Tag Archives: Blue Ridge National Parkway (US-3378)

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, Videos

Parting Waves: My Last Activation with the Venus SW-3B

May 23, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 2 Comments

On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, I made a little time in my afternoon schedule to take my Venus SW-3B on a final POTA activation.

I might have mentioned in previous posts (and certainly on the Ham Radio Workbench) that starting in April, I’ve been trying to downsize the shack a bit. This is a process I go through at least annually. My shack/office is very small, so things pile up quickly—and I like to divest myself of gear as best I can.

During this process, one of my readers here on QRPer reached out and asked—on a whim—if I’d consider selling him my Venus SW-3B. I gave it some thought and decided to do so.

I love the SW-3B, but the truth is, I hadn’t used it in a long while. It’s been tucked away in my headrest kit for more than a year, and I just haven’t been reaching for it. That and, frankly, I’ve a couple of MTR-3B LCDs, an MTR-4B, and an MTR-3B Currahee model–I’m flush with super compact transceivers.

I agreed to sell him the SW-3B but told him I wanted to take it out on one final activation—and that’s exactly what I did!

Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378)

I had to fit this activation into a one-hour window while my daughter was in a class. Fortunately, the class was no more than a mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Unfortunately, if I wanted a site with a picnic table for easy operation and setup, I wasn’t terribly close to one.

Luckily, I had my complete SOTA kit packed, including my Helinox chair and Tufteln knee board. With those two items—paired with the SW-3B—I could operate comfortably just about anywhere.

I picked a spot on the side of the road, very close to the parkway entrance from US-25. I knew the drive back to her class would take no more than three minutes.

I paired the SW-3B with my KM4CFT 30-meter end-fed half-wave, which includes a 40-meter linked extension. I figured with this antenna, I could operate on 40, 30, and 20 meters (by removing the link if necessary).

Lately, propagation has been flaky, so having a bit of frequency agility is key to a successful activation!

Gear:

Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, Spooltenna, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

Radio:

Venus SW-3B

Battery:

Bioenno 3 Ah LiFePo Battery (Model BLF-1203AB)

Key & Cable:

Other Accessories:

Tom Bihn Handy Little Thing (HLT) Size 2
GoRuck GR1 USA
- HEROCLIP Carabiner Clip (attached to my backpack)
Helinox Chair Zero
Tufteln N0RNM Folding Knee Board
Rite In The Rain Top Spiral Notebook
uni Core Keeps Sharp Mechanical Pencil

Camera & Audio Gear:

DJI OSMO 4 action camera with Joby Telepod Sport Tripod
Sony ICD-FX312 Digital Recorder

On The Air

I hopped on the air and started on 20 meters by calling CQ POTA.

Fortunately, 20 meters seemed to be in decent shape. Continue reading Parting Waves: My Last Activation with the Venus SW-3B →

Field Reports, News, Pedestrian Mobile, Portable, POTA, QRP, Videos

Elecraft KH1 to the Rescue: Squeezing in a 20-Minute POTA Activation

May 11, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 9 Comments

I feel incredibly fortunate to live in an area where a POTA park—the Blue Ridge Parkway—quite literally runs through town. As convenient as that is, I’ve still struggled to squeeze in activations over the past few months. We’ve had so much going on that even impromptu POTA time has felt out of reach.

Fortunately, I have a secret weapon for making the most of even the shortest activation window:

The KH1!

Left: My accessories pouch with contains a throw line, antenna adaptors, audio recorder, cables, spare key, and extras. Right: My Elecraft KH1 in a Pelican M40 case.

My Elecraft KH1 goes with me everywhere—it’s my proper EDC radio. And on Thursday, April 3, 2025, it came in very handy.

I dropped my daughter off at a physical therapist’s office, which just so happened to be right next to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Instead of waiting in the office for 45 minutes trying to catch up on email, I opted for some POTA radio therapy instead!

I left the parking lot and drove to a nearby gravel pull-off along the Parkway—just about four minutes from the PT office.

I hadn’t originally intended to film an activation, but I happened to have my camera, digital audio recorder, and a new magnetic clip-on camera mount with me.

I purchased this mount specifically to record pedestrian mobile activations. The first time I tried it, the results weren’t great: I mounted it at chest level, but my arms dominated the screen, making it tough to see both the radio and the logbook.

That Thursday, though, I had everything I needed—and I figured it was worth another try, this time clipping the camera mount higher and on my right shoulder.

With the clock ticking, I deployed the KH1 and hit the air!

Gear

Note: All Amazon links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

Radio and Antenna System

Elecraft KH1 Edgewood Package
- Included 4′ whip antenna and 13′ detachable counterpoise
- Zebra Mini Mechanical Pencil (preferred over the included Zebra pen)
- Pelican Micro M40 mine is the modified version from Tufteln
- Panasonic ErgoFit Wired Earbuds

Camera and Audio Gear

DJI OSMO 4 action camera with Magnetic Clip-On Mount
Sony ICD-FX312 Digital Recorder ($20 thrift store find)

On The Air

If you’ve done any POTA or SOTA activations in the past six weeks, you’ve probably noticed conditions have been rough—at times, downright miserable.

Luckily, I picked a day with reasonably good propagation. Continue reading Elecraft KH1 to the Rescue: Squeezing in a 20-Minute POTA Activation →

Antennas, Field Reports, Morse Code, New Products, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Videos

From Box to POTA: First Activation with the New Elecraft AX3!

May 2, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 6 Comments

by Thomas (K4SWL)

If you’ve been a QRPer.com reader or subscriber to my YouTube channel for long, you’ll know I’m quite the fan of super-compact, low-profile antennas like the Elecraft AX1 and AX2.

In fact, I just checked, and my Elecraft AX1 activation video playlist alone includes 36 videos as of this post.

Although AX antennas are certainly a compromise in terms of performance, I find them surprisingly effective for on-the-air programs like SOTA, POTA, and WWFF. While they’re not high-gain, they’re also far from the “dummy load” some make them out to be. In fact, the best DX I’ve ever worked in the field was with my Elecraft AX2 and just 5 watts of power—check out the field report.

The New AX3

A couple of weeks ago, Wayne Burdick of Elecraft announced the new Elecraft AX3 portable antenna, the latest addition to the AX line.

Unlike the AX1 and AX2—which attach directly to the radio—the AX3 is fully self-supporting, thanks to its detachable tripod legs and 1/4-20 base mount. This adds next-level mounting versatility, making it ideal for tabletop or ground deployment. (Check out how Conrad so easily mounted it to two different tripod options in his recent field report.)

It covers 30 through 10 meters and uses a 4-position band selector plug, which I personally find more rugged than the AX1’s band switch. Like its siblings, the AX3 is designed to pair with an ATU, but unlike the AX1/AX2, it doesn’t need to physically mount to the transceiver—so it’s compatible with virtually any rig and tuner combo. The AX3 also supports up to 30 watts.

Despite the added versatility, the AX3 still packs incredibly small: the whip, base, and tripod legs collapse to just 6 inches, yet the whip extends to 45 inches in the field. The side-mounted BNC connector avoids awkward cable bends or adapters.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m in the testing group for the Elecraft KH1 and, as such, I was aware the new AX3 was on the horizon, but I had not yet tested it in the field until I ordered one and it was delivered on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

From Unboxing to Activation

Since Hurricane Helene wiped out our local post office, my buddy Vlado (N3CZ) has kindly allowed me to have parcels delivered to his house. When he told me that “a small box” had arrived from Elecraft, I knew exactly what it was.

I had an errand in town that afternoon, so I swung by Vlado’s, picked up the package, and then stopped at the Blue Ridge Parkway Folk Art Center to perform the AX3’s debut activation.

Of course, I packed my Elecraft KX2, thinking it would only be right to pair the AX3 with an Elecraft radio for its first outing!

In my activation video (below), you’ll see that assembling the AX3 was incredibly simple right out of the box. I ordered the full AX3 package, which includes the antenna, mini banana plug, counterpoise wire, tripod legs, BNC-to-BNC cable assembly, and a small nylon storage bag.

I attached the tripod legs, screwed on the whip antenna, clipped the counterpoise to the ground lug, and connected the BNC cable. In less than a minute, the antenna was fully deployed and ready to go!

Gear

Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, Spooltenna, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

Radio

Elecraft KX2 transceiver
Tufteln KX2 Protective Cover Elecraft KX2 with Windcamp X2 Side Rails
Elecraft KXBT2 Li-Ion Battery Pack

Key

Antenna

Elecraft AX3 package

Battery

Bioenno 3 Ah LiFePo Battery (Model BLF-1203AB)

Pack/Case

Log and Pen

Camera/Audio Gear

DJI OSMO 4 action camera with Joby Telepod Sport Tripod
DJI Wireless Microphones

On The Air

The first thing I did was make sure the band plug was set to 14 MHz, then pressed the ATU button to find a match on 20 meters. Continue reading From Box to POTA: First Activation with the New Elecraft AX3! →

Field Reports, Morse Code, News, People, Portable, POTA, QRP, Videos

QRP with Friends: Brian (K3ES) Joins Me for a Two-Fer POTA Activation!

April 25, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 3 Comments

On the activator side of things, Parks On The Air is often a solitary pursuit for me. I typically squeeze in activations as my schedule allows—usually at random times during the day in parks that happen to be along my daily route.

But every once in a while, the stars align and I get the chance to activate with a friend. When that happens, it only amplifies the radio fun. Saturday, March 22, 2025, was one of those special days. My dear friend—and frequent field report contributor—Brian (K3ES), along with his amazing wife and photographer, Becky, stopped by Asheville en route to the Outer Banks.

I was so happy everything came together and we were able to meet up for a short, relaxed, and thoroughly enjoyable activation.

Two-Fer Time!

When out-of-state activators come through the area, I always try to offer them the option of a two-fer—activating two parks at once—to maximize their POTA opportunities. I’m not sure Brian had strong feelings about this either way, but it was simply too easy to pair the Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378) with the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (US-8313). Since we were meeting at the Folk Art Center, all it took was picking the right picnic table near the MST.

In my rush to leave the QTH that morning, I realized halfway down the driveway that I’d forgotten to pack my antenna. I could’ve turned around, but I knew Brian would have a few antenna options stowed in his field kit—and of course, he did!

He chose to deploy a homebrew end-fed random wire with a 29.5’ radiator and 17’ counterpoise. We paired it with my Elecraft K1 transceiver–a radio I knew Brian had never operated.

The only drawback of this particular picnic table is its proximity to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. When deploying a wire antenna, you have to be careful not to obstruct the path for hikers. We positioned the wire in a near-vertical configuration above the table and kept the throw line tucked away on the opposite side from the trail.

We were also quite conspicuous—another reason I usually avoid this picnic table when activating solo. On a busy day, it’s not unusual to have a dozen people stop by to ask what you’re up to. It’s a great outreach opportunity, but a string of interruptions can make it difficult to complete exchanges—especially while sending CW. Sadly, my internal CPU isn’t optimized for multitasking!

Right to Left: Brian (K3ES) and Thomas (K4SWL)

But when there are two of you taking turns at the key, it works beautifully—one person can handle the questions while the other shows just how cool Morse code still is in the 21st century.

It was a fairly quiet day at the Folk Art Center, but one curious family did stop by to chat with us during Brian’s turn at the key—and I really enjoyed the interaction.

Gear

Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

Radio

Elecraft K1 (four band version with optional ATU and internal AA battery pack)

Key

Antenna and Throw Line

K3ES Homebrew 29.5′ End-Fed Random Wire with 17′ Counterpoise
15 ft RG-316 feedline with BNC male connectors at each end
Weaver arborist throw line/weight and storage bag

Pack and Case

Logging Supplies

Battery

Bioenno 3 Ah LiFePo Battery (Model BLF-1203AB)

Camera/Audio Gear

DJI OSMO 4 action camera with Joby Telepod Sport Tripod
DJI Wireless Microphones

On The Air

Brian kicked things off, knowing that band conditions had been flaky of late. He tuned up on 20 meters using the K1’s ATU and started calling CQ POTA. Continue reading QRP with Friends: Brian (K3ES) Joins Me for a Two-Fer POTA Activation! →

Field Reports, Morse Code, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, Videos

First Field Outing with My New-to-Me Elecraft K1!

April 18, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 4 Comments

In the chaos of the past two months, I managed to post a few field reports out of chronological order. I’m probably the only one who notices—these aren’t sequential stories, after all—but since I was there for each activation, it feels odd when the timeline’s off.

Case in point: you might recall this recent post where I shared how I finally landed an Elecraft K1 field-portable transceiver. I’d been hunting for a K1 for years, so I was thrilled when this one popped up locally in North Carolina.

Last month, I published this field report where I paired the K1 with my AX1 antenna for a low-profile (but high-performance) activation in Pisgah National Forest.

But here’s the thing: that was actually my second activation with the venerable K1. The first one? It took place along the Blue Ridge Parkway on February 24, 2025.

Taking the K1 to the Field!

It’s always exciting to take a new radio to the field—especially one I’d been chasing for so long. I purchased the K1 back in August of last year. As soon as it arrived, I tested it and realized it was in serious need of alignment.

I brought it over to my friend Vlado (N3CZ), hoping to use his signal generator to sort it out. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time that day, so I left the rig at his QTH. Then Hurricane Helene hit, and… well, suddenly it was 2025.

We finally got around to the alignment in February. As soon as it was dialed in, I hit the field.

Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378)

I made my way to a familiar spot along the Blue Ridge Parkway—the Folk Art Center—and set up the K1.

Mine is a four-bander (40, 30, 20, and 15 meters) with both the optional internal ATU and AA battery pack. To give the internal tuner a little workout, I paired it with my trusty Tufteln 9:1 End-Fed Random Wire antenna.

Once deployed, I hit the ATU button, and the K1 quickly found a solid 1:1 match. With logs at the ready, it was time to hit the airwaves!

Gear

Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.

Radio

Elecraft K1 (four band version with optional ATU and internal AA battery pack)

Key

Antenna

Pack and Case

Vintage Swiss Army Rucksack
Ape Case Padded Camera Insert

Logging Supplies

Battery

Bioenno 3 Ah LiFePo Battery (Model BLF-1203AB)

Camera/Audio Gear

DJI OSMO 4 action camera with Joby Telepod Sport Tripod
DJI Wireless Microphones

On The Air

I started calling CQ POTA on 20 meters, thinking I’d eventually migrate to 30 meters if things slowed down. Continue reading First Field Outing with My New-to-Me Elecraft K1! →

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, Videos

Index Labs QRP Plus: A Proper POTA Field Test!

March 7, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 13 Comments

Last year, just a few weeks before Hurricane Helene hit our area, I received a large package containing several partial kits and even a couple of transceivers.

The package came from a reader and subscriber who wanted to downsize his radio collection but didn’t want to sell his gear. He refused to let me pay him—even for shipping—seeing it instead as a way to support QRPer.com and my YouTube channel. An incredibly kind gesture!

On Monday, February 10, 2025, I finally took one of those radios to the field: an Index Labs QRP Plus.

As many of you know, I’m quite a fan of this radio. Not only was it one of the first compact general coverage QRP transceivers on the market—back in the mid-1990s—but it’s also a brilliant piece of engineering and ergonomics.

Beyond that, there’s a strong nostalgia factor for me. The QRP Plus was the first QRP radio I ever saw in person… back in 1997.

With an opening in my schedule, I was eager to put this radio on the air. The only POTA site that was convenient based on my travels that day was the Blue Ridge Parkway. Since I was already in east Asheville, the Folk Art Center made for the perfect spot to give the QRP Plus its POTA trial.

I picked a picnic table and then set up the Chelegance MC-750 vertical. In no time, I was ready to hit 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.

Radio

Index Labs QRP Plus

Antenna System

Battery

Bioenno 15 Ah LiFePo Battery (Model BLF-1215A) please note that while I used a 15 Ah battery, a 3 or 4.5 Ah battery would have sufficed.

On The Air

I decided to test the waters first on 15 meters, which had recently been yielding plenty of POTA hunters. Continue reading Index Labs QRP Plus: A Proper POTA Field Test! →

Field Reports, News, Pedestrian Mobile, Portable, POTA, QRP, Videos

Time Crunch: A QRP POTA Activation Challenge and Impromptu Two-Fer!

February 20, 2025 Thomas Witherspoon 12 Comments

February has been a whirlwind of a month. Between juggling projects and my daughters’ incredibly busy senior year of high school, free time has been in short supply.

That said, I’ve made it a goal (for the sake of my own sanity—ha!) to squeeze in as much radio time as possible.

Super Portable POTA

Before October 2023, my go-to radio and antenna combo for quick POTA or SOTA activations was the Elecraft KX2 paired with the AX1 or AX2 antenna.

Even now, I rely on that setup when I want to minimize gear deployment and maximize on-air time. As long as I have a surface to set the radio on—be it a picnic table or my kneeboard–I’m good to go.

But in October 2023, the Elecraft KH1 changed the game. Designed for handheld operation with virtually zero setup time, this radio has made quick activations even more accessible. Given my current busy schedule, the KH1 has been an absolute lifesaver.

It stays packed in my EDC backpack at all times, ready for an impromptu activation or some portable POTA/SOTA hunting.

A Spontaneous Challenge: 45 Minutes to Activate!

Thursday, February 4, 2025, was a perfect example of this radio’s convenience.

My wife and I had a long list of errands, including dropping off donations at various thrift stores and hurricane relief centers. My wife loves thrift shopping (and volunteering), especially when it comes to browsing clothing sections. As we stopped at one of her favorite large thrift stores to drop off donations, she turned to me and said, “I’d like some time here. Could you do a really quick POTA activation and be back in 45 minutes?”

Without hesitation (I do love a challenge), I said, “Heck yeah!”

Mental Math

I quickly mapped out my plan:

The nearest POTA entity was the Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378), about a 5-6 minute drive away.
I already had a mental spot in mind where I could park and get on the air fast.
Filming the activation would add at least 3-4 minutes for setting up my camera and audio recorder.

Breakdown of the time constraints:

Round-trip drive: ~10-12 minutes
Camera/Audio setup: ~4 minutes
KH1 setup: ~20 seconds
Scheduling the activation: ~1 minute
Remaining activation time: ~29 minutes

Totally doable—as long as nothing went sideways!

A Two-Fer Bonus!

When I arrived at my planned activation spot, I needed only one thing: a place to park. Since the KH1 is fully handheld, I could operate anywhere.

The red pin is roughly the location where I parked.

I recalled a small pull-off near the Mountains to Sea Trail (US-8313)—a place I’d used before for a quick hike. If the parking spot was close enough to the MST, this might count as a two-fer.

You can see the Mountains to Sea Trail on the left and the short path leading to it from my parked car on the right.

After arriving on site, I confirmed that I was within 20 feet of the MST. POTA rules require that an activator must be within 100 feet (30.5 meters) of a trail for it to count as an activation–obviously, I was well within those limits.

Although I could have operated directly from the trail, the MST is a busy single-track trail, and I didn’t want to block hikers. So, I opted to activate from the parking spot instead.

Next, all I had to do was grab the KH1, set up my camera gear, and hop on the air!