On Monday, September 2, 2024, my good friend Vlado (N3CZ) and I spent Labor Day morning playing POTA. Our first activation was at Lake James State Park, using the new CFT1 QRP transceiver. It was a lot of fun–you can read the field report and watch the video by clicking here. For the second activation, … Continue reading QRP POTA: Pairing N3CZ’s Homebrew Transceiver with the TennTennas 49:1 EFHW! →

I’ve had a production unit of the Xiegu X6200 since June of this year and have made several field reports using it for both SSB and CW. You may have noticed, though, that I haven’t used it much in the field since June. The reason? I’m primarily a CW operator, and the original firmware had … Continue reading Xiegu X6200: Does version 1.0.1 firmware fix CW keyer timing? →

Labor Day weekend turned out to be full of labor here at QTH K4SWL. My wife and I had numerous projects to tackle, and my daughters had various activities scheduled as well. By Sunday, my wife looked at me and said, “You need a break. Why not spend tomorrow catching up on POTA?” That was … Continue reading CFT1 QRP: Labor Day Morning POTA with Vlado at Lake James State Park! →

Yesterday morning, around 12:00, I picked up a DHL parcel containing the Venus SW-6B. I was so eager to test it in the field that I dropped my lunch plans, took the SW-6B home, opened the box, and quickly attached Anderson Powerpole connectors to the supplied power cable. I didn’t have time to do anything … Continue reading The New Venus SW-6B QRP Transceiver: First POTA Activation and Field Test! →

Many thanks to Christian (IX1CKN) who shares the following field report: How the Red Corners uSDR+ Performed on Its First Field Test by Christian (IX1CKN) 24 QSOs in 104 minutes at 5 watts—how would you rate that? The answer isn’t exactly scientific, as it depends on personal opinions, habits, and the unique propagation conditions during the activation. … Continue reading Christian takes his new “Red Corners” uSDR+ on a POTA shake-out activation →

Many thanks to Gavin (GM0WDD) who notes that ML&S have posted a product page for the new Yaesu FTX-1F.  I was curious what new product announcements might come out of the Tokyo Ham Fair 2024–this is exciting news, indeed.  The following specs and details all come from Martin Lynch and Sons: The new FTX-1F will … Continue reading The Yaesu FTX-1F Portable HF Transceiver: Yaesu’s replacement for the venerable FT-818 and FT-817 →

On Friday afternoon (August 16, 2024), after dropping off one daughter at her volunteer job and the other at Shakespeare class, my wife and I had about 90 minutes of free time before the next scheduled activity. We opted to visit the Sycamore Flats Picnic Area in Pisgah National Forest (US-4510) so that I could … Continue reading KH1 to the Rescue! A postcard field report from Pisgah National Forest. →

My buddy Jonathan (KM4CFT) made a big announcement this morning. He’s been working tirelessly since the start of the year, designing and testing a brand-new field-portable CW transceiver he’s dubbed the CFT1. As of this morning, you can purchase the transceiver kit on HamGadgets.com. A little backstory Jonathan first mentioned his plans to design a … Continue reading Introducing the New CFT1 Five Band Portable CW Transceiver Kit! →

My buddy, Jonathan (KM4CFT), is close to releasing a new CW Field Transceiver kit he designed for POTA, SOTA, and pretty much any other field radio activity. Today, he shared the following photo, which is a bit of a teaser: Those of you who attended Four Days in May this year may have already gotten … Continue reading KM4CFT Teases a New CW Field Radio! →

If you listened to the latest Ham Radio Workbench Podcast episode–our Field Day Debrief–you will have heard that my Field Day was a pretty low-key event. Originally, I had hoped to fly out to Oregon and hang with my friend George (KJ6VU) and his radio club, but there were just too many family activities happening … Continue reading Field Day: It’s all about the audio… →

Last week, in response to a reader’s question here on QRPer.com, I was reminded that I hadn’t yet made a video specifically about my Mountain Topper MTR-3B SOTA field kit. Yesterday, I made a short video (see below) where I show what I pack in my MTR-3B field kit and why I choose to house … Continue reading Deep Dive: My Mountain Topper MTR-3B Watertight SOTA Field Kit →

Many thanks to Sam (WN5C) who shares the following guest post: Notes from a homebrew POTA adventure Sam (WN5C) I recently wrote about the homebrew transceiver I built to operate on a month-long trip through the American Southwest. Upon arriving back in Oklahoma here’s the final outcome: 27 days, 40 parks, and 669 QSOs. I … Continue reading WN5C: Notes from a homebrew POTA adventure →

Many thanks to Shane who writes with the following question: I really need some advice. I know you have produced many videos on the Icom IC-705, and I am wondering if there is a way to directly enter frequencies on this rig, without using the touchscreen. Being totally blind, I really need to know this … Continue reading Eternal Keypad for the IC-705? Shane is visually-impaired and seeking advice. →

On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, I needed to make a morning trip to Hickory, NC, to take care of some family business and visit my father. I started my day early because I also wanted to be back in the Asheville area by noon. Some quick calculations over morning coffee and I decided I had … Continue reading Xiegu X6200 SSB Field Test: A Morning POTA Activation at Lake James →

Explore the new features of the Xiegu X6200 HF radio, its potential role in the market, and expert insights on what this new HF/50Mhz radio means to Xeigu enthusiasts.

Explore the world of budget QRP radios with K4OGO's comprehensive guide. Uncover expert tips, recommended models, and cautionary advice before diving into the vibrant ham radio hobby.