Many thanks to Pedro (PP2PB), who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page.
Pedro’s (tr)uSDX Compact and Affordable Field Kit
by Pedro (PP2PB)
Here’s my new kit.
This kit weighs just under 1,2kg and has phone and CW operations in mind. I might add some cables for digital modes, but I haven’t tested this rig with digital modes, just yet.
The (tr)uSDX was bought assembled with the LO bands RF board, and I assembled the HI RF board myself. I got Adam’s alternative case printed out for easy band switching and did a minor mod to the RF boards soldering a Zener diode reverse polarized as a high SWR protection.
I also added a USB port to the battery pack because the (tr)uSDX can operate with around 0,5W directly from USB and that’s a great way to test for SWR and fine tune the antenna without stressing the finals.
The manual antenna coupler is also my creation and even though it doesn’t appear on the exploded view it does fit in there no problem (it was added after I took the pictures).
Homemade 6W dummy load made inside a 90º BNC male connector (2x 100ohms 3W resistors in parallel) – great cheap insurance with these simple rigs.
Small USB Cable
Generic Earbuds
(tr)uSDX power cable with powerpoles
20m of 24AWG wire for the primary antenna with some generic red paracord for setting it up
Charger for the battery pack with powerpoles
Homemade battery pack using a 4S battery holder with 3x 18650 cells and a BMS board, and the extra space for a step down DC converter with USB out and the 12V powerpoles
Many thanks to Jonathan (KM4CFT), 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.
CFT1 Field Kit
by Jonathan (KM4CFT)
I thought I would supply my own field kit I recently put together for my CFT1.
This will also be the official announcement of my newest product, which is a CW Key leg strap. The leg strap is something I originally got my dad to fabricate for me out of some scrap metal a while back, and now that I have the version 2 iambic paddles, I thought it would be nice to mass-produce them. They are compatible with any magnetically mounted paddle.
This is my CFT1 Go Bag. It contains everything I need to activate my CFT1 except for a mast or throwline.
The kit consists of the following:
Note: All Amazon links are affiliate/partner links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
Last week, in response to a reader’s question here on QRPer.com, I was reminded that I hadn’t yet made a video specifically about my Mountain Topper MTR-3B SOTA field kit.
Yesterday, I made a short video (see below) where I show what I pack in my MTR-3B field kit and why I choose to house it in a Pelican 1060 case.
First, let’s look at a list of the gear, then I’ll talk about what went into my choices, and I’ll link to the video.
Gear:
Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
Here’s the philosophy behind my design choices in this kit:
Pelican 1060 Case
I chose to house this field kit in a Pelican 1060 Micro Case even though, at one pound, it weighs more than the typical pouch I also use for small field radios. The Pelican, however, protects the entire radio kit as it’s fully watertight and crush-proof. If I trip while fording a creek or fall and land on my pack, the Mountain Topper will be safe. Yes, there’s a mass/weight cost, but I feel it’s very minimal for the protection it offers.
Counterpoise-less End-Fed Half-Wave
When I build the K6ARK EFHW antenna kit for my MTR-3B, I chose to make it without a counterpoise. Even though the antenna would be more efficient with a dedicated counterpoise and less prone to the effects of body capacitance, I feel like the benefits of this design outweigh the compromises. For one thing, leaving off the counterpoise saves space inside the Pelican case. In addition, by designing the antenna to attach directly to the MTR-3B’s BNC port, there’s no need to include a feedline, thus saving quite a bit of space.
So far, I’ve been very impressed with how forgiving this antenna has been and, most importantly, with how well it has performed.
N6ARA SWR Meter
I include the N6ARA MiniSWR in my field kit to give me some peace of mind if my antenna deployment is compromised (for example, if the trees on a summit are too small, etc.). Since my MTR-3B version has no built-in SWR metering, I feel this is a meaningful addition tot he kit.
Throw Line and Weight
At least 90% of the summits and parks I activate here in western North Carolina have trees. To me, no field kit is truly sufficient unless I include a throw line and weight. I find that the Marlow KF1050 Excel 2mm Throwline is small, lightweight, and effective—-25 meters is enough to deploy any wire antenna I’d carry on a SOTA activation.
Many SOTA ops use a small sack that they place stones in to act as a throw weight for their line. This is very clever because you don’t have to pack in that extra 8 ounces on the roundtrip hike. Still, I like the convenience of a throw weight that’s designed to glide through tree branches with ease–especially if the tree is dense. If I were to do a multi-day SOTA backpacking trip, I’d probably use an empty throw sack instead of a dedicated weight.
Rechargeable 9 Volt Battery Packs
I love these 9V rechargeable batteries. It’s hard to believe that the MTR-3B can complete 2-3 typically SOTA activations on one charge! Then again, the MTR-3B uses something like 18ma in receive? That’s crazy low current consumption. These batteries are super lightweight and the particular brand I use has never produced any RFI (I’ve read that some others can). What’s best is that I can recharge these easy via a USB-C cable.
The MTR-3B will operate on nine volts, which yields three watts of output power.
Helinox Chair and Kneeboard
Yes, these are luxury items. I know many SOTA ops who are quite happy to sit on the ground and balance their radio on their leg. Perhaps it’s my age, but I don’t like doing this anymore because my legs tend to fall asleep and I lose feeling in them if not careful.
My Helinox Zero chair weighs 1 lbs 2 oz (509 g). I feel like it’s weight and mass well-spent. Since I record activation videos, the chair also gives me a much better position for my camera angle (bonus!).
My Tufteln/N0RNM kneeboard is an essential part of my SOTA kit. I never leave without it. The chair and kneeboard combo gives me the flexibility to set up anywhere, anytime. I love it.
Video
Here’s a video showing the breakdown of my Mountain Topper MTR-3B SOTA field kit:
Thank you for reading my field kit post and watching the video! I hope you enjoyed it.
As always, I’d also like to send a special thanks to those of you who have been supporting the site and channel through Patreon, and the Coffee Fund. While not a requirement, as my content will always be free, I really appreciate the support.
Many thanks to Zach (K4ZSR) 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.
K4ZSR’s Xiegu X6100 Field Kit
by Zach (K4ZSR)
My primary portable radio station is based around the Xiegu X6100. This was the first HF transceiver I bought after getting my ticket, and I have taken it on well over 100 POTA and SOTA activations across ten countries. Over time, I have learned what does and does not work for me and my operating style, and my field kit now has exactly what I need.
I have used several different packs to hold my portable radio gear, but my current favorite is this Quechua NH Escape 500 from Decathlon (I bought mine in Romania, but you can order them online). While designed as a laptop bag, this pack has all the features I need to carry for radio gear: full-opening main compartment, padded laptop/tablet sleeve, waist belt, good internal organization, and extra room. My field kit always stays in this bag, unless I am going on a long hike or camping.
The heart of this field kit is a fully self-contained station in a semi-hard side case (meant for a portable projector). As long you have a tree or other antenna support, everything you need is in this case. I always have more equipment with me, but this is the bare minimum. Two modifications I made to make the kit smaller was replacing the stock mic coil cable with an ultra-slim CAT 6 cable, and making a 6-inch power cable.
Gear
[Note: All Amazon, CW Morse, ABR, Chelegance, eBay, and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]
Since I do no always have a tree handy, and you should never be without at least two antennas, I always have a mast and an antenna accessory pouch with me as well.
Gear
DIY spike base, tent stakes, and guy lines for mast
Adding my Microsoft Surface Go 2 tablet for logging and running WSTJ modes, and my field kit comes in at just over 9 lbs (ignore the scale, the tablet case was empty in this picture).
If I am going to be operating in an accessible and open area, I may bring my vertical whip antenna system. This is one of my newest additions, I assembled this antenna over Christmas 2023. I wanted a ground mount system for a 17 ft whip antenna, but I needed it to pack down relatively flat to be able to carry easily in a back pack. My solution was a modular base designed like a pedestal mount used for soccer flags. Even in somewhat soft ground, this base is incredibly stable despite the small size of the ground spike.
Assembled, the mount is inserted into the ground until the disk makes firm contact. The spike and the 3/8-24 mount are removable for packing, and the aluminum boss has 4mm holes for inserting banana plugs to ground the faraday cloth, or to attach ground radials.
Here is the antenna system assembled and in use at K-2949, Harpeth River State Park.
My true passion for amateur radio is portable operations, and as I add to my collection my field kits will grow and evolve. The most important lesson I have learned operating portable is to have simple, durable kit that you are very familiar with. That way when the situation is different than expected, or conditions change, you are prepared to adapt and overcome.
Many thanks to Steve (KV4AN) 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.
KV4AN’s Elecraft KH1 Field Kit
by Steve (KV4AN)
The Elecraft KH1 is a new radio with less than two hundred delivered, so I thought the readers of QRPer.com may be interested in my take on a KH1 Field Kit.
The KH1 “Edgewood” package has everything necessary for 20-15 meter ultra-portable operation, such as pedestrian mobile, Summits on the Air (SOTA), or Parks on the Air (POTA). Elecraft put a lot of thought into it and like others have said, “I feel like it is the radio I always wanted.” However, I also wanted to be able to operate 40 and 30 meters and to be able to take it on a trip for a week; perhaps by air. There were three challenges that needed to be overcome to meet to do this: I needed an antenna for 40 and 30 meters, a way to recharge the battery, and everything needed to fit in one small protective case.
Figure 1. KH1 Field Kit Packed Up.
My solution was a field kit that had everything needed to operate 40-15 meters in the smallest possible hard case – the kit and components are shown in figures (1) and (2).
Figure 2. KH1 Field Kit Components.
Components and Gear Links
The components of the KH1 Field Kit are listed below. Every piece had to “earn” a spot in the Nanuk 904 hard case. I tried the Pelican Micro M50 case, which is a little smaller than the Nanuk 904, but not everything would fit.
[Note: Most Amazon links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]
KH1 Transceiver – A new ultra-small, self-contained, five-band, QRP, CW transceiver manufactured by Elecraft. The optional Edgewood Package includes a detachable keyer paddle, logging tray, ballpoint pen, ES20 carrying case, a telescoping whip antenna for 20-15 meters, and a 13 ft. counterpoise wire.
ES20 Carrying Case – A custom soft case made by Elecraft for the KH1. Protects the KH1 and enables ultra-portable operation.
Nanuk 904 Hard Case – This case was selected because it was large enough for the KH1 in its ES-20 soft case and all the gear in this list. The quality of the Nanuk case is very good.
Tufteln EFRW Antenna – This antenna has a 31 ft. radiator and a 17 ft counterpoise. It was chosen because of its very small size when packed, good performance on 40 and 30 meters, and ability to be used with the KH1 internal tuner.
Tufeteln Line Winder. This is Line Winder for the EFHW antenna kit, purchased separately to store the arborist throw line.
Gerber Mullet Micro-Multitool– Chosen for small size. Has a Phillips and straight screw driver and a wire cutter/stripper.
SOB 8 oz. Arborist Throw Bag –A durable arborist throw bag. This is a replacement for the Camnal Throw Bag pictured. Used to loft the antenna support line over a tree limb.
The Nanuk 904 Hard Case was the perfect size for all the things I needed for 40-15 meter operation on a muti-day trip and it is small and light enough to put in your carry-on bag for a flight.
Many thanks to Micah (N4MJL) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page.
Mountain Topper MTR-4B Field Kit
by Micah (N4MJL)
I am a very, very new CW operator! I’m also an airline pilot who travels quite a bit. Many times when I’m out flying my company provided hotel rooms are within walking distance of POTA parks.
Everything has to fit nicely in my 22″ roller board.
As flight crew, our roller boards are typically from Luggage Works or StrongBags. I have found that I can always make room for more radio gear in my luggage by packing less undergarments. I mean, you can always make your underwear and socks last another 24 hours by turning them inside out for another wear. Lol
The SOTA beams Tactical Mini Mast fits diagonally in my 22″ roller board. Wrapped around it are some rubber coated heavy wire for securing it to a post/shrub if available.
The wire/guying winders are awesome. I have used this system in the sand on a beach and on a mountain top above the tree line. I replaced the aluminum tent pegs with some plastic ones to keep TSA a bit more happy with me.
I use a Talent cell battery[affiliate link] everyday for a recharge while on the go. It is large enough to power my cell phone/iPad while also powering my MTR, and the voltage output is safe for the MTR to handle.
My CW skills are not yet to the point that I am able to activate a park by running a pile up, so I do a lot of hunting. If one day you have me in you log book from California and the very next day I’m sending from Massachusetts that’s not a mistake, that’s just my life. 73!
Many thanks to Jonathan (KM4CFT) 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.
IC-705 Field Kit
by Jonathan (KM4CFT)
This is my new field kit for my IC-705. The 705 is my favorite radio in my collection and I prefer to use it for any casual field work where size and weight isn’t a concern. (When I am concerned about size and weight I typically take my KX2.)
It consists of a protected IC-705 and a camera lens case. I cannot take credit for this idea since I copied it from Aaron Bowman, W4ARB. (see his video here)
The kit consists of the following:
Note: All Amazon and eBay links are affiliate/partner links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.
Tim’s ENTIRE kit for mountain-top activating less his mast and the 9V battery seen in the background. It’s a stark comparison to my KX3 Go-Kit.
His kit is super light and small. I’ll let Tim take up the description from here:
A Pocket HF Go Kit.
by Tim (N7KOM)
There are few pleasures in life more satisfying than making QSOs on a thin wire tuned for a half wave.
One of my favorite radios is the classic MTR3B. At 9.8cm x 6.5cm x 2.4cm it is truly a pocket radio. Everything I need to get on the air fits into an Amazon external Harddrive case. Here’s a breakdown with weight measurements:
MTR-3B – 126 g
9V Li-Poly USB-C rechargeable battery + power plug – 29 g
Trapped EFHW on an RCA connector (matching the radio’s connector) tuned for 20m/30m/40m. 28-32 ga wire on a 3d printed winder. – 42 g
N7KOM’s ultra-lightweight HF Kit
As is, it weighs a total of 323 grams or 0.7 lbs. Add in a lightweight 9 foot mast from ali-express and I have everything I need to make contacts. I could even string the wire on some bushes or the ground if I was really in a pinch.
Other notes
I could reduce the weight and packability further by using shorter cables on the earbuds/volume control as well as the paddle cable.
Many thanks to Todd (KK7ISX) 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.
KK7ISX’s Xiegu X6100 Field Kit
Hey Thomas, I love perusing the Field Radio Kit Gallery section of your website. It’s helped me dial in my SOTA kit while I’ve been injured this fall so I’d like to pay it forward.
Photos
This is my current set up for my Xiegu X6100:
Equipment list:
[Note: All Amazon and Radioddity links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]
Xiegu X6100 (note: using this link to purchase will include a $15 discount for you and a commission to QRPer.com)
Elecraft AX1 Antenna and counterpoise (Counterpoise modified with a 2 mm banana plug an inch from the U-Type wire connector in order to be compatible with the ground connector on a Packtenna 20/40 EFWH)
Elecraft AX1 40m Antenna Extender
Elecraft AX1 tripod adapter (with a female 2 mm banana plug soldered to it)
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This kit weighs just under 1,2kg and has phone and CW operations in mind. I might add some cables for digital modes, but I haven’t tested this rig with digital modes, just yet.
The (tr)uSDX was bought assembled with the LO bands RF board, and I assembled the HI RF board myself. I got Adam’s alternative case printed out for easy band switching and did a minor mod to the RF boards soldering a Zener diode reverse polarized as a high SWR protection.
I also added a USB port to the battery pack because the (tr)uSDX can operate with around 0,5W directly from USB and that’s a great way to test for SWR and fine tune the antenna without stressing the finals.
The manual antenna coupler is also my creation and even though it doesn’t appear on the exploded view it does fit in there no problem (it was added after I took the pictures).
