WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio

Whipping Up Some Contacts

In my last post, I mentioned how I damaged the telescopic whip, which is part of my Gabil GRA-7350TC antenna. The replacement telescopic whip has a long lead time, so I ordered a carbon fiber whip from Gabil in the meantime. Less than 24 hours after Amazon delivered it, I put the new whip to the test.

The new whip is the Gabil GRA-CFP2600 carbon fiber whip. Weighing in at just 78 grams (2.75 ounces), it’s a lightweight whip that breaks down into five separate sections. Fully assembled, it measures 248.4 cm (8 feet, 1.8 inches). That’s a tad longer than the stock whip. The sections are thin, but rigid. They slide together with a friction fit and make a distinctive “pop” when separated.

The five sections of the GRA-CFP2600 whip. The GRA-7350TC loading coil is on the left. Unfortunately, I neglected to take a picture of the antenna assembled for use.

To try it out, I headed over to Marsh Creek State Park (US-1380, KFF-1380) near one of the boat launches. Being a sunny and brisk October day, the parking lot was jam-packed with folks taking advantage of the weather. My original plan was to operate from a picnic table next to the lake. Since someone was already using the table, I operated from the truck.

To try out the new whip, I used a mag mount on the roof of the truck and ran the coax to my KH1 inside the truck. Using an antenna analyzer, I easily tuned up the antenna on 40M and got started. The band was as busy as the park. There were a couple of contests going on besides the large number of POTA stations I heard.

After finding an open frequency, I started calling CQ. The carbon fiber whip seemed to work well. I logged my first 10 contacts in just 10 minutes. After about 15 minutes, I was getting a headache from hearing stations on adjacent frequencies. I opted to seek refuge in the calmer waters of 30M. I picked up several more contacts before shutting down. After 40 minutes I had 22 contacts with four park-to-park contacts. I had P2P contacts on two bands from both WC1D and NI8W. Thanks, guys!

Before packing up the antenna, I did a quick check of the SWR on 20M and 17M. No issues tuning up on those bands. In my haste to pack up, however, I neglected to take a picture of the antenna installation. So, you’ll just have to use your imagination to picture a thin, black, eight-foot whip on a magnetic mount.

This carbon fiber whip has been on the market for a while, so I won’t bore you with a detailed review. YouTube has several reviews, and the Gabil website features two of them. However, there are a couple of pros and cons from my first outing with it.

Pros:

It’s super lightweight
Goes together quickly
Seems more rugged than the original telescopic whip
On the air, it seems to work as well as other short whips I have used. Certainly, as well as the original telescopic whip.

Cons:

Broken down, the pieces are significantly longer than the rest of the GRA-7350TC components. I have to pack them separately from the rest of the Gabil GRA-7350TC components.
Speaking of packing… Other than the cardboard tube it ships in, there is nothing provided to store the pieces in. I’m still thinking about how I will pack and transport this whip in the field. I’m thinking about buying a tent pole bag to carry it in. If any GRA-CFP2600 owners have suggestions, I’m all ears.

The GRA-CFP2600 whip is a novel design from the good folks at Gabil. It certainly has the high quality that is typical of their other products.

As always, this blog has no advertisers or sponsors. I bought the GRA-CFP2600 with my own funds.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Successful Activation with a Few Issues

I made a run up to French Creek State Park (US-1355, KFF-1355) for a quick, early-morning activation. While my activation was successful, it was not without a self-inflicted issue or two.

It was a beautiful, brisk fall morning here in southeastern Pennsylvania, so I set up at a picnic table. I used my Gabil GRA-7350TC antenna on top of the table, like I did a few weeks ago. As in the earlier activation, I used two 17-foot radials and no additional coax besides the Gabil RF choke. Using an antenna analyzer, I quickly found a good match on 40M.

I connected the KH1 and started calling CQ. When I picked up my phone to spot myself, I had no cell service. My cellphone carrier’s coverage is hit or miss in this park. The hotspot in my truck uses a different carrier, so I usually spot myself from the truck—something I neglected to do. Doh! Despite my oversight, I worked two stations that just happened to hear my CQs. After that…nothing. So, I headed back to the truck to post spots for POTA and WWFF.

Having overcome the spotting issue, things quickly picked up. I worked 16 stations before the activity on 40M slowed down. While tuning the antenna for 20M, I had some trouble getting a good match for some reason. Eventually, I got it down to about 2.3:1 and let the KH1’s ATU do its magic. I logged four more contacts on 20M before the QSOs dried up. I called it quits after an hour with 20 QSOs in my log.

The Hopewill Lake boat launch at French Creek State Park

But the fun didn’t end there. As I was taking the antenna down, I inadvertently manhandled the skinny top section of the Gabil whip and bent it over. Doh! I carefully straightened it out as best I could and managed to collapse it. At home, I checked it out, and the whip seems usable—albeit an inch or two shorter. I decided to order a Gabil GRA-CFP2600 carbon fiber whip and save the slightly damaged telescopic whip as a backup. Hopefully, that will be a bit more rugged.

While I was at it, I also ordered an exact replacement for the damaged telescopic whip. It wasn’t very expensive, and the smaller form factor when it’s collapsed is handy sometimes. I’ll just need to be more careful with it in the future.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Executing Plan B at US-1351

Sometimes things just don’t go according to plan. I have proven that many times over the years. My activation this morning was another example.

I drove up to Evansburg State Park (US-1351, KFF-1351) this morning for an early morning activation. My original plan was to operate from a picnic table in a wooded area, but heavily overcast skies prompted my decision to operate under a picnic pavilion.

My antenna of choice was going to be the “Gabil on a Table” configuration I used recently. I looked up at the ceiling of the pavilion and assumed there was enough headroom for the Gabil vertical on a table. Well, it did—until I slid the coil up to tune up on 40M. Doh! I probably could have used the vertical on 20M if I collapsed the radiator a little. Given the early hour, however, I really wanted to get on 40M. So, I took down the Gabil and packed it away.

Fortunately, with the KH1, there are always other options. I opted to operate the KH1 in tabletop mode with the whip, a right-angle adapter, and AXE extender coil. I had everything I needed in my KH1 box. No need to walk back to the truck to get stuff. Within minutes, I was up and running on 40M.

This configuration on 40M never ceases to amaze me. Within 10 minutes, I had my first 10 contacts. Not too shabby for a 45-inch whip and a huge loading coil. After making 20 contacts, the action slowed considerably. I logged a few more contacts on 40M before changing bands.

I could have moved up to 20M, but I didn’t feel like changing the antenna and counterpoise wire. Instead, I went to 30M. That band always works fine with the same configuration I use for 40M. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much activity on 30M (except for a station that started calling CQ on top of me). After spending some time fruitlessly calling CQ with no takers, I called it quits.

After about 45 minutes on the air, I had logged 25 contacts—all of them on 40M. I also picked up three park-to-park QSOs. My best “DX” this morning was out to Missouri.

The little KH1 came through for me once again.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Rainy Morning by the River

My (far) better half and I spent the weekend out in Central Pennsylvania to watch our grandson compete in a baseball tournament. With games scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday, I wasn’t expecting to get any radio time on this trip. I threw my radio backpack in the car anyway, and I’m glad I did.

My grandson’s team had back-to-back games on Saturday morning. It was cloudy and chilly, but it was worth it to watch them handily win both games. Towards the end of the second game, it started raining and continued on and off the rest of the weekend.

We got ‌word Saturday night that the rest of the tournament was being cancelled. The weather forecast indicated a 100% chance of rain on Sunday. While I felt bad that we wouldn’t get to see our grandson play in a championship game, there was a plus side: I could get out for an activation Sunday morning.

I left the house early Sunday morning and drove down to a park along the Susquehanna River. The Susquehanna is part of the Captain John Smith Historic Trail (US-4567), and I have operated from this park many times in recent years. In fact, I was just here a few weeks earlier.

The Susquehanna River on a rainy morning

We drove out in my (far) better half’s compact SUV, so I also brought my Gabil GRA-7350TC vertical and a mag mount. By the time I got to the park, the rain had slowed down a bit. I quickly slapped the antenna on the roof and tuned it for 40M. Because of the rain, I planned to limit my operation to one band. I didn’t relish the thought of going out there in the band to change bands. I set up my KH1 on the front console and got started.

After spotting myself, it took a minute or two for the hunters to show up. As usual, the Gabil and mag mount did a respectable job on 40M. My first contact was park-to-park with KG1A down in Florida. I also contacts with stations up and down the east coast and out to Missouri and Michigan.

It wasn’t always easy, though. There was a RTTY contest going on, so now and then a RTTY station would pop up on my frequency. The QRM was annoying, but somehow I worked through it. At one point, I had some audio QRM from a freight train passing by the park. Fortunately, that train wasn’t too long.

The mag mount has much more coax than I needed, so I coiled up the excess to create a choke. — The mag mount has much more coax than needed, so I coil up the excess to create a choke.

I got a text from my (far) better half letting me know they were going to be making breakfast soon. You don’t have to call me twice for breakfast. Besides, the coffee I brought along was almost gone. So, I packed up the KH1 and ventured out in the rain to take down the antenna. Fifteen minutes later, I was back at the house. I was only on the air for just 30 minutes, but I had logged 20 contacts, with one known park-to-park QSO.

The moral of the story: Always pack the radio gear, even if you don’t expect to use it. You just never know.

72, Craig WB3GCK

More Gabil on a Table

One of my favorite ways to use my Gabil GRA-7350TC antenna is on a picnic table within arm’s reach for easy adjustment. It’s a configuration I wrote about in a previous post. I wanted to try something similar using my Elecraft KH1, but with a minor twist.

What I had in mind was using the Gabil antenna on its tripod with most of the coax eliminated. To do this, I used a Gabil common-mode choke between the antenna and the KH1. Besides helping to keep RF off ‌the shield, it also provided a little extra coax length. This makes it a little easier to connect to the radio.

I had most of what I needed, except for an adapter to go from the choke to the radio’s antenna input. After scouring through my collection of connectors and adapters, I found what I needed: a PL-259 to BNC-M adapter. These aren’t very common, but I had acquired one somewhere along the way.

Now, I just needed a picnic table. For that, I headed to Evansburg State Park (US-1351, KFF-1351). I set up my Gabil antenna at a picnic table I’ve used several times before. I attached two 17-foot radials, which I laid on the ground. Using an SWR meter, I quickly tuned the antenna for an SWR of 1.3:1 on 40M. I swapped out the SWR meter for my KH1 and got on the air.

The Gabil vertical connected to the KH1 via a common-mode choke

After spotting myself, I logged my first 10 contacts in about nine minutes. Not bad for 3.5 watts to an eight-foot vertical. I hunted a couple of park-to-park contacts before moving up to 20M. I tuned around the band, and it seemed somewhat quiet. I called CQ a few times before getting a call from a very loud F4WBN. Right after that, I worked a station in Texas. Then the activity came to a screeching halt. My guess is that it was a little too early in the morning for 20M.

After spending more time on 20M than I should have, I went back down to 40M and picked up a couple more park-to-park contacts. I logged several more contacts after that before packing up. My one-hour effort netted 24 contacts, including five that were park-to-park.

My Gabil is an early version with scale markings applied with a sticker, rather than the engraved markings on the newer ones. I’ve already experienced a little peeling, so I wanted to add some band markings of my own. My plan was to use a Sharpie to mark the coil settings. I figured if I forgot to pack an SWR meter, I could at least get the antenna close enough for the KH1’s internal ATU to handle. It was a brilliant plan, except that I forgot to bring the pen. Doh! (Note to self: Add a Sharpie to the backpack.)

All-in-all, the Gabil proved its worth once again. It’s quick to setup, gets the job done, and it packs down small.

72, Craig WB3GCK

A Pair of Central PA POTA Quickies

My (far) better half and I spent most of the week in central Pennsylvania helping a family member recovering from surgery. Although the mornings focused on getting the grandkids off to school and making sure the grand-dog got walked, I squeezed in a couple of short activations.

Not sure how much radio time (if any) I would have this week, I packed light. I only brought my Elecraft KH1 and some antennas that I usually keep in the truck.

Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail (US-4567)

On our second day in central PA, I had to drop my granddaughter off at her friend’s house to catch the school bus. Since I was only about five miles away from a boat launch on the Susquehanna River in northern Lancaster County, I drove over there for a short activation of US-4567.

Early morning view of the Susquehanna River

Except for a few early morning cyclists, the place was empty. I parked my truck in a spot that’s within 100 feet of the river and got set up. I didn’t have much time, so I stayed in the truck and used a 17-foot whip and my homebrew loading coil. Up in the cab, I used the KH1 and my CWMouse paddles.

KH1 and CWMouse paddles. This was the same setup I used for both activations this week.

The A Index was a whopping 29, so I wasn’t expecting great results. As is often the case, Mother Nature fooled me. The 40M band seemed really hot; I made my first ten contacts in about nine minutes. The KH1 was putting out a whopping 3.5 watts.

Towards the end of my activation, I noticed that the Reverse Beacon Network and other POTA spotters were showing my frequency 500 kHz higher than my dial frequency. Although I had the KH1’s filter on the narrowest setting, it sounded very broad to me. Doing some poking around the menus, I found the problem. Somehow the mode had changed to USB. Most likely, it resulted from some fat-fingering on my part. Doh! A quick button press or two and all was right with the world. Actually, I made most of my contacts with the mode set to USB instead of CW, so it wasn’t the worst mistake I could have made.

I wrapped things up after 30 minutes on the air, with 20 QSOs in the log (including two dupes). All of my contacts were on 40M. Although 40M seemed long (with several Michigan and Missouri stations), I had a park-to-park contact with my friend N3CU. Ken was activating a park towards the southern end of the county. A park-to-park QSO with KB1SF in Michigan turned out to be park number 1,000 for me as a hunter. It was a fun activation, but I needed to get back to the house.

PA State Game Lands 246 (US-8941, KFF-5862)

The next morning was pretty much the same situation, but this time I activated some nearby state game lands. Although this location is only about 10 minutes away from where I was staying, it had been more than a year since my last activation there. I was long-overdue for a visit.

I used the same setup as the day before, but this time making sure the KH1 was actually in CW mode. Like the previous day, the 40M band was very active early in the morning. This time it only took about seven minutes to log my first 10 contacts, and they rolled in steadily after that.

I finished up with 31 contacts—one was a dupe—in just over 30 minutes of operating. Again, all of my contacts were on 40M. I would have tried other bands, but the hunters kept me busy on 40M. Satisfied with the contacts I made, I headed back to the house for breakfast with the rest of the family.

Stationary-mobile at PA State Game Lands 246

I’ve come to the conclusion that the KH1 really plays well with the 17-foot base-loaded vertical mounted on the back of the truck. Putting out around 3.5 to 4 watts, the little KH1 was really getting out. Thanks to all the early-rising hunters out there for a couple of fun activations this week.

72, Craig WB3GCK

My Dollar Sling Pack

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about some POTA/WWFF activations that would take advantage of the Elecraft KH1’s portability. In particular, I’ve been looking into locations that require a little hiking to reach. So, I had been looking for a small pack that will carry both my KH1 and a water bottle. I found one at an unbelievable price, which included free shipping from halfway around the world.

I had been doing some casual searching on a few websites when I came across a pack from AliExpress that caught my eye. It appeared to be just what I had been looking for, and the price was a mere $0.99 USD with free shipping. According to the website, it was a special sale price for new customers. I hadn’t ordered from AliExpress in quite some time, so they must have considered me a new customer.

I assumed there had to be a catch, but I couldn’t see one. There was no minimum order and no mention of additional import charges. So, I took a chance. If it didn’t suit my needs, I could always pass it along to one of my grandkids. Still somewhat sceptical, I placed my order and paid a grand total of $1.05, which included the obligatory Pennsylvania sales tax.

If the low price wasn’t enough, I had the package on my porch six days after I placed the order. My (far) better half brought the package in and said, “It’s another bag, isn’t it?” You see, she is well aware of my obsession with bags and packs and gives me a disapproving look when another one comes into the house. Even after I told her what I had paid for it, she remained unimpressed.

Fully expecting a piece of junk, I ripped open the package. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found inside. The 900D Oxford material seemed substantial. The stitching was decent with no loose threads, and the zippers worked smoothly. The overall construction seemed pretty good considering what I paid for it.

My Dollar Sling Pack. The callsign patch and water bottle were added by me. Actually, the callsign patch cost a lot more than the sling pack.

As I had hoped, the main compartment was the perfect size to hold the Pelican M50 Micro Case I keep my KH1 in. There’s also a little room for a few extras if needed. There’s a pouch on the front, which would be perfect for carrying wire antennas, some small coax, and the like. And finally, there’s another small compartment on the front that I’m currently using to hold a few first aid items and a copy of my amateur radio license. It also has a panel for a small Velcro morale patch.

There’s a mesh bottle holder on the side, which is something I was looking for. It’s a little small, but it will still accommodate a 16.9 ounce (500mL) plastic water bottle. Of course, with a pack this small, I wouldn’t expect to carry a huge water bottle. I found a lightweight 17-ounce bottle on Amazon that fits nicely.

These product offerings come and go frequently, so I’m always wary of providing links to websites like this. However, below is a screenshot from the AliExpress website showing the bag I purchased.

This was the listing on the AliExpress website for my $0.99 sling pack.

Is this the greatest bag in the world? Not really. Time will tell how long it holds up. But for the paltry sum I paid for it, it won’t take long to get my money’s worth out of it.

As usual, I have no financial interest in any products mentioned here, and there are no affiliate links. I’m just a sucker for a bargain.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Using the Gabil Whip with the KH1

A while back, I came across a video by Aaron W4ARB in which he showed how to adapt the whip from a Gabil GRA-7350TC antenna for use with the Elecraft KH1. The Gabil whip is just over seven feet long, providing some height advantage over the KH1’s 45-inch whip. Since I had both the KH1 and a Gabil antenna, I gave it a try.

Aaron’s video gives you all the details you need, so be sure to go check it out. Since the Gabil and the KH1 whip use different thread sizes, Aaron found an inexpensive adapter to make it work. It reduces the M10 thread the Gabil whip requires to the M4 thread mount on the KH1. The longer whip weighs a bit more than the KH1’s whip, so Aaron used the KH1 on a picnic table with a Tufteln Right Angle Adapter. I just happened to have one of those in my KH1 kit.

To test this out, I drove out to French Creek State Park (US-1355, KFF-1355) and set up at a secluded picnic table. Using the adapter, the Gabil whip attached perfectly to the KH1 angle mount. I set up for 40M, using the Elecraft AXE1 coil and a 33-foot counterpoise wire. Aaron elevated his counterpoise wire for improved efficiency. Being lazy by nature, I just laid mine on the ground.

I set the KH1’s antenna switch to the 17M/15M position to use less loading inductance. In order for the KH1’s ATU to achieve a decent match, I needed to partially collapse the Gabil whip by two sections. In this configuration, the antenna is only slightly longer than the KH1’s whip, but it seemed to get out OK. I easily made the requisite 10 contacts, including a two-way QRP park-to-park contact with a station in Michigan.

Given that I had to partially collapse the Gabil whip on 40M, I’m not sure it provides a significant improvement over the KH1 whip. It certainly works, though. A smaller loading coil would be great.

The Gabil whip antenna mounted on the Elecraft AXE1 coil

At this point, I did a little antenna experimentation. Using the fully extended Gabil whip, a 13-ft counterpoise wire, no AXE1 extender, and the switch in the 17M/15M position, the KH1 easily found a match on 20M. I also got it to load on 30M, but I neglected to make a note of the exact configuration I used. I’ll have to try that again another time.

My setup. The Gabil whip is mounted directly on the right angle adapter for 20M

The longer whip really seemed to work well on 20M. In short order, I worked nine stations, including five in Florida. I packed up after an hour on the air, with 20 contacts in the log.

This was hardly a scientific evaluation, but the KH1 and Gabil whip is a combination I will definitely use again. Thanks to W4ARB for the idea and the great video.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Another Mouse in the House

Last year, I purchased the CWMouse paddles from KN6FQM, and they have seen some heavy use in the field. They have become my go-to paddles for portable use. Starting in 2026, Mike made an improvement in the material he uses for 3D printing, so I added a second set of CWMouse paddles to my arsenal.

You can get the details on the CWMouse paddles from the website, so I won’t repeat them here. However, they are 3D printed and use microswitches for the contacts. There are no adjustments for paddle tension or throw, but they have a great feel just as they are. If that’s not enough, priced at $39.00 USD (plus shipping and handling), they are extremely affordable.

The CWMouse paddles attached to my clipboard

Prior to 2026, Mike printed them with PLA plastic. According to the website, PLA is susceptible to softening and deforming when stored at temperatures above 100F. This hasn’t been an issue for me, but I have been careful about how I store them during the warmer months.

Starting in 2026, Mike prints the CWMouse components with PETG, a more temperature-resistant material. That sounded good to me, so I fired off an order for another set of paddles. To tell the two paddles apart, I had my callsign added to the new ones.

The new paddles arrived just in time for my vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. As of the time of this post, Mike doesn’t offer a magnetic option for mounting. No problem. I just glued some magnets on the bottom, so I could attach the paddles to the steel strips on my clipboard.

The assortment of magnets I glued to the bottom of my CWMouse paddles

I used the new paddles all week on the Outer Banks, during the recent Skeeter Hunt QRP contest, and a couple of POTA activations. As with the older paddles, they performed flawlessly and had a great feel. The CWMouse paddles have a light touch, which is my preference.

If you are in the market for great paddles at an affordable price, take a look at the CWMouse paddles.

I should also note that I have no financial interest in this product; I purchased my paddles with my own funds. If you haven’t been able to tell, I’m just a satisfied customer.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Hunting Skeeters in the Rain

I arrived home the night before from a week-long vacation in North Carolina and still had some unpacking to do and things to catch up on. Still, I wanted to take part in the Skeeter Hunt QRP contest, which is something I look forward to each year. Despite the weather forecast for heavy rain, I got on the air for the first one and a half hours of the contest.

I drove over to Valley Forge National Historical Park (US-0761, KFF-0761), hoping to make enough Skeeter Hunt contacts to complete a POTA activation at the same time. Since I was focusing on contest contacts, I didn’t bother to spot myself on the POTA and WWFF sites.

It was drizzling when I got to the park, so I operated from the truck. Equipment-wise, I used my trusty Penntek TR-35 transceiver, along with a 17-foot whip and my homebrew loading coil. I started out on 40M, and it sure was rough going, producing only three contest contacts. I probably spent too much time on that band. Eventually, I gave up on 40M and moved up to 20M. The skeeters were more plentiful up there.

The rain was starting to come down heavier, and I still had some errands to run, so I packed it in. After about 90 minutes, I ended up with 13 skeeters and a couple of non-skeeters in the log.

Hunkered down in the truck, wearing my official Skeeter Hunt t-shirt

As I was leaving the park, the skies opened up, and a torrential rain ensued. My timing couldn’t have been better. Despite all the rain, it was a good time. I would have liked to stay longer, but I had things to do and places to be.

Many thanks to Larry W2LJ and the NJQRP club for organizing this fun event. I’m already looking forward to next year.

72, Craig WB3GCK