Many thanks to Pedro (PP2PB), who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page.
Pedro’s (tr)uSDX Compact and Affordable Field Kit
by Pedro (PP2PB)
Here’s my new kit.
This kit weighs just under 1,2kg and has phone and CW operations in mind. I might add some cables for digital modes, but I haven’t tested this rig with digital modes, just yet.
The (tr)uSDX was bought assembled with the LO bands RF board, and I assembled the HI RF board myself. I got Adam’s alternative case printed out for easy band switching and did a minor mod to the RF boards soldering a Zener diode reverse polarized as a high SWR protection.
I also added a USB port to the battery pack because the (tr)uSDX can operate with around 0,5W directly from USB and that’s a great way to test for SWR and fine tune the antenna without stressing the finals.
The manual antenna coupler is also my creation and even though it doesn’t appear on the exploded view it does fit in there no problem (it was added after I took the pictures).
Homemade 6W dummy load made inside a 90º BNC male connector (2x 100ohms 3W resistors in parallel) – great cheap insurance with these simple rigs.
Small USB Cable
Generic Earbuds
(tr)uSDX power cable with powerpoles
20m of 24AWG wire for the primary antenna with some generic red paracord for setting it up
Charger for the battery pack with powerpoles
Homemade battery pack using a 4S battery holder with 3x 18650 cells and a BMS board, and the extra space for a step down DC converter with USB out and the 12V powerpoles
Many thanks to Glen (KC8LA) who shares the following guest post:
New QRPer and Eight Months with the Elecraft KH1
by Glen (KC8LA)
Let me introduce myself—I’m Glen, KC8LA. I’ve been a ham for 30 years, but I only started hunting POTA activators in mid-to-late 2023. Before long, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be fun to activate parks myself?”
Of course, YouTube was the place to learn how to get started. I saw that I’d need a portable radio (like the FT-891), a tuner, a power source, a multiband antenna, and a way to hoist it into a tree. Whew! It all sounded like a lot of lugging gear for just a couple of hours of radio fun. Was it worth it? Back to YouTube I went, searching for an easier way.
Over the years, I’d never thought much about QRP. Then, I stumbled across videos of Thomas, K4SWL, beta-testing a new self-contained Elecraft radio: the KH1. I watched every KH1 video I could find—so many that I joked Thomas became my “best friend” through the screen.
“This is it,” I thought. “I’ll get the KH1!” But when I checked the price, I had to pause and think. After a couple of weeks, I finally decided to order it on November 22, 2023, figuring it would arrive in early December, just in time to prepare for my first activation in January.
Nope. The wait time was three months, pushing the delivery date to February. I could wait, though! In the meantime, I set up my FT-891 in the Jeep using alligator clips to the battery, hamsticks, and a laptop table between the seats for my key and notepad. It worked, but I was just sitting in the Jeep. Come on, KH1!
Due to parts delays, the wait stretched to five months. While I waited, I practiced activating parks with the FT-891 and figured out the basics to be ready for the KH1’s arrival.
Finally, on April 18, 2024, the KH1 arrived. I was sitting on the porch when the mail carrier handed me the box. I opened it right then and there, assembled it, and made my first contact on 20 meters. My hands tremble a bit, so it was challenging, but I did it. Over time, I practiced and now comfortably run 18–20 WPM.
My first activation with the KH1 was on April 26, but it didn’t go as planned—only four contacts. Undeterred, I tried again the following weekend. Eight contacts. Still not a success. Thomas made it look so easy in his videos!
I began researching what I was doing wrong. I learned that a 5-watt activation takes longer than one at 100 watts (obvious in hindsight). Time of day, solar conditions, and operating on QRP-friendly frequencies all make a big difference. Once I adjusted my approach, my third activation was a success, and they’ve been going well ever since.
In the meantime, Hamvention rolled around, and since I live nearby, I put activations on hold. At Hamvention, I made a beeline to Wayne from Elecraft, shook his hand, and thanked him for dreaming up the KH1. We swapped some war stories—I even shared how I’d worked 3G0YA split on 15 meters from a park!
Anytime, Anywhere Radio Is So Much Fun!
Fall at Kiser Lake State Park (US-1966)
Since the KH1 arrived, I’ve completed 70 activations across 23 parks in three states, including seven parks in Utah over five days (a story for another time). Of those, 60 were with the KH1, with only four failures—two due to learning the radio and two from running out of time. I’ve logged around 1,000 activation contacts with the KH1 so far.
The KH1 goes everywhere with me, and I use it 95% of the time in its portable, self-contained configuration. Occasionally, I deploy my homemade “chalk line” EFHW antenna, which consists of 33 feet of 2mm throw line and 41 feet of 26-gauge wire. It’s compact, tunes well, and clips nicely to the KH1’s ES-20 case.
Pool mobile at Grand Lake Saint Marys State Park (US-1953)
I’ve done activations at a variety of locations: tire shops, birthday parties, weddings, bike paths, and even my living room chair. The KH1 makes HF portable operation so easy that I’m contemplating buying a second one as a backup.
Picnic table my home park, Sycamore State Park (US-1995)
The built-in key has been a mixed bag—I’m already on my second one, and I’ve had to use my backup key a few times. But the radio’s battery life has been excellent, easily lasting four two-hour activations before needing a charge. The tuner works flawlessly, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well the built-in speaker performs in quiet environments.
Exploring the Outdoors
Davey Woods State Nature Preserve (US-9403)
What I love most about the KH1 is how it’s transformed my radio journey. It’s encouraged me to get outdoors, discover new places, and revisit sites I haven’t seen in decades. My home park, US-1995 Sycamore State Park, is just 20 minutes away, and I’ve activated it 27 times, logging 594 contacts toward my Kilo award.
I’m still working, so I need to plan activations carefully for parks that are more than an hour away. But with the KH1, I’m always ready for an adventure.
Final Thoughts
North Country Trail National Scenic Trail (US-4239)
I would have never believed that a tiny radio with a 45-inch antenna could reliably make HF contacts, but the KH1 amazes me every time I pull it out. It’s my radio of choice for almost all CW contacts now—I’ve probably made fewer than 20 CW contacts on my FT DX10 and FT-891 since getting the KH1!
Yes, there are plenty of other portable radios out there, but for me, the KH1’s convenience, low “lug factor,” and quick setup time are unbeatable. I can be on the air in under a minute.
If you’re on the fence about trying QRP or the KH1, I say go for it. It’s a radio that has truly enhanced my life, and I can’t imagine my portable adventures without it.
This month, we’re heading out for a short vacation, and while I think I’ve already answered this question for myself, it’s always fun to explore the possibilities a bit further.
As you probably know, I’ve accumulated a fair number of QRP radios over the years—so many, in fact, that it’s borderline embarrassing. When people ask me how many radios I own, I tend to dodge the question. It feels a bit like admitting to an addiction! It’s the same feeling I get after the holidays when I finally total up how much I spent on gifts. Sometimes, it’s better not to know the number.
Less is more
Honestly, I’d be a happy camper with just my $125 TEN-TEC R4020 two-band, CW-only radio.
I told a friend recently that I’d honestly be content with just one radio from my collection.
I know that might sound surprising, especially since QRPer.com often showcases my radio “addiction.” But the truth is, aside from radios, backpacks, and books, I don’t accumulate many things. We intentionally live in a small house (by American standards), and we like to keep it uncluttered.
That said, most of the radios in my collection are ones I genuinely enjoy using. Any one of them could be my only radio, and I’d be happy. So choosing one radio for a vacation should be easy, right?
Not quite.
Almost every time I face this decision—“Which one should I take?”—a couple of radios consistently rise to the top of the list. I’ll share those choices in a moment, but I’d love to hear your thoughts: would you make the same choices, or would you pick something else?
Vacation Parameters
Before diving into my choices, here are a few details about this particular vacation:
It’s short—just four nights.
I haven’t been to this area in 17 years. (The destination is a surprise for my daughters, so I’m keeping it under wraps for now!)
This is a road trip. Since our beloved Subaru is out of commission and not yet replaced, we’ll be taking our Volvo C40, which has much less cargo space.
I’ll likely only have time for two POTA activations. The focus of this trip is family time, so any activations will be short.
I’ve never visited the POTA sites we’ll likely visit, so I don’t know if wire antennas are allowed or what the conditions will be. One site is a historic/archeological area, so I’ll need a low-impact setup.
The Contenders
Given the tight space and limited time, I’ll only bring one radio. It needs to be versatile enough to handle unknown conditions and compact enough to fit with our packed gear.
The Mountain Toper MTR-3B
It’s hard to beat the MTR-3B for size. This ultra-compact, lightweight, self-contained kit is both impact and waterproof.
However, it lacks an internal ATU, so I’d be limited to wire antennas. Since I won’t have room for my MC-750 vertical, I’d need to rely on finding parks that allow wires in trees. I could call ahead to confirm, but this adds complexity.
The Penntek TR-45L.
The TR-45L is an excellent choice. It has a large internal battery that can easily handle 10 activations, an internal manual ATU, brilliant audio, and it’s nearly self-contained. Add a key and almost any antenna, and you’re good to go.
I’ve even used the AX1 antenna with the TR-45L, for low-impact setups. But like the MTR-3B, it’s CW-only, which eliminates SSB as an option. It’s also a bit larger than my other QRP radios, and I need to prioritize space.
It would also be nice to have a radio small enough to fit on my folding kneeboard.
The Elecraft KX3
The KX3 is an incredibly capable radio. It handles SSB, CW, and even digital modes like PSK-31 and RTTY without extra gear. It has an excellent internal ATU and pairs beautifully with the AX1 or a simple wire antenna. It’s small enough to fit on my folding kneeboard, too.
That said, there’s one radio that offers nearly the same capability as the KX3 but is even smaller and has an internal battery:
The Elecraft KX2
The KX2 is my go-to travel radio. It’s compact, versatile, and so capable it feels like the Swiss Army Knife of QRP radios.
Every time I travel, I try to talk myself out of bringing the KX2 just to mix things up, but it’s hard to argue with its convenience and reliability. For this trip, where time and space are limited, the KX2 is the clear winner.
I’ll pair it with a random wire antenna, the AX1, and a minimalist throw-line kit. This setup will allow me to adapt quickly to park conditions, even if wires aren’t permitted.
What about the KH1, Thomas?
Okay, I may sneak a second radio onto this trip.
The KH1 is so compact it can fit in my Pelican M40 case, which slides under the seat or into the glove compartment.
The IC-705 might be a great choice, too. I’ve even paired it with the AX1 using a capacity hat.
While I know I could make any radio in my arsenal work, the KX2 takes the guesswork out of the equation. When time is limited, that means more time on the air!
Would you choose the KX2 for this mini-vacation, or do you think another radio would be better suited for the job? Please comment.
Earlier this week, I mentioned that I purchased a Xiegu G106 in September. Its delivery was delayed because I had it shipped to my local post office, which, as you likely know, was flooded during Hurricane Helene.
With all the post-Helene chaos, I haven’t been able to do as much POTA as I’d like, so the G106 sat unopened in its box—until Wednesday, November 20, 2024, when I finally had a chance to take it out for its maiden activation at Lake James State Park (US-2739)!
Why the Xiegu G106?
Last year, Radioddity sent me a G106 on loan, and I wrote an in-depth review after taking it on several activations. That review was lengthy because radios like the G106—designed as price leaders—often have compromises that may not suit everyone. It’s essential to judge such radios based on their goals, not by comparing them to premium models like the Icom IC-705.
For the G106, the question I aimed to answer was: “Does this radio accomplish what it sets out to do?”
I believe its mission is to offer affordable field radio fun—capable of completing park or summit activations without excessive struggle, providing performance commensurate with its price point.
I decided to purchase the G106 because I had returned my loaner unit over a year ago, but questions about it kept coming from readers. Instead of requesting another loaner, I opted to buy one.
To my surprise, the pricing had dropped significantly. Here’s my order confirmation:
Interestingly, as I mentioned earlier this week, Amazon (at time of posting) has a Black Friday deal for the G106 (without accessories) $199 shipped for Prime members[QRPer affiliate link].
I’d have chosen that over the bundle I ordered had it been available at the time.
Unboxing to Activation
It was a rainy day at Lake James.
A common question from readers has been, “Would the Xiegu G106 work as a dedicated field radio for POTA activations?”
Perfect weather to set up in a picnic shelter!
Most of these inquiries came from newcomers to ham radio, so I decided to test the radio in the field by setting it up from scratch—straight out of the box. This included attaching connectors to the power cord, configuring the radio, setting up the antenna, and hopping on the air.
This is a lot of picnic shelter for such a small radio setup!
I started the activation using SSB (voice) and later switched to CW (Morse Code) to give a full “out-of-the-box” experience.
The resulting activation video (below) is lengthy but was incredibly fun to film!
Gear:
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
The timing is ironic for me since just three days ago, I performed a POTA activation with the G106 at Lake James State Park. I’ll hopefully have that field report posted within a week—possibly by Friday, if I can carve out the time.
Long story short: I purchased this G106 via Radioddity in late September, before Hurricane Helene hit WNC. I bought it because I’ve received so many questions about this radio over the past few months—no doubt because it’s the most affordable 80-10 meter multimode (CW, SSB, AM, and FM) radio on the market.
While using it Wednesday, I noticed a bit of AGC surge when a strong signal was present; the AGC takes a second to handle the incoming CW signal, making it feel slightly sluggish. I don’t recall this being an issue with the loaner unit I reviewed last year, but it’s there now. I’ll reach out to Xiegu to see if a firmware update might address this.
If you’re looking for a super-affordable HF radio that does SSB right out of the box (the QMX should as well, once Hans implements that in firmware), the G106 is a solid option. It’s a capable SSB QRP radio and decent at CW as well—again, especially for the price.
When I purchased my G106 in September, I bought directly through Radioddity’s site, taking advantage of a flash bundle deal that included the G106 and the DE17 digital interface for $239 or $249.
Had this Amazon deal been available, I would’ve jumped on it instead since I hadn’t planned on buying the DE17.
Before purchasing, I recommend reading my full review. This isn’t a “slam dunk” radio, but it’s a capable little machine and a great option to keep tucked away in a vehicle for impromptu activations.
As a reminder, the link above is an affiliate link. QRPer.com earns a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. If you’d prefer not to use the affiliate link, you can use this one instead.
Many thanks to Dave (K1SWL) who shares the following field report:
A Bare-bones POTA Outing
by Dave Benson (K1SWL)
It started with a one-of-a-kind homebrew project and mushroomed from there. I was returning to my roots with a Direct-conversion rig and it hooked me in our recent ARRL Field Day event in June.
It acquitted itself well on 40M with a total of 81 contacts.
I’ve been enjoying operating various flavors of this design since then, and the bulk of it on 20M. It finally occurred to me to take this project to the Field. An impromptu POTA outing was born.
Dodge Brook State Forest (US-4897), is 25 minutes from here and features a clearing about 250 feet across surrounded by tall pines. This ‘log yard’ was the collection point for logged timber some time ago.
I was able to select an operating location with an open shot to the Southwest from here in New Hampshire.
A homebrew pneumatic launcher put a support line up at 60 feet. [My throwing arm is only a fond memory at this point.] The antenna followed- a PAR End-fed Half-wave. The top wound up at the 45 foot level- limited by my coax length. The antenna was set up as a sloper favoring the Eastern US.
The choice of the operating position itself was more difficult. A fine early Autumn day meant 80F and cloudless weather. Do-able, but toasty after a while.
I had a table and chair in the truck, but they’re a bit unwieldy. A peek into the tree line yielded another possibility: rocks. We have an abundance of those here in New England- souvenirs of recent glaciation. I’ve also bushwhacked to SOTA locations in the past, and sometimes a downed log serves as an operating position. I’m not proud.
I set the station up on a computer mouse pad to protect it and away I went- about a half-hour behind schedule. I knocked off the requisite 10 contacts on 20M in 13 minutes.
I had about 30 minutes available and finished the POTA session with 20 contacts.
This corresponded with the start of the Wednesday CW Ops Sprint activity and its high-speed cacophony. Five more quick contacts there and I needed to break down the setup and head for home. I was happy- something of a milestone!
The closeup shows the rig- it runs a generous 5 watts, and the 40M version is pictured. This was shot in overcast daylight to avoid shadows. This is board-only at present.
George-N2APB- is currently designing a companion enclosure for it. It’ll appear imminently on his website:
In late August 2024, I came across what I considered a great deal on a fantastic radio, which I’m excited to share with you in the following field report.
Please note that this POTA (Parks On The Air) activation took place on September 5, 2024 (almost exactly two months ago)—three weeks before Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina. This is one of a few field reports and activation videos I’ll be sharing that took place before Helene’s arrival.
I haven’t been back to the Vance State Historic Site since the storm, as it’s been closed. Located in the Reems Creek valley, the site likely experienced extensive flooding. I hope this park can recover and reopen soon.
I hope you enjoy this field report and activation video. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reliving it while preparing this for you.
Thank you! Thomas (K4SWL)
Reunited with the Model 539
In late August, I was browsing the QTH.com classifieds when I spotted a radio I hadn’t seen for sale in some time: the Ten-Tec Argonaut VI QRP transceiver. This radio had been on my mental watchlist for years.
The seller was asking $440, which I considered a great deal for a radio that, to my knowledge, hasn’t been in production since Ten-Tec closed its Sevierville, TN factory in 2016.
This radio and I have some history together. I was one of the original volunteer Beta testers for the Argonaut VI and, in 2012, wrote a full review of the production model.
Ten-Tec offered me a chance to purchase my Beta unit (updated to full production specs) with a modest discount. But at the time, I simply couldn’t afford it; we’d just built our house, and I couldn’t justify the purchase, especially since I’d also reviewed and bought my Elecraft KX3 that same year.
I always planned to get an Argonaut VI eventually—better late than never, right?
As I mention in my activation video, I plan to make a “Getting to Know You” video for the Argonaut VI soon, so I won’t dive deep into why I love this radio here.
The takeaway? I feel the Argonaut VI has some of the best overall receiver performance of any radio I’ve used. It’s quirky and certainly not perfect, but its excellent receiver, filtering, audio, and QSK make it a benchmark QRP transceiver.
Getting Reacquainted
While the Argo VI was en route to my QTH, I wanted to refresh my memory on its operation.
Since it had been twelve years since I last used the Argonaut VI, I had to revisit my own review to remember some of its nuances!
When it arrived, I quickly put it on the air and operated it from my shack until I had a chance to take it to the field on Thursday, September 5, 2024.
Vance Historic Birthplace (US-6856)
As I always do with smaller POTA sites like Vance, I called ahead to make sure the picnic shelter wouldn’t be reserved at my arrival time. The park ranger replied, “It’s all yours, Thomas!”
The weather was nearly perfect that Thursday, with a hint of fall in the air.
En route to the site, I thought about my antenna options. Since the Argo VI doesn’t have a built-in ATU, I opted to use a resonant antenna for simplicity. In the end, I chose my Chelegance MC-750 vertical, which I set up next to the picnic shelter.
The MC-750 is a quarter-wave antenna, so I extended the telescoping whip for a match on the 20-meter band.
I don’t yet have a field kit specifically built around the Argonaut VI, so I simply brought along various accessories in my Husky weathertight storage box.
I set up the radio, tuned to 20 meters, checked my settings, and was ready to take the Argo VI on its first POTA activation!
Gear
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
For the second activation, I wanted to take Vlado to a site I’ve activated numerous times—one of my favorites—that he had yet to visit:
Table Rock State Fish Hatchery (US-8012)
We arrived on-site around 11:00 AM and, no surprise, had the place to ourselves. Honestly, I was hoping we’d see the three dogs that often pop by for a visit, but I believe they were on vacation with everyone else!
We both figured 20 meters would be our bread-and-butter band for this activation. More importantly, our transceiver was a 20-meter monoband (more on that below), so I deployed my new 20-meter end-fed half-wave antenna.
This particular EFHW is built on a transformer by Walter (NE4TN) at TennTennas.
TennTennas 49:1 QRP Transformer
I may have mentioned before that Walter gave me this little 49:1 transformer at Hamvention this year when I met him in person. Walter is one of my top hunters in POTA, and I can often count on hearing his call when I’m on 40 meters.
Walter handed me this little transformer as a thank you, with no obligation to promote it—in fact, he didn’t even tell me where they could be purchased.
But I’m a sucker for home-grown mom-and-pop ham radio businesses, so of course, I’m going to plug it! He sells these on eBay (partnership link) for $39 each as a small side business. Not a bad price for a solid little 49:1!
As I mentioned, I trimmed this one for 20 meters, but I’ll likely make it a linked antenna with 30 and/or 40 meters as well someday.
Vlado’s Homebrew Transceiver
I was also excited that Vlado brought along his homebrew 20-meter QRP transceiver.
I had seen this radio in his shack during various stages of development, but I had never had an opportunity to use it in the field.
I’m not sure if Vlado had used it for a POTA activation yet, in fact.
His little transceiver is super simple but sports proper filtering, an OLED display, and, despite the large battery he connected to it, has modest power requirements.
He built it into an old Kenwood VHF radio chassis he found at a hamfest. I’ve been with Vlado before when he’s hunted for chassis for his various homebrew projects. The OM is always building or repairing something in his shack.
We were really looking forward to putting this little transceiver on the air!
Gear
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
I’ve had a production unit of the Xiegu X6200 since June of this year and have made several field reports using it for both SSB and CW.
You may have noticed, though, that I haven’t used it much in the field since June.
The reason? I’m primarily a CW operator, and the original firmware had some frustrating CW keyer timing issues.
These keying issues are most noticeable when operating in iambic mode, especially when trying to form letters like C, R, or K by squeezing the paddles. Often, when I try to send a “C,” as in “CQ,” the keyer produces a “B” instead. If you’ve watched any of my previous X6200 videos, you might have seen this happen a few times.
After some time using the radio, I can adapt and reduce the miskeying, but it still happens occasionally. I suspect part of the issue is related to the keyer timing in relation to the transmit/receive switching.
While these keyer issues aren’t severe enough to prevent me from completing an activation, they are certainly annoying.
As I’m reviewing the X6200 (thanks to Radioddity for the extended loan!), I reported the issue to Xiegu back in May and hoped the first firmware update would address it.
The first firmware update, Version 1.0.1, was released in early August. There was an earlier release, but it was retracted due to other issues.
I checked the release notes and didn’t see anything specific about CW keyer timing in the long list of fixes. I had hoped another update would follow soon, but none has been issued yet. Meanwhile, several readers and subscribers have asked me if the keyer issue was resolved.
I decided to update the firmware and take the X6200 out for another field test.
Still, I had a great time squeezing in a quick activation with the X6200, and I thought I’d share the video and a mini field report with you now!
Pisgah National Forest (US-4510)
My wife and I were out while one of our daughters was in Shakespeare rehearsals in Mills River, NC on Friday September 6, 2024. We had a number of errands to run, but my wife kindly worked with me to carve out 30 minutes for a quick activation.
The most convenient POTA location was the Sycamore Flats Picnic Area in Pisgah National Forest.
By mid-afternoon, the park was busy, but most of the picnic areas were open, giving me plenty of options for setting up.
With limited time, I turned on the camera to start my real-time, real-life activation video and got straight to work.
Since the X6200 has a built-in ATU, I decided to use my PackTenna End-Fed Random Wire, as it’s quick to deploy with its 31’ long radiator—any nearby tree would do.
Next, I paired the X6200 with my BaMaKeY TP-III, plugged in the antenna, and found a spot on the band to start operating!
Time to POTA!
Gear
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
After tuning up on the 20-meter band, I spotted myself and started calling CQ POTA. Fortunately, hunters quickly responded.
In just twelve minutes, I logged thirteen contacts. Thanks to all the hunters!
My activation was brief, and I was so focused on making contacts and packing up that I forgot to take any photos of the radio in action. I’ve included some screen captures from the video instead.
I did manage to take photos of the logs:
QSO Map
Here’s what this five-watt activation looked like when plotted out on a QSO Map:
Activation Video
Here’s my real-time, real-life video of the entire activation. As with all of my videos, I don’t edit out any parts of the on-air activation time. In addition, I have monetization turned off on YouTube, although that doesn’t stop them from inserting ads before and after my videos.
As I discovered during this activation, the CW keyer timing issue has not yet been addressed in the firmware update.
After returning home, I made some notes and reached out to Xiegu to confirm that the CW keyer timing is still on their radar. They assured me that it will be addressed in the next firmware update. I’ll definitely test it and let you know once it’s resolved, so stay tuned!
If you’ve already purchased an X6200, I’d love to hear your thoughts about this all-in-one radio in the comments!
Thank you
Thank you for joining me during this short activation!
I hope you enjoyed the field report and my activation video as much as I enjoyed creating them!
Of course, I’d also like to send a special thanks to those of you who have been supporting the site and channel through Patreon, and the Coffee Fund. While not a requirement, as my content will always be free, I really appreciate the support.
As I mentioned before, the Patreon platform connected to Vimeo makes it possible for me to share videos that are not only 100% ad-free but also downloadable for offline viewing. The Vimeo account also serves as a third backup for my video files.
Thanks for spending part of your day with me! Have a brilliant weekend!
Labor Day weekend turned out to be full of labor here at QTH K4SWL. My wife and I had numerous projects to tackle, and my daughters had various activities scheduled as well. By Sunday, my wife looked at me and said, “You need a break. Why not spend tomorrow catching up on POTA?”
That was music to my ears.
I messaged my buddy, Vlado, to see if he might be interested in joining me, and he quickly replied, “Of course!”
So on Monday, September 2, 2024, Vlado packed his radio gear in my car, and we discussed where we should go. We had most of the day for radio, but we needed to decide if we’d head north, south, east, or west. In the end, we chose to travel east, as it offered the most options, including one site Vlado had never activated.
We decided to start at Lake James State Park. Since Vlado had only activated Lake James for the first time the previous day at the Paddy’s Creek Access, we opted for the Catawba River Access.
Lake James State Park (US-2739)
It was Labor Day, so we knew Lake James would get busy around lunchtime, which is why we hit it early. I also knew Paddy’s Creek Access would be much busier today because it has the beach, and I remembered how full the parking lot was during my Labor Day activation in 2023!
At 9:00 AM, when Vlado and I arrived at the Catawba River access, we were among the few people there, so we had our pick of spots to set up the POTA station.
For convenience—especially since there had been a deluge of rain the night before—we chose a spot close to the car, where I’ve activated a number of times in the past.
I also took this opportunity to show Vlado how to use an arborist throw line.
While I didn’t record the antenna deployment—frankly, I didn’t think about it at the time—I wish I had. Vlado was a natural!
On his second-ever throw, he snagged the perfect branch to deploy a 40-meter end-fed half-wave antenna.
CFT1 Time!
The CFT1 with Tufteln cover/stand, audio cable and pack with battery.
I knew exactly which radio I wanted to operate during this activation: the CFT1 by Jonathan (KM4CFT).
I had only recently swapped out my Beta unit for a production CFT1. As a thank-you to Beta testers, Jonathan let us keep the units we tested. I worked with Jonathan and Dan to return the Beta unit and compensate them for the difference.
In truth, there were only a few changes, mostly cosmetic, between the Beta and production units. The biggest improvement for me was that the Beta unit lacked a way to adjust the sidetone level independently from the AF gain. The production unit has this feature, which was my primary motivation for upgrading.
In addition, I prefer using radios that match what my readers and subscribers have. When I use a Beta unit, even if the changes are purely cosmetic, it generates more questions.
Interestingly, this wouldn’t be Vlado’s first time using the CFT1. He must have been one of the first people outside the Beta testing team to try it because we used it on Field Day alongside the TR-45L and X6200 (although you won’t see it in my report since it was still somewhat of a secret project at the time).
We paired my MW0SAW 40-meter EFHW and Bamakey TP-III with the CFT1. I also used my Anker Soundcore Mini speaker for audio.
Time to POTA!
Gear:
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This kit weighs just under 1,2kg and has phone and CW operations in mind. I might add some cables for digital modes, but I haven’t tested this rig with digital modes, just yet.
The (tr)uSDX was bought assembled with the LO bands RF board, and I assembled the HI RF board myself. I got Adam’s alternative case printed out for easy band switching and did a minor mod to the RF boards soldering a Zener diode reverse polarized as a high SWR protection.
I also added a USB port to the battery pack because the (tr)uSDX can operate with around 0,5W directly from USB and that’s a great way to test for SWR and fine tune the antenna without stressing the finals.
The manual antenna coupler is also my creation and even though it doesn’t appear on the exploded view it does fit in there no problem (it was added after I took the pictures).
