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

A K1 Shakedown at William B. Umstead State Park & Meet-Up with WJ3FF

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by Thomas (K4SWL)

On Saturday, March 21, 2026, my wife and I were in Raleigh visiting our daughters. That morning, both of them had projects to finish for their classes, so I took the opportunity—of course!—to head out for a quick park activation.

When I woke up, I assumed we’d all be heading out together early to explore Raleigh, so I hadn’t planned a POTA activation at all. But with a little unexpected free time, I pulled up the map, thought about the area, and decided to head over to William B. Umstead State Park.

I had also recently been in touch with Jeff (WJ3FF). We’d talked about doing a park activation together—Jeff knows the local parks well and had even suggested a few “coffee and POTA” combinations (which, as you might imagine, is right up my alley). On my way out the door, I sent Jeff a quick email letting him know where I was headed, not knowing if he’d see it in time—or if he was even free that morning.

William B. Umstead State Park (US-2755)

I arrived at the Reedy Creek entrance and immediately realized I wasn’t the only one with the idea to enjoy a warm Saturday morning outdoors. The main parking lot was absolutely packed. As I drove through, I didn’t see a single open spot–in this large parking area–and started to wonder if I’d need to pivot to a different location.

Then, just as I was about to give up, a car pulled out—and I slipped right into the space. As luck would have it, it was a perfect spot, close to where I planned to set up. Woo hoo!

I’m still getting used to parks in more populated areas. Compared to my usual haunts, the number of people can feel surprising at first. But Umstead is such a large park that once you’re in it, everyone disperses—walkers, runners, cyclists, and dog owners all spreading out into the woods. It never actually felt crowded.

I set up at a picnic table I used on a previous visit. Its position relative to the trees makes antenna deployment easier, and it’s just far enough from the main foot traffic to keep things a bit quieter, with no worries about people tripping on cables and wires.

Antenna Choice

For this activation, I used my KM4CFT end-fed half-wave antenna—a 30-meter 49:1 EFHW with a 40-meter extension.

The choice was intentional: the radio I planned to test doesn’t have an internal antenna tuner and covers four bands, so I needed something resonant.

The deployment went almost textbook. One of those deployments where everything just works the way you imagine it will.

My “New” Elecraft K1

Many of you know that one of my favorite field radios is the Elecraft K1. I already own one that I purchased a couple of years ago from a silent key I knew in the Raleigh area. It’s fully loaded—even has an internal battery pack—and it’s a joy to operate.

But as we all know, the K1 has been out of production for a long time. If you love a radio like that, it’s not a bad idea to either stock up on spare parts…or pick up a second unit.

Earlier this year, a friend was helping with an estate sale. The silent key had been an avid QRP operator and collector—and incredibly, there were five Elecraft K1s available.

I decided to pick up a four-band K1 without an internal ATU. It had good reported output, but like most estate sale gear, it hadn’t been thoroughly bench-tested or anything. That’s just part of the gamble—you often don’t really know what you’ve got until you put it on the air, but estate sale items are not typically sold at premium prices either. What I really wanted was a spare parts radio for my primary K1.

The radio arrived well-packed and even in an Apache-style case, and in a bit of a leap of faith, I brought it straight to the field…without even powering it up beforehand!

This activation would be its proper shakedown.

Configuring

After connecting the K1 to a small battery pack, I spent a few minutes configuring it:

  • Switched the key from straight key to paddle
  • Set the Keyer speed and checked the T/R switching
  • Checked filter settings–I like mine wide
  • Programmed a CQ message: “CQ POTA de K4SWL”

Then it was time to see what this little K1 could do!

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I started calling CQ on 40 meters. As soon as I was spotted on the POTA network, the hunters started rolling in. Continue reading A K1 Shakedown at William B. Umstead State Park & Meet-Up with WJ3FF →

Events, News

Spring, Planning, and Looking Ahead to FDIM and Hamvention

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Spring has definitely sprung here in North Carolina.

While temperatures have been all over the map—swinging between summertime warmth and winter chill over the past couple of weeks—it’s been beautiful overall. I’m trying to take every opportunity I can to get outside, play radio, and enjoy the great outdoors, despite a fairly hectic schedule.

A recent POTA activation at Clemmons Educational State Forest

This morning, I found myself thinking through everything coming up over the next few months—and there’s quite a lot on the calendar.

Vendors’ Night at FDIM is quite the event!

Of course, the highlight I always look forward to as soon as we turn the corner into a new year is Four Days in May and Hamvention, both taking place during the third week of May.

This year, I’ll once again be giving a presentation at Four Days in May, and I’m really looking forward to it—as well as all of the other presentations. It’s truly an honor to be part of such a world-class QRP event.

George KJ6VU at the HRWB/Halibut/Sierra/PackTenna booth! We multitask!

As for the weekend in Dayton, Thursday will be dedicated to FDIM, including Vendor Night. Then Friday through Sunday, I’ll be at Hamvention with the Ham Radio Workbench Podcast crew at our table in Building 3. Each evening, I’ll be participating in an FDIM gathering and on Saturday, the banquet.

I’ll definitely spend time roaming the indoor vendors and flea market at Hamvention, although I’m not heading in with a shopping list. For me, it’s more about discovering what others bring and seeing new ideas and innovations—that’s always been part of the magic of Hamvention.

Of course, the biggest highlight is connecting with all of you. I’m naturally a bit of an introvert, but Hamvention has a way of energizing me. Meeting readers, viewers, and listeners each year is something I truly value.

What are your plans? I’m curious how many of you are planning to attend Hamvention this year—and especially Four Days in May. Do you have any traditions around the event? Being an aviation geek, one of mine is visiting the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

I’ve probably been 20 times over the years, but it never gets old. They’re always updating exhibits, and it’s a great place to spend time with friends—usually alongside fellow radio enthusiasts who have the same idea.

We also try to discover new places to eat. I especially like local spots and would welcome your suggestions.

It’s hard to believe that I’ll be on the road, headed to Dayton, in only seven weeks!

I’d love to hear what you have planned if you’re attending any of the events in/around Hamvention. Please comment!

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

Dusting Off the POTA20: QRP DX Despite Poor Propagation at Clemmons Educational State Forest

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by Thomas (K4SWL)

On Sunday, March 15, 2026, I was in the Raleigh area with my family, spending time with my daughters during their spring break. That afternoon, my wife and daughters had plans together, so I decided to nip out and fit in a quick park activation.

I chose Clemmons Educational State Forest (US-4853) since I hadn’t activated from there in a while. I grabbed my gear, hopped in the car, and headed out!

I arrived around 1:30 PM and found the parking area fairly full—no surprise for a Sunday with folks out walking dogs and enjoying the trails. I found a picnic table near the lake and began setting up.

Mixing it up with the mast

Wanting to shake things up a bit, I decided to use my Explorer POTA20 carbon fiber telescoping mast. It’s been ages since I’ve used it, but I carry it in my backpack all the time—it’s lightweight, compact, and gives me the option to deploy a self-supporting antenna.

For this activation, I paired it with a 20-meter end-fed half-wave from PackTenna. This combination works well since a 20-meter EFHW isn’t terribly long and is quite forgiving in deployment.

The mast basically disappears in the woods, making it a fairly low-profile option!

Of course, I was surrounded by trees, so under normal circumstances I would’ve simply tossed a line over a branch and hoisted the antenna. But I’ve found it’s important to rotate through your gear and stay proficient with everything you carry—and I hadn’t been doing that with the mast.

The setup went pretty well, although working around the trees meant the antenna ended up a bit low and less than ideal. Still, EFHW antennas are forgiving, and I knew it would perform just fine.

With the antenna in place, I set up my Elecraft KX2 along with the rest of my gear, including my new Zippy 3D-printed paddle by K8CES. This was actually my first activation using it, and I absolutely love it—especially with the custom touches Zeus added!

Thank you, Zeus!

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Little did I know at the time just how poor the band conditions were.

As soon as I powered up, I heard AB9CA working a POTA hunter. After he finished his exchange, I gave him a call and he came right back—always nice to start an activation with a spontaneous hunt! Continue reading Dusting Off the POTA20: QRP DX Despite Poor Propagation at Clemmons Educational State Forest →

Field Reports, News, QRP, SOTA

SOTA on the Hill Where the Buffalo Roam

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by Vince (VE6LK)

As always, there are lots of links within the article. Click one! Click them all! Learn all the things! ?

The last few months have been super busy around the house, and I’ve had few opportunities to get out and play radio. Needless to say, I was twitching and started a plan to get out. The twitching feeling was exacerbated by Mother Nature playing with the outdoor temperature -normal for this time of year- where one day it’s snowing and for the next three days the temperatures hit 20C. And I’ve been staying in shape over the winter. Ahhh, Springtime in Alberta as the late singer-songwriter Ian Tyson would say.

So my shape is round, which means I take it easy on myself, especially given a low back injury from decades ago. And as readers here know, I love the backcountry and had discovered late last season that mountain biking can get me to All-Time-New-One parks in the POTA system and [almost] on SOTA summits as well.

Given the foregoing, I began looking for summits that are easily achievable, which translates to walk-up, drive-up, or bike-up sites. There are three in my vicinity, and I secured the required permission to cross private land by foot to get to the summit for one of them. Buffalo Hill,  VE6/RA-100, is located on land owned by Ducks Unlimited Canada and Shell, and leased to a rancher, forming an excellent partnership for this unique part of the prairie. And that’s how I landed up on the hills where the buffalo do, indeed, roam.

In the Calgary area, we have a very active SOTA community with a local email reflector where stories and plans are shared among the group. I posted a notice that I’d be active the next day for chasers, which turned out to be my saving grace as the HF bands were in rough condition. The majority of my contacts would end up being on 2m FM.

It may surprise you to know that Alberta is mostly rolling prairies and kind of flat, given all I talk about are the mountains and rivers. And the flatland has these geographic oddities like Buffalo Hill, which rises up some 60m above the undulating prairies. A look at the maps on  the SOTA Atlas showed power transmission lines running through the land and a nearby 150m tall microwave transmission tower. All of these features meant that I could spot it from 10km away, so navigating to get there was as simple as dead-reckoning while I drove towards it. From studying the map I also knew my parking spot would not be visible from the summit and vice-versa.

Continue reading SOTA on the Hill Where the Buffalo Roam →

Accessories, News, Product Announcements

USB-C for the Elecraft KX2: A Simple Upgrade That Changes Everything

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by Vince (VE6LK)

Warning: This post contains no RF but, if you are a KX2 owner, may involve your wallet. You’ve been warned 🙂

As one does, when surfing the internet, one clicks on links.

Recently I clicked on a link (from Lynovation‘s website) and ended up on G7UFO’s most fine web shop. And that’s when I learned about the KXUSBC2 charging board for the Elecraft KX2.

And, as a KX2 owner, I immediately ordered and paid for one.

The board and firmware are designed by Manuel HB9DQM and are available via open source licensing for those who wish to build it. For those that don’t, like me, Neil G7UFO has it ready for you.

The KXUSBC2 solves a few problems for those that own a KX2 with the KXIBC2 internal battery pack option. It eliminates the need to carry the external battery charger while on trips as it allows you to charge from USB-C. It has a real-time clock like the KXIBC2. And it allows you to charge a phone from the radio as the USB-C port is bi-directional. One difference between this and the original board is that you can’t charge the radio on USB-C while using it, however you can still charge it via the barrel jack as normal while in use.

It is simply a brilliant design that results in only enhancements in functionality!

This explains it much better than I can. It’s from G7UFO’s website at the time of this article’s publishing.

My KX2 is a shack-in-a-box with a 2nd battery and thus a direct swapout of the existing charger board. It is a relatively simple job with a Philips screwdriver and a pair of needle-nose pliers, and will take you up to a half hour. If your KX2 does not have the internal charging board, you’ll have a few more steps to follow, which are incredibly well documented here on Manuel’s Github.

Paying the dog tax, a pic of Wrangler the Shiba Inu, a.k.a. a cat that looks like a dog. (That’s Shiba humour!)

The entire job took me about half an hour, including some local distractions like running the laser pointer around the basement when Wrangler (our Shiba Inu) dropped by for a visit. I can overlook the fact that he hasn’t wanted to learn Morse Code just yet as he’s so damn cute. As I’ve been owned by Shiba Inu for over 20 years, I will fully attest that they are cats in dog’s clothing as the laser pointer is irresistible to him.

Getting back on topic … here’s a quick summary of my installation via photos:

Here’s what is in the package from Neil G7UFO
Once you remove the side panel and the Elecraft KXIBC2, the KXUSBC2 slides neatly into place.
Neil’s kit ships with clear tubing for insulation, but I re-used the black tubing because I didn’t look hard enough into the little baggie of parts that he so thoughtfully packed. Whoops.

I don’t wish to make it sound like it’s simple, but…it really is simple to install, especially if you are swapping it out from the original Elecraft board as I did.

The finish is professional and looks like a factory option.

Now – I can’t wait to travel with this radio and leave the charger at home.

72 and dit dit,
…Vince

 

[Edit a few days after I posted this article, I received an email from the inventor, Manuel HB9DQM who offers the following clarity to what I posted above.

“Just one small clarification: the KXUSBC2 can charge from either USB-C or the DC jack even while the KX2 is on. However, by default, it doesn’t do that (i.e. it suspends charging when it detects that the KX2 is on). The reason for that is that unlike the low power linear regulator on the KXIBC2, the high power switching converter on the KXUSBC2 inevitably causes some QRM, even if most people may not notice it during typical operation (details on https://github.com/manuelkasper/kxusbc2/blob/main/hardware/README.md#qrm).

So by not charging while the rig is in use, any possibility of QRM issues is avoided. If one does want to charge while using the rig, then the setting can easily be changed through the configuration menu, as explained in the user guide.

Charging a phone from the rig is always possible, regardless of the setting, as there it is assumed that the operator can decide whether QRM is an issue on a case-by-case basis by simply (not) connecting the phone. But for those who also use the KX2 in the shack with external DC power, that’s not an option, hence why the setting exists.

vy 73,

Manuel HB9DQM”

Thank you for reaching out and setting the record straight Manuel, and for your excellent design!]

First introduced to the magic of radio by a family member in 1969, Vince has been active in the hobby since 2002. He is an Accredited examiner in Canada and the USA, operates on almost all of the modes, and is continually working on making his CW proficiency suck less. He participates in public service events around Western Canada and is active on the air while glamping, mobile, at home or doing a POTA activation. You can hear him on the Ham Radio Workbench podcast, follow him on Twitter @VE6LK, check out his YouTube channel, and view the projects and articles on his website.

Announcements, Kits, New Products, News, Pedestrian Mobile, Portable, QRP, Videos

Pebble HF: An Ultra-Affordable QRP Radio Kit with Big Potential!

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Yesterday, Mike and Becky of the Ham Radio Duo on YouTube introduced a new product they’ve been quietly developing behind the scenes for quite some time: the Pebble HF.

In short, it’s an incredibly affordable radio kit—one that almost anyone can build and, importantly, almost anyone can afford.

A Community-Driven Project

Photo: Ham Radio Duo

The Pebble HF was born out of passion from the Ham Radio Duo–Becky (N4BKY) and Mike (N4FFF)–in collaboration with Barb (WB2CBA), as a way to give back to the hobby. The hardware design is based on Barb’s work, paired with firmware by Guido (PE1NNZ).

Mike and Becky first reached out to me a while back to mention the project, and a few weeks ago, they told me they had prototype boards ready. They asked if I’d like to build one—and of course, I jumped at the chance.

I was genuinely excited to get this little radio on the bench and see what it could do.

One thing I really appreciate about how they’re rolling this out: they’re using a sort of “group buy” model. Early supporters will pay a more than the eventual target price (of $50 US) to help fund initial production and bring costs down for future builders.

I was eager to support that effort and even asked if I could be their first early backer at the prototype stage. If you enjoy supporting community-driven, open-source-style projects, this is a great one to get behind—your early support directly helps make it more accessible for others down the road.

Building the Kit

As soon as the Pebble HF arrived a few weeks ago, I couldn’t wait to build it. The next morning, I made a latte (pro tip: the smell of a latte pairs well with solder smoke), laid out all of the parts on the table, and got started.

All of the kit components

In short: this is an extremely approachable build. I truly think even a first-time kit builder could tackle it.

All of the surface-mount components are already populated on the board, so everything you install is through-hole. There are only about 14 components in total.

Yes, there are two toroids to wind—one with 7 turns and one with 10 turns—but honestly, these are nothing to fear. Each one takes about a minute or two max, and they’re very straightforward. The only challenge is, of course, carefully removing the coating on the ends of the magnet wire. Even that isn’t difficult.

There’s also an LCD display with multiple pins to solder. The pin spacing is reasonable, and with a little patience, even a beginner should have no trouble.

The only advice I’d offer: take your time. While everything is through-hole, the component density on the board is fairly high, so you’ll want to be careful not to accidentally touch any of the pre-populated surface-mount components with the tip of your iron.

All told, I completed the build in about 50 minutes, deliberately taking my time.

I did make one small mistake—I misread the orientation of a diode by relying on one of the earlier build videos. It wasn’t a big deal and was easy to fix (thanks, Vlado!). Mike and Becky have since updated their build video to make this clearer. Had I read the written instructions (I didn’t realize at the time that there were written instructions!), I would have avoided the mistake entirely.

First On-Air Test

As soon as the build was complete, I took the Pebble HF outside for a quick test.

I deployed a 20-meter end-fed half-wave in the front yard with a simple goal: make at least a couple of CW contacts using the built-in straight key on the front panel.

At the last minute, I decided to record a video—and even piped the audio directly from the radio into my digital recorder. Initially, I thought I might just share the footage with Mike and Becky, but in the end, I decided to publish it on YouTube.

After adjusting a few settings—filter bandwidth, audio levels, and so forth—I found W9MET calling CQ POTA. I called once, and to my surprise, he came right back to me!

I tuned around a bit more, and I’ll be honest—propagation that day was pretty darn poor. It took some hunting to find another workable station, but when I did, I logged a second contact with KD1RT after just a couple of calls.

Video

Here’s my short video of this test run:

Click here to watch on YouTube.

What the Pebble HF Is (and Isn’t)

It’s important to keep expectations in check.

This is not a high-performance radio—and Becky and Mike are very clear about that.

Their goal is something entirely different: to create a capable, simple, ultra-affordable HF radio kit. Their target is a kit that can be built for $50 or less.

And frankly, there’s really nothing else on the market like it at that price point.

I couldn’t help but pair the Pebble HF with N6ARA’s Tiny Gawant antenna!

In terms of performance, I’d say the Pebble HF is somewhat comparable to the truSDX—perhaps even a bit more refined in CW operation since it’s a single-band design and they’ve clearly spent time optimizing the CW experience.

If you already own radios like the QRP Labs QMX, QCX-Mini, CFT1, or other similar QRP rigs, you’ll absolutely notice the difference. But that’s not really the point here.

The Pebble HF is about accessibility.

Flexible Power Options (and a Really Cool Trick)

One of my favorite features is how flexible the Pebble HF is when it comes to power.

Using the barrel connector, you can power it with anywhere from 7 to 14 volts DC (per Mike and Becky). I’ve run it on both 12V and 9V.

But here’s the really cool part: it also has a USB-C port.

During my first full activation (which I’ll be sharing soon), I powered the radio directly from my phone—just a USB-C cable from the phone to the radio. That provides about 5 volts, and the Pebble HF outputs roughly one watt at that level.

Think about that for a moment.

A brand-new operator could get on the air without even buying a battery—just use their phone!

Combine that with the built-in straight key and microphone, and you’ve got an incredibly simple, ultra-portable, comprehensive station. It’s very easy to imagine a sub-one-pound field kit built around this radio.

Final Thoughts (So Far)

I’m genuinely excited about the Pebble HF.

It’s one of the most interesting and meaningful projects I’ve seen introduced to the QRP community in quite some time. Mike and Becky, along with Guido and Barb, have put a lot of thought and effort into creating something that lowers the barrier to entry in a very real way.

I suspect demand is going to be strong—and they may have a hard time keeping up, especially during these early group-buy stages.

I’ll be bringing my Pebble HF to Hamvention, so if you’re there and want to see it (or even get it on the air), please feel free to stop by.

I also have a full activation video coming soon, along with more hands-on time in the field.

If you’d like to learn more about the project–or better yet, become an early backer–check out:

https://pebblehf.com

Becky and Mike, I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity to build and explore the Pebble HF—and for letting me be your first early backer. This is such an inspired idea, and I’m genuinely proud of what you’ve brought to life here!

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

Testing New KM4CFT KX1 Paddles and a Compact Stash Pack Kit at Umstead

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by Thomas (K4SWL)

On Saturday, March 14, 2026, our family planned to spend the afternoon in Durham, North Carolina—walking downtown, exploring a few shops, and grabbing dinner. I was especially looking forward to it. Between 2004-2008, I used to travel to Durham frequently for work with a nonprofit based downtown, and I hadn’t really been back in quite some time. By all accounts, a lot has changed.

In doing a little research ahead of the trip, I discovered a fantastic-looking independent bookstore and a small record shop with a great selection. (And if you don’t already know this about me—I’m always on the hunt for jazz vinyl.)

Since my daughters had projects to finish that morning, I decided to use that window of time for a quick Parks on the Air activation!

William B. Umstead State Park (US-2755)

With limited time to plan, I opted for William B. Umstead State Park—it’s simply too convenient when we’re staying in Raleigh. I was also eager to test a new, ultra-compact field kit I had assembled just a couple of days prior.

I arrived at the park in short order and pulled into the main parking area. There were only a handful of cars there—quiet and peaceful. It was a chilly morning, but quite comfortable.

I started filming from the parking lot, then walked over to a nearby picnic table, set down my bags, and spent a little time introducing the new kit.

Stash Pack KX1 Field Kit

Just before leaving our home in the mountains, I grabbed one of my Hidden Woodsmen Stash Packs—a solid black one that I hadn’t yet outfitted.

These packs are quite small, so I was curious how much I could realistically fit inside. As it turns out, the Elecraft KX1 fits beautifully, along with an antenna, throw line and weight, RG-316 cable assembly, a logbook, and essentially a complete field kit—with a bit of room to spare.

This activation was really about testing that setup and making sure I hadn’t overlooked anything.

That said, I still brought along my usual GoRuck GR1 backpack since it carries all of my camera and audio gear. So if I had forgotten something, I had backups nearby. Fortunately, everything I needed was in the compact kit.

One side note: I packed what I’d consider a “bare-bones” throw line setup in the stash pack—25 meters of Marlow 2 mm line and an 18 oz Weaver throw weight. But I didn’t end up using it.

This thicker yellow line doesn’t catch twigs, sticks, and pine needles as easily as 2mm line.

The forest floor at Umstead is full of pine needles, twigs, and small saplings—exactly the kind of environment that loves to snag lightweight 2 mm line. It works, but it can be a bit tedious untangling everything. So instead, I grabbed the larger, yellow Weaver throw line from my GR1 pack.

New Paddles for the KX1

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned on QRPer that Jonathan (KM4CFT) had introduced a new paddle kit for the KX1. This is genuinely exciting news.

The Elecraft KX1 has been out of production for many years now, and while the original paddles were a clever design, they weren’t always reliable in practice. The rubberized covers could shift, leading to occasional miskeying—especially in warmer conditions.

I have two sets of the original paddles, but I don’t use them often for this reason. And for anyone who doesn’t already own a set, they’re increasingly difficult (and expensive) to find.

Jonathan’s paddles are a welcome solution. They’re well-made, lightweight, adjustable, and attach directly to the front of the KX1. They’re similar in design to his paddles for the KX2 and KH1.

One thing to note: unlike the original paddles, these are not angled. So if you’re operating pedestrian mobile, the ergonomics aren’t quite as natural (but still doable). That said, I rarely used the KX1 that way anyway—and with radios like the KH1 now available, there are better tools for that specific job.

Attaching the paddle to the radio took me a few minutes. The mounting screw is a bit tricky to manage because the paddle body limits finger access. Jonathan includes a clever 3D-printed gripper for the nut, but mine slipped off a bit during installation.

I think a simple fix would be to secure the gripper to the screw head with a bit of glue—something I plan to do before my next outing. Update: The assembly manual actually suggests adding a dab of glue! 

Choosing an Antenna

For this activation, I paired the KX1 with a Tufteln 9:1 end-fed random wire.

I’ll admit—I wasn’t entirely confident it would work well with this particular KX1.

I actually own two KX1s. One is a three-band version (Audrey) built by my friend Drew, and it performs beautifully—especially the internal ATU, which easily matches a wide range of antennas.

The four-band KX1 (Ingrid) I used for this activation has always been a bit more finicky. While the build quality looks good, I’ve never felt that the internal ATU performs as it should. Even with near-resonant antennas, it can struggle.

Sure enough, when I deployed the antenna and attempted to tune on 40 meters, I couldn’t achieve a good match.

I moved up to 30 meters, and the ATU had no trouble at all. Problem solved—I decided to make this a 30-meter activation!

With everything set up, it was time to hit the air!

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After powering up, I heard K4NYX calling CQ POTA and tried to work him, but he couldn’t hear me yet. I made a mental note to try again later.

I moved up a few kilohertz and began calling CQ POTA. Continue reading Testing New KM4CFT KX1 Paddles and a Compact Stash Pack Kit at Umstead →

Antennas, Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA

KI5OEB: My Third Outing with the Xiegu G90

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by James (KI5OEB)

This is the account of the third time out using the Xiegu G90 to hunt and activate a park. I went to Drummond Flats Wildlife Management Area (US-7687) again mainly because it is close to home and it is compatible with my testing new things. This, after the previous outings, was a very deliberate activation with goals that were attainable as opposed to impromptu POTA, which I usually do.

My setup was an end-fed random wire of 71 feet in length with a 9:1 ratio UNUN toroid. The UNUN was handmade from a T240-43 mix core and wound with 16-gauge magnet wire, the same way my friend ‘The Smoking Ape’ told me to. He is a member of Coffee and Ham Radio antenna and YouTube group. We were chatting one day, and they did not have the kit available for purchase. He told me to just follow the same instructions and make my own. So I did.

I purchased the wire, 22-gauge BNTechGo Silicone-insulated orange, from Amazon and procured the winder from a local ham who has a 3D printer. Nothing overly complicated about all this. I used a plastic utility box from Lowe’s as the mount for the 9:1 toroid and BNC connector, and used a screw for the driven element on one side and a counterpoise screw on the other side. So my UNUN is not based on a winder.   

I set up the 71’ wire in an inverted V for the EFRW. I set out the system this way to possibly work more omnidirectionally and take advantage of possible Near Vertical Incidence Skywave propagation. The center mast is the DX Commander Classic, which is about 10 meters tall.

I found the center of the wire and extended the mast to height. Next, I placed the 9:1 UNUN on the orange cone to the south of the mast. Then, I put the electric fence post in the ground to the north, making the driven element a little bit more than a 100-degree angle, slightly obtuse. Last, I stretched the counterpoise further south on the ground.

I’ve only tried this antenna once before, and found two additional pieces are required to make it functional with the transceiver. First, it must have a Common Mode Current Choke near the antenna to prevent feedback into the transceiver. The second thing I employ to keep the system working well is I tied a dirty balun near the radio. This helps to block any noise present on the feed line from the 35-foot length, which turns it into a 25-foot coax run. These two fixes from the first trial of the antenna seem to have quieted its loud behaviors due to common-mode currents. With the antenna system in the air, I can move to the rest of the setup.

I put out my EBL Solar Charging System again for the activation. It can supply power to all my station, except the transceiver. It might be capable of that too, just haven’t tried it all at once on the G90. I attached the phone to charge and used it to log. The G90 was attached to the Milwaukee M18 Battery box described in a previous posting. The box power can provide a metered 20 amps at 13.8 volts DC, RF quiet through the Anderson PowerPoles. The table was set, and the antenna and microphone were plugged into the G90. Table mat was covering the plastic with its neoprene map design. Headphones are at the ready. The only thing left was to set up the Ham2K PoLo log for the park, done, just that easy!

I powered up and listened for a station, to start on 20 meters. Immediately found on the waterfall a booming Canada DX, VA7RR–I took it. Moved off 5kHz, tuned and moved back. 1:1 SWR with the tuner, and I threw out my callsign to get the contester in the logs. I waited for his pile up to fade a bit before I actually called, because I wasn’t exactly sure of the exchange. Listening was helpful in this instance more than normal. He was patient, but glad to get another contact. It worked great even on 20 watts. After that sole contact, I moved to the 40m band. I had intended to make 40 meters a priority due to seeing spots on the POTA app already that afternoon.

Next, I moved to the 40-meter band, looking at the band plan, to make sure I was in the correct spot and on the right side band. I started at 7.175 and moved up to listen for other operators. I got to 7.180 MHz, which is all. Listened to the noise and checked the POTA app Spots Page, three other activators were on 40m right now. Hearing nothing, I transmitted the traditional phrase: ‘Is this frequency in use?’ The transceiver didn’t like that. Hit the tune button smart guy! All was better now that the SWR match was made, still no traffic on the frequency. The radio liked that much better. Nothing on the waterfall and nothing in the headphones. I was spotted on POTA APP, then started calling CQ!

If you ever hear me call CQ, I don’t use the CQPOTA CQPOTA. My calls are as follows:

CQ CQ CQ

This is KI5OEB

Calling CQ from US-7687

Again this is KI5OEB calling

CQ CQ CQ for Parks on the Air

This is my deliberate attempt at not wanting the Anti-POTA crowd to feel this is an obvious CQ POTA call. After calling for some time, I will sometimes include the formal park name and my location, like Northwest Oklahoma. I have to include this because the POTA haters and tuner lids have made it so that some of us have changed our operations. The biggest thing I have done besides this is lower my power to 20 watts or below on Single Side Band.

Back to the activation…

I made 10 contacts on 40m before deciding to move bands. There were really just a few contacts to be made. It was a quiet band that day, which is rare. Now it was time to move up to 17m again to stay away from the contesters. I have nothing against the contest, but I knew it might be hard to do a contest from a park on 20 watts. I made about 10 more contacts there, no real issues, then I saw W7ONO on 15m from US-4391. I have no clue what made me look at the PoLo app spots for 15m phone. I could hear the signal just fine. With a required tune as quickly as possible, I think it took three tries after his QRZ to get the call back. That was a loud station on the receiver signal. I was basically done at this point. Moved back to 17m for some listening. Looked at the spots on PoLo again, and W7ONO was on this band with me now, too. Tried his frequency, and got him on the first attempt. Two Bands, Great Fun!

Can’t end on an odd number, let’s see if we can get a 20m contact quick before 00:00UTC from US-6574 in Neches, Texas. It took six minutes, but I got the 24th contact just before zero hour. That was a good activation on the transceiver.

Equipment break down showed me a few issues, and we are here to learn and improve. First thing was that the USB-C input and USB-C output were not supported simultaneously. The other had to do with the antenna; the center of the wire needs a silver paint pen mark to make it easily visible, and another plastic S-Biner from NiteIze needs to be acquired for that particular kit. I had one I used from my EFHW, but I had to track it down to use it. Nothing that was encountered was more than an annoyance, and all three are fixable.

In all, it was a fantastic activation with beautiful weather, great solar weather, and light winds for the aerial.

The QSO Map shows that NVIS was indeed working for the more local contacts, and I was getting long-distance as well to Canada and Alaska, AL7CK. Another aspect of the activation is how the transceiver performed with the random wire antenna. I believe that 20 watts output power and the wide internal antenna match the G90 provides, making for perfect expedient field use. There is no such thing as perfect in amateur radio, but this antenna and transceiver pair is a well-suited couple. I will continue to try as many antennas as I can, like the 17’ whip. I still need to try my diy sportsman’s meter coil with the G90 transceiver. I  expect it to perform!

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

Mark Activates Kimbuchi Forest Prefectural Park

2 Comments

by Mark (JJ5GVY/KB2PIZ)

One of the things that we have to do every time we come back to Japan is to open our house, do a deep clean, and clean up the yard. Hours later, with two sick trees removed, we finished! My reward for all this work was my wife sitting there quietly while I activated a park!

I had already activated the park near us, so I decided to drive a little further to Kimbuchi Forest Prefectural Park (JP-1649).

Here is a little information on Kimbuchi Park:

A publicly-managed forest park that can be enjoyed by everyone from children to elderly people throughout the year. There are nature education facilities and recreation facilities for the youth, including the lawn area, the forest learning exhibition hall, a campsite, the kids’ plaza and the Kinbuchi Ikoi-no-Ie restaurant.

Since I am only authorized to use the KH1 in Japan, I figured I’d use a wire antenna rather than the compromised whip it has. I brought the PackTenna EFHW, the Elecraft KH1, 50 feet of coax and a yellow throw bag.

When we got to the park, we drove around for 25 minutes looking for the perfect spot. Unfortunately, I never found a tree near a picnic bench! I did find a quiet spot with a pleasant view, parking, and a tree with a branch I could reach. I made it on the second throw! It’s hard to see, but the line was over the second branch on the right. You can just make it out.

I set up my “radio shack” in the back of our car and spotted myself on 40 meters. The band was really crowded, and I didn’t have any luck finding a frequency to work. I did manage to hunt one station! Nine more…

I then shifted frequency to 30 meters and started calling CQ. Within 15 minutes, I had 8 contacts, and then the bands closed down completely. I went 30 minutes without a nibble! I finally managed to hunt a contact to make 9 contacts.

It was getting dark, cold, and my wife was starting to ask me how much longer!

I went back to my POTA frequency and frantically called CQ. I was 5 minutes from shutting down when I heard a call! I worked the contact, made the log entry in POLO, and went QRT. Whew, that was a close one, but I made it. Here is a map of the contacts:

What a fun activation! The weather was sunny and warm, the park was quiet with very few people, and my gear worked well until the band closed. Morse code is magic! Operators worldwide use a common language, and with a simple radio and a wire, you can really reach out and some interesting people.

72,

Mark JJ5GVY/KB2PIZ

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

QRP DX?! Testing the “Just OK Mini” Antenna with Just One Watt

7 Comments

by Thomas (K4SWL)

On Wednesday, February 25, 2025, I had a busy day ahead of me. Most of the morning was spent cleaning out the shed next to our house. I packed up what was probably four months’ worth of recycling along with a fair amount of trash that needed to be hauled to our county transfer station.

You see, although we could pay for regular garbage pickup, we live in the middle of nowhere and have a very active population of black bears. These bears are remarkably skilled at opening even “bear-proof” waste bins. Our solution? Skip the middleman and simply take everything straight to the transfer station ourselves.

Around noon, I loaded everything into my old truck. Just as I was about to head out the door, my wife said, “Why don’t you take a radio with you and do a little POTA?”

Here’s the funny part: normally, I’m the one who suggests that. But in this case I was so focused on getting the job done that it hadn’t crossed my mind. The thing is, we have a little unspoken rule in our house—when I make a trip to the transfer station, I usually reward myself with a park activation afterward. It’s like a little present for being a good boy.

Shaking Up the Gear

I reached for my backpack, which normally carries my trusty Elecraft KX2 along with the default radio gear I take almost everywhere. But this time I wanted to shake things up a bit.

Fortunately, Mike and Becky—known on YouTube as The Ham Radio Duo—had recently sent me a fully assembled “Just OK Mini” antenna to evaluate.

Ham Radio Duo photo

The Just OK Mini is a small 3D-printed antenna kit that’s very simple to assemble. Knowing how busy I’ve been lately—and that I already have about five kits waiting on my workbench—Mike and Becky kindly built this one for me before sending it along.

Thank you, guys!

They sent it to me at no cost to evaluate in the field and simply have fun with it. And honestly, that spirit fits perfectly with what Mike and Becky are all about: making amateur radio affordable and accessible. I couldn’t agree with them more.

I was eager to give the Just OK Mini a proper field test, and this little afternoon excursion seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Single Lever Paddle

I also grabbed a unique single-lever paddle made by Michael (KZ4LY). On a recent trip to Raleigh we met up, and he handed me a box filled with 3D-printed paddles of his own design.

They’re fascinating!

All of them are single-lever paddles, but what makes them unique is that they use no magnets or springs for tension. Instead, the tension is built directly into the 3D-printed paddle itself. Michael prints several different versions with varying stiffness—from featherweight to quite heavy.

I chose the “normal” version, which feels precise and comfortable. It’s a wonderfully simple concept: just print the paddle tension you prefer. I love that kind of elegant simplicity.

So that paddle came along for the ride as well!

Setup

After dropping everything off at the transfer station, I drove over to the Folk Art Center along the Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378).

This is often my easiest and most convenient park stop when I’m heading into town.

I set up at a familiar picnic table and deployed the Just OK Mini. It was my first time using it, but setup couldn’t have been easier:

  1. Clamp the antenna to the picnic table (or a tripod)
  2. Screw the telescoping whip onto the coil base
  3. Extend the whip
  4. Connect the counterpoise and extend
  5. Connect the antenna to the radio with a BNC-to-BNC cable

That’s it.

For the mount, I used a clever 3D-printed clamp made by Mike (KE8PTX), which worked perfectly. In fact, a large portion of the station ended up being 3D-printed gear!

I connected the antenna to the KX2 and, instead of adjusting the whip length to tweak the SWR, I simply hit the ATU button.

The internal tuner found a 1:1 match almost instantly.

Easy button!

One Watt… Why Not?

Then I had an idea.

What if I only ran one watt?

After all, if this antenna is “just OK,” why not make things a little more interesting with “just one Watt?”

Trial by fire for the “Just OK Mini!”

Gear

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Radio

Key

Antenna

Pack/Case

Logging

Camera/Audio Gear

On The Air

No sooner had I started calling CQ than I received a reply. Continue reading QRP DX?! Testing the “Just OK Mini” Antenna with Just One Watt →

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