Tag Archives: Elecraft KX2

Scott’s Lake Erie POTA Mini-Vacation

Many thanks to Scott (VA3EKR) who shares the following guest post which was originally posted on his blog:


July 17—18, 2025. Lake Erie POTA Mini-vacation

by Scott (VA3EKR)

The Plan

I had the Monday and Tuesday off from work, as an extended July 4th. Unfortunately both my daughter and wife had to work, and we also have some animals that are in need of constant medical attention, so this was going to have to be a solo trip.

I have long been fascinated by the coastline near Long Point, but until this point I had only seen it in pictures and maps. I wanted to camp overnight, and do two activations from Long point, and book-end it with a POTA activation both before and after.

I booked at the last moment, and so there was only one site available, despite being on a Monday. I looked at a few online pictures of the site, and noticed it had trees, so I was hopeful. It was also near the beach. Site 335.

I left around 9:30 in the morning, and I was planning for about a 2 hour drive. The plan was to activate Turkey Point Provincial Park (CA-0417) at around 11:00, then have a nice lunch at 13:00, and drive to Long Point (CA-0279) for the 14:00 arrival-time check-in.

Turkey Point Provincial Park (CA-0417)

Arriving at Turkey Point, the staff were very helpful and, because I had a reservation for another provincial park later that afternoon, they did not charge me an admission fee. I drove to a picnic table that was right next to some trees, and had an easy setup.

I used a Packtenna Random Wire that has a 9:1 transformer neatly packaged onto the winder.

The bands were moderately active, and it did not take me long to activate on 20m CW with the KX2. 17 QSOs in about an hour. I brought a 30AH battery to allow me to operate for a long time, however in retrospect, I believe that the internal charger for the KX2 never engaged. I had a full charge on the KX2 beforehand, so I suspect that all three activations were done on its internal battery! I ended it on a fitting note with a park-to-park with Jim in Nebraska (WBØRLJ).

Date Time Call State Band Mode Park
2025/07/07 15:52 KO4USA GA 20m CW  
2025/07/07 15:53 K2UPD NY 20m CW  
2025/07/07 15:54 NAØF MN 20m CW  
2025/07/07 15:55 KA5TXN TX 20m CW  
2025/07/07 15:57 W3YJ PA 20m CW  
2025/07/07 15:59 AA5XA AR 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:00 KO4ALY AL 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:03 W5KEB AR 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:05 KB3A AL 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:06 KM4QNA AL 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:14 KG4NXT VA 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:21 KAØLDG ND 20m CW  
2025/07/07 16:33 KE2BKW PA 40m CW US-8734
2025/07/07 16:39 W9MET FL 20m CW US-3605
2025/07/07 16:42 AB9CA IL 20m CW US-4104
2025/07/07 16:50 K1ATL NH 20m CW  
2025/07/07 17:02 WBØRLJ NE 20m CW US-4010

Following the activation I went to the Tipsy Pirate that had a nice outside deck overlooking the water.

I had a nice vegi-burrito and fries and an afternoon cocktail.

Long Point Provincial Park (CA-0279)

I arrived at Long Point and found the site. It was even nicer than I had hoped! It was perfect for POTA, it was fairly quiet, and close to the lake.

My plan was to activate in the early afternoon while the UV was at its worse, under the shade of the campsite trees, and then check out the lake, and have some supper.
Continue reading Scott’s Lake Erie POTA Mini-Vacation

POTA in the Heart of Europe: Ken’s Travels in Hungary

Many thanks to Ken (WR7D) for sharing the following field report and travelogue:


POTA in Hungary

by Ken (HA/WR7D)

I had the opportunity to take a short notice trip to Hungary the beginning of June. I was accompanying my daughter who was attending a class at the University of Debrecen as part of her PhD program at Montana State University. The class was only a week long and we would be in Debrecen for that time and then spend a couple of days in Budapest before heading home.

My wife couldn’t make the trip because of work and my daughter would be occupied with the course for the time in Debrecen so that meant I had all kinds of time to do ham radio stuff. POTA is relatively new in Hungary, but there were already some designated parks around Debrecen and Budapest. One of the POTA coordinators, Greg (HA4UC) even offered to add parks if I found any that I would like to activate that weren’t already designated.

I didn’t have a lot of time to get things organized so I decided to stick with my trusty Elecraft KX2. I thought seriously about taking the Elecraft KH1 also but decided against it in favor of taking extra antennas and support stuff. My plan was to activate using CW with FT8 as a backup. I had been using The KX2 with the iFTx app on my iPhone, a headphone adapter and splitter. That setup had worked well a couple of times already.

The other question was what was required to operate legally in Hungary? I noticed on the POTA website that Spencer, N4KPT, had activated a park in Budapest just a few days prior. Along with his help, I determined that all I needed was a copy of the CEPT agreement, an original copy of my license and my passport. I also needed to prefix my call sign with HA/. Everything was set.

Debrecen

My first activation attempt would be at HU-0010, Debreceni Nagyerő Nature Reserve. This was ideal because it was within easy walking distance of the hotel. The main challenge I had was determining the actual boundaries of the park. The park is generally known as the Great Forest.

From what I found, the Great Forest originally encompassed much more area, but parts were carved out of it for the University of Debrecen, a large city park, a sports stadium and other venues. What was left became the Nature Reserve. I finally found a good drawing that showed the actual boundaries of the reserve. The red circle in the picture below is where I activated from.

For this attempt, I used the EFRW 4:1 from Tufteln, with a 15ft radiator and a 7.5 foot counterpoise. I had contacted Joshua about getting one of his EFRW no transformer antennas that would work great with the KX2. He suggested this new 4:1 antenna with the much shorter elements. He shipped it as fast as he could but no guarantee that it would arrive in time. Considering that, I built a simpler version of his no transformer antenna just in case.

I deployed the EFRW 4:1 antenna on a POTA20 mast. I didn’t even need to use the full height of the antenna. The antenna tuned fine, but I wasn’t getting any answers to my CW calls. I tried a couple different bands with no luck after quite some time. I decided to switch to FT8 on 20m. I was receiving and decoding signals but was having quite a time getting successful transmissions. I decided to call it a day after that.

Second Attempt

A couple days later, I attempted an activation from the same location. I had done some troubleshooting back in the hotel after the first attempt and believe I had discovered the problem with FT8 on the first attempt.

This time I used the EFRW no transformer antenna that I had built. This antenna has a 28.5 foot radiator and counterpoise. The radiator was suspended from a tree with the counterpoise on the ground. Again, I received no answers to my CW calls. I again switched to FT8. This time I was successful and made 15 contacts all over Europe in about an hour and a half. That’s not great for FT8, but a successful activation.

Below is a picture of my CW setup and my backpack of goodies. I made the knee board based off Carolanne’s (N0RNM) design. Mine is a bit smaller and I added a metal plate on the lower section for attaching magnetic keys. In this case a BaMaKeY TP-III.

Here is a map of the QSO’s from that activation.

I was planning on activating another park near Debrecen but after looking at the logistics to get there, I had second thoughts. Then a big geomagnetic storm hit about that time, so I decided not to attempt it.

Even though the band conditions were bad, I decided to try HU-0010 a third time since it was so convenient. Again, I received no answers on CW. I didn’t hear any CW traffic at all on 40m and 20m. I tried FT8 again but had more technical difficulties. I think I’ve decided this was a mic bias issue. It seems that the setting doesn’t survive a power cycle in DATA mode. The radio will always start with the mic bias on. I think that resulted in damage to the USB-C to headphone adapter.

After more testing back at the hotel, I’m not sure about the mic bias setting. Sometimes the bias will remain off when the radio is power cycled in DATA mode. Regardless, the solution is to power up the KX2 and make sure the mic bias is off before connecting the headphone adapter and splitter cord. Fortunately, I did find a new headphone adapter in Debrecen that I could use in Budapest. Continue reading POTA in the Heart of Europe: Ken’s Travels in Hungary

Tough Bands, Tiny Antenna: An AX1 Activation at Fort Wellington NHS

Note: This first field report from my 2025 trip to Canada happens to coincide with Canada Day (today, July 1, 2025). Happy Canada Day!

by Thomas (VY2SW / K4SWL)

In a previous post, I mentioned that my family was heading north into Canada for a few weeks this summer. This trip wasn’t easy to carve out of our schedule, but we were looking for a bit of escape from all of the Hurricane Helene clean-up—and, frankly, we were craving some family time.

We arrived in Canada (via the Thousand Islands Bridge) on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in the late afternoon. Had it not been such a tiring drive that day, I would have activated Thousand Islands National Park (CA-0099), but honestly? We were all ready to check into our hotel in Brockville, Ontario, take a stroll along the waterfront, and grab some dinner.

Brockville waterfront

The next morning (June 15, 2025), I took a look at the POTA map and determined that we had plenty of time for a park activation before heading into Québec. Several options lay along our route, but one, in particular, caught my attention:

Fort Wellington National Historic Site (CA-4868)

Fort Wellington is a Parks Canada site situated right along the St. Lawrence River, which we were traveling beside. Even better, it was only about a 15-minute drive from our hotel.

We arrived on-site around 10:15 AM local time and immediately noticed the parking area in front of Fort Wellington was barricaded for an event. I saw two Parks Canada rangers standing out front, so I asked them about the event and whether it was okay to park on the street in front of the property. They couldn’t have been kinder.

Turns out, the town was hosting an outdoor BBQ ribs event that Sunday. It’s as if they expected a ham from North Carolina to pick their site for POTA! It was a pretty big event for a town as small as Prescott—there were loads of entertainers, food trucks serving all forms of BBQ, and tours of Fort Wellington.

I asked the rangers if they were familiar with Parks On The Air (they were!) and if I could set up on the NHS property closer to the river and away from all the festivities. They gave me permission.

I should add here that I volunteered not to put any antennas in trees or place stakes in the ground to mount my telescoping carbon fiber pole. As a rule of thumb, I default to my lowest-impact setups when at archaeological or historic sites. I feel it’s not only respectful but also leaves a good impression of ham radio operators for park staff who may encounter activators after me.

My wife and daughters were encouraged to take a free trolley tour of Prescott—how could they resist? They told me later that it was a hoot.

I made my way down to a shady spot under a tree by the river.

To keep things low-impact, I set up my Nemo portable table and Helinox chair, then deployed my KX2/AX1 field kit.

I’ll be honest here…

Propagation had been very rough the previous day, and numbers were indicating challenging conditions during my activation as well. This wasn’t a day I’d normally opt for my most compromised antenna, but here we were. My hope was that I could call CQ on every band possible using the AX1 and somehow gather enough contacts (10 total) to validate the activation.

Backpocket strategy

So here’s the deal: most of us activators aim to get the minimum number of contacts in order to complete a valid activation (10 for POTA, 4 for SOTA).

When I’m activating a park I’ve done numerous times before? I honestly don’t care if I don’t reach 10. I’m just happy to get outdoors and play radio. I try not to let the threat of poor propagation stop me.

However, when I’m activating a new-to-me park, I really want to validate it. I want those 10 contacts—and I’m willing to spend more time on the air to get them.

Technically, since I’m traveling with three other licensed hams (my wife and daughters) and we have two dual-band HTs in the car, I really only need to make four HF contacts. I could make three FM contacts on 2 meters, then three more on 70 cm with my family. That gives me 10 total.

In fact, I also have multiple HF radios and dummy loads in the car, so I could get away with never deploying an antenna at all—I could just log 10 park-to-park contacts with my family.

But where’s the fun in that, right?

Actually, I say that, but it can be fun—in situations where you’re left with no other options—to do P2P contacts with your own crew, as my buddy Vince proves here.

Still, I was determined to log “my ten” all on the HF bands, using five watts into my 4’ AX1 antenna.

The only way to find out if I could? Hit the air!

Gear

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Radio

Antenna

Pack/Case

Logging Pad/Pencil

Chair/Table

Camera/Audio Gear

On The Air

As expected, propagation was rough.

I started calling CQ POTA on 20 meters—the band I knew would likely give me the best chance. Continue reading Tough Bands, Tiny Antenna: An AX1 Activation at Fort Wellington NHS

Hot Day, Cool QRP: Scott’s Twofer Activation at Iroquoia Heights and Bruce Trail

Many thanks to Scott (VA3EKR) who shares the following guest post which was originally posted on his blog:


June 22, 2025, Iroquoia Heights Conservation Area (CA-1447)

by Scott (VA3EKR)

It was a very hot day, and a lovely time to go into the woods, and I thought I would try out this POTA spot. It is a 2-fer, with the Bruce Trail (CA-5628) as long as you get your placement correctly.

When I left the car it was 38°C, so I took a full litre of water with ice in the thermos. I probably should have taken more, but this activation required a lot more carrying than usual.

I parked in this neighborhood park (Chedoke Radial Trail), that had parking for 2 hours, and it didn’t cost anything.

From the parking lot, it was a small walk under the power lines towards the Bruce Trail.

Just beyond was a sign for the conservation area, giving a map.

I walked at a slow-pace for about a half hour, and did not see any ideal places to activate. The woods had a lot of tall grass, and after getting 4 ticks last time, I was not keen on long grass. After getting a little tired from walking, I decided to go down a small Bruce Trail tributary trail. It was a single-track trail, frequented by mountain bikers, so not ideal, but I hoped that the heat would keep the crowds away.

I picked a tree that had some overhanging branches and a small piece of short grass that I could sit on, and keep my deployment off the main trail as much as possible.

I used a QRP-guys random wire antenna with a 9:1 transformer, and managed to get the radiating element fairly high.

The bands were fairly good. I did have some unexpected difficulty with my Begali key, when it stopped transmitting dits. It happened in the middle of a QSO call with a BARC club colleague, Chris, VA3CJW. I wonder if the key got some dirt or other contamination in it. I forgot to bring my reading glasses, so I swapped in a BaMaTech key instead. Definitely a case of it being a great idea to bring spare things in your bag!

I kept to 20m CW, using the KX2, and 5W, making two park-to-park QSOs. Here’s a map.

On the way back I saw a family of deer crossing the trail. I only managed to get one in a photo. Here is a picture of the adorable deer.

Dean’s Compact KX3 Field Kit in a Pelican 1150

Many thanks to Dean (KG7WGX) for sharing 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.


KX3 Field Kit

by Dean (KG7WGX)

I have used Pelican boxes in the 1150 size for years for transporting my KX3, PX3, keys, and a 10Ah battery. A few months ago, I tried to devise something that would let me take just the KX3 for “pack it in” operations, in one of the 1150 boxes.

I wanted the radio, battery, earbuds, paddles and a mini-mike to fit in the waterproof box. Whatever antenna I decided to take could be packed in a stuff bag separately. This would also apply to a kneeboard & chair (if I wasn’t going very far.)

The first picture shows the antenna bag, 20ft mast and the Pelican box:

Tbe second picture shows the components laid out:

The third picture shows how the battery, earbuds, paddles and mini-mic fit inside the Pelican box:

Gear links:

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Notes:

  1. Balun Designs standard RF connectors are SO-239 but a BNC connector is available for small additional charge. The 9130 has a hole for a support line, so I attached approx 10 ft of paracord to lift it above ground level.
  2. Guy line collar attached to Explorer 20 mast at section “overlap” region with epoxy. Guy line ring has 3 paracord lines and is rigged before extending mast. Guy line collar keeps guy line ring from moving down mast. A PVC end cap with a stainless machine screw serves as an “anti-kickout” support for the mast base. Each guy line has a line tightener.
  3. Shure SE112 earbuds have a rt-angle 3.5mm connector.
  4. M0JKS mini-mike has a TRRS connector on the mike, so the user can supply whatever length/connector style he prefers. 3.5mm audio cables are available with a straight TRRS on one end and a rt-angle TRRS on the other (to comply with Elecraft recommendations to reduce lateral force on the connectors.)
  5. Bioenno has changed the BLF-1203AB “shape” from rectangular to rounded edge, but the dimensions remain the same.

The total weight (with the mast and EF Random antenna) is a few ounces over 7 lbs, so this isn’t a Mountain Topper.  😉

73, Dean
KG7WGX

Two Compact Microphones for the Elecraft KX2 & KX3

Many thanks to Dean (KG7WGX) who recently shared a couple of interesting microphone alternatives for voice/SSB ops who use the Elecraft KX2 or KX3—especially in portable or pedestrian mobile setups.

Dean mentioned that while the stock Elecraft MH3 mic is excellent, it can feel a bit bulky for field use, especially when packing light for multi-mile treks. He also pointed out that unlike the KX2, the KX3 lacks a built-in microphone, which makes SSB less convenient without a dedicated mic.

If you’re considering a minimalist SSB setup, here are two compact, British-made mini-mic options that might be worth exploring:


M0JKS Mini-Mic

This mini-mic is fully featured with PTT and UP/DN buttons, offering near-complete MH3 emulation. Dean noted that it’s particularly useful for pedestrian mobile, especially if you’re using Morse frequency annunciation—allowing you to change frequency without removing the rig from your pack.


G7UFO Mini-Mic

Based on the K6ARK mini-mic design, this compact unit stacks a condenser mic element and PTT switch inside a right-angle TRS plug and printed housing. It’s available either as a kit (for confident kit builders) or fully assembled for plug-and-play use.

  • Based on the K6ARK mini-mic design
  • TRS cable, PTT only
  • Available as a kit ($17) or assembled ($27)
  • Order from G7UFO (U.S. shipping via PayPal)

Thanks again, Dean, for the excellent recommendations!

Post-Hamvention POTA: A Challenging but Relaxing Activation with Friends in Dayton

Sunday, May 18, 2025, was the final day of Hamvention. It’s typically the slowest day, and I’ve even been known to skip it in favor of doing POTA with friends instead.

This particular Sunday, though, my dear friend Vince (VE6LK) was giving a mid-morning presentation about building go-boxes, so Eric (WD8RIF), Miles (KD8KNC), Len (W8VQ), and I headed to the Greene County Expo Center to attend.

Vince’s presentation was well-attended—most impressive for a Sunday morning!

As tempting as it was, I didn’t abscond with any of Vince’s radio kit!

Carillon Historic Park

Around 12:30, Eric, Miles, Len, and I left Hamvention and ventured into Dayton. We planned to do an activation at one of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park sites (US-0732).

Eric chose Carillon Historical Park as our activation site for US-0732. It’s an ideal POTA spot in many respects, with a large open field, several trees, and plenty of parking. That said, when we pulled into the site, we realized there was a public event underway and the parking lot was nearly full.

Fortunately, the parking attendants motioned us to park in a field close to where we would set up our stations. The music event was taking place on the far side of the park, so it didn’t interfere with our activation.

Eric, Miles, and Len made their way to a clearing and set up my Chelegance MC-750 antenna.

I picked a broad maple tree that provided a perfect shady spot for my station. The canopy not only kept me cool, but also offered a bit of stealth—not that stealth was necessary at this site, but with so much activity in the park, I wanted to keep my entire station contained in a safe, tidy space that wouldn’t trip up children running around nearby.

I set up my Helinox chair next to the trunk and deployed my throw line nearly vertically using the “granny shot” method—a technique I rarely use. It took two tries to get the line placed in a way I felt would support the antenna well. By shooting the line upward from underneath the canopy, both the antenna and throw line stayed in a tight footprint right beside me and entirely under the tree.

My antenna

Speaking of antennas, I was using a homebrew end-fed random wire sent to me by one of my readers and subscribers, Bryan (AD8HK). I believe Bryan may eventually offer a variation of this design commercially, but at present it’s still in development. He sent me this one purely for evaluation.

This particular antenna features a 9:1 transformer with a 17 ft 9 in radiator and an 8 ft 10.5 in counterpoise. With a wide-range ATU—like the one built into my KX2—it matches from 40 meters and up.

With my full station deployed, it was time to hit the air and see if the ionosphere had any charge left in it.

Gear

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Radio

Antenna & Supports

  • AD8HK Homebrew End-Fed Random Wire with 17ft 9in radiator and 8ft 10.5in counterpoise

Cable Assembly

Throw Line and Accessories

Other Field Gear and Accessories

Packs & Cases

Logging Supplies

Camera/Audio Gear

On The Air

Band conditions during Hamvention weekend were pretty dismal. I’ll admit, I was fully prepared to call CQ for a couple of hours, if necessary, to complete the activation (Eric felt the same way). We had no other plans for the afternoon, so time was on our side.

The great thing about pairing a small random wire antenna with my KX2 is the incredible frequency agility I get using its internal ATU. And during this particular activation, I definitely needed it. Continue reading Post-Hamvention POTA: A Challenging but Relaxing Activation with Friends in Dayton

Activating on the Road:  The Last Park

by Brian (K3ES)

In case you haven’t seen previous Field Reports in this series, let me set the stage.  In September and October of 2024, my wife, Becky, and I set out with our dog, Molly, for a great cross-country driving adventure.

We left from our home in northwest Pennsylvania on September 18, driving west to spend some time with my parents at their home in California’s Bay Area.  We returned home on October 31, after driving through most of the states of the American West.  One of the goals for this trip was to activate Parks on the Air (POTA) entities in as many new states as possible along the way (it turns out that with good planning and good weather, it is possible to activate a LOT of states).  An overview of our trip can be found in the following Field Report (linked) on QRPer.com:  Six Weeks and 7300 Miles:  Activating on the Road.

On the westward leg of our trip, we zipped through Ohio and Indiana in a single marathon day of driving, without stopping to activate a park.  There was no intent to diminish these fine states of our union, but I had previously activated parks there.

On the return leg of the trip, our priorities and our perspectives had changed a bit, so we made up for our previous inattention by activating new parks in both states on the way home.  The change in priority came with the realization that we had succeeded in activating every state that I had planned to complete.  I have now activated every lower 48 state west of the Mississippi River, save Arkansas and Louisiana (we intentionally left them for a future trip through the southern states).  The change in perspective came from the realization that activating a park made for a nice break during a day of driving.

We planned for a modest 3-1/2 hour drive on our final day of the trip, so that we could arrive home before dark.

We spent the night near Mansfield, OH, and took our time getting breakfast and checking out in the morning.  We had also looked over our maps and found an Ohio park to activate during the drive:  Lake Milton State Park, US-3515.

Lake Milton State Park

Seen from the park, this bridge carries Interstate 76 across Lake Milton

As I-76 runs east-to-west across northern Ohio, it crosses over the middle of Lake Milton.  For radio amateurs familiar with other attractions along the I-76 corridor, Lake Milton is about 20 miles east of the DX Engineering store.

Lake Milton State Park incorporates the lake itself, as well as selected land around the lake-shore.    We decided to head for one of the park’s picnic areas, located on the eastern shore of the lake near the I-76 bridge.  We found a parking lot, a large grassy area running down to the lake, picnic shelters, and comfort facilities.  As Becky took Molly for a walk around the grounds, I set up to operate from a table in a picnic shelter.

A view of the picnic area beside Lake Milton shows me activating from the shelter at left.  I threw a line over a branch on the tree to the right, and used it to hold my antenna as a sloper.
The gull in this picture was riding the wind, but going nowhere fast.
Standing straight out from its flagpole, this flag spoke eloquently of the wind.

It was a nice afternoon at the park.  The weather was warm and sunny, but a stiff breeze was blowing across the lake.  An American flag stood straight out from flagpole, and soaring gulls hung near-motionless in the sky.  Both provided evidence of the wind’s power.  The warmth of the day and the winds cooling effect were in perfect balance to produce a comfortable environment for activating, even though the breeze provided a bit of audio spectrum QRN.

The Activation

Caught from behind, while focused on incoming code…

I tossed a throw-line over a branch on one of the large trees near the shelter, and quickly hoisted up my Tufteln 35 ft end-fed random wire (EFRW) antenna.  With the antenna set up, I connected the rest of the station.  Moments later, my log was ready, and I was on the air.

I was able to spend an hour on the air, and with the EFRW and the KX2’s amazing internal tuner, I was able to rapidly transition between HF bands.  Operating CW mode at 5 watts, I was successful in making contacts on the 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, and 10m Amateur bands.  In total, I logged 30 contacts, including 3 DX stations from Europe, a thoroughly satisfying activation experience.

This map shows the contacts made from Lake Milton.  It was gratifying to get some DX during the last activation of our trip.

Gear

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Conclusion

Becky takes amazing pictures.  Here, another view of Lake Milton.

Packing up the station went quickly, and we were back in the truck and ready for the final leg of our trip.  In about 2 hours of driving, we were pulling into our own driveway for the first time in a month and a half.  It is difficult to fully describe the feeling.  It was really nice to be back home.  The prospects of sleeping in my own bed and relaxing in my own chair were really welcome.

But, at the same time, this adventure was over, and we would soon be back to our old routines.  After 6 weeks together, Becky, Molly and I would again be headed in the different directions occasioned by our day-to-day activities.  So, there was gladness of a return to the familiar, combined with the bittersweet feeling of the end of our travel adventure.

As I think about our trip from the distance of almost 6 months, and a long, cold winter, I realize that I am ready to start thinking seriously about our next driving (and radio) adventure!

Home.  After 6 weeks and 7300 miles, it was nice to get back…

Best 73 de Brian, Becky es Molly

Conrad Tests the Elecraft AX3 at Silver Sands State Park

Elecraft AX3 Field Report

By: Conrad Trautmann (N2YCH)

My new Elecraft AX3 antenna arrived in the mail. The weather when it arrived was 73° F and sunny with a slight breeze. Space weather was calm.  It seemed like the perfect recipe for a POTA expedition to the unofficial antenna testing range at Silver Sands State Park (US-1716) here in Connecticut on the Northern shoreline of Long Island Sound to try out the AX3. Given that this antenna is specifically designed to be light and portable, I chose my Elecraft KX2 to pair it with, which is also light and portable.

Conrad, N2YCH testing the new Elecraft AX3 at Silver Sands State Park, Connecticut

The AX3 operates on six bands. Out of the box, it can do 30,20,17,15,12 and 10 meters. With the optional AXE1 adapter, you can add 40 meters as well. Elecraft says an ATU is required, which I have built into my KX2. I tested using FT8 on 30/20/17 & 15 meters, the four positions labeled on the front “jumper block.” Using FT8, I was able to use the PSKreporter.info website to get a sense of where my signals were being received. This antenna is capable of handling 30 watts, which is amazing for its size. I ran 10 watts from the KX2.

Unlike the AX1, which needs something to hold it in place such as a tripod or the optional bipod, the AX3 comes with three legs to turn the base into a tripod.

AX3 integrated Tripod

At the park, I tried using the legs which lasted all of 30 seconds before the Long Island Sound breeze blew it right over on its side. Anticipating that it might be too breezy down at the shoreline, I brought a slightly heavier tripod along. The good news is that the bottom of the antenna is tapped with a ¼-20 hole to connect to any standard camera tripod. The heavier tripod did the trick.

Elecraft KX2 with new AX3 antenna

I used a three foot piece of coax as recommended and I had no problem with RFI into the radio or the computer. The KX2 was able to tune to 1.0:1 SWR on all bands except for 17 meters, which was right around 2.0:1. I should note that I had the 13’ counterpoise laying on the ground for this test.

KX2 1.0:1 SWR on 20 meters

I began on 20 meters and in 20 minutes, I had the 10 QSO’s needed to activate the park.

Map showing spots on 20 meters.

Next I QSY’d up to 17 meters.

PSKreporter.info spots on 17 meters

Here, I had plenty of spots, yet I struggled to get two in the log before I gave up and QSY’d to 15 meters. Changing frequency is as simple as pulling the jumper block out and moving the arrow to the correct frequency.

Jumper Block used to change bands

Thankfully, 15 was open and my first QSO was with a station in Ukraine and my second was in California.

QSO Map – Dark Blue are 20 meter contacts, Light Blue are 15 meters and Purple are 17 meters
Completing a QSO with the Ukraine on 15 meters

I made contacts on 20, 17 and 15 meters. Could I manage something on 30? I tried but to no avail. I was spotted by stations on PSKreporter, but after calling for some time, I figured that midday in Connecticut was just not the best time for that band. Before I packed up for the day, I went back to 17 meters which was definitely better than earlier and I logged three more for a total of five on the band.

PSKReporter spots on 15 meters using the AX3 antenna

I took the opportunity to go back to Silver Sands a few days later to try the antenna on 12 and 10 meters, which I did not do on the first trip out. I also wanted to see how elevating the counterpoise might affect the performance. It was downright windy, so I brought along a camera tripod this time to provide more stability. Obviously, the extra weight carrying a full size tripod wouldn’t be ideal for a SOTA activation, but for my test, I brought it along.

AX3 on camera tripod

The high band propagation was miserable when I went out, I was wondering if I’d be able to make any contacts at all. I was pleased to see that elevating the counterpoise allowed 17 meters to easily match to the antenna with a 1.0:1 SWR. I then tried 15, 12 and 10 meters which also tuned right up and I made contacts on all bands.  10 and 12 meters were open to my south. I made QSO’s with Belize, Mexico, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

QSO Map Day 2 – Purple is 17m, Light Blue is 15m, Pink is 12m and Yellow is 10m (click image to enlarge)
AX3 on camera tripod with elevated counterpoise

The AX3 did not disappoint.

Making QSO’s from California to the Ukraine and down into South America while sitting at a picnic table in a park in Connecticut with just 10 watts using such a small antenna is simply amazing to me. I like the AX1, which I used primarily on 20 meters. Having the multi-band flexibility of the AX3 is very nice, especially now that the upper bands are active, and it provides more flexibility for operating portable and being able to change bands on the spot to adapt to the ever changing band conditions.

Click here to check out the AX3 product page.

Field Radio Kit Gallery: KO6BYB’s Compact Watertight Elecraft KX2 Kit

Many thanks to Cameron (KO6BYB), for sharing 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.


Elecraft KX2 Field Kit

by Cameron (KO6BYB)

I wanted to share a tiny KX2 kit I made to fit the Seahorse SE56 (QRPer affiliate link) case. Just upgraded to my General and finally got the HF transceiver of my dreams. Haven’t made it out to the field since I got it last weekend, but I had some spare time (that I should have been sleeping) and whipped this up. Fits basically a whole station in the case:

Components:

  1. Seahorse SE56 watertight case
  2. Elecraft KX2
  3. KXPD2 paddles
  4. Microphone
  5. KXBT2 Battery
  6. AX2 antenna + 40m extender
  7. Ground wire
  8. Pen

If you’re only going to do CW, maybe there’s something clever to put in the place of the mic, but I am still working on my Morse. Slowly but surely.

Inserts can be downloaded on Thingiverse:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7010681