activation – Page 7

A Key Resolution for the New Year

It’s that time of year again. Shopping, baking, cooking, parties, more shopping, and more parties. It’s a time for hustle and bustle, shaking and moving, busting a gut, or getting a gut. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” so sings Andy Williams. Bah! Humbug! with all this Christmas retail extravaganza. The holiday season used to begin after Thanksgiving (now called Black Friday), but has since moved up in front of Halloween.

But I digress. Towards the end of the year is a time for me to reflect on the thrills of victory and the agonies of defeat. I’ve had some of both. One big thrill was I got to retire for the second and last time. It seems I am busier now then when I was working a job. It’s a good kind of busy though. One agony, was I let CW slip a bit. When band conditions were poor, I switched to FT8 for my POTA activations. I made a boatload of contacts all over the world and finished 5 Kilo’s. However, that did not help my desire to become more proficient with CW. Back in the 90s as a Tech+, CW was the gateway into the world of HF. My first DX contacts were HF CW. Studying CW back in the day was tedious. I had a couple of ARRL cassette tapes that I played over and over. It was enough to get me up to 13 wpm and my Advanced ticket (KM5AV).

CW worked well for me at the time. I worked second shift and with my “shack” in our bedroom, using headphones, I was able to log a few contacts each night while I wound down from the evening’s work while the wife slept. I got pretty good eventually getting up to about 18 wpm. Then work, kids, school, new jobs, etc., put CW on the back burner. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I started my journey back.

As I said earlier, I allowed myself to drift from CW. That is solely my fault. I only gave myself a general direction to proceed and no real standards to gauge my progress. When I started back, I was around 16 wpm and very shaky. I did manage to get myself up to around 20-22 wpm doing POTA hunting/activating. Hence my downfall. I can do an exchange at 20+ wpm but that’s about all. I trained myself to do an exchange. Where I want to be is to be able to engage in a CW QSO. To converse using CW. And I want to get my speed up around 28 wpm.

Bringing this back around, here I sit at the end of one year and the beginning of the next. This is usually a time for reflection on where I have been and where I am going. The tradition, is to make New Year’s Resolutions with the hope of succeeding in making them come true. I try to keep mine realistic and few. Next year, I will have two. The first will be to become more proficient with CW. With some personal hesitation I signed up for a class with CW Innovations https://cwinnovations.net/. My first experience with them was a 30-45 min. One-on-one interview with the instructors. It was a good experience, we talked about what I was trying to accomplish and we touched on how that was going to happen. One thing they stressed was everyone, regardless of position or skill stayed on the same level (peer-to-peer). The other thing I like was that we would get code-buddies. Someone to practice with, on the air. I always say that if you want to get better get on the air. With a code buddy, you’re working with someone in the same boat as you, someone you know on the other end — I like it. My class starts the middle of January. The other thing I am going to do is use CW as much as possible. That means using CW for hunting and activations. I may still do some digital, but nowhere near what I did the past year.

The second resolution is I am going to try to up my game when it comes to my blog. I am going to push myself to do better with the written content, try to be a bit more polished, and provide more breath when it comes to subject matter. I also plan on doing better with the videos. I am going to spend more time editing them. I recently purchased a MacBook Pro to help me. One thing that was very annoying was getting content from my iPhone and iPad in the field into my Windows machine. The aggravation would drive creativity right out of me. Now, as soon as I take a picture on my iPhone, Boom! It’s right here on there Mac ready to use.

There you have it. Let’s see how I do. I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year. I hope you all will take some time and give yourself a meaningful resolution to work on next year. 73 de Scott

POTA Activation K-2169, Me, VaraC, 160 meters and more

This weekend I had the opportunity to activate Cloudland Canyon State Park in NW Georgia. It was a digi weekend with me running FT8 and experimenting with VaraC. I also tried a new antenna combination to see how it would work on 160 meters.

The weather. I book my campsites 4-6 months in advance so I take what I get when I go. This weekend called for rain Friday and was supposed to clear up Saturday PM. It didn’t. It drizzled/rained from the time I got there until 0200 hrs Sunday morning. Since I mingle FunComm with EmComm, this was another test of my gear. The only issue I had was I needed to better seal the window where my coax goes into the camper. You shouldn’t let the weather stop you from going as long as it’s safe. I go year round and because of that, I have a good understanding of my gear and my clothing under varying conditions.

The gear. The antenna was a Chameleon EmComm II ver. 1. This version had a clunky antenna wire and insulator that is more from permanent/semi-permanent installation so I didn’t use it much. This year, Chameleon had a Black Friday Sale of 25% off. I decided to upgrade the wire to a 60′ Kevlar with a winder. I also ordered their new 40-meter OCF dipole which will be used on SOTA activations. I had some 14 gauge Flexweave wire that I cut to 50′ for a counterpoise. My intention was to use this antenna down to 160 meters. I ran the antenna as an inverted “L” ish. The vertical portion went about 25′ up my mast and the horizontal portion was more of a slope and facing north. The nice part was that the entire antenna fit within my campsite. I used the lantern hook on the site to secure the antenna. For rope, I used #36 tarred bank line. The rope is a little sticky so it holds knots well and does not absorb water like para-cord does. I used a clove hitch to secure the antenna ring to the mast and it held fast. The Bank line has replaced all of my para-cord.

The radio was First Peter, my IC-7300 that I bought new in 2016. I use an LDG Z-11 Pro that I have had for 15+ years to keep everything matched up. I was running 25-35 watts. My other IC-7300 is Second Peter. My backup radio was my new KX2. I keep it in a backpack so it is easy to toss in the truck.

Propagation. It was different, not bad, but different. There was a lot of solar activity and I believe it pushed the MUF up above 20 MHz. I had a lot of success on the higher bands which is typically not the case in the winter. My antenna easily tuned 160 meters and I made about half a dozen contacts using FT8. How did I do? I started at about 2030 hrs UTC Friday and finished up at about 2200 hrs UTC Saturday afternoon. I made a total of 325 contacts covering 42 states and 12 countries. Some of the interesting (to me) DX was Angola and South Africa. Both of those stations called me. Angola was on 10 meters and South Africa was on 12. No DX on 40 meters. I had a Facebook request to work 40 meters for local contacts. I did my best but 40 was rather flat this time around. It had the second-highest count of contacts. Breakdown by band was: 10 meters – 18, 12 meters – 18, 15 meters – 13, 17 meters – 7, 20 meters – 136, 30 meters – 19, 40 meters – 90, 60 meters – 12, 80 meters – 6, and 160 meters – 6. One of the surprises other than the lack of low band activity was that 17 meters was fairly dead. Typically on an activation, my money bands are 17, 20, 30, and 40. This time only 20 and 40 panned out. I manage 10 bands at this park in case I want to go for another N1CC award.

VaraC. For the past week, I have been evaluating VaraC mainly for EmComm. There is a lot to like about it. For one thing, it uses the same modem as Winlink. If you have it set up for Winlink, you are good to go for VaraC. VaraC can upload files and low-res pictures. PSKReporter showed favorable propagation on 20 and 40 meters. I made a few contacts with it and did some beaconing. I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks like I can create a document in FLMsg, save it, send it via VaraC, and reverse the process at the other end. pretty nifty. I think pairing Winlink with VaraC just might be the ticket.

Recap. Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays this operator from completing his park activation… I had a lot of fun. I try not to let the elements stop me from doing what I like to do. 73 – Scott

AAR Bald Mountain

My training from the military compels me to perform an after-action report of sorts. I have found it beneficial to review an adventure as quickly as possible while the triumphs and foibles are still fresh in memory. This becomes more important as we age. Today (Thursday) is a few days after my SOTA activation on Bald Mountain. In general, things went well even though the weather was not as nice as was expected. The climb was as expected, I had to huff and puff a bit which at my age was expected. Two things that came to mind were: 1) the pack could be a little lighter (it was 15 pounds with water and my Goretex jacket) and my hands were cold enough to hinder my CW sending. For my hands, I bought a pair of warm gloves that can expose the fingertips of my thumb and index finger. Because I was warmed up from the hike, the Goretex jacket was enough to keep me warm.

I decided to lighten my load a little bit. When climbing, a lighter is better. Here is a list of my new slimmed-down version of my SOTA pack. I got the pack down to 10 lbs without water or a jacket. I probably saved about 2 pounds, but hey! two pounds is two pounds.

Starting with my person, this is what I carry:
Wallet – minimalist
Bic Mini-lighter
Fischer Space Bullet Pen
Swiss Army Knife Hiker
iPhone
Benchmade Bugout Knife
Notebook 3×5
Dogtag with emergency contact info on a neck chain
Olight i1r2eos flashlight on the chain with the dog tag

The Bugout rides in the same pouch as my iPhone in its own pocket. The pack I use is a Camelbak Military HAWG. It’s the old style. I’ve had it for quite a while and when I need a smallish pack, it’s the one I grab. The orange strip is highly reflective.

Attached to the left shoulder strap of the pack is a Garmin InReach Messenger. Some of the places I activate have little or no cell service so I use the Garmin to spot myself and keep the wife updated.

E&E Pouch
In the Army, we often made Escape and Evasion pouches. A small pouch with just enough stuff to get by. This one fits in a 6 x 9″ Alocsak Pouch and weighs 10oz.
Ferro Rod with carbide striker
Magnesium Rod
2 – 3/8 by 8″ Sisal Rope
Tropical matches (from MRE)
Tinder
Lighter Pine
iFAK
Whistle
Compass
Space Blanket
Signal Mirror
2 – Bic Lighters

The sisal rope is great for fire starting. You take it apart and it makes a nice nest for your fire.

Considering my whereabouts will be generally known, I do have a preference for fire and signaling. Most likely, any survival situation will be short-term, and I want to be found.

The Elecraft Bag
This is the bulk of my radio gear. The Elecraft bag that came with my radio does a great job of keeping things organized.
KX2 with a 3D printed cover
Begali KX2 Adventure Paddle adapter
28.5′ Random Wire Antenna
17′ Counterpoise
30′ Bank Line
12 VDC power cable with Anderson Power Pole connector
N0SA SOTA Paddles (swap with Begali Adventure Duo)
15′ RG-316 with choke (Chameleon)
Skull Candy earbuds
8 oz Arbor weight with line

The rest of the items are dispersed within the pack
1 Liter Canteen with Cup and Spoon
HeadlampSeat Cushion
Contractor Trash Bag
Knee Board
Rite-In-The-Rain 4×6 Notepad
2 Mechanical Pencils
Spool of Bank Line
2 Tent Stake
Chameleon 40-meter OCF Dipole

Finally, there are some seasonal/ad hoc items such as gloves, jackets, food, and localized maps. I have plenty of room in the pack to make adjustments for conditions.

My pack contents will probably evolve over time as I use it. Right now I think there is a good balance in the pack between fun and safety. Some of the places I go are pretty remote. I always tell my wife where I am going and a general itinerary. You should do the same.

How did the KX2 do? This was the maiden voyage of the KX2. Right off the bat, I got to use it in some trying conditions. The weather was deteriorating as I walked into a cloud at the summit. It was windy and I wasn’t really sure what the weather was going to do. I figured I had enough time to make a quick activation and get down off of the mountain before the rains came. I climbed until I got well within the activation zone and set up. I strung the OCF dipole about 10 feet up and set my station right below it using the same tree as a backrest. I was going to use a Flight Deck but I didn’t want to fiddle with so I set the radio on top of the pack. Because the radio is self-contained all I had to do was plug in the antenna, paddles, and earbuds, and I was in business. I made 19 contacts logging on my notepad resting on my thigh. What helped to make the activation a success was the ease with which I got the radio working. Bing-Bam-Boom and I was on the air. As quick as I set it up, I took it down. The KX2 made it easy. I made it back to the truck to beat the drizzle. Since the activation, I added the kneeboard shown. I set it up at home and it should be easier to use than the one I had. I am still learning my way around the radio, but it is indeed going to be my main SOTA radio. Until next time 73 –de Scott

Old Man on the Mountain

It’s official, I am retired. Fifty-three years in the making. Being on the north side of 66 does not mean you are wheelchair-bound. Maybe a little slower, but with patience and skill almost anything can be done. One of my first acts as KK4Z (ret.) was to do a SOTA activation. I chose Bald Mountain, a 10-pointer in northwest Georgia.

One of the reasons I chose a 10-pointer is I wish to get involved with a group called Southern Appalachian Summit QRPers or SASQ (SASQuatches). The group combines SOTA with a moderate level of Bushcraft. What’s not to like. There are skill-based membership requirements and one is a 10 pt SOTA activation within the past year. I wanted to get my 10-pointer in before the Park Service closes the roads to the summits during the winter.

I was originally planning on Tuesday for the trip, but the weather was going to be harsh that day. Lots of wind and rain. This is what I call the first winter storm of the season. Between the wind and the rain, it usually finishes knocking all the leaves off of the tree. So, I backed the trip up to Monday and checked the weather (Wx) – all systems go. Preflight check of the Wx 0600 hrs Monday showed VFR (good). The 10-point mountains are at least a 3-hour drive for me. Two hours on highway/improved roads and one hour on unimproved/gravel roads. That last hour covers approx. 20 miles. Along the way, I was confronted by a 6-8 pt deer who thought he was up to the challenge by a 5,000 lb Ram truck. After a few snorts, he thought better of it and scampered into the wood. Shortly after this, I heard Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, an omen I didn’t recognize at the time. When I reached the parking lot below the summit, things weren’t so VFR. I checked the Wx again and now it showed rain on the way. The sky had closed in and the summit was in a cloud. I figured I had just enough time to reach the summit, make the required contacts, and retreat without getting too wet. When I started the trek, it was 60 degrees. By the time I reached the activation zone, the temps dropped, and the wind picked up. When I got back to the truck the thermometer registered 50 degrees. I estimated that the wind chill put temps in the low 40’s to high 30’s. Whenever I venture out, I always bring an extra layer, in this case, a Gore-Tex jacket. I forgot gloves and my CW suffered for it.

I climbed just high enough to get safely into the activation zone. My setup was quick and simple. I used a Chameleon 40-meter OCF QRP dipole. I like OCF dipoles. They do not have to get very high off the ground (10-12 feet is enough) and they are good performers. I prefer them over EFHWs. I sit on a cushion on the ground, so I use the supporting tree as a backrest. Coax is 15’ of RG-316 with a choke on one end. The radio was my new Elecraft KX2. I waited quite a while to get the radio. I did set it up at home and made one contact before taking it out. Since I was in a hurry, I set the radio on my pack and the notebook log on my thigh. The paddles were N0SA’s SOTA paddles. I got lucky and got one from his last run. I held it in my left hand. I sent a spot out and a few minutes later I sent QRL? On 7.057 MHz. I got a NO, they were waiting for me, I’ve never had that before. The wind was picking up and I had some difficulty hearing. As my hands got colder, my CW and handwriting suffered. I had a pretty good pile-up going and after 19 contacts I called QRT. There were still some calling, but Wx was not on my side.

I packed it up and headed down the mountain. By the time I got to the truck, it was starting to drizzle. I really didn’t mind the weather, I need to keep my hands warmer though.

The KX2. It was everything I had hoped it would be. I ran it 5 watts and it purred like a kitten. The quality of the received signal was great. I ran with the filter set to 1K Hz and it was fine, no overloading even with a pile-up. For SOTA, the radio is hard to beat. I like that I only have 3 cables to the radio, paddles, earbuds, and coax. Simple and easy.

Next time I will be sure to add some gloves to my pack. It was fun and I can’t wait to do the next one. If I knew retirement was going to be this much fun, I’d have done it a long time ago. 72 de Scott

Ft Mountain State Park – A Family Affair

This past weekend, my wife and I went camping at Ft Mountain State Park near Chatsworth, GA. The park holds a special place in our hearts because we spent our honeymoon there some 32 years ago. Believe it or not, she still loves me.

Ft Mountain is also a favored place for POTA activations. Going into the weekend I needed a little over 200 contacts to earn a kilo award for that park. This weekend was special. We were having a family campout with my two sons and their families. We rented 3 campsites close together and spent a great weekend enjoying each other’s company.

As you can guess, amateur radio took a back seat to the other activities. Since my wife was with me, my little camper got a little crowded. I had to scale back my radio gear. I took the radio desk out of the camper and used a lap desk instead for the radio. The radio du jour was my IC-705 with the AH-705 tuner. The radio was battery powered and I used an external Bioenno 3 ah battery. My mode of choice was FT-8 and I used my iPad mini to run SDR Control. My antenna was my trusty 28.5 Random Wire. When I first started, I hooked the antenna right up to the AH-705. It worked flawlessly. The AH-705 acts much like an SG-237. It is a very versatile tuner. As the temps dropped, I moved inside and had to change the antenna to its normal configuration with a 9:1 UnUn and a 1:1 current Balun. I ran coax to the inside the camper to the AH-705. I did not have a long enough control cable to keep the AH-705 outside.

I knew my kids and their families wouldn’t arrive until Friday night which meant family activities wouldn’t start until sometime Saturday morning. I got on the air Friday afternoon and stayed on until about midnight. I took a couple hours of sleep and then got back into it. The nice part about FT-8 is you can turn the volume down so as not to disturb the significant other. I finished up before 10 AM, about the time everyone else was starting to stir.

I ended up with over 230 contacts covering 40 states and 7 countries with 7 watts of power. This was enough for the Kilo.

The rest of the weekend was with family. When my boys were young (I call my boys, boys and my dogs boyz), I used to take them to Magic (The Gathering) tournaments. While we were there I would run booster drafts which was an ad hoc game using new never never-opened card packs. I did this to give myself something to do, and I got a Magic tee shirt that had “Staff”. Street cred baby! I arranged a game while we were camping and of course, introduced the grandsons to the game. It looks like we may do this again next year.

With careful planning, you can enjoy your family and radio at the same time. In fact, one of my grandsons is interested in learning more about CW or Morse Code. Yes, sir, next year’s campout is looking up. 72 de Scott

Wild Times at Cheaha State Park K-1037

It all started innocently enough. A nice fall weekend at Cheaha State Park to camp and operate my radios. While there I was planning on finishing up my POTA Kilo Award for this park.

Things started happening right at the time I got to the park. My reservation got messed up and I had to to take another campsite. This campsite was further from the comfort station bu at a higher elevation. Even at the higher elevation, cell service was very spotty which added to the wild weekend.

Getting setup, I put up my 28.5′ random wire antenna with a 17’counterpoise. I used a homemade 9:1 UnUn with a 1:1 current balun to feed my IC-7300 (Peter II). In between was my trusty LDG Z-11 Pro. I ran FT8 at 35 watts.

As soon as I started operating, things began to get squirrelly. I normally start on 20 meters in the afternoon and then drop down the bands as night falls often going back to 20 in the late evening. That didn’t happen. I only stayed on 20 for a little while before jumping down to 40, for most of the rest of the evening. This was not going to be a typical campout/POTA Activation. The next day I spent time on 20 but the MUF appeared to be much higher as I crept up the bands all the way to 10 meters. Typically, during an activation, 20 meters is my money band but this time 40 meters was the winner. Of the 465 contacts I made, 197 were on 40m meters and 157 were on 20 meters. I worked 46 states (except AK,CT,ND, and NH) and 15 dx entities. I had some interesting DX. I worked Germany, Portugal, Spain and Canada on 10 meters; Spain, Italy, and France on 12 meters; Samoa, New Caledonia, Ukraine, and Romania on 30 meters; and Hawaii on 40 meters. See the QSO Map.

On my home, when I got back to full service, I started receiving emails from the prior day from the SWPC with a bunch of Geomagnetic Storm Alerts. That explained the wild times on the bands. It was fun trying to figure out were to go to catch the propagation. I did manage to complete 3 Kilo awards before I left the park. The moral of the story is bad solar conditions can bring some surprising DX results. 73 de Scott

West Georgia Amateur Radio Society at Cheaha State Park

The West Georgia Amateur Radio Society (WGARS) is a great group. We like to do three things: 1) talk on the radio, 2) get together, and 3) eat. We did all three this past weekend during the Fall Support Support Your Parks on the Air weekend (POTA). We like to do about 4 gatherings a year namely Field Day, Winter Field Day, and the Spring and Fall Support Your Parks on the Air Weekends.

This fall we went a little uptown and rented one of the pavilions at Cheaha State Park (K-1037). This gave us shelter from the elements, power for the slow cookers, and plenty of benches to set up on. There were restrooms nearby with running water. Cheaha Mountain is the tallest point in Alabama and our pavilion was just a little down from the summit.

The weather was perfect. In the morning it was in the upper 40’s rising to the mid 70’s by afternoon. As I said earlier, we like to eat. There was an abundance of food, we had Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, BBQ, baked beans, buns, garlic bread, dunkin’ donuts, coffee, soda, and I am sure I missed a few. The bottom line is we could have fed half again as many and still had leftovers. There were over a dozen of us there.

We set up three radio stations. We had a Yaesu FT-991A and an Icom IC-7300. They were running FT8, CW, and SSB. I was running an Elecraft K3(s)/10 on FT8. My original plan was to run FT8 until it got warmer out and then switch to CW. However, we had a group gather around my station and we were doing what we like to do, kibitz and socialize. With FT8 I can run the radio and join in the conversation. We had a lot of fun chatting with one another. By the end of the day, I worked 40 states and 4 countries for a total of 120 contacts. The DX were Argentina, Canada, Ecuador, and Spain. States covered all 4 corners and in between. Not bad for 10 watts!

I had the pleasure of meeting Ward W4RE. Ward is a Vietnam Veteran and what made our meeting special is that we both served with the 101st Airborne Division. We were a generation apart with me serving between wars, but anyone who has served with the 101st understands that it is not a cakewalk; we had an immediate bond. Like me, Ward is a CW op albeit, much better than I. I am hoping that during one of our future meets, Ward and I can run a CW station together.

This was the trial run for my K3(s). I upgraded my K3 to a K3S. It is a QRP radio with a max power of 12 watts. The difference between 10 watts and 100 watts is about 1.7 S-units, a small change for CW. I operated the radio pretty much the whole time I was out there and it performed flawlessly.

While my K3 was in the shop for a repair and a going over, I put my name on the list for a KX2. There is about a 3-4 month wait for them and if things didn’t work out I could always cancel the order. When I received the invoice for the KX2, I asked my wife Mary K4SEZ about it, thinking it was worth a shot and as I was getting ready to cancel the order; she got on the computer and checked the books (she’s an accountant) and said “Happy Retirement”. I was ecstatic. I retire in 54 days and I have already made plans for that little radio. It was a great weekend that was full of surprises. Winter Field Day is right around the corner — can’t wait. 72 de Scott

The HF Radios of KK4Z

First off, I managed to work W8S this morning (Wed.) on FT8. I tried CW but they were running about 32 wpm and my best is about 25 wpm. I thought I would give an update on my radios and how I feel about them. Before I go on, my comments and reviews are not deep-dive, technical reviews. They are more of what an average operator might do. Take the radio out of the box, skim through the manual, and use the radio, occasionally referring to the manual when he or she finally gets stumped.

My top radio is still the IC-7610 (Zeus). This is my do-all base radio. I have had this radio since 2018 and it does everything I need it to do. The radio is easy to use with top marks given to ergonomics. It is the radio I use the most in the shack.

My other QTH radio is my FTDX10 (Sheldon). I have had this radio for about a year now. I have a love/hate relationship with this radio. Where the 7610 has the best ergonomics, the FTDX10 has the worst. I have large hands and it is difficult to navigate the controls without careful consideration. The radio does not have auto-notch and the notch /Contour/APF controls are in the lower right-hand corner. It’s hard to get to. The only thing I found that helps is to use the radio with my left hand. Yes, I believe the radio is left-handed. Luckily, it sits to my left in the shack. There are things I like about the radio and I find I use it for casual CW like POTA. One feature I do like is the ability to send CW while in SSB mode. Some of the nets I check into have both CW and SSB check-ins.

The rest of the radios are field radios that I use for EmComm and FunComm. First on the list is actually a pair of IC-7300s (Peter I and Peter II). I’ve had an IC-7300 since 2016. These radios are my rocks. They do everything very well. If I could only have one radio, this would be it. It is the radio I recommend for first-time HF Hams. I have two for EmComm purposes. I have a backup that uses all of the same stuff as the main radio.

I have a new to me Elecraft K3/10 #8640. This was a case of happenstance. I originally had my sights on a KX2, but this opportunity came up in a trade negotiation. Most of my field activations happen while camping or near my vehicle so this works out well. I am calling this one Carlos because it is as smooth as Carlos Santana. It is a great radio; however, it does have an addictive nature similar to buying a vintage car. Money goes in but it doesn’t come out, but you are left with a big smile on your face. I have added the internal ATU and changed the filters to my liking with emphasis on CW. I am in the process of converting the K3/10 into a K3S/10. I haven’t decided if I am going to put the 100-watt amp in it yet.

I have an IC-705 with the AH-705 (Jack). I really enjoy using this radio. I like that its ergonomics are similar to my other Icoms and the radio plays well. I have apps on my iPhone and iPad that connect to the 705 via Bluetooth for logging, CW, and FT8. This means I can bring less stuff with me. I also have the Begali Adventure paddle and the 705 mount for it. It’s a very pleasant radio to use in the field. The AH-705 is a brilliant design. It operates like Icom’s AH-4 tuner, which is a real sleeper. If I don’t bring the AH-705 with me, I can always use my Elecraft T-1.

For my occasional SOTA activations, I can bring the 705 with me but I refer my WA3RNC TR-35 (Penny for Penntek). This is a QRP CW transceiver that operates on 40, 30, 20, and 17 meters. Looking at my POTA stats, these are my most used bands. The radio is lightweight, well-built, and is a joy to use. It makes for a very lightweight SOTA kit.

I have a QRP Labs QMX on order, and last time I checked, my order sequence was in the mid-80s. Maybe I’ll get it for Christmas. This will be a fun radio for SOTA/Hiking POTA activations. I am looking forward to using it.

That’s my radio collection as it stands. Any others I had have either been sold or traded. I am pretty content with what I have. I feel all the boxes have been checked. Hopefully, in the upcoming weeks, I can get back to spending time in the field. in the meantime 73 de Scott

QRP at Home and SOTA Setup

I posted earlier that I was in a radio doldrum. Today I am slowly drifting back to fair skies and wind at my stern. My friend Thomas K4SWL recently posted on his blog a Field Kit Gallery showcasing operators’ various field kits: https://qrper.com/resources/field-radio-kits/ I thought I would post mine.

This is what I typically bring for a SOTA activation. I also have some general outdoor essentials like an iFAK, bug repellent, a compass, water, and of course snacks. For POTA, I am usually in my camper and bring a full-sized radio like my Elecraft K3/10. I also have an IC-705 which I like for those one-day POTA activations. The kit is pretty simple and gets the job done. Here is a list of components.

Garmin In-reach Messenger https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/793265

Elecraft T1 Antenna Tuner in a homemade 3D printed case https://elecraft.com/products/t1-miniature-stand-alone-atu-and-accessories

WA3RNC TR-35 4 band QRP radio https://www.wa3rnc.com/store/tr-35-cw-transceiver-kit.html

N0SA SOTA Paddle

Staples Clip Board

Rite in the Rain 4×6 Notebookhttps://www.amazon.com/Rite-Rain-Weatherproof-Top-Spiral-946-3/dp/B01MQFDNSH

Pentel Forte 0.5mm Pencil – no longer made

Grifiti Band Joes Silicone Rubber bands https://www.amazon.com/Assorted-Standard-Wrapping-Exercise-Silicone/dp/B018WPZCSO/ref=sr_1_8?crid=2EOBSH8X6QR0V&keywords=joe+band+silicone&qid=1696349174&sprefix=joe+band+silicone%2Caps%2C282&sr=8-8

Stretch Velcro Strap (leg strap)https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09VY5H5JT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Homemade Random Wire antenna (41′)

Throw weight and line

3 AH Bioenno Battery https://www.bioennopower.com/collections/12v-series-lifepo4-batteries/products/copy-of-12v-3ah-lfp-battery-pvc-blf-1203a

6 Foot RG-316

Chameleon 15′ RG-316 with Choke https://chameleonantenna.com/shop-here/ols/products/cha-50-coax-with-integrated-rfi-choke-cha-50-cx-wth/v/CHA-RG-316-15-RFI

MM0OPX Balun w/61′ of wire and a 17′ counterpoise

A couple of generic tent stakes

Not shown – a spool of 35# bank line.

Also, I decided to take a break from everything else I have been doing and get on the air. I recently got my K3/10 back from the shop and thought I would give it a good workout at home so I wouldn’t have another calamity like I did a few months ago https://kk4z.com/2023/08/06/calamity-on-black-rock-mountain/. I set the radio up in the shack and started to make contacts. I had forgotten how far 10-watts CW can get you with a good antenna. At the home QTH, I run a 270′ OCF dipole with the apex up about 35′. I was hunting POTA activators and found I could work almost everyone I heard. I got as far north as Ontario, Canada, and as far west as TX, MO, and IA. This was still the morning and there weren’t many activators out yet. The K3/10 worked like a champ and purred like a kitten. Not hearing relays click during QSK CW is sublime. With the K3/10 cleared for field use, I have a couple of outings planned for it.

It feels good to be back in the saddle again. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and after being away from amateur radio, even for a short while, I appreciate it all the more. 72 de Scott

Radio Doldrums

For the past month or so I have been in the radio doldrums, A doldrum is a period of stagnation or slump, often doldrum is associated with an area of the ocean near the equator that has little or no wind. Ships were be-calmed.

Radio-wise, I was radio be-calmed starting at the end of August. My wife and I were asked to assist in setting up a command center in Valdosta, GA to organize clean-up efforts after Hurricane Idalia. Valdosta and the surrounding area received significant damage. The command center was a relief effort by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where a large body of manpower along with material to help mitigate the damage was going to arrive in Valdosta, the same weekend I was supposed to to go camping. Instead, I canceled my reservation and assisted at the command center, organizing the relief effort. We set up at one of the church buildings and over the weekend over 300 work orders were completed in and around Valdosta. This could not have been accomplished without a high level of organization.

While be-calmed, an opportunity came up to attend the Georgia Beekeepers Association Fall Conference. As I get closer to retirement, thoughts of having more time to do the things I want abound. Beekeeping has been on the radar and with 6 acres of rural land, this should be very doable. I prefaced the conference by reading Beekeeping for Dummies. I was glad I did. while it didn’t make me an all-knowing, all-seeing bee pro, it did give me enough knowledge to understand many of the topics at the conference as well as giving me the capability to ask questions and understand the answers. I walked away with a lot of information — my brain was tired. I am hoping to have bees by next spring.

Some good news was I got my K3/10 back. I had damaged a filter slightly and the radio came with a few other minor issues. Elecraft fixed and updated the radio as well as tuned it up to meet or exceed factory specs. The repairs cost $310 dollars. Elecraft has a $250 minimum so my blunder cost me $60. Since I bought it used and it was homebuilt, I was going to send it in for a check-up anyhow. I got it home and set it up the way I like it.

I had a campsite reserved for the weekend of the 10/06. However, I was once again double booked, this time to help a couple of families with preparedness. The times they are a changing. Sometimes EmComm, sometimes FunComm. Taking care of friends and family always supersedes FunComm. Instead of canceling the reservation, I moved it to February. I have campsites reserved each month until then. While I missed two camping trips in a row, it is looking like I may be able to get out one or two days this week for a local activation. I’ll keep you posted. Life’s an adventure 72 de Scott