I normally have my old YouKits HB-1B nearby as a backup radio. In that role, it spends a fair amount of time tucked away under the backseat of my truck. I hadn’t used it in a few months, so I fired it up for a POTA/WWFF activation at Marsh Creek State Park (US-1380, KFF-1380).
I rolled into one of my favorite spots on the western shore of Marsh Creek Lake. Being a weekday, the boat launch parking lot wasn’t nearly as crowded as it gets on weekends during the summer months. It was very hazy this morning from the smoke from Canadian wildfires.
Besides the HB-1B, I used my Elecraft T1 tuner, a 17-foot whip, and my homebrew loading coil. I started out on 40M, and that band did not disappoint. It only took about 10 minutes to make my first 10 contacts. I stayed on 40M for about 30 minutes until the activity dwindled.
I set the loading coil tap for 20M, but things were much slower there. I logged just two contacts on 20M, but one of them was F1BLL in France. After that, I switched to 30M and picked up three final contacts.
After a little more than an hour, I had logged 28 contacts. Among those contacts, I had three (known) park-to-parks and one DX contact.
The HB-1B really doesn’t like my cell phone. To prevent getting noise in the receiver, I had to keep my phone several feet away. Despite its quirks, the HB-1B still got the job done.
72, Craig WB3GCK
WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio 
Craig, do you just use the truck as your counterpoise? All my park radioing is with an EFHW because I don’t drive. I’d like to try a setup like yours, but not sure if the counterpoise wires wiuld be more trouble than the EFHW.
Thanks Rick N8TGQ
LikeLike
In this case, I was just using the truck as the counterpoise. I was basically “stationary-mobile.” — 73, Craig
LikeLike