k9po
03-12-2003, 07:26 PM
I travel quit a bit and I take my ham radio with me sometimes. I have operated in Macao as XX9TXW with K9XW, in the People's Republic of China, Japan where I am JN3XCV, and Switzerland to name just a few of the spots from the last year that I operated from.
As a frequent traveler I get to experience several times a month the wonderful TSA (Thousands Standing Around) and some of the new and allegedly improved security rules. On the 1st of Jan. 2003 the latest insecurity rule was put in place and that is to keep your luggage unlocked so the TSA can inspect it. They need this done to be able to hand inspect luggage because their explosive detecting machines are at best only 80 to 90 % effective. Please don't get me started on how all the airports in Asia and Europe manage to check luggage without having to have it left unlocked. BTW they do it by inspecting at the time of check-in when you are standing there. Once it checks out ok you lock it and it goes through. Ok, I got started but I promise to not rant.
Now I tend to trust the TSA not to steal stuff while searching your luggage as they are under video surveillance. But once it leaves their control it is available to everyone else. One only has to check out the reports of theft of luggage and find out how many problems there are with items stolen from the so-called secure areas of the airport. BTW airlines will not cover electronic items that are lost or damaged in your luggage. One should pay particular attention the airlines rules regarding luggage!
As a result I do not feel it is safe to bring my portable HF station any longer. It is too big for carry on. My old station consisted of a FT100D, Several portable dipoles and a super antenna, power supply, tools, SWR meter basically allot of stuff but it fit into its own hard sided case that I could put padlocks on.
So my quest was to find a new portable station that I could easily hand carry on board the airplane. I decided on the FT-817. The FT-817 is a neat QRP 160m to 70cm SSB/CW transceiver, an amazing radio given its size. I acquired one from eBay along with the very necessary CW filter, a Palm key (it is a tiny paddle for CW that has magnets on it to stabilize it), a radio Shack SWL antenna (a spool of wire on a reel), and an Emtech QRP tuner. This last item I had seen at a ham club meeting and I knew that was the piece I was missing to make this all work.
This station easily fits into my carry on luggage. In fact I could fit it all in my briefcase with ease. So I begin to think that I may be on to something here with this QRP stuff. I have never run QRP intentionally and was bit apprehensive about running this mode. My friend K9XW is a Mt. Frank Contester and he gave me a funning look anytime I mention running less than 1000 watts let alone QRP. I did due some research on QRP tactics so I least could learn from other people's mistakes. The thing to make yourself more successful with QRP is to run CW and call stations as they finish a QSO or are calling CQ.
So my first trip with the rig is right now. I am in downtown LA on the 26th floor of the Westin Bonaventure (famous for being in a lot of movies like Lethal Weapon, True Lies, In the line of Fire, etc.). My view is to the west so with visions of working JAs, China, Vietnam, etc. on 20m CW I set up shop on the desk in the room.
The antenna is stretched across my room as the windows do not open and with the tuner loads on 20m very well, yeah! I could not get it to load on 40m but that is ok. I rearranged some furniture to make the operating position more comfortable and plugged in the key and off I went. I am only running half power, which is 2.5 Watts to save the batteries, as I have not gotten my AC PS situation straightened out yet. But I have had success. I worked Idaho, Minnesota, and Utah on 20m CW. 10m SSB I got a partial QSO with a JA in Kobi, Japan.
The mode of choice is CW for HF because that mode will let you punch through the QRM when only using a little power. I have given a listen on 6m and 2m SSB since I am so high and have a view of the Hollywood Hills but I have not heard anything yet. It is good practice for me to run CW as I am mostly on SSB with the satellites and then when I do run satellite CW the speeds are slow (around 8-12 wpm) due to the weak signal conditions.
One of my colleagues saw the station this week and he was so impressed that he went to HRO (15 minutes form the hotel) and bought a FT-817 to do the same thing. So now I am helping him get set up.
A lot of QRPers seems to like building their gear and there are many kits or you can buy pre-built or a combination as I have done. I don't travel to anywhere overseas where I can operate until later this year but I look forward to bringing the station with me
As a frequent traveler I get to experience several times a month the wonderful TSA (Thousands Standing Around) and some of the new and allegedly improved security rules. On the 1st of Jan. 2003 the latest insecurity rule was put in place and that is to keep your luggage unlocked so the TSA can inspect it. They need this done to be able to hand inspect luggage because their explosive detecting machines are at best only 80 to 90 % effective. Please don't get me started on how all the airports in Asia and Europe manage to check luggage without having to have it left unlocked. BTW they do it by inspecting at the time of check-in when you are standing there. Once it checks out ok you lock it and it goes through. Ok, I got started but I promise to not rant.
Now I tend to trust the TSA not to steal stuff while searching your luggage as they are under video surveillance. But once it leaves their control it is available to everyone else. One only has to check out the reports of theft of luggage and find out how many problems there are with items stolen from the so-called secure areas of the airport. BTW airlines will not cover electronic items that are lost or damaged in your luggage. One should pay particular attention the airlines rules regarding luggage!
As a result I do not feel it is safe to bring my portable HF station any longer. It is too big for carry on. My old station consisted of a FT100D, Several portable dipoles and a super antenna, power supply, tools, SWR meter basically allot of stuff but it fit into its own hard sided case that I could put padlocks on.
So my quest was to find a new portable station that I could easily hand carry on board the airplane. I decided on the FT-817. The FT-817 is a neat QRP 160m to 70cm SSB/CW transceiver, an amazing radio given its size. I acquired one from eBay along with the very necessary CW filter, a Palm key (it is a tiny paddle for CW that has magnets on it to stabilize it), a radio Shack SWL antenna (a spool of wire on a reel), and an Emtech QRP tuner. This last item I had seen at a ham club meeting and I knew that was the piece I was missing to make this all work.
This station easily fits into my carry on luggage. In fact I could fit it all in my briefcase with ease. So I begin to think that I may be on to something here with this QRP stuff. I have never run QRP intentionally and was bit apprehensive about running this mode. My friend K9XW is a Mt. Frank Contester and he gave me a funning look anytime I mention running less than 1000 watts let alone QRP. I did due some research on QRP tactics so I least could learn from other people's mistakes. The thing to make yourself more successful with QRP is to run CW and call stations as they finish a QSO or are calling CQ.
So my first trip with the rig is right now. I am in downtown LA on the 26th floor of the Westin Bonaventure (famous for being in a lot of movies like Lethal Weapon, True Lies, In the line of Fire, etc.). My view is to the west so with visions of working JAs, China, Vietnam, etc. on 20m CW I set up shop on the desk in the room.
The antenna is stretched across my room as the windows do not open and with the tuner loads on 20m very well, yeah! I could not get it to load on 40m but that is ok. I rearranged some furniture to make the operating position more comfortable and plugged in the key and off I went. I am only running half power, which is 2.5 Watts to save the batteries, as I have not gotten my AC PS situation straightened out yet. But I have had success. I worked Idaho, Minnesota, and Utah on 20m CW. 10m SSB I got a partial QSO with a JA in Kobi, Japan.
The mode of choice is CW for HF because that mode will let you punch through the QRM when only using a little power. I have given a listen on 6m and 2m SSB since I am so high and have a view of the Hollywood Hills but I have not heard anything yet. It is good practice for me to run CW as I am mostly on SSB with the satellites and then when I do run satellite CW the speeds are slow (around 8-12 wpm) due to the weak signal conditions.
One of my colleagues saw the station this week and he was so impressed that he went to HRO (15 minutes form the hotel) and bought a FT-817 to do the same thing. So now I am helping him get set up.
A lot of QRPers seems to like building their gear and there are many kits or you can buy pre-built or a combination as I have done. I don't travel to anywhere overseas where I can operate until later this year but I look forward to bringing the station with me