Posts Tagged ‘QRP’
A QRP Family Holiday on Prince Edward Island, Canada
June 28th, 2012 | 
Author: 
VY2 portable K4SWL!
This year, during our family’s summer holiday, I’m enjoying the hospitality of Prince Edward Island, Canada (hence, the lack of recent posts). This is our family’s second visit to the maritime island, and each time we’ve been fortunate to stay at the same off-the-grid cabin on the eastern coast, less than twenty meters from the water.
Of course, staying in an off-grid cabin comes with its radio challenges—namely, supplying power—but also comes with one supreme advantage: no noise from the typical electrical devices that plague most of our homes. What’s more, this cabin sits on 60 acres, so not even a neighbor’s home appliances disturb my RX ears.
On our previous visit, I brought my (then) Yaesu FT-817, a 9aH gel cell, Micro M+ charge controller, 10W Solarex PV panel, some 300 ohm window line, loads of 22 AWG wire and an LDG ATU. Unfortunately, I found I had very little time for radio, and propagation was dismal. Indeed, it was during that trip that I discovered my FT-817’s finals had blown, so part of the time I was transmitting less than QRPpppp levels.
This year, since I knew the site well, I came better prepared.
My full 2012 setup consists of the following:
- An Elecraft K2/10
- An Elecraft KX1 (4 band w/built-in ATU)
- Elecraft T1 ATU
- LDG 4:1 Balun
- One 35 aH gel cell
- Two 9.5 aH gel cells
- Two PowerFilm Solar foldable 5 W PV panels
- My radio toolbox with various connectors, crimpers, cutters, wires, caps, multi-tester, etc.
- Enough wire and 300 ohm antenna line to make a couple of wire antennas
So…how’s it all working out? Brilliantly!
In the past few years I’ve done a lot of QRP CW—mainly rag-chews with some buddies on the lower bands. I’ve done less QRP SSB phone. When I first arrived at the cabin and began the process of unpacking, I couldn’t find the jumper cable to attach to my Vibroplex single-lever paddle (the paddle being a Dayton 2012 find, by the way). So, I plugged in a microphone and tuned to the phone portion of the 17 meter band.
Talk about radio fun!
I’ve once again re-discovered the joy of operating QRP SSB. It’s challenging to make those DX contacts and to transmit a long call sign (“VY2 portable K4SWL”) across the ether, but occasionally the propagation gods smile upon you, and you’re able to participate in a good rag-chew or quick DX with a 57 to 59 signal report.
Being 20 meters from the salt water is a bonus I don’t usually enjoy in my US hermitage. Due to its excellent propagation characteristics, despite my lower power set-up, I have easily worked stations from Russia to North Africa, from the Caribbean to Japan. I am thoroughly reveling in it, and the process has re-connected me with my ham radio roots.
As Gunter, VA3GA, told me in a recent Canadian rag-chew, “ham radio holidays give you a chance to explore areas of the hobby you don’t normally think to enjoy.”
So true, Gunter. That’s what I love about ham radio in general– the hobby is so broad, you constantly discover and re-discover favorite elements about it.
Limited space, antenna restrictions and HOA’s….there is hope!!
 |
| Not to shabby |
The SWR for such an antenna mounted undercover is below...
7.000 - 7.060 = 2.58- 2.03 tuner brings it too 1.01
14.000 - 14.060= 2.26-2.08 tuner brings it too 1.01
21.000 - 21.060= 1.01-1.15
28.000 - 28.060= 1.15-1.12
Extra bands with tuner
18.068-18.100= 1.01-1.01 with tuner and 9.98 after tuner
10.100-10.130=1.01-1.01 with tuner and 9.13 after tuner.
So where can 5 watts QRP power and an attic antenna go??
Italy, Switzerland, Japan, Jordan, South Africa, all of South America, England, Greece, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Niger, Algeria,Gambia, Alaska,Turkey, Ascension Island.........and the list could go on!!
How about 1 watt........
Germany, England, Scotland, Italy, South Africa, Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Poland, Ukraine, Sweden,
Lets move things down to 100mW's
Portugal, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Madeira Island, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic and so on.
Until I get an attenuator 100mW's is a low as my K3 will take me new adventures await me when my Hendricks 41dB step attenuator is built.
Some QRP highlights
1. Contact with HA8JV with 100mW's which worked out to 45,868 miles per watt contact.
2. This year I have worked 73 DXCC countries and am working towards my Diamond Jubilee award by year end.
3. Up to this point 80 contacts that are 1,000 miles per watt or more.
4. Lastly and most important......having a loads of fun!!!!!
If your situation does not allow you to install a dipole or similar medium size antenna my first QRP antennas were two mobile whip antennas made into a dipole configuration. With these antennas I was able to add to my 1000 miles per watt count......and more. So don't let some restrictions stop you from taking advantage of our hobby because less can mean more!!
UPDATE.......as Julian G4ILO has reminded me with his comment, I forgot to mention all the above was done with CW.
45,868 miles with an attic antenna……SHUT UP!!!
 |
| The K3 is ready to go at 100mW's |
To make things interesting as I was not "contesting" in the true sense I started to drop my power as I gave out contest points. I started at 1.5 watts to CR1X in Finland that worked out to 2755 miles per watt. Update....Thanks to PE4BAS my distance to CR1X who is in the Azores not Finland is 2417 miles per watt, thanks Bas for the info! He had no problem copying me so down went the power. I leveled out at 100mW's just for the reason this is as low as the K3 will venture.
 |
| Proof 100mW's is on it's way...no SWR showing |
Below are the top 4 low power contacts all at 100mW's
1. HA8JV 45,868 miles per watt
2. IR9Y 44,558 " "
3. 9A1A 44,187 " "
4. OL7C 42,496 " "
Until this contest my personal best Miles per watt 16,737 miles per watt when making contact with ZS4TS at 500mW's. Even at 100mW's being copied was easy and I was very surprised. I did not want to drop my power to the point were the contest station was spending his valuable time trying to make contact with me, but that never happened. I am now in the market for an attenuator do get my power output to below 100mW's and see what happens. I was looking at the Hendricks 41db attenuator. It's a kits and looks like a very nice unit.
CQ WPX contest + DXCC = Jubilee…….
Other goals for the weekend adventure
1. I have been playing with the Morse runner program each day working on keyboard copying....we will see how that works in a contest situation.
2. I want to take advantage of my sub receiver in my Elecraft K3. Use it to scope out other bands or listen for pileup's to die down.
To everyone participating in the contest all the best. May the propagation god's be smiling on us this weekend......rest up hammy's and hope to see you on my Elecraft P3!!!
Good luck all!
The bands improve slow but sure………
A great day = portable op’s
 |
| Portable op's QTH |
 |
| VE3WDM portable in action |
stuff I really don't use anymore thus it will be sold for "ham bucks". Cleaning up the shack gave me the warm fuzzes once is was all done and long over due for sure. I just hate looking for
 |
| all packed away in trunk |
Contacts made
- NN7ZZ Mendon UT 14.047
- K7EAR Solomon AZ 14.040
- IQ0PG Italy ARI contest 14.031 880 miles per watt.
- IZ1A Italy ARI contest 14.022 QRZ.COM can't find maybe incorrect copying
- DL5AXX Germany ARI contest 14.010 810 miles per watt.
- IK2HDF Italy ARI contest 14.011 834 miles per watt. I was very happy with the how the antenna and rig worked and was surprised at the distance I was able to get. I know for sure next time I am going to lower the output and start making some 1,000 miles per watt potable contacts. Some things that have to be worked on before next time......remember all the items to bring, some bottled water, longer cable for Palm paddle key and some adjustments to the Palm paddle key are needed. Well it's time to spark up the BBQ and get some dinner...cheers!!!
Gearing up for portable mobile op’s
 |
| The new "ham mobile" |
 |
| Removing some metal from the K400 |
setting up an antenna system that was easy to deploy and worked well. Now there was a small hitch in the plans that happened about 2 weeks ago Julie and I decided to downsize our
 |
| Need another bag |
 |
| New and improved mount |
cars!! We both had large 4 door Chev Malibu's and loved them.....but so did the gas pumps! We both upgraded to the Scion IQ's half the gas and half the size. Now this meant plans had changed for my summer mobile portable operations....well not really. The Scion is a hatchback and I would just have to use my trunk mount Diamond K400 as a hatchback mount. There was just one small mod that had to be done to the mount to allow it to work on the Scion. That involved removing a small part of the flange that stopped the hatch from closing as it rubbed on the bumper. With that done the K400 fit perfectly on the Scion's hatchback. I was still going to use my faithful and reliable Palomar mono band mobile whips. With the Scion being a much smaller car I was not sure what the reduced ground plain was going to do to the SWR?? I was prepping for the worst thinking that the SWR was going to be high no matter how I adjusted the stinger on the whip but the K2 antenna tuner would fix that. Well to my pleasure the 20m whip at 14.060 is 1.5 and the 40m whip at 7.030 is 1.4. This was with some adjusting of the length of the stinger but very pleasing
 |
| K400 installed |
 |
| SWR on 20m's |
