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Paul Signorelli W0RW posted this to QRP-L yesterday. It is entitled “Top 10 Steps for QRPttF Operation”.  This is SO good that it needs to be shared with those who might not subscribe to QRP-L. Paul has spent many a year operating outdoors, particularly pedestrian mobile.  Paul has a wealth of tribal knowledge built up here and this is good – very good, but often overlooked advice.

Here are the Top Ten Steps that I take for successful QRP Portable operation:

1. Propagation and Band Activity.
When you operate portable you want to work as many people as possible so the band conditions must be good. This means that you have to keep track of the propagation conditions before planning an operation. I try to look for propagation predictions for the band I plan to operate on but they are not very reliable. I check the QSL Net propagation site at <http://dx.qsl.net/propagation/>

The flux is always changing, so before I pick a date to operate, I monitor the bands at the same time that I plan to operate. The Absorption Index is also a key factor, I never operate when the “A” Index is above 6. I also use the NCDXF beacons see: <http://www.ncdxf.org/beacon/beaconschedule.html>

Trenton Military (15034 kHz) or CHU (14670 kHz) for 20 Meter propagation checks. Coastal stations might use WWV/WWVH on 10, 15 20 and 25 Mhz.

20 Meters is best for day time country wide propagation. 40 and 80 Meters are good for night time operation. I always try to avoid contests and other busy periods. Checking the QST Contest Calendar helps to insure the band is going to be clear. Check your desired frequency in advance, you don’t want to pick a frequency that is used for nets, traffic handling or RTTY.

2. Weather Conditions.
The weather forecasting is really good, so this is easy.
Try <http://www.wunderground.com/>
I look for warm temperatures and no wind. If it is going to rain don’t get too far away from a shelter.
Check your local web cam.

3. Honey Doo Items.
Always check the XYL’s honey doo list and make sure you have a valid Pass for the day.

4. Location and Road Conditions.
Try a your local National Park <http://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm>, If you are an Old Timer you can get a lifetime Pass. Always check the road and site conditions before going out in the field. You don’t want to drive hundreds of miles to find out that the Capulin Volcano road is closed by snow. Canyon roads can have snow or land slides, Pick an open space operating site, canyons are not good for QRP operating. If you are going to operate Pedestrian Mobile with a whip you will want to find trails that don’t have a lot of over hanging, antenna eating branches.

5. Equipment Readiness.
You need to check out your equipment right before you head out to your operating site. This prevents leaving behind some critical item. Needless to say, you should have your antenna all pre-tuned before you leave. My radio is always mounted to a backpack and is always ready to go. The LiIon battery is always charged but I always take a spare. I just need to put the back pack into the car, with the antenna and counterpoise. The accessories should also be checked: microphone, earphones, key, SWR meter, pen, log, watch, hat, gloves, coat, etc.

Make an equipment checklist.

It is good to charge or have a spare accessory batteries for your computer, keyer, SCAF, HT’s, etc.,
and a spare radio, clip leads and duct tape for contingencies.

6. Vittles.
I take water, lunch (GORP) and my VHF HT in a fanny pack.

7. Operating Announcements:
I try to post my operations on the reflectors a day before the operation. When you post too far in advance, people forget and when you post right before the operation, some people don’t get get the notice until after your are finished. I always try to be on my exact posted frequency (or alternate) at the exact time so people don’t get stood up. Posting your operating times gives you more Q’s. It is no fun running your battery down calling CQ with no responses. QRPspots, HFnow, GORC, QRP-L, SOTA Summits are good places to list your operation, as appropriate.

Post your schedule in GMT (Universal Time/Zulu time) as well as your local time.

Also post details about your operating location, links to pictures, trail maps, QSL Information, will be helpful, etc.

8. Prep Your Vehicle.
Put gas in your tank !

9. Initial set up.
When I arrive at my operating site, I set up my rig , attach the antenna, and check power and my operating frequency. When operating Pedestrian Mobile, I tune my whip and dragwire, put on my backpack and I am ready for the trail.

10. Safety.
Always be prepared for adverse conditions. You might need rain gear, snake proof boots, a map, GPS, etc. Always give someone your travel plans. Take your cell phone or an HT that will hit a repeater.
Be safe !
————

For more detailed information on Portable and Pedestrian Mobile operation get WA3WSJ’s Amateur Radio Pedestrian Mobile Handbook. He has made his First Edition Handbook free at: http://w3bqc.homestead.com/W3BQC-Library-Contents.html

That’s it, the Top Ten Steps for QRP portable operating. If you are addicted, you can consider this your 10 Step Program.

Paul w0rw

Thanks for sharing your wisdom and knowledge, Paul!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!

It was a perfect day for a hike up to Knox Mountain. I walked up after lunch and worked Ukraine, Italy and Portugal.

The first bridge crosses the brook a few minutes into the hike. It’s collapsing. One of the main support timbers has crashed into the water. The whole thing is sagging… I cross carefully.

The trail meanders through the woods alongside of the brook. It’s a glorious adventure. Huge pine trees tower above the path.

It’s about 50F today with some clouds. I’m looking for a way to cross the brook at the top end of the trail. The second bridge is gone and a board we placed across the rocks last year has washed away with the snow melt. I find a place about a quarter of a mile from the pond where I can jump safely across the rocks.

Alongside the brook, at the bottom of a steep hillside, I found an area covered with bright yellow colts foot flowers. Within a few minutes I reach the dam and the pond comes into view.

I walk around to the opposite bank and toss my line over a high cherry tree near the cabin. I pull up a 33 foot wire. I use the earchi.org 9:1 unun connected to the KX3 and run 5 watts.

I tune up on 15 meters and hear Dima, UT6UA in the Ukraine. We exchange reports and he gives me a 569. He’s a 599.

Next I work Walter IK5ZWU in Italy. He’s also a strong 599 and gives me a 559. Then I switch to 20 meters and call Oleg CT7/RC2A who is portable in Portugal. His signal is excellent and he gives me a 569.

I sit for a few minutes enjoying the view before I pack up. It’s been four months since I was here last. You can see why it’s a favorite spot.

Just days before Easter in Thunder Bay, Ontario and suffering from severe cabin fever I decided to take the radio outside and see if I could set up and make a contact. I took the VX1210 outside to the picnic table, put one 33’ chunk of wire about 10’ up in a spruce tree, put the other 33’ piece along the ground underneath for a counterpoise and went to 17 meters…As I tuned across I heard all kinds of stations with a huge pileup located above 18.075… I tuned down just a bit to hear OK2AN Vasek in Kunstat Czech. Calling CQ with no takers…so I fired up the straight key with cold hands, sent my call and he came right back to me…He gave me a 569 and he was an easy 599.. Told him I was running 5 watts out and he acknowledged that on the next go round. We talked about 10 minutes and then he continued on. So in all the time it took me to set up I was able to make a QSO with Czech. With no problems at all with the VX1210 at 5 watts…what a blast

Fred Lesnick
Thunder Bay, Ontario

All Photos by W3ATB

Tim W3ATB and I rode our bikes to Eagle Pond along the old rail route. We worked Hungary, Israel, Ukraine, Indiana, and Virginia.

We traveled along the old Northern Rail route about four miles. It’s 60F and a perfect spring day. We skirted back and forth across the Black River starting out in Andover.

We stopped at the covered bridge to enjoy the scenery and rest a bit. About a mile and a half from Andover is Potter Place. The local historical society has turned the old station into a museum.

The route is a perfect bike path. Railroad grades are very slight so there are no hills at all. We come to Eagle Pond after riding 40 minutes or so. It’s glorious. Blue sky, sparkling water and some good DX. I’m running the KX3 with a 33 foot wire. I operate mostly on 15M and 17M.

Here’s my log:

25 Apr-14 1855 21.010 HA9RT CW 599 599 Hungary
25 Apr-14 1900 18.076 EM90WF CW 599 599 Ukraine
25 Apr-14 1910 21.018 HA8FK CW 559 599 Hungary
25 Apr-14 1915 18.091 KA4RRU CW 559 599 VA
25 Apr-14 1922 18.078 4Z5IW CW 559 599 Israel

Tim is sitting about 60 feet away running an HB-1B and the Par End fed wire. He’s operating on 20M. He has a nice QSO with an Indiana station. Amazingly, we don’t interfere with each other even though we have parallel vertical wires in close proximity.

We pack up our gear for the return trip and stop several times along the trail. Our butts are sore and our muscles feel the exercise. We’ll be in better shape next time. We pass a few spots with telltale signs of winter. They’ll probably be gone next time too. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow.

Courtesy of N8NQH

Thanks to Tim, N8NQH for sharing a possible 60-cent fix for the loss of memory problems plaguing some Wouxun radios. He’s created a great little resource page for those looking to tackle this repair. According to him, the problem is a little 8-pin DIP surface mounted 24C64 serial memory IC.

Please note, however, that he makes it very clear that this repair is made at your own risk! Your mileage may vary, but at least it’s a possible starting place.

http://tim-yvonne.com/ham/wouxun-memory/index.htm

Got an answer from Terry G4POP regarding my Log4OM issue regarding the distances being shown in kilometers, rather than miles (even though I chose the miles option):

 “Distance in miles is only for display, when the record is saved to your log it has to conform with the ADIF (Amateur Data Interchange Format) format which requires Km.”

Since I’m not the software or ADIF expert, I’ll accept that answer, although HRD and other logging programs I have played with seem to work around it.  In light of how good the program seems to me so far, it’s a minor inconvenience, and in the scheme of things I can live with that.  What’s more important to me is that the CAT (Computer Aided Tuning) works well.  The KX3 seems to obey whenever I point and click on a frequency.

The DX Cluster and the loading and downloading to and from eQSL and LotW work especially well. Callsign lookup is lightning fast. In short, Log4OM is easy to use (it has a very short learning curve), it makes sense, works well and is aesthetically pleasing too. It’s easy on the eyes and to many, that may be superfluous, but to me it is important. 

Another big plus is that the Website offers for download a comprehensive User Manual that is complete, but is still a manageably sized document that I can keep on my tablet for easy reference.

The evaluation of logging software is very subjective. What works for one person is useless to another. Log4OM works very well for me, and if you’re looking for something new, or a nice package, be sure to check it out.  It might not be your cup of tea; but then again it might.

Here’s a VERY COOL special event that is going on tomorrow. I want to help spread the word:

“A Special Event honoring 20 years of the AZ ScQRPions QRP Club will be held April 26, 1400-2330 UTC at the unique relic of the cold war nuclear deterrent: the TITAN MISSILE MUSEUM in Green Valley AZ dedicated by Ronald Reagan to creating an ongoing awareness of the Armagedon that would result from a nuclear exchange. Everyone should be guided through the silo andcontrol rooms to get a sense of the reality of it all.

The CLUB will use the site’s primary antenna — a broadband 90′ DISCONE with a fairly flat SWR from 1.8-30 Mhz, with low nodes in most of the ham bands. We will operate with QRP rigs such as the KX3, K3, QRP+, ICOM-703, ATS-4, Wilderness Sierra and who knows what else. QRP frequencies will be used to the extent they produce steady contacts. Otherwise take note of the following operating Fregs: SSB — 14270Mhz, 18130Mhz, 21280Mhz, & 28370Mhz, +/-20Khz; c.w. –14020, 18072, 21030, 28015, +/-10Khz. We will call ” CQ TITAN de K7T”.

Details and photos of the DISCONE monster can be viewed at the following links:

http://www.wa0itp.com/titandiscone.html
http://www.wa0itp.com/ttm%202010.htm

http://www.gvarc.us

Special QSL on receipt of your QSL to:

Ade Weiss W0RSP, 810 N. Placita la Canoa, Green Valley, AZ 85614

QRO stations certainly invited to let us know we’re getting out — and to practice copying weak DX signals and local QRP signals! Win-win!

Check http://www.QRPSPOTS.com for most current frequency info.

Simultaneous operation of three stations on the Discone is planned using a triplexer and bandpass filters. An in-band SSB 20m – 10M experiment will be attempted with additional antennas separated from the Discone. Note that 12M, 17M CW/SSB and 30M may also be used as this is not a contest, but an outdoor operating event on a nice 90F+ spring day!

Drop by for a QSO! Make our day! CU de TITAN!

Also …… tomorrow, Saturday April 26th is International Marconi Day.  You may hear a lot of stations on the air around the world using an “IMD” suffix.  That’s what that is all about.  You can read more about it on the ARRL Letter, if you get that, or by going here:  http://g4usb.net/IMD/the-award/award-classes/

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!

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