Bonjour,

Certainly. I got the tracking number last night. I hope to get it before the week-end, but probably early next week.

Gil.

Quote from: gil on September 21, 2019, 05:50:08 pmAnother contender in my book is the QRPVer Minion, either the Mini or SDR version. It is much cheaper. The case doesn't look very rugged but it has few buttons and a small screen. 120mA for the mini and 220mA for the SDR. The mini has a direct conversion receiver, so presumably much more discreet as far as unwanted emissions even on receive ...

Quote from: gil on March 11, 2020, 11:20:26 amFor HF, I just ordered a QRPVer Minion SDR! That will be mainly for SSB.
https://qrpver.com/transceivers/all-band-10-band-hf-sdr-transceiver-minion-sdr.html

Quote from: gil on March 23, 2020, 05:33:00 amI just ordered the QRPVer Minion SDR. The G1M was the other option. In the end, it's the surface-mounted jacks problem on the G1M that made me go for the unknown Minion. I ordered without the LPF, but last night emailed Yurii to ask him if it wasn't too late to add it.. The G1M also burns more current. The minion has all bands between 160 and 10m and also apparently does transmit on CB frequencies. If the Minion SDR turns out to be great, for only a little more money, I think it would be worth saving up for it.
We'll see... I should get in in about a month.

I am eagerly awaiting your review of this radio. I'd like to see a video from the moment you open the parcel from Ukraine. And what kind of antenna will you recommend (and actually use)?

Hello.
I just ordered the QRPVer Minion SDR. The G1M was the other option. In the end, it's the surface-mounted jacks problem on the G1M that made me go for the unknown Minion. I ordered without the LPF, but last night emailed Yurii to ask him if it wasn't too late to add it.. The G1M also burns more current. The minion has all bands between 160 and 10m and also apparently does transmit on CB frequencies. If the Minion SDR turns out to be great, for only a little more money, I think it would be worth saving up for it.
We'll see... I should get in in about a month.
Gil.

Any thoughts on Xiegu G1M vs. QRPver SDR as comparable 5W radios?
Xiegu G1M reports 2.5a TX and 0.5a RX current draw.
Qrpver SDR reports 1.6a TX and 0.125a RX current draw.
Not sure which other features make one better than the other for portable QRP.

Thank you. As to bringing it back solo, I don't have much of a choice... I will keep the coast in sight however, since I don't know the boat...

Gil.

Nice video, Gil.  I would say nice looking boat, but I know very little about boats.  Good luck this time around.  Any way we could talk you out of taking it back solo?

Yep, it's done! I am utterly broke and a boat owner now :-)
Here is the video:


So I am already planning for radios of course, HF and VHF. VHF Marine with a Standard Horizon GX2200E and a handheld, which was included in the sale. There is a VHF in the boat but it does not have an AIS receiver, which I find indispensible for collision avoidance and to allow longer bouts of sleep while offshore.
I will also carry my Yaesu VX6 for HAM VHF/UHF. Maybe a tiny APRS 2m tracker as well, after what happened to my last boat...
For HF, I just ordered a QRPVer Minion SDR! That will be mainly for SSB.
https://qrpver.com/transceivers/all-band-10-band-hf-sdr-transceiver-minion-sdr.html
I hope to get it before I go get the boat in Spain on April 27th. Hopefully there won't be any travel restrictions due to the Corona virus.
I will have a PRC-320 on board of course, but not to bring the boat back, because of airline issues with batteries and military gear, you never know...
My main HF radio will be a QRP CW rig on 30m, which one remains to be determined.
Also on the way is a Raspberry Pi and 7" 12V display for digital. I am adding a GPS/Glonass dongle and VHF/UHF SDR dongle for backup AIS reception. For naviation I will install OpenCPN with an AIS plugin. JS8Call and FLDigi for digital, as well as weatherfax decoding. I don't know if there is a Winlink software for Raspberry. For all that stuff I will need solar power, but I don't have much deck real-estate, that will be a challenge. I'll see about that after getting back. For now the inboard Volvo Penta 10hp single-cylinder diesel will serve as generator for the two batteries.

I should leave Spain on May 1st for a ten-day trip back to Antibes. Frequencies will be posted here, along with a link to my inReach satellite tracking map. Contacts should be reported here.

After what happened last time I am a bit stressed out, having to bring an unknown boat back over such a long distance (around 400nm). I will follow the coast of course, but still... I am sure radio contacts will be great morale boosters. Most likely, I will stop at night if time permits. Hopefully I won't have to hunker down in some port for days because of bad weather. There is an autopilot on board, but of the electric/tiller type, and although it is a RayMarine, I don't trust these gizmos. Nothing better that a mechanical wind-vane.

Stay tuned...

Gil.

Thanks Robert!
Gil.

Hi Gil.
Just joined today and would like to say hello.
Still consider myself as a newby, eager to learn more about this hobby.
Preparing myself for my full licence and morse.
Enjoying your YouTube channel(and all the other channels ofcourse.)

73 Robert PD1RWK

Hi Dylan, I'm new here but came because I know Gil uses EFHWs quite a lot and I'm interested in them as well.

It seems to me you had your antenna configured as a sloper. That's a good configuration based on my research (but not experience -- yet).

In working on this research problem, I found this model of the EFHW and thought I would share. The paper is at https://wv0h.blogspot.com/2019/10/end-fed-vertical-antenna-variations.html and it appears to be well executed and written.

I prefer to not rely on anecdotal results because they are so variable and dependent on propagation. It requires a sizable sample to obtain results I would consider statistically significant and most reports are of only a few (or couple dozen) contacts and I think a lot more than that are required (and over a significant period of time).

I hope I'm not stepping on toes here; that is not my intent.