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Here’s a video by Dennis Blanchard, K1YPP who is also the author of “Three Hundred Zeros”

Dennis hiked the Appalachian Trail, among other places and has lived to tell us all about it.  If you haven’t read his book, then you’re missing a good read.  While there’s not a whole lot in devoted to Amatuer Radio, it is a good read nonetheless, and inspiring, too.

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

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!

I worked JT1AA/3 in Mongolia again tonight. This time it was different, though – it was on 15 Meters instead of 17 Meters for a new band, and 5 Watts did the trick this time. It took a couple of repeats, even with another station trying to send right over me, but Gan’s terrific ears pulled my signal out of the aether.

Mongolia on 5 Watts – covering a distance of about 6,320 miles. Very cool beans!

In addition, thanks to some helpful direction from Terry G4POP and Daniele IW3HMH, I was able to solve a slight problem with Log4OM that was baffling me.  When I would mouse click on a station in the DX Cluster, the KX3 would go right to the proper frequency – but the radio would change modes and go into CW REV.  It didn’t matter if I was changing frequencies between bands or within a band.  Whenever I clicked, I would jump to the right frequency – but the mode would always change from CW to CW REV.

So on Terry and Daniele’s suggestion, I went into the configuration files for the K3 in OmniRig (the CAT program that Log4OM uses). There I saw the commands for CW and CW REV. The command for CW-U was MD7 and the command for CW-L was MD3. So I flipped them, saved the file, restarted everything and now it works fine. Geez, at this rate, I might become a software problem solver in about a hundred years or so!

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

Over the weekend I released the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast (PARP) episode 68.  In this episode I discuss the ARRL Centennial On-Air Events currently taking place up and down the bands.  This includes both the W1AW Portable stations as well as the Centennial Points Challenge QSO Party. 

In addition, PARP 68 introduces you to TJ, WØEA who  is busy with his 100 Days of Summer and Quintessence by Jeff, K9EV.  All this and more…Enjoy!

Thanks for listening…

73 de KDØBIK

GigaParts 2014 Ham Radio Day Special is now available for download.

On March 29, 2014 Tommy and George visited the annual GigaParts’ Ham Radio Day. Come along for the trip and see interviews you won’t find anywhere else. Ray Novak from Icom America, Phil Parton from Kenwood, Dennis Motschenbacker from Yeasu, Emmett Hohensee from Radiowavz, Richard Stubbs from MFJ, George Howard from GigaParts, Charlie Emerson from Huntsville Hamfest, and Tom Medlin from W5KUB.

53:06 of Huntsville fun.

Download

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