Antennas

Let me start by saying it's hot here in Florida...nearly unbearable.  So, needless to say, I have not been out playing ham radio portable in the past couple of months.  However, I have been looking for a new antenna system.  I have several options already.  I love the Chameleon F-loop antenna for the ease of deployment and the fact that there are no counterpoise requirements.  The Wolf River Coil and whip option is great as well.  I think it may perform better than the mag-loop, but it requires one (or many) counterpoise wires along the ground.   This becomes a trip hazard in high traffic areas in parks and such.

Those antennas are fine, but we know that in the world of antennas, the simplicity of a dipole rules. Now, I have a Windcamp 40M off center fed dipole I have used with my 100 watt FT-891, but I want something small and lightweight to use with my FT-817 or my newer Recent RS918 qrp rig. I would also need a way to deploy it. So, after seeing a local ham and friend using this antenna at a portable event, I decided on the Sotabeams 3 band linked dipole (20, 30, 40 meters) and the 10M telescoping mast.  I plan to run this in an inverted V arrangement.

Well, that's the plan. A new antenna to fill a niche that is currently empty. I look forward to the better performance I should get from a dipole. The antenna is on order and I look forward to getting out and getting on the air...once it gets a little cooler.

POTA Fail: Weather was hot, the bands were not 5/24/19

Ailunce vs Alinco Audio 5/18/2019

The Return to St Vincent Island with W4RYZ 5/11/2019

The Return to St. Vincent Island was a success and the group from the Panama City Amateur Radio Club had a great time. 

A new portable rig 3/31/19

So, a local ham and friend of mine recently shared an article about a new radio coming out, the Ailunce HS1 hf sdr transceiver.  Since I was so impressed with the Ailunce HD1 DMR radio, I felt I needed to try this rig out. A week or so ago, I was on the Retevis.com website and found the HS1 was on sale, I placed my order, and it was delivered today.

I was very excited about this rig. It was small, something the size of the Elecraft KX2 or KX3 at half the price. It reminded me of the Xiegu x5105.  I have a FT-817nd, but at 5 watts, it can be hard to make a contact...let alone hold a quality QSO. The HS1 has a maximum output of 15 watts. This should help make a few more contacts when out portable. It has FM, SSB, CW, digital, and FreeDV, and it is also much lighter than my 817.

As I said, I received this new rig today. I have an unboxing video on YouTube.  https://youtu.be/XHL7r2ltbFQ

An interesting fact I noticed was the radio had no Ailunce markings as in the pictures on the website. All other features look the same.  The box it came with is marked as "Recent" and instructions have a model number RS-918. A Google search reveals that this rig and the Ailunce HS1 look the same. I have to assume they are the same rig. Being from China, I figure one factory produces these and stamp different names on them. I'd like to know the whole story and why mine is not an HS1 when I purchased it from Retevis.com.

Whether an HS1 or a RS-918, I am still looking forward to trying the rig out.

-Bob

Today's Project

Howdy, folks.

I really do find enjoyment putting together different go-kits.  My latest is a new packet go-kit.  This new kit includes an Icom ID-880H that has been sitting in my shack hardly used for a couple of years.  I have temporarily commandeered my Bioenno 20Ah LiFePO4 battery from my HF go-kit.  I also have a RadioShack 19 amp power supply when I have shore power available.  Rounding out the kit is the Timewave PK-96 TNC.  I picked up a Pelican style case, an Apache 3800, from Harbor Freight to put it all in. 

Stay tuned for a video featuring the kit coming soon. 

73!
KK4DIV

Excercising the radios: portable ops with packet radio and PSK31 030319

Today I took a little of my portable gear out to the park just to make sure everything still works.  I believe it is important to exercise your equipment every so often to make sure it works when you need it and (as I found out today) to make sure you know how to use it.  First, I got my packet-in-a-box out and logged into my BBS a couple of miles away, then with my ft-817 logged a psk31 qso.