The photographer inside of me is captivated by images, And if the old adage is true that "A picture is worth 1,000 words:, then these two images are examples of what come to my mind when I think about QRP.
This image from the SOTA Facebook page, in fact it's now their cover page image. Didn't Steven pick a wonderful image? Who doesn't dream of someday taking a minimalistic set up to the top of a mountain and communicating with the world? I know I do, but I'm also wise enough to know my limitations and that I'm no Steve Galchutt WG0AT and the closest I'm ever going to get to this is operating portable from a picnic table somewhere. Still, the thrill is there, even if the panoramic vistas aren't!
The second image:
Isn't Alexey's station just grand? A One Watt homebrewed QRP transmitter. He posted a video of it on Facebook and it sounded oh, so sweet! Again, the closest I'm ever going to get to this is by building a kit of someone else's design. I'm not an Alexey UY1IF or a Bob W3BBO who can seem to cobble up working equipment just about every other day. I'm no engineer or designer - God didn't grace me with that kind of talent. But still, I can build some things (although with SMD, that's becoming harder and harder every day for my poor skill set) and when they actually work, the satisfaction is there that I didn't totally screw things up.
QRP is not for everyone. Sometimes it's actually rather easy, sometimes it's challenging, sometimes it's frustrating, but it's also always immensely rewarding. Whether you're working from a mountain top or from your basement, whether you're operating something you designed and built all by yourself; or maybe just from a kit you bought and built ........ the Ham Radio experience you can get from QRP is like no other.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Yesterday — 9 October 2024W2LJ QRP - When you care to send the very least!
I mentioned yesterday that I was probably a day late and a dollar short and with all the geomagnetic activity, the Northern Lights must have been pretty up in the 1,000 Islands .........right?
This was posted to Facebook by K & N photography - of course this happened AFTER we left.
Of course! Of course!
I guess the silver lining is that the geomagnetic activity that promulgated these auroral displays did not happen until after my two successful POTA activations. So for bands that were in decent shape and allowed for some amazing contacts ....... I am grateful. (Always have to look at the bright side!)
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Before yesterdayW2LJ QRP - When you care to send the very least!
No. Not the Monty Python musical Spamalot - this is Maps a Lot. A comparison of RBN Maps vs. QSO maps from my POTA Activations last week. Just to see if and how they differ.
First - Keewaydin State Park, US-2088:
The Reverse Beacon Network Map
Actual QSO Map including the Alaska QSO
Closer look at just the Continental US QSOs
And now Kring Point State Park, US-2091:
The Reverse Beacon Network Map
The QSO Map
The QSO maps (courtesy of Log Analyzer 3.2 by DL4MFM) pretty much gibe with the skimmer maps, just as you'd expect. There are some discrepancies, though. From Keewaydin, I made it to Alaska, a bit farther than the skimmer in the Canadian North West that picked me up. Also, the RBN map didn't show me as getting out to the South West, but I did have a QSO with Oklahoma.
The RBN Map for Kring Point had no skimmers in the Western US pick me up, but yet I had a QSO with California. And I had a QSO with Arkansas, where the RBN map showed no skimmers picking me up. But even with the discrepancies, the Reverse Beacon Network is a great tool which allows you to get an idea of how your RF is getting out.
Just for reference, I was located in NY State right at the border with Canada, pretty much opposite of Ottawa. The RBN Maps are showing my signals as originating from my home QTH in New Jersey, so there's a bit of inaccuracy there. The QSO maps show the origination point accurately. I think RBM goes by your call sign info, not where you're actually located at the time.0
Lesson learned from all this? You're definitely getting out and being heard to where the skimmers can capture you, and if your snr figures are in double digits- probably a lot farther.
A week later and I'm still astounded that the AX1 table top antenna completed QSOs with Alaska and California. As Craig WB3GCK says, "It defies logic."
Final thought - with all this geomagnetic activity happening right now, I'll bet the Northern Lights are quite pretty up in Alexandria Bay. Sigh. Seems I'm always a day late and a dollar short.
My anticipation was growing last week in Upstate NY as Geomagnetic activity was getting greater and greater all week long. My SpaceWeather Live app was going off all week with news of flares, CMEs and such. Finally, there was a better than good chance that I would finally get to see the Northern Lights on Friday night - the last night before we left to return to New Jersey.
Upstate NY decided to pull a New Jersey on me and it clouded up and rained Friday night.
Sheesh.
In any event, I got my POTA logs uploaded yesterday as well as getting them into AC Log. Tonight, I want to make QSO maps for both activations and see how they compare to the RBN maps that I captured. I'll post them here.
The long range forecast for this week is showing the upcoming weekend to be nice. Maybe I can get away for an hour or two to activate Washington Rock, or perhaps the Washington-Rochambeau Trail. Doing POTA activations is kind of like eating Lays potato chips - You can't do just one! It's super easy o get hooked.
But as far as activations go, I'm not one of these guys that needs to get triple digit QSOs in the log. I'm quite happy getting my 10 or more, enjoying the outdoors and nice weather. If 20, 30, or 40 come easy because the bands are good .......great! If the bands are crappy and I only make 10 or 11 contacts, I'm fine with that, too. I'm in it for the experience and the fun.
The 4States QRP Group has come out with a new kit designed by Dave Cripe, MN0S - a CW VOX keyer. For those who may not be able to send Morse in the traditional way due to disabilities - this will allow Morse to be sent by your transceiver by speaking into it. According to the 4States website: "The CWvox is a unique solution that leverages the ability of Morse Code operators to vocalize Morse Code using "da" for dashes and "dit" for dots. This practice isn't just a novelty; it's a skill that, when done correctly, mirrors the proper length ratio of dashes and dots in Morse Code."
I guess I learned a few things about my POTA setup and a few changes that need to be made.
First, these battery packs I am currently using don't last long at all. I've decided to purchase another of the small blue lithium packs like I use with the KX3. The only problem there is that I will have to build an adapter cable as they come with a 3.5mm plug, while the QMX uses a 2.1mm plug. I have plenty of 2.1mm plugs and I have an old battery that bulged and is no longer usable. I'll scavenge the 3.5mm charging socket off of that, solder on a 2.1mm plug and I'll have the adapter cable I'll need.
Second, I'm not thrilled with the paddle I had recently purchased. I'm having a hard time adjusting it to the feel that I want, and as I was putting it back into the QMX bag yesterday after the Kring Point activation, a small nut dropped out of it and landed on the picnic tabel - not good. I still have a Whiterook single lever paddle kicking around somewhere and I also have the Bulldog Clip key. I can use either one of those. My American Morse DCP paddle will remain exclusively with the KX3.
Lastly, I have not fallen in love with the QMX to the point to replace my KX3 with it. For POTA activations, it's great because you generally find a clear frequency, call "CQ POTA" and don't move around too much. The KX3 is way more easier to tune. For general operating, and for hunting and pouncing in Sprints the KX3 is the way to go. Plus the KX3 gives me access to bands that the QMX does not. The QMX will be my "in the car, operate at the spur of a moment" rig. The KX3 will remain the weapon of choice for serious operating.
Yesterday was a rainy day, and Marianne and I vegged out for most of the day. The skies started clearing out in the late afternoon:
And we were rewarded with yet another beautiful sunset a few hours later:
This morning dawned sunny, bright and a tad on the chilly side. After breakfast and a few stops, Marianne and I headed out to Kring Point State Park, US-2091 for the second activation of our wedding anniversary getaway.
This time, I did not bring the AlexLoop along, only the Elecraft AX1. I was impressed by its performance on Tuesday and I was not to be disappointed this time, either!
Here are some photos that Marianne took of me doing the POTA thing:
And here are some photos that I took of the setup:
We arrived at the park at about 11:00 (15:00 UTC) and stopped at the Park Ranger booth only to be told that the picnic area was closed for renovation and construction, but that we were free to drive around and look at the park. That's when Marianne noticed quite a few vacant campsites that sure enough had picnic tables! So we stopped at campsite #12 and I headed off to the picnic bench while Marianne did some exploring,
I was set up by15:25 UTC, spotted myself on the POTA app and after calling CQ POTA on 14.062 MHz, I was immediately greeted by Hunters. I didn't want to stay too long as today is actually our anniversary and I didn't think it was polite and proper for Marianne to be bored out of her skull.
I quickly racked up another 14 QSOs in just 32 minutes and I pulled the plug when my batteries started going wonky. More about that in a minute. QSOs were made with New Jersey (NY to NJ on 20 Meters - strange!), WI, a Park to Park with WA9LEY at US-7256 in IL, SC, CA, GA, OH, VA, NC and AR.
The performance from this little antenna just blows my mind. As Craig WB3GCK said to me, "It defies all logic.", but there you have it, the proof is in the pudding. The AX1 will be my go to whenever I activate picnic table portable, The RBN map wasn't as impressive as Tuesday's but the snr figures were very nice! There was not a single skimmer that picked me up with a single digit snr report.
Regarding the batteries. I made sure they were fully charged and they did not last at all. That's probably due to the fact that they've been sitting in the shack for years without being used. I'll have to go to eBay to pick up some fresh ones or perhaps something else that will last a bit longer, but is still small enough to fit in my QMX bag.
Thanks to all the Hunters who worked me this week! My activations were not long or filled with triple digit QSO numbers, but they are valid activations and I had a lot of fun!
Around 10:00 this morning, Marianne looked at me and said, "So you want to go to one of those parks you were talking about?" Of course, I didn't miss a heartbeat and answered in the affirmative, so I placed the gear in the Jeep and we headed off for Keewaydin State Park, US-2088, which only a few miles down the road.
We drove to the lot where people park their boat trailers. Right next to it was a children's playground, a community pool and a very nice pavillion with plenty of picnic tables. The pavillion is all wooden, so no Faraday Cage syndrome.
I began by setting up the AlexLoop. It doesn't take long and I was on the air a few minutes before 11:00 AM - 15:00 UTC. At first, the calls came easy as I worked to really loud N9 stations out of Indiana. But after those two contacts I was calling "CQ POTA" a lot with little to show for it, and I was starting to worry that this was going to turn into a busted activation.
That's when I decided to break out the AX1, From previous posts you all know I've had mixed results and have been ........skeptical about its ability. I have to adnit that once I swithed over, the QSOs just started rolling in, one right after another! I worked stations in Virginia, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Oklahoma, Michigan and Ohio. I worked NL7V who according to QRZ is in Alaska, but I have to believe he was down here in the lower 48 somewhere on vacation. I didn't catch the state when he sent it. Alaska would be a dream QSO!
I didn't want to stay too long, as Marianne has no interest in Amateur Radio whatsoever. In just over a little over an hour, I made 14 contacts which is nothibg as far as POTA activations go, but still it counts as a valid activation.
The good news is that Marianne has agreed to accompany me to Krings Point State park later this week. The bad news is that since I only brought my aging Samsung tablet with me (and no laptop) my log submissions will have to wait a few days. My tablet doesn't have the display format size required to display the log upload page.
Here's the Reverse Beacon Network report for the day:
As you can see, the snr dB figures are pretty good for QRP. This AX1 is starting to turn me into a beleiver!
The rest of the day was spent doing things that Marianne had an interest in, and it turned out to be a very nice day. As we headed out to dinner this evening, we were rewarded with another gorgeous sunset.
We made it up here! We arrived yesterday at Alexandria Bay, NY - the land (or water) of big ships and spectacular sunsets.
Those cargo ships travel up and down the St. Lawrence Seaway, carrying tonnage betwwen the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. And as you can see, the sunsets are breathtaking.
This afternoon, while Marianne took a nap, I set up the QMX and the AlexLoop on our balcony, overlooking the river. 20 Meters was a snap. I was able to get a good enough match quite easily, which kept the QMX happy. I even figured out how to get my pre-programmed messages to transmit, and I called CQ several times, just to see where the Reverse Beacon Network would pick me up, I was happy wiiith the result:
The locations of the spotters was great and the s/n db ratios were pretty darn good too. I had double digit s/n figures for a lot of the spots, indicating that I would have been heard by Hams near those skimmers.
On the other hand, 40 and 30 Meters were disappointments. I could not tune either band in well enough to keep the QMX happy. The procedure is to tune the Alex Loop's capacitor for loudest band noise. Once you do that, you're normally close enough for a decent match, No go on both 40 and 30 Meters, No matter what I did, the QMX's SWR circuitry kicked in and the unit refused to generate RF.
Luckily, the QMX is happy with the AX1, as I have previously successfully tried. That and the Buddistick will have to be the mainplayers for 40 Meters if I get the chance to do some POTAing later this week. Of course, if I decide to stick to 20 Meters solely, the Alex Loop is a more than viable alternative.
For those of you who will be on the air this weekend, scratching your heads and thinking "What $$%*@! contest is this?", brought to you as a public service:
For those of you who like to chase Special Event Stations:
09/26/2024 | Triple Tree Fly-In
Sep 26-Sep 28, 1200Z-2359Z, W4F, Spartanburg, SC. Spartanburg Amateur radio club. 7.210 14.200. QSL. SPARC, Fly-in, 400 Glenwood Dr, Spartanburg, SC 29303. station to operate during operation of the fly-in. k4ii.org
09/28/2024 | SENARC 1936-2024 ANNIVERSARY
Sep 28-Sep 29, 1521Z-1519Z, W9WKP, Lincoln, NE. SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB. 7.265 7.285. Certificate & QSL. Charles Bennett, PO Box 67181, Lincoln, NE 68506. The SENARC (SENRC) will celebrate 88 years as a club started in 1936. G.C. Bennett, Auburn, NE, W9WKP was the first ARRL emergency coordinator for Nebraska. senebrradioclub@gmail.com
09/28/2024 | Volcano Days WV Oil and Gas History
Sep 28, 1400Z-2200Z, W8PAR, Parkersburg, WV. Parkersburg Amateur Radio Klub. CW 14.050 PH 14.250 CW 7.050 PH 7.200 FT8 on 20 & 40. Certificate & QSL. Jerry Wharton, 1722 20th St, Parkersburg, WV 26101. Relive an exciting chapter in WV history! www.w8par.org
09/29/2024 | Re-enactment of the First Trans-Global Two-Way Radio Communication
Sep 29-Oct 26, 0000Z-2359Z, GB2NZ, Many locations, UNITED KINGDOM. Radio Society of Great Britain and New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (Otago Branch). All bands and all modes depending on operator availability. QSL. See website, for, information, UNITED KINGDOM. www.gb2nz.com
For you POTA Hunters, at some point next week I hope to activate either, or perhaps both of these in Upstate NY - Kring Point State Park US-2091 and Keewaydin State Park US-2088. If the weather cooperates and I get the opportunity to activate, I'll post my activation to the POTA app and will perhaps spot myself on the DX Cluster if I get cell phone coverage up there. I scoped out both parks on the Web and it appears both feature picnic tables in their amenities lists. Operating from my vehicle is a last resort - I prefer to be out in the fresh air and sunshine.
I'll have my QMX, my AX1, my AlexLoop, my Buddistick and my EFRW to pick from, so antennas won't be a problem.
The weather outlook for the week isn't too terrible, so maybe I will get an opportunity. A might chilly for my taste, but it's Autumn and I'll pack accordingly. When Marianne and I were up there last year at this time, it was in the 80's during the day, and felt more like Summer than Autumn! What a difference a year makes.
Tomorrow, the South Plainfield Police Dept. is hosting "National Afternoon Out" as National Night Out in August was a rainout. It is going to be held in Putnam Park which was recently renovated. This is the same park where we held Field Day from 2021 to 2023. I wish I could be there, but plans preclude it. Our Boro Council is going to make a presentation to SPARC, honoring the 10th Anniversary of our founding. As one of the founding members, I really hate missing this, but such is life.
As Hurricane Helene bears down on Florida and Georgia, please be mindful of our brother and sister Amateur Radio ops who will be manning their radios on behalf of public safety. Some HF frequencies to be aware of:
Some Florida Nets
South Florida ARES Net3.940
North Florida ARES Net3.950
Northern Florida ARES Net (NFAN):
9:00 AM Eastern time Monday through Saturday Frequencies are 7.198 MHz. Backup on 7.242 and 7.265 MHz, all LSB-
Hurricane Watch Net
14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz
To ALL our friends in the Southeast who are in Helene's path ...... our prayers are with you. Take care, be safe and may God be with you.
A club meeting (not mine) with guest, ARRL SE Director Mickey Baker. If you want to hear details about the events that effectively shut down the ARRL earlier this year, start listening around the 16 minute mark.
Scary and sad. As an ARRL Life Member, who has always been uber supportive of the League, it would seem that leadership (NOT the staff) is befuddled in some crucial areas, and quite frankly, maybe not doing such a great job.
With my new hearing aid, I'd almost swear that I can hear H P Maxim spinning in his grave.
I saw this on the QRP 14.060 MHz page on Facebook. It's a POTA/SOTA setup by Vasil LZ1WF. I like the enclosure he fabricated for his QMX. I am assuming he built the kit. and designed his own enclosure which is really nice. He has a very nice little portable station!
These qualify as the QRP Image(s) of the Day!
Now for something completely different.
I recently purchased an OTC hearing aid from Nebroo, from an ad they ran online. These are supposedly different from other OTC hearing aids as they are not just sound amplifiers. They tout that these have a chip in them which will allow you to filter out background noise in various settings to allow you to hear voces better. They were delivered on Sunday and so far, they are much better than another pair that I had purchased. These are a stop gap measure as I am saving towards prescription hearing aids, which are mucho expensivo.
Anyway, I wore the one in my left ear (my right ear is so bad that no OTC hearing aid is going to help) during the St. Max Net on Sunday evening and used over the ear headphones instead of my usual earbuds. What a difference! I was able to hear everyone so clearly, I almost forgot what effortless hearing was like! They're very comfortable, too. These are the "in ear" type instead of the "over the ear" kind.
After the net, I went down to the CW portion of the 40 Meter band. I was able to turn the KX3's AF level down towards the lower end of its range instead of the upper end. That was nice, really nice. An additional nice thing is that don't give me any feedback whine like my other ones did.
I'm not running a commercial here, just a happy customer. My Mom always said to me, "Larry, don't get old!", and I always used to answer, "Ma, there's not much I can do about it!". I wish I had had hearing protection back when I used to photograph concerts for Six Flags when I was a PR photographer in the late 70's. It wasn't a "thing" back then. I'm paying for it now.
Around 1:30 PM yesterday afternoon, I headed out to the patio table and set up the QMX, the 4 States tuner and the AX1. I was very pleased with my session.
First thing I did was to set up for 20 Meters, find a dead spot, and after ascertaining that the frequency was clear, I called CQ about 4 or 5 times just to see where the Reverse Beacon Network skimmers would hear me.
Not bad for just 4 or 5 CQs.
Then I started tuning around the band looking for signals around 14.060 MHz, and there were plenty. I ended up working 6 POTA stations in IL, MI, KY, and NC, And I even had a very short ragchew with Ed W8EO as he was setting up for his activation, when he answered one of my CQs.
Down towards the Extra portion of the band there were plenty of contest stations, but they were going at about 35 wpm or higher and I just wasn't in the mood to copy.
In addition to working stations, I got more familiar and comfortable with using the QMX. I figured out how to program in the CW memories and Message 1 is now a general "CQ DE W2LJ" type message and Message 2 is now "CQ POTA DE W2LJ". I'll fill in a few other message memories as needed. I'm also comfortable now with the actions of the various buttons and navigating through the menus. I still need to figure out the CW filters, though.
I was also able to get my new CW Morse paddles adjusted just the way I like them. I close the contacts all the way and then just back off about a quarter of a turn of the adjusting screws so that the action feels like a touch paddle. It's a single lever paddle and it's reminds me so much of my Palm paddles, that I used to own. What possessed me to sell those, I'll never know. On of the major blunders of my Ham career.
The 4 States tuner worked like a champ! I was able to match the AX1 to the QMX in a snap and had no trouble whatsoever getting a fully bright green LED and a totally extinguished red LED for a 1:1 match. An added little bonus, I was able to easily hook up the AX1 counterpoise wire to the 4 State tuner's black (ground) binding post.
So in the span of about 90 minutes I was able to learn a lot and make some contacts to boot. I feel like I'll be more prepared now to set up quickly and get to operating without fumbling around as much as I was before.
Later in the early evening, I got a GroupMe message from Marv K2VHW that Suke JM7OLW was on 10 Meters and was loud. I tuned in at 28.019 MHz and sure enough, he was loud as all heck! I guess when you're running a kW to a 9 element Yagi at 90 Feet, you're going to be pretty loud. I did manage to work him and get him in the log. It's been a while since I've worked Japan, and sitting back after the QSO, looking at the world map on HamClock, and realizing the distance between Japan and New Jersey, that magical feeling came rushing back.
For those of you who love the season, that is. For me, it's an occasion to symbolically shed a tear for Summer. I'm not into falling leaves or pumpkin spiced coffee, although I do love pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving. Autumn for me is juat a harbinger of what is to come ....Winter. Yuck! Give me Spring or Summer any day of the week. Shortly, I'll be back in three layer season - long Tee, golf shirt and sweat shirt on top of it all.
I mention all this because I am hoping to spend some time this afternoon at the patio table with the QMX and the AX1. A little more experimentation. However, when I went outside this morning to take some trash and recycling to their respective receptacles, I noticed it was downright chilly! When I came back inside, the console of my weather station reported that it was 60F. Not cold by any means, but it was accompanied by a breeze that made it feel colder than reality. And these earlier sunsets are a bane to my happiness as well.
So I may have to don a sweatshirt when I sit outside later today. I didn't get on the air yesterday, just too many things got in the way. I'm hoping to see how the QMX, 4 States tuner and the AX1 play together to see if they provide a usable possibility when Marianne and I head for Upstate NY. I will also have the AlexLoop, Buddistick and the KM4CFT EFRW along for the ride, but if the AX1 gives me some decent results, that would be an option for picnic table operating from the state parks up there.
I'll let you know how it went.
Question for my fellow QRPers. As I was not able to sit down behind a radio yesterday .... was there any QRP Afield activity to speak of? Let me know in the comments, please!
Sep 21, 0000Z-2359Z, K3IEC, Mechanicsburg, PA. Cumberland Amateur Radio Club. 7.250 14.300 21.300 28.400. QSL. Frank Mellott, 1010 Good Hope Rd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050. https://www.radioclub-carc.com
09/21/2024 | Liberty Ship Remembrance
Sep 21-Sep 22, 1400Z-1400Z, K8JWB, Baltimore, MD. SS JOHN W BROWN Radio Club. 7.250 14.250 21.250. QSL. Scott Corsano, 108 Old Landing Ct, Fredericksburg, VA 22405. The SS JOHN W BROWN Radio Club (K8JWB) will be operating in remembrance of the day the ship was delivered to the World War II war effort (19 Sep 1942) and Liberty Fleet Day (27 Sep). More than 2,400 Liberty Ships were built over a 4-year span during World War II to supply the war effort in Europe. Questions: scott.corsano@gmail.com www.ssjohnwbrown.org
09/21/2024 | Villa Rica Gold Rush Special Event
Sep 21, 1230Z-1930Z, W4G, Villa Rica, GA. West Georgia Amateur Radio Society. 15, 20, 40, 80 meters; CW SSB digital. Certificate. Will be available, for download from, our website. www.wgars.com
09/21/2024 | W7Y Come and Get Wyoming
Sep 21-Sep 30, 0000Z-2359Z, W7Y, Cheyenne, WY. ShyWy Amatuer Radio Club. All Bands All Modes. Certificate & QSL. Shy-Wy ARC, P.O. Box 22483, Cheyenne, WY 82003. See website for more information. All logs will be uploaded to LOTW and QRZ at the conclusion of the event. https://shywyarc.net/wp/comeandgetwyoming
09/22/2024 | 22nd Annual Padre Pio Festival
Sep 22, 0000Z-2359Z, NJ2KC, Vineland, NJ. New Jersey Knights of Columbus Amateur Radio Club . 14.250 7.250 18.140 21.350. Certificate & QSL. Thomas M. Perrotti, N2JIE, 785 Vineland Ave, Bridgeton, NJ 08302-4822. NJ2KC.org
QRP Afield is this weekend and there have been no announcements on any of the QRP e-mail reflectors that I belong to. I know it's held every September, but it crept up on me and I had forgotten about it until I saw it on the WA7BNM Contest Calendar.
I hate to be critical or harsh, but if you hold an event or contest and you want lots of participation, YOU HAVE TO ADVERTISE AND PROMOTE! You can't rely on folks remembering and coming back automatically. It doesn't work that way!
I wanted to play around more with the QMX from the patio table this weekend; and I plan to do that. How much QRP Afield activity will I hear? I'm betting very, very little, and I hope to Heaven that I am dead wrong!
For that matter, no one has been yakking up the NJ State QSO Party, either. I know State QSO Parties are different than niche QRP Sprints - but still. You'd think SOMEONE would talk it up a bit.
I've decided to make the 4States QRP Group 4S-Tuner the official tuner of the W2LJ QMX Portable Ops bag. So I ordered another one for the shack for when I use the HW-8. This way, I don't have to keep transferring the one I have back and forth between car and shack.
I really, really like the function of the two LEDs. Great design feature by David Wayne Cripe NM0S!
When the red one is bright and the green one is out, the SWR is too high. When the two LEDs are of equal brightness, you have a 2:1 SWR. When the green LED is at max brightness, and the red LED is at minimum brightness or out altogether, your SWR is around 1:1.
This is a T-Match Tuner and I find it a bit easier to use, having the inductor in the circuit. Nothing against the ZM-2 as it is a wonderful little unit and will stay in the KX3 bag, should the autotuner fail for whatever reason. But sometimes, I just have a bit of trouble getting that single red LED to dim. I guess it's range is just a little narrower than the 4S-Tuner.
I already know it works well with my KM4CFT EFRW antenna. This weekend, time and weather permitting, I'd like to see how it handles the AX1 from our patio tabletop - a simulated POTA activation. Have to practice, just like the astronauts did! HI HI !
Onto another subject, with all the CMEs and solar flares that have been occurring the past few weeks, I saw this photo on Facebook, taken just yesterday, from the 1,000 Islands region in Upstate NY.
Marianne and I are heading up there soon for some away time for our Anniversary - I know I've mentioned that before. Will this finally be a good chance for me to see the Northern Lights? I hope so! If I'm lucky enough, I'll try to get some photos.
While I'm on the subject of photos - here's a neat one I came across the other day, for the QRP Image of the Day. This was posted on Facebook by Chris Farnham W1YTQ. He was camping with his son's scout troop in Boston Harbor Island up in Massachusetts and one of the licensed Scouts actually accomplished his first POTA activation. Later, after the hustle and bustle of the day was over, Chris decided to stroll on down to the beach to activate - Boston Islands Park - US-2421, himself.
Isn't that a beauty of a shot? The moon and it's reflection on the water, the KH1 with the antenna sticking up, and that cube-ish lantern. What a great mood shot! And once again, it shows that you don't have to tote around a whole mess of equipment to have a good time!
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.
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