Tag: rag chew

Activating on the Road:  National Forests and National Grasslands by Brian (K3ES) After a short break, with life getting in the way, this article continues my series on our 2024 road trip across the United States (Six Weeks and 7300 Miles:  Activating on the Road).  I hope to wrap up the series with a couple … Continue reading Maps, Miles, and Morse: K3ES’ POTA Adventures in National Forests and Grasslands Across the West →

Many thanks to Tim (W8TMI), who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page.  If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post. W8TMI’s Elecraft KH1 Field Kit by Time (W8TMI) My Elecraft KH1 field kit is … Continue reading W8TMI’s Elecraft KH1 Field Kit →

Many thanks to Jonathan (KM4CFT) who shares the following note: We are pleased to announce the release of some new products: a 100 watt version of the popular KM4CFT End Fed Kit as well as a Leg Strap, which is perfect for those who have the KM4CFT paddles, Bamakey TP-III or ModernMorse Paddles (or any small … Continue reading New Antenna and Leg Strap from KM4CFT →

Recently, @JasonMartinRF left a comment on my YouTube channel mentioning his excitement about getting on the air with CW but also his concern about the high cost of antennas—especially self-supporting options that don’t require trees. His comment resonated with me because many operators face the same challenge when setting up a portable station, particularly for … Continue reading Eric’s Go-To Low-Cost, Self-Supporting Antenna System for POTA →

By KO4WFP Note: This is the third article for my trip to southwest Georgia at the beginning of January 2025. If you didn’t read the previous article, it is available here: Chickasawhatchee WMA (US-3739) In POTA and camping, one may plan and prepare; but no matter how much of that one does, there are invariably … Continue reading Challenges for the POTA Babe →

Wednesday, January 29, 2025, was a busy day, but that morning, I was yearning for a little POTA time. I carved out an hour in the late afternoon to play radio—just enough time for a quick activation on the Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378). I had two new pieces of gear I was eager to test: … Continue reading Pure POTA Fun: A Quick Two-Watt Activation with New Gear and a Vintage Pack →

Many thanks to Michael (OK7SE) who writes: Hello Thomas. Michal (OK1SIM) has put together an online map that might be useful for activation planning. You might want to check it out: https://ham-map.com/ I usually activate “what’s available,” so I like that I can generate a map that aggregates SOTA, POTA, GMA, and WWFF for a … Continue reading Planning an Activation Rove? Michael recommends Ham-Map.com →

Many thanks to Eric (WD8RIF), who notes that if you live in the US and have incoming packages from China or Hong Kong via the USPS, you may experience delays. Here’s the story from the BBC: US Postal Service halts China parcels after Trump tariffs (BBC) The US Postal Service (USPS) said it has stopped … Continue reading USPS Temporarily Suspends Parcel Shipments from China and Hong Kong Amid New Tariffs →

Many thanks to Bob (K7ZB), who shares the following guest post: Experimenting with Low Voltage on the (tr)uSDX by Bob (K7ZB) I wanted to see how the (tr)uSDX would perform at lower voltages, so I decided to power it with a 6V Eveready lantern battery. With this setup, the radio delivered 1.1W to the antenna … Continue reading Bob Tests the (tr)uSDX at Low Voltage →

By Teri KO4WFP Note: This is the second article for my trip to southwest Georgia at the beginning of January 2025. If you didn’t read the first article, it is available here: Elmodel Wildlife Management Area. Thursday, January 2nd, Daisy and I headed to Chickasawhatchee Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The park is a short 45-minute … Continue reading The POTA Babe’s Safari at Chickasawhatchee →