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New QRPp challenge

Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2024 4:09 pm
by N8TGQ
I enjoy going to the local parks to play radio. I don't drive, so getting to parks for POTA are too far away. POTA is boring to me anyway. Like shooting fish in a barrel using a $30k bass boat.

I try calling CQ, but if I'm not on the spot page and showing up on their waterfall, no one bothers to answer.

So, I got an OXO transmitter kit from Kanga, a LPF board from Zachtek a and set of QRP crystals from John, KC9ON, at 3rd planet solar. I cobbled it all together to make a mighty 200 mw, 7 band transmitter.

Now I go to the park with the transmitter, a portable shortwave receiver and a linked EFHW. I do what I call "beaconing", sort of like a manual form of WSPR.
I just send N8TGQ/b 10 or 12 times on each band after checking to see if I'm interfering with someone. Then I go to the next band and try again.

When I get back to my place, I check the Reverse Beacon Network to see how I did. Some days the results are pretty surprising.

Just another way to have fun with ham radio!