Category Archives: Guest Posts

Field Radio Kits, Guest Posts, News, Portable, QRP, QRP Radios

Field Kit Gallery: K2EJT’s Self-Sufficient Elecraft KX1 Field kit

16 Comments

Many thanks to Evan (K2EJT) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post. Check out Evan’s field kit:

KX1 Field Activation Kit

by Evan (K2EJT)

I take a minimalist approach to most of my gear.  I don’t like to carry anything I don’t need.  Whether it’s what I pack in my daypack, an overnight pack, or my radio kit…..If I don’t need it, it’s probably not coming along.

That’s where this kit comes in.

This is the absolute minimum radio kit to do a field activation.  While it’s not the lightest kit I have, it still comes in at only 1008 grams (2.25lbs), and that’s including the Pelican case which makes this kit rugged and waterproof (I have an SW-3B kit that weighs 700g, but it’s in an ultralight stuff sack).

This kit contains EVERYTHING (and I mean everything) to do an activation.  The radio is an Elecraft KX1.  It’s a four band radio with the internal ATU.  Powering it are six AA Lithium Ion batteries.  I love this radio, and I wish it was still in production, but these days they’re unobtanium unless you’re willing to spend a ton of money and get lucky and find one for sale.

The CW key is a cwmorse.us N0SA paddle.  The headphones are a pair of old SkullCandy earbuds I’ve had forever, but sound great.

For an antenna I’m running a 41’ random wire antenna, with a 17’ counterpoise, constructed of 24ga silicone jacketed wire.  That’s attached to the radio via a BNC binding post.  While this setup isn’t the most efficient, it’s definitely the most compact and agile.  Normally I run resonant antennas, but having the tuner allows me to run the absolute minimum antenna, and swap bands quickly, and that was the idea behind this kit.

The throw bag is rip-stop nylon with a paracord loop sewn in the top and a velcro closure across the opening.  I fill that bag with rocks, seal it shut with the velcro, and it’s ready to go. The throw line is 65’ of 1.8mm high vis reflective cord.  The throw bag doubles as a stuff sack for the cordage, so it’s all contained in one neat little unit that rolls up tiny.

Also included in the kit are a pencil and a logging sheet, as well as the KX1 cheat sheet.

I have lots of other field kits, but I wanted to showcase just how little you can actually get away with and still get the job done. Yes, I know you could build a Pixie kit and a tiny home made key and stuff and make the kit smaller and lighter, but I wanted a kit with no major compromises or downsides.  This fits the bill.   There’s nothing like a 100% complete kit that contains literally everything you need to do an activation that fits in the palm of your hand!  Thanks for reading and 73!

Evan

K2EJT

Equipment:

Everything else is either generic, home made, or ancient.

Readers: Check out Evan’s YouTube channel for more field radio goodness.

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

Field Kit Gallery: NL5E’s Lightweight KX2 SOTA/POTA Alaska Backpacking Radio Kit

9 Comments

Many thanks to Eric (NL5E) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post. Check out Eric’s field kit:

NL5E SOTA/POTA Backpacking Kit

Description

Hello! NL5E here.

I’m one of the rare SOTA activators in Alaska (I also use this same kit for POTA). Anyone that has looked at a map of this state will know that we have some interesting difficult topography. Many of our summit hikes start out near sea level, but are 3000-6000 vertical feet of climbing to get to the summit. So I built my kit with compactness, versatility, and weight in mind. Everything weighs approximately 2lbs (not including the battery, I don’t always take it).

My primary operating modes are CW, FT8, and SSB.

To facilitate those modes I tried to keep everything as small as possible while still being usable. For example, I debated using N6ARA’s tiny paddle, but I found I made too many sending errors. The N0SA paddle is a perfect medium between portability and sending ability. For FT8 the FT8CN app has been a good alternative to carrying a Raspberry Pi or small laptop and the well loved Digirig is probably the best audio/cat interface on the market today. I don’t do a lot of SSB (especially at QRP levels), but the K6ARK mini microphone is a wonderful improvement over Elecraft’s comically massive microphone for the KX2. I added headphones so I don’t disturb anyone on popular summits and so I can hear CW a bit better.

My antennas of choice tend to be random wires and End Fed Halfwaves.

With the KX2 I chose to use K6ARK’s 20w antenna kits and built both a 9:1 and 49:1 version. I usually carry the 9:1 just to have the band flexibility as it will work from 40m-10m. If the ground is wet enough I’ve had it tune up to 80m.

For the 49:1 I chose 20m because bands lower than that have mediocre performance from the latitude. Because of how short both these antennas are, they pair very well with the SOTAbeams Carbon 6 mast. From a summit a 19’ mast is usually tall enough to work most of the US and lots of Asia from here. The only modification I made is gluing the top 2 sections together for durability. To attach the antenna wire I use a small Niteize carabiner and a prussik loop.

I also wanted to ensure that I could power many different devices while out hiking. I settled on an Anker battery because it is easy to power phones and the radio without having to bring a bunch of different adapters like I would with a dedicated 12V battery.

I know someone will mention protection and the bag I chose. Yep, a silnylon stuff sack offers zero protection from bumps and impacts. I firmly believe that hams “over baby” their equipment and think that their radios will hilariously explode if sneezed on wrong. I settled on the Gems Products cover and rails as a good solution to keep the radio from getting destroyed in a backpack. So far so good. I added the dry bag to my list for rainy days.

I didn’t include one in the images, but I also usually have an HT with me, but most summits don’t have good line of sight to our population centers. I usually run a Yaesu VX-6R with Diamond RH77CA or MFJ Longranger. I will usually run 2m FM when I am close to Anchorage or Palmer. I also didn’t include my logging solution, but that is usually HAMRS on my iPhone or a Rite in the Rain book and pencil. I find CW is easier to log on paper for some reason.

Thanks for looking and perhaps I’ll hear some of you on the air.

Component List

Radio: Elecraft KX2 with Side KX Heatsink and Cover

Antenna: K6ARK Random Wire with 29’ of polystealth wire and antenna winder

Note: I also run a 49:1 EFHW cut for 20m (not pictured, looks the same).

Dog: Luna. Standard issue Alaska Husky. Smol in size. Adds 5 dB gain to all antennas. Adds 45 lbs, but is self transporting.

Support: SOTAbeams Carbon 6

CW Paddles: CW Morse N0SA SP4 Paddle

Microphone: K6ARK mini microphone with printed case. Built from Digikey Parts.

Headphones: Sony Earbuds – could be any old ear buds. These work fine.

Digirig Mobile with Cables: Lets face it. Sometimes FT8 is all that works. I’m in Alaska.

Android Phone: Galaxy S10. Dealers choice for a phone. It exists only to run FT8CN instead of carrying a laptop for FT8.

Power: 

–JacobsParts 15V 5A USB C PD cable 5.5×2.5mm DC (Ferrite Added)

Note: Outputs approx. 14.5V when measured using my multimeter. Radio shows the same/

–Anker 747 25600mAh battery

Miscellaneous Items:

–5.5×2.5mm to 4.0×1.7mm DC Adapter: Allows charging of various HT radios using the Anker battery with JacobsParts USB C cable

-Shower Cap: The all important rain cover for the KX2. Just in case. Just make sure it is transparent.

Storage: Sea to Summit 3L UltraSil Stuff Sack or Sea to Summit 3L Dry Bag

Articles, Field Radio Kits, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios

Field Kit Gallery: W4EMB’s Penntek TR-45L Portable Kit

14 Comments

Many thanks to Ed (W4EMB) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, check out this post. Ed writes:

My QRP Portable Set up

by Ed (W4EMB)

Radio: I have one priority rig I use 99% of my time. It is the TR45L Penntek. I have both versions. The fullsize one with built-in tuner and battery, I also have the “Skinny” version. The skinny does not have the tuner nor battery. My second Rig is the Yaesu 817 with the Windcamp Battery upgrade. I also have a 40m only QSX and the 5 band TruSdx.

Penntek TR45L Skinny with external batter and external tuner.

Antenna:  I use the Chelegance MC-750 most of the time, but also use a Homebrew EFHW with 49:1 balun and 67’ of wire.

I have the QRP guys Tri-Band vertical kit, and two pieces of 16ga Speaker wire cut to 33’ that I carry as well. To support the EFHW and Speaker wire antenna, I use the SOTABEAMS 10m (32 ft) “Travel Mast”.

For the QRP Guys Tri-band vertical, I use the SOTABEAMS Carbon-6 ultra light 6m (19.6 ft) mast. To support the 32’ mast I usually just lean it into the trees and slope my EFHW up from the feed point.

For the speaker wire antenna, I run the “red wire” straight up the mast while it is strapped to the picnic table. The “black wire” is simply thrown out across the ground. I might even elevate the black wire with sticks.

My carbon-6 fits right into a piece of 1 ¼ inch PVC pipe I have clamped to my brush guard on my van. Or, I use a Tiki-Torch stake to hold my carbon-6 in open ground.

carbon-6 with Tiki-Torch stake supporting and using the Tri-band Vertical.
carbon-6 inside of PVC pipe with the QRP Guys Tri-band vertical.

I find for me, that my QRP Guys antenna works great on 20m without a tuner. But when I try to use it on 30m or 40m, I require a tuner. For this reason, I lean on my MC-750 to be the main antenna.

I have modified my MC-750 slightly. I made my own set of radials to match the factory ones. I chose to make them out of silicone wire. I find it to be more flexible and does not kink or tangle as easy as the standard factory radials. I used 3mm banana plugs and 24ga yellow wire. I also crimped small ring connectors onto the ends of the radials. I did NOT strip the insulation and place them on the wire. I simply crimped them on the silicone. I use them to stake down the wire. I use four nails as “stakes” to pin the wire down. I find I only stake the radials out when I am on un-even ground.

The second modification, I made a set of “double” radials out of 26ga green silicone wire. Colors do not matter. It is what I had. I spread them evenly around the base of the MC-750.

MC-750 with “double radials” and RG316 for coax.

My key is a Czech military straight key from the 1950s. It was new old stock when I bought it. I also carry a small mini set of paddles. For the TR45L radio, I can not play my recoded CQ or 73 with out a paddle. The “play” button is dit or dah trough the paddle jack.

For coax, I use RG316 and the appropriate adapter for the MC-750.

I have two pencils from Kuru Toga. One pencil is .5mm the other is .7mm. I make my own POTA log sheets and I paper log, and then type them later. I am a not talented enough yet to play with a tablet or PC while operating. I have only done CW for the last 12 months.

On my table: I have a really thin yoga mat. I find the concrete picnic tables a bit rough on my equipment. The yoga mat can get a bit sticky when it is warm, so I drape a small hand towel over the edge where my arms lay. I also have a Write in the Rain tablet in full size paper. I have been out early in the mornings in this summer and humidity and steamy fog makes normal paper hard to write on. The .7mm pencil matches up well with the Write in the Rain paper.

Chelegance antenna pictured in the background. K-2965 Paris Landing State Park

I have found CW and POTA have re-energized my ham radio hobby and resurrected it from a dusty shack, to a fun out door activity.

My first challenge was how to get from the car to the table in one trip. Downsize to the necessities. Next was figuring out the antenna and radio combo that could work in different conditions. By conditions I mean space.

Location, location….. I had a dog run between me and my antenna. It pulled my radio right off the table and tumble behind the dog. So now I choose my locations like Bill Hickock… always face the door. Hihi. Food for thought.

Thank you to Thomas for inspiring me to get out there and do it. His you tube videos were great copy practice to give me the confidence to get out there. Finally, my Elmer. John, KM6NN. Without him I would have never started my CW journey. He is a true Elmer in every definition of the word. I am proud to know him and lucky he is in my life. Thank you John.

Gear:

Note: Check out W4EMB on YouTube as he makes his 1st POTA “Kilo” 

Antennas, Articles, Guest Posts, News

Chameleon MPAS Lite: Using the coax shield as a counterpoise and how this might affect directionality

13 Comments

Many thanks to Dale (N3HXZ) who shares the following guest post:

Portable Operation Using a Vertical Antenna Without a Counterpoise Wire!

by Dale (N3HXZ)

In a previous article that Thomas was kind enough to post, I ran experiments to determine if the counterpoise wire orientation of the Chameleon MPAS LITE antenna system in the vertical configuration in any way shaped the antenna pattern.  The configuration of the antenna is shown below.

The system consists of a 17’ telescoping whip antenna, a matching transformer, a 50’ coax cable with an in-line RF choke, and a counterpoise wire (60’ long, but unwound to only 25’ for use in the vertical configuration).

Subsequent studies I performed have reinforced my earlier conclusions that the positioning of the counterpoise wire in this setup does not appreciably shape the antenna pattern. One of the comments from my post came from Stephan (HB9EA). He commented on the fact that the coax cable is indeed a counterpoise via the coax shield and that in fact my system set-up had two counterpoises.

It was Stephan’s comment which led me to contact Chameleon Antenna to discuss counterpoises with the MPAS LITE antenna in the vertical configuration. I communicated with the Director of Research and Development group at Chameleon and found out some interesting information that I wanted to pass on.

He mentioned that the system can be used with the coax cable acting as the lone counterpoise as long as the coax cable is at least 25’ long, and preferably 50’ long.  The coax should be spread out and not coiled along any portion of its length. It was stated that the counterpoise wire provided with the product should be used with short-length coax cables.

With regards to a counterpoise orientation shaping the propagation direction, he stated that it is generally accepted that using only the coax as a counterpoise tends to have the antenna pattern slightly favor the direction in which the coax is laid out. Adding the counterpoise wire in a direction opposite to the coax would tend to balance out that pattern. Having the coax and counterpoise wire at some angle to each other introduces variables that make it difficult to determine the antenna pattern.

My initial study had the counterpoise wire oriented at an angle to the coax cable.  I mentioned that my initial study showed that orientation of the counterpoise wire did not seem to appreciably shape the antenna pattern, and he agreed. What is unknown is the overall degree to which the coax cable shapes the antenna pattern with or without use of the counterpoise wire.  This is an area I am currently investigating.

Operating the MPAS-LITE vertical configuration with only the coax cable as a counterpoise was an intriguing thought.

To test it out I teamed up with Jim (KJ3D) for a SOTA activation on W3/PT-003 (Seven Springs). We both deployed the MPAS-Lite with only the supplied 50’ coax cable attached. Coax cables were laid out in a straight line. One cable was oriented southeast, the other one oriented east. We operated on 10 Watts in CW mode. The activation successfully worked all bands from 40M to 10M. I operated an Elecraft KX2 and Jim operated a KX3. The internal tuner of both rigs easily obtained a 1:1 match across all bands.

A map of the QSO’s is shown below. Note that despite the coax cables facing to the southeast and east, we easily worked stations in the opposite directions. Hence any minor shaping of the antenna pattern by the coax orientation does not appear to impede successful communication in all directions.

In summary, the MPAS-LITE antenna system in the vertical configuration utilizing the 50’ coax cable with an in-line RF choke as the single counterpoise has been demonstrated to perform well in the field.

For portable operation where fast deployment and simplicity is paramount, using the furnished coax as a counterpoise is a quick and dirty way to get the antenna erected and on the air with reliable communication capability. Eliminating the counterpoise wire allows for quicker set-up and tear-down, and one less thing to put in the backpack!

Field Radio Kits, Guest Posts, News, QRP

Field Kit Gallery: N8PEM’s MTR-3 Portable Field Radio Kit

13 Comments

Many thanks to Chris (N8PEM) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, check out this post.

MTR-3 Field Kit Build by N8PEM

Ham radio is a hobby best enjoyed in community with others.

Ever since I began operating QRP portable a few years back I had admired the Mountain Toppers.  Granted my Elecraft KX2 is a perfect daily driver.  I’ve been lucky to have that as my sole portable QRP rig for some time.  That didn’t stop me from dreaming of an ultralight QRP portable kit centered on an MTR3.  High resale prices and scarcity made it a purchase I had long put on the back burner.  But then one day I saw my good friend Julia, KF8JBB, while walking my dog in the park.  So I stopped to chat.

Figure 1:  Antenna Design

Like many of us, Julia is an avid QRP and CW enthusiast.  She has numerous QRP and SWL radios.  Life is also pretty busy for her.  She doesn’t get out to operate as much as she would like.  As we chatted on that warm August evening, she offered to gift me her MTR3.  For her, it was time to move that rig on to a good home so it would get it’s proper use.  But the shrewd negotiator in me knew to never accept a first offer.  I countered.  I’d take the MTR3 off her hands if she let me build her a QRP portable antenna in return (later I also threw in a built N6ARA TinySWR kit for good measure).  She accepted.  The next day she dropped off the rig.  The fun of outfitting an ultralight (UL) QRP kit began.

I quickly determined that I wanted to build a trapped 20/30/40 meter EFHW antenna to match the three bands on the Mountain Topper.  I prefer end feds, and I wanted the challenge of building traps for the first time.  Keeping in mind I wanted an UL kit, I could also leave the coax at home with an end fed.  I had read that a trapped EFHW can be shorter than a standard EFHW due to the inductance of the traps.  This appealed to me as I knew from experience that getting a 40-ish foot antenna up in the air is much easier than a 60-ish foot antenna.  It took nearly six weeks to research, procure parts and build out this antenna, partly due to the fact I had to build this antenna twice.

My first attempt at this antenna build wasn’t good.  I couldn’t get SWR better than about 1.8:1 on any band.  I hadn’t tested every component at every step of the build.  Thus, I had a hard time determining what went wrong.  I used 100 and 150 pF capacitors for the traps which proved to have marginal shortening effects.  I needed more turns on the toroids!  I decided to do more research and start over.

Thanks to advice and blogs from folks like Dan AI6XG and Fred KT5X, I settled on a different, better design of the trapped EFHW.  I ordered more parts.  Switched out to 15 and 33 pF capacitors.  I took my time to build and test this antenna in a step by step manner.  The results were much better the second time around.  Overall 45 feet 8 inches long and weighing two ounces.  SWR better than 1.5 to 1 on all three bands.

I had the idea to place a TinySWR kit in line between the RCA plug and the end fed matching unit.  I know there are SWR kits which can be installed within the radio, but I didn’t want to modify the MTR3 in any way.  The stock design is sublime.  I also built a back-up emergency antenna into the design.  If for some reason I have a trap fail, I installed a bullet connector right before the first trap.  Thus, I can disconnect the 30 and 40 meter portions of the antenna and  have a basic resonant 20M EFHW.  These thoughtful touches seemed to perfect the antenna.

Photo 1:  Completed miniSWR, matching unit, 30m trap, and 20m quick disconnect

I tried to be thoughtful with the other choices in my kit as well.  At 3.5 ounces and the size of a bag of coffee, the LowePro CS40 padded case proved to be ideal.  I found it cheapest from a UK-based eBay seller.  I made my flight deck out of the steel housing from an old external CD Drive.  I measured, cut and filed the edges.  It’s perfectly sized for loose Rite in the Rain paper, lightweight and thin.  A metal flight deck also can hold the magnetic base of my CW paddles.  When it came to the battery, I decided to go with a RC airplane LiPo battery.  Fuzzy math told me that the 650 mAh would give me more than enough operating time.  Once complete, I was happy to find the entire kit weighed in at just 18 ounces, not counting a throw weight or collapsable mast.

Photo 2:  The completed MTR3 kit

My first activation with this kit was September 21st.  I wasn’t sure how well I would do.  Band conditions weren’t the best the previous two days.  I went to my favorite spot, Bunker Hill (W8O/SE-009) located within Great Seal State Park (K-1954) in south central Ohio.  It’s a short 20 minute hike to the high point on what was a partly cloudy 70 degree Thursday morning.  I set the antenna up in a sloper configuration, gave my dog Togo some treats, ate half my sandwich, took a sip of coffee, and pulled up the POTA and SOTA spotting pages.

In just over an hour I had made 54 QSOs covering all 3 bands.  The MTR3 combined with the trapped 20/30/40 EFHW worked flawlessly.  It was an absolute joy to operate.

Photo 3:  First activation complete

That joy came from the sublime kit for sure.  But enjoyment also came from the community carried within the kit itself.  The MTR3 from Julia KF8JBB.  The paddle and wire winder designs from Adam K6ARK. The MiniSWR Kit from Ara N6ARA.  The Trap PCB boards from Tim N7KOM.  The toroids, capacitors, and antenna advice from Dan AI6XG.  The blog post from Fred KT5X.  The 3D printing from my nephew Colin.  Even the RigExpert I bought from Glen W1ND this Spring was integral.  This kit is an homage to that community.

Figure 2:  First Activation QSO Map

If you made it to the end, thanks for reading!  I hope it was interesting and helpful.

TU 73 EE,

Chris N8PEM

Radio Kit

Antenna Build

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

Bob’s POTA weekend in eastern North Carolina

5 Comments

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

North Carolina Parks On The Air Activation weekend

Bob (K4RLC)

The first North Carolina Parks On The Air Activation weekend occurred September 9 & 10. Between a limited amount of time available and weather, I only was able to activate three parks, including an over-night camp out. The primary goal was to return to the Dismal Swamp State Park (K-2727) in Camden County. While the Dismal Swamp in Camden County is a rare and sought after County on CW for those wanting to work all 100 North Carolina counties and all 3000+ US counties,  it also is a place comforting to my tortured soul.

As there is no camping at Dismal Swamp State Park, one camps at the nearby Merchant Mill Pond State Park (K-2745)  in Gates County. This is a pleasant small State Park with canoeing and fishing in a 190 year old millpond, with old-growth Cypress trees. It is near the lower extension of the larger Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, which begins in Virginia.

As an older park, Merchants Mill Pond SP does not have any hook-ups for water or electricity. Fortunately, I was camping in our Solis campervan, which is self-contained by solar power and good for boondocking.

The oppressive heat gave way to rain, so I set up inside the van at my campsite. This gave me an opportunity to use my new favorite portable radio, the Penntek TR – 45 Lite, a QRP CW only radio. An outstanding feature of this rig is that it has no menus, only knobs and toggle switches, and reminds me very much of my radios from the early 1960s, but with modern specs.

The internal keyer performed well with the Putikeeg magnetic paddle from Amazon. Even though there was distant thunder, I felt it was safe to set up an inverted V on a fiberglass mast, bungee-corded  to a trailer mount hitch on the camper van. I ran the RG-174 coax through a rear window by sliding the window screen open a bit.

Not wanting to invite an onslaught of mosquitoes, I only used red lights inside the Solis, reminiscent of military operations. The TR -45 Lite did well on 40 CW with 5 W and the inverted V in the rain, and no mosquitoes invaded the van.

The overall goal was to return to the Dismal Swamp. I started early in the morning, setting up on a picnic table in the park between the Canal and the walkway, along the canal. Even though it was midmorning, the weather became interesting, at  90° F and 90% humidity.

For this activation, I used the old IC 706 MKIIG and a modified Wolf River coil set up. I used the Chameleon 17 foot telescopic whip. This whip is Mil-Spec and has a great feel and quality of workmanship. However it is 11 inches too short for the Wolf River “Sporty 40” coil. To address this, I made an 11 inch jumper from solid copper wire left over from my Dad’s days with Southern Bell telephone, and fitted it on an alligator clip, clipped to the top of the whip. The other modification was not to use the three 31 foot radials. For this activation, I tried the KB9VBR “Magic Carpet” ground plane.

This is a 32 x 84 piece of aluminum window screen, laid on the ground, under the antenna tripod. It may be a dB  or so less than the radials, but it sure takes up a lot less space, especially in a crowded parking lot. The key is the Whiterook MK-49 made by ElectronicsUSA. It is my favorite backpacking key, lightweight and withstands being thrown into a backpack with no protection. This set-up worked well both on 20 and 40 CW, juggling CW keying with eating leftovers for breakfast until the rain came.

I then decided to wander on some back roads in Eastern North Carolina and wound up in historic Edenton, originally built in the early 1700s and the first capital of the Colony of North Carolina. Their diverse history is reflected in the town square, where there is a 13 Colony US flag, a monument to the Confederate War dead, and the British Union Jack!

The radio setup was very pleasant at the Historic Site (K-6842) near the Albemarle Sound, which begins at the Eastern North Carolina coast, and runs to the leeward side of the North Carolina Outer Banks on the Atlantic Ocean.

I decided to try the TR-45 Lite again, but this time with a Buddipole on 20 meter CW. Propagation was variable with early contacts in Utah and Idaho, but the band became difficult. It was very pleasant operating with the ocean breeze and looking at the 1886 Roanoke River lighthouse,  until the rain started again.

So it was time to pack up, but a return trip to spend a weekend in Edenton would be a very pleasant activity. On the way out of town, I passed a puzzling POTA  site, the National Fish Hatchery (K-8007), established in 1898, and home of an Annual Fishing Rodeo. Activating there was tempting, but the rain was prohibitive.

All in all, it was a very pleasant activation for the first NC POTA weekend. I got to test different radio and antenna configurations. I would say for the TR -45 Lite, the inverted-V worked best. For the ICOM IC-706 , the “Magic Carpet” aluminum screen worked very well and was very easy to set up.

I did not have time to do a head to head comparison of the antennas; that is a Fall project.  Please note I originally got a stainless steel screen from Amazon, but testing with the Rig Expert showed that it really did not conduct as well as aluminum and had higher SWR, so make sure to purchase the aluminum screen.

For a first NC POTA Weekend, the results were modest and certainly can be improved upon next year. Down east on the Outer Banks, Jockey’s Ridge and the Wright Brother Memorial  is on my future list, but an annual pilgrimage to the Dismal Swamp (especially in non-summer months) is a must.

Guest Posts, News, Portable, Reviews

KA4KOE takes a look at the FX-4CR by BG2FX

8 Comments

Many thanks to Philip (KA4KOE) for the following guest post:

The FX-4CR (Manufacturer’s image)

Review of the FX-4CR Mini-Transceiver: What’s Old is New Again.

by Philip (KA4KOE)

Introduction

My start in Amateur Radio began in 1979 as a newly-minted, 16 year-old Novice. At the time, my resources were slim. I worked in a country store; pushing a broom, putting up stock, bagging groceries, etc. I was paid $23.46 every two weeks. At this time, Heathkit was selling kits to the ham radio community that ran the gamut from simple to elaborate. Looking over the catalog, my young eyes were drawn to the HW-8. What drew my attention was not the radio’s features, but the price.

The Heathkit HW-8 was listed for $129.95, plus shipping. I did not even notice that the power output was specified at 3.5 watts on 80 meters. The green gem was a bonafide ham radio transceiver!

In due course, the kit was acquired, assembled, tested, and put on the air with an Elmer’s aid. I made a bunch of contacts with that CW-only transceiver. The term “QRP” never entered my mind. I don’t have any photographs from my early days on the air: the only photograph of the HW-8 dates from 1981 during my freshman year of college. By that time, I had acquired an HW-100 from a fellow ham. See Photograph No. 1: note the chrome Vibroplex Lightning Bug, homebrew “T” network transmatch, and of the course the ‘8 on far right (see red arrow).

Photograph No. 1: KA4KOE in 1981.
Photograph No. 2: Heathkit HW-8. (Image Source: WD8RIF)

Rationale and the radio

Without getting into my entire life’s story, I will start this paragraph by stating that my ham “career” has now come full circle as I’m back to using compact, lightweight, low power gear; this time by choice.

I had the bad habit of deploying too much gear during POTA activations. I came across internet chatter with regards to a relatively new product; the FX-4CR SDR mini-transceiver. The base specifications are as follows:

  • Dimensions: 107mm (4.2”) L x 65mm (2.6”) W x 43mm (1.7”) H.
    Weight: 0.46 KG (1 LB).
  • Bands/Power:  80 meters thru 10 meters, inclusive: 20 watts. 6 Meters: 5 watts.
  • Display and Panadapter Span: 50mm (2.0”) TFT, Approximately 24 KHz +/- (48 KHz total) and waterfall. See Photograph No. 3.
  • Modes: LSB, USB, CW, FM, AM, Digital.
  • Receive Current Draw: 210 mA.
  • Transmit Current Draw: 3.0A to 4.0A at full rated 20W output.
  • Input Voltage Range: 9 VDC thru 16 VDC (do not exceed). The optimal supply voltage is 14 VDC.
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth for CAT/Audio. USB Port for CAT/Audio and Firmware Updates. Integral audio soundcard input/output.
  • Output Power: Continuously variable from 0.1 thru 20W. Recommended maximum wattages are SSB – 20W, CW and Digital – 10W.
  • No internal battery or antenna matching unit.
Photograph No. 2: My FX-4CR, 6 AH Bioenno LFP, Genasun GV-5.

Expectations

The prospective buyer should realize what this radio “brings to the table”. As others have previously stated on the various internet chat groups and social media, do not expect Elecraft performance at the $550 (including shipping) price point for this radio. All radios have flaws and this one is no exception. Issues of which I am aware are as follows: Continue reading KA4KOE takes a look at the FX-4CR by BG2FX →

Field Reports, Guest Posts, Portable, POTA

Poland Adventures – Part II

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by Thomas (DM1TBE as SP/M0KEU/P)

After completing my first POTA Rove, it was time to look for other opportunities. The next day, we planned a trip close to the border between Poland and Germany. Due to the high density of POTA parks in Poland, it was not too hard to find a POTA park for me.

The park Łęgi koło Słubic Nature Reserve (SP-1908) is a floodplain for the Oder River, the border river between Poland and Germany. As described in my previous post, the border was shifted from further east to the Oder river as part of the territorial changes at the end of World War II. Later, Poland was the only country, along with Czechoslovakia, where people from East Germany, i.e., the Soviet-controlled part of Germany, could travel to without permission. This arrangement came to an end in 1980 with the rise of the Solidarność (Solidarity) movement in Poland, a social movement against the pro-Soviet government, and the subsequent declaration of martial law.

J. Żołnierkiewicz, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

After the reunification of Germany in 1990, the border became a kind of ‘wealth border’ between Eastern and Western Europe, giving rise to various issues such as crime and immigration. Following Poland’s accession to the European Union in 2004 and its entry into the Schengen Area in 2007, which involved the removal of all border controls, the situation improved. Now the only thing indicating a border ahead is the black-red-yellow post.

The current rapid pace of development in Poland does not make it impossible to overtake Germany in the foreseeable future.

Back to the activation. I took the following equipment with me:

When going (as in walking) to an unknown park without knowing the circumstances, I like to have the option to choose between an antenna with a small and a large footprint. So far, I have just made a handful of car-based activations. But I increasingly like it as it opens another world with big antennas and bigger rigs. We recently made a test activation with an Icom IC-7300 and a 6-band Cobweb antenna from AWK, by chance also from Poland.

But that’s another story.

Not sure if I have mentioned it: My BaMaKey had a technical issue and I had to send it back to the manufacturer. The repair took just a couple of days and the communication was very smooth and convenient. I was happy to have my favourite key back in time before my vacation.

So after I dropped my family to do their business, I went on and looked around for a nice place. Of course, I had to see the actual border.

Left Poland, right Germany. In the background is Frankfurt (Oder), not to be confused with the more well-known Frankfurt am Main.

The weather looked a bit difficult, but it remained dry.

Eventually, I found a place in a meadow with more than enough space for the SOTABeams linked dipole so I could leave the JPC-12, the ground mounted vertical, in the backpack. In the meanwhile, I am used to the SOTABeams antenna. I can build it alone in less than 5 minutes and – as it is hard to beat a dipole – have a very good antenna for operating QRP.

The activation was difficult. It was a holiday season, a morning during a weekday, and the conditions were tough. After 30 minutes, I had just 4 QSOs. So I asked in the chat groups of my local ham radio club and a German POTA group for help. After 1.5 hours, I ended the activation with 15 QSOs, of which 5 were from the alerted groups. At least the place was nice, and the weather was not as hot as in the days before.

Log Analyzer by DL4MFM / Google Maps

The next day, I wanted to spend some time with my 7-year-old son, and I was looking for an opportunity to combine it with a quick activation. I remembered the bunkers and museums of the Ostwall (East Wall), technically Festungsfront Oder-Warthe-Bogen (Fortified Front Oder-Warthe-Bogen). The structure, spanning 120 km / 75 miles in total, was constructed between 1934 and 1944. It stood as the most technologically advanced fortification system during the era of Nazi Germany, and continues to be one of the largest systems of its kind in the world today. Continue reading Poland Adventures – Part II →

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

Conrad’s Kayak POTA Activation on Minnie Island

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Minnie Island K-1698 Kayak Activation

by Conrad (N2YCH)

9/1/2023

As many readers know, I am on a Parks on the Air (POTA) quest to activate all references in the state of Connecticut. There are 136 parks, and four of them are only accessible by boat. You may have seen my recent field report here on QRPer.com about activating three islands located in the Connecticut River. For those islands, I enlisted professional help from a boat captain with the navigation experience and proper tools (like radar and maps) to access those islands.

The final boat-only accessible island is Minnie Island, located in the middle of Gardner Lake in the town of Salem, Connecticut. I DO have experience kayaking on a Lake, thanks to my uncle, who has two kayaks and has taken me out on Tillson Lake in New York’s Hudson Valley a number of times. Unlike the challenges the river posed, I felt like I could manage the lake on my own. I did need a kayak, though, which I didn’t own.

I had to do some kayak research then. In case you didn’t know this, different kayaks have different specifications on how much weight they can hold. I’m a big guy, six foot five inches tall. Add me, plus a backpack of radio equipment, and I needed to be sure I didn’t sink.

I started on eBay, looking for people selling used kayaks. There are all different kinds of kayaks. Some made for the ocean and dealing with waves and others for casual lake paddler. Some have rudders, some have small, sealed cockpits and some even have motors. I had no idea how serious you could get with all of the accessories and options. I was really looking for something simple.

After striking out on eBay, I found a fishing supply store at the end of the Connecticut River that also had kayaks you could rent. I visited their web site and was happy to see that they were having an end of season clearance sale, where they were selling their rentals. I visited their shop and after looking at my options, I ended up buying an Old Town Vapor 10 kayak. It came with a paddle and life jacket and it was 50% of the price new. A great bargain. The added benefit is now I own my own kayak…a friend suggested that now that I do, there might be IOTA activations in my future.

What sold me on the Vapor 10 was the open cockpit. No trying to squeeze myself in and plenty of room to bring a backpack with the radio equipment in-between my legs. Also, I was able to fit it into my Jeep Wrangler.

Next stop, the Gardner Lake Boat Launch, which was about a 30 minute drive North. Continue reading Conrad’s Kayak POTA Activation on Minnie Island →

Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, Reviews, Videos

Getting To Know You Series: The Ten-Tec Argonaut V (Model 516) – My thoughts, notes, and a POTA activation!

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I’m very fortunate in that over the past few years I’ve accumulated a number of QRP radios that I use in rotation when I do park and summit activations.

I’m often asked for advice on choosing radios, and as I’ve mentioned in the past, I feel like the decision is a very personal one–everything is based on an operator’s own particular preferences.

I’ve written formal reviews about most of the field radios in my collection over the years. In those reviews, I try to take a wide angle view of a radio–I try to see how it might appeal to a number of types of operators: field operators, DXers, summit activators, contesters, rag-chewers, casual operators, SWLs, travelers, outdoor adventurers, mobile operators, etc. I highlight the pros and cons, but I don’t focus on my own particular take because, again, my style of operating might not match that of readers. I try to present the full picture as clearly as I can and let the reader decide.

On that note, I thought it might be fun to take a radio out for a field activation and spend a bit of time explaining why I enjoy using it and why it’s a part of my permanent field radio collection. Instead of taking that wide-angle view of a radio like I do in magazine reviews, I share my own personal thoughts based on long-term experience.

Each new video in the Getting To Know You series will highlight one of the field radios from my field radio collection.  I’ll spend time in each video explaining what I personally appreciate about each radio, then we’ll do a park or summit activation with the radio.

I’ll release these every few weeks or so–when the notion strikes me.  They will not be on a regular schedule, but I hope to include each of my radios in this series over the the next year.

The Ten-Tec Argonaut V

The third radio in the Getting To Know You series is my Ten-Tec Argonaut V (Model 516).

I’ve always been a big fan of Ten-Tec products because I love their focus on quality, high-performance receivers, and benchmark audio fidelity.

Ten-Tec has produced some impressive radios over the years and was a trail-blazer in the world of QRP with their Power Mites and original analog Argonaut series (check out these and more T-T radios here).

When Ten-Tec manufacturing was located in Sevierville, Tennessee, I knew many of the employees of the company and even did Alpha and Beta testing for their QRP radios like the Patriot, Rebel, and Argonaut VI.

I love the ergonomics and simple front panel design of the Argo V.

I purchased my Argonaut V used in 2021 when I saw it for sale on QTH.com. The price was right and, frankly, I wanted a Ten-Tec radio back in my life.

In the activation video (below) I’ll speak to all of the reasons I love the Argonaut V, why I think it’s so unique, and why I’ve no intention of ever selling it. Then, we’ll perform a POTA activation with it.

Keep in mind that my perspective will primarily focus on HF CW operating–I don’t actually own a microphone for the Argonaut V, but I do plan to at some point.

Lake James State Park (K-2739)

On Sunday, August 13, 2023, I made a detour to Lake James State Park en route to visit my parents in Hickory, NC. As I’ve mentioned many times before, Lake James is one of the easiest parks I can hit in my travels and it’s open every day of the week–in the summer, it’s also open quite late which is a bonus.

The only negative with evening activations at Lake James is fighting the mozzies–they can be persistent!

I picked out a picnic table close to the car and pulled the Argonaut V from my Husky latching box.

I then immediately deployed my MW0SAW 40 meter End-Fed Half-Wave antenna. Since the Argonaut V doesn’t have an internal ATU, the EFHW would give me the flexibility to operate on 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters natively.

Of course, it was in the early evening, so I only intended to hop on 40 meters, but I had the option to move up the band if needed.

After deploying my antenna, I recorded the “Getting To Know You” portion of the activation video–I’d encourage you to check that out below!

Time to hop on the air! Continue reading Getting To Know You Series: The Ten-Tec Argonaut V (Model 516) – My thoughts, notes, and a POTA activation! →