Category Archives: QRP

Field Radio Kit Gallery: W7UDT’s QRP Labs QDX Digital Mode Field Kit

Many thanks to Rand (W7UDT) 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.

Rand writes:


My Digital HF Field Kit…

by Rand (W7UDT)

Thomas & the gang… this is (de) Rand W7UDT

The QRP Labs QDX is yet another, brilliant creation from genius Hans Summers. Hans has created a cult following, with an assortment of kits, and assembled bargains of fun!

Many of you know this, and have his gear. And as sexy and alluring my Elecraft KX2 may be, it’s often, as a minimalist, that I reach for my QCX Mini(s), or my QDX (Hi & LoBanders).

I guess it’s a touch of OCD that compels me to minimize and simplify my field kits. (Yes, I need help!) And yet, if you too, upon reading this confession, find it all too interesting and read on.

Here’s the QDX field deployment in a nutshell…

Deploy the antenna, a LNR Precision Trail Friendly End Fed Wire. With a toss and some luck, the weight clears the chosen branch and the antenna is hoisted aloft.

Often I operate along the Boise River Greenbelt, just off the path near the river. I find that perfect spot to operate.

The flow of water, doesn’t make too much noise, and doesn’t matter with this mode, FT8. Only that it has a sunny view, and it’s comfortable and dry.

The QDX transciever & DC Pack is velcro’d to a clipboard, and once secured, I attach a 6′ section of RG316 and an inline 1:1 balun. The BNC coax is then connected. A trusted prussick knot, attachs the coax and clipboard, and provides the strain relief and work surface needed to operate.

8″ USB c/b cable connects the QDX with my Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, to the QDX. The transiever is powered by a 3aH 12v DC Pack of (3) 18650 LiFePo4 batteries. With the swich thrown, it archs to life. I then open the FT8CN app on my Samsung, select the Comm Port, and Wow! What fun!

The software does all the work, and even logs the contacts automatically. An occasional touch to the screen, can have you operating at will. It’s a free app on GitHub, that will pleasantly surprise and surpass any low estimations of ‘Free Chinese Stuff.’

All this can be viewed on YouTube, watch Linas LY2H.

Here’s my assembled field kit for my QDX (LoBander). I absolutely love this thing!

It’s a very tight kit. As simple as Hans ‘the Man!’ can make it. What a capable marvel of creative genius. Here’s a pic…

These modes offer error correction, and incredible Dx. The software function flawlessly, and automatically logs the contacts. Hang it high, and the antenna is happy! Easy, cheap and fun! 72 de W7UDT Rand

Notes ~ FT8, JS8 Call & RTTY Only, using the amazing & free FT8CN software.

Field Radio Kit Gallery: K6ARK’s Ultra Lightweight QRP Field Kit

Many thanks to Adam (K6ARK) 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.


by Adam (K6ARK)

To me, the pinnacle of portable amateur radio involves Summits On The Air (SOTA) activations in particularly remote and hard-to-reach areas.  Many require long approaches, difficult climbs, and high-altitude travel to get there, so minimizing the size and weight of my portable radio kit is of utmost importance.  To that end, I’ve managed to refine my smallest fully functional kit down to quite a compact and light-weight package.

An MTR2B which operates on 20 m and 40 m.  It has been repackaged into a custom-designed 3d printed case is the core of the system.  It has been repackaged into a 3d printed case which cuts the weight of the radio by about 60% from the original aluminum and steel case, and shrinks it in thickness by about 50%.

The key is built-in to the rig – a capacitive touch design I adapted from the M0UKD design.

Brass cap nuts installed on the corner of the case provide the capacitive sense touch points for the left and right paddles.

A 9v form-factor rechargeable lithium-ion battery with a USB-C charge port powers the system.  The lower voltage reduces my transmit power to 2.5 or 3 watts, but also provides a bit more protection for the final amplifier transistors when my antenna setup is less than ideal.  It has sufficient capacity to run this power-efficient little rig for a few hours from a summit.

The antenna is a 40m End Fed Half-wave with a matching unit built from an FT50-43 size toroid directly onto an RCA connector and protected with heat shrink tubing.  28 ga PTFE insulated stranded copper wire forms the radiating element, and it’s stored on a down-sized 3d printed winder of my own design.

The primary components of the kit weigh in at just 4.8 oz (136 g), and the padded camera case adds another 1.8 oz (51 g).   Although the case isn’t particularly light, it provides excellent protection to the rig.

And because most of the summits I bring this rig to are void of trees, a compact telescopic pole is an essential addition.  The one I typically bring packs small and weighs in at just 5.5 oz (156 g) but provides about 10 ft of elevation above the ground.  The cap is leashed so I can’t lose it, and the tube is coated in heat shrink for protection when I cram it into the rocks for support.

In the end, it’s quite a capable kit for just 12.1 oz (343 g) of pack weight.

Check out my ‘Sierra Solitude’ video series as a prime example of a trip where this setup is perfect for my needs.

73 DE K6ARK

Readers, do yourself a favor and bookmark Adam’s YouTube channel which is chock-full of SOTA and ultralight radio goodness!

The prettiest activation ever – Spray Valley Provincial Park

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

Ahhh .. few things in life compare to the view one sees while lakeside in the mountains. The flat water is a stark contrast to the towering mountains nearby. There is at least a 4000′ difference in height between the two at my destination in this story. For me, nothing so succinctly tells me where I fit in the world as when I stand among these giants.

So It was with that big goal in mind that a drive through the mountains of Alberta’s Kananaskis Country region was called for. The drive would take me through sweeping vistas, over high mountain road passes, along nearly 100km of gravel roads in no-cell-service backcountry while racking up nearly 400km of travel in one day.

Along the way I activated two never-before done parks in the POTA system and scouted out one more to be done at a future date. This is the story of the lakeside activation… but first, watch the short video to understand why I’m gushing on the beauty of this particular spot and written this atypical (for me) article about the activation itself.

The Drive to the activation

Overview of the trip. Darker lines indicate gravel roads. First activation is along the westernmost gravel road along the lakeshore.

For those of you that want to replicate this trip, here’s the route I took shown on the map above.

From just before when I turned north off Highway 541 to Highway 40, and until I reached Canmore, there is zero cell service. Same again turning onto Highway 68 from 40 until Bragg Creek.

Alberta has much backcountry that is well beyond cellular range. Working at The Candy Store(tm) as I do, I have access to items like the Zoleo Satellite Communicator to give me text messaging and SOS capabilities should I need them. Before I discovered SOTAmat, I used the Zoleo for all of my spotting in backcountry.

Continue reading The prettiest activation ever – Spray Valley Provincial Park

Testing the Ionosphere: A 100 milliwatt to 1 watt POTA Activation During a CME? Why not!?

Sometimes, I like the odd “exercise in futility.”

I enjoy shaking up routine and since POTA and SOTA activations are my routine, they end up being the shakers.

On Monday, September 18, 2023, I found out that our planet was rotating into a large CME (Coronal Mass Ejection). This CME made all of the space weather news and we planned for either some potential radio blackouts or at least very unstable conditions.

As I’ve said many times before, I never let the potential for poor propagation stop me from hitting the field. Don’t let it stop you either.

Lake Norman State Park (K-2740)

I had a full afternoon to play radio, so I made my way to Lake Norman State Park.

En route, I tried to think of a way to shake up the activation a bit. I planned to activate at the same spot I had during my last visit because I knew the park’s main trail system was still closed and, frankly, I wanted to take advantage of the EV charger at the visitor’s center again!

I’d packed MW0SAW’s End-Fed Half-Wave (the gift that keeps on giving, Steve) and I did have one new radio toy (more on that later).

I also had a lot of time–at least, more than I normally do during a POTA activation–so I thought it might be fun taking my KX2 down to the lowest power setting it has: 100 milliwatts.

I’ve activated parks with 100mw before, but never intentionally on a day when I knew propagation would be poor.

I figured with enough time, maybe I would get the ten contacts needed for a valid POTA activation.

If not, it would be fun trying!

Why Milliwatting?

At the end of the day, I think taking our radios and antennas to their low-power extremes gives us a taste of what we can actually do with so little signal.

I remember shortly after I bought my first Elecraft KX1 in 2008, I was speaking with a local ham and he told me that a maximum output of three watts was pretty useless and that I really needed a minimum of five watts if I expected to make any contacts.

Part of me did feel like perhaps I’d bought something more akin to a toy–fun to look at and hold, but not terribly practical.

Then I started using that KX1 to make contacts and even carry on extended rag chews. Turns out, three watts gets a lot done!

Today, I’ll often run my MTR-3B with three watts or even less when activating a summit and the results are simply outstanding–fabulous DX and contacts galore.

I know 100mw is a proper compromise, but I like knowing what I can achieve with so little. Tinkering with it in the field and listening to signal reports (also reading RBN stats) gives me a good idea.

In an emergency situation? If I could only push 100mw into a decent antenna, I know it wouldn’t be ideal, but I know it wouldn’t be futile either.

Begali Adventure Dual

Another activation motivation was the opportunity to test my new-to-me Begali Adventure Dual paddles. Continue reading Testing the Ionosphere: A 100 milliwatt to 1 watt POTA Activation During a CME? Why not!?

Check out US7IGN’s “PFR-5” QRP Radio!

My good friend, Wlod (US7IGN), sent me the following message recently and has kindly allowed me to share it here on QRPer:

Hi Thomas,

I was going to write to you too. I saw your posts on QRPer.com about QRP field kits and decided to share my collection of QRP radios, which I keep now. One of them is my homemade one.

I called it PFR-5 because it has 5 bands, unlike original PFR-3, which was taken as a basis.

The rest are my friends’ radios that I’m temporarily storing. Tulip/Tulipan SDR from SP3OSJ, ELECRAFT KX3, and copy of Mountain Topper and original PFR-3.

I did not compare them, because this needs to be done outside the city where there is no noise and you can evaluate their RX performance, which I cannot do now for obvious reason.

Have a good day!


73 de US7IGN!

Thant’s brilliant, Wlod! I think you may have the only PFR-5 in the world! Ha ha! I love how you marked it as the “Ukrainian Edition” and gave it that brilliant image on the front face.

Thanks for sharing with us, OM! I dream of the day you can take these radios to the field and give them a proper comparison. 

Guest Post: The Full Moon, Eels, and /P Operation on Mount Peyton, NL, Canada

VO1DR on top of Mount Peyton

Guest Post: The Full Moon, Eels, and /P Operation on Mount Peyton, NL, Canada

by Scott (VO1DR)

Introduction

I have been eyeing Mount Peyton in central Newfoundland for years as an attractive spot for /P HF operation.  Even before my radio adventure to Mount Sylvester (reported earlier in QRPer.com), I have been seeking a way to get up Mount Peyton.  Like Mount Sylvester, Mount Peyton is an inselberg of granite protruding above the glacial plain of central Newfoundland.  However, Mount Peyton is even larger and higher; an elongated ridge about 800 m long reaching up to 487 m (1,599 ft) above sea level.  For SOTA enthusiasts, it is designated VO1-CE-005, multiplier 4.

Figures 1 and 2 show the location local topography around Mount Peyton.

Figure 1 – Highway map of central Newfoundland showing Mount Peyton and landmarks
Figure 2 – 1:50,000 scale map I used during trip showing topography near Mount Peyton and our hiking route.  Each block is 1 km on a side.

Mount Peyton is a case of “so near and yet so far”.  Just west of Gander, this ridge is visible in the distance south of the Trans-Canada Highway (the main arterial highway traversing the island of Newfoundland).  However, in summer there is no trail directly to the top, and access to its base is only via rough ATV tracks and wet bogs.  One must get to the base of the mountain, then hike overland to the south side and climb a long inclined cleft in the hillside to the top.  This cleft is the surface trace of a fault in the underlying granite (see route on Figure 2).  By contrast in winter, Mount Peyton is a popular and readily accessible snowmobile destination with dozens of machines roaring up this same cleft on a thick blanket of snow.

The Full Moon and Eels

Looking at maps and Google Earth, an approach on foot would entail a three-day hiking trip.  While this sounds delightful, my current living situation would not permit this, and in addition I have no hiking buddies able and willing to make such a commitment.  So, it became clear I needed all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to get quickly to the base, so we could do the entire trip in one long day.

I don’t own an ATV and after multiple attempts over this summer to find any ATVers interested in such an adventure, there were no takers.  Apparently ATVers like to ride, but don’t like to get off their machines ?. I finally found a local outfitter (Paul) who not only could supply ATVs, but had hiked multiple times to the top of Mount Peyton – a perfect fit.  For safety, I needed at least one extra person to go to the top.  All other potential radio or hiking companions fell by the wayside for various reasons, so it became just me and Paul.

As is common in rural Newfoundland, Paul is a Jack of all trades and is also a commercial eel fisherman.  American Eels (Anguilla rostrata) have a fascinating life history (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_eel) and inhabit freshwater rivers and streams in Newfoundland.  Paul harvests them in conical net traps anchored to the stream bottom (Figure 3).

Figure 3 – An eel trap in place in a local stream.  Eels move into the large mouth and get trapped in the bottom cage.

He told me that eels run during the new moon and stay put near the full moon.  Now doesn’t that ring deep bass notes of evolutionary biology!?  Since eel fishing is an important part of Paul’s income, we agreed to fit in my radio around his eel-catching.  He would be available around the full moon when the eels were sluggish; toward the end of September, the moon was full on the 29th.  Given the local weather, we settled on Tuesday, September 26 as our day.  Isn’t life fascinating – the moon controls eel movement, which controls human movement, which controls our /P radio expedition!

Getting There was Half the Fun

I drove from St. John’s to Paul’s cabin west of Glenwood, NL on the afternoon of Sep 25, on the beautiful shores of Indian Arm Pond (Figures 4 and 5).

Figure 4 – Paul’s cabin on Indian Arm Pond
Figure 5 – Shoreline of Indian Arm Pond

We planned an early departure on the ATVs.  Sun-up was around 7 am and sun-down was about 7 pm, so we had 12 hrs of daylight to work with.  September 26 dawned bright and clear (Figure 6) and we were soon packed and underway on two ATVs (Figure 7).  We drove for over 2 hrs on a wide range of roads, tracks, and rough trails to a point where we dropped the ATVs and started hiking (one way distance 26.7 km or 16.6 mi).

Figure 6 – Dawn over Indian Arm Pond on September 26.  Time to get moving!
Figure 7 – Scott on Polaris 450 ATV ready to go.  Black lumbar pack on right.  Blue survival bag on left.  Pole strapped on my left.  Radio and spare water in elbow compartments.
Figure 8 – Turtles are huge in Newfoundland
Figure 9 – Passing over beautiful Neyles Brook.  This is quintessential central Newfoundland scenery.
Figure 10 – Magnificent Mount Peyton looms in the distance.  This view is toward the nearly-vertical NW face.  We are about half-way there.  After dropping the ATVs, we will hike around the right end and climb up the far (SE) side.

This trip reinforced that I am not a motor sports guy.  The ATV ride was long, bone-jarring, and noisy.  Buying an ATV at great expense and doing this for “fun” is a mystery to me; and forget about seeing any wildlife.  But, hey, the ATVs got us there; we couldn’t have done this trip without them! Continue reading Guest Post: The Full Moon, Eels, and /P Operation on Mount Peyton, NL, Canada

A Recap of the 2023 W4 SOTA Fall Campout

Another W4 SOTA Fall Campout is in the books! What amazing fun.

This year, the campout was held at Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area in north Georgia.

Once again, Joshua (N5FY), and I shared a campsite. He arrived Wednesday afternoon and I showed up Thursday afternoon around 2:30 PM.

There was quite a lot of wet weather in the forecast, so I opted to bring my large 6 person tent (the orange one above) instead of my two person ultralight tent. My thinking was that, if need be, we could us the large vestibule on this tent as shelter while eating and cooking.

Joshua was way ahead of me, though, and brought a canopy for the picnic table.

After pitching my tent and setting up, Joshua and I discussed how we should spend the rest of the afternoon. One thought was to try to squeeze in a SOTA activation, but we would have been fighting sunset at the end of it.

Instead, Joshua suggested that we build some antennas.

It was then I noticed that Joshua’s picnic table canopy had a built-in spool of 26 gauge wire!

I shouldn’t have been surprised. Joshua is the fellow behind the Tufteln brand of antennas. Turns out, he brought along a full antenna-building station.

I built a long random wire antenna and started a 30M EFHW.

That evening, we had friends pop by the campsite, ate dinner and fit in a quick POTA activation.

We didn’t have to drive to the activation site because our campground was in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest (K-4473). Continue reading A Recap of the 2023 W4 SOTA Fall Campout

Field Radio Kit Gallery: KR8L’s KX2 POTA Field Kit

Many thanks to William (KR8L) 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 William’s field kit below:


KR8L POTA Field Kit Components

KX2 Bag (CS40)

Battery Bag with shoulder strap (unknown origin)

L.L.Bean ACS Day Pack with the following:

Maxpedition Beefy Pocket Organizer

  • AXE1 40 meter loading coil
  • AX1 telescoping whip
  • RG316, six feet, with BNCs
  • Manfrotto Pixi mini tripod
  • AXT1 tripod adapter
  • AXB1 bipod
  • BNC right angle adapter
  • Counterpoise, Elecraft short, for AX1, AX2 (2)
  • Counterpoise, Elecraft long, for AXE1
  • Counterpoise, homebrew with 2.5 mm banana plug, 13 feet
  • Small gear ties (2)

Maxpedition Gear Cocoon Pouch

  • AX1 loading coil
  • AX1 telescoping whip
  • AX2 loading coil
  • Counterpoise, homebrew with 2.5 mm banana plug, 13 feet

Stuff Sack #1

Stuff Sack #2

  • RG174, 25 feet, with BNCs
  • RG316, three feet, with BNCs

Stuff Sack #3

  • QRPGuys Mini 49:1 transformer
  • Tent stakes, small (3)
  • Gear Ties (2)
  • Micro paracord, 25 feet
  • Paracord, three feet (3)
  • Small bungee cords (4)
  • 40 meter EFHW wire
  • 20/10 meter EFHW wire with the following adapters:
    • 40 meter loading coil and extension (34 microhenry coil and an additional 68 inches of wire)
    • 17 meter adapter*
    • 15 meter adapter*
    • 12 meter adapter*

Loose Items in L.L.Bean pack

Note: The 20 meter EFHW wire has a connector in the middle of the length.  By unplugging this connector and removing the half of the wire at the “far” end (i.e., away from the transformer and feedpoint) and replacing it with one of these adapters, the wire is then reconfigured to be an EFHW for 17, 15, or 12 meters.

Other Items as Appropriate (most items not for hikes of any great distance)

Summary

My experience from years of traveling for both pleasure and business has shown that I always overpack and take too much “stuff”, and POTA is no exception.  However, I have made an attempt to modularize my POTA gear so that I can lighten my load depending on what type of activation I have planned and how far I will be going from my parking spot.  If you will spend some time scrolling through my blog, you’ll find examples of most of the following:

If I’m going to a location where I’m planning on operating at or not too far from my truck, I’ll take everything on this list to give me maximum flexibility as to how I set up.  Probably the most extreme setup involves erecting my 12 meter Spiderbeam mast on my heavy duty towing-style bicycle rack and deploying a wire antenna as an end-fed vertical or as a sloper.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, if I’m going to be doing a pedestrian mobile (/PM) activation then all I need is my KX2 bag, my Maxpedition Gear Cocoon Pouch, probably my Sony ICD-UX570 Digital Voice Recorder (unless I can manage to log on paper somehow), and (optional) my battery bag with shoulder strap.

If I know that I’ll be doing a wire antenna activation using a tree for support then I can wear my L.L.Bean day pack, but omit the Maxpedition Beefy Pocket Organizer and the Maxpedition Gear Cocoon Pouch.  In that case I’ll likely wear my battery bag with shoulder strap.  I may put the KX2 bag in the pack or carry it by its handle.

And, if I know that I’m going to be doing an AX1/AXE1/AX2 picnic table activation then I can omit Stuff sacks #1,# 2, and #3, but otherwise wear my day pack and battery bag as described above.

Of course, there are always variations, such as using the camera tripod, AXT1, and RG174 coax to set up at a picnic table, but allow the AX1/AXE1/AX2 antenna to be more in the clear (such as operating from a picnic shelter).

I’ve also done what you might call “pedestrian stationary”, deploying the KX2 HT-style and hand-held, but sitting in my backpacking chair.  Or deploying a wire antenna (EFHW or “random”), but sitting in the backpacking chair with the rig balanced on my leg.  By traveling with “everything” but packing in a modular fashion, there are any number of variations on how I can set up for an activation.

Field Radio Kit Gallery: KD7DUG’s mcHF Field Kit

Many thanks to Dugbo (KD7DUG) 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 Dugbo’s field kit below:


Heli Pro Backcountry pack with portable field kit

Dugbo’s MCHF compact field kit

by Dugbo (KD7DUG)

Intro

My field radio kit is not so different or unique that it stands out from the many other experienced ham radio operators that have assembled and shared their field kits with the ham radio community. I am new in this game and by no means an expert. However, my field radio kit was designed as a fit for purpose and tailored to my CW operating needs and especially the bank account. I wanted my portable field kit to be nimble and easy to deploy at a minute’s notice. With many of the popular QRP radios backordered and even not available at this time, I chose a different route with my choice of radio.

Radio

Currently my preferred radio is the very capable SDR mcHF-QRP HF transceiver created by Chris, M0NKA. The mcHF is a smaller designed portable radio that simultaneously packs a left hook, upper hook punch, it’s a real contender. The radio is standalone, and its compact design is in comparison to other transceiver competitors with transmit and receive on 60-10 meter amateur bands with 5W output power on CW and SSB.

Currently the mcHF by M0NKA is very difficult to obtain and currently the kits are not available to purchase. However, there are multiple clones of the radio being offered by Chinese manufacturers.

Radio Equipment

Radio Equipment Kit

Priority was to protect the radio while traveling in the field. Securing the radio in a case to prevent damage from the motions of backpacking up a summit while also protecting the rig from environmental factors, dreaded dust, dirt, and water.

The Evergreen 57 waterproof dry box was a perfect match with the mcHF and additional operating equipment. The radio slides perfectly into the rubber molding of the evergreen case and prevents the radio from moving around in the case during transport.

To power the radio, I need an efficient battery for my needs. Batteries are heavy and weight was one of my concerns. Also on my mind was which battery would provide enough amp hours for an activation? To minimize the weight and provide enough power for one to two POTA|SOTA activations, I finalized my decision on a 3Ah BioEnno LIPO4 battery to supply power the mcHF. To link the battery to the radio, I am using a 5.5 x 2.1mm with an Anderson Pole connectors.

For audio I am using an Anker IPX5 speaker for GoPro sound recording along with 3.5mm Ugreen Headphone splitter for an old pair of Iphone headphones. I prefer headphones for copying incoming callsigns, RST and QTH from hunters and chasers. The headphone splitter, headphones and two additional 3.5mm connectors for speaker connection and key are packed into the rubber mesh located in the upper lid of the Evergreen case.

I am using two highly regarded and engineered portable keys. The CW morse N0SA and the BaMaKeY TP-III, are very rugged and ultra-compact twin paddle keys for CW operations.  For the BaMaKeY TP-III protection against the elements, it resides in a small waterproof case lined with foam. The N0SA paddle fits snuggly into the Evergreen case.  I use a Sea to Summit bag to carry a smaller travel case that contains the Rite in the Rain pad with pens for logging, the Anker speaker, NY4G EFHW antenna, ABR316 coaxial cable and two 10’ pieces of paracord with two tent stakes for antenna deployment.

Radio setup on Summit W6/CS-445

Once on the summit, I set up my radio equipment onto the Sea to Summit bag for additional protection from the ground. For a backup HF radio, I carry the very reliable Venus SW-3B 5W CW radio in small fly fishing Yonah Pack attached to my backpack. A perfect fit and well protected.

Antenna

I am using a NY4G 64:1 balun EFHW QRP 40,20 and 15m with additional 17 and 30m bands with a maximum of 15W on CW.

To deploy the antenna in the field in an inverted V configuration, I am using a modified 4.5m light weight expandable carbon fiber fishing pole (99g).

25-inch Valkyrie archery carbon shaft

To keep the antenna and mast vertical, I modified a 25-inch Valkyrie archery carbon shaft at one end with a 200g target tip and the other end with a center pin sleeve. No need to carry a small hammer to pound in the arrow shaft into the ground, mother nature has me covered with plenty of small size rocks in the field. I am using 15ft of ABR316 coaxial cable.

25-inch Valkyrie archery carbon shaft supporting the 4.5m expandable fishing pole

SOTA Activation W6/CS-323 EFHW antenna in an inverted V configuration
SOTA Activation W6/CS-445 EFHW antenna in an inverted V configuration

Navigation

I am using onX Off-Road GPS app on my mobile phone to download maps of selected activations. I also carry an inReach Mini Messenger satellite tracker and communicator for safe insurance. Unexpected situations can occur without warning, so I always like to be prepared than not to be.

Wrap Up

Heli Pro Backcountry pack with portable field kit

I am using a 20-year-old Dakine Heli Pro Backcountry pack to carry my compact field kit.

I used this pack for backcountry snowboarding in my early years. This pack is fantastic because of the extra compartments for carrying gear. It is also fitted with an ice axe strap that is perfect for carrying the expandable carbon fiber pole. The total weight of my portable field kit is 2.2 Kg or 4.9lbs. It might not be the lightest portable field kit setup, but it is definitely not the heaviest.

Yonahs Pack and the SW-3B

Overall, I am very satisfied with how my portable field kit came together as well as its performance in the field.

72 – DUGBO KD7DUG

Field Kit Gear

A Trailside, Low-Impact, Knee Board POTA activation at the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site!

On Friday, September 15, 2023, my wife and I had a few hours midday to enjoy the gorgeous pre-fall weather, so we decided to go on a hike with Hazel.

My wife was the one that suggested I pick out a hike that would open the door to a short POTA activation (isn’t she the best–?).

Carl Sandburg National Historic Site (K-0804)

Earlier that week, I made a note to activate the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site in the village of Flat Rock, North Carolina. I passed this idea by my wife and she agreed that it’d make for a perfect outing.

The mission of the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site is to preserve Connemara, the home of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and writer Carl Sandburg.

The park has a wonderful trail network and I hadn’t visited it since 2016, during the National Parks On The Air (NPOTA) ARRL event.

Technically, I could go back into my NPOTA logs and upload my Sandburg activations to the POTA site because previous activations do count, but I’m not actually motivated by my park count so much as I am just having fun working new-to-me sites under the new POTA program.

That said, my somewhat flexible, non-committal goal of having at least 100 unique parks activated for POTA before the end of 2023 was also on my mind; a small motivator to expand my POTA footprint.

Admittedly, there really aren’t many parks that are within two hours of my QTH that I haven’t already activated for POTA. The ones left, like Sandburg, are just outside the corridors I normally travel.

The Sandburg site is a beautiful one, and I think Hazel may have even remembered this spot from so many years ago. My wife and I got a kick out of how giddy she was to hit the trails, smell the smells, and meet all of the other hikers.

Hazel: “Enough talking, Dad! More hiking!”

Time to hit the trails and find an activation spot!

Knee Board Portable!

Back in 2016, I got permission from a Sandburg park ranger to place a wire in a tree in order to perform my NPOTA activation. She only asked that I perform my activation on the trail network (not at the house and goat farm).

Wow…I just checked and I had forgotten that I made a short field report of that activation over on (my other blog) the SWLing Postcheck it out here.  Back then, my KX2 was still very new and shiny!

Not even a scratch on the KX2 back then! Today, Hedy looks a little more field battered! 🙂

And here we are seven years later and I’m still activating the Carl Sandburg site from my lap. This time, however, I don’t have my radio on a clip board, I’m using a folding knee board:

This is my Tufteln/N0RNM folding knee board and you’ve seen me use it in numerous activation videos.

Instead of just placing my logs and radio on the knee board, like I did back in 2016, I wanted to place my entire antenna system on it, too.

You see, although I’m sure the staff at the Sandburg home wouldn’t mind me putting a wire in their trees along the hiking trail, I couldn’t find a staff member to ask, so I used this as an excuse to try something I’ve always wanted to do: mount my AX1 on the knee board as well!

We found a park bench a mile up the trail and decided to set up there. Continue reading A Trailside, Low-Impact, Knee Board POTA activation at the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site!