I ordered a KH1 kneeboard from Tufteln, and it arrived in the mail earlier this week. I was out of town for most of the week, so today was my first opportunity to try it out.
I drove down to Ridley Creek State Park (US-1414, KFF-1414) and headed up to one of the picnic areas. This area is one of the highest elevations in the park. My original plan was to set up in an out-of-the-way clearing in the woods, but with rain in the forecast I thought it would be smarter to stay close to my truck. (Spoiler alert: It was.)
I backed my truck into a parking space away from everyone else and set up a 12-foot whip and my homebrew loading coil on the back of the truck. Next, I ran 18 feet of RG-8x coax over to my camping chair.
I ordered the kneeboard version with a metal plate for magnetic mount paddles. Mike KE8PTX, designer of the kneeboard, recommends using a short audio cable with right-angle connectors for connecting your paddles to the KH1. I bought a couple but neglected to bring them along this morning. Instead, I used a 3-foot cable. It was a little awkward, but worked just fine.
The leg strap provided with the kneeboard was easy to adjust and comfortable to use. I used my CWMouse paddles, and the magnets I glued onto them held on to the kneeboard’s metal plate with no issues. For logging, I used a 3” x 5” weatherproof notebook, which I balanced on my leg by the kneeboard.
Settled comfortably into my chair, I got started on 40M. After logging a quick eight contacts, the hunters thinned out. I eventually made my required 10 contacts plus a few more before moving to 30M. After logging eight contacts on 30M, I moved to 20M for five more.
After an hour on the air, I felt a few raindrops and figured I had better pack up. That was an excellent decision, as it started raining as soon as I put the KH1 in the truck. I quickly took down my antenna and tossed my chair in the back of the truck.
Although the rain interrupted my activation, I ended up with 27 contacts. Some highlights included:
- I got a call from F1BLL on 20M. He was an honest 599 into southeastern Pennsylvania this morning.
- I worked fellow Polar Bear QRP member VE3DN on 40M and 30M.
- W9DP and W9GTA each hunted me on two bands.
I have to say that I really enjoyed using the kneeboard. In fact, this might be my new favorite way to operate with the KH1.
72, Craig WB3GCK
WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio 