Wayne, Nicely said.
Here in Maine we have many opportunities for mountain trekking but you can add operating out of small boats as well. There is no better feeling than cruising all day, entering a snug harbor and kicking back with a warm meal and afterwards, firing up the K-2. Jack, W1IU KX-1, K-2 On Sun, Jun 7, 2020 at 6:09 PM Paul Gacek via Elecraft < elecraft@mailman.qth.net> 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 > < > 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 <http://www.nomadic.blog/> > > > > On Jun 7, 2020, at 2:35 PM, David Gilbert <ab7e...@gmail.com> 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 <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 w6...@yahoo.com > > ______________________________________________________________ > 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 jfrak...@gmail.com ______________________________________________________________ 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
