Tag Archives: Field Radio Kit Gallery

Field Radio Kits, News, Portable, QRP

Dean’s Compact KX2 Field Kit in a Pelican 1150

2 Comments

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.

KX2 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 KX2 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:

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

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

Field Radio Kits, News, QRP Radios

Steve’s MTR3B-V4 Field Kit in a Rothco Shoulder Bag

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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 MTR3B-V4 Field Kit

by Steve (KV4AN)

The convergence of Solar Cycle 25, lots of great new equipment offerings, many active participants in Parks on the Air (POTA), Summits on the Air (SOTA), and compatible family outdoor activities make this a great time to be a portable High Frequency (HF) QRP ham radio operator.  To take advantage of this happy situation, I was recently able to purchase a MTR3B-V4 “Currahee” Mountain Topper transceiver, shown in figure (1).  The MTR3B-V4 is a miniature three band (40, 20, and 15 meters) CW only QRP transceiver made by LNR Precision.

Figure 1.  MTR3B-V4 “Currahee” QRP Transceiver.

Naturally, I had to form a kit around the new radio.  My three goals for the kit were: small size, lightweight, and self-contained.  Let’s see how I did.  You can comment below if I left something out or if there’s a better choice.

The kit consists of the following items, as shown in figure (2)–links to these items are at the bottom of the page:

Figure 2.  MTR3B-V4 Kit.
  1. MTR3B-V4 “Currahee” Transceiver – 40, 20, and 15 meter QRP CW Transceiver.
  2. Custom Faceplate Cover – A practical and reasonably priced custom faceplate protective cover.   I accidentally ordered the cover for the previous version of the radio, but Joshua had no problem with me changing the order to the new one.
  3. Morse Code paddle – This is a reasonably priced paddle with a fairly good feel that I had lying around when the capacitive knobs didn’t work out.  I plan to replace it in the future with the CW Morse SP4 POTA/SOTA N0SA design paddle, which is smaller and field proven.
  4. 3.5mm Stereo Cable – A 1.5 foot, 3.5mm to 3.5mm stereo (TRS) cable.
  5. Koss Earbuds – Nice quality stereo earbuds.
  6. Earbud Cord Organizer – I hated to add the extra item, but I got tired of untangling the  wires of my earbuds.  This clever item has solved that problem and is color coordinated with the slick line.
  7. All-Weather Notebook – All-weather notepad for copying QSO information in the field.
  8. Miniature Pen – This is a miniature pen that says it writes on waterproof paper.  It will also write upside down, although that may not be a feature you need during normal activations.
  9. Koss In-line Volume Control – An in-line volume control for use with the earbuds.  The MTR3B-V4 has a rudimentary volume control, primarily used to set the maximum volume level.
  10. Battery Pack Pouch – A small pouch that perfectly holds the battery pack and keeps all the components together and protected.  If you use Icom BP-307 or BP-272 battery packs, they fit perfectly too.
  11. Battery Cell Holder – An eight “AA” cell holder with a 9V-style clip.  Eight “AA” NiMH batteries will provide a nominal 9.6V to the transceiver.
  12. AA NiMH batteries – Eight 1.2V “AA” NiMH 2800 mAh Low Self Discharge (LSD) battery cells.
  13. 9V Snap Clip – These are good quality 9V snap connectors that also have the coaxial power connector required by the MTR3B-V4 already attached.  They are more durable than the ones with exposed thin red and black wires.
  14. Coaxial Adapter – SO-239 to BNC adapter for use when using other antennas with coaxial cables which have a PL-259 connector.
  15. Reliance EFHW “Bugout” Antenna – A very small and sturdy 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter End-Fed Half Wave (EFHW) resonant antenna.
  16. Slick Line – High visibility slick line, which ties to the arborist throw bag to get the antenna into a tree and then suspends it.
  17. Arborist Throw Bag – A well-made arborist throw bag with a good all-around weight.
  18. Gerber Mullet Keychain – An all-in-one minimalist tool kit.  Better than a sharp rock, as they say.
  19. Rothco Shoulder Bag – A military-style shoulder bag, just large enough to hold all the kit components.
  20. Battery Charger – The battery charger (not shown) is an eight cell NiMH charger.  It does not fit in the shoulder bag and is left at home.

Of course, it all had to fit in a tacticool bag.  I selected the small Rothco Excursion Organizer, The shoulder bag, shown in figure (3), has all the items from figure (2) in it (trust me).  Use the orange pen as a reference for the size of the bag.  Clipped to the “D” ring on the left side is the Gerber “tool kit”.  The pocket on the front left has the CW Morse paddle, the pen is in its place, and the zippered pocket on the right has the earbuds.  The back zippered pocket has the antenna and battery pack, and safely nestled in the main area is the MTR3B-V4 and an arborist throw bag.  There is a zippered sleeve in the main pocket that contains the cable for the keyer paddle, an adjustment Allen wrench, and the SO-239 to BNC adapter.

Figure 3.  MTR3B-V4 Shoulder Bag.

Conclusion

One thing you may have asked yourself is why I included a Morse Code paddle when the MTR3B-V4 has a set of capacitive touch knobs.  The answer is simple – they didn’t work for me.  I really wanted them to, but the pad of my thumb will not activate the “dit paddle” without moistening it first.  Even then, I have to press the knob hard at a point almost to the joint, which is not a natural code sending motion or feel and results in very sloppy code.

Another item I purchased, but decided not to use was a pair 9V 500 mAh Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries.  The voltage of this battery right off the charger is below the specified input voltage for the MTR3B-V4.

The battery is the area in which I am most concerned.  I’m concerned that the 9.6V NiMH pack may not provide enough voltage over an activation to keep the voltage above the specified minimum voltage of 9V.  I may have to go to a 12V LiFePO4 battery, but that will not fit in the current shoulder bag.  I may have to go with a larger bag or use a MOLLE system where I can strap together several pouches.

I think I’ve came close to achieving my three goals of: small size, lightweight, and self-contained.  I’ve not completed an activation with this kit yet, so I’ll see how it all works together in a few weeks.  I’m also looking forward to reading your comments and suggestions.

72,

Steve

KV4AN

Gear List Links

[Note: Most Amazon and CW Morse links are affiliate links that support QRPer.com at no cost to you.]

  1. MTR3B-V4 “Currahee” Transceiver (MTR3B V4 Currahee Mountain Topper)
  2. Custom Faceplate Cover (LNR MTR-3B-v4 Currahee Magnetic Protective Cover – Tufteln)
  3. Morse Code paddle (Black Pocket Double Paddle Morse Code Key – cwmorse.us)
  4. 3.5mm Stereo Cable (Amazon.com: Aux Cord 1.5ft, 3.5mm Aux Cable – Nylon Braided Audio Cable 3.5mm Male to Male AUX Cord Compatible with Car,Headphones, iPods, iPhones, iPads,Tablets,Laptops,Android Smart Phones& More (1.5FT) : Electronics)
  5. Koss Stereo Earbuds (Amazon.com: Koss 191651 KE5 Earbuds (Black) : Electronics)
  6. Earbud Cord Organizer (Amazon.com: ELFRhino Cord Organizer Earbuds Holder Earphone Wrap Earphones Organizer Headset Headphone Earphone Wrap Winder Cord Manager Cable Winder Green : Electronics)
  7. All-Weather Notebook (Amazon.com : GLORYFIRE Waterproof Notebook Tactical All-Weather Spiral Memo Paper Notepad with Waterproof Grid Paper for Outdoor Activities Recording 3″x5″ (5pcs) : Office Products)
  8. Miniature Pen (Amazon.com : Tombow BC-AP54 Pressurized Permanent Ballpoint Pen (Can Write on Wet Paper/Back), Air Press to Squeeze Ink Ink, 0.7, Orange : Rollerball Pens : Office Products)
  9. Koss In-line Volume Control (Amazon.com: Koss 155954 VC20 Volume Control, Standard Packaging, 39-Inch Cord, Compatible with Cell Phones and Headphones : Volume Control: Electronics)
  10. Battery Pack Pouch (Amazon.com : TRIWONDER Tactical Cigarette Pouch Molle Small Military Bag Battery Cigarette Case EDC Utility Card Holder Lighter Slot Mini Cigar Waist Pack (01 Green – 2 Pack) : Sports & Outdoors)
  11. Battery Cell Holder (Amazon.com: QTEATAK 2Set 8 x AA Thicken Battery Holder with I Type Wired Battery Clip Standard Snap Connector : Electronics)
  12. AA NiMH Batteries (Amazon.com: WENJOOP Rechargeable AA Batteries, 2800mAh High-Capacity NiMH AA Rechargeable Battery Long-Lasting Power, 8 Pack Double A Batteries Size for Household and Office Devices – 1.2 Volt Low Self Discharge : Health & Household)
  13. 9V Snap Clip (Amazon.com: CHANZON UL Wire 9V Battery I-Type Power Supply with Center Positive 2.1mm x 5.5mm Male DC Connector Holder Clip Converter, 5 Pack for Arduino, LED Strip : Electronics)
  14. Coaxial Adapter (Amazon.com: Ahoaepy 2PCS UHF to BNC Adapter, Low Loss SO239 Female to BNC Male Coaxial Cable Connector Adapter for CB Radio,Radio,Antennas.Extension Coax Cable : Electronics)
  15. Reliance EFHW Antenna (EFHW Bugout 56:1 40-10M Antenna – Reliance Antennas)
  16. Slick Line (Amazon.com : LiteOutdoors Guyline & Tensioner Kit – 1.8mm Diameter – 60 or 100 feet – Ultralight Reflective Tent Cord, Lightweight Non-Slip Cord Adjusters. Camping, Hiking, Paracord : Sports & Outdoors)
  17. Arborist Throw Bag (Amazon.com : SOB Outdoor Throw Weight Bag 250g Arborist Durable Climbing Rope Bag Multi Throw Bag Tree Rock Spelunking : Sports & Outdoors)
  18. Gerber Mullet Keychain (Gerber Gear Mullet Keychain – Multi-Tool Keychain with Pry Bar, Bottle Opener, and Wire Stripper – EDC Gear and Equipment – Stonewash – Amazon.com)
  19. Rothco Shoulder Bag (Amazon.com: Rothco Excursion Organizer Shoulder Bag, Olive Drab : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry)
  20. Battery Charger (Amazon.com: EBL AA AAA Battery Charger, 8-Bay Individual Charger for NiMH NiCD Rechargeable Batteries with AC Plug Fast Charging : Electronics)

 

Field Radio Kits, News, Portable, QRP

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

5 Comments

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

Accessories, Field Radio Kits, News, Portable, QRP

W8TMI’s Elecraft KH1 Field Kit

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Many thanks to Tim (W8TMI), 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.

W8TMI’s Elecraft KH1 Field Kit

by Time (W8TMI)

My Elecraft KH1 field kit is split into two parts: the bag provided with the Edgewood package and a separate bag for added functionality. The Elecraft bag is set up to venture out by itself without anything else required for an activation. The additional bag provides a longer random wire antenna and the ability to get it up into a tree, which increases its gain over the stock whip antenna.

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

Additional Photos

2mm bullet adapters for counterpoise wires

Primary KH1 bag

Storage setup

Antenna bag

Field Radio Kits, News, POTA, QRP, SOTA

Field Radio Kit Gallery: N5YCO’s Lightweight CFT1 SOTA Kit

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Many thanks to Corey (N5YCO), 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 Corey McDonald (N5YCO)

I thought I would supply the field kit that I use for my CFT1. I prefer SOTA activations when I can, so my kit is on the lightweight minimal side.

All of the 3d printed parts are carbon fiber PETG for strength.

Not pictured: Small log notebook, SOTABeams Carbon6, guy ring and lines.

My kit consists of the following:

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

72,

– Corey N5YCO

Field Radio Kits, News, Portable, QRP, QRP Radios, SOTA

Field Radio Kit Gallery: Pedro’s (tr)uSDX Field Kit

3 Comments

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).

Gear List:

72 DE PP2PB

Field Radio Kits, Guest Posts, News, QRP

Field Radio Kit Gallery: KM4CFT’s CFT1 Field Kit

11 Comments

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.

72,
-Jonathan KM4CFT

Field Radio Kits, Grab And Go, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, SOTA

Deep Dive: My Mountain Topper MTR-3B Watertight SOTA Field Kit

5 Comments

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.

Self-Contained Watertight Field Kit:

Optional Gear for SOTA/POTA:

Design Choices

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:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Thank you!

 

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.

If you’d like to see loads more field kits, check out our field radio kit gallery!

Thanks for spending part of your day with me!
Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

Field Radio Kits, Guest Posts, News, Portable, QRP, QRP Radios

Field Radio Kit Gallery: W4JL’s Venus SW-3B and “Sporty Forty” Vertical

2 Comments

Many thanks to Dave (W4JL) 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.  Continue reading Field Radio Kit Gallery: W4JL’s Venus SW-3B and “Sporty Forty” Vertical →

Field Radio Kits, Guest Posts, News, Portable, QRP, QRP Radios, Travel

Field Radio Kit Gallery: K4ZSR’s Xiegu X6100 Field Kit

6 Comments

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.]

  1. LTGEM Hard Case
  2. SP4 POTA/SOTA Paddles
  3. Xiegu X6100
  4. Panasonic Earbuds and Moleskine Cahier notebook
  5. K6ARK 20w EFRW Antenna (laser-cut winder, 26g PTFE wire)
  6. GPS/GLONASS Receiver and USB cables for digital modes
  7. Bioenno 3Ah Battery
  8. “QRP” sized Weaver 8oz bullet throw weight with braided fishing line
  9. 10ft RG-316 Feedline

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

  1. DIY spike base, tent stakes, and guy lines for mast
  2. K4ZSR 20m EFHW “Credit Card” antenna
  3. SOTABeams Carbon-6 Mast
  4. Solognac medium organizer pouch – purchased in Europe
  5. Miscellaneous antenna gear (compass, wire ties, extra stake, bungee cord, carabiners, etc)
  6. 80m extension for 6-band EFHW
  7. K4ZSR 6-band EFHW (40-10m, with 30 & 17m links)

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.

Gear

  1. Wolf River Coils 17’ SS whip
  2. 25ft RG-8X coax
  3. Tent Stakes
  4. Wolf River Coils Sporty 40 coil
  5. Faraday cloth
  6. K4ZSR ground spike vertical antenna mount

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.

73, de K4ZSR