Tag Archives: Penntek TR-45L

News, Pedestrian Mobile, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, Travel

The Eternal Question: Which Radio Should I Pack?

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It’s a question as old as time itself:

“What radio should I take on vacation?”

This month, we’re heading out for a short vacation, and while I think I’ve already answered this question for myself, it’s always fun to explore the possibilities a bit further.

As you probably know, I’ve accumulated a fair number of QRP radios over the years—so many, in fact, that it’s borderline embarrassing. When people ask me how many radios I own, I tend to dodge the question. It feels a bit like admitting to an addiction! It’s the same feeling I get after the holidays when I finally total up how much I spent on gifts. Sometimes, it’s better not to know the number.

Less is more

Honestly, I’d be a happy camper with just my $125 TEN-TEC R4020 two-band, CW-only radio.

I told a friend recently that I’d honestly be content with just one radio from my collection.

I know that might sound surprising, especially since QRPer.com often showcases my radio “addiction.” But the truth is, aside from radios, backpacks, and books, I don’t accumulate many things. We intentionally live in a small house (by American standards), and we like to keep it uncluttered.

That said, most of the radios in my collection are ones I genuinely enjoy using. Any one of them could be my only radio, and I’d be happy. So choosing one radio for a vacation should be easy, right?

Not quite.

Almost every time I face this decision—“Which one should I take?”—a couple of radios consistently rise to the top of the list. I’ll share those choices in a moment, but I’d love to hear your thoughts: would you make the same choices, or would you pick something else?

Vacation Parameters

Before diving into my choices, here are a few details about this particular vacation:

  • It’s short—just four nights.
  • I haven’t been to this area in 17 years. (The destination is a surprise for my daughters, so I’m keeping it under wraps for now!)
  • This is a road trip. Since our beloved Subaru is out of commission and not yet replaced, we’ll be taking our Volvo C40, which has much less cargo space.
  • With four people and Hazel (our dog), the trunk/boot will be crammed. I won’t be able to squirrel away extra radios like I’ve been known to do on longer trips.
  • I’ll likely only have time for two POTA activations. The focus of this trip is family time, so any activations will be short.
  • I’ve never visited the POTA sites we’ll likely visit, so I don’t know if wire antennas are allowed or what the conditions will be. One site is a historic/archeological area, so I’ll need a low-impact setup.

The Contenders

Given the tight space and limited time, I’ll only bring one radio. It needs to be versatile enough to handle unknown conditions and compact enough to fit with our packed gear.

The Mountain Toper MTR-3B

It’s hard to beat the MTR-3B for size. This ultra-compact, lightweight, self-contained kit is both impact and waterproof.

However, it lacks an internal ATU, so I’d be limited to wire antennas. Since I won’t have room for my MC-750 vertical, I’d need to rely on finding parks that allow wires in trees. I could call ahead to confirm, but this adds complexity.

The Penntek TR-45L.

The TR-45L is an excellent choice. It has a large internal battery that can easily handle 10 activations, an internal manual ATU, brilliant audio, and it’s nearly self-contained. Add a key and almost any antenna, and you’re good to go.

I’ve even used the AX1 antenna with the TR-45L, for low-impact setups. But like the MTR-3B, it’s CW-only, which eliminates SSB as an option. It’s also a bit larger than my other QRP radios, and I need to prioritize space.

It would also be nice to have a radio small enough to fit on my folding kneeboard.

The Elecraft KX3

The KX3 is an incredibly capable radio. It handles SSB, CW, and even digital modes like PSK-31 and RTTY without extra gear. It has an excellent internal ATU and pairs beautifully with the AX1 or a simple wire antenna. It’s small enough to fit on my folding kneeboard, too.

That said, there’s one radio that offers nearly the same capability as the KX3 but is even smaller and has an internal battery:

The Elecraft KX2

The KX2 is my go-to travel radio. It’s compact, versatile, and so capable it feels like the Swiss Army Knife of QRP radios.

Every time I travel, I try to talk myself out of bringing the KX2 just to mix things up, but it’s hard to argue with its convenience and reliability. For this trip, where time and space are limited, the KX2 is the clear winner.

I’ll pair it with a random wire antenna, the AX1, and a minimalist throw-line kit. This setup will allow me to adapt quickly to park conditions, even if wires aren’t permitted.

What about the KH1, Thomas?

Okay, I may sneak a second radio onto this trip.

The KH1 is so compact it can fit in my Pelican M40 case, which slides under the seat or into the glove compartment.

It’s my EDC radio, and I like having it on hand for impromptu pedestrian-mobile fun or when I want to work a friend who’s activating a park on the other side of the continent. Who knows?

What do you think?

The IC-705 might be a great choice, too. I’ve even paired it with the AX1 using a capacity hat.

While I know I could make any radio in my arsenal work, the KX2 takes the guesswork out of the equation. When time is limited, that means more time on the air!

Would you choose the KX2 for this mini-vacation, or do you think another radio would be better suited for the job? Please comment.

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

My First Post-Helene POTA Activation!

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On Friday, October 24, 2024, I performed my first POTA activation exactly one month (to the day) after Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina.

It felt oh so good!

As many of you know who’ve been following my Post-Helene updates, I simply haven’t had time to do POTA or SOTA activations. And even if I wanted to, most of the POTA sites around me are temporarily closed due to damage from Helene.

Truthfully, I didn’t start my day expecting a POTA activation. I’d planned, if anything, to make a short field radio video somewhere on my property, chase some POTA/SOTA stations, and make any other random contacts.

However, my daughter’s Shakespeare class decided to meet in person, so after dropping her off at 12:30, I had about two hours of free time. Before leaving home, I packed a couple of radio bags just in case I could find a spot for a POTA activation, or at least visit a local park to play radio for a bit.

I realized I was only a 20-minute drive from the Sycamore Flats picnic site in Pisgah National Forest (US-4510), where I’ve activated many times before. This site is in Transylvania County, which wasn’t hit as hard by Helene.

Google Maps showed the site as open, so I decided to drive over. Thankfully, it was correct! When I arrived, the front gate was open and there were a few visitors around.

I could tell the site had some storm damage—some tree limbs down and evidence of flooding from the Davidson River, which wraps around the area. The park service recently upgraded the picnic table pads, but the gravel had washed away, and many tables had either shifted or washed away.

That said, this site fared well compared to parks in Buncombe County. (Chimney Rock State Park is still inaccessible due to major flooding in the town of Chimney Rock.)

I hopped out, grabbed my backpack and TR-45L, and started recording my activation video.

Since no one was using the picnic shelter at the northeast end of the park (and it had no reservation sign), I set up there. I deployed my MM0OPX End-Fed Half-Wave antenna on a nearby tree, connected it to my TR-45L, and was ready to go!

Gear

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On The Air

I hopped on the air and started calling CQ POTA. After the RBN picked me up and the POTA website auto-spotted me, the contacts started rolling in! Continue reading My First Post-Helene POTA Activation! →

Field Reports, News, People, Portable, QRP, Travel, Videos

A Radio-Active Day in the Triangle: POTA, Satellites, & Southern Hospitality in the Summer Heat

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As mentioned in previous field reports, my wife and I spent the week of July 7th, 2024, in Wilmington, North Carolina, while our daughters were at summer programs at NCSU and UNCW.

We had an amazing time and I managed to squeeze in some Parks on the Air (POTA) activations at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, Carolina Beach State Park, and an epic activation at the Battleship North Carolina!

On Sunday, July 14th, we packed our bags and drove to Raleigh where we visited the NC History Museum and NC Museum of Natural Sciences. We were in the midst of a heat wave, so the time spent indoors at the museums was much appreciated.

A beautiful display of vintage radios in the NC History Museum.

I had my Elecraft KH1 packed and planned to activate the State Capitol (US-6852), conveniently located next to the museum parking lots. The State Capitol grounds truly requires a super low-impact radio like the KH1 due to the strong security presence and limited setup space.

Upon arriving at the State Capitol, we found a large gathering (possibly a protest) and sweltering heat (104°F/40°C)! I decided to postpone the activation and instead opted for an early morning activation, the following day, at William B. Umstead State Park, just a ten-minute drive from our hotel.

I checked the park’s website and discovered that the gates opened at 8:00 AM. This was perfect: I could grab breakfast at 6:00 AM, catch up on emails, head to the park, activate until 9:30 AM or so, return to the hotel, and still have enough time for our 11:00 AM Duke University tour. (The reason we spent extra days in the Raleigh/Durham area was so that our daughters could tour NCSU, Duke, and UNC Chapel Hill.)

William B. Umstead State Park (US-2755)

I arrived at the park just a few minutes after the gates opened.

Although I had never been to William B. Umstead State Park, I had studied a map beforehand and knew there was a picnic area accessible from the entrance I chose (the park has multiple entry points, and I selected the one closest to our hotel).

It’s a beautiful park, and the contrast between the morning commuter traffic and the oasis of trees was striking! I parked at the first picnic area I found, grabbed my radio pack, and chose a picnic site.

This early in the morning, the picnic area was deserted – I only saw runners, walkers, and park staff.

Setting up

For this activation, I brought my Penntek TR-45L and paired it with my KM4CFT 30M end-fed half-wave with a 40M linked extension.

Although I found an ideal setup spot, the surrounding trees proved to be a challenge! The branches were either too low or too high. After some effort, I managed to snag a suitable branch with my throw line, deployed the antenna, and was ready to get on the air!

Gear

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

On The Air

Being this early in the morning, I started the activation on 40 meters.

I called CQ POTA only for a short time before the hunters found me. Fortunately, band conditions were pretty respectable! Continue reading A Radio-Active Day in the Triangle: POTA, Satellites, & Southern Hospitality in the Summer Heat →

Field Day, Field Reports, News, Portable, QRP Radios, Reviews

Field Day: It’s all about the audio…

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If you listened to the latest Ham Radio Workbench Podcast episode–our Field Day Debrief–you will have heard that my Field Day was a pretty low-key event.

Originally, I had hoped to fly out to Oregon and hang with my friend George (KJ6VU) and his radio club, but there were just too many family activities happening this year for me to travel for a week.

Instead, my wife, daughters, and I met up with my buddy Vlado (N3CZ) and his sister, who was visiting from North Macedonia.

We met at the Zebulon Vance Birthplace (US-6856) and, luckily, had the picnic shelter to ourselves. The weather was gorgeous, and we put together a proper potluck picnic.

Field Day POTA

Vlado and I decided to do some casual Field Day operating, and I brought the radio gear.

Since I’m currently testing the Xiegu X6200, I brought it along to see how it might handle the RF-dense environment of Field Day.

We made a few contacts with the X6200, but the audio and receiver struggled in that RF-congested environment. This isn’t a surprise, in truth. Most portable field radios aren’t designed to have contest-grade performance—they’re designed for portability and functionality in normal field conditions.

The other radio I brought along was the Penntek TR-45L. I can’t remember if I’ve used it during Field Day in the past, but all Vlado and I could say was…

Wow!

The TR-45L sounded phenomenal!

I’ve always believed that the TR-45L (both the original and skinny version) has some of the best audio in the world of field radio. That is a major plus when it comes to Field Day.

The thing is, it also has a stable front end—the TR-45L receiver handled those packed RF conditions with ease. In fact, we were both amazed at how easily we could hear all of those competing signals. There was absolutely no listening fatigue at all, and both of us could hear weak and strong signals all occupying the same space..

It sounded distinctly analog and “pure.”

Vlado and I both tend to operate with filters wide open—using the filter between our ears—so the audio produced had excellent fidelity.

Vlado and I also made short work of Vesna’s Feta cheese bread!

A couple of times, we did narrow the TR-45L’s audio filter when there was a strong competing station, but by and large, the audio was so clear, we really didn’t need to.

Top-Shelf

The takeaway for me is that the TR-45L series radios have proper contest-grade performance even if they lack contest-grade filtering.

I shouldn’t be surprised because even its predecessor, the TR-35, can handle crowded conditions with ease.

I should add here that the supply of new Penntek radios may already be dried up. As I mentioned in a previous announcement, John (WA3RNC), is retiring and selling off all of his existing radio inventory.

According to his website, he might still have some TR-45L Skinny models, but that’s it. In fact, that notice was dated May 28, 2024, so I’m not sure if it’s still correct.

The TR-45L Skinny

I love the Skinny as much as the original TR-45L—they sport the same receiver and audio; the Skinny simply lacks the ability to add an internal battery and Z-Match ATU. What you get, though, is a radio that’s even more portable and provides an excellent operating angle with the bail folded out.

Have you ever operated a Penntek radio during a contest or Field Day? What are your other favorite field radios for this type of environment? Please comment!

Antenna Tuners, How To, News, QRP Radios

Alan demonstrates how to quickly tune the TR-45L’s Z-Match Tuner

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Our friend Alan (W2AEW) just published this excellent short video demonstrating how to quickly tune the Penntek TR-45L’s Z-Match ATU. Of course, this same technique can be applied to the Emtech ZM-2 or any other manual Z-Match tuner:

An excellent tutorial, Alan! Thank you!

Morse Code, News, QRP Radios, Videos

KX2 and TR-45L: Alan measures actual vs selected keyer speeds

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Many thanks to Paul (W7CPP) who writes:

If you haven’t seen this it is worth watching. Alan does a great job calculating the actual versus selected keyer speed on the KX2 and TR-45:

Click here to watch on YouTube.

Brilliant video! Thanks for sharing this, Paul. 

Alan’s YouTube channel is one of my favorites. If you haven’t already, hop over there and subscribe!

Accessories, New Products, News

N2HTT’s Tilt Cradle for the Penntek TR-45L

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Many thanks to Mike (N2HTT) who recently reached out:

Hi Tom,

I recently treated myself to a Penntek TR-45L, and I think it’s the perfect field CW rig, except for one thing: the viewing angle sitting on a table is too vertical.

I made myself a tilt cradle that holds the rig at a 15 degree angle. It is form fitted to the rig, allows good clearance to all the controls front and rear, and raises it up off the table just a smidge.

Mike thanks/blames me for his purchase of the TR-45L and asked if I wanted one of his 3D-printed tilt cradles for my TR-45L. I just received it today at no cost to me–thanks, Mike!–and I really like the angle for using the TR-45L in my shack (and in the field, for sure). 

Mike is selling these for $25 in his Etsy shop. Click here to check them out!

Here are some photos:

Thanks again, Mike, for sending one to me–I really appreciate it. Now I just need to convince you to purchase even more radios! 🙂

The TR-45L is a gem–you’ll love it!

Announcements, News, QRP Radios

Penntek: John (WA3RNC) is Retiring

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Many thanks to Davey (KU9L) who shares a link to this news from John (WA3RN), owner, and designer of Penntek radios. John writes:

I have been considering for some time the future of the Penntek Instruments amateur radio products. This old man isn’t getting any younger and is in fact beginning to get tired. With the current production run of the TR-45L QRP transceiver getting close to being complete, I decided that this is a good time to finally retire at 77 years of age and maybe catch a breath. I have therefore chosen not to order parts for another run of these radios. As of late-March 2024, in-house parts remain for about 45 of the standard TR-45L units and about 70 of the “Skinny” version. The remaining TR-35 parts will allow for an additional 65 units, either kits or built radios. As I heard on a radio commercial, “Once they’re gone, they’re gone”. After these remaining radios are sold, I will remain available for repair and service of the Penntek transceivers. Thanks to all those who have purchased and enjoyed WA3RNC products over the years…

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Penntek transceivers, so this is sad news. But, I am also very happy for John to make this decision about retiring.

That said, if you’ve been on the fence about buying a TR-45L, TR-45L Skinny, or TR-35, I suggest you do so while John has new units!

These are brilliant radios with excellent audio characteristics, robust front-ends, and some of the best ergonomics you’ll find out there. Keying is smooth and provides proper QSK.

Plus, I think they’re one of the best-looking radios on the market (the TR-45L series especially).

Since all of the Penntek radios started out life as kits, they’re also easy to open and modify/repair.

I don’t have a crystal ball, but I’m willing to bet that once John’s inventory has been depleted, these radios will hold their own on the used market much like other beloved radio models (I’m thinking specifically of the KX1 and MTR-3B). It’ll be interesting to see where used pricing is in, say, 2026.

Again, if you’ve been on the fence, now is the time to make a decision, in my opinion. It looks like John will continue to provide support after his retirement, which is great news as well.

Here’s wishing John all the best in his retirement! Thanks for creating radios that bring so much QRP joy!

Field Reports, News, People, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRPers, Videos

POTA with Jonathan (KM4CFT) at the Zebulon Vance Birthplace (K-6856)

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On Thursday, December 28, 2023, I had the good fortune of meeting up with Jonathan (KM4CFT) at the Zebulon Vance Historic Birthplace (K-6856) to play a little POTA.

You might recognize Jonathan’s callsign because he has a popular YouTube channel and also produces excellent EFHW antenna kits.

These days, Jonathan lives in Colorado, but he’s originally from western North Carolina. We met once before when he was in town visiting his folks. That previous time was very short, though; this time, we wanted to meetup and fit in a POTA activation together.

We arranged to meet around 2:00 in the afternoon at the Vance Birthplace.

We decided to deploy one of Jonathan’s End-Fed Half-Wave antennas. He cut this particular one for 20 meters.

We set up under the picnic shelter with the antenna essentially in a sloper configuration.

Gear:

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I brought along a couple of radios that Jonathan had yet to operate. He chose to use the Penntek TR-45L (great choice!).

One wrinkle: Jonathan operates with his paddle in “reverse” with the left paddle sending dashes and the right sending dits.

Unfortunately, the TR-45L doesn’t have a software function to flip between “normal” and “reverse” settings. No problem, though: Jonathan simply turned his key (a BaMaKey TP-III) upside down! Problem solved!

The only annoying issue was the 45L speaker–something inside the chassis or speaker assembly was rattling/buzzing with louder signals and with the sidetone. After noticing the speaker vibration at an activation in South Carolina a few months ago, I opened up the TR-45L at the QTH and tried to tighten down anything that could resonate inside the chassis. My fix seemed to work until we powered it up for Jonathan to use. I may have to add some padding around the speaker assembly if I can’t locate the culprit inside the radio–it could be pretty much anything.

Jonathan plugged along and paid no attention to the buzz, nor my fiddling with the radio while he operated. (You’re a good sport, OM!).

Here’s Jonathan’s QSO Map:

After he completed his activation, Jonathan handed over the radio to me.

Since I couldn’t sort out the acoustic buzz/vibration without opening the radio on the picnic table, I opted to swap out the TR-45L with my Discovery TX-500.

I hopped on the air and logged quite a few stations on 20 meters. It was serious fun!

Here’s my QSO Map:

Activation Video

Here’s our real-time, real-life video of the entire activation.  As with all of my videos, I don’t edit out any parts of the on-air activation time. In addition, I have monetization turned off on YouTube, although that doesn’t stop them from inserting ads before and after my videos.

Note that Patreon supporters can watch and even download this video 100% ad-free through Vimeo on my Patreon page:

Click here to view on YouTube.

POTA Meetups

Jonathan, it was great hanging with you and, again, I’m so impressed with your CW progress. It seems like only yesterday when you started your CW journey!

When folks are passing through western NC it can be difficult for our schedules to align for a POTA meetup,  but I’m so happy when they do.

Thank you!

Thank you for joining us on this joint activation!

I hope you enjoyed the field report and ctivation video as much as I enjoyed creating them.

Of course, 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 certainly not a requirement as my content will always be free, I really appreciate the support.

As I mentioned before, the Patreon platform connected to Vimeo make it possible for me to share videos that are not only 100% ad-free, but also downloadable for offline viewing. The Vimeo account also serves as a third backup for my video files.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me! Have an amazing weekend!

Cheers & 72,

Thomas (K4SWL)

Field Reports, News, People, Portable, POTA, QRP, Travel, Videos

A welcome POTA layover with friends at Lee State Park in South Carolina

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On September 30, 2023, my uncle Reggie passed away at the age of 83. I was incredibly fond of him. His funeral was to take place in Georgetown, South Carolina on Tuesday, October 3rd.

The funeral time was confirmed on Sunday evening (Oct 1), so I made all of my travel plans that night. I decided to leave early Monday morning and drive to Myrtle Beach where I’d reserved a hotel room for one night. I’d then attend the funeral the following day and drive back to my home in the mountains. Round trip, this would amount to about 12 hours of driving.

This, of course, was a pretty somber reason to take a road trip–although it would be nice to spend time with my SC family. I wanted to make the most of my travels and fit in a little “radio therapy” along the way. I glanced over the POTA map for a park that might make for a nice break from travels.

Before hitting the sack Sunday evening, I remembered that many months ago Keith (KY4KK) told me to give him a heads-up anytime I planned to pass by Florence, SC. I knew that Florence would be a simple detour on my journey, so I reached out to Keith and asked if he and his POTA buddies Tommy (N4GS) and Steve (W4JM) might, by some chance, be available for a quick POTA activation. Of course, this was very late notice.

Keith wrote back and recommended that I activate Lee State Park–he and Tommy were both available but, unfortunately, Steve had other plans.

Monday morning, I hit the road and arrived at Lee State Park in the early afternoon.

Lee State Park (K-2905)

I pulled into the park driveway and was greeted by a number of Halloween displays. Evidently, the park staff loves decorating for holidays.

At first glance, this looks like a POTA activator that never never got their ten logged.

I pulled into the visitor’s center parking lot and immediately met Keith and Tommy.

After a quick greeting, Keith said, “Thomas, our job here is to get you on the air as smoothly as possible so you can continue your trip.”

Keith, KY4KK (left) Tommy, N4GS (right)

Herein lies what I love about amateur radio and POTA specifically: even though Keith, Tommy, and I had only just met in person, they were instant friends.

I must say, Lee State Park is the perfect POTA park; there are loads of tall trees, covered picnic areas, open spaces, ample parking, and ham-friendly staff. It just doesn’t get better than this!

We walked to a large covered picnic area and Keith suggested that we deploy his 40 meter EFHW antenna.

I agreed without hesitation!

Unlike me, Keith is adept at using a slingshot to deploy his antennas.

As I started setting up the radio, Keith aimed his slingshot and snagged a really high branch on the first go. This 40M EFHW was being deployed as a vertical!

I decided to bring along my Penntek TR-45L on this trip. I’m glad I did: it was ideal for this sort of POTA activation! Continue reading A welcome POTA layover with friends at Lee State Park in South Carolina →