Many thanks to Dale (BA4TB), who reached out this morning to announce that he’s working on a new product, the Venus SW-6B.
Dale gave me permission to share the following photo:
This will be a six band radio with a built-in rechargeable battery and small speaker.
The front panel reveals some other features:
Dedicated CW speed control
Dedicated AF and RF gain controls
Separate charging and external power ports
Two dedicated CW message memory buttons
It also appears to be enclosed in a case with lid
It’s still in the early stages of development, so some details may change, but I think this looks quite promising! I’m very impressed with the Venus SW-3B, so I suspect this will be a great little radio.
Just take my money, Dale!
Speaking of which, this radio is still in development, so I don’t have pricing or availability information yet. When those details are available, you’ll hear it here first! Follow the tag: Venus SW-6B
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there’s never been a better time to be a CW operator!
On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, I took my production run Xiegu X6200 (on loan from Radioddity) to the Blue Ridge Parkway for its first POTA activation. The activation was a success, with good band conditions on 40 and 30 meters. You can read that field report by clicking here.
Later that day, I had a second opportunity to use the X6200. My daughters were kayaking near Lake Powhatan in Pisgah National Forest, so Hazel (my activational support animal–!) and I went for a quick POTA activation.
Pisgah National Forest (US-4510)
I usually set up near the lake at Lake Powhatan, where there are picnic tables and shade. However, mobile phone reception is poor there. Since I planned to operate in single-sideband mode, I needed a way to self-spot or have a friend spot me, thus a little mobile phone reception (else, use my Garmin In-Reach).
I decided to set up at a picnic area at the top of the hill near the main parking area for the lake/beach. I’ve never seen anyone use this site before, likely because it’s not close to the lake.
The site is surrounded by trees, making it a great spot to deploy a wire antenna.
Setting up
I used my PackTenna 9:1 UNUN random wire antenna, which was already in my pack from the morning activation. It’s a good choice for the higher bands (20 and 17M) I planned to use.
I set up the PackTenna so it wouldn’t interfere with anyone walking through the site. Hazel found a sunny spot to relax.
Gear:
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
Many thanks to Sam (WN5C) for sharing the following guest post:
Homebrew in the Field
by Sam (WN5C)
What a week it’s been!
I have the opportunity to spend a month traveling through and camping in the American Southwest (specifically, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado) doing archaeological work. And of course, that means the prospect to operate portable at weird times and in lots of places.
I’ve been planning for this trip for a couple of months, about the same length of time that I’ve been trying to achieve my amateur radio dream: to build a complete transceiver. So why not try to do both things at once?
This is just a quick note of my experiences in the first quarter of my trip of taking a homebrew rig into the field.
First off, I have absolutely no background in RF engineering, or electronics at all. But the literature is good and Elmers are priceless (thanks Kenn KA5KXW!). I started small, with kit projects, and then very basic transmitters.
I’ve always appreciated how much satisfaction my father gets by building things by hand, and finally I have a similar hobby. I called the radio I designed the Thunderbird Mk 1 based off the fact that I cut my CW and POTA teeth at Lake Thunderbird State Park in Oklahoma and will probably continue to work there the most. It’s a 6-band (40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 10) CW QRP transceiver with SSB receive.
The receiver is direct conversion and is an amalgamation of VU2ESE’s DC40, KK7B’s Classic 40, and W7EL’s Optimized QRP Transceiver. The VFO is an Arduino/si5351 combo based on the schematics and code written by VK3HN (who has helped me from afar, thanks Paul!). It’s crude, but I use a 6-position rotary switch to manually switch between the band-pass filters.
The transmitter is based on W7ZOI’s Updated Universal QRP Transmitter, married with VK3HN’s Arduino code that acts as the oscillator, keyer, and side tone generator. I get about 3 watts output for 40, 30, 20, a little less for 17 and 15, and about a watt on 10 meters. Like the receiver, I manually switch the low-pass filters.
Here’s a picture of the digital parts (ignore the second Arduino Nano, I thought I would need it but did not), the power board, and the filters. It’s on the bottom:
On top is the main board with the receiver, the transmitter, and T/R switching. Also, you’ll notice the green PCB. I *really* wanted to build NM0S’s Hi-Per-Mite from scratch but I couldn’t get the circuit to run right before my trip so I opted to install one that I built from a kit. It’s a fantastic CW audio filter that I can switch in and out (everyone should have at least one!).
I can switch in a little speaker and added a straight key jack. I printed the box on a 3D printer at the local library. It works great for the shack. In the sun, it’s starting to warp in the heat, so I’ll have to address this, but things still work!
Getting out the door on time with a finished radio was tough! I had finished right before I left on my trip (end of May 2024) and had no time to field test. The best I got was taking the rig to the table in the back yard and firing it up during the WPX contest.
I made amazing DX contacts on all the contest bands I had and called it good. But working superstations isn’t real life, and over the next week I’ve had to MacGyver the radio (rigging a car jump pack, an inverter, and a soldering station together at a picnic table to replace a bad transistor, for example). I think I’ve finally shaken out (literally) all of the loose solder joints and bad grounding. Continue reading Sam’s Thunderbird Mk 1 Takes Flight: A Homebrew Radio Field Report from the American Southwest→
If you’re following the new Xiegu X6200 closely, you might recall that I took a prototype version of the radio out two weeks ago for a POTA activation. Propagation was so challenging–as in, a complete radio blackout in North America due to an X-Class flare–it took about 90 minutes of calling CQ POTA to snag the ten needed for a valid park activation.
I had planned to post the activation video on YouTube, but learned shortly after the activation that this particular unit was a proper prototype instead of an early production run radio. This is a detail I misunderstood prior to the unit shipping.
I only shared the 2+ hour video to Patreon supporters, but not on my YouTube channel for this reason.
Production
This past weekend, I received a second Xiegu X6200: this time, a production run unit!
Again, this unit was supplied to me on loan by Xiegu via their distributor, Radioddity who (in the spirit of full disclosure) is also a QRPer.com sponsor and affiliate.
[Note: Also check out Steve’s channel if interested in the X6200. He’s been testing power output, OS accessibility, and other aspects on the bench.]
POTA Time!
Two days ago–Tuesday, June 11, 2024–I took the new X6200 out for a POTA activation on the Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378).
I had a couple of hours that morning to fit in the activation, including a round trip from the QTH. The best site for a quick activation was the Folk Art Center picnic area.
Thanks to the early hour, there was no competition for picnic tables.
I decided to pair my PackTenna 9:1 End-Fed Random Wire with the X6200. This provided a chance to test the ATU with a readily matchable antenna (in the future, I’ll make it sweat a bit more by using a transformerless random wire antenna).
This production run X6200 has the same firmware (version 1.0) as the prototype, but the hardware has received noticeable updates. I spotted two changes–one cosmetic and one that had a positive impact on performance–almost immediately.
In the activation video below, you’ll see that I spent a few minutes doing an overview of the X6200.
One of the first things I did was set up the X6200 for CW Message memory operation. I demonstrated (after a bit of head-scratching) how to input the CW message using the X6200’s built-in on-screen keyboard. (If the CW Message Memories confuse you, check out the short primer in my previous post).
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 last time I hopped on the air with the X6200, it was proper work making any contacts. It was a struggle and it wasn’t the X6200’s fault. It was our local star!
After 126 Days, A Long-Awaited Unboxing: The KH1 Arrives!
by Emily (NI1Q)
If there was one thing being in a physical rehab facility for 4 months taught me it was friends and families were a comfort. They brought encouragement, broke the boredom and were helpful in bringing hope when I wasn’t sure if I would be walking again. I was able to have my DMR handheld and checked into nets and talked with friends, but I really missed being on HF.
Although I own an IC-705 and a QRP Labs QMX, managing them in a room would have been difficult. I really love the 705, and can manage the QMX, but the 705 is not the kind of rig you can put in a bedside table drawer; the QMX with an EFHW + batteries becomes about as large and difficult to deploy. Especially in bed.
It was with this mindset that I watched in interest Tom’s initial videos of the Elecraft KH1. I initially saw it as something akin to the QMX, and I had some reservations about the key. As I watched several of Tom’s exploits, my mindset began to change. On January 29, 2024, I placed an order for KH1 Edgewood package. I would soon (I hoped) become an Elecraft owner, part of what sometimes seems to be a cult, and other times seem to be the most loyal fanbase in ham radio.
I initially calculated I would get delivery sometime in April, just in time for my birthday. As that time passed I talked to Elecraft and they opined that I would have it in time for Dayton. A week before, it wasn’t going to happen, and I packed heavy to take the IC-705 with me.
And, then, May 30th, my wait was over. An email arrived: The KH1 was on the way!
Boxes Arrives: I can’t contain myself…
On June 1st, I was out playing fetch with Zoe and saw the postal truck coming down the street, and I rushed over to the curb to meet him. As he clicked his phone to certify delivery I asked “It’s from Watsonville CA, right?” He smiled; “You must have been waiting for this one.” “126 days for sure.” I rushed into the house with my package quicker than Ralphie Parker running out into the snow with a Red Ryder BB-gun on Christmas day.
I had previously ordered the right angle antenna adapter, so together I had two boxes to unwrap. The KH1 was packed well enough the box puffed up with what I assumed was bubble-wrap.
Carefully cutting the packing tape confirmed my assumption, and I was greeted by a very nice and unexpected colour manual that confirmed I had now become an Elecraft owner for the first time.
I thumbed through the manual and made a mental note of the sections I’d need for a quick “getting started” activity. Time set – check. Antenna selection – check. Charging – check. On-off switch – check.
I was ready (and eager) to go.
Pieces, Lots of Pieces.
Even though it looks like a tidy group of four things, there were multiple layers. First out was the Edgewood case. It’s a nice case but with only one extra pocket. I would later learn it wasn’t really enough. The case was well padded, so for now it would be where the radio lived. Continue reading NI1Q’s Long-Awaited Elecraft KH1: Worth the Wait?→
It’s hard to believe that Four Days in May (FDIM) took place two weeks ago! What a blast it was!
If you’re a QRPer, and you’ve never attended FDIM, you’re in for a treat when you finally do. This gathering is truly my favorite thing about the Dayton Hamvention weekend.
It’s a truly QRO event for all things QRP!
I was so busy at FDIM talking with fellow attendees that I took very few photos. Fortunately, my buddy Mike (VE3MKX) created a nice photo gallery to share with us!
Update as of May 31, 2024: I’ve just learned that the prototype unit I used for this activation has been superseded by a production model Xiegu X6200. While many of my initial impressions remain valid, some of the bugs and quirks I noted have likely been addressed in the production model.
When I published this post, I was under the impression that this loaner unit was representative of the final production run. In light of this new information, I’ve removed the mention of some specific bugs until I have the opportunity to evaluate the production run unit.
I’ll be receiving a production model loaner in the coming weeks, and I’ll update this post and share a video demonstrating the updated radio. Stay tuned!
After publishing my post yesterday morning, I ran a few errands in town, then headed to Lake Powhatan in Pisgah National Forest to perform a POTA activation with the new Xiegu X6200.
In short, my buddy Vince summed it all up in a text he sent, stating that I sure picked an interesting time to get on the air. I received this image from Vince–while calling CQ POTA for the 100th time–showing the results of our X-Class Flare:
It was a radio blackout.
In the end, I did log eleven stations: 1 on 30 meters, and 10 on 20 meters, all with CW.
Eventually, I did plug in an external battery and run the X6200 at its full 8 watts of power in SSB mode, but there were no takers on 20 meters. The bands were so dead, I even received reports from some of you that the FT8 portions of the band had little to no activity.
That dead!
I did manage to hunt some other park activators successfully–we activators had to work together to get through this one!
Video: Change of plans
I had originally planned to create a video of the activation, write a detailed field report, and answer some of the questions you left in the comments section of my previous post. I was actually able to make a video, but it’s incredibly long. Because of that, I’m only going to upload it to Vimeo for QRPer.com Patreon supporters to view. I simply don’t want to deal with the inevitable drive-by comments on YouTube from people expecting quick-hit thoughts about the X6200 in a nearly two-hour video.
No worries, though, I will make another video witht he X6200 in the next few days and publish that one on YouTube.
In the meantime, I’ve also taken some thorough notes that I’ll be sharing here.
X6200: Initial Impressions and Notes
Disclaimer: It’s important to keep in mind that this is a prototype loaner unit, and the firmware is still in its early stages (Version 1.0). Because of this, the following observations and notes should be taken with a grain of salt.
Many issues will likely be addressed in firmware updates that Xiegu will be releasing in the coming days and weeks.
The date of publication for this article is May 30, 2024. Considering
I will eventually be posting a comprehensive review of the X6200, but only after I’ve spent a significant amount of time (weeks, not just hours) with the radio. This initial write-up is just to share my first impressions.
Moving on…
Since there simply wasn’t enough band activity and the X-class flare created more band noise than normal, I wasn’t able to properly evaluate the X6200’s filtering (thus how it might handle a pileup, crowded band conditions, etc.). I also couldn’t get a good read on the radio’s noise floor and overall audio characteristics.
I did, however, spend nearly two full hours with the X6200 going full bore sending CQs, so I had quite a bit of hands-on time, and I feel the X6200 got a proper burn-in period.
Yesterday, I popped by the post office and picked up a parcel containing a prototype of the Xiegu X6200 (thank you for the loaner, Radioddity).
In truth, it arrived on Friday via DHL, but the post office was closed over Memorial Day weekend, and frankly, I would have been too busy to take a deep dive with it.
I’ve got the battery charged and plan to hit the field with the X6200 today—perhaps a local POTA activation.
As I explore the X6200, I’m curious if you have any questions you’d like me to answer in the process. I don’t know anything about delivery times or any of the retail-side stuff, but I could possibly answer your questions about the radio itself.
Labeled “Prototype”
Keep in mind that the unit I received is labeled as a prototype. I assume this is a pre-production model, thus with early firmware and likely a bit rough around the edges. We’ll find out in due time. Likely by the time the X6200 starts shipping to those who pre-ordered it, some issues will have been sorted out in firmware updates (assuming there are issues).
Today, I plan to test the X6200 in CW and possibly SSB. I’ll probably run CW from the internal battery, which will yield four watts output. For SSB, I’ll try hooking it up to an external battery for eight watts of total output power.
Solar conditions will likely be rough, but I look forward to hearing what the audio is like and how the receiver performs. Also curious if the keyer will have good timing/spacing.
X6200 Questions?
Leave me a comment if you’d like me to check out something on the X6200. If I fit in a POTA activation, it will likely be near noon today (EDT). I may not be able to address all questions, but I’ll do the best I can.
I arrived back at the QTH late yesterday afternoon after an amazing week of travels.
I’ve got (no kidding) more than 100 emails in the inbox that require attention, so if you’ve written to me recently, my apologies in advance for the late reply. I’m spending the next few days catching up with my family.
I did, however, want to take a moment and share a short field report from a pretty extraordinary activation (for me) that took place on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Hamvention Decompression Day
I learned a few years ago that I need a full day post-Hamvention to wind down and relax before starting my travels back home. Fortunately, my FDIM/Hamvention travel companions Eric (WD8RIF) and Miles (KD8KNC) feel the same way. Nearly a decade ago, we started adding a Monday on to our travels.
Typically, we spend most of Monday at the USAF Museum in Dayton – it’s a brilliant, relaxing way to chill out.
This year, however, we decided to shake things up since I’d just spent a full day at the USAF museum in April with my family during our 2024 Total Solar Eclipse trip.
We packed up and left the hotel around 9:00 AM, then made our way to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Miles and Eric wanted to pop by the Commissary, BX, and Clothing Sales to pick up a few items (I purchased two more Rite in the Rain notepads, too!).
Armstrong museum entrance
We then drove one hour north to the Armstrong museum where we enjoyed nearly two hours browsing all of the displays and reading about the amazing life and adventures of Neil Armstrong – the first person to set foot on the moon.
After leaving the museum, we popped by a local deli and ate lunch – we were served possibly the largest portions of food I think I’ve ever seen. I could only eat half of my pork sandwich! (Al Woody’s Diner, in case you’re interested.)
Gross Memorial Woods State Nature Preserve (US-9410)
Gross Memorial Woods SNP was a short 15 minute drive from Wapakoneta.
We arrived on-site to find a small gravel parking area and a large, older-growth wooded area.
This is a nature preserve, so there was no shortage of “do nots” on the welcome sign.
The preserve consists of a 0.6 mile loop boardwalk trail with two or so wooden benches. There are no tables and you’re not supposed to step foot off of the trail.
Eric and I, of course, opted for low-impact radio gear.
Eric set up his KX2 field kit and used a small telescoping fiberglass pole to suspend his random wire antenna.
I’d initially planned to use my KX2 and a wire antenna, but I didn’t want to put a wire in a tree and I had no separate pole to suspend my antenna like Eric did.
Instead, I thought this might be a wonderful opportunity to test something new: pedestrian mobile with my Elecraft KH1 as I walked the loop trail.
Four Miles of Radio Goodness
Keep in mind that, while I got a fair amount of walking in during Hamvention, I’d also spent most of the day in the car on Sunday as we activated parks in Ohio and Indiana, so I was eager to stretch my legs.
I, once again, used my Tufteln angle adapter on the KH1 (you can see it as the red adapter on the antenna port in the photos). This adapter makes the operating angle a little more pleasant while pedestrian mobile.
Photo of the Tufteln angle adapter from the previous day’s activation.
The 13’ counterpoise wire simply trailed behind me as I walked. Being a boardwalk, it did have a tendency to very slightly pull the end of the counterpoise wire when it would slip between boards. Hypothetically, the wire could slip between boards and get pinched, but that never really happened. Since the end of the counterpoise was bare wire though, there was nothing to easily catch in the boards.
I’ve been thinking about building in a fail-safe mini banana plug connection/link near the top of my counterpoise that would simply pull away from the radio if the counterpoise were to ever grab something (or I trip on it). Since I hadn’t made this mod yet, I wrapped the counterpoise twice around a finger on my left hand as I held the radio. This provided a bit of strain relief. Again, there was never a problem with the counterpoise grabbing, but I wasn’t going to take my chances!
Also, I should note that I wouldn’t attempt operating the KH1 while, say, hiking up a summit trail. While that sounds like fun, I’m quite prone to trip on rocks and roots which is why I use two hiking poles.
I would limit my activations-in-motion to roads and paths that are smooth and have no exposed tree roots or steep inclines/declines.
The path at Gross Memorial was smooth and had no trip hazards (trust me, I would have found them!).
I prefer my new Zebra pencil!
As a gift, my wife purchased a Zebra Mini Mechanical Pencil [affiliate link]which is identical to the Zebra Space Pen supplied in the KH1 Edgewood Package (you can see it between my fingers in the image above).
This was the second activation where I used the pencil and I must say that I, personally, prefer it to the pen. The reason why is I find that the pencil requires a little less pressure to write which is perfect for pedestrian mobile logging on the KH1 logging tray.
If you have a KH1 Edgewood Package, I’d recommend giving the Zebra pencil a try: it’s affordable at roughly $6.50 US and a nice option for the KH1.
**Horrible Band Conditions**
Propagation? Yeah, it was in the dumps. Conditions were very unstable and the numbers were not in favor of an easy activation.
Eric and I knew this activation would take some time.
Part of me felt like using the KH1 and its 4’ whip would be fairly futile, but I started out of the gate with a little promise.
As I turned on the KH1 and searched for a free spot on 20 meters, I happened upon Eric (VA2IDX) activating Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park (CA-0508) near Montréal. It only took one or two calls to work him. We were both pretty weak, but I was so pleased to start out this pedestrian mobile activation with a P2P from across our northern border. Continue reading Elecraft KH1 in Motion: Proper Pedestrian Mobile Activation in an Ohio State Nature Preserve→
This morning, I’m still at our hotel in Dayton, Ohio, but about to pack up and head out. Eric (WD8RIF), Miles (KD8KNC), and I are heading for a day at the Armstrong Aerospace Museum, then, hopefully, a POTA activation on the way back to Athens, Ohio, where I’ll spend the night.
Tuesday morning, I’ll be up early and hit the road for North Carolina. Really looking forward to seeing my wife, daughters, and Hazel.
I thought I’d share a very brief POTA activation I enjoyed yesterday with friends.
Pater State Wildlife Area (US-9492)
Yesterday morning (May 19, 2024), Eric, Miles and I met up with Kyle (AA0Z), Brian (K3ES), Joshua (N5FY), and Charlie (NJ7V) at our hotel.
Eric, Miles, Brian, and I had planned to activate a park in nearby Indiana that afternoon, as Brian and I had never activated in that state. Joshua, Charlie, and Kyle were planning to join us on an activation in southwest Ohio en route. Unfortunately, Joshua was driving back to his home in Georgia, and Kyle was dropping off Charlie at the airport on his way home, so they couldn’t join us in Indiana.
Eric’s first POTA activation with his Elecraft KH1!
We arrived on-site a little after 10:00 AM local. Eric immediately set up his Elecraft KH1 in desktop mode using his new Tufteln KH1 Right-Angle adapter.
Brian set up under a tree with his Elecraft KX2 and a Tufteln random wire antenna.
The amazing Brian (K3ES)
I grabbed my Elecraft KH1 and we coordinated frequencies. Brian took 30 meters, Eric took 40 meters, and I took 17 meters (thinking either Joshua or Eric might move to 20 meters).
This was another instance where having a fully handheld, pedestrian mobile station truly offered a level of activation freedom.
The bands were in rough shape, but I kept my KH1 in hand and walked around the entire site with the CW Message memory sending out my “CQ POTA DE K4SWL.”
Over the course of 13 minutes, I worked five stations. All the while, I was holding the KH1, chatting with my friends, and petting a sweet local dog that instantly made friends with us.
This pup was a hoot!
This activation also gave me an excuse to try out the new Tufteln KH1 Antenna Angle Adapter which makes it a breeze to keep the antenna nearly vertical while holding the KH1 at a more comfortable angle. Thanks, Joshua!
Eventually, I moved to 20 meters and we all started working each other to help with our QSO count and to simply get each other in the logs. I logged two more stations, plus Charlie, Brian, and Joshua to make my 10.
Kyle (AA0Z) and his brilliant Toyota Tacoma POTA machine.
The idea was to hop off the air quickly so that Kyle and Charlie could use Kyle’s KX3 station to activate the park as well.
L to R: Kyle, Joshua and Charlie
Conditions deteriorated further, so we did rely on a few P2Ps with each other to help Charlie and Kyle finish and hit the road.
Charlie calling CQ POTA
Here’s my QSO Map, but keep in mind that several of the pins are incorrect as Charlie, Kyle, Brian, and Joshua were all on-site:
All in all, we had an amazing time and it was a nice, relaxed way to wind down after an incredibly active 2024 Hamvention and FDIM conference.
Joshua working us P2P with his KH1 and the the most compromised–yet completely effective–antenna of all: a dummy load!
I will report more on Hamvention and share a few photos later this week.
For now, I need to wrap up this post and hit the road! There’s an aviation museum and POTA in my future today!
Heartfelt Thank You
I will add this one extra note: I’m simply overwhelmed with the kind comments and conversations I had with so many of you who took the time to catch up with me these past few days. Thank you so much!
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