K3STX
06-20-2004, 03:01 AM
Last weekend I tried hotel QRP from Boston, this Friday I was in Durham, NC. Rig was Small Wonder Labs SW40+ (about 2 watts) on 40 meters (has a VFO, for $55 a steal), a plastic straight key, ear-bud headphones, and a 8 AA battery pack. In Boston I brought my MFJ antenna tuner and the antenna was a 40 M dipole with ladder line.
The tuner and ladder line were bigger than everything else combined, so during the week I got some RG174, put on a BNC connector on one end, and soldered it to the dipole (center insulator was a 2 inch square piece of plexiglass with holes drilled).Electrical tape the coax to the plexiglass for strength. I did NOT tune the antenna to resonance, I simply had it 66 feet long and hoped for the best (ran out of time during the week, but a quick call to Dave at Small Wonder Labs assured my this would be "close enough" without tuning and would not hurt the rig).
On the fourth floor of hotel(with a window), so threw one leg of dipole out of window and other around hotel room. No good, sigs were very very weak. Decided to go "portable again". I was staying at the Washington Duke Hotel and Golf Club, so at 8 pm went outside looking for trees on the course. THIS TIME I brought TWO tennis balls with small string tied around them with one roll of fishing line on each. I threw a ball over one branch, attached one leg of dipole to fishing line and pulled it up. Same thing to a different tree, I got her about 20 feet up in the air. Sigs MUCH better than hotel room, and it was kind of fun (brought a candle for bugs/light)
QSO#1; W8LX in Columbus, OH, Rob gave me a 559
QSO#2; W2IFB near Ithaca, NY. Joe gave me a 469 (QRN)
QSO#3; N2CO/QRP in Wilmington, NC. Bill gave me a 599.
Once again, a blast. I know lots of you travel, and I never really considered bringing a rig with me, but this stuff is TINY and loads of fun (and cheap). Key and antenna easily in the computer bag, AA battery pack and 4 inch square rig in carry-on bag. And an adventure, I had fun scoping out where I would set up my "station". I really really recommend it to everyone. It was a blast. And now I REALLY have to build that small keyer, make/buy small paddles (I get frustrated with straight key).
This portable QRP is a blast. The most fun a grown man can have on a boring business trip. And 40 M is perfect for nighttime.
paul
The tuner and ladder line were bigger than everything else combined, so during the week I got some RG174, put on a BNC connector on one end, and soldered it to the dipole (center insulator was a 2 inch square piece of plexiglass with holes drilled).Electrical tape the coax to the plexiglass for strength. I did NOT tune the antenna to resonance, I simply had it 66 feet long and hoped for the best (ran out of time during the week, but a quick call to Dave at Small Wonder Labs assured my this would be "close enough" without tuning and would not hurt the rig).
On the fourth floor of hotel(with a window), so threw one leg of dipole out of window and other around hotel room. No good, sigs were very very weak. Decided to go "portable again". I was staying at the Washington Duke Hotel and Golf Club, so at 8 pm went outside looking for trees on the course. THIS TIME I brought TWO tennis balls with small string tied around them with one roll of fishing line on each. I threw a ball over one branch, attached one leg of dipole to fishing line and pulled it up. Same thing to a different tree, I got her about 20 feet up in the air. Sigs MUCH better than hotel room, and it was kind of fun (brought a candle for bugs/light)
QSO#1; W8LX in Columbus, OH, Rob gave me a 559
QSO#2; W2IFB near Ithaca, NY. Joe gave me a 469 (QRN)
QSO#3; N2CO/QRP in Wilmington, NC. Bill gave me a 599.
Once again, a blast. I know lots of you travel, and I never really considered bringing a rig with me, but this stuff is TINY and loads of fun (and cheap). Key and antenna easily in the computer bag, AA battery pack and 4 inch square rig in carry-on bag. And an adventure, I had fun scoping out where I would set up my "station". I really really recommend it to everyone. It was a blast. And now I REALLY have to build that small keyer, make/buy small paddles (I get frustrated with straight key).
This portable QRP is a blast. The most fun a grown man can have on a boring business trip. And 40 M is perfect for nighttime.
paul