Equipment – WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio

Bad Ergonomics, Good Activation

I made a run up to Norristown Farm State Park (US-4363, KFF-4363) for another early morning activation. There were a few issues that made operating a little uncomfortable at first. Despite my awkward setup, it was a successful outing.

When I arrived at the park, the parking lot was nearly empty. It was just me and a few people setting up for some sort of event under the pavilion. So I parked well away from that area, so I wouldn’t get in anyone’s way. It was a beautiful morning, so I set up my little camp chair behind the truck and used a 17-foot base-loaded whip on the truck. There was a nice park bench up the hill behind me, but I opted for the shady spot behind the truck. (For medical reasons, the sun is no longer my friend.) My chair was on a slight incline, but I thought I could make it work.

Radio-wise, I went with my KH1 on a knee board. When I pulled the kneeboard out of my pack, I found the buckles had somehow come off of the elastic strap. Normally, it would have been a simple matter of threading them back on. I made a hasty attempt to do that, but something wasn’t quite right. I wanted to get on with my activation, so I just precariously balanced the kneeboard on my leg.

I got started on 40M, and things got off to a fast start. The slight slope I mentioned, however, made my camp chair a bit unstable. I felt like I was going to fall forward, so I had to use my legs to brace myself and keep that from happening. Boy, I sure didn’t plan this setup very well. I had to wait for the hunters to thin out before I could move to firmer ground. After about 30 minutes, my arthritic knee was complaining, so I finally moved my chair into the next parking space. That made things easier.

My setup at Norristown Farm Park, after moving to flatter ground

Despite my horrible ergonomics, I did pretty well on the air. My first 10 contacts only took nine minutes. I ended up with 33 contacts over the course of an hour.

Here are a few highlights:

Worked three DX stations on 20M: OH1RR, DL8NDG, and OZ1IPP
Worked W9GTA on 40M, 30M, and 20M. Thanks, Pat!
Worked fellow QRP Polar Bear VA2NB (aka VE3WMB) on 40M. Always a pleasure, Mike.

Thankfully, I managed to get through my activation without dropping the KH1. When I got back home, it took less than a minute to get the buckles back on the kneeboard strap. Doh! Go figure.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Round Two with the GRA-CFP2600

I made an early-morning run up to Evansburg State Park (US-1351, KFF-1351) for a quick activation. My plan for this activation was to try out my Gabil GRA-CFP2600 carbon fiber whip in the “Gabil-on-a-Table” configuration I have been using lately.

The weather forecast was showing a chance of late morning rain, so I headed out a little earlier than I normally do. On arrival, I grabbed my gear and headed for a picnic table in a wooded area that I’ve used many times over the years. It only took a few minutes to get the antenna set up with two 16.5-foot radials laid out on the ground. I easily found a good match on 40M and got started.

Operating at Evansburg State Park with the KH1 and Gabil antenna

My first 15 contacts came fairly easily, so I checked 30M and 20M. I picked up one contact on each of those bands. I could tell from the POTA spots that most of the activity was on 40M. That’s usually a good indicator of which bands are working. So, back to 40M I went. I picked up eight more contacts, bringing my total to 25. Subtracting out my time playing around with the antenna, I was on the air for about 40 minutes.

Gabil antenna, KH1, and CWMouse paddles. Once again, I neglected to take a picture of the carbon fiber whip in use.

One thing I noticed was that 20M was a little touchy to tune up. That’s something I’ve experienced a time or two in the past. This morning, the best I could do was an SWR of 2.0:1. The KH1’s ATU handled that easily. I’m sure I could have gotten the SWR lower by adding more radials—which I didn’t have with me. I’ll have to remember to pack a couple more radials next time.

In any event, it was a beautiful morning to be out in the park. Plus, I got home before the rain started. Timing is everything.

72, Craig WB3GCK

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

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

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

Trying a 29-Foot Wire with the KH1

When I tested a 35-foot non-resonant wire with my KH1 last week, I was pleased with the results. Continuing with that theme, I thought I’d try a 29-foot wire, another popular non-resonant length.

I drove back to Valley Forge National Historical Park (US-0761, KFF-0761) and re-created the setup I used last time. To support the wire, I again used my homebrew drive-on mount to support a partially extended 31-foot Jackite pole. I’m guessing the pole was up about 27 feet, give or take. I set up my camp chair nearby and ran the wire over to the KH1. Starting off, I used a 17-foot counterpoise wire.

My KH1 on a kneeboard with the roll-on antenna support in the background

First, I checked to see what kind of match the KH1 would find on its five bands. The SWR was very low on all bands except for 20M, where the best the KH1 would do was around 2.4:1.

I started my activation on 40M, and the wire seemed to get out pretty well. Although the band was noisy with static crashes, I made my first ten contacts in about 11 minutes. I eventually moved up to 30M, but I only had one hunter there.

At that point, I took a break to experiment with counterpoise wires. I tried both 29-foot and 13-foot counterpoise wires, but neither of them improved the match on 20M. I also tried repositioning the counterpoise with no luck.

I left the 13-foot counterpoise wire attached and went back to 40M. I made an additional handful of contacts on 40M before trying 17M. On 17M, I picked up three more before calling it quits.

Admittedly, I had high hopes for the 29-foot wire. I’ve used that length a bunch of times, although usually with a 9:1 unun and rigs with more robust tuners. In any event, it worked well on bands other than 20M. I managed 26 contacts in a little more than an hour.

On the drive home, I thought about some ways to improve the match on 20M. I’m not sure any of them are really worth the effort, though. For now, I’ll just stick with 35-ft when I use a random wire with the KH1.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Trying a 35-foot Wire with the KH1

I headed back to Valley Forge National Historical Park (US-0761, KFF-0761) to try out an antenna configuration I didn’t get to during my last visit. I was eager to see how well my Elecraft KH1’s internal ATU would match it.

The antenna in question is just a 35-foot wire with a 17-foot counterpoise. There’s nothing novel about this configuration, as it’s a popular choice for the Elecraft KH1. Since I bought the KH1 last summer, I had never tried directly feeding a random wire. Since I already had the 35-foot wire I used in North Carolina last year, I gave it a go this morning.

To support the 35-foot wire, I used a 31-foot Jackite pole on my homebrew drive-on mount. I sloped the wire down to my camp chair. I laid out the counterpoise wire in the grass and used a binding post to a BNC adapter to connect both wires to the KH1. To hold the KH1, I used a kneeboard from Tufteln strapped to my leg. I used my CWMouse paddles for sending.

Before starting my activation, I tried the KH1 on each of its five bands. The KH1 found a 1:1 match on both 40M and 30M. The 20M band gave the highest SWR at 1.6:1; however, the KH1 was putting out a full five watts on that band. On both 17M and 15M, the SWR was a respectable 1.3:1.

My 31-foot Jackit pole on a homebrew drive-on mount

Satisfied that the KH1 was happy with this antenna configuration, I got underway on 40M. The wire seemed to get ust fine, but it’s hard to judge an antenna’s performance on the air. There are just too many variables in play. Anyway, I made contacts all up and down the East Coast and out to the mid-west. I ended up making contacts on 40M, 30M, and 20M. It was a bit too early in the morning for 17M and 15M.

After an hour and 10 minutes, I wrapped up with 25 contacts in my log with nine park-to-park contacts. Not too bad for early on a Monday morning, I suppose.

Overall, I was very happy with the 35-foot wire with the KH1. I think it might be a permanent addition to my backpack. It certainly doesn’t take up much room. I’ll probably be using it for the upcoming Flight of the Bumblebees contest.

72, Craig WB3GCK