In yesterday's video we saw Alan W2AEW activate Washington Rock State Park with the CFT1 QRP Transceiver. Dummy me! I didn't realize that this is the newest offering from KM4CFT, who also sells the 9:1 UNUN kit that I recently built and put through a test run on Sunday.
Alan also has a YouTube video on the actual build of the kit. I am posting it here as a companion video - a prequel, if you will. It's a little long - close to 40 minutes, but is very interesting.
By the way, if you haven't subscribed to Alan's YouTube channel, you're missing out on a lot of great stuff.
Good friend, Alan W2AEW does a POTA activation with a new QRP rig.
Boy howdy! These new QRP rigs are popping up so fast, it's hard to keep up with them - what's new, what's what ....... WOW! Going to sound like an oldster, but I can remember when you could count available QRP rigs with the fingers on both hands. Pickin's were slim ...... no more!
Alan was at my favorite spot - Washington Rock State Park, in Greenbrook, NJ.
On Facebook, ON7RF provided a picture of his "modest" station.
Modest? Maybe in terms of $$$$$, but there's plenty enough there to work the world! Rene definitely has the right idea here - "Do more with less." You don't need an uber station or a kilowatt to work the world, and this is much more fun, IMHO.
Only thing I would change here is to use a paddle. My wrist gets tired from using a straight key after a while. Undoubtedly, it's probably just poor technique on my part, but I blame arthritis! LOL!
I saw this on a POTA FB page and saved the image for a closer look. Then I went to the webpage.
Portableflagpoles.com - they sell their drive on mast holder with two diameters. The larger one will accept masts up to 2.25" (about 6 cm) wide. The bottom cap of the Jackite is just a smidge over 2", so it will fit in there nicely. The mast holder is only $39 - the question is ...... do I really need it? I have to decide whether or not my homebrew mockup is worth keeping. It does the job all right, but it's nowhere as elegant a solution as this one. The other thing is that this one is metal, while mine is wooden. In the long run, I have to believe that this one would undoubtedly hold up better to being driven upon. And whatever I decide, I have to do it sooner, rather than later. Marianne and I are heading back up to Alexandria Bay soon and there are two parks up there that I'd like to activate.
When I worked at Sinar Bron, my boss who was a Swiss engineer, would always want the "most elegant" solution to a problem. Not necessarily the most elegant in appearance, but the best solution in terms of functionality, ability, dependability and sleek design (if possible, but not as necessary). I guess that's where that got ingrained in me.
He had a knack for bringing me down to Earth. When I would solve a problem that seemed to elude everyone else (even the factories who manufactured the equipment that we sold) he would say (in his thick Swiss accent), "Doo, Larry, even the blind pig finds an acorn every once in a while." Real confidence booster, right? Even so, I sorely miss those days. Working at Sinar Bron was probably the best 22 years I've ever spent at a job.
I hooked it up to the W3EDP yesterday (I did not switch out antennas like I planned - kinda long story that I won't go into here) through both my Emtech ZM-2 Z-match tuner and my 4 States QRP Tuner and I worked five POTA activations.
K9DXA - Harry, who hasn't competed in the Skeeter Hunt in a few years, he used to be a regular.
WT2P
N3T
K9RDO
WG8X - a two-fer!
It was pretty easy to get into the habit of using a manual tuner again. The only thing I had to look up was the "In/Out" switch on the 4 States tuner. Last time I used it was with my HW-8 and I forgot that "In" meant tune and "Out" meant operate. Common sense, really, but at the moment I wanted to be sure. I didn't want to kill a brand new rig over my forgetfulness/stupidity.
In any case, I had no trouble being heard and I worked all but one station without any repeats. Even there I got a decent RST, there just must have been a pileup on his end.
It's going to be neat having this little guy. I have a couple ideas for putting together a dedicated go-bag and keeping this bad boy in the car for possible spur-of-the-moment operating sessions. I may even start parking in the outside parking lot at work again!
So Yaesu introduced a new radio at the Tokyo Ham Fair:
It is the FTX-1, an all mode HF, 6M, 2M, 70cm radio - with an output of 10 Watts. Just what fans of the Yaesu FT-817 have been anxiously waiting for ....... right? It will be available for purchasing early in 2025. It is probably Yaesu's hope to knock ICOM's IC-705 off the top seller pedestal. I'll not go into the details on the specs of the radio as certainly you'll be able to not help but see them in the coming days and weeks.
But to my post title ..... "Clueless". Is Yaesu clueless? Certainly not! But as a QRP'er, I have to belly laugh at some of the reactions from Hams who either don't know any better, or worse ....... lack any skill, patience or determination. Those are who I am referring to as "clueless". For example, some reactions from Facebook (no names or call signs will be posted here).
"Joke 10 watts 😩, Unreal"
"QRP. Zzzz. Make an FT-857D replacement Yaesu!"
"I can't imagine putting out that much money for something that weak. Two screens. Cool, I guess. But just okay otherwise."
"On top of that with only 6 Watts on battery power it's not going to be very useful for people chasing DX let alone Dxpeditions.. breaking a pile up with 100 w and a wire antenna is hard enough as it is.."
"But then again that's not what this radio appears to be designed for, it seems like they're targeting the Doomsday Preppers ( aka bunker diggers ) and qrp guys."
I guess these guys just don't understand QRP, or never tried it, or tried it and didn't have what it takes to make it work. Yeah, sometimes breaking through the pileups for DXpeditions can be tough, but I've done it and I know tons of you out there have done it too. And DXCC via QRP isn't all that difficult. Heck, I've heard of guys doing it in one weekend when the ARRL DX or CQWW DX contests are on.
I guess it's kind of like FT-8 in a certain way. I've never tried it, and I don't quite understand how to make it work, or even have the desire to, but I'm certainly not going to knock the people who do. Although, in all honesty, I have chuckled at a few good natured jokes I've seen about it - but no disrespect is intended for anyone who loves the digital modes. It's just not my cup of tea - so why disparage the people who love it?
Amateur Radio is a big tent. Everyone should be welcome.
Last Saturday, as I was taking a few minute break from pounding brass, Dave W2OIL from the K2ETS club came by and sat down next to me. He handed me a plastic bag and inside was a You Kits HB-1B radio with a bunch of other stuff. Besides the radio was a Bulldog Clip paddle (like the one I have and use) a wall wart, a lithium battery, what appears to be a wire antenna and a printed out QST review of the radio. Dave told me the radio was bequeathed to him from the estate of our late Hudson Associate Division Director, Bill Hudzik W2UDT. Dave wanted me to make sure all was well and in working order.
I got my first chance to play with it Tuesday night and I have to say, i was quite pleased with the opportunity. It appears this one covers 80 through 20 Meters. It took some getting used to. Some of the functions are quite intuitive ,such as changing modes, tuning speeds, etc. Some are not. Luckily I had my phone with me and I was able to Google how to change keyer speeds and how to program in your call sign to get the "auto-calling CQ" function to work.
I had it hooked up to the the Alex Loop at the backyard patio table and did not work anyone. There weren't many POTA stations on at the time and for the one or two that I was able to hear, I was not able to break through the ravenous pile ups before it got dark and I had to go inside for the evening. Before that, however, I had called CQ manually on 40, 30 and 20 Meters, just so I could see where I was being spotted by the Reverse Beacon Network. Not too shabby!
The Gray Line is a bit deceptive in the screen shot below as I did the look up the day after. For some reason the RBN wasn't working properly on my cell phone when I was actually calling CQ. It wasn't showing any spots. In reality, the Gray Line was much closer to my QTH at the time, and undoubtedly helped with the propagation to Europe.
I promised Dave that I'd bring all this back to him at the club meeting this Friday night. I'm kind of disappointed that I won't get to play with it for too much longer. I was going to take it down to the shack tonight after work, and hook it up to the W3EDP and the Butternut and really give it a whirl, but we're forecasted for thunderstorms this evening.
I had an extra little IBM pouch from a USB CD Drive that I rescued from the recycle pile at work. The drive got recycled, but I kept the pouch as it was only going to be trashed anyway. That will provide ample cushioning and protection for this little radio. It deserves better than a plastic baggie. I'm thinking of stopping off at the grocery store and picking up a plastic kitchen storage box that is big enough to store everything that was in the baggie, and I'll hand it all back to Dave in a nice neat package, along with the printed out manual. Every radio deserves a nice home!
Bottom line? I guess I'm spoiled by my KX3, but this little guy seems to be fun to use, and would probably hold its own at a POTA activation or during a QRP Sprint. I wouldn't mind having one., and it makes me wish my QMX would get here faster!
Is stating that the new Xeigu X6200 will start shipping next week - Radio Shipping Out Date - Before June 17th.
And here's the sales pitch:
Precision RF Direct Sampling: Transform your communication with our advanced RF Direct Sampling System. Enjoy crystal-clear signal quality across HF/50MHz bands, including WFM/Airband reception, ensuring seamless transmission and reception.
Versatile Radio Operation: The X6200 supports a wide range of communication modes, including SSB, CW, AM, NFM, DIGI, and WFM. It's perfect for both enthusiasts and professionals to meet all your communication needs.
Portable Design: The Xiegu X6200 features a compact frame, a built-in replaceable 3200mAh battery, and substantial interference shielding. It's your one-stop solution for both desktop and field POTA activities, offering 4-5 hours of operation time on a single charge.
Advanced User Interface: Featuring a 4-inch high-resolution color screen paired with a sensitive receiver for fine signal analysis, the X6200 ensures a superior user experience. From spectrum displays with waterfalls to wide bandwidth spectral views, every detail is at your fingertips.
Automatic Antenna Tuner: The built-in automatic antenna tuner ensures optimal signal reception and transmission, facilitating smooth and efficient communication in any environment.
Seamless Connectivity: With an integrated sound card, FT8 decoder, and support for BT/WIFI operations, the Xiegu X6200 offers easy wireless control and connectivity, making setup and operation a breeze.
The price point is $799.00 - and no doubt about it, it's a very attractive radio.
Seems like a good deal, right? Not to be a Debbie-Downer, but a friend had a Xiegu G90 which failed. His only recourse is to send it back to China for an out-of-warranty repair. Just something to keep in mind - that as of yet, Xiegu has no US based repair facility of their own, nor have they established a service contract to any third party based in the US. $800 is a good chunk of change with no guaranteed repair service behind it. Just sayin'.
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