results from my qrp operation as C6ADO

Would you like to share your field kit or field reports with others? Please share it here. We will pick some of these to share on QRPer.com as well so please include your callsign so we can contact you!
Post Reply
User avatar
n1kdo
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2024 3:09 pm

results from my qrp operation as C6ADO

Post by n1kdo »

Results of my Bahamas QRP operation as C6ADO

I'm back (sadly) from Eleuthera, Bahamas, where I operated C6ADO (QRP) with my KX3.

Summary:

I operated February 11-16, 6 days, 9 AM to a bit after noon each day. After noon I would run out of shade. On Friday the 16th, I set up in the late afternoon for phone only -- logging on paper -- using a "talent cell 6,000 mAH" battery to power the rig.

Results:

I worked 275 on Phone and 270 on Data (FT4 and FT8).

17M: 28 data, 2 phone
15M: 107 data
12M: 105 data, 140 phone
10M: 30 data, 132 phone

People will tell you that you cannot work QRP phone. These results say otherwise!

The Setup:

I used my usual setup, which is band-specific end-fed half-wave wires (except on 10M, where I used the 20M EFHW wire as a end-fed full-wave) on the SOTA Beams "10M Travel Mast."
  • Elecraft KX3
  • Pro Audio Engineering PAE-Kx33 power supply
  • DigiRig Mobile USB interface
  • Talent Cell 6,000 mAh Lithium ion Battery Pack
  • Homebrew 64:1 unun
  • SOTA Beams 10m Travel Mast
  • Homebrewed band-specific end-fed half-wave wire antenna elements
  • my trusty Lenovo T420S laptop and its power supply
  • random coax, bungee cords, AC extension cord
Commentary:

Setup was to bungee cord the travel mast to a convenient post, pull a table into the shade, set up antenna and radio, and get going.

The band conditions were very good; the gods of propagation smiled at me daily.

Best DX was YE1BON in Indonesia on 17M FT8. I was running 4.0 watts with the KX3, that's about what it can do for FT8 without getting too hot. About 11,000 miles. 2,750 miles/watt. Wow!

Next best DX was JA7OWD in Japan, as well as about 5 other JAs worked on 10M phone, where the KX3 will put out 10 watts. About 8,000 miles.

Pictures:

Here is your fearless operator working some digital with a icy Kalik for company:
c6ado-by-n1kdo-smaller.jpg
c6ado-by-n1kdo-smaller.jpg (87.82 KiB) Viewed 8270 times

This is a view of my setup.
c6ado-operating-position-smaller.jpg
c6ado-operating-position-smaller.jpg (61.67 KiB) Viewed 8270 times

The whole station, except the travel mast, fits in this laptop knapsack:
whole-station-smaller.jpg
whole-station-smaller.jpg (42.67 KiB) Viewed 8270 times
"Beware of programmers bearing screwdrivers."
See N1KDO's Web Site for some of my hacks.
K4SWL
Site Admin
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue May 24, 2022 12:44 pm

Re: results from my qrp operation as C6ADO

Post by K4SWL »

How very cool! I love it!

Would you consider submitting this to be posted on QRPer.com as well?

You can contact me directly--my email is good on QRZ.com.

Thanks,
Thomas
K4SWL
Post Reply