The QRPer Board

I've been using the QMX for a month or so and I can tell you it's very much a work in progress. As others have noticed there are many advertised features that don't yet work. The lack of CW side tone adjustment, general volume control issues, and lack of AGC makes the QMX a serious danger to your he...

Hey Bob,

For portable operations, I've had success with 26 AWG Poly-Stealth antenna wire from Amateur Radio Supplies.
Link: https://www.amateurradiosupplies.com/category-s/218.htm

73...Mike

Thanks Andrew,

Well explained. If I may, just one more question...at what approximate power level does the choke make a significant difference? In my limited experience, it seems like QRP power levels (~5W) just don't need a choke? Does the choke help at QRP power levels?

73...Mike

Great image...helps a bunch. Are there any advantages and/or disadvantages to having the counterpoise connected to the feed-point ground as opposed to having it connected to the transceiver? What is the ultimate purpose of a counterpoise in a EFRW setup?

Andrew...that post really got me thinking! I've got some questions/comments. 1. You said, ..."that the sequence should be the following: antenna wire -- 9:1 transformer -- choke -- coax -- trx -- counterpoise --" That's somewhat different than what I've been using. The Tufteln EFRW has the...

Andrew...great (and very useful) explanation on uses of the common mode choke. Question to make sure I'm understanding your correctly: when you say "...I believe it's better setting up a choke after the 9:1 transformer." I take this to mean that the choke goes on the end of the coax (feed ...

Andrew...thanks for the info on the "RF ammeter" and ways to objectively measure choke effectiveness on the coax shield. My experiences so far are entirely subjective and liable to much variation/error. I'll definitely keep this info in mind as I try to be more objective in judging differe...

Thanks Andrew, Yes, I've looked through that thread and learned much from it. I also understand the advantages of a longer radiator. However, the advantages of a 35 foot EFRW for my circumstances are many. My deployments, here in Virginia, are mostly under a forest canopy and if I tried to use a ~80...

I'm a fairly new Ham and only been at QRP portable HF operations for a few months. My kit consists of a FX-4CR transceiver, ATU-10 tuner, Tufteln 35 foot End-Fed-Random-Wire (EFRW) antenna, and 25 foot of RG-316 coax. The EFRW antenna has a built in 9:1 transformer and a 17 foot counterpoise. Consid...

Simply brilliant!!