Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, SOTA, Travel

Field Report and Notes From M1GEO’s First SOTA Activation in Japan

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Please note that a version of the following post was originally published on the SOTA Reflector:

My first JA activation – JA/KN-022

by George (M1GEO)

A word of caution: this is more of a set of notes on what I did and how you may do similar, and less of an operating report, though there are some notes on operating toward the end.

Intro

After being told that work would like me to travel to Japan for a few weeks, I knew I’d like to try and squeeze in bit of ham radio. A quick search online for licence information led me to a post by Stephan (HB9EAJ) on the SOTA reflector about his Visit to Japan – Kanazawa in May. My visit to Japan was scheduled for mid-November 2025 and so the information on Stephan’s post very helpful, alongside his writeup of his first activations on Japan. I also found Ara’s (N6ARA) post on QRPer.com SOTA and POTA in Japan particularly helpful. Thanks also to Paul (VA6MPM) for reaching out to me via email with summit suggestions. Start with those posts for guidance on how to get you Japanese reciprocal licence and operating quirks.

My company had put me up in the Marriott Westin hotel in Yokohama, a thoroughly nice place, and about a 10 minute walk from the Yokohama central station. A quick survey of SOTA maps, blogs and YouTube videos along with input from Rob, M0VFC (who got me involved in SOTA to begin with) lead me to choosing summit JA/KN-022 for my first JA activation; mainly as it would also come with POTA JP-1313 and was accessible by public transport.

A rough plan

Map of relative locations of hotel and summit JA/KN-022

A look at SOTL.as Maps showed that JA/KN-022 was a reasonable distance from the hotel.

I had a few options:

  • Hire a car and drive the 61km – this proved to not be possible as I didn’t have my IDP with me.
  • Take a taxi, costing around ¥20,000 (approx. £98, €111, $130) each way – too expensive!
  • Take a train & bus, costing around ¥1200 (approx. £6, €7, $8) each way

I opted for the train & bus, with NAVITIME (the recommended travel app) showing around 1h 30m.

Around work commitments, I only had one day to activate before things got busy. This ended up being Sunday 23rd November 2025. The night before, I set up my spots so that the RBN would spot me if I had no cell coverage (fortunately KN-022 had good 5G), and I noticed that Katz (JG1JJL) also had a spot for the summit on that day. I adjusted my start time to ensure that Katz had plenty of time to operate before I arrived, so as not to disturb him.

SOTA alerts for 2025-11-23

Getting to the summit

Getting from Yokohama central station to the summit was overall pretty easy. I found myself using a combination of Google Maps (more English UI) and “Japan Travel” by NAVITIME (better knowledge & detail). Both apps suggested a JapanRail (JR) “Yokohama Line” train from Yokohama central station (station JK11) to Hashimoto (station JH28), and then a local bus Kanagawa Chuo Kotsu route 01.

Starting out

At Yokohama train station, I hit a bit of a dependency problem, which took me 90 minutes of back and forth to resolve…

I arrived at the station around 10 am JST, knowing I needed to buy a train ticket, and that the best way was to get an IC card (Suica, Pasmo, etc), which are very common in Japan for much more than transport.

The ticket machines at Yokohama station

The ticket machines, pictured above, would only take cash (notes or coins), which, having just landed in Japan, I didn’t have. I scanned around to find signs for 3 different ATMs and headed over to the closest one, only to have it fail to read my card (magnetic strip error). This repeated for all (five!) of my cards at all 2 of the ATM machines. I assumed that this was an issue with the card vendors not playing nicely (turns out they only accept Japanese issued cards).

I headed to the JR Ticket Office, took a number and waited in the queue (for 15 minutes) until my number was called. I explained to the clerk that I wanted to buy a ticket to Hashimoto and also purchase a Suica (IC) card. I told him I needed to pay by card, but it wasn’t until I offered him my western card that he told me that they cannot take it – damn! The JR clerk told me that I needed to find an “international ATM” and that maybe 7-Eleven would have one.

I ended up walking to a 7-Eleven to use their in-store “international ATM” which charged me a ¥600 (approx. £3, €4, $5) fee to withdraw cash. Later information from Japan National Tourism Organization told me I could have withdrawn cash at ATMs in Japan Post Bank and in Seven Bank, as they don’t charge a fee. There is a JP Bank outside Yokohama station, too. Ah well!

Assuming you either have some Japanese Yen or an IC card already, none of the above will be relevant to you!

Once you’ve got the essentials

You can touch your IC card on the train ticket barriers to get in, it’s very similar to London’s Oyster Cards, etc.

At Yokohama station, I took the steps up to Platforms 3 & 4, and observed the map to understand what was going on. Google Maps and NAVITIME made it sound complex, changing from one line to another, but this is more of a theoretical thing than actual. I waited for a Yokohama Line train (green) that said it was heading past where I wanted to go, and got on. The train I boarded was headed for Hachiōji at the end of the line. Around 40 minutes later I was at Hashimoto station (station JH28). The train announced everything in clear, informative English.

Trainline Map

At Hashimoto, take the station’s north exit, head out, slightly left and down the stairs (blue star on map below). The needed bus stand is on the right side of the roundabout, at the back (red star on map below). I took Kanagawa Chuo Kotsu Bus 01. I used Google Maps to confirm this was the right stop, and once I was moving, it followed the route and told me when to get off. NAVITIME also does this, but it is a premium feature that I didn’t have. I recognised the large-ish “01” on the front of the bus and gambled it was correct. The bus waited at the stand until it was time to depart, and so I had a bit of time to confirm it was going to the correct place by asking a local – it was! The bus did not have English announcements, but it was easy enough to follow along on Google Maps.

Interchange from train to bus at Hashimoto (station JH28) – Take the station North Exit, head out, slightly left and down the stairs. The needed bus stand is the right side of the roundabout, at the back. I took Bus 01.

The bus journey took around 20 minutes and I got off at Lake Tsukui Tourist Center bus stop. The bus stops directly (really, like within 2 metres) by the trailhead.

Lake Tsukui Tourist Center bus stop and start of the trail (image from Google Maps)

The Ascent

For the first part of the ascent, I followed a few other Japanese tourists off the bus. I was there on the Labour Day weekend, so there were a few families getting off the bus for a walk. I chatted to the lady who’d confirmed the bus direction; she was asking what instrument I played and gesturing to my antenna (MA-12 from AliExpress, the same as a Chelegance MC-750 at ½ the price for the same thing!). She and her family were off to find flying squirrels (I had no idea Japan had them). We parted ways as I diverted upwards into the trees toward the summit.

Path to JA/KN-022 summit

I closely followed Kawa’s (JH0CJH) trail, which starts at about 140m ASL and winds up to the summit at 375m. The path is well signposted, and I used Google Lens & Google Translate to help with the (many) signposts & caution signs. Mostly, these were about falling trees, hornets, and other similar outdoorsy things. My favourite sign was one that said “DO NOT STOP HERE – Frequent Rockfalls!” which I stopped at for 20 seconds to translate. I was amused by this and escaped unhurt! Continue reading Field Report and Notes From M1GEO’s First SOTA Activation in Japan →

Books, News, SOTA

A New SOTA-Themed Book from GW4BML: Summit of Dreams

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I recently received a note from Ben Lloyd (GW4BML), who let me know about his newly published book, Summit of Dreams. While I haven’t read it myself, I’m always happy to help share projects from within the field radio community.

Here’s how Ben describes Summit of Dreams:

Summit of Dreams is no ordinary tale of mountains climbed and miles endured. It is the story of one man’s relentless pursuit of the UK’s most elusive summits, and the family who shared every storm, ferry, and windswept ridge along the way.

From the volcanic cliffs of Ailsa Craig to the haunted silence of Bardsey, from the storm-lashed Isle of Man to the forbidden pinnacles of St Kilda, each chapter brims with danger, discovery, and the crackle of voices carried across the airwaves.

But the true heart of the journey lies not only in the logbook of radio contacts, but in the laughter of children racing across beaches, the unspoken reassurance of family close by, and the triumphs won in some of Britain’s wildest places.

Epic, intimate, and unforgettable, this is a story of persistence, connection, and the peaks that still wait beyond the horizon.

If you’d like to learn more, Summit of Dreams is available here (note that some of these are Amazon affiliate links that support QRPer.com):

Many thanks to Ben, GW4BML, for sharing his work with us. If you enjoy SOTA stories, this sounds like a great one to explore!

News, QRP

A Conversation About Amateur Radio and Hurricane Helene with Mark Hurst on Techtonic

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I was recently invited onto Techtonic, the weekly technology program on WFMU, hosted by Mark Hurst. If you’ve never listened to Techtonic, I encourage you to check it out—it’s one of the most thoughtful shows out there about how technology shapes our lives and communities.

Mark invited me to talk about amateur radio and its role after Hurricane Helene.

Many of you know I’ve been speaking about Helene quite a bit since the storm–anything I can do to share lessons learned and help others prepare is worth the time. What struck me during our conversation was how quickly I felt a connection with Mark. He asked thoughtful questions, and he gave me room to share what I love about this hobby and the community around it.

I’ve always felt that enthusiasm is infectious, and Mark gave mine room to breathe.

Afterward, I realized something: this was the first time I’d ever been asked to discuss amateur radio on a show that approaches technology from the perspective most people experience today. And that contrast made something click for me. Perhaps part of the renewed interest in radio–especially Morse code–comes from people quietly longing for technologies that offer direct connection without intermediaries, algorithms, or someone’s marketing model riding shotgun. Amateur radio–at its very core–is open, peer-to-peer, decentralized, and resilient. When everything else falls apart, it keeps going.

Perhaps that simplicity and directness feel refreshing right now.

This isn’t about being anti-tech. I use plenty of online tools every day. But I’ve become more mindful about choosing paid services that treat me as a customer rather than a product. Over the past few years I’ve deliberately stepped back from social media, moved my email servers to Proton, shifted my web searches to Kagi, and spend most of my online “social” time on Mastodon. (I’m sure there’s a deeper post about all of this forthcoming.)

These changes weren’t born out of fear–they were born out of wanting a better “signal-to-noise” ratio, more community and less manipulation/division, and a little more privacy in a world where privacy seems to be fading.

Maybe that’s why amateur radio resonates so deeply for me. It’s a communications network that puts people first. It’s transparent, open, direct, human, and there’s no hidden agenda or algorithm at work.

There’s nothing in my conversation with Mark that will surprise regular readers here, but I hope you’ll give the episode a listen and consider subscribing to Techtonic. Mark brings years of experience in big tech and uses it to ask thoughtful, critical questions about the tools we rely on every day.

I’m grateful he invited me, and even more grateful for the conversation. Thanks, Mark!

73/72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

P.S. I’ve always said amateur radio’s greatest strength is its people. When Hazel passed, over a hundred of you reached out with messages, comments, and emails. I read every one of them. Thank you — your kindness reminded me how deeply connected this community really is.

Field Radio Kits, News, Portable, QRP

NM3A’s Ultralight (tr)uSDX SOTA Field Kit

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Many thanks to Dan (NM3A) 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. Dan writes:

SOTA (tr)uSDX Field Go Kit

by Dan (NM3A)

Effective Field Go Kits vary from the “everything from my shack to the back of my truck” monstrosity to K6ARK’s ultra small Pixie style transceiver and wire of less than 2 ounces. I have a wide range of QRP Go Kits as well as a full in-vehicle HF/VHF/UHF rig, but nothing at those extremes. But I do need one that edges to the lighter side of the spectrum for those long hikes to remote SOTA peaks.On a cross country camping trip in 2021, Janice and I hiked to the Chisos Range’s 7832 foot Emory Peak (W5T/CI-001) in Big Bend National Park.

It was a ten-mile hike out and back from the visitor’s center with about a 2500-foot net rise plus plenty of ups and downs. Here’s visual proof that we made it!

Although it was late October, it was still quite warm at 80+ F. Because of the long hike, temperature, and need to carry lots of water and food, I opted not to take my then-current Go Kit as it weighed about 6 or 8 pounds, and I had to minimize the weight and volume of my pack. I still regret needing to make that decision and missing a unique SOTA for me.

Since then, I have been thinking about a lightweight option for portable operations involving a long hike. I have contributed a few kits to QRPer.com’s Field Kit Gallery and reviewed the others. Adam, K6ARK, lists a complete SOTA kit using an MTR-2B transceiver (40 & 20m) that weighs 6.6 ounces, including the carry pouch! He can add a 10-foot extendable mast, which gives an ultra-compact, lightweight kit weighing about one pound. Perfect for long hikes or for an Every Day Carry kit.

That post inspired my quest for a lightweight SOTA kit.

Initially, I used one of my QMXs and an Altoids tin with a 9 V battery and a capacitive touch paddle interface.

Unfortunately, the touch paddle did not play well with RF, and I could not get it to function consistently on the air. The complete kit was fairly light at about 18-20 ounces. But I knew I could do better.

This second iteration consists of a Classic Bands (80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 m) (tr)uSDX transceiver with an attached plastic box that contains the 9 V power supply and a VK3IL-style touch paddle.

This radio is now dedicated to this kit, so no rig swap-outs with other kits need to be entertained. A tuned 40m EFHW attaches directly to the rig with no tuner. (If desired, a wire extension could be added to make an 80-10 m EFHW.) It can just be supported on any shrubs or rocks available. This gives a total of 10 ounces! Not the lowest, but it’s very lightweight by my standards.Inside the plastic box is a 1.3 Ah rechargeable Li-Ion 9-volt battery, a paddle interface, and a slide switch with the lever shortened so it cannot be accidentally powered ON when stowed. A fingernail or pencil can easily operate it. This provides power to the rig via a short 3.5/1.3 mm coaxial plug cable.

The 1.3 Ah battery will provide at least 3 hours of operation at the most common duty cycle for CW or SSB. Velcro holds the battery in place but allows for easy switch-out for a spare or charging. The VK3IL paddle interface PCB is held to the inside of the box with heavy-duty double-sided tape.  Using 9 volts for my 12 volt transceiver lowers the power output to about 2 to 3 watts and also raises the threshold for damage to the final from poor SWR. The (tr)uSDX uses a FDT86256 final which also has a fairly high abuse tolerance.

The inputs to the touch paddle interface are two 18 mm pressure sensitive pads on the corner of the box. In straight key mode, these become a cootie (sideswiper) paddle. This is not TP-III or Begali class, but it is integral, lightweight, reliable, and effective.

The power cord and the paddle cable are routed to the radio through small holes on the right side of the box. The box itself has hook type Velcro on top of the box to hold it to the loop Velcro on the rig’s underside. This gives a very compact handheld rig with no separate parts. Logging is usually via a paper log. A phone app could also be used or, for short activations, audio of the entire activation could be recorded on the phone.

The home made antenna is an EFHW for 40 meters using 28 gauge silicone wire. At the rig end is an integral 10 watt 49:1 unun, a 6 foot counterpoise, and a 1:1 balun with an integral male BNC. This mates directly to the radio via a semi-permanently installed SMA to BNC adapter. The antenna is stored on a wood/insulation sandwich winder weighing only 0.3 ounces.

In almost any deployment scenario, SWR is less than 2:1  for 40,  20, 15, and 10 meters in the CW/digital portion of the bands and typically under 1.5:1. Running at low (9V) voltage and power help protect the rig finals from SWR aberrations, so no tuner is needed, saving a significant weight.

All of this in a small cloth bag that fits in any small space in a backpack or even in a waist pack. Logging can be on small log book & pencil, or a phone app. Notice that there are no spares of any kind in the basic kit. This is to keep the weight and volume down. A spare battery could be added if multiple activations were planned.

 

Basic Go Kit Contents: (12 ½ oz) (1 oz = 29 g)

  • Soft bag – no additional padding needed (24 g)
  • (tr)uSDX Classic Bands rig (80, 40, 20, 15, 10m) (138 g)
  • SMA to BNC adapter, tethered 3D BNC protector
  • Foam cut out for knob, OLED screen, and button protection (<1 g)
  • Plastic battery box w/ power switch & integrated VK3IL style touch paddle (86 g)
  • 9V Li Ion battery
  • EFHW: 40 meters w/ integral 49:1 unun, 6 foot counterpoise, choke, and BNC (70 g)
  • Ear pods, corded (10 g)
  • Log book (Rite in the Rain #371FX-M) & golf pencil (28 g)
  • Velcro wrap 10 g)

Options: (add 3 ½ oz)

  • Throw line: 50 feet of 1mm nylon braided cord. (16g)
    (Throw weight to be locally acquired on site)
  • Light weight carabiner (8g)
  • Spare battery (30g)
  • Charge cord (10 g)
  • Microphone/PTT & cable (30g)
  • Radio cheat sheets (14g)

Light weight 11 foot telescoping pole ~10 oz
Nice to have, but rarely needed

My first SOTA on W3/PT-003 was successful. No significant issues with the kit and I had 10 Qs in 15 minutes on 40m. I spent 5 additional minutes listening on 15 and 20 meters, but did not work other bands. It was a bit chilly and windy, and I kept it short. The antenna was simply looped over low branches (6-7 feet) rather than throwing a line up in a tree. Setup and tear down took well under 5 minutes each.


So it’s an effective and great kit when lightweight is in order. Now I have no reason to leave a rig behind on long hikes!

News

Gratitude, Community, and Hope: A Heartfelt Thank You

3 Comments

Dear QRPer family,

First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the outpouring of kindness following Hazel’s passing last week.

Your comments, messages, stories, and virtual hugs brought such comfort to our family. Reading your words reminded me how this community extends far beyond radio—it’s a circle of genuine care. Thank you so much.

On a brighter note, I’m thrilled to share that your support for the QRPer.com 2026 Calendar has already raised over $200 for Western NC’s Hurricane Helene recovery efforts!

Every penny of these proceeds (about $5 US/calendar) will go directly to two local organizations doing vital work in rebuilding our community. If you’d like to support the cause while enjoying QRP adventures month by month, you can order yours here. All future sales will continue funding these efforts, so your impact keeps growing.

Moments like these remind me how extraordinary our QRPer family is. Whether we’re sharing field reports, gear reviews, lifting each other up in hard times, or rallying around a cause, you consistently show up with open hearts and positive energy.

I’m profoundly grateful to walk this path with you all.

Thank you for being the kind of community that turns our shared love of radio into real human connection.

Warmest 73/72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

News

In Memory of Hazel

108 Comments

Friends,

This has been a difficult week, and it’s taken me until now to share this with you.

My sweet furry companion and POTA/SOTA dog, Hazel, passed away last Friday.

If you want to know what happened, keep reading–and please forgive me in advance for this diversion from our normal content. I consider everyone here part of my radio family–you are my support community–and I know how many of you loved Hazel because you sent her letters and treats and regularly passed along greetings in CW exchanges.

Last Tuesday, Hazel was her normal sweet, playful self in the morning. That afternoon, however, we could tell something had gone wrong and she was in pain. Her symptoms closely resembled what she experienced back in January when we took her to the vet, and they suspected she’d fallen from one of the many downed trees we had after Helene. She used to treat those fallen trees like her own personal jungle gym.

On Tuesday evening, we called the emergency vet and talked through her symptoms. They advised waiting until morning to have her checked out since, once again, her condition seemed to be steadily improving.

Wednesday morning, we took her to the vet and, even though she was doing much better and wasn’t showing obvious signs of pain (knowing full well how our pets naturally hide these things), the vet ran a full suite of imaging and an ultrasound. That’s when they discovered she had a malignant, metastatic tumor that had ruptured.

I literally felt the blood drain from my face when the news was delivered. My wife and one of my daughters were with me, and they felt the same.

Surgery wasn’t an option at such an advanced stage, so we made the decision to take her home and arranged for a home hospice service for pets to visit last Friday morning and ease her passing.

We learned about this type of service because a dear friend and his wife had to do the same for their sweet dog, Sophie, just a few months ago.

The service was incredible, and Hazel was surrounded by all of us–my wife, our daughters, and me–as we held her, petted her, and fed her cheese while she passed very peacefully.

A special friend

Hazel on the trail to a summit activation.

If you know me, you know I’m a pet lover–always have been, always will be. I love and appreciate our four-legged friends of all stripes and stop at every opportunity to pet them.

I’ve had many dogs and cats over my life–but Hazel set the bar so high for all others. She had a huge heart and loved everyone (except people with big hair and other big fluffy dogs–she was always initially apprehensive, but quickly warmed up).

Hazel was ready for this activation of Mount Mitchell to end so we could take a nice, long hike together.

She was incredibly smart and very food-motivated. When one of my daughters was nine, we bought her an agility set for Christmas. She wanted to train Hazel to use it. Hazel learned the entire course in one session–all my daughter had to do was show her what to do and offer food as motivation. Once Hazel did it properly a single time, she locked it in and repeated it perfectly. That same daughter taught her numerous tricks as well–and again, it never took Hazel more than one or two tries to learn and remember them forever.

One of her favorite places in the world: in front of our wood stove.

Although Hazel loved and looked after all of us, my wife and daughters would be the first to tell you she was “Daddy’s girl.”

When she would see that I was heading to our upstairs porch to read, she’d run ahead to grab her favorite chair–cheeky girl!

One of the many nicknames we had for her was “brown and white shadow” because she followed me everywhere, always wanting to know exactly where I was. If I left the house and couldn’t take her (which wasn’t often), she’d whine at the door for 10 minutes after I left, and my daughters would console her.

Hazel keeping me safe from squirrels during a park bench activation of Carl Sandbug’s Home.

Her greetings when I returned home were epic. She’d whine and wiggle and get so excited. Coming home to her was the best feeling in the world.

Me trying to work on a post, but Hazel needing daddy love. She always won my attention.

Even here at the house, as much as Hazel loved to sleep, she’d regularly get up from her bed to check in on me while I worked in my office. Even if I closed the pocket door, she’d nudge it open with her nose, make eye contact with me, then quietly head back to her spot. I was never alone.

Hazel was an expert photo bomber.

She was cheeky, too. She figured out exactly which pieces of furniture she could nap on based on our daily schedule. Often, we’d return from picking up the girls or running errands and find a fresh little indentation in the couch pillows. We’d feel it and it would still be very warm, but Hazel would be lying on her own pillow, pretending she’d been there the whole time. She’d even fake being asleep to throw us off. 🙂 We never corrected her because that level of cunning was absolutely worth the extra hair we had to clean up.

Hazel was always on the lookout for squirrels, turkeys, deer, and especially bears.

Hazel on a boat, small ears flapping in the wind, en route to activate Cape Lookout.

A few years ago, after she had ear surgery, she came home wearing a “cone of shame” and still a bit groggy. We had our kitchen door open, and Hazel spotted a bear in the woods. She barked, then bolted straight through the porch screen–tearing it out–and treed the bear, all while wearing the cone. The only way we could coax her back inside was by offering some beef we’d saved for her post-surgery. As much as she loved putting her life on the line with bears (and trust me, we did everything in our power to prevent that), Hazel loved food even more.

A sweet soul

She cared for our whole family and was there for us through all of the losses we’ve experienced over the past two years.

We all have massive holes in our hearts right now. It’s taken me this long to write and share this, but I’m grateful I can finally do it.

Thank you so much for the love you’ve shown Hazel over the years.

I know many in the QRPer community are animal lovers, and many of you have been through this same ordeal. My heart always goes out to you. As my wife reminded us, grief is the price we pay for all the love and good memories.

Thank you for reading this and for your support. We’re adjusting, and we’ll be okay. Hazel will live in our hearts forever in the brightest Light.

Warmly,
Thomas and family

P.S. If you have a four-legged friend at home, please give them an extra cuddle, walk, or a few more minutes of playtime for us.

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

New Antenna, New Key, and New Friend: QRP POTA at William B. Umstead State Park

11 Comments

by Thomas (K4SWL)

On Saturday, November 8, 2025, we had an afternoon planned with the family in the Raleigh area. But that morning, my wife and daughters had other plans, which meant I could sneak away for a little radio therapy. After dropping my daughter off at a meeting, I realized I was only about 20 minutes from William B. Umstead State Park (US-2755)–so I hit the road!

The weather couldn’t have been better: crisp fall air and clear blue skies. Absolutely ideal for a morning POTA activation.

Testing New Gear

For this activation, I brought along two new pieces of gear:

1) Chameleon CHA LEFS 4010 Prototype

This isn’t a production model–the design was revised and upgraded by the time the production version hit the market. Chameleon sent this prototype to me during the summer. I had meant to take it to Canada but forgot it at home. Despite the cosmetic differences, the antenna engineering is essentially the same as the current production CHA LEFS 4010 EFHW.

2) CW Morse Single-Lever Paddle

This one looks very much like my beloved CW Morse SP4 paddles designed by Larry (N0SA)–except, of course, it’s a single-lever design. I’ll admit: I was a little nervous about using it. I’d spent the past month operating exclusively with my Vibroplex bug and my bug-emulator keyer. I wasn’t sure if my muscle memory would smoothly adapt to a single-lever paddle in the field… but it did!

Setup

I parked in the main area and found a picnic table beside one of the hiking paths–perfect for deploying the CHA LEFS 4010 in an inverted-V configuration. I found the right branch, tossed my line, and the antenna went up without fuss (though it did take a couple of tries, but that’s part of the fun!).

I clipped the strain-relief end to my Red Oxx Gator EDC bag for support and was on the air in short order.

Gear

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

Radio & Battery

Morse Code Key

Antenna, Feedline, and Throw Line

Packs and Bags

Logging

Camera Gear

On The Air

Since it was still fairly early, I started on 40 meters, hoping for more local and regional propagation.

One of the joys of traveling for POTA is how even a small shift–just two or three hundred miles–in location changes your propagation footprint. Hunters who are normally too close or too far suddenly land right in the sweet spot. Quite a few folks have been trying to log me but are usually in the wrong zone. Activations like this open that window a little wider. Continue reading New Antenna, New Key, and New Friend: QRP POTA at William B. Umstead State Park →

New Products, News, QRP, QRP Radios

The 2026 QRPer.com Calendar Is Here — And It Supports Local Recovery

10 Comments

I’m excited to share something I’ve been working on behind the scenes: the 2026 QRPer.com calendar is now live on Zazzle.

They happen to be running sales right now, so it’s a good moment to grab one.

Each month features a QRP field radio I’ve used and loved over the years, presented with a full photo and a short write-up. Putting this together brought me a bit of peace this week, and I’m grateful for that.

I added a small profit margin–about $5 per calendar–and I’ll be donating every penny of it to local non-profits here in Western North Carolina that are helping neighbors rebuild and reconnect after Hurricane Helene.

Many of these groups have been doing heroic work behind the scenes.

If you pick up a calendar, thank you. And if not, thank you just as much for being part of this community! I deeply appreciate you all.

Here’s the link to the calendar: https://www.zazzle.com/2025_qrper_com_calendar-256661763459096566

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

KV4AN: Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast Activations in November

3 Comments

By Steven Krumm (KV4AN)

The Gulf Coasts of Florida and Alabama are one of my favorite places to visit. Not only does the area have great natural beauty, but the coastal lifestyle is appealing. The area also has a number of state parks, natural areas, and historic sites where you can do POTA activations.

The last time I was in this area, I activated Gulf Shores State Park in Alabama and Perdido Key State Park in Florida. During this visit, I wanted to activate at least one new park. Since we were staying in Gulf Shores, Alabama, I planned to activate Gulf State Park (US-1042) again and also Fort Morgan National Historic Site (US-0025), also in Alabama.

Part of my planning process is to print sheets from the POTA app website for each park, which has the park name, number, map, and activation notes. I also view and print Google Maps pictures to help locate the likely operating sites.

The other part of planning is to determine what gear to bring. I’d be traveling by van, so I would have plenty of space for radio equipment. I also thought I would be operating from the van or another convenient location close to the vehicle, so it was an easy decision to bring the Icom IC-705 pack and the computer bag in case I wanted to do digital modes. Fort Morgan is a historic site, so no ground spikes or wires in trees; however, a newly redesigned center-loaded, tripod-mounted, short vertical from Chameleon Antenna would be perfect.

My first activation was Fort Morgan National Historic Site, which was 22 miles from Gulf Shores. Mobile Point, the location of Fort Morgan, has a long military history as the location commands the entrance to Mobile Bay. During the War of 1812, Fort Bowyer was constructed at the location. In 1819, work was started on Fort Morgan, which was a more “modern” star-shaped fortification. The fort was completed 15 years later in 1833, at a cost of $1,026,777.41 ($39,562,798.62 in 2025 USD).

Fort Morgan is most famous for the role it played in the Civil War. It was captured by the Alabama State Militia on January 4, 1861, and was held by the Confederacy until August 1864 when Federal forces recaptured the fort after the Battle of Mobile Bay.

Most importantly for me in the present was that the site was on the POTA park list, and from Google Maps there were likely places from which to operate. I planned to park in the parking area, set up the antenna on a tripod in front of the van, and operate from inside the van. However, upon arrival, I found a picnic table close by the parking lot — even better!

It was nearly 9:00 CST when I was ready to begin the activation, but I thought I would try 40 meters first. I was only able to make one QSO, and a few minutes later I switched to 20-meter CW, where I made 13 additional QSOs in 17 minutes; see the map below. Fourteen QSOs were good enough for an activation, and I had a 30-minute drive back to the hotel, so I went QRT and packed up. Below is a map of my QSOs.

Surrounded by so much military history, I couldn’t help wondering what difference the communications capability I was using would have made for the soldiers defending the fort during the War of 1812 or the Civil War. Fort Morgan did not have a telegraph station during the Civil War.

Remember I said that I had planned to activate Gulf Shores State Park again? I looked at a new app I had recently downloaded (Offline Spotter), and it showed several other parks nearby, so I changed my plan, and the next day I drove to Big Lagoon State Park in Florida, which was only 19 miles away.

Having “lagoon” in its name, Big Lagoon State Park sounded to me like someplace an alligator would like to live. I didn’t want to be the first POTA activator to get eaten by an alligator, so I asked the Park Ranger if there were alligators in the park. She told me, “There are a couple, but you might not see them.” Her deadpan response could have just as easily been answering a similar question about Bigfoot sightings, so I perceived the predation threat was minimal.

Driving the park loop road, I quickly found many clusters of small picnic pavilions, which would make an excellent operating position. I quickly set up the station and started making QSOs on 20-meter CW.

I made 20 QSOs in 27 minutes, see the map below, and decided to go QRT and visit the rest of the park. There was a tower with scenic views, and maybe I would see an alligator…

Band conditions and station activity were very good during both activations. One thing I don’t do during planning is check propagation forecasts. My reasoning is, “This is the time and place I have set aside to do a POTA activation, and I’ll operate using whatever band conditions are occurring.” My mitigation to the risk of poor band conditions is the ability to operate on multiple bands. During these activations, I also had the option of multiple operating modes.

Both Fort Morgan and Big Lagoon are great locations for POTA. The staff at both locations were very friendly, and both locations had scenic views, picnic tables, and bathrooms. Fishing is popular at Fort Morgan, and you can also catch a ferry to Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island. Big Lagoon has a campground, boat ramp, and beaches for swimming. There is a small admission charge for both parks. Veterans are admitted free to Fort Morgan.

Gear Used

  1. POTA KIT: see (Field Radio Kit Gallery: KV4AN’s Icom IC-705 Field Kit | Q R P e r)
  2. Chameleon Antenna Portable Resonant Vertical 2.0 (CHA PRV 2.0): available soon at  (www.chameleonantenna.com)
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Giving Thanks…

20 Comments

It’s Thanksgiving here in the US, and I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for this wonderful community. QRPer.com has become such a special place because of the friendship, encouragement, and shared curiosity you all bring to it.

Wherever you happen to be in the world today, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving—and I’m grateful for each and every one of you.

72,
Thomas (K4SWL)

Connecting an international community through low-power field radio adventures.