If you’ve been following this site for long, you’ll know I’m a big fan of the Elecraft KX1 [understatement alert]. I owned one for the better part of a decade, then sold it to purchase a KX2 in 2016. I almost instantly regretted selling it. In 2020 I purchased another KX1 for $300; like my … Continue reading When one KX1 is not enough. (For me, it seems.)
On Monday, September 12, 2022, I had one primary objective in mind: to test the Eton Elite Satellite portable shortwave radio. Many of you know that besides being a QRPer, I’m also an SWL or shortwave listener. Over on my other blog, the SWLing Post, we post news, information, guest posts, and reviews covering the … Continue reading 3 Watts of Fun: Pairing the Elecraft KX1 and PackTenna 20M EFHW at South Mountains State Park!
After returning from Canada this summer, I had a number of projects on the table including three radios to evaluate and a number of DIY projects on our investment house. The home projects took priority, so for the month of August, I did very little in terms of POTA activating. In September, there was one … Continue reading Field Report: Giving the Elecraft KX1 a thorough post-operation POTA test!
After sharing a few photos by request comparing the size of the Mountain Topper MTR-3B, MTR-4B, and Elecraft KX2 yesterday, I took a few pmore photos by request comparing those same radios with the Elecraft KX1. I decided to simply post these on QRPer.com in case they could also be of help to someone else: … Continue reading Photos: Comparing sizes of the Mountain Topper MTR-4B, MTR-3B, and Elecraft KX1
February and March 2022 were a crazy couple of months for me. So crazy, that I wasn’t able to fit in one single POTA or SOTA activation for a nearly 4 week period. I’m not sure I’ve ever been that long without an activation since I started POTA in earnest. Between home projects, wacky weather, … Continue reading SOTA Field Report: How long will Pale Blue Li-Ion rechargeable batteries power the Elecraft KX1?
One of the things I love about our state and national parks is that no matter how often I visit, there’s almost always something new to discover. This is especially the case as the seasons change from winter to spring. On March 20, 2022, I carved out enough time in my afternoon to fit in … Continue reading POTA Field Report: Gazebo QRV & Gusty Winds with the Elecraft KX1 and K6ARK EFHW
I mentioned in a previous post that my personal Activation Challenge for 2022 was “to build a new antenna each month and deploy it at least once that month during a field activation.” In January, I built a doublet with a military fixture/winder. For February, I decided to purchase and build a counterpoise-less end-fed half-wave kit … Continue reading Antenna Challenge #2: K6ARK End-Fed Half-Wave paired with the Elecraft KX1
I might have mentioned in a previous post that I named my little Elecraft KX1 “Ruby.” I name all of my field radios that are permanent; ones I never plan to sell or trade at any point in the future. Ruby is firmly in that keeper list. Why do I anthropomorphize field radios? That’s perhaps … Continue reading Repairing Ruby: Dr. Vlado performs surgery on the Elecraft KX1
Yesterday, my family decided to make an impromptu trip to one of our favorite spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Richland Balsam–the highest point on the BRP. Of course, it was a good opportunity to fit in a Parks On The Air (POTA) activation, but I had also hoped to activate Richland Balsam for … Continue reading POTA Field Report: Elecraft KX1 and two wires yield 1,100 miles per watt
A few weeks ago, I published a post about radios I’ve regretted selling or giving away. Number one on that list was the Elecraft KX1. Within a couple hours of posting that article, I had already purchased a KX1 I found on the QTH.com classifieds. It was, by any definition, an impulse purchase. The seller, … Continue reading The Elecraft KX1: Reunited and it feels so good.