4 Band QRP Rig

[Jim Boswell]

Hello,
     Well, my interest in QRP has peaked again and now I am going to try one of the TenTec (China) QRP rigs.
Talk about a lot on my plate, working on a license upgrade, CW skill rebuild and going to try some HF digital also.
     The Albuquerque Winter tailgate is 1/26/2013, I am cleaning out the shack, what to sell and what to keep???

     What are your plans for the new year?
     73'S  KA5SIW

[cockpitbob]

QRP and digital here.  This weekend I'm going cabin camping with the Boy Scouts.  The kids run the activities so the adults are there for safety and transportation...it's a really booring weekend.  So, I'm bringing my MFJ-9420 (10W cw & ssb 20M) rig, my PicoKeyer, key and an end fed wire.  I'm going to work on my cw skills.  This will also be the first field trials of the rig.

For X-mas I got a Signalink USB.  Haven't had the time to get it all configured and working yet, but it's a long winter.

[gil]

That's great guys! Nothing better than a simple QRP CW radio  :)

I want to go camping as well, and made a list of what I had today, and what I needed.. Still quite a bit i need, including a new tent. My KX3 will come along of course, with my PAR 10/20/40 end-fed, slingshot, weights and fishing line.. Not sure about a solar panel. I may just load up on AA cells or bring my 2.9Ah 12V battery. I need to get away from the stress of work for a while.

Jim, if you want to try that QRP rig, let me know, we can try establishing contact.. Those are neat little radios. I have a Mantiz FX-2 and I like it. Same philosophy of use..

Ya'll have a great week-end :-)

Gil.

[KC9TNH]

The Albuquerque Winter tailgate is 1/26/2013, I am cleaning out the shack, what to sell and what to keep???

     What are your plans for the new year?
     73'S  KA5SIW

Not much, as I have what I need for a variety of comms. A couple of fixed-station needs are in the "mind tumbler" stage, as there are a couple of really nice excess lab benches that may become available from work, and one of them would look really good in the shack, ditching a hodge-podge of shelves. Another one is that, someday, K4KIO is gonna retire & I'd like to snag one of his hex-beams before that even if it's not going up right away.

I have been thinking of an FT-857 to put together a Pelican-able solution, but cannot ever fathom actually selling my 817 to fund its replacement. I can always turn an 857 down, but there is so much other stuff running behind an 857 that there's still a current-draw penalty above an 817, watt for watt. An 817 is also a bit over half the weight too. (What I'd really like is a 20w 817, but if running by itself I know how to make it 10w.)

I'm glad the FYBO QRP field day isn't this weekend as the daytime windchills are slated to be in the -20? range. (Feb 2nd, 1400-2400Z). Lots of fun to put on the coveralls, fireup the Herman-Nelson and sit up on ridge at the hunting property with an end-fed tossed over a tree-limb & 5 watts.  (I gotta remember to back off running a 'close' key at those times, gloves dontcha know.) This weekend wouldn't be "freeze your butt off" - it would be freeze everything off.
:o

The only other thing that might happen is if I take the front-yard maple out I just may take the one OCF dipole and run it as an end-fed, horizontal L shape out to & around the backyard.  The existing 20m end-fed with a short counter-poise and 9:1 UNUN on it has worked better than the law should allow.

So nothing critical, more focused on just making the bunker more resilient in other ways.

[gil]

Hello Wes,

Have you thought about the KX3? It's a bit more money than an 817, but believe me, worth every penny!
Filtering down to 50Hz! Right out of the box.. You can get a built-in ATU also.. 12W max, works great.
Thanks for the CD by the way  :)

Bob, let me know if you'd like to try establishing contact too...

Gil.

[madball13]

I decided to go all in on an 857 and get rid of my 817 and packer amp. I though i would get out more with the 817 and it has sat in my shack and i have not taken it mobile. I decided the 857 would be a better fit for me in the shack, mobile and portable. Got a N/S orientated dipole set up in my yard right now and thinking about hooking up a random wire. I got a LDG Z11ProII and i am hearing that with a 4:1 balun and a ground plane i can ling up a random wire, so i am researching that.

other than that i am reloading and storing food.

[gil]

i am hearing that with a 4:1 balun and a ground plane i can ling up a random wire, so i am researching that.

You can make an end-fed with a 9:1 unun. No ground plane...

Gil.

[madball13]

i am hearing that with a 4:1 balun and a ground plane i can ling up a random wire, so i am researching that.

You can make an end-fed with a 9:1 unun. No ground plane...

Gil.

Random wire and be able to tune it up?

[gil]

http://www.earchi.org/92011endfedfiles/Endfed6_40.pdf

Yep.. See: http://www.earchi.org/92011endfedfiles/Endfed6_40.pdf
I built it, worls like a charm. it does need a tuner.they have other models: http://www.earchi.org/proj_homebrew.html
My PAR end-fed is similar, and works without a tuner, 1.1:1 SWR.

I like end-feds, much easier to hang on a tree.. I shoot a wire up with a slingshot...

Gil.

[madball13]

http://www.earchi.org/92011endfedfiles/Endfed6_40.pdf

Yep.. See: http://www.earchi.org/92011endfedfiles/Endfed6_40.pdf
I built it, worls like a charm. it does need a tuner.they have other models: http://www.earchi.org/proj_homebrew.html
My PAR end-fed is similar, and works without a tuner, 1.1:1 SWR.

I like end-feds, much easier to hang on a tree.. I shoot a wire up with a slingshot...

Gil.

I like end feds myself. I have a 10, 20 and 40 by Radiowavz. I have made great contacts with those on single bands. I might have to buy one of those from EARCHI and set it up as a vertical for the house.

[gil]

My PAR does 10/20/40m, one antenna... Then I have my magnetic loop for 30 and 40m as well. Check out PAR, they work great.

Gil.