Elecraft KX1

[KK0G]

I'll call you  ;)

Gil.

Never heard you today Gil, we'll have to try again. You busy this evening?

[gil]

Hello,

I did call you at 11:00 EST sharp on 14060... We could try 7030 at 22:00?

Gil.

[KK0G]

Hello,

I did call you at 11:00 EST sharp on 14060... We could try 7030 at 22:00?

Gil.

I'll listen for you then.

[KK0G]

Heard several stations from 7.025 up to 7.035, if you were there Gil I never heard you.

[cockpitbob]

Yeah, I was listening for you guys and it was really crowded around 7,030.  I thought I heard one of you because I copied "SOTA" (as in the end fed coupler), but I guess that was someone else talking QRP.

[gil]

I think there was a contest... Too busy... Sorry.

Gil.

[KK0G]

I got home from work today and decided to take the the KX1 out for it's first trail contact (the one in my front yard doesn't count). I did a short hike of probably not more than a mile back into an 1100 acre tract of timber a few miles from my place, found a suitable tree and tossed a wire into it maybe 10 feet high. After 10 minutes of calling CQ on 14.060 a W2 in Georgia answered with a solid 599 signal and gave me a report of 559. After that it was getting dark and the ticks were crawling all over me so I packed up and headed out.

QRP works, a rig small enough to fit in your pocket works, dirt simple end fed wire antennas only 10 feet in the air work, but the key to all of this working is CW, CW, CW, CW 8) If any of you are still on the fence about learning code hopefully this is a little motivation.

[cockpitbob]

OK, I'll bite.  What's that key you have so neatly attached to the clipboard?  I can't be sure from the photo but it looks like a homebrew out of FR4.

[KC9TNH]

I think there was a contest... Too busy... Sorry.

Gil.

I listened as well; all I heard was someone +30, splattering 3kHz up & down.

[KK0G]

I think there was a contest... Too busy... Sorry.

Gil.

I listened as well; all I heard was someone +30, splattering 3kHz up & down.

It's a Snapaddle kit I got from Jackson Harbor probably about 8 years ago. Unfortunately it's been discontinued. For a cheap paddle made out of circuit board material it works surprisingly well. http://wb9kzy.com/mechpadl.htm

[cockpitbob]

I think there was a contest... Too busy... Sorry.

Gil.

I listened as well; all I heard was someone +30, splattering 3kHz up & down.

It's a Snapaddle kit I got from Jackson Harbor probably about 8 years ago. Unfortunately it's been discontinued. For a cheap paddle made out of circuit board material it works surprisingly well. http://wb9kzy.com/mechpadl.htm

That's a neat, simple and really light key.  It never occurred to me to mount the key directly to the clipboard.   With your forearm on the board the key probably holds still without the key needing to weigh a ton.