in a cabin in the woods, and a great breakfast at a local restaurant, Zach had Thor headed to our destination, Grassy Mountain, summit W4G/HC-007. In addition to having two hams activating this SOTA summit, Zach had determined that Grassy Mountain was located within two POTA parks, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest (US-4473), and Cohutta Wildlife Management Area (US-7446). So, if we were organized, we could provide a double-triple – two operators and three locations (a SOTA summit and two POTA parks).
In about 45 minutes Thor led us to a parking spot deep in the forest near the locked gate to the Grassy Mountain access trail. We donned our GORUCK rucksacks filled with radios, antennas, coax, water, sundry accessories, and a snack or two (we left the steel plates at home). The route up to the top of the summit was a mile and a half hike on rutted double-track, with a switchback a little over half way to the summit.
View from John’s operating position
Once atop the summit Zach and I assessed the site. It consisted of about one acre of cleared land, with what looked like a former fire watch tower in the corner of the cleared area. Zach and I broke out our KX2 Elecraft transceivers. Zach hooked his to a Tufteln 40-10 EFRW, mounted to a SOTA Beams carbon fiber telescopic mast. I deployed a EndFedz EFT-MTR 20/30/40 antenna in a sloper configuration, and tuned it up using the internal Elecraft tuner. Those were the bands I intended to use. I also had my Mountain Topper MTR-3B QRP transceiver, which might get some use, too. We also used some untested QRP bandpass filters found on eBay. They seemed to work, but will undergo more scientific testing to confirm their functionality.
Trying the Tufteln Kneeboard for the activation
Zach was racking up contacts on CW, but I was having difficulty on SSB. I had been trying to operate the antenna on 20 and 40 meters when it was configured for 30 meters – which we only realized when we took a gander at the antenna manual back at the cabin after we regained cell service. The SMA connector is removed to enable 30-meter operation, not installed. Bing! It is a testament to Elecraft that their antenna tuner is robust enough to handle that mismatch. It is also an excellent example of why you should read the equipment manuals for gear you don’t operate very often before your field effort!
Elevation is our friend to reach 42.5 miles (Grassy Mountain, GA to Blood Mountain, GA) on 2m FM
Zach had suggested we use 2 meter FM for the SOTA activation, in addition to HF, so we climbed the tower as far as we could and called on the 2-meter simplex calling frequency, 146.520 MHz. We each got two or three contacts on this frequency, as there were enough folks activating summits from the original plan for the W4SOTA weekend. Interestingly, they included N5FY, the owner of Tufteln, the manufacturer of Zach’s HF Antenna.
John (W3HN) and Zach (NI4K) at Grassy Mountain, GA Summit
Zach was able to use FT8 for a QSO using an Android Application called FT8 Radio on his phone, which was linked to his KX2 through a Digirig Mobile. My CW was still rusty despite some recent practice, so I stayed on HF SSB. We enjoyed the excellent weather, some good radio conditions, and had satisfied the requirements for all three activations after 90 minutes or so. We soon packed up, hiked down, and were soon buckled into Thor and navigating the dirt roads of the national forest.
Lessons Learned:
General Dwight D. Eisenhower, in discussing World War II, is alleged to have said “plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” Ike was a smart man. A bit more planning (at least on my part) would have made things more efficient.
It was a nice day for not just hams, and we had some visitors to the summit. Zach put on his public relations hat and adroitly educated these folks while I continued to try to contact folks on SSB with a 30-meter antenna tuned to 20 meters. We should have foreseen this and been better prepared (note: see item
Zach thought a good approach would be to contact folks on the 2-meter simplex calling frequency (146.520 MHz), and then to QSY to the 2-meter adventure frequency (which is 146.580 MHz). We did not try this, as we quickly had many QSOs on the calling frequency. It was a good idea, as it would keep the calling frequency from being over used for routine communications. However, I think there are two possible bugs in this ointment: (a) I am not sure hams know of the adventure frequency so that they have it in their 2-meter memory bank; and (b) if not in their memory bank, could hams quickly QSY to the frequency? It is not intuitive to change frequency for me on my HT, and I carry a laminated cheat sheet to help me with frequency changes (note: Zach will attest that radios more complicated than an HealthKit HW-16 cause me challenges, including many with dropdown menus, so this could be a personal hardship and not one shared with other hams).
Logging is important, evidence of the adage: “if you didn’t write it down, it didn’t happen.” I was a bit flustered when we got started, and my log soon looked like a Bletchley Park cipher sheet. A few more minutes at the beginning would have saved a lot of time at the end when piecing together the logs for upload to our friends at SOTA and POTA.
We were without cell coverage on the summit. We prospectively scheduled the activation with SOTA and POTA sites the night before, but we were off by a few hours when we started operating. Would it have been better to not spot ourselves, and then just start operating? I am not sure. Probably the best solution would have been to provide enough lead time in our plan to ensure the times included in our spots aligned with the actual operating times, even if it meant we had to wait on site before starting our activation.
This was the first time we used some of the gear, predominantly the 20/30/40 antenna. We recommend a practice assembly of all the gear with SWR meters, manuals (cell service to access missing manuals), culminating in QSOs using the equipment and modes desired for the activation (note: see again our friend, item 1). This occurred the day after the activation for the HF kits through “trouble shooting,” but we were able to program our 2 meter radios prior to departure which saved some time and frustration at the summit.
We had fun. Pushing yourself in a new direction can cause a touch of anxiety, but it also develops new ideas on how to handle things in the future and provides a sense of satisfaction once you’ve done it. I’m glad Zach had this idea. Perhaps we’ll try it again next year with all the regional SOTA and POTA folks!
As many of you know, I’m proud to be a regular on the Ham Radio Workbench podcast.
Last week, we published an episode focused on emergency communications, specifically my first-hand experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
When we recorded, our road was still without power, and we had no mobile data service. I was able to join the recording thanks to a high(ish)-speed internet connection via HughesNet and our whole-house solar power backup.
HRWB podcast episodes are long-format, allowing us to dive deeply into topics like this one. If you’re interested in listening, I encourage you to check it out on the HRWB website and even subscribe via iTunes, Android, and other platforms.
The next episode will also cover emergency communications, focusing on the question, “How would you plan for the next emergency?” It’s a roundtable discussion including Josh (K7OSH). It’ll appear here when published (likely, later this week).
I’d also add that joining my friends on the HRWB podcast recording was truly good for the soul. At that point, we were still in the early stages of cleanup after the disaster, and spending time with them in real-time was incredibly therapeutic.
As many of you know who’ve been following my Post-Helene updates, I simply haven’t had time to do POTA or SOTA activations. And even if I wanted to, most of the POTA sites around me are temporarily closed due to damage from Helene.
Truthfully, I didn’t start my day expecting a POTA activation. I’d planned, if anything, to make a short field radio video somewhere on my property, chase some POTA/SOTA stations, and make any other random contacts.
However, my daughter’s Shakespeare class decided to meet in person, so after dropping her off at 12:30, I had about two hours of free time. Before leaving home, I packed a couple of radio bags just in case I could find a spot for a POTA activation, or at least visit a local park to play radio for a bit.
I realized I was only a 20-minute drive from the Sycamore Flats picnic site in Pisgah National Forest (US-4510), where I’ve activated many times before. This site is in Transylvania County, which wasn’t hit as hard by Helene.
Google Maps showed the site as open, so I decided to drive over. Thankfully, it was correct! When I arrived, the front gate was open and there were a few visitors around.
I could tell the site had some storm damage—some tree limbs down and evidence of flooding from the Davidson River, which wraps around the area. The park service recently upgraded the picnic table pads, but the gravel had washed away, and many tables had either shifted or washed away.
That said, this site fared well compared to parks in Buncombe County. (Chimney Rock State Park is still inaccessible due to major flooding in the town of Chimney Rock.)
I hopped out, grabbed my backpack and TR-45L, and started recording my activation video.
Since no one was using the picnic shelter at the northeast end of the park (and it had no reservation sign), I set up there. I deployed my MM0OPX End-Fed Half-Wave antenna on a nearby tree, connected it to my TR-45L, and was ready to go!
Gear
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
For those who haven’t followed my previous posts, we live in a rural mountain community in Swannanoa, NC, and were hit hard by the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricane (later Tropical Storm) Helene. I’ve been sharing regular updates to chronicle our recovery efforts and, naturally, to highlight the vital role amateur radio has played throughout.
Since things have stabilized on our road, we’ve shifted focus to the administrative side of disaster recovery—insurance, FEMA, and contractors for repairs. I’ll dive into that in a future post.
Community Radio Update
It’s been a busy week. As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been evaluating options for the best off-grid communications network for our rural community. My VHF handy talkies were incredibly useful after the storm—when we had no other way to communicate between households—so much so that our neighbors want a permanent solution that everyone can access.
I truly appreciate all the helpful feedback from my last post.
Meshtastic
Some of you suggested Meshtastic as a great option, and I agree. Here’s why:
1. It requires no license.
2. It’s effective if enough nodes are deployed in the neighborhood.
3. It’s affordable.
Meshtastic is an off-grid, text-based communications network. I first experimented with it during Hamvention 2024, where hundreds of nodes were deployed across the Dayton, Ohio area. (Thanks again, N5FY, for the Meshtastic device!) I plan to introduce it to our community by setting up a few test nodes.
While Meshtastic is a great supplement to our off-grid communications, our neighbors prefer portable radios and voice communication. This allows us to run nets and pass traffic more easily while on the move.
Although Meshtastic is relatively simple for electronics hobbyists and makers, it’s still a bit quirky for the average person and not entirely user-friendly yet. I’m confident the system will evolve, but for now, I’ll hand-pick a few neighbors to experiment with it.
Other radio services
Many of you suggested MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service) as a good alternative, and I agree it’s better than FRS (Family Radio Service) for several reasons. However, our valley has significant elevation changes and is heavily forested. We need a system that supports higher-powered mobile/base units and external antennas, plus the option for a repeater, which MURS doesn’t allow.
CB Radio is also a great option except that the CB bands are a bit crowded and unruly here. I think it could be difficult finding a clear channel to run a neighborhood check-in net, for example. Still a good back-up comms option for any household.
Why Not Ham Radio?
Of course, many of you encouraged me to consider getting the neighborhood licensed with Technician class licenses. While I’d love for everyone to become ham radio operators, it’s a big ask, especially in the aftermath of Helene, when most people are focused on rebuilding their lives. That said, I’m thrilled that two neighbors have already expressed an interest in studying for their exams!
However, we need a more accessible radio solution that can be deployed immediately, and that’s where GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) and PLMRS (Private Land Mobile Radio Services) come in.
The two contenders
I’ve been weighing the pros and cons of both GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) and PLMRS (Private Land Mobile Radio Services). Both allow for a repeater, mobile/base stations, and external antennas with power levels up to 50 watts if needed. A well-placed repeater would ensure reliable communication throughout our valley, even with the 1,000-1,200 foot elevation changes, and allow us to expand the system to more households.
I was about to submit the paperwork for PLMRS frequency coordination when I realized I should consult with our local fire department first. If they had a strong preference, I needed to know before investing.
I put out a call on the Mount Mitchell (N2GE) repeater for Dennis (N4DIN) who is typically stationed at our main Swannanoa Fire Department. I couldn’t reach him, but I did get a call back from Dan (N2DMG) who just so happened to be in the Swannanoa area for the day.
Dan was the primary net control during the critical first 10 days after Helene, so you may recognize his voice if you listened to the Mitchell repeater on Broadcastify.
We arranged to meet at our mutual friend Ed’s (N4EDX) home. Ed has been a key figure in our community’s recovery efforts, and Dan also invited Randy (N2GE), the owner of the Mount Mitchell repeater.
Our community relied on all three of these fine hams post-Helene. It was pure serendipity that we were all able to meet on short notice yesterday morning.
A compelling case for GMRS
Here’s the funny part: Dan and I arrived at Ed’s house first and after catching up a bit, I asked for his advice about using either GMRS or PLMRS. He agreed that PLMRS might have a slight advantage over GMRS, but both were good options.
Then Randy arrived.
Dan asked him what he was up to that day and Randy said, “I’m going to install a new GMRS repeater on a summit here in Swannanoa.”
I asked Randy if the repeater would cover our valley and he replied, “Oh yeah. Easily. It’s an ideal location.”
Dan and I looked at each other and said, “Well, that settles it.”
I mean, what are the chances that I’d wake up yesterday morning and meet with the Mount Mitchell repeater owner, who just happens to be installing a new GMRS repeater to cover our community? Crazy, right?
From L to R: Thomas (K4SWL), Dan (K2DMG), Ed (N4EDX), and Randy (N2GE)
On top of that, Randy is the reason the Mount Mitchell repeater is so reliable and effective. If he’s installing a GMRS repeater, we know it’ll be done right.
So GMRS it is!
Randy mentioned the repeater would be up and running by Friday (!!!), and just like that, the burden of sourcing a repeater, a site, and licensing was lifted.
Thank you, Randy!
GMRS Radios
Now, here’s where I could use your help.
I’ve been researching GMRS radios, but the market is flooded with options, and reviews (websites and YouTube) are often unhelpful—many are just glorified product brochures based on free product. I’d love to hear from those of you who have actual experience with GMRS radios, especially handheld models that are:
• Easy to use and program (via USB or Bluetooth)
• USB-C rechargeable
• Rugged, possibly water-resistant or waterproof
• Have a standard antenna connector
• Well-reviewed by users
While I know some in our community already have GMRS radios, I’d like to standardize on a single model that I can recommend to neighbors. This way, I can program them consistently (via USB or Bluetooth), ensuring they all function the same. It will also make it much easier to teach everyone how to change channels and use the repeater effectively.
I’ve ordered a pair of Baofeng UV-5G Plus GMRS radios (this pair from Amazon–affiliate link) and plan to order a Tidradio TD-H8 based on Randy’s advice. I’d appreciate any additional suggestions!
Once I’ve selected a radio model, I’ll set up a series of community meetings/classes to teach everyone how to use the radios and how to participate in a community net.
Final thoughts…
As always, I’m deeply grateful for the kindness and support we’ve received. If I haven’t had a chance to reply to your emails or comments, please know it’s because I’ve been focused on helping my family and neighbors during this challenging time.
A huge thank you to Vince (VE6LK) and all the amazing contributors on QRPer.com! I’ve been enjoying all the guest field reports—it’s been a wonderful escape.
Thank you all for being such an incredible community and support network!
For those who haven’t followed my previous posts, we live in a rural mountain community in Swannanoa, NC, and were hit hard by the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricane (later Tropical Storm) Helene. I’ve been sharing regular updates to chronicle our recovery efforts and, naturally, to highlight the vital role amateur radio has played throughout.
As I mentioned in my last update, now that we have a road open to all vehicular traffic and our community has been reconnected to the grid, we’re all looking toward the future—our new “normal”—focusing on returning to work (those of us who have work to return to), repairing our property, and helping those in our community who are still in need.
The Vast Impact of Helene in WNC
Over the past three days, we’ve ventured further from home, and we’ve seen the broader impact of the storm in our county.
Many local businesses we relied on are simply gone. Grocery stores are still struggling to replenish refrigerated and frozen items, which means we must drive 35-40 minutes (one way) to find these essentials. Due to damaged or wiped-out bridges and road closures, the trip is longer than it used to be. All traffic is now concentrated on the functional roads, so driving times are extended even more.
Two local grocery stores, our pharmacy, post office, hardware store, produce store, and numerous restaurants were all flooded. Some have announced they will not re-open.
A woodworking shop my wife and I visited the day before Helene—where they were making a sign for us—was completely washed away. Only part of their cinder block walls remain.
The tire shop where we bought tires the day before the storm was severely damaged by flooding, as were the dozens of shops and stores nearby, including two grocery stores. Even our local Lowe’s in east Asheville was severely damaged by floodwaters. See photos here.
On Friday, I took my car to the dealership for a safety inspection follow-up and alignment. They were also flooded by about two feet of water, but were able to continue most operations. Their building had been stripped from the floor up to two feet for future repairs.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t perform the alignment because that machine was damaged. Fortunately, the general manager moved their entire inventory of cars to higher ground.
While driving through north Asheville a few days ago, I saw numerous historic homes split in half by large, old-growth trees.
The storm was selective. Areas within a 500-year floodplain were devastated. Some communities, like ours, faced tornadoes and high winds that downed many trees. Yet just a few miles away, there might be little sign of wind damage. Isolated communities along rivers—Chimney Rock, for example—were completely wiped out. Simply erased from the face of the planet.
Everyone I know has friends or family who lost their homes or businesses. Some even know those who lost their lives. The stories are heartbreaking and hard to process.
Our Booth Fairy in downtown Swannanoa. She was located opposite our World Central Kitchen center and offering free advice, compliments, hugs, slow claps, thumb wars, and more!
Despite everything, the community here is strong and resilient. I haven’t spoken to anyone who plans to leave permanently. Frankly, there are few places where you can be sure you’ll never face a natural disaster. Meteorologists believe big storm systems like Helene will become more frequent.
Back to (Some) Normalcy
At home, my daughters will return to their community college classes (they’re dual-enrolled as high school seniors) next Monday. It will have been a full month since they’ve been in class. One of my daughters’ Shakespeare classes resumed rehearsals last Friday after ensuring everyone could travel to the venue safely.
A few friends have pointed out that I’m starting to relax a bit, noting that I wrote an email that was all about radio. A good sign.
POTA and SOTA Plans?
This weekend, I told my wife, “You know? Maybe I could fit in a POTA activation this week. I think I’m ready.”
Of course, she fully endorses the idea.
There’s a small issue, though: to activate a POTA park, I’ll need to drive at least an hour away.
I checked this weekend, and all my local POTA sites are temporarily closed. This includes national parks, state parks, and historic sites. Even some trails I often activate, like the Mountains to Sea Trail, are only accessible via the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is also closed.
Pisgah National Forest is vast—tens of thousands of acres—so I might be able to find an accessible spot that isn’t barricaded. But I’m hesitant to activate a site that’s technically closed due to Helene–no matter how accessible.
One possibility is to combine a POTA activation with visiting my father in Hickory, NC. Most of the parks east of Hickory are open, as storm damage was minimal in those areas.
Someone recently suggested I take this time for a little SOTA, but that’s even more complicated than POTA. Many of the local summits I enjoy activating are either accessed via the closed Blue Ridge Parkway or trailheads on rural roads that have been damaged.
Even if I could reach a trailhead, most trails are likely littered with blowdowns, making the trek slow. Later this year, I hope to help with trail clean-up crews once more trailheads are accessible and my right shoulder has fully-recovered.
That said, I can reach some of the smaller summits in the foothills of NC when visiting my father. While there will likely be some blowdowns, I expect fewer than in the high country. If timing works out, I might be able to hit one!
If all goes well, I plan to make a video this week regardless—perhaps something from my property as I hunt stations. Who knows?
One thing’s for sure: I could use some proper radio therapy. Although I’ve been using radio heavily these past three weeks, it’s been all about emcomm and community organization. It’ll be nice to play radio just for the fun of it again!
Four Words…
Thank you so much!
Last night, we met with some of our amazing neighbors and did a little astronomy. My daughter Neva (K4TLI) took this photo of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS with my iPhone.
As always, we are deeply grateful for the kindness and support we’ve received. If I haven’t had a chance to respond to your emails or comments, please know it’s because I’ve been focused on helping my family and neighbors during this challenging time.
A huge thank you to Vince (VE6LK) and all the fantastic contributors on QRPer.com! I’ve read every comment and message, though I haven’t had the time to respond to each one.
I’ve been thoroughly enjoying all of the guest field reports! What a wonderful escape! Thank you!
You are an amazing community and support network. Thank you so much!
For those who haven’t followed my previous posts, we live in a rural mountain community in Swannanoa, NC, and were hit hard by the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricane (later Tropical Storm) Helene. I’ve been sharing regular updates to chronicle our recovery efforts and, naturally, to highlight the vital role amateur radio has played throughout.
Let me say that it’s a comforting feeling to no longer have a tree leaning against and pinned to the roof of our home. It’s nice not to hear the creaking sounds of it rubbing against the metal roof every time the wind blows.
I’m incredibly grateful to the arborist crew that removed the trees from our vacation rental house and QTH. I mentioned that earlier this week the original arborist team we’d scheduled had informed us that they couldn’t remove the tree because they couldn’t bring a crane up our dodgy road.
Our new crew worked without a crane— which, of course, took more time— but they skillfully removed the tree using ropes, pulleys, and a solid understanding of physics. True pros!
We’re so thankful for their efforts.
This same crew ended up removing trees from several other homes on our road. They’re doing incredible work.
More Road Improvements
Our two-mile-long, steep, and curvy road has been getting a lot of attention from the Kentucky Department of Transportation this week. Even though Kentucky is two states away, crews from all over the country have come to help. This particular road crew has been amazing.
The road is now mostly two lanes again. While it’s not paved— and likely won’t be anytime soon— it’s passable by nearly any vehicle. We are all so grateful, and it looks like these improvements might even hold up against future weather challenges.
Improvements and Challenges
Now that our mountain community has electricity (and water), a stable and safer road, and access to every home (except one with a particularly long and mud slide-damaged driveway), life is beginning to normalize.
We’re feeling stable enough here to plan a visit to my father in Hickory this weekend. We’ve postponed visiting him for three weeks because of how unstable things were here, and we’ve kept all our travel within half an hour of the QTH.
After speaking with many neighbors, I feel like their experiences are reflective of everyone in WNC right now. Some are back to work, especially those who can work from home with satellite internet. Some want to work, but their employers— many in the tourism industry— were hit hard by Helene. One friend who works as a solar installer said that literally all of his company’s inventory was destroyed in the flooding along the Swannanoa River.
Tourism, the biggest industry in the mountains, has ground to a halt. A friend mentioned that many people he knows under 30 are now unemployed. For instance, the Grove Park Inn, one of our largest resorts, laid off all of its employees. They hope to reopen soon, but I imagine many guests have canceled for the rest of the year.
Helene couldn’t have come at a worse time, as the fall leaf-peeping season is upon us. Many businesses (including our vacation rental) make the bulk of their income during this period.
The counties shaded in red are discouraging tourism while the ones in green are welcoming them.
While some WNC counties are still open for business, others— like Buncombe County— are discouraging tourism. I can’t imagine tourists descending on the area right now, as they would only get in the way of recovery.
A Neighborhood Radio Network
In the background, I’ve been exploring the idea of creating a robust off-grid radio communications network for our rural, remote community.
As mentioned in previous posts, we’ve been using amateur radio (VHF) to communicate within our community. While most operators aren’t licensed amateurs, in times of emergency, that’s not an issue.
As things return to normal and our mobile phone network is fully restored, I want to find a long-term, off-grid communications solution.
I recently spoke with my friend George (KJ6VU), who has gone through this process in his own neighborhood. He provided insight based on experience and I’m most grateful.
While I’d love for everyone in my community to become licensed hams, I know that’s not realistic. That said, I think we’ll gain a couple of new hams after my evangelizing! For now, we need off-grid communication options that are more accessible and use something more akin to channelized radios. Here are some options I’m considering:
FRS (Family Radio Service): These radios are surprisingly effective but have low power output, and you can’t replace the built-in antenna. This won’t work across our entire two-mile road, especially with the 900-1,000 foot elevation change. This is really the option of last resort for us.
GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service): This is a more viable option. GMRS radios are more robust, you can replace the antennas, and there are even 50-watt mobile/base options. The downside is that each family would need to apply for an FCC license ($35) and use the same family callsign. There’s also a lot of GMRS traffic, so even if we standardize on tone and channel settings, interference could be an issue. We could install a repeater for better coverage.
PLMRS (Private Land Mobile Radio Service): This option would require more paperwork and upfront costs, but it has benefits. A frequency coordinator would find unused frequencies for our region, and if enough households sign up, the cost per household would drop. We could standardize on channelized DMR units, and interference from outside users would be minimal. Households wouldn’t need individual callsigns, and we could opt for a repeater if necessary.
I’ll be sorting through these options in the coming weeks and reaching out to neighbors to gauge interest. There are already enough people interested to make this a reality—it’s just a matter of deciding which service to use. At this point, I’m leaning toward PLMRS. If you have any experience or advice, feel free to comment!
Thank You
99.9 FM has been a local channel completely devoted to community information and news post-Helene. A part of my morning routine was to turn on this C.Crane radio and listen in the mornings.
As always, we are deeply grateful for the kindness and support we’ve received. If I haven’t had a chance to respond to your emails or comments, please know it’s because I’ve been focused on helping my family and neighbors during this challenging time.
A huge thank you to Vince (VE6LK) and all the fantastic contributors on QRPer.com! I’ve read every comment and message but haven’t had the time to respond to each one. My time on the internet is limited, as most of my energy is going into normalizing life.
You are an amazing community and support network. Thank you so much!
Because I receive so many tips from readers here on QRPer, I wanted way to share them in a concise newsletter format. To that end, welcome to QRPer Notes, a collection of links to interesting stories and tips making waves in the world of radio!
Foldable feet for small radios
Many thanks to Randall (K8UFM) who shares the following tip:
Thomas,
I found these on Amazon and they work great for small radios.
PONICOR 2PCS Zinc Alloy Mini Foldable Laptop Stand, Portable Computer Keyboard Riser with 2 Adjustable Angles, Self-Adhesive Invisible Notebook Stand and Keyboard Lift for Desk (Black)
This is Tom WW8D in Salem Va. I sure do enjoy your videos on youtube. I received a new KH1 yesterday and I just wanted to tell you that I have a clear waterproof case like the one you but its a slight bigger fromHarbor Freight. Its an Apache 550 and everything fits perfect in it.
I purchased the Apache 550 a few days prior to Helene hitting our area. I intend to make a post or video soon showing how this apache case compares size-wise with my Pelican cases. It is, in general, a much larger case than the M40 I currently use with the KH1. See photo below.
Video: Demystifying SWR
Many thanks to Vince (VE6LK) who writes:
Here is an EXCELLENT video explaining return loss, why lossy coax hides SWR issues and many other things:
For those who haven’t followed my previous posts, we live in a rural mountain community in Swannanoa, NC, and were hit hard by the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricane (later Tropical Storm) Helene. I’ve been sharing regular updates to chronicle our recovery efforts and, naturally, to highlight the vital role amateur radio has played throughout.
Late Sunday afternoon, as my wife and I were reviewing our financials and plans on the porch, we suddenly heard a group of neighbors down the road cheer, “Woo hoo!”
We exchanged a knowing look.
Power had been restored to our road.
What a moment! A dedicated power line crew from Indiana had spent several long days installing new poles and running new lines along our two-mile stretch.
As I’ve mentioned before, we installed a solar power system with battery backup (read all the details here), so the only way I could confirm grid power had returned was by checking the app that monitors our system.
This news was a tremendous morale boost for everyone. With grid power restored, neighbors no longer need to worry about propane deliveries or managing generator runtimes. They can now fully rely on their refrigerators again.
Late Sunday evening, I stepped outside into the front yard, and for the first time in weeks, the valley was quiet—no more generator hum.
Simply amazing. We’re deeply grateful to the line crews who traveled from across the U.S. and Canada to restore service.
Estimates
While I doubt Duke Energy is reading my posts, I do plan to reach out and thank them for their hard work. I also want to offer a suggestion about providing power restoration estimates to customers, particularly after such a major event like Helene.
During smaller outages (the kind that happen when a tree falls on a line), Duke’s website and app typically provide an estimated restoration time. More often than not, power is restored a bit earlier than the estimate. I think this is a good practice, as it gives customers a realistic, “worst-case” time frame.
However, during this event, Duke understandably refrained from providing detailed estimates. We were told that 90% of the county would have power by Sunday, but there were no specific estimates for harder-to-reach areas like ours.
I assume that some Duke field engineers were instructed to err on the side of caution when giving estimates to customers they encountered. In our case, a Duke employee told us last Thursday that we should prepare to be without grid power until Christmas.
This information reached us just before our community meeting that day, leading many of us to adjust plans and purchase supplies for a long-term outage.
Then, on Saturday, we spoke with a power line worker contracted by Duke who had been dispatched to our neighborhood. He informed us that power would be restored in a matter of days and that new poles had already been set on the lower part of our road. He estimated we’d have power by Monday, maybe even Sunday.
Sure enough, by Sunday evening, the lights were back on.
While we were overjoyed, the earlier estimate of “Christmas” was more than a little stressful. Many of us made decisions and spent money based on that initial forecast. Perhaps the Duke employee felt he was managing our expectations, but the result was unnecessary stress and over-preparation.
I thought this might be an isolated incident, but a ham radio friend in Fairview shared a similar experience. His community was told to expect months without power, only to have it restored within days.
I’m not here to complain. My point is simply that being straightforward and realistic in assessments is far better than offering a doomsday scenario.
Disrupted Services
While power restoration is a huge victory, we’re still facing some longer-term challenges.
For one, unless people have recently signed up for Starlink (and I’m certain this disaster has led to a massive surge in subscriptions), there’s no internet on our road, and it’s unlikely to return anytime soon. AT&T is our only service provider, and their lines were in poor condition even before Helene hit. Earlier this year, we switched to HughesNet satellite internet because our AT&T DSL was unreliable and painfully slow.
There’s been talk that AT&T might replace the old copper line with fiber, but I have my doubts. Rural communities like ours often get overlooked because we don’t have the subscriber density of urban areas.
We’re also still without mobile phone data service. My 4G hotspot, which we rely on to supplement bandwidth for our daughters’ online classes, hasn’t worked since September 27th.
Our road, too, remains a challenge. The Kentucky DOT crew did an excellent job patching up two rough areas on flat parts of the road, but it’s still not easily passable by vehicles with low ground clearance. Our road will stay one-lane until the NC DOT can step in and fully repair it to their standards and add guard rails at some point int he future. NCDOT has never faced destruction on the scale of Helene before, so it’s going to take time to address all the damaged roads and bridges that were compromised or wiped out by flooding and debris flows.
Even simple things like grocery shopping take longer now. Ingles, the dominant grocery chain in western North Carolina, was hit hard by Helene.
I took this shot at our local Ingles two days post-Helene when a neighbor and I rode our mountain bikes into town. Note where the water line is on his white truck that was parked in the parking lot (where he thought it would be safe) during the storm.
Our local store was flooded (see photo above), and many locations remain closed. Their massive distribution center in Swannanoa/Black Mountain was also damaged. In the Asheville area, we have other options, but Ingles is the only grocery store in some of the rural towns in WNC. Hopefully, they’ll get back on their feet soon.
Our favorite local produce shop was almost certainly damaged beyond repair. The owner, Mr. Ledford, is a family friend and a valued member of the community. We always tried to shop locally and relied on his store for fresh produce.
It’s heartbreaking to see how many local businesses in Swannanoa were affected by the storm. This disaster is going to change the business landscape here for years to come.
Some school services are expected to resume by October 28, provided water restoration in Asheville stays on track. Our daughters will have missed a full month of their senior fall term. Since they’re dual-enrolled at the community college, all of their classes will go on their college transcripts. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that this break has given them time to focus on university applications and scholarship opportunities.
Proud Papa: I must say, I couldn’t be prouder of my daughters (K4GRL and K4TLI). They’ve been doing an incredible job helping both at home and within our community. Both have taken on net control duties for our local simplex frequency and have been passing traffic on the N2GE (Mount Mitchell) repeater. Their dedication and skill have been vital to our recovery efforts and the broader communications network in the area. Thank you, ladies!
Arborists Update
Yesterday morning, the arborists we hired to remove the trees from our property called to let us know they wouldn’t be able to bring their cranes up our tricky road. There are two sections that are too steep and rough.
That news was a bit of a blow, as we’d spent days finding an arborist with an opening in their schedule and who could make it to our area.
But within an hour, a neighbor called on the radio to tell us that a family friend from Ohio, who owns a tree service, was on the way to help—free of charge. They’d traveled overnight to Western North Carolina just to lend a hand.
When the arborist saw our rental house, he said, “You don’t need a crane if you can use mechanical advantage. Let’s get this done.” Using ropes and pulleys, he and his crew made quick work of the tree.
They’re coming back this morning to help with the tree our residence as well.
Their generosity has been overwhelming, and although they’ve offered to do this for free, we will pay them to help pay it forward—so they can continue helping others who might not be able to afford tree services and perhaps keep them in the community a bit longer.
As I’ve said before, this disaster has truly brought out the best in humanity, and we feel fortunate to be surrounded by such kindness.
In summary
Things are certainly improving, and we are incredibly grateful for all the progress made so far. Rather than expressing concerns, I hope this message offers a constructive perspective from those of us navigating life in a post-disaster environment, with the intention of highlighting opportunities for improving communication in the future.
Thank you
Once again, we are deeply grateful for the kindness and support we’ve received. If I haven’t had a chance to respond to your emails or comments, please know it’s because I’ve been focused on helping my family and neighbors through this challenging time.
A huge thank you to Vince (VE6LK) and all the fantastic contributors submitting articles on QRPer.com!
Vince has been an absolute lifesaver, stepping in to handle the formatting and posting of field reports and articles. It’s been such a pleasure to read all the incredible reports and witness QRPer.com truly flourishing while my attention is focused on recovery at home.
On that note, I’ve been reading every comment and message, but simply don’t have the time to reply back to everyone. My time on the internet is very limited these days because I’m still outside working most of the day.
What an amazing community you all are! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
QRP radios, product announcements, reviews, news and more. Low power amateur radio fun!
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In late August, I was browsing the QTH.com classifieds when I spotted a radio I hadn’t seen for sale in some time: the Ten-Tec Argonaut VI QRP transceiver. This radio had been on my mental watchlist for years.
When it arrived, I quickly put it on the air and operated it from my shack until I had a chance to take it to the field on Thursday, September 5, 2024.
As I always do with smaller POTA sites like Vance, I called ahead to make sure the picnic shelter wouldn’t be reserved at my arrival time. The park ranger replied, “It’s all yours, Thomas!”
The weather was nearly perfect that Thursday, with a hint of fall in the air.
En route to the site, I thought about my antenna options. Since the Argo VI doesn’t have a built-in ATU, I opted to use a resonant antenna for simplicity. In the end, I chose my Chelegance MC-750 vertical, which I set up next to the picnic shelter.
The MC-750 is a quarter-wave antenna, so I extended the telescoping whip for a match on the 20-meter band.
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
I hopped on the air and, within eleven minutes, worked my first ten stations. Continue reading Uncompromised Performance: Taking my new-to-me Ten-Tec Argonaut VI to the field! 
