I suggested this about a year ago and got mostly dismissive replies from the group, but I still think that a small, dedicated FT8 rig (and similar modes) would be an attractive offering. Something the size of a KX2 or maybe just a little larger, with a modest display and separate processors/memory for the rig and the digital modes. It's entirely possible to run FT8 from a Raspberry Pi and an inexpensive display, but an all-in-one rig would be so much more practical. The rig portion itself could be MUCH simpler (and therefore less expensive) than a KX2.
73, Dave AB7E On Sun, Jun 7, 2020 at 11:32 AM Wayne Burdick <n...@elecraft.com> wrote: > Every day, hams worldwide, young and old, summit mountains and hills > carrying the lightest possible load. They earn every calorie burned, and > are rewarded with vistas most people never see. Like all adventurers, they > proudly display nature's merit badges: scrapes, bruises, and stings. > > And then they go back for more. The number of peaks "bagged" by some > operators is staggering, as is their level of fitness and endurance. > > In addition to those formally pursuing peaks (via SOTA, or Summits on the > Air), there are many others who operate casually from hiking trails and > parks. Some operate while they walk (pedestrian mobile, HT-style or > HFpack). Some operate bicycle-mobile. > > I'm writing this out of admiration for, and in solidarity with, all of > those who commune equally with nature and the ionosphere. > > * * * > > There's one thing these hams have in common. > > Upon arriving at their destination -- tired, sweaty, hungry, elated, or > some combination of these -- they hope to make a few QSOs. To experience a > synthesis of the outdoors and the radio art. > > But it isn't always easy. > > While many hams have transitioned to computer-based digital modes such as > FT8, others have not. This includes ultralight travelers, as well as those > who seek the satisfaction of home-building simple gear and putting it on > the air. > > For portable operators in particular, simplicity and pragmatics often > dictate the use of CW and SSB. It may not be desirable or even possible to > lug a laptop in your pack, find a place to set it up, and attach its myriad > cables. You might struggle to see a washed-out LCD screen in direct > sunlight. High winds might capture an open laptop and sweep your gear away. > > Many, instead, choose traditional modes. These allow for small, integrated > gear that can often be hand-held. And there's the bonus of immediacy such > modes offer, without mediation, without constraints on duration or content. > > To put yourself in their shoes, imagine that you just trekked several > miles, much of it uphill. To accommodate the need for food, water, > clothing, and safety gear, you've brought a minimum amount of radio > equipment. It might be a 3-ounce CW QRP radio; an HF-VHF-UHF portable, an > all-band/all-mode HF HT (like a KX2), or your latest home-brew transceiver. > > When you arrive at your peak, you survey the spot for a suitable operating > position. It might be a large, flat rock; a patch of ground not infested > with ants and spiders; or a shady spot with a downslope in a favored > direction. You might climb a tree. Shelter beneath a ridge. Or dangle your > legs and antenna from a cliff. > > Speaking of which, deployment of antennas presents another challenge. You > could spin-cast or toss a wire, hoping for a good landing, without snags. > You might wedge the feet of a tripod into rocks, then attach a small > magnetic loop. Or you might use a simple telescoping whip. > > All that effort. Now it's time to turn on the radio. > > Virtually every time I've gone on such an outing, I've made contacts. At > times I've been lucky. Maybe it's operating experience: knowing who to > call. > > But sometimes there's no one around on CW or SSB. Is it propagation? Or is > everyone swimming in the digital sea, not paying attention to you, on your > remote island? > > You can spot yourself on RBN (reverse beacon network), or prearrange > skeds. But what many of us hope for is that burst of contacts. Feeling like > a rare DX station. Feeling that slap-on-the-back-at-a-distance that says: > > "We hear you." > > * * * > > You can, of course, partake of this experience yourself. > > Whether you do or not, though: Please consider listening for those who do. > Formal activations are announced in advance. See for example: > > https://www.sota.org.uk/ > > The band segments used are very small, or even a single frequency, making > it easy to monitor them while you engage in other activity around the shack > or on the air. You can use SOTA spotting websites, or just keep a receiver > on one of the watering holes. (The Elecraft K3/K3S/KX2/KX3 make this easy, > with built-in scanning. You can set the rig up for either muted or live > audio scans, the latter making it easier to hear weak signals when they pop > up.) > > One final thought. In this pandemic era, some of us have had more time to > get on the air, and some of us have had more chance to get outside. > > Let's do both. At the same time. > > 73, > Wayne > N6KR > > > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
