Category Archives: Field Reports

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRPp, Videos

Super Portable POTA: One Watt, One Tiny Key, Big Fun!

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On Thursday, January 16, 2025, I had a long list of errands to run in town, including a session with my physical therapist. After all the heavy lifting and chainsawing I’ve done post-Hurricane Helene, my shoulder has been letting me know it’s not too happy. The PT sessions are definitely helping, though—they’re tough, but I’ve noticed big improvements, especially in how quickly my arm recovers after a day of chainsawing.

One upside to these sessions? My PT office is practically next door to the Blue Ridge Parkway. So, as a reward for putting in the work, I’ve decided to treat myself to a POTA activation—either before or after PT—whenever possible.

On this particular Thursday, my schedule dictated that the activation needed to happen beforehand.

To maximize my limited operating time, I went with my go-to minimalist setup: the Elecraft KX2 and AX1 antenna—a truly dynamic duo!

The UMPP-1

For scale, Peter sent me this pic of my paddle sitting on top of his Begali Expedition.

This activation was also my first opportunity to test the UMPP-1 mini paddle, a compact and lightweight Morse key designed for portable operations.

Back in December, Peter (GM0EUL) reached out to see if I’d be interested in reviewing one of his 3D-printed paddles. These have been gaining popularity among SOTA and POTA operators in the UK, and after taking a closer look, I decided to order one for myself.

What caught my attention was its small footprint and sturdy design—it looked like a key that could handle the demands of the field while fitting neatly into one of my self-contained SOTA kits.

Pricing with shipping is:

  • UK: £50
  • EU: 60 Euro
  • US: $70 USD

If you live outside these regions, I’d suggest you contact Peter prior to ordering.

I felt like $70 was a very fair price, especially with shipping included. More importantly, I love supporting independent makers in the ham radio world—these small businesses are what keep our hobby innovative and thriving!

Setup

As always, setting up the KX2 and AX1 was a breeze!

I then connected the UMPP-1 paddles—they’re certainly compact, but they felt great in the hand and quite sturdy. Despite their small size, I’m not too worried about them breaking when packed tightly in a field kit.

The default action and spacing felt just right to me, but Peter also includes a wee Allen wrench in the Altoids-tin-sized metal box that ships with the key, allowing for easy adjustments.

Gear

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Key

Antenna

Pack/Case

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Creature Comforts

On The Air

After tuning the KX2, I decided to lower the output power to one watt. Probably not the best idea when using such a wee antenna and being pressed for time—but hey, life’s all about these low-power adventures, right?

I hopped on 20 meters and started calling CQ POTA. Continue reading Super Portable POTA: One Watt, One Tiny Key, Big Fun! →

Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel, Videos

The Road Beckons the POTA Babe

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By Teri KO4WFP

After six months devoid of POTA/camping trips, it was time for Daisy and I to hit the road, this time returning to southwest Georgia. There are parks on that side of the state I want to activate but the travel time necessitates a longer stay. My son has two weeks off from school during winter break, plenty of time for such a trip.

After looking at the state parks with campgrounds on that side of Georgia, I settled on Kolomoki Mounds State Park partially because of how the campground looked online but also due to the availability of parks to activate nearby. The POTA map showed six parks to the north, four to the east, and five to the south, all within an hour-and-a-half drive, plenty of parks from which to choose.

my POTA opportunities as printed from the POTA site

Wednesday, January 1st, I loaded up the car and Daisy and I began our journey through rural Georgia to our first park – Elmodel Wildlife Management Area (WMA).

I absolutely love driving through rural Georgia! The roads wind me through little towns with imposing courthouses and kitschy businesses, past water towers and pecan orchards slumbering until spring. While the view may not offer the stunning vistas associated with national parks or glistening metropolitan skylines, it has its own magic, one in which I delight. My car was purring along the road and so was I.

Wilcox County Courthouse
a bronze bison statue in southwest Georgia
fields plowed for planting
pecan orchards

After nearly four hours in the car, we reached Elmodel WMA (US-3748). The park is in the middle of nowhere (as many WMAs are) but the sign and information kiosk are easily spotted from the road. Rather than set up in that open area, I opted to drive a little way into the park as I often like to do.

kiosk by road
a spot a little way into the WMA but not blocking the road

As I had yet to set up our campsite for the night and sunset was only three hours away, there was not time to dally. I opted for the Chelengance MC-750. I figured I’d stick to 20 meters so there’d be no having to fiddle with the vertical for changing bands.

setup
Daisy snoozing

There is almost always something unexpected during an activation. Today both of my paddles gave me difficulty. The VK3IL-design paddle would not work correctly. When plugged in, it made non-stop dahs. As a backup, I brought the mini palm paddle that was given to me. This paddle, too, acted up when the dit paddle would randomly stop working. (I think the connector on the back of the key is the problem.) ARGH! But that paddle worked 98% of the time and would have to do.

(On a side note – now that I have invested in a wonderful bug – the Frattini Magnetic Evolution bug – and cootie – the W1SFR Titan – it is time to get a good quality portable paddle. As of the writing of this article, I’ve ordered a BamaTech III paddle and await its arrival near the end of January.)

BamaTech Key on order

It was not long after spotting myself (Yay! There was cell service at this WMA!) that John AC9OT answered my CQ.

Operating QRP, I expect my signal reports to hover between 579 and 559. However, today’s reports were not great – 539, 449, 339. Maybe the ionosphere was still unsettled after the prior day’s CME. Unsettled or not, I managed to garner eleven contacts including one from Tim K5OHY, a member of my current Comprehensive ICR course that I am coaching for CW Innovations with Brian K3ES. (Thanks Tim!)

QSO Map for Elmodel WMA Jan. 1, 2025

After 11 contacts, I called QRT, packed up my equipment, and headed for Kolomoki Mounds State Park. My campsite was better than what I expected – lakeside with the sun setting behind the trees. I ate a simple supper and marveled at how blessed I am to have these experiences.

our site – what is not to love about that view?!
cut veggies, hummus, and black tea for supper
Daisy staying warm in the chilly evening air

As I snuggled into my sleeping bag in the frigid evening air, where would I head tomorrow? North? South? Or East? Stay tuned…

Equipment Used

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Field Reports, Morse Code, New Products, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, Videos

Chilly Morning, Hot Pileups: Testing the New MTR-3B “Currahee”

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In late December, I received a much-anticipated package from LnR Precision: my new MTR-3B V4 “Currahee.”

Life has been hectic, so I didn’t get the opportunity to take it to the field until Thursday, January 9, 2025, when I carved out some time in my schedule.

It was a chilly morning, with temperatures hovering around 20°F (-7°C). Still, I wanted the full field portable experience with the new Currahee, so I bundled up in my winter gear and headed out.

Pisgah National Forest

Rather than doing another activation on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I checked the Pisgah National Forest website and was pleasantly surprised to find that the Lake Powhatan recreational area was open.

When I arrived, the park employee at the entrance gate informed me that I was the only guest that morning. And what a morning it was! Despite the cold, the clear skies and full sunshine made it a glorious day.

The best part? No competition for picnic tables! Woo hoo! (We must embrace the positives, right?)

Quick field kit

About 10 minutes before leaving the house, I hastily put together a quick field kit for the Currahee in my Pelican Micro M50 waterproof case.

This was a trial run to see how I might organize a fully self-contained kit for the Currahee, similar to what I’ve done for my other MTR-3B radios. While I didn’t have time to finalize all the kit components, I wanted to gauge the space available and determine what antenna, throw line, and other accessories would fit best.

Tufteln Cover

Joshua (N5FY), a good friend, sent me a package over the holidays containing some of his latest Tufteln protective radio covers. To clarify, these were gifts; I didn’t pay for them. Among the covers was a brand-new design specifically for the Currahee.

Like all of his covers (you’ve probably seen the ones I use for my KX2, KX1, CFT1, QMX, and others), this one fits brilliantly. In fact, it might be my favorite! The Currahee cover provides a durable, low-profile solution that complements the radio perfectly. Makes it a very durable little package.

Break-In Activation

In the near future, I plan to create a more in-depth video about the Currahee, but my goal for this outing was to get it on the air and give it a solid break-in.

Although the Currahee features built-in capacitive touch paddles, they require contact with bare skin. I wasn’t keen on exposing my fingers to the cold, so I opted to use my trusty TP-III paddles instead. By the end of the activation, my fingers were still getting sluggish, but I managed to log plenty of QSOs.

For audio, I paired the Currahee with my Anker Soundcore Mini speaker and connected it to a 40-meter End-Fed Half-Wave antenna. This antenna is an ideal match for the Currahee since all three of its bands—40, 20, and 15 meters—are resonant. Kudos to LnR and Steve for these excellent band choices!

For power, I used my 9V Bioenno battery. While the Currahee can handle over 13VDC (making it compatible with a “12V” LiFePO4 battery), I prefer running my Mountain Toppers with 9V, which yields about three watts of output power.

Gear:

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Key and Accessories

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Logging

Camera, Mics, Speaker, Gloves and Other Accessories

On The Air

I started the activation on 20 meters, which turned out to be a fantastic choice. Continue reading Chilly Morning, Hot Pileups: Testing the New MTR-3B “Currahee” →

Field Radio Kits, Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, SOTA, Travel

Snow, Sand, and Solar Storms: Tim’s New Year’s Eve Radio Adventure

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New Year’s Eve Sand Dune SOTA & POTA

by Tim (W8TMI)

My wife and I head to Northern Michigan over the New Year’s holiday almost every year. It’s a nice way to wrap up the year and the busy holiday season. Most of our friends and family obligations are met, and we can spend time unwinding and exploring the wonderful things that Michigan has to offer.

This year was no exception. We found a nice place to stay in Frankfort, Michigan. Several breweries, eateries, coffee houses, hiking trails, miles of shoreline, and a local bookstore made this an ideal location for a few days with nothing pressing to accomplish.

Being a ham, I always take a peek around to see what POTA and SOTA entities may be nearby wherever we end up staying. I was in luck, there was a SOTA within a POTA just north of where we were staying. Along the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (US-0767) is Empire Bluffs sand dunes (W8M/LP-019). This was too much to resist.

Sleeping Bear Dune National Lakeshore

As the plans firmed up around our timeline and bookings, my mind began to imagine the activation. I am well versed in POTA activations and have many tricks to overcome beaches, snow, lack of picnic tables, lack of trees, and many other things that can come my way. My mind began to question if I had the right gear to make this happen and I began to plan for a setup that could be deployed and operated in harsh conditions with little assistance from the environment around me.

I have learned from my previous experiences on the sand dunes of the Great Lakes that  conditions can be challenging. I knew I would more than likely face snow on the ground, new snow in the air, wind, cold temps, sand, narrow dune peaks, local vegetation, and the challenge to hike all of my gear to the spot. Now it was time to take what I had and turn it into the SOTA/POTA setup that could get the job done.

The antenna would be the GabilGRA-7350  [QRPer.com affiliate link] with three 13’ radials deployed out as far as I could get them. Gabil recommends setting the antenna to the general resonance area marked on the coil and using a wide range tuner to finish the job. I have found this to be true, especially analyzing the antenna on the soil in my backyard where I can get a 1:1 SWR match versus the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan.

Gabil GRA-7350, spare whip, and three 13′ counterpoises attached via 2mm banana plugs

I chose the CFT1 as my radio. It covers the bands that I would more than likely operate and with the Tufteln face cover it weighs around 8 oz.

20 meters being the primary band because with the wind and cold, I knew speed would be paramount. For the tuner and battery, I chose the mAT-10 ATU and the Talentcell 3000 mA Li-Ion [QRPer.com affiliate link]. Finally, the N0SA M7 iambic paddle.

CFT1, mAT-10 tuner, Talentcell battery, N0SA M7, Rite in the Rain book and pencil

To bring this kit together in a way that I could operate standing up, I needed some kind of bag or pouch to wear that would allow access to the tune button on the tuner, the volume and VFO on the radio, ability to log, and key without having to hold on to the paddle. As a fly fisherman I thought about a sling pack or a chest pack, but neither would work with any of my backpacks I planned to haul the antenna.

My friend Erik (WS3D) recommended a waist pack. At first glance I wasn’t sure this could meet my needs. Off to the local shopping center I went to see if I could find some options that could accommodate my SOTA kit. After going into five different stores that had some forms of waist packs, my local athletics sporting goods store had one that I thought might work with some minor modifications.

It was small, which meant it could easily fit into the backpack I planned to use. Once I got home, I was able to stuff each component into one of the several pockets provided on the pack. The question remained: how do I key without holding the paddle?

Following the tip provided by N0SA who designed and made the M7, Velcro attached to the bottom of the key would allow adhesion to the pack. I was able to purchase some of the “loop” material from JoAnn and got to work with my sewing machine. A small 2”x3” portion on the right side of the pack would allow for right hand keying while I kept the logger in my left hand. Keeping my right hand free to operate the message functions, volume, and VFO of the radio if needed.

Outdoor Gear fanny pack with sewn on hook and loop patch

I had a kit and a plan, now to get to it. Continue reading Snow, Sand, and Solar Storms: Tim’s New Year’s Eve Radio Adventure →

Field Reports, Guest Posts, Morse Code, POTA, Travel

Busted Antenna in Jasper Alberta

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As always there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things! ?

by Vince (VE6LK)

Ahhhh, the midwinter get-a-way. Everyone does it a bit differently, but for most of us, when you have only a few days and a couple of nights you don’t venture too far from home. And that’s how I landed in Jasper, Alberta, to stay for a couple of nights and sample the very awesome local restaurants, and of course to do some Parks On The Air.

I was accompanied by my wife and Wrangler, our Shiba Inu, for this trip and thus my activations needed to be family-friendly (ie. short!) and in scenic locations. They had to be parks I’d never done before and, at this time of year, be done from the comfort of my truck. But most importantly they needed to fit in among the restauranting we wanted to do.

The Athabasca Glacier is the most public of all the glaciers in the Columbia Icefield
North of the Columbia Icefield looking south. Columbia Icefields Skywalk is on the left
Looking north from the same spot as the photo immediately above

Travel from home to Jasper is 4.5 hours along the Trans-Canada Highway and then Highway 93, the Icefields Parkway, so named due to the large number of glaciers that come within close range of the highway. For the adventurous among you, there are two tours, one takes you onto the glacier via a specially-designed tour bus with 60″ 3PSI tires, and the other is a glass walkway that overlooks the deep valley that is the start of the Athabasca River. My basophobia tells me that walking on glass floors overlooking a really deep canyon is a bad idea, and I’m told that it is spectacular nonetheless.

Jasper was the subject of an insane wildfire last Summer. 40% of the town’s structures and homes were destroyed overnight. This town runs on tourism and we were welcomed with open arms for our mid-week trip. Sadly, everyone has a story of loss in one way or another. I’ve been to Jasper several times before before, but the losses I saw – blocks-wide swaths of homes – caught me off guard emotionally. I took no photos out of respect to those that have lost everything; if you are really curious you can search for them via news sources. The landscape is changed, for now, as you can see through the trees and see the valleys around you due to the denuded or fallen timbers.

On Thursday morning my HamAlert went off as K4SWL was out at Pisgah National Forest, so I jumped into the truck for a quick P2P sortie and drove to the edge of town where electrical noise would be less. Upon my arrival my trusty screwdriver antenna would not move and, with my plan to contact Thomas scuttled, I headed back to the hotel.

Tools laid out and ready to go on the bed in the hotel
A completed field repair

Fortunately I had packed an iFixit brand Pro Tech toolkit with me, and, along with my Leatherman ES4 and Victorinox knife -and a Breathe-Right strip in place of electrical tape- I was able to repair the motor drive wire where a previous repair had vibrated apart over the 15 years I’ve owned the antenna. That successful repair set me up well for my activations for the rest of the day.

And, yes, I did a proper repair along with a bit of preventative maintenance shortly after I returned home.

Yellowhead Pass National Historic Site

Once the repair was complete, I headed out to the Yellowhead Pass National Historic Site about 28km west of Jasper. The site is pretty much a roadside pull-out at the Alberta/British Columbia border and is adorned with historical plaques. Truck traffic was rumbling by not too far away from me so the local QRM proved to be a challenge. This park is a 2fer, and I had planned on turning around and going back to town until I saw a sign just 100 yards ahead advertising Mount Robson Provincial Park – and this is another POTA entity. Beside that sign was one advertising a truck pull-out 250 yards up the road… so a quick plan was hatched to add Mt. Robson to my day’s activities.

I completed both of those activations without too much difficulty on 10, 15 and 20m CW and packed up to head back to town to get a bite of lunch at the De’d Dog Bar and Grill as it had been recommended to us. Suffice it to say that I could not finish the bowl of bison chili and I want to eat again there on a future trip.

Maligne Mountain reflecting off the still water of Maligne Lake

With our bellies full, we headed towards our final stop of the day, the Maligne Lake Chalet and Guest House National Historic Site. It’s a 45km trip through some stunning scenery along the valley floor, and climbs 500m in only the last few kilometres of the road.

For this activation I was on 20m CW and then 20m SSB. The noise floor was zero, save for when I needed to run the engine to stay warm in the -8C weather. My wife took Wrangler out for a walk thus I had time to accrue 30 contacts. But it was late in the day and we couldn’t stay forever as the sun sets fast in the mountains -so it seems anyways- and we headed back to town.

A member of the local welcoming committee greets us on the road at Medicine Lake while some other members are seen grazing on the flats in the distance (at left, centre)
Looking northward beside Medicine Lake. The fire damage is evident on the right-hand side of the valley and is about 10km north of the Jasper townsite.

We were reminded of the power of nature with the burned out forests that suddenly greeted us as we moved closer to town. It also reminds me that wildfires don’t discriminate and sometimes level one area and leave another, immediately adjacent, untouched. As we all do, I hope I never face that adversity.

What I’ve learned along the way

I was reminded of not only the awesome power of nature, but of the need to maintain our equipment. In this climate, a screwdriver antenna should be torn down and inspected at least annually, and I had not done this for a few years. I mean, after all, it has been working so why bother, right? Wrong – like all bits of our kit, maintenance is essential to trouble-free operations when you need it. I’m thankful I had a small toolkit along on this trip or there would have been activations on only 10m – the band the antenna was locked upon pre-repair.

List of gear used for these activations:

73 and dit dit,
…Vince

First introduced to the magic of radio by a family member in 1969, Vince has been active in the hobby since 2002. He is an Accredited examiner in Canada and the USA, operates on almost all of the modes, and is continually working on making his CW proficiency suck less. He participates in public service events around Western Canada and is active on the air while glamping, mobile, at home or doing a POTA activation. You can hear him on the Ham Radio Workbench podcast, follow him on Twitter @VE6LK, check out his YouTube channel, and view the projects and articles on his website.

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

Some Much-Needed Radio Therapy with the Elecraft KX1

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Last week, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, I finally broke a three-week no-POTA activation streak with a short trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway Folk Art Center.

Catching Up on POTA

Over the holidays, I’ve been doing plenty of POTA hunting from the QTH (you’ll see some reports and videos surface over time), but I hadn’t ventured out to a park for an activation. The holiday season kept me busy with family visits, birthdays, and home projects—most of which are ongoing, thanks to Hurricane Helene. Despite all of that, I found a lot of joy in portable POTA hunting from home.

Still, activating is in my blood. So when I found an opening on Tuesday, I seized the opportunity!

Back to the Folk Art Center

Now that the bridge on Highway 70 has been repaired, the Folk Art Center is once again my go-to spot for quick POTA activations. What was a frustrating 15–20-minute detour is now a simple two-minute hop—an improvement I deeply appreciate.

I pulled into the Folk Art Center parking lot around 1:00 PM. Unsurprisingly, the lot was empty—it was a brisk 28°F (-2°C), hardly picnic weather. Then again, POTA always warms me up!

Audrey

For this activation, I brought along my trusty Elecraft KX1 (affectionately named Audrey) and paired her with my Tufteln 9:1 End-Fed Random-Wire antenna.

It had been a while since Audrey had been out in the field, and I was excited to put her back on the air.

Frankly, post-hurricane projects have disrupted my POTA activation routine, and I’ve missed all outings like these.

Gear

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Radio and Speaker

Antenna and Cable Assembly

Key and Accessories

Logging

Battery

Pack and Case

Camera, Mics, and Misc.

On The Air

With the TalentCell battery providing over 12 volts, I was pushing about 4 watts of output power from the KX1. Continue reading Some Much-Needed Radio Therapy with the Elecraft KX1 →

Field Reports, Morse Code, News, Pedestrian Mobile, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel, Videos

Portable POTA Hunting in Beaufort: A Relaxing Back-Yard Session with the Elecraft KH1

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Wednesday, December 18, 2024, was a full but wonderful day. My wife, daughters, Hazel the dog, and I spent it exploring Beaufort, Morehead City, and Atlantic Beach, North Carolina—coastal towns all within a ten-minute drive of one another.

The KX2 and AX1 earlier that day at Fort Macon State Park.

We started the morning at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. While my wife and one of my daughters enjoyed some shopping later, I managed a quick activation at Fort Macon State Park. (You can read that report and watch the activation video here.)

Afterward, we returned to our Airbnb vacation home around 2:00 p.m. for a late lunch. My daughters, still busy despite the holidays, were working on scholarship essays. With their fall term completed online due to Hurricane Helene’s damage in Asheville, they were determined to tackle deadlines before the new year.

While they worked, I felt the pull of POTA (Parks on the Air). However, I wasn’t in the mood for another car ride—especially not a 25-minute drive to the next site. Instead, I decided on a low-key radio session in the backyard, followed by some quiet time with a Sherlock Holmes mystery.

Before dinner, we planned to stroll through Beaufort’s historic district and waterfront. The constant low fog that day had transformed the scenery into something almost magical—perfect for an evening walk. (I’ve included some photos below for those interested!)

Portable POTA Hunting

Hazel, of course, wanted to participate!

I’d already discovered during the previous day’s hunting session that the Airbnb’s backyard had an impressively low noise floor for an urban area.

I suspect it was because many vacation homes in the neighborhood—including the one next door, which was vacant and on the market—were unoccupied during the off-season. Whatever the reason, it was a pleasant surprise for this QRPer.

KH1 Makes it Easy

My Elecraft KH1 has become my go-to radio for backyard sessions. Not only is it incredibly quick to deploy, but it’s also designed for handheld operation. No need to set up an antenna or find a place to sit—I can simply walk around, optimizing received signal strength and avoiding potential noise sources.

For this session, I grabbed the KH1, its whip antenna, and a 13-foot counterpoise. At the last minute, I also decided to bring my camera to record the experience. Though less action-packed than an activation, I thought it might still be worth sharing.

I kept things simple, using only the KH1’s internal speaker. While it’s not the best performer, I appreciate that Elecraft managed to include it—it’s a feature I wish my vintage KX1 had!

Gear

My full KH1 kit built into a Pelican M40 case.

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Radio and Antenna System

Camera and Audio Gear

On The Air

All screenshots from my action camera (I forgot to take photos with my iPhone!)

POTA hunting is a completely different experience from activating—and I love it.

As an activator, you’re in the spotlight, managing pileups and logging contacts as fast as possible. As a hunter with a handheld 5-watt radio and a 4-foot whip antenna, the challenge is flipped: you have to make yourself heard amidst louder stations, all with the goal of practicing good operating etiquette. Continue reading Portable POTA Hunting in Beaufort: A Relaxing Back-Yard Session with the Elecraft KH1 →

Antennas, Digital Modes, Field Reports, FT8, Guest Posts, News, POTA, QRP

Conrad Field-Tests the Buddistick Pro at Silver Sands State Park (US-1716)

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Many thanks to Conrad (N2YCH), who shares the following field report:

Testing a new Buddistick Pro at the Silver Sands State Park “Antenna Test Range.”

by  Conrad (N2YCH)

Silver Sands State Park in Connecticut borders the Northern shoreline of Long Island Sound and is located in Milford, a town on the Western side of New Haven County. There is a field between the parking lot and the sound that is a perfect “parks on the air” activation location. There are no power lines nearby. It’s very flat with no trees, so there is nothing to block the signal. It’s very easy to access and has a spectacular view.

POTA Map showing the location of Silver Sands State Park in Connecticut

Local hams visit to do POTA frequently, and we often run into each other there. One of those hams likes to build and test antennas and dubbed the park the unofficial “antenna testing grounds.” I’ve also used the park to test a number of different antennas myself, and today’s post details the maiden voyage of a brand new Buddipole Buddistick Pro antenna that I received as a holiday gift.

After using a Buddipole vertical as my primary antenna for years for POTA activations, I was interested to see if the Buddistick Pro measured up. What makes the Buddistick desirable is how compact it is. It breaks down and fits into the zippered case it comes with, but when put together, stands tall.

Buddistick Pro case in the passenger seat with the instructions
The Buddistick Pro set up at the Silver Sands “antenna test range.”

There are many videos and reviews of this antenna online, so I don’t want to re-hash what’s already been reviewed many times before. However, I did want to share how this worked for me.

Setting this up was a breeze; it took just a few minutes. I did bring along my RigExpert antenna analyzer to adjust it for resonance. I followed the instructions on where to tap the coil and how much counterpoise to let out. Everything is clearly marked, and the instructions tell you where to begin. However, the instructions are just the starting point. I had to move the coil tap a few turns to get the reading where I wanted it. Using the coil does narrow up the bandwidth somewhat, so it’s important to test it to see if you have it tuned for minimum reflected at the frequency you want to operate at. Once you have it tuned, you can leave the taps in place so you don’t have to do this each time.

Setting the coil tap for 20 meters
1.16:1 SWR at 14.074 Mhz

One thing I wasn’t prepared for was frozen ground at the park. The temperature here in Connecticut has been below freezing for a few weeks, and the ground at the park was frozen solid, preventing me from using my electric fencepost to support the counterpoise. I improvised and used my Jeep bumper to hold it up.

The Jeep bumper counterpoise mount

Once I was all set up, I connected the RF cable to my Elecraft KX2 to operate QRP using FT8 on 20 meters. I hit the ATU button on the KX-2, and it quickly found a 1.0:1 match.

1.0:1 SWR

Next, I connected the computer, synched the clock, and called CQ. I had a pile-up right away.

WSJT-X and JTAlert screenshot showing stations calling
Pskreporter map showing spots during the activation

I use the pskreporter.info map to get an idea of how well my antenna is performing. Considering that I was running QRP, I was happy to see I was reaching the West Coast.

View from inside the Jeep at Silver Sands State Park

So, how did I do? In one hour, I completed 32 QSO’s with three of those being park to park contacts. I maintained a steady stream of callers throughout the activation. The coverage exceeded my expectations.

US-1716 POTA activation QSO map on 12-27-2024, FT8 and FT4 on 20 meters

Equipment List 

The Buddistick Pro, when packed neatly in its case, slides right into a normal-sized backpack with ease, along with the radio, computer, and a spare battery. For me, it will be a good, light companion antenna for the KX2 while doing POTA or SOTA.

Field Reports, News, POTA, QRP, Travel

Camping, Contesting, and Coffee: Bob’s 10 Meter QRP Weekend

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Many thanks to Bob (K4RLC) who shares the following guest post:

Contesting – QRP CW and POTA Style – December 2024

by Bob (K4RLC)

In December, I did the ARRL 10 Meter Contest from Jordan Lake State Recreation Area US-3844, near Apex, North Carolina. This contest is not as competitive as some of the classics like the CQ WW CW or ARRL DX CW contests, so it can afford a person with a smaller station and/or less contesting experience a good time. As the contest is held the second week in December, it basically is a daytime-only contest since propagation is virtually nonexistent after dark on 10 Meters.

For this contest weekend, I had multiple competing personal and family activities. I chose Jordan Lake State Recreational Area (US-3844), about 30 miles from our house, so I could return to Raleigh Saturday night, then drive back Sunday.

I took our Winnebago Solis, the smallest Winnebago, as Alanna and I gave up tent camping a few years ago. The Solis is a wonderful camper van on a Dodge ProMaster chassis that sleeps three, has a propane-powered furnace and two-burner stove, and a refrigerator that can be powered either by propane or by the 140 W solar panels on top of the van, loading up two 100 amp-hour AGM batteries. You can boondock for days or enjoy the luxury of “shore power.”

K4RLC EmComm van named Caledonia (after Dad’s 1937 Chevy convertible)

I went out to Jordan Lake late Friday afternoon and set up an inverted V which I hoped would provide a bit of gain. I had big plans for building gain antennas for the contest (such as a Double Half-Square Curtain array or vertical Diamond), but for various reasons, this unfortunately didn’t happen. I also wanted to operate portable just as I do my POTA and SOTA activities and not from the home QTH. The rig was the Elecraft KX2, an outstanding rig that you can pound away on for a contest, just as we do with the Elecraft K3 on Field Day.

It was already dark when the contest started Friday night. While eating the stereotypical solo male dinner of Dinty Moore Beef Stew right out of the cooking pot (Alanna didn’t accompany me for this outing), I heard only two stations—big gun stations in my own county. However, the band came alive after sunrise Saturday, with the Western and Northwestern Europeans booming in. After trying the non-resonant inverted V, it soon became apparent I would need to use my fallback antenna: a 10-foot telescoping whip, no coil, on a tripod, resting on a 3’ x 7’ piece of screen wire from Lowe’s.

Quickly, I was working such diverse stations as Finland, Germany, Scotland, and Croatia. Despite being less intense than some contests, most stations were running between 30 and 34 words a minute. For the DX exchange, after a signal report, they give the serial number of your contact. This required some pretty intense concentration and listening for my old brain, particularly as I operated in the “Unassisted” category. That is, operating without use of a computer or any other spotting and/or decoding devices. Instead, all my decoding occurred strictly between the ears—the original decoder—helped by lots of strong coffee from a Stanley French Press Coffee Maker our daughter Lauren KA4LHC gave me. Logging was with an old legal pad and Bic pen.

Cup of coffee; CW Key; & KX2 – All I Need

I was amazed at how well I did with 5 watts and the KX2. In the early stages of contests, contesters are avid to make as many easy contacts as possible and typically will give up on a harder-to-copy low-power station after one or two tries and move on. On my end, I had to try multiple times for a station to copy my call, which really slowed down my QSO rate. GM5X in Scotland was kind and patient enough to take five tries to get my call and exchange. Enjoying the beautiful park site and making good contacts, the morning quickly morphed into afternoon, at which point the first of my “other obligations” required me to stop and drive back to town.

Alanna and I had been invited to a Christmas party at the North Carolina Governor’s Mansion by outgoing Governor Roy Cooper, a wonderful and kind leader. Alanna is very tolerant of my radio adventures, but she would kill me if I missed this one. Nor would she like it if I showed up unshowered in my radio activation attire. 🙂 Notably, Gov. Cooper is a fan of amateur radio, especially appreciating its vital role in past weather emergencies and particularly recent disaster operations after the tragic results of Hurricane Helene this fall in Western North Carolina.

Alanna K4AAC, Governor Cooper & Bob K4RLC

As access to the park was closed for the night, Alanna and I went back home still enjoying the beauty of the old Victorian governor’s mansion and its five Christmas trees, as well as being treated to North Carolina delicacies such as smoked mountain trout. Continue reading Camping, Contesting, and Coffee: Bob’s 10 Meter QRP Weekend →

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel, Videos

Coastal QRP: Chasing High-Bands with the Elecraft KX2 and AX1 at Fort Macon State Park

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Two weeks ago, my family and I enjoyed a short vacation in lovely Beaufort, NC.

Although POTA wasn’t the focus of this trip—family time was—I managed to squeeze in two wonderful portable activations.

The first was a pedestrian mobile activation on Cape Lookout National Seashore. It was simply magical. I’ve always wanted to try a pedestrian mobile activation with my antenna counterpoise dangling in saltwater, so this was a first for me.

The second activation took place the following day, on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.

A Flexible Plan

That morning, I had an activation site in mind but didn’t want to set anything in stone. I wanted my wife and daughters to enjoy their day doing whatever they wanted.

My Trakke EDC backpack containing no less than two full field kits!

Of course, as we walked out the door, I brought along my EDC backpack, which contained my Elecraft KH1 and KX2 compact field kits—just in case!

The NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores

Our first stop was the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. While we’ve visited the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher numerous times, this was our first trip to Pine Knoll Shores, and we were glad we went!

One of the aquarium staff, along with three divers, gave a presentation about sharks at their massive salt water tank.

The aquarium was beautiful, with an impressive amount of diversity.

Best of all, since it was off-season, we practically had the place to ourselves, save for one school group.

We even spotted this cute little owl.

Interestingly, the aquarium is located within a POTA site: Theodore Roosevelt State Conservation Area (US-3868). The conservation area can be accessed via a footpath that winds through the surrounding woodlands and marshes.

While I briefly considered activating there, I knew we only had time for one activation that day, and I had another site in mind!

Fort Macon State Park (US-2730)

We devised a plan: I dropped off my wife and one of my daughters at a large thrift store (my wife loves thrift shopping), while my other daughter, Neva, Hazel (our dog), and I drove eight minutes to the first Fort Macon State Park beach access point.

Fort Macon State Park is a real gem on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. It’s got a little bit of everything—stunning beaches, a historic Civil War-era fort, and plenty of spots to enjoy the outdoors. The beaches are perfect for strolling, hunting for seashells, or just soaking in the ocean views, while the fort itself is packed with history and interesting exhibits. It’s also a great spot for birdwatching or fishing if that’s your thing.

I had scouted out the beach access parking lot earlier and discovered a picnic shelter that provided a much-needed wind break for the blustery day.

The goal? To be gone no longer than one hour. Factoring in the 16-18 minutes of driving (round trip), that left me about 40 minutes to deploy my station, complete the activation, pack up, and return.

Time challenge

Every time I devise a plan to complete an activation within a set amount of time, I get a bit of a thrill. It reminds me of Darren McGavin’s character, the father in A Christmas Story. When the car’s tire blows out, he doesn’t see it as an inconvenience; he sees it as a challenge and times himself replacing the tire.

Like “The Old Man” Parker, I get a kick out of timing myself during activations. I can almost hear Jean Shepherd narrating my efforts!

KX2 + AX1 to the Rescue

Since I used the KH1 the previous day at Cape Lookout, I decided to deploy my Elecraft KX2 at Fort Macon.

Again, I’d already scouted the picnic shelter during a brief visit our first evening in Beaufort. It was in a fenced area surrounded by protected dunes, with no natural antenna supports like trees or brush. Since I had packed light with just my EDC backpack, I didn’t have my carbon fiber mast or a self-supporting vertical like my MC-750.

In the past, I’ve been known to simply hang a random wire antenna over the roof trusses of a picnic shelter, and it has worked quite well in a pinch. While this was certainly an option, I also knew from experience that threading the antenna through the trusses can be a bit finicky and time-consuming.

There was no need to fiddle with a wire antenna when I had my uber-portable Elecraft AX1 antenna in the KX2 field kit case.

Setting up the KX2 and AX1 takes two minutes at a casual pace. If I’m in a hurry, I can get them paired and ready to operate in under a minute. With the gear ready, it was time to see if propagation would cooperate!

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On The Air

Funny enough, as I started my activation, Neva took Hazel for a walk on the beach. However, Hazel had other plans—she put on her brakes and refused to venture far. She insisted on staying with me at the shelter, so Neva tied her leash nearby and went off on her own gusty beach walk. Continue reading Coastal QRP: Chasing High-Bands with the Elecraft KX2 and AX1 at Fort Macon State Park →