This year’s Hamvention was truly incredible. While I haven’t seen the official attendance figures, I can only assume it was highly attended based on my observations.
Once again, my friend Mike (VE3MKX) captured a plethora of photos at Hamvention—both in the flea market and the indoor exhibit areas—and has generously shared them with us here.
Thank you, Mike!
Click to view the complete photo album–> Continue reading Mike’s 2025 Hamvention Photo Gallery
Good morning, QRPers!
Day two of Hamvention 2025 was absolutely amazing—and the weather couldn’t have been more ideal. I wish I had time this morning to write a proper recap, but I’m grabbing a quick breakfast and heading back to the Greene County Fairgrounds for day three.
That said, I wanted to drop a quick note and share a photo of a little surprise from the Flea Market…
Even though I told myself I wouldn’t buy another radio at Hamvention, I spotted one I simply couldn’t pass up:
I already own a TR-35 (a rig I absolutely love), so I let that one go. But I didn’t have an MTR-4B in my collection… and that red chassis in the early morning sunlight? Irresistible. The asking price was $200—very fair, in my opinion—so I snagged it.
Later that day, I showed it off to my good friend Joshua (N5FY), and wouldn’t you know it—he gifted me one of his MTR-4B protective covers!
As soon as I got back to the hotel room that evening, I installed it.
She’s ready for the field.
I’ve actually wrote a review of an MTR-4B I borrowed from a reader. You can check out that review with links to field report here. I’m looking forward to taking this little red machine out to a summit soon!
More to come after Hamvention wraps up.
Thanks again to everyone who’s stopped by to say hello—it’s truly been the highlight of my weekend!
— Thomas (K4SWL)
Good Morning, QRPers!
Day one of Hamvention 2025 (Friday, May 16) kicked off bright and early!
I started the day with a quick walk-through of the Hamvention Flea Market before the gates opened. I also shared an impromptu video with Patreon supporters—it was a peaceful moment before the weekend’s whirlwind began.
I spent most of Friday at the Ham Radio Workbench Podcast table, which served as a kind of home base. I had the pleasure of chatting with so many HRWB listeners, QRPer readers, and YouTube subscribers.
Thank you for taking the time to introduce yourselves—it was a true joy to reconnect with many of you in person! Your kindness and encouragement fuel me through the wonderful chaos that is Hamvention.
As soon as the indoor exhibits opened, I made a beeline to the Yaesu booth to check out their new FTX-1 Field and FTX-1 Optima. They had multiple units on display, ready for hands-on testing.
In person, the rigs look fantastic—the displays are crisp, the fit and finish are excellent, and I really appreciate the modular design with snap-on battery and ATU options.
That said… my first reaction was: “This is bigger than I expected.” I wasn’t alone—I overheard several others expressing the same surprise.
I think that’s partly due to some early promotional material. One Yaesu rep video seemed to suggest the FTX-1 would be just a bit larger than the faceplate of an FTM-500D.
In reality, it has a much larger footprint. Even with just the battery attached, it has noticeable bulk—and with the optional ATU in place, it grows even more.
The Optima version, with its 100-watt amplifier and internal ATU, is larger still—definitely a full-size 100-watt rig. I’d say it’s bigger in every dimension than the FT-891.
I also recorded a quick video with my iPhone while checking out the FTX-1 at the Yaesu booth and shared it on YouTube yesterday, if you’d like a closer look.
After spending some time with the FTX-1, I walked over to DX Engineering and cancelled my reservation.
To be clear: I think Yaesu has done a great job with this rig. It’s incredibly feature-rich, well-built, and will no doubt be the perfect radio for a lot of operators. I’m willing to bet Yaesu will sell a ton of these—and rightfully so.
But for my specific needs—especially as someone who values small, minimalist radios for portable field use—the FTX-1 simply isn’t the right fit. Even the head unit of the FTX-1 Field is larger than I prefer. I could tell that, as much as I might enjoy the radio at home, I’d likely leave it behind more often than take it to the field.
So this was a personal decision, and canceling also frees up over $2,000 in funds for other gear that better aligns with my style of operating.
One thing I heard repeatedly throughout the day–a number of folks who had pre-ordered the FTX-1 Field through Ham Radio Outlet were frustrated. Several told me they were surprised—and disappointed—that HRO had a batch of FTX-1 Field units for sale at Hamvention, even though some customers placed reservations months ago.
These folks followed HRO’s instructions last year to reserve early and expected to be first to receive units in-hand.
Update: Two readers have noted that their FTX-1s reserved via HRO actually shipped on Friday, so perhaps all or some of the reserved orders actually shipped day of Hamvention.
Hamvention day one was absolutely amazing—but I’ll admit I was wiped out by the end of it (and I know I wasn’t alone!). I did make it to Club Night at Four Days In May (FDIM), but we headed back to the hotel early—just in time to avoid the intense storm that rolled through Dayton around 8:30–9:00 p.m.
I’m wrapping up this post over breakfast, then heading back to the Greene County Fairgrounds for day two. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead!
Once again, thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello. Your encouragement and kindness truly mean the world to me.
— Thomas (K4SWL)
Just a quick update: I’m heading out today for Four Days in May (FDIM) and Hamvention—both taking place this week—and will be on the road and fully immersed in the events for the next several days.
While I’m away, things may be a bit quiet here on QRPer.com.
My inbox is likely to pile up, and my posting may be limited while I soak in the energy, fun, and (let’s be honest) chaos of the world’s largest ham radio gathering and one of the best QRP conventions of the year!
Thanks for your understanding—and if you’re also attending Hamvention or FDIM, I hope to see you there!
72,
Thomas (K4SWL)
This year seems to have flown by already. No doubt it’s because it’s been one of the busiest years of my life so far (and I kind of hope it doesn’t get any busier!).
It feels like I was just wishing everyone a Happy New Year, and now—poof!—we’re only a week away from Four Days In May and Hamvention!
I’ll be leaving the QTH next Tuesday morning, doing an overnight at the QTH of my buddy Eric (WD8RIF) and his wife Vickie (KC8MAJ), then (hopefully) fitting in a day of POTA en route to our hotel in Dayton, Ohio.
We’ll spend all day Thursday at Four Days In May—always my favorite part of the Hamvention weekend.
On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we’ll be at Hamvention, held at the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio.
When I’m not out and about checking out vendor booths and catching up with friends, I’ll be hanging out at the Ham Radio Workbench / Packtenna / Halibut Electronics / Sierra booth in Building 3—booths 3011 and 3012.
I remember when I first started attending Hamvention regularly (back in 2008 or 2009), I’d go with an extensive list of items to hunt down. Often you can find things at Hamvention that are hard to source elsewhere—especially items that aren’t easy to ship. I’d typically come home with a couple of boxes full of gear.
These days, though, my shack is pretty well stocked—and lately, I’ve been more focused on paring down than accumulating. So it’s rare for me to have more than one or two items on my Hamvention list.
This year, it’s pretty simple: I’ll be looking for another Alpha Delta 4-position antenna switch and possibly a few other components. Truthfully, I mostly keep an eye out for cool innovations from smaller mom-and-pop companies. I always leave a little room in my pack for those kinds of purchases!
If you’re attending Hamvention, what’s on your list?
If you’re not attending Hamvention but plan to go to Ham Radio Friedrichshafen, the Tokyo Ham Fair, the National Hamfest, or a national or regional hamfest where you live—what are you planning to buy?
What’s on your list?
Last week, we recorded an episode of the Ham Radio Workbench podcast. Our main topic was Winter Field Day, but we also discussed our plans for 2025—not just workbench projects but our overall goals and what’s on the calendar.
Lately, I’ve been so focused on the present and immediate future (sorting out post-storm property repairs, etc.) that I hadn’t really taken the time to think about our bigger plans.
I may tweak this list over time, but here’s what’s on my mind so far:
I’d love to attend Ozarkcon, but that weekend is a tough one—perhaps if I skip RARSfest, I could make it. I’d also love to attend the Huntsville Hamfest, but I suspect it’ll conflict with university move-in dates for my daughters.
A true bucket list item is Messe Friedrichshafen, but unfortunately, the date this year conflicts with another commitment.
I may add more to this list, but you might notice there are no numerical goals—for example, specific targets for POTA or SOTA activations. This year, we’re still focusing on getting back on our feet. Maybe next year, I’ll set goals in that regard.
You might also notice that I don’t have any active goal of growing my YouTube channel’s subscriber base. Indeed, I never have. Honestly, my philosophy has always been that people who enjoy my channel will find it organically. What makes my channel so fun for me is not worrying about subscriber numbers, channel metrics, or stats.
Following the YouTube algorithm often leads to stress, clickbait, and compromising one’s vision. It also creates a certain sameness among channels, which I’m just not interested in. I love the community around my channel and am happy to let it grow naturally.
Thank you for making this QRPer community such an amazing one!
I’d love to hear what your plans and projects are for this year. Please comment below!
You might recall that my friends Eric (WD8RIF), Miles (KD8KNC), Brian (K3ES), Kyle (AA0Z), Charlie (NJ7V), and Joshua (N5FY) all played hooky on the final day of the 2024 Hamvention (Sunday, May 19) and instead activated a couple of POTA sites.
I wrote a short field report about our first activation at Pater State Wildlife Area (US-9492). It was a lot of fun despite the rough bands.
Our next stop was Whitewater Canal State Historic Site in Metamora, Indiana, about an hour’s drive from the first park.
Only four of us continued to the next park; Kyle and Charlie needed to head to the airport, and Joshua needed to start his drive back to Georgia.
I was excited about visiting Whitewater Canal because it would be my first official POTA activation in Indiana.
We arrived around 1:00 PM and opted to grab lunch at a nearby pizzeria before activating.
Around 2:00 PM, we grabbed our gear from the car and walked across the road to the park grounds.
The Whitewater Canal State Historic Site offers a glimpse into the 19th-century canal era.
Built between 1836 and 1847, the Whitewater Canal was a 76-mile waterway that connected the Ohio River to Hagerstown, facilitating the transport of goods and agricultural products.
This engineering feat played a vital role in the economic development of the region, contributing to the growth of towns and industries along its path.
Today, the preserved section of the canal, along with the historic grist mill and other structures, stands as a testament to Indiana’s rich industrial and transportation heritage.
I’ve always been fond of railroads and canals, so this site was brilliant as it featured both running parallel to each other!
Eric, Brian, and I (Miles didn’t activate) were careful to set up within the actual park boundaries.
In this case, it was a little difficult to determine the exact boundaries because the town and park blend together.
I used the Parceled app on my phone to confirm our location.
Eric set up his Elecraft KH1 station at a picnic table under a large tree.
Brian set up his KX2 on a covered bench next to Eric, using his Elecraft AX1 antenna mounted on a clamp secured to the bench.
Brian’s site was super stealthy behind the sign–since he operated with earphones, you couldn’t hear him and barely could see him!
I wanted to put some space between my station and theirs, so I set up under the shade of a tree (it was blazing hot that Sunday) and deployed my Helinox camping chair.
I then deployed my Chelegance MC-750 vertical for 20-meter operation since Brian and Eric were on other bands.
I connected the MC-750 to my Elecraft KX2, which I mounted on my kneeboard, and was ready to play radio! My hope was that band conditions would be decent. Continue reading From Hamvention to History: A POTA Excursion with friends through Indiana’s Past
I arrived back at the QTH late yesterday afternoon after an amazing week of travels.
I’ve got (no kidding) more than 100 emails in the inbox that require attention, so if you’ve written to me recently, my apologies in advance for the late reply. I’m spending the next few days catching up with my family.
I did, however, want to take a moment and share a short field report from a pretty extraordinary activation (for me) that took place on Monday, May 20, 2024.
I learned a few years ago that I need a full day post-Hamvention to wind down and relax before starting my travels back home. Fortunately, my FDIM/Hamvention travel companions Eric (WD8RIF) and Miles (KD8KNC) feel the same way. Nearly a decade ago, we started adding a Monday on to our travels.
Typically, we spend most of Monday at the USAF Museum in Dayton – it’s a brilliant, relaxing way to chill out.
This year, however, we decided to shake things up since I’d just spent a full day at the USAF museum in April with my family during our 2024 Total Solar Eclipse trip.
Eric suggested that we check out the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio, then activate nearby Gross Memorial Woods State Nature Preserve (US-9410). We all agreed that sounded ideal.
We packed up and left the hotel around 9:00 AM, then made our way to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Miles and Eric wanted to pop by the Commissary, BX, and Clothing Sales to pick up a few items (I purchased two more Rite in the Rain notepads, too!).
We then drove one hour north to the Armstrong museum where we enjoyed nearly two hours browsing all of the displays and reading about the amazing life and adventures of Neil Armstrong – the first person to set foot on the moon.
After leaving the museum, we popped by a local deli and ate lunch – we were served possibly the largest portions of food I think I’ve ever seen. I could only eat half of my pork sandwich! (Al Woody’s Diner, in case you’re interested.)
Gross Memorial Woods SNP was a short 15 minute drive from Wapakoneta.
We arrived on-site to find a small gravel parking area and a large, older-growth wooded area.
This is a nature preserve, so there was no shortage of “do nots” on the welcome sign.
The preserve consists of a 0.6 mile loop boardwalk trail with two or so wooden benches. There are no tables and you’re not supposed to step foot off of the trail.
Eric and I, of course, opted for low-impact radio gear.
Eric set up his KX2 field kit and used a small telescoping fiberglass pole to suspend his random wire antenna.
I’d initially planned to use my KX2 and a wire antenna, but I didn’t want to put a wire in a tree and I had no separate pole to suspend my antenna like Eric did.
Instead, I thought this might be a wonderful opportunity to test something new: pedestrian mobile with my Elecraft KH1 as I walked the loop trail.
Keep in mind that, while I got a fair amount of walking in during Hamvention, I’d also spent most of the day in the car on Sunday as we activated parks in Ohio and Indiana, so I was eager to stretch my legs.
I, once again, used my Tufteln angle adapter on the KH1 (you can see it as the red adapter on the antenna port in the photos). This adapter makes the operating angle a little more pleasant while pedestrian mobile.
The 13’ counterpoise wire simply trailed behind me as I walked. Being a boardwalk, it did have a tendency to very slightly pull the end of the counterpoise wire when it would slip between boards. Hypothetically, the wire could slip between boards and get pinched, but that never really happened. Since the end of the counterpoise was bare wire though, there was nothing to easily catch in the boards.
I’ve been thinking about building in a fail-safe mini banana plug connection/link near the top of my counterpoise that would simply pull away from the radio if the counterpoise were to ever grab something (or I trip on it). Since I hadn’t made this mod yet, I wrapped the counterpoise twice around a finger on my left hand as I held the radio. This provided a bit of strain relief. Again, there was never a problem with the counterpoise grabbing, but I wasn’t going to take my chances!
Also, I should note that I wouldn’t attempt operating the KH1 while, say, hiking up a summit trail. While that sounds like fun, I’m quite prone to trip on rocks and roots which is why I use two hiking poles.
I would limit my activations-in-motion to roads and paths that are smooth and have no exposed tree roots or steep inclines/declines.
The path at Gross Memorial was smooth and had no trip hazards (trust me, I would have found them!).
As a gift, my wife purchased a Zebra Mini Mechanical Pencil [affiliate link]which is identical to the Zebra Space Pen supplied in the KH1 Edgewood Package (you can see it between my fingers in the image above).
This was the second activation where I used the pencil and I must say that I, personally, prefer it to the pen. The reason why is I find that the pencil requires a little less pressure to write which is perfect for pedestrian mobile logging on the KH1 logging tray.
If you have a KH1 Edgewood Package, I’d recommend giving the Zebra pencil a try: it’s affordable at roughly $6.50 US and a nice option for the KH1.
Propagation? Yeah, it was in the dumps. Conditions were very unstable and the numbers were not in favor of an easy activation.
Eric and I knew this activation would take some time.
Part of me felt like using the KH1 and its 4’ whip would be fairly futile, but I started out of the gate with a little promise.
As I turned on the KH1 and searched for a free spot on 20 meters, I happened upon Eric (VA2IDX) activating Mont-Saint-Bruno National Park (CA-0508) near Montréal. It only took one or two calls to work him. We were both pretty weak, but I was so pleased to start out this pedestrian mobile activation with a P2P from across our northern border. Continue reading Elecraft KH1 in Motion: Proper Pedestrian Mobile Activation in an Ohio State Nature Preserve
I’ve received a few messages from readers and subscribers about failed park activations over the past few days.
It’s no surprise, really, since we’ve had several extended periods of HF radio blackouts with powerful solar flares and CMEs bombarding our planet.
I experienced this firsthand on Sunday. We celebrated Mother’s Day with a picnic and hike at Tuttle Educational State Forest on our way to visit my father in the hospital in Hickory, NC.
I didn’t plan on activating, so I didn’t bring my radio pack or camera gear. I wanted the day to focus on celebrating my amazing wife. After we finished eating and before hitting the trail, everyone encouraged me to get on the air for a bit.
I didn’t have my radio pack, but I did have the Elecraft KH1 in my EDC pack. I went back to the car, grabbed it, and then started calling CQ POTA after spotting myself on 20 meters.
I only heard crickets. After 25+ CQ POTAs, not a single hunter responded. I knew conditions were terrible, but I figured I’d work at least one station. Nope!
I tuned around to try contacting one of the half dozen or so activators on the air, but I couldn’t hear any of them. In fact, I only heard one ongoing conversation on the entire 20-meter band. Even the FT8 frequency was quiet.
In fact, I only heard one rag chew in progress on the entirety of the 20 meter band. Even the FT8 frequency was pretty quiet.
If I had my radio pack (and my goal would have been to activate) I would have deployed a 40M EFHW and settled in for a very long activation. I’m sure I would have eventually worked 10 stations, but it could have taken a couple of hours or more.
All this to say, if you had a failed activation in the past few days, it’s not you. The HF bands have simply been dead at times.
I packed up the KH1 without making a single contact, which was fine because we were there for family time, and that part was absolutely amazing!
I’m heading to Ohio today for the first leg of my journey to FDIM (Four Days in May) and Hamvention. I’ll be at FDIM all day Thursday and Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.
At Hamvention, you’ll find me at the Halibut Electronics/Ham Radio Workbench Podcast booth #3011 when I’m not browsing the indoor and outdoor exhibits. Stop by and say hi!
Also, during Hamvention, I’ll have very little time to check email and comments, and I expect a backlog by the time I’m back home next Tuesday. I appreciate your understanding.
If you have a pressing question, please sign up for our discussion group at QRPer.net. There are loads of mentors there who can help you!
If you’re also going to Hamvention, travel safely!
Cheers & 72,
Thomas (K4SWL)
Many thanks to Conrad (N2YCH) who shares the first of a three-part field report series outlining his 2023 Hamvention rove with Peter (K1PCN). Click here for Part 1 and Part 2.
By Conrad Trautmann, N2YCH
Welcome to part three of a three-part POTA rove story where Peter, K1PCN and I decided to activate six state parks for our Parks on the Air Activated States Award on the drive to the Dayton Hamvention.
In installments one and two we activated Delaware, Maryland, West Virgina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. I thought we had exhausted all our state activating possibilities for this trip, until…Peter said, “you know, Kentucky is not that far away. And, by the way, there is a park down there that has never been activated digitally…”
Really? I’m in.
We decided that on day two of the Hamvention, we would leave in the afternoon and make our way to Kentucky, which was just over an hour away. While we were standing on the line to get into the Hamvention on Saturday morning, one of the people near us mentioned that the Voice of America Museum was open until 9pm that night and he was considering going.
I stopped at the VOA booth in the Hamvention and picked up a brochure and on our way to Kentucky, Peter suggested that maybe on the way back, we stop in.
Our best bet for a Kentucky POTA activation, which was recommended by a fellow digital activator at the South West Ohio DX association dinner we attended the night before, was Big Bone Lick State Historic Site (K-3779). According to the Internet, it was named Big Bone Lick because of the “mammoth artifacts that were found and because of the salt springs that animals drank.” I found that it was impossible to tell anyone the name of the park without a smirk or chuckle in return.
When we arrived in Kentucky, we drove around Big Bone Lick park looking for a place to activate. Apparently, there are buffalo at the park…however, we did not activate near the buffalo. We found an unused picnic area and split up.
Literally about five minutes after I set up and got on the air, a group of moms with five-year-olds celebrating one of their birthday’s showed up. One of the mom’s apologized and explained that I had found her secret place in the park…but by then, I had almost completed my activation and was ready to break down.
I don’t mind it when people come up and ask about what I am doing, I’m always happy to explain ham radio to anyone who’s curious. Activating a park surrounded by a group of five-year-olds was a new experience that I hope to never repeat. Here is a photo of my setup at Big Bone Lick.
Given that it was later in the day by the time we arrived, Peter chose 40 meters, and I took 20 meters. 22 QSO’s later, here’s my coverage using the Buddipole with the 17’ MFJ whip and the Elecraft KX3 at 10 watts.
On our way back, Peter called the VOA museum to confirm they would be open late that night and then that became our next destination since we had to pass right by on our way back to Dayton. Continue reading Part 3: N2YCH and K1PCN’s Dayton Hamvention Trip QRP POTA Rove
