Wayne & All,
High on my “convenience” list, is the ability to see/use the controls of
whatever radio is selected for HFpack /PM operation while one walks. As a
result, this is one reason I have shunned the various military radios (weight
being another major factor) and use an IC-703 with the face plate remote
mounted on the chest strap connecting the shoulder straps high on the front
chest (with radio in the backpack).
For the KX2, I envision some sort of zipper pouch, complete with exits for the
various cables, that could be suspended from the chest strap. With the zipper
open, the KX2 controls are available, yet the radio is secure in the pouch.
Whatever antenna is chosen can be mounted to your selected pack frame in back
with light weight coax running up a shoulder strap to your back pack and
antenna mounting point.
Get with your KX2 pouch vendors - this should be easy to design! (Reference:
Icom LC-156 pouch for 706 or 703 face plate - only better!)
Steve
aa8af
> On Jun 3, 2016, at 11:48 AM, Wayne Burdick n...@elecraft.com [KX3]
> <kx3-nore...@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> HFpack is a form of pedestrian mobile (/PM) operation where the radio is
> secured to your body or installed in a pack in such a way that it can be used
> when needed without any setup. There's a dedicated Yahoo group for those
> interested in this ("hfpack"). This is a great source of information. HFpack
> operators have their own operating events, special frequencies, etc.
>
> The small size of the KX2 should make it ideal for HFpack operation. An op
> who currently use FT-817 mentioned this when we were at Dayton. The KX2 is
> half the weight and has twice the power output, meaning more of his weight
> budget could be dedicated to batteries, antennas, etc.
>
> The KX3 is another frequent choice for HFpackers, thanks to its expanded band
> coverage. 6 meters works great with small antennas, and the 2-meter option
> also comes in handy.
>
> As a frequent hiker, I often use the KX2 hand-held. But I'm interested in
> exploring the possibilities of pack- or belt-mounting the rig. I can also
> imagine a rapid-deployment whip antenna attached to the pack frame. It could
> be a telescoping whip such as an MFJ1820, or maybe a wire spool with a weight
> for tossing it into a tree.
>
> In the half-crazy-but-who-cares department: how about putting a small tuned
> loop *inside* a backpack? On a band like 17 meters, which is great for HFpack
> during the day, a small loop would be reasonably efficient, and could cover
> most of the SSB portion of the band without retuning.
>
> In an month or so, Scott (AK6Q) will have a light-weight, snap-in mobile
> mount bracket for the KX2. This should be useful for some potential HFpack
> installations. Beats velcro :)
>
> Anyone working on an HFpack installation?
>
> 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
