All posts by Thomas Witherspoon

My dear friend, Volodymyr Gurtovy (US7IGN), has been featured in another brilliant documentary on BBC Radio 4 called Call Signs.

This documentary was produced by the talented Cicely Fell with Falling Tree productions for BBC Radio 4. Note that Cicely also produced a BBC Radio 4 Short Cuts earlier this year featuring Vlad as well. Enjoy:

BBC Radio 4 Lights Out: Call Signs

A man, a Mouse and a morse key: the story of a radio amateur in Kyiv as the Russian invasion unfolds.

When his wife and two children flee Kyiv to escape the war, Volodymyr Gurtovy (call sign US7IGN) stays behind in their apartment with only his radios and the family hamster, Mouse, for company.

Before the war, he used to go deep into the pine forests, spinning intricate webs of treetop antennas using a fishing rod, catching signals from radio amateurs in distant countries.

Prohibited by martial law from sending messages, he becomes a listener, intercepting conversations of Russian pilots and warning his neighbours to hide in shelters well before the sirens sound. After three months of silence, he begins transmitting again. Switching his lawyer’s suit for a soldering iron, he runs a radio surgery for his friends and neighbours, dusting off old shortwave receivers and bringing them back to life.

During air raids, he hides behind the thickest wall in his apartment, close to his radios, their flickering amber lights opening a window to another world. A story of sending and receiving signals from within the darkness of the Kyiv blackout.

Music: Ollie Chubb (8ctavius)
Producer: Cicely Fell
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Listen to Call Signs on BBC Sounds by clicking here, or via the embedded player below:

Antennas, Guest Posts, News, Portable, Reviews

Guest Post: Reviewing the Chelegance MC-750 (Part 1)

December 27, 2022 Thomas Witherspoon 10 Comments

Many thanks to Charles (KW6G) who shares the following guest post:

Product Review: Chelegance MC-750 Portable Ground Plane Antenna, Part 1

by Charles Ahlgren, KW6G

I recently purchased a Chelegance MC-750 portable ground plane antenna from DX Engineering. Essentially, the antenna system provides a ¼ wave portable vertical antenna with 4 counterpoise wires that operates on 20 through 10 meters. The antenna will also operate on 40 meters with the provided loading coil. The manual states the antenna will support 6 meter operation, but no instructions are provided on how to do so. 30 meter operation is not supported. It appears from our initial testing that no ATU is required.

Here are some of my thoughts on the antenna.

Product Description

The MC-750 comes with the following components:

GROUND ROD / ANT BASE
50 CM ANT ARM
5.2 M WHIP
7 MHZ COIL
4 COUNTERPOISE WIRES (radials)
COUNTERPOISE WIRE COLLECTOR BOARD
CARRY BAG

As provided, it is designed to operate on the 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meter bands without any modifications. Six meters is also supported per the manufacturers manual, but no guidance on how to do that is offered in that document. However, finding the proper length of radiator for 6 meters should be straightforward using a tape measure to set the proper whip length.

[Update: Chelegance notes that to operate 6 meters, simply extend the last segment only of the whip (see photo) and for 30 meters extend the last four segments of the whip and 15cm on the 5th segment (see photo).]

I checked the ground rod / antenna base with a magnet and confirmed it is made from stainless steel as both components are not magnetic; a characteristic of stainless. Both the ground rod/ antenna base and the 50 cm antenna arm (which was also non-magnetic) had a hefty feel (together, they weigh about 2 pounds), therefore I think it safe to assume that these components are made of stainless steel. Since most ops will undoubtedly use the antenna arm as an aid to inserting / extracting the ground rod into / from the ground, it seems a prudent decision by the manufacturer to have this piece fabricated from a strong, stiff material such as steel. The machine work used to fabricate these parts appears to be quite good – the fit and feel were excellent, with no sharp or ragged edges to cause problems in the field.

I measured the whip while set at the various position marks for 20 through 10 meters. The band markings on the whip were accurate – giving a 1/4 wavelength radiator when combined with the 50 CM ant arm length…On 40 meters, the whip and rod measured about 1/8 wavelength. The required the loading coil needs to be inserted between the whip and the rod (at approximately 1/10 the total 40 meter whip height above the base). If you want to operate this antenna on 30 meters, it appears that you need to provide an extra 1.4 meter of additional rod as a quarter wavelength ground plane at 10.1 MHz requires a 7.1 meter radiator. Six meter operation would require a whip of around 4.7 feet. With the whip fully collapsed, the length of the rod and antenna arm measures 40-1/4”. Therefore, if 6 meter operation is contemplated, extending the whip about 16 inches from fully collapsed should suffice. However, I don’t think that an antenna configuration such as that would be a very good performer unless it were elevated from ground level; or maybe it would be good for a SOTA activation? Continue reading Guest Post: Reviewing the Chelegance MC-750 (Part 1) →

Articles, News, QRP

The spirit of QRP

December 24, 2022 Thomas Witherspoon 63 Comments

Here we are, on the morning of Christmas Eve, and I find this quote from Teddy Roosevelt floating around in my head:

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

–– Teddy Roosevelt

Perhaps I’m thinking about these words because they sort of fly in the face of all of the consumerism that often surrounds the holiday season…?

Well, I’m not sure of the reason. What I do know is, I feel like this quote speaks to me as a QRPer. Part of the appeal of low-power operations is making do with less. With just a faint breath of power, I can reach across the globe to connect with others, and have just as much fun doing it as the guy with the tall backyard tower. Yes, I have to admit, there’s a certain satisfaction in that.

You might not know this, reading QRPer.com, where we often talk gear, discussing its various shortcomings and merits, but I’m actually a fan of simplicity. Outside of the world of radios and packs––and even in it, to a degree!––I try not to own too many things.

In my little QRP world I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to beta test, review, and evaluate a wide variety of radios and gear. Since I do purchase almost all of my review radios––except for the few that are loaned to me––I’ve accumulated a lot of them over time. I know I can sell the ones I don’t often use, and I frequently do, but it’s fun to take them out for a spin now and again; you may notice that I rotate them out regularly.

Yet because of this, I do worry that people read my posts (and those of others in the ham community) and reflect with despair along these lines: “I can’t activate in the field…I need a lot of new expensive gear to do that!”

But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

For four years, when I lived in Germany and the UK, I only owned one radio–a Yaesu FT-817. And, know what? I had so much fun with that single radio and a limited number of home-brew antennas.

To which I might add, this past year, some of my most memorable activations have been with radios I purchased for under $200:

I could easily activate all of the parks and summits I wish, only using one of these little radios, coupled with a key, a home-brew wire antenna, and a battery. That’s it~!

So, you really don’t need a lot of gear to enjoy field radio. This is true especially if you’re a CW operator. But even just starting out, you really can have fun with a simple field kit.

Even if you’re new to ham radio, don’t wait to hit the field until you’ve assembled the “perfect” or the largest, finest field radio kit. Instead, take Teddy Roosevelt’s advice, and just do what you can with what you have…right where you are.

Here’s wishing everyone

A Very Happy Holiday Season!

Antennas, Field Reports, Morse Code, News, Portable, POTA, QRP

Pairing the Elecraft KX2 and AX1 with a little QRP Coffee for some proper portable POTA fun!

December 23, 2022 Thomas Witherspoon 16 Comments

Driving home on Thursday, December 8, 2022, I popped by Food Matters in Morganton, NC and grabbed one of their amazing curried chicken salad wraps.

I sat in the car and listened to a podcast as I ate a late-ish lunch. I looked at my watch and sorted out what time I needed to be back at my home in the mountains. After a little mental math, I realized I had about 90 minutes to fit in a little radio fun.

Where to go on a rainy day?

Tuttle Educational State Forest (K-4861)

Since it was a Thursday and I knew Tuttle would be open, it was really a no-brainer. Tuttle is only an 8 minute drive from the parking lot at Food Matters, so I made my way to Playmore Beach Road!

En route, I made a mental inventory of what radios and antennas I had packed in the car. I knew I had my KX2 and although its internal battery had already powered me through three or four activations already, I knew there’d be enough charge for one or two more.

Also, since it was raining, I thought it would be the perfect day to set up under Tuttle’s excellent picnic shelter.

As for an antenna, I remembered putting the AX1 in my antenna box, so why not pair the two and operate in the dry?

Coffee Time

Funny, but after I started recording the activation video (below), I convinced myself that I needed to make some coffee. I pulled out my field coffee kit and set it up for a quick brew.

The park had completely shut off all water fountains and closed the rest room area, so there was no place to get fresh water. Fortunately, I had *just* enough water left in my water bottle after lunch. Almost the perfect amount for a cup of coffee but no more.

This wasn’t a planned cuppa’ so I used one of my last Starbucks Via coffee packs. Had I planned this in advance, I would have ground some beans at home and made a pour-over coffee.

That’s okay, though. The Starbucks packs are better than no coffee at all.

Field Coffee Kit

If you’re curious about the contents of my field coffee kit, here’s the list:

Snow Peak Titanium 450 Single Wall Mug which nests in a…
GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Cup/Pot
Solo Stove Alcohol Burner
HEET Gas-Line Antifreeze And Water Remover (this is the actual alcohol fuel for the stove)
TOAKS Titanium Windscreen (a necessity if there’s even a breeze)
Tom Bihn Ghost Whale Organizer Pouch Super Mini which contains:
- Evernew Titanium Alcohol Stove Cross Stand
- Cigarette lighter
- Freshly ground coffee
- Starbucks Via Instant Coffee (for when I don’t have freshly ground coffee)
- A variety of tea bags
GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip Pour Over Filter

Continue reading Pairing the Elecraft KX2 and AX1 with a little QRP Coffee for some proper portable POTA fun! →

Accessories, Hacks and Hints, How To

Jim’s Elecraft KX2 leg mount

December 21, 2022 Thomas Witherspoon 12 Comments

Many thanks to Jim (WU3K) who writes:

Hi Thomas,

I recently came up with a new way (for me) to hold the KX2 when I am out in the field.

The set-up utilizes the Side KX KX2 mount and the RAM Body Mount for Legs.

This set up does a pretty good job for me.

73,

Jim
WU3K

This is absolutely genius, Jim! Besides the leg mount looking like a excellent solution, the Side KX mount could then be used for other mounting locations either at home or mobile!

Thank you for sharing!

Field Radio Kits, Kits, Morse Code, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Reviews

Testing a new QCX-Mini Field Kit built in an Evergreen 56 Watertight case

December 19, 2022 Thomas Witherspoon 11 Comments

In early November, I happened up a new waterproof case called the Evergreen 56. As with Pelican cases, it’s waterproof and also made in the USA. Like Nanuk cases (that are also waterproof and made in Canada) Evergreen cases have a built-in locking mechanism to keep the latch from accidentally opening during transport.

I thought the price for the Evergreen 56 at $28 US was fair and in-line with the Pelican 1060 and Nanuk 903 which are similar in size. I grabbed one made of a clear material with one radio in mind: my QCX-Mini!

There are a number of color options available for this Evergreen case, but I like the clear polycarbonate one because it makes it so much easier to see what’s inside (for a quick gear check) but also to confirm that no one part of the kit is being pressed too hard inside the case after the lid is sealed.

After receiving the Evergreen 56, I was very pleased with the quality–again, on par with what I would expect from Pelican or Nanuk. It is incredibly solid and the seal is watertight. The Twist Lock Latch (see above) is easy to operate and the case comes with two “keys” for adjusting the inner lock.

The Evergreen case has a soft egg crate-like rubber boot interior as opposed to the pick foam material you’d typically find in a water tight case. The case also has a hammock-like rubbery webbing on the inside of the lid that can be used to organize smaller contents (I knew instantly I’d use this to hold the antenna!).

The QCX-Mini fits in the Evergreen case perfectly–this was no surprise–but I was eager to see if my other station components could also fit. Note that I didn’t buy anything specifically to be used in this case; I used components I already owned. I could minimize the contents even further if I used a smaller battery, antenna, and key. Here are the components of the first version of the QCX-Mini Field Kit: Continue reading Testing a new QCX-Mini Field Kit built in an Evergreen 56 Watertight case →

Accessories, Hacks and Hints, How To, News, Portable, QRP

Rich’s easy-to-build and incredibly affordable Field Clip Board V 1.0

December 18, 2022 Thomas Witherspoon 9 Comments

Many thanks to Rich (KQ9L) who writes:

Hello Thomas,

I’ve attached couple pictures of V1.0 of my field clip board. I’ve been searching for the perfect clipboard to use in the field. The main requirements of the design include: lightweight, low cost and the flexibility to allow a comfortable operating position while securely holding a radio.

What I came up with is a based on an inexpensive fiber board clip board:

I chose to set it up somewhat unconventionally and designed it to use the clipboard “upside down”. Setting it up this way provided ample space at the top to mount the radio while still providing room to attach a metal pad mounting point for paddles.

The radio is held securely in place with craft 3mm elastic bands. The bands were made with metal “toggles” so I can easily add more holes to the clipboard to accommodate varying rigs.

The metal pad is just a stick-on metal plate purchased from Amazon. I plan to add a leg strap in the future and will do so once I’m sure no other major modifications need to me made.

I’m pretty happy with the way the clipboard came out and would appreciate any comments or suggestions!

Rich
KQ9L

This is brilliant, Rich! I love both how affordable this board is and how easy it is to build. Having the clip at the bottom of the board is a fantastic way to secure your logging notebook as well.

Thank you for sharing!

Accessories, Antennas, Hacks and Hints, How To, News

Charles’ simple solution to protect the MC-750 ground spike tip

December 17, 2022 Thomas Witherspoon 4 Comments

Many thanks to Charles (KW6G) who writes:

Thomas:

I purchased an MC-750 from DXE last week…It arrived Monday….Great antenna; very nice workmanship….I have not yet deployed it, but that will be in the near future….

After reading your emails/posts and viewing the videos, I got to thinking…The real oversight in this antenna design is the fact that the manufacturer has provided no protection for the tip of the ground spike….I can see where it would not be long until it worked its way through one of the ends of the carrying pouch…

So with this in mind, I went off to the hardware store where I found a 3/8″ ID X 1 inch long nylon spacer which fit over the end of the spike perfectly — problem solved for all of 58 cents…

Here are a couple photos:

73’s de Charles, KW6G

What a great, affordable solution! Thank you for sharing this, Charles!

Antennas, Field Reports, Morse Code, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, SOTA

Testing a new Tufteln knee board and antenna during this beautiful SOTA activation on Mount Mitchell

December 16, 2022 Thomas Witherspoon 13 Comments

On the morning of November 4th, I woke up with one thought on my mind: “I need to activate Mount Mitchell before it’s too late!”

It’s not like Mount Mitchell was going to disappear, but I knew I was already on borrowed time since the long section of the Blue Ridge Parkway I use to drive to Mount Mitchell from Asheville typically closes in the early part of November for weeks at a time. The park itself will close to guests too–in fact, last year, it closed its gates as I drove out of the park! There are often other roads open to Mitchell in the winter, but they’re very much out of the way for me and frankly, weather can shift and the park close at the drop of a hat.

As the crow flies, Mount Mitchell is actually very close to my QTH. If I wanted, I could hike there directly from my home. I’ve yet to do this, however, because with the 3,000′ elevation change and the anything-but-direct trails that skirt the Asheville watershed, I’d need a full day or more to hike it one way. I will for sure do this sometime, but only when I can pack appropriately and reserve a campsite.

Morning drive

As soon as I surfaced that morning, I check the weather map. I noticed that the temp at Mount Mitchell was actually slightly higher than at my QTH. I looked out the kitchen window and could see fog in the valley. This meant one thing: inversion!

When we have inversion, the cold air is pushed down into the valley and warmer air can be found at higher elevations. The flip opposite of what you’d typically expect.

I ate a quick bite, grabbed come coffee, and hit the road.

As I drove past Warren Wilson College’s farm, it was absolutely gorgeous. I had to stop and take a photo or two [click images to enlarge].

The drive up to Mount Mitchell on the BRP was ideal: clear skies and quite warm!