A little over a month ago, the finals in my brand new Elecraft KH1 gave up the ghost during my second outing with it. After a trip back to the factory for some TLC from the Elecraft folks, the rig safely arrived back in Pennsylvania this week. I anxiously took the little rig out to the field this morning to get re-acquainted with it.
My destination today was Evansburg State Park (US-1351, KFF-1351). With an active geomagnetic field, I knew band conditions could make for a tough outing.
Along with my KH1, I used a new antenna I bought from AD8HK Antenna Systems and received just yesterday. This antenna features a 9:1 unun with 17’9.5″ radiator and a 8’10.5″ counterpoise wire. The unun assembly has an integrated wire winder, making for a neat, compact little antenna. I mounted the antenna on a 19-foot pole and ran 20 feet of RG-316 back to the KH1.
With the KH1 resting on my knee, I did a quick check of the bands from 40M through 15M. The KH1’s internal tuner easily found a decent match on all five bands. I went back to 40M and got started.
Despite the questionable band conditions, I logged seven contacts in about 15 minutes. I made another five contacts on 20M and 17M before calling it quits. The nice shady spot where I started out was quickly becoming a toaster oven.
I ended my brief outing with twelve contacts, including four park-to-park contacts. My KH1 has been out of commission for the past month, so I spent a good portion of my time refreshing my memory on the KH1’s menus and functions. The KH1 is thoughtfully laid out, so it all came back quickly.
Today wasn’t the best day for evaluating a new antenna, but the AD8HK EFRW did a decent job. Plus, it was great to have the KH1 back on the air. Both will see more use in the field in the future.
[Update 9/9/2025: During this activation, the KH1’s output power seemed low. As it turned out, the KH1 had been inadvertently set for low power. So, I was only running about two watts. Doh! I guess I need some more re-familiarization with this rig!]
72, Craig WB3GCK
WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio 