Equipment – Page 3 – WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio

I Went and Did It

I’m at the stage in my life when I should be “thinning the herd” when it comes to radios. So, what do I do? Instead of getting rid of some stuff, I fire off an order to Elecraft for a KH1 Edgewood package. I need another QRP rig like a hole in the head, but after considering it for the past year, I gave in and ordered one.

I have a couple of use cases in mind for the KH1. This rig should be ideal for bicycle-portable outings and hopefully get me out on some hiking trails—within the limits of my arthritic knee, of course.

I have to admit that after I placed the rig in my online shopping cart, it took me several minutes to convince myself to press the “Submit” button. Less than 24 hours later, I received a shipping notice from Elecraft.

While waiting for the KH1 to arrive, I watched a bunch of YouTube videosread serveral blogs, and downloaded the manual. With those resources, I was thoroughly prepared when the Post Office delivered it.

What I wasn’t prepared for was exactly how tiny this thing is. Even with the research I had done, I didn’t fully appreciate its diminutive size until I had it in my hand. It’s amazing how much functionality Elecraft was able to cram into this little rig.

WB3GCK's Elecraft KH1 — My new rig at US-0761/KFF-0761

Some Initial Impressions

Menus. I prefer radios that are simple to operate without a bunch of complicated menus. That’s one reason I love my Penntek TR-35 so much. There are a lot of menu options provided through the four pushbuttons on the KH1’s front panel. Elecraft, however, has come up with a scheme that makes navigating the menus very intuitive.

Paddles. The Elecraft KHPD1 paddles included with the Edgewood package will take some getting used to. I typically prefer paddles with a light touch, like my trusty Palm Mini paddles. I played around with the Elecraft paddles with the rig in the “Test” mode. It didn’t take too long before I could send coherent code with them. We’ll see how I do in the field. Fortunately, there are several after-market paddles for the KH1 if I decide to go that route.

Overall Ergonomics. It’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into the clever design of the KH1. Everything from the logging tray to the self-contained pen is nothing short of genius. I’ve never used a handheld HF rig before, so using the logging tray will take some getting used to.

Maiden Outing

The day after I received the KH1, my (far) better half suggested I go out and give the new radio a try. Of course, I took her suggestion, but I had some reservations. There was some geomagnetic craziness going on, plus the higher bands could be tough early in the morning. Nevertheless, I packed up the KH1 and headed off to Valley Forge National Historical Park (US-0761, KFF-0761).

I started off using the KH1 handheld with the telescopic whip while sitting on top of a picnic table. Using the stock counterpoise wire on the ground, the KH1’s internal ATU easily found a 1:1 match. The bands were really rough, but I made seven contacts that way. It took the better part of an hour to make those contacts, however. Six were on 20M and one was on 17M.

WB3GCK with the Elecraft KH1 at US-0761/KFF-0761 — A Boy and His Toy

I wanted to try the lower bands—and my rear end was sore from sitting on the table—so I walked back to the parking lot and set up a 12-foot loaded whip on my truck. Sitting on a camp chair next to the truck, I bounced around the bands. I ended up with one contact on 40M and three more on 20M. Out of my 11 contacts, four were park-to-park.

Using the logging tray was a challenge. Writing while holding the rig in my hand was tough. Sitting in a chair with the radio resting on my knee was a little easier. My handwriting was pretty sloppy but still readable.

With enough contacts for the activation, I declared victory and went home.

Wrap-Up

I’m definitely not an early adopter with new gear. The KH1 is no exception. Elecraft announced the KH1 in the fall of 2023. Since that time, they have made improvements to the paddle and added new features via the firmware. Plus, by waiting to buy one, I got to learn from the users who jumped on the KH1 bandwagon early on. Thanks to the legions of YouTubers and bloggers for sharing their experiences with this rig. You made it easy for me to get up and running with it.

After the intial outing, I am thoroughly impressed with the KH1. With earbuds, the receiver sounds great, and the rig was super easy to use.

This little rig is going to see a lot of future use in the field.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Gabil on the Table

Wanting to take advantage of the excellent weather today, I drove up to Evansburg State Park (US-1351, KFF-1351) for a quick morning activation. I wanted to give my Gabil GRA-7350TC vertical some air time, so I tossed it into the truck and headed out to the park.

The picnic table I planned to use had been moved from its usual spot. Not wanting to drag the heavy table back to where it belongs, I set up at a table I have used previously. It’s close to a hiking trail, so I needed to make sure my radials wouldn’t be a trip hazard for passersby.

I set up the Gabil antenna on its tripod at one end of the table. To facilitate tuning, I set up my Penntek TR-35 (5 watts, CW) and Elecraft T1 ATU within arm’s reach of the antenna. I meant to bring a 3-foot coax along, but it didn’t make it into my backpack. A 10-foot cable was the best I could do, so I just coiled up the excess. (Note to self: Keep a 3-foot cable in the backpack.)

I started out on 40M, so I laid out a 33-foot counterpoise wire on the ground. I reached for my little SWR meter, but it wouldn’t power on. It had been a while since I had last charged it, so the battery appeared to be dead. I ended up adjusting the antenna for maximum noise in the receiver and used the T1 to do the final matching.

After I had a few contacts in the log, I changed over to 20M. I built my 33-foot counterpoise wire so I could split it into two 16.5-foot wires. After laying out the two counterpoise wires, I tried to peak the noise. No joy. I just couldn’t find a discernible peak.

Just then, I remembered I had a 12-volt power cable for the SWR meter. Duh! Why didn’t I think of that sooner? After temporarily disconnecting the TR-35, I used the battery to power the SWR meter. I quickly got the antenna adjusted to a 1.3:1 SWR. I reconnected the TR-35 and got started. (Note to self: Throw a Powerpole splitter in the backpack.)

The action was relatively slow-going this morning, but there were a fair number of activators on the air. After a little over an hour, I had 14 contacts, nine of which were park-to-park.

Despite some minor glitches, it was an enjoyable morning operating in the park.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Puppy Sitting Again

I recently spent six days out in Central Pennsylvania on house- & puppy sitting duty again. I got to spend some quality time with my grand-dog, Belle, and got in some radio time, too.

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

My first radio outing was early on a Friday morning. Pennsylvania State Game Lands 246 is only about 10 minutes away, so it’s perfect for a quick activation. With an active geomagnetic field, the propagation didn’t look at all promising. I ignored all that and headed out the door. As I was leaving, Belle thought we were going for another walk. Needless to say, I had a very disappointed German shepherd at the window watching me leave.

The parking lot at SGL246 was empty when I got there. I set up my 12-foot whip and homebrew loading coil, along with my trusty Penntek TR-35 (5 watts, CW). I spent the whole activation—and it was a short one—on 40M.

My truck at PA State Game Lands 246 — State Game Lands 246 (US-8941, KFF-5862)

Given the band conditions and the early hour (around 0745 local) on a weekday, I got off to a slow start. My big issue was the local power line noise. Before I started, I tuned around 40M to find a frequency where the noise was lower. Despite the band conditions and noise, I seemed to be getting out well enough, and the received signals were fairly strong.

After 30 minutes on the air, I finished up with 14 contacts. I packed up my gear and headed back to take Belle for that walk. After that, I think she forgave me for leaving without her.

And Then the Rains Came

Bright and early Saturday morning, I took Belle through the basement to let her out in the backyard. I found myself splashing through puddles of water in the rec room, and the sump pump was running like crazy.

We had some severe thunderstorms the previous night, and according to the local news, we received close to two inches of rain overnight. So, much of the day was spent cleaning up and drying out instead of playing radio. Fortunately, my (far) better half drove out for the weekend and helped with the cleanup effort.

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

When I woke up Sunday morning, I saw we were in the midst of a severe geomagnetic storm. Some hams on a local repeater were complaining about the poor conditions on the HF bands. So, what did I do? I headed out for an early morning QRP POTA activation.

For this water trail, I went to a public boat launch on the Susquehanna River. The river was still slightly flooded from the recent rainstorms, but the water hadn’t reached the parking lot.

Some minor flooding of the Susquehanna River — Some minor flooding on the Susquehanna River

Given the poor band conditions, I used my homebrew loading coil and a 17-foot whip instead of my usual 12-foot whip. I was hoping the additional five feet would help my 5 watt signal punch through the geomagnetic storm.

I also used my brand new Pocket Paddles from CWMorse. I neglected to order one with magnets, so I couldn’t attach it to my clipboard. However, I think I have a plan to address that as a future project. On the air, the Pocket Paddles performed flawlessly, and I’m looking forward to using them a lot more in the future.

After my third CQ call on 40M, I quickly logged my first two contacts. The contacts kept coming, but at a slow pace. After nine contacts, I thought that the tenth one might never come. Fortunately, it did. After 45 minutes, I ended up with 12 contacts, including one park-to-park. Not bad for a severe geomagnetic storm. I packed up and headed to a grocery store to pick up a few things for breakfast back at the house.

And Back to PA SGL246

On Monday morning I made another trip over to PA State Game Lands 246. There was a major geomagnetic storm in progress, so I knew this would be another challenging activation.

The parking lot was empty the whole time I was there. No big surprise, given that it was early on a weekday. I went with the same set-up as yesterday, opting for the 17-ft whip.

With a K Index of six and the usual power line noise, it was slow going on 40M. It took a few minutes of continuous CQing to log my first contact. It took almost 45 minutes to get seven in the log. At that point, things stalled for a bit. Around that time, I received a NOAA email alert saying the K Index had increased to seven.

I had allotted an hour for this activation, and I was getting close to the end. Then, out of nowhere, I had three callers in rapid succession that got me to 10 contacts. For good measure, there were three more after that.

I finished up with 13 in the log, with one known park-to-park contact. So, my little five-watt station managed to pull it off again. Take that, Mr. Sun!

And with that, I wrapped up my activations out here. Radio-wise, the band conditions were challenging, but it was still fun. I might be back in central Pennsylvania for another round of puppy sitting next month—with better band conditions, I hope!

72, Craig WB3GCK

First Ride of the Year

It has been quite a while since I’ve done any bike-portable operating. Over the past couple of years, I’ve dealt with medical issues of one sort or another. This year, I’ve avoided any serious issues, so I dusted off the bike and went out for a ride. While I was out, I tested some new gear for the bike. (I purchased all of the products mentioned with my own money.)

Antenna Mount

I make no claims of originality for this setup. I first saw this antenna mount in a YouTube video by VA7BIX. So, I found one on eBay and fired off an order to give it a try.

The antenna mount in question is a Nagoya RB-46. I had been looking for a way to mount my Gabil GRA-7350TC antenna (or any antenna with a ⅜-24 mount) on my bike. Originally intended for mounting on a car’s roof rack, the RB-46 can be clamped to the handlebars on bikes. With the kickstand down, my bike leans a bit. Fortunately, I can the adjust the RB-46 in two directions, so the antenna stays vertical. It accommodates a standard SO-239 to ⅜-24 antenna stud mount, which I had on hand.

Installing the RB-46 is quick and easy—for normal people. My installation, however, required extra time for searching the garage floor for dropped nuts and washers. Hardware mishandling aside, I installed the mount on my handlebars and adjusted it so the antenna would be vertical with the bike’s kickstand down.

Nagoya RB-46 antenna mount attached to my handlebars with my Gabil GRA-7350TC installed.

I also had a protective cap for the SO-239 in my junk box, so I put it to use here. Just in case it rains while I’m riding, I carry a ⅜-24 bolt in my handlebar bag. I figure I could put that in the antenna mount to keep the rain out. That’s probably overkill, but that’s how I roll. (No pun intended.)

New Panniers

I really like the cheap set of pannier bags I have been using for more than a decade. Sadly, they were really showing their age and were being held together with liberal applications of duct tape. Figuring I had gotten my money’s worth out of the old bags, I ordered a set of Bushwhacker Moab pannier bags.

The new bags are slightly larger than my old ones, so there’s more than enough room to carry my radio gear. My Bushwhacker handlebar bag has been going strong for about 12 years, so I’m hoping my new panniers also have a long life.

Schuylkill River Trail

I’m fortunate to live near the Schuylkill River Trail, a beautiful multi-use trail that runs along—you guessed it—the Schuylkill River. Since I haven’t been on the bike in a while, I chose a section of the trail for a three-mile ride that leads to a quiet local park.

Before loading up my bike, I always check the tire pressure. This morning, the front tire had gone flat, despite having fully inflating it a couple days earlier. After installing a new tube, I was finally on my way. Then, as I was driving to the trailhead, it started raining. Geez, what else!? Thankfully, the rain stopped by the time I reached the trailhead.

I rode about three miles to Towpath park, a ride I’ve done many times in recent years. The ride was uneventful, and I was soon setting up the GRA-7350TC on my new antenna mount. I used two 17-foot radials laid out on the ground and 25 feet of RG-316 coax. It was easy to get a 1.3:1 SWR on 20M.

To see how it works, I set up my Penntek TR-35 on a nearby park bench. Tuning around I found some POTA activators to call. I ended up working three of them. It was fitting that one of my contacts was with Jim N4JAW. Jim is a bicycle/ham radio enthusiast I wrote about in a recent post. (Jim told me later that he was also bike-portable. You can read about his POTA activation operation and our QSO on his Ham on a Bike blog.)

Before tearing down, I checked the other bands with an antenna analyzer. I was able to get good matches on 30M through 12M. The 10M band was a little finicky. I didn’t use my longer radials, so I knew 40M would be tough.

Happy with the results, I loaded up the bike for the ride back to my truck.

Wrapping Up

I have a few takeaways from today’s ride:

The antenna mount worked great. However, using a PL-259 to BNC-F adapter on the antenna mount caused some clearance issues. It was a little tricky connecting the coax. I need to try using a right angle adapter next time.
The new panniers were easy to put on and take off the bike. Having a little extra room is a plus.
My short ride today was no Tour de France, but it reminded me how much I enjoy riding my bike. Yep. I definitely need to do more bike-portable outings this year.

72, Craig WB3GCK

My Bulging Battery

Last week I was using one of my Evolve III Maestro E-Books during our local ARES-RACES NBEMS digital net. I noticed the keyboard had developed a hump in the middle. Having seen this once before in another laptop, I immediately knew what was causing it: a bulging battery. As a precaution, I disabled the battery in the Windows Device Manager and continued running solely on AC power.

The next day I opened up the laptop to remove the battery. That was fairly simple to do. I just needed to remove nine tiny Phillips screws to open the case. Then I removed five more tiny screws holding the battery and unplugged the battery cable. It was a painless process.

Searching the Internet, I found some sources for replacement batteries. I ended up buying one on eBay from a seller that ships from New Jersey. Of course, that convenience came at a price. I ended up paying $40 for a battery to put in a $90 laptop. Yikes!

It's not a great a picture, but you can see how bloated the old battery was. In comparison, the new battery is perfectly flat. — This isn’t a great a picture, but you can see how bloated the old battery was. It’s hard to tell with the lousy lighting, but the new battery is perfectly flat.

A week after I first noticed the problem, I had a brand new battery in my mailbox. It took about 15 minutes to open the laptop, install the new battery, and put it all back together again. Happily, it survived the “smoke test” and charged up normally. Back in business!

Yeah, $40 is steep investment for such a cheap laptop, but I really like this little thing. Hopefully, it’s got a couple more years left in it.

73, Craig WB3GCK

Testing a Backup Rig

Whenever I go operate portable, I usually take my old YouKits HB-1B transceiver along as a backup. One thing I learned from back in my working days, is you need to test your backup equipment periodically to make sure it will actually work when you need it. It had been quite a while since I last used the HB-1B, so I put it to use today.

My destination today was Ridley Creek State Park (US-1414, KFF-1414). I rolled into one of my favorite spots and set up my homebrew loading coil paired with a 17-foot telescopic whip. This combination covers the 40M, 30M, and 20M bands, perfect for the HB-1B. Along with the HB-1B, I used my Elecraft T1 tuner and my old NorCal keyer.

My YouKits HB-1B transceiver during an activation at Ridley Creek State Park (US-1414, KFF-1414) — My YouKits HB-1B in use at Ridley Creek State Park (US-1414, KFF-1414)

The A Index was 32 when I started out on 40M. Despite the active geomagnetic field, my four-watt HB-1B still managed 10 contacts in about 16 minutes. The 30M band was a little better, but I made most of my contacts on 20M. The HB-1B only puts out a little over 3 watts on 20M, so I was pleased with that.

The (far) better half and I are puppy sitting one of our grand-dogs this weekend, and I received a text message that he was at the house waiting for me. He knows I’m the designated dog walker at our house, so I packed up to go spend some quality time with a furry buddy.

After operating for an hour, I logged 34 contacts. I didn’t have any DX contacts today, but four of my contacts were park-to-park.

I bought the HB-1B from Ten-Tec almost twelve years ago, and it has seen a lot of use in the field. Although it doesn’t see as much action as it used to, it proved once again it’s a capable little rig.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Captain John Smith Trail with the Gabil GRA-7350TC Antenna

My (far) better half and I spent the weekend in Central Pennsylvania watching the grandkids, while our second harmonic and her husband were off celebrating their anniversary. Of course, I took some radio gear along to do some QRP-portable operating while I was out there.

I had a brief window of opportunity on Saturday morning, so I drove to the Falmouth Access boat launch along the Susquehanna River to activate the Captain John Smith National Historic Trail (US-4567). Since we used the (far) better half’s car this weekend, I used this opportunity to try out my Gabil GRA-7350TC vertical and magnetic mount on her car for the first time. I also brought along my trusty Penntek TR-35 (5 watts, CW).

The Gabil GRA-7350TC & mag mount on my (far) better half's car, while activating the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail (US-4567) — The Gabil GRA-7350TC & mag mount on my (far) better half’s car, while activating the Captain John Smith National Historic Trail (US-4567)

To facilitate tuning the vertical, I used a recently acquired Mini60 analyzer I bought off AliExpress. It’s cheap and a little quirky, but it’s small and its simple SWR readings got the job done. I started on 40M and got the SWR down to 1.3:1 without adding radials. That’s better than I had ever gotten on my pickup truck. I guess the roof on my XYL’s little SUV provides a better ground plane than my truck.

The Mini60 Antenna Analyzer. I found a case on Temu just the right size to hold Mini60 and some accessories. — The Mini60 Antenna Analyzer. I found a case on Temu just the right size to hold the Mini60 and some accessories.

Band conditions were generally lousy, and there was some horrendous local noise in 40M and 20M. I didn’t experience any noise issues the last time I activated from here. Despite all that, I managed to scrape together 17 contacts in about 35 minutes, including one with F4ILH on 17M. Also, thanks to W5KEB for working me on two bands. (My apologies to a couple of hunters I couldn’t pull out of the crazy noise in 40M and 20M.)

Even though the bands weren’t too hot, I was pleased with the performance of the Gabil antenna. It’s another good antenna option when I’m using my (far) better half’s car (or any car, for that matter).

72, Craig WB3GCK

Covering More Bands with My 12-ft Whip

Back in 2017 I built my 19-foot wire vertical, which was my go-to portable antenna for about 4 or 5 years. The concept was simple: It functions as a base-loaded resonant vertical on 40M & 30M and as a random wire on 20M and up. The matching unit contains a tapped toroid for 40M & 30M and is fed through a built-in 1:1 choke. It occurred to me I could do something similar with the 12-foot telescopic whip and homebrew loading coil I’ve been using on my truck of late.

My 12-foot whip setup is resonant on 40M through 17M. You’re probably thinking: “Why not just bypass the loading coil and adjust the length of the whip for 15M through 10M?” Well, being as lazy as I am, that would make band changes a little more involved than I want to deal with. I like having some “frequency agility,” and I’m not above using an ATU to achieve that.

To emulate the scheme I used for the 19-foot vertical, I just needed a choke at the input to my homebrew loading coil. (I could probably go without the choke, but I wanted to keep the coax from becoming part of the antenna.) So, I use the 12-foot whip as a base-loaded resonant vertical on 40M through 17M. For 15M through 10M, I would bypass the coil and use an ATU.

To test this out, I threw together a choke using parts I had on hand. I wound 10 turns of RG-174 on an FT-140-43 toroid. A Radio Shack project box I had in my stash of parts was the perfect size to house the toroid. (I bought it a decade or two ago, and it was still unopened in the original Radio Shack packaging.) Since I installed SO-239 connectors on each end, I had to use an adapter to connect the choke to the SO-239 on the antenna. To hold the coil in place, I wedged a piece of foam packing material between the lid and the core. The completed choke is functional, albeit a little cheesy-looking.

The choke is 10 turns of RG-174 coax on an FT140-43 toroid.

My first test using the 12-ft whip on the higher bands was a success. While activating Ridley Creek State Park (US-1414, KFF-1414), I used my KX3 (5 watts, CW) and installed the choke at the antenna feedpoint. On 40M through 17M, the loading coil functioned as it normally does. On 15M, 12M, and 10M, I bypassed the coil entirely and relied on the KX3’s internal ATU to load up the whip.

The choke installed at the antenna's feedpoint — The choke installed at the antenna’s feedpoint

The KX3 easily found matches on all three bands, and my results on the air were encouraging. On 15M, I worked stations in Poland, Belgium, France, Ukraine, Germany (3), and the Slovak Republic. I made two stateside contacts on 12M. Up on 10M, I worked some more DX: Germany (2), Italy, and Czech Republic. One of the German contacts was park-to-park.

I’ve used this arrangement on a few more activations since then, including Winter Field Day. My results have been consistently good.

I haven’t done any modeling, but the 12-foot whip seems to be a pretty good length for operating like this. It’s just a little longer than a ¼-wave on 15M and a little shy of ⅜-wave on 10M. On 12M, it’s somewhere between ¼ and ½-wave; so it isn’t resonant on any of the bands of interest.

Although I was pleased with these initial results, I might do a little more tinkering with this setup. I’m toying with repackaging the choke to make it a little more weather resistant. I encountered some rain during the first activation using it. There was no damage to the choke at all, but I always have a tendency to over-engineer things—it keeps me occupied and out of trouble, I suppose.

No scientific breakthrough here. Just a lazy guy “force feeding” a fixed length whip to squeeze a few more bands out of it.

72, Craig WB3GCK

No-Name Mini Straight Key

I needed another mini straight key like a hole in the head. With my fascination for these things, however, I just couldn’t help myself.

The key in question came from AliExpress and cost me about $18 USD. Although it has no markings on it, it appears to be from the same manufacturer as the QU-21C paddles I bought a while back. The basic design is the same as the QU-21C, and it came with identical packaging and accessories. After modifying the magnetic base, the paddles have served me well. So I took a chance on the look-alike straight key.

My No-name mini straight key from AliExpress during a recent portable outing. The key is magnetically attached to steel strips I glued to my clipboard. — My no-name mini straight key from AliExpress during a recent portable outing. The key is magnetically attached to steel strips I glued to my clipboard.

Out of the box, the straight key’s contact spacing was a little wide for my taste. Using the included Allen wrench, I adjusted the key more to my liking. For a cheap key, it has a pretty good feel to it, and it keys cleanly.

The accessories that came with the mini straight key. (Not shown is an adhesive rubber square that I attached to the bottom of the key.)

Based on my experience with the QU-21C paddles, I had some reservations about the highly polished square magnet on the bottom. However, since the motion of the straight key is the vertical plane instead of side-to-side, the magnet is less of an issue.

I used the key during a recent outing, and I had no major issues with it. I have some a couple of steel strips glued to my clipboard, and I stuck the key there. There was a little movement, but nowhere near as bad as the paddles. I just needed to make sure I didn’t get too vigorous with my keying. After I use them some more, I’ll decide if I want to modify them like I did with the paddles.

Most of the time I get what I pay for, but in this case, I think I got a decent product for the price. I let you know if my opinion changes with time.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Replacing My Broken Whip

During a recent activation, my beloved MFJ 12-foot telescopic whip came apart. I’ve had it for a long time, so I was really disappointed when it broke. I specifically designed my homebrew loading coil to pair with a 12-foot whip. With this setup, I can work 40M through 17M by changing the tap on the coil. I don’t need to adjust the whip. These bands match the bands covered by my Penntek TR-35.

When the old whip broke, I salvaged the parts and tried to put it back together when I got home. No joy was to be had. However, all was not lost.

Although 12-foot telescopic whips aren’t aren’t as widely available as the ubiquitous 17-foot whip, I found one in stock at Ham Radio Outlet. After placing my order, I had the antenna on my porch 24 hours later on Christmas Eve. (I have no financial interest in HRO. I’m just a very satisfied customer.)

This new whip is an MFJ-1977, and it’s distinctly different from my old MFJ-1956 whip. The new whip’s construction is the first obvious difference. Additionally, the stainless steel has a less polished finish. The MFJ-1977 is also a little heavier, and its collapsed length is an inch or two longer than the older whip. In the pictures below, the older MFJ-1956 is on the top and the new MFJ-1977 is on the bottom:

The MFJ-1977 and MFJ-1956 12-foot whips compared. The older, discontinued MFJ-1956 whip is on top.

The new MFJ-1977 had its maiden deployment at Norristown Farm Park (US-4363, KFF-4363). I used the antenna with my Penntek TR-35 (5 Watts) on 40M, 20M and 17M. As expected, the new antenna seemed to perform as well as its predecessor. After an hour and 10 minutes, I had 42 in the log with three DX contacts: two from France and one from Germany.

My old 12-foot whip saw heavy use, and it served me well. In the future, however, I plan to rotate whips occasionally. I extended my MFJ-1979 17-foot whip to 12 feet and marked it with a permanent marker. I did the same with my cheap 5.6M whip from AliExpress. Hopefully, having two other whips available will let me avoid beating up my 12-foot whip and extend its life.

72, Craig WB3GCK