Search found 11 matches

by w2tef
Mon Nov 11, 2024 11:59 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: LOTW confirmations of POTA activations
Replies: 1
Views: 358

Re: LOTW confirmations of POTA activations

Paul, Newly re-licensed this month last year, this is a question I've wondered about. In 2024 I've made 150 POTA activations so far (and a few "mini-" activations: less than ten QSO's). Adding a LOTW location for each park seemed tedious. So I've defaulted to creating special "POTA&qu...
by w2tef
Wed Sep 04, 2024 5:11 pm
Forum: Field Kits and Reports
Topic: QMX Field Kit
Replies: 1
Views: 2732

Re: QMX Field Kit

Lovely photos, Sam! My kit is very similar. I use a resonant EFHW for 20/40 to avoid carrying a tuner. My first POTA activation was in April this year. Now, at 100 activations and nearly 1600 QSO's, nearly all on the QMX, I'm still perfectly delighted by it. As you say, size, price, features, energy...
by w2tef
Mon Jul 29, 2024 6:57 pm
Forum: Questions & Advice
Topic: How to attach a wire antenna to a fiberglass pole?
Replies: 10
Views: 10534

Re: How to attach a wire antenna to a fiberglass pole?

What I have observed among others with masts like that is they used a small strip of plastic. Drill a hole sized to position it where you want it to rest on the mast. Drill another hole to secure your wire. Slide the plastic strip over the top of the pole when you go to deploy it. I suppose you coul...
by w2tef
Thu Jul 04, 2024 12:42 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: 13 Colonies
Replies: 2
Views: 4589

Re: 13 Colonies

I just noticed the 13 colonies; got my first one yesterday during a pota activation without realizing what it was. Read about it this morning, picked a couple more on purpose. In the field with QMX, at home with K2 dialed down to 5w: all QRP.

But those are some ugly pile-ups!
by w2tef
Tue Jun 04, 2024 11:15 am
Forum: Questions & Advice
Topic: How do people organize/store wire antennas
Replies: 10
Views: 9035

Re: How do people organize/store wire antennas

Thanks, Rick. That's a clean, well-designed operating kit! Lots of good ideas in there.
by w2tef
Mon Jun 03, 2024 12:18 am
Forum: Questions & Advice
Topic: How do people organize/store wire antennas
Replies: 10
Views: 9035

Re: How do people organize/store wire antennas

Rick: those gift cards are brilliantly cut! Please forgive my ignorance: I understand keeping some windings on the card depending on the resonance you want for the antenna. But how do you make the connection to the radio? I'd be leary of hosting the winding card with the extra wire up into a tree le...
by w2tef
Tue Mar 19, 2024 6:26 pm
Forum: Questions & Advice
Topic: Is it too hard to start out on HF with QRP?
Replies: 11
Views: 16970

Re: Is it too hard to start out on HF with QRP?

(Looks on qrz...) Oh, THAT Teri. What a small world. Thanks for your entertaining and educational posts on qrper, Teri! GL with your 2024 goal!
by w2tef
Tue Mar 19, 2024 6:23 pm
Forum: Questions & Advice
Topic: Is it too hard to start out on HF with QRP?
Replies: 11
Views: 16970

Re: Is it too hard to start out on HF with QRP?

Teri -- Thanks for the note. I assumed this was the case. Indeed, sked's with far-flung CWA classmates sometimes worked and sometimes didn't, depending on conditions, when I didn't have a QRO rig to punch through. Occasionally we would revert to QSO's via Signal (i.e., videoconference). For the orig...
by w2tef
Tue Mar 12, 2024 1:19 pm
Forum: Questions & Advice
Topic: Is it too hard to start out on HF with QRP?
Replies: 11
Views: 16970

Re: Is it too hard to start out on HF with QRP?

My first rig (1998) was a Small Wonder 40. Without any elmers nearby I managed to string up a dipole and get on the air with less than a watt and make contacts in multiple states at 5wpm on a good day. Like Chuck, I've recently re-entered and am using a QRP-Labs QMX. I enjoy building kits, but this ...
by w2tef
Wed Jan 31, 2024 7:22 pm
Forum: Questions & Advice
Topic: sBitx - any good ?
Replies: 3
Views: 10052

Re: sBitx - any good ?

No info per se: I just stumbled across the sBitx this week myself. It looks fascinating. Though the price is approaching that of a used IC-7300. I did notice some cross-pollination: a couple of the sages from the QRP-Labs forum (Allison KB1GMX, Evan AC9TU) are also answering questions on the BITX20 ...