My pleasure, Paul. Feel free to repost elsewhere. And keep on truckin' :)
73, Wayne N6KR > On Jun 7, 2020, at 3:09 PM, Paul Gacek <[email protected]> wrote: > > Wayne > > Thanks for promoting wilderness radio including SOTA and I hope you don’t > mind but I copied your entire message into a post on the global SOTA > Reflector (watering hole). > > https://reflector.sota.org.uk/t/wayne-burdick-elecraft-promoting-sota-cw-and-ssb/22983 > > You captured the essence and feeling of mountain top radio. I love it and > never cease to get a kick out of what you describe around the moment of the > first contact (which includes a mountain of anticipation as to whether there > will be a first contact). > > Of my almost 250 mountain top activations and 40 or 50 NPOTA activations, I > had either my KX3 or KX2 and neither have ever let me down. My antennas have > failed, my coax has failed and my ability to spot (I’m SSB so not RBN for me) > has in a hollowing gale atop a cold mountain had be retreat and fail but > never the radio. > > Thanks Wayne (and your team) for all you have done for the /P brigade. > > Paul > W6PNG/M0SNA > www.nomadic.blog > > >> On Jun 7, 2020, at 2:35 PM, David Gilbert <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> 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 <[email protected]> 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:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
