Sprinting in the Park

No, I wasn’t running through the park. I was operating in the Straight Key Century Club’s Weekend Sprintathon contest from a POTA/WWFF entity. I ended up with two POTA/WWFF activations as a result. 

On Saturday morning, I drove over to Norristown Farm Park (US-4363, KFF-4363), which has become one of my favorites. It was pretty chilly when I started, so I set up in the truck. (That turned out to be a poor decision.) I used my Penntek TR-35 (5 watts) and my trusty 12-foot loaded whip. I used my little MS2 straight key for the SKCC contacts.

My setup in the truck on Saturday. My little American Morse MS2 straight key looks unusual but has a great feel.
My setup in the truck on Saturday. My little red American Morse MS2 straight key looks unusual but has a great feel.

My plan was to operate in the WES and only spot myself on the POTA and WWFF websites if I had trouble making my 10 contacts. The band conditions had improved significantly from the severe geomagnetic storms over the previous couple of days, so I was optimistic. 

Starting out on 40M, I was pleasantly surprised to find a bunch of SKCC stations. I worked 13 WES stations on 40M before moving up to 20M to work a few more. SKCC WES contacts come at a slower pace than POTA contacts, so after an hour and 20 minutes, I only had 16 contacts. I was happy with that, though. 

By that time, the temperature had gone up, and the sun was beating down on the windshield. It was really getting hot in the truck, so I pulled the plug and packed up for the day. 

On Sunday morning, I went back to Norristown Farm Park for more of the SKCC WES. This time, I operated from the tailgate of my truck. I rarely do that, because the tailgate is too high off the ground. I had backed the truck up to a slight slope, so my chair was a bit higher than if I had been on flat ground. Still, it wasn’t all that comfortable for keying. I ended using my clipboard on my lap. My equipment was the same as the day before.

Operating from the tailgate on Sunday morning.
Operating from the tailgate on Sunday morning.

This time there was much less SKCC activity on 40M. Despite numerous CQ calls, I only logged four WES contacts. So, I made the command decision to spot myself on the POTA website and switch over to the paddles. The activity picked up dramatically after that.

This time I ended up with 21 contacts, which included three park-to-park QSOs. All together, I made 20 SKCC WES contacts over the weekend, which is not too bad for me. 

I’ll have to try this again for next month’s Weekend Sprintathon. 

72, Craig WB3GCK

Oops! It Lives!

I’m almost too embarrassed to even post this, but it looks like I resolved my issues with my Elecraft T1 ATU. I think it might have been a monumental example of “cockpit error.”

This morning, a few hours after my last post went live, I sat down and went back through the T1 user manual. One line jumped out at me:

When bypassed, the T1 can still show SWR; activate TUNE mode, then key the transmitter.

Hmmm… So, that got me thinking. That would explain the behavior I have been seeing: indicating SWR while not trying to find a match.

I went downstairs to the shack to check the T1 again. When I entered the pushbutton sequence to enter the BYPASS mode, the T1 actually toggled into the “ATU Inline” mode. DOH! I connected the T1 up to my KX3 and rain gutter antenna, and it tuned up like a champ. 

So, it looks like I might have accidentally put the T1 in BYPASS mode. Two errant presses of the push-buttons is all it would have taken. I’ll have to watch out for that, going forward.

Needless to say, I’m a happy boy again. Red-faced but happy.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Equipment Failure but Activation Success

Another busy weekend here in my neck of the woods. We had a family get-together in central Pennsylvania on Saturday, and I took part in a public service event with my local ARES-RACES group on Sunday. Despite everything going on, I squeezed in a short POTA/WWFF activation on Saturday morning before heading out of town.

I chose a spot in Valley Forge National Historical Park (US-0761, KFF-0761) that’s only a few miles from home. The parking lot serves as a trailhead for a popular trail, and it can be a busy place during the summer months. It wasn’t too bad today. 

My original plan was to use some different gear and try out some antenna configurations. Being pressed for time, I went with my usual setup, which I knew—or thought—would work. That, of course, was my Penntek TR-35, Elecraft T1 tuner, and my 12-foot whip and homebrew loading coil combination. The SWR is a little higher on 40M and 30M, so I use the T1 to keep the rig happy.

I scanned the 40M band, and it was hopping. I planned to pick off some park-to-park QSOs before setting in on a frequency to call CQ. When I hit the T1, it didn’t even try to find a match, and the LEDs showed a 3:1 (or higher) SWR. I tried other bands, including ones I knew were close to 1:1, and the T1 wouldn’t budge. 

I couldn’t remember the last time I changed the battery, so I put in a fresh one. No go. Next, I ran through the T1’s internal diagnostics. Nothing out of the ordinary there that I could see. On (very) rare occasions over its 11 years of service, the T1 would get fussy and refuse to match certain bands. Just running through the diagnostics seemed enough to clear up those issues—but not today.

I disconnected the T1 and went straight from the TR-35 to the antenna. The truck-mounted whip has very low SWR on 20M and 17M, so I confined my operation to those bands. 

My ailing T1 after disconnecting it
My ailing T1 after I disconnected it

Fortunately, 20M was in great shape for 0930 (local time), and I had a steady stream of hunters. I needed to leave at 1000 (local), and I had spent an inordinate amount of time playing around with the T1. However, my 30-minute activation netted me 26 contacts with two of them park-to-park. Most of the contacts were on 20M, but I had five on 17M before pulling the plug. 

I drove back home, saddened that my trusty T1 was having issues. It has been so reliable over the years that I just took for granted that it would always work and match whatever antenna I was using. 

Back at home, I did a couple of quick checks with different antennas, but no joy was to be had. I suspect a stuck relay, but I’m not really sure how to discern that from the internal diagnostics routine. I bought it assembled and tested, so I’ve never poked around inside. I’ll have to download the instructions for the kit version to see if that offers any insights. 

When I get some time this week, I’ll pursue this further and decide how to proceed. If any T1 users out there have advice to offer, I’m all ears. 

[Update: I resolved the issue with the T1. It appears to have been a case of “cockpit error.” Here’s what it was.]

72, Craig WB3GCK

POTA with the (tr)uSDX

Although I bought my little (tr)uSDX transceiver two years ago, it has only seen sporadic use. Other than an occasional contact or two, it has been mostly relegated to the shelf. I figured it was about time to put it to serious use in a POTA/WWFF activation. 

I made a return visit to Norristown Farm Park (US-4363, KFF-4363) for another activation. It was raining on and off this morning here in southeastern Pennsylvania, so I pretty much had the place to myself. 

I set up the (tr)uSDX with my Elecraft T1 tuner in the cab of my truck. I used three 18650 Li-ion batteries power the radio. As usual, I went with my 12-foot whip and homebrew loading coil on the back of the truck.

I’m getting a little better at navigating the (tr)uSDX’s menus and using the controls. There are a lot of functions covered by three controls. To refresh my memory, I used the rig last night with my rain gutter “antenna” to make a couple of contacts. I also brought along a cheat sheet today, which I didn’t need.

Just for the fun of it, I started off using my little N6ARA TinyPaddles. They match the orange radio, so why not. Unfortunately, I had some issues with them, so I switched over to my Palm Mini paddles. I have to tweak the contact spacing on the N6ARA paddles. 

My (tr)uSDX. The N6ARA paddles are in the lower left.
My (tr)uSDX. The N6ARA TinyPaddles are in the lower left.

Starting out on 40M, the signals were strong and plentiful. It only took me about 11 minutes to log my first 10 contacts. When things slowed down on 40M, I made a few contacts each on 30M and 20M. After 45 minutes, I had 21 contacts in the log with one park-to-park QSO.

My trusty homebrew loading coil. In hind sight I should have used a plastic bag to protect it from the rain this morning.
My trusty homebrew loading coil. In hindsight I should have used a plastic bag to protect it from the rain this morning.

The (tr)uSDX is an incredible little rig. They packed an awful lot of features into a tiny package, but it’s not really a high-performance radio. I have to admit it wasn’t the most pleasant rig to listen to; there were some pops and clicks in the sidetone when keying. It could have been the earbuds I was using. I also need to go back through the menu settings to make sure I haven’t missed something. Looking at my RBN spots, I could see I need to tweak the frequency calibration a bit. It’s transmitting a little lower than the displayed frequency. Having said all that, I can’t be too critical of radio at this price point.

In the end, though, the little rig got the job done today. Not bad for a five-band, multi-mode radio that costs less than $140 assembled. 

72, Craig WB3GCK

The Mystery of the Sticky Feet

I’ve been powering up some of my old QRP gear to see if any of it still works. The gear has been stacked up on a shelf above my operating position for years. In testing some of this gear, I came across a curious problem.

Last night I was rearranging some of my equipment and re-routing some coax cables. When I went to move my Oak Hills Research power meter, it was stuck to the shelf. The rubber feet on the bottom of the meter had become slightly soft and sticky. I didn’t think too much of it at the time. I just finished connecting the cables and placed it back on the shelf. 

Today, I took my old MFJ-9030 transceiver down from the shelf and was greeted with a gooey mess. The rubber feet had completely dissolved and turned into a sticky, tar-like mess. Using a single-edged razor blade, I scraped off as much as I could from both the radio and the residue on the shelf. I used some mineral spirits to clean up as best I could. The mineral spirits worked great, but I still had sticky spots where the feet were attached to the radio. I cut some pieces of aluminum duct tape to cover those spots, and I applied four new feet from my junk box. 

This is the underside of my 31 year old MFJ-9030 transceiver showing the black goo from the dissolved feet. The clear feet were added by me.
This is the underside of my 31 year old MFJ-9030 transceiver showing the black goo from the dissolved feet. The clear feet were added by me.

My theory is that the rubber (or whatever material they are) feet reacted with the finish on the shelf. I know that vinyl guitar straps and accessories can damage the lacquer finish used on some high-end guitars (like my 1973 Martin D35 acoustic), so I suspect something like that happened to my radio equipment. I built the shelf and my operating table from some repurposed shelves that were in the house when we moved in back in the late 70s. So, I have no idea what kind of finish is on them. 

Besides the power meter I mentioned earlier, it looks like my old MFJ-941-E antenna tuner is also affected. So, I’ll have to replace the feet on those items and clean up the residue on the shelf with the mineral spirits. Needless to say, some of this equipment hasn’t been moved in years.

This wasn’t exactly how I wanted to spend my afternoon, but I’m glad I spotted the problem.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Good Conditions at Norristown Farm Park

Between the grand-kids’ equestrian competitions and soccer games, Sunday morning was the only time I could squeeze in a POTA/WWFF activation this week. Like most of my recent activations, it had to be early and short.

It had been a while since my last visit to Norristown Farm Park (US-4363, KFF-4363), so I headed over there. Before I headed out, I took a quick look at the band conditions. The A Index was around 6, the K Index was zero, and there was no geomagnetic activity. Now, I’m not an expert in this stuff, but that looked pretty good to me.

Band conditions at the end of my activation. They were even better before I left for the park
Band conditions at the end of my activation. They were even better before I left for the park

My original plan was to do this activation with some vintage QRP gear, but I wasn’t able to get all that together. Instead, I used my usual Penntek TR-35 (5 watts, CW), 12-foot whip, and my homebrew loading coil. 

"Stationary-mobile" at Norristown Farm State Park (US-4363, KFF-4363)
“Stationary-mobile” at Norristown Farm Park (US-4363, KFF-4363)

My band conditions app showed poor daytime conditions on 40M, but I found that wasn’t the case. Signals were strong and plentiful. My first 10 contacts only took 13 minutes to achieve. The 20M band was equally strong, so I spent some time there. Finally, I checked 17M, and picked up five more there. 

This old bridge at Norristown Farm State Park is only used for bike and pedestrian traffic these days.
This old bridge at Norristown Farm Park is only used for bike and pedestrian traffic these days.

In all, I had 32 contacts with two known park-to-park QSOs and one DX contact (F1BLL). Not too bad for an hour’s effort, I guess. Then it was time to head off to my grandson’s soccer game.

I have to remember to get that old gear together, so it’s ready to go for next time. 

72, Craig WB3GCK

QU-21C Mini Paddles

I’ve been toying with the idea of putting together a small radio kit based on my (tr)SDX or something similar, so I’ve been looking at small paddles to go with it. Browsing through eBay recently, I came across several listings for the QU-21C paddles. They were inexpensive, so I thought I’d order them and give them a shot. 

These paddles are nothing new; they’ve been around for a few years. (I’m definitely no early adopter.) The QU-21C paddles are made in China and mine are marked with the brand name, Magic Rabbit. From other reviews I have seen, there may be other manufacturers. So, the quality and packaging may vary. I paid about $24 USD from a seller (iDrone) that ships from the U.S., but you can find them listed for less than $20, if you don’t mind waiting for a shipment from China. 

Opening the package, I found the paddles are even smaller than I expected. The base is approximately .98 inch by .98 inch (25mm x 25mm) and 1 inch (26mm) tall. The overall length, including the paddles, is 1.9 inches (48.5mm). On my kitchen scale, the paddles weighed in at 1.25 ounces (34 grams). The paddles appear to be 3-D printed, but the quality is pretty good. The base of the paddles is magnetic, which is one feature that first drew my attention. 

Magic Rabbit QU-21C paddles with the rubber pad attached to the magnet. The pad looks a little ratty around the edges, because I removed it and decided to put it back on. I messed it up a little in the process.
Magic Rabbit QU-21C paddles with the rubber pad attached to the magnet. The pad looks a little ragged around the edges, because I applied it, removed it, and then decided to put it back on. I messed it up a little in the process.

The package I received included:

  • Paddles with a magnet attached to the bottom
  • 3-ft cable with 3.5mm stereo plugs on each end
  • Hex wrench for adjusting contact spacing
  • Two adhesive metal discs
  • Adhesive rubber pad
  • Plastic storage case that holds everything
Some of the accessories that came with it. The cable is inside the clear plastic storage box. The adhesive discs can be applied anywhere, so you can use the attach the paddles magnetically.
Some of the accessories that came with it. The cable is inside the clear plastic storage box. The adhesive discs can be applied anywhere, so you can use the attach the paddles magnetically.

My first impression was that the contact spacing seemed a little wider than I like. I used the supplied hex wrench and adjusted the spacing until the contacts were completely closed. Then, I backed off a little. 

I prefer a light spring tension on my paddles, but the spring in these paddles seems stiffer than I’m used to. Unfortunately, there’s no adjustment for that. So, I’ll just have to get used to using a little more force than my other paddles. 

I’m not sold on the magnetic base, though. The square magnet is fairly strong, but it’s highly polished. So, the paddles sometimes have a tendency to slide when I’m sending. I applied the rubber pad that comes with it, but that seemed to offer only minimal improvement. For now, I just hold them in one hand while sending with the other.

I’ve actually thought about trying to remove the magnet altogether, since it appears to be glued on. At least, it wouldn’t be attracting every ferrous object that comes near it. But, for now, I’m just thinking about it.

The QU-21C paddles during a recent activation, along with my trusty Palm Mini paddles are also shown.
The QU-21C paddles during a recent activation, along with my trusty Palm Mini paddles.

I had a chance to use the QU-21C paddles on a recent park activation. It didn’t take long to get used to them, and I had no issues with them at all. The paddles keyed reliably, without missing a single dit or dah.

Even with my spring tension and magnet gripes, I’m pretty happy with these paddles. These cheap paddles look like worthy candidates for field use. We’ll see how well they hold up over time.

72, Craig WB3GCK

POTA Repeat Offender and SKCC WES

The monthly running of the Straight Key Century Club’s Weekend Sprintathon (WES) contest was this weekend. I needed two more activations at Marsh Creek State Park for a POTA “Repeat Offender” award, so I headed out both Saturday and Sunday for POTA/WWFF activations and to make a few WES contacts.

We had some outstanding weather here in southeastern Pennsylvania, so I knew Marsh Creek (US-1380, KFF-1380) was going to be pretty busy. Given that, I headed out early on Saturday morning. I found a parking spot in the boat launch area, but the parking lot was filling up fast. 

My location in Marsh Creek State Park (US-1380, KFF-1380) for a POTA activation and the SKCC WES
My location in Marsh Creek State Park (US-1380, KFF-1380) for a POTA/WWFF activation and the SKCC WES

My trusty Penntek TR-35 was the perfect rig for this weekend. The TR-35’s separate straight key and paddle inputs let me instantly switch between the two without having to make configuration changes in the radio. I also went with my usual 12-foot whip and homebrew loading coil. 

The separate straight key and paddle inputs on the TR-35 lets me instantly switch between the two. (Note to Self: Clean out your truck!)
The separate straight key and paddle inputs on the TR-35 lets me instantly switch between the two. (Note to Self: Clean out your truck!)

The 40M band was alive and well, so I spent most of my time there. I alternated between calling “CQ POTA” with the paddles and searching and pouncing SKCC WES stations with my little MS2 straight key. In about an hour of operating, I logged 26 contacts. Among those were three park-to-park QSOs and six SKCC WES QSOs. 

As great as the weather was on Saturday, it was even better on Sunday. I wanted to attend my grandson’s hockey game, so I went out even earlier this time and kept it even shorter. Even though I got an earlier start than the day before, the parking lot was even more crowded this time around. 

Once again, 40M was in excellent shape, and I ended up staying there for the duration. I logged 19 contacts in about 45 minutes, with three park-to-park and three more WES contacts. Then it was time to head home to take care of a few things before going to the soccer game.

In the end, I didn’t set any records in the WES contest, but I got in the two activations needed for my Repeat Offender award. 

72, Craig WB3GCK

Dusting Off My Z-Match

I was recently looking at some of my older gear gathering dust on the shelf, so I resolved to start putting it to use. So yesterday, before I headed out for Ridley Creek State Park (US-1414, KFF-1414), I grabbed my old homebrew z-match antenna tuner and gave my Elecraft T1 tuner the day off.

I built this tuner from scratch about 24 years ago, and it has always been one of my favorite projects. Based on a bunch of different designs, it gave me years of great service. For years, my go-to portable rig was my old FT-817 coupled with this tuner. Today, I paired the z-match with my Penntek TR-35 (5 watts, CW). I used my 12-foot whip and homebrew loading coil mounted on the truck. The loaded whip’s SWR on 40M and 30M is just slightly high, nothing the old z-match can’t handle. 

My old homebrew z-match ATU along with my TR-35
My old homebrew z-match ATU along with my TR-35

I’ve been spoiled using automatic antenna tuners lately, but tuning the z-match was a cinch. Just peak the received noise, switch in the resistive SWR bridge, key up the rig, and tweak the knobs to extinguish the LED. Then switch out the bridge and go. 

The z-match is a high-Q, narrow bandwidth device, so when changing frequencies on a band, I did a check with the SWR bridge before transmitting. It just took a minor tweak to extinquish the LED again.

It was a pretty good day on the bands. I split my time between 40M and 20M. I ended up with 28 QSOs. Among them was one park-to-park contact and one DX contact (IW2NXI). I forgot my water bottle, so my parched throat (and famously short attention span) prompted me to pull the plug after an hour on the air. Activation #20 from US-1414 was in the books.

My homebrew z-match was an integral part of my portable setups back in the day. In this picture from 2001, I was using it with a doublet fed with TV twinlead.
My homebrew z-match was an integral part of my portable setups back in the day. In this picture from 2001, I was using it with a 40M doublet fed with TV twinlead.

My little Elecraft T1 tuner certainly has a size and weight advantage over my homebrew z-match. It’s certainly is easier to use, too. However the z-match can handle both balanced and unbalanced loads, and it doesn’t need a battery.

I have some other old gear in mind for future activations. A couple of rigs could make for some challenging activations.

Stay tuned.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Three in a Row at State Game Lands 246

Due to a medical emergency in the family, I unexpectedly spent the Labor Day weekend at my daughter’s house in central Pennsylvania. My (far) better half and I went out to help where we could. Thankfully, our family member’s medical situation was coming under control, so I was able to squeeze in three short activations over the weekend, while still being available to help out.

I’ve always been an early riser, and that worked to my advantage over the weekend. Pennsylvania State Game Lands 246 (US-8941, KFF-5862) is just a few minutes away, so my plan was to head over there early and keep my activations short. On all three days, I was onsite and set up at 0800 local time and back at the house around 0900. By the time I got back, everyone else was just getting up, so I was back in time for breakfast. 

Entrance to the trailhead in PA State Game Lands 246
Entrance to Roundtop Trail in PA State Game Lands 246

Unlike my last visit, I had my truck this time. On all three activations, I used my usual Penntek TR-35 (5 watts, CW) and a 12-foot whip with my homebrew loading coil. 

On Saturday morning, I gulped down a cup of coffee and headed out the door. Less than 15 minutes later, I was on location and ready to go. The bands seemed in pretty good shape. I stayed on 40M the whole time and logged 17 contacts in about 40 minutes.

On Sunday, things went downhill a bit. It was rainy and the geomagnetic conditions were unsettled. Signals were much weaker than the day before, and there was some constant noise on the bands. Despite the conditions, I still managed to squeak out 13 contacts in about 40 minutes, including two park-to-park contacts. The rain stopped by the time I started packing up, so I had a chance to dry off the whip and loading coil before packing them away in the truck. 

I went back out on Monday morning, and boy, what a difference a day makes. Conditions on 40M were great, and there were plenty of hunters out there. This time out, I logged 26 contacts in 40 minutes, with three park-to-park contacts. The activity was fast and furious at times.

How about that! My three activations put me in the Park Leaders list for US-8941.
How about that! My recent activations put me on the Park Leaders list for US-8941.

I really appreciate all the hunters who were out there during my early morning activations. There were even a few who worked me on all three days:

  • KQ4CW in VA
  • WA1HRH in NH
  • WX4TW in NC

Medically, my family member is doing much better, so I wrapped up my trip and headed home Monday evening.

I hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday weekend. 

72, Craig WB3GCK