KH1 – WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio

A Pair of Central PA POTA Quickies

My (far) better half and I spent most of the week in central Pennsylvania helping a family member recovering from surgery. Although the mornings focused on getting the grandkids off to school and making sure the grand-dog got walked, I squeezed in a couple of short activations.

Not sure how much radio time (if any) I would have this week, I packed light. I only brought my Elecraft KH1 and some antennas that I usually keep in the truck.

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

On our second day in central PA, I had to drop my granddaughter off at her friend’s house to catch the school bus. Since I was only about five miles away from a boat launch on the Susquehanna River in northern Lancaster County, I drove over there for a short activation of US-4567.

Early morning view of the Susquehanna River

Except for a few early morning cyclists, the place was empty. I parked my truck in a spot that’s within 100 feet of the river and got set up. I didn’t have much time, so I stayed in the truck and used a 17-foot whip and my homebrew loading coil. Up in the cab, I used the KH1 and my CWMouse paddles.

KH1 and CWMouse paddles. This was the same setup I used for both activations this week.

The A Index was a whopping 29, so I wasn’t expecting great results. As is often the case, Mother Nature fooled me. The 40M band seemed really hot; I made my first ten contacts in about nine minutes. The KH1 was putting out a whopping 3.5 watts.

Towards the end of my activation, I noticed that the Reverse Beacon Network and other POTA spotters were showing my frequency 500 kHz higher than my dial frequency. Although I had the KH1’s filter on the narrowest setting, it sounded very broad to me. Doing some poking around the menus, I found the problem. Somehow the mode had changed to USB. Most likely, it resulted from some fat-fingering on my part. Doh! A quick button press or two and all was right with the world. Actually, I made most of my contacts with the mode set to USB instead of CW, so it wasn’t the worst mistake I could have made.

I wrapped things up after 30 minutes on the air, with 20 QSOs in the log (including two dupes). All of my contacts were on 40M. Although 40M seemed long (with several Michigan and Missouri stations), I had a park-to-park contact with my friend N3CU. Ken was activating a park towards the southern end of the county. A park-to-park QSO with KB1SF in Michigan turned out to be park number 1,000 for me as a hunter. It was a fun activation, but I needed to get back to the house.

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

The next morning was pretty much the same situation, but this time I activated some nearby state game lands. Although this location is only about 10 minutes away from where I was staying, it had been more than a year since my last activation there. I was long-overdue for a visit.

I used the same setup as the day before, but this time making sure the KH1 was actually in CW mode. Like the previous day, the 40M band was very active early in the morning. This time it only took about seven minutes to log my first 10 contacts, and they rolled in steadily after that.

I finished up with 31 contacts—one was a dupe—in just over 30 minutes of operating. Again, all of my contacts were on 40M. I would have tried other bands, but the hunters kept me busy on 40M. Satisfied with the contacts I made, I headed back to the house for breakfast with the rest of the family.

Stationary-mobile at PA State Game Lands 246

I’ve come to the conclusion that the KH1 really plays well with the 17-foot base-loaded vertical mounted on the back of the truck. Putting out around 3.5 to 4 watts, the little KH1 was really getting out. Thanks to all the early-rising hunters out there for a couple of fun activations this week.

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

Outer Banks 2026

My (far) better half and I traveled to the Outer Banks of North Carolina last week for our annual family vacation. As we have done for the better part of 30 years, we rented a house on Currituck Sound and spent the week with our two daughters and their families. Although ham radio didn’t figure prominently on this vacation, I got on the air and made a few QSOs each day.

After the long drive from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, we unloaded three vehicles and got everything situated for the week ahead. I was assigned the task of grilling hotdogs and burgers for dinner, and getting everyone fed was the top priority. After that, I finally had some time to unpack some of my radio gear. We rented the same house we were in last year, so I knew exactly how I was going to set up.

I went with the same antenna I used last year: a 35-ft end-fed wire sloping down from a third-floor deck to a fence in the pool area. To feed the wire, I used my weather-resistant 9:1 unun and ran 25 feet of RG-316 coax into a screened-in section of the deck. While it’s not the greatest antenna in the world, it works reasonably well, sets up in minutes; and is nearly invisible. Given the development the rental house is in, the stealthiness is a big plus.

The feedpoint for my 35-foot end-fed wire. The far end of the antenna is attached to the fence below.

I didn’t get on the air until the next day. Again, my rig was identical to last year. I used my KX3 with a common-mode choke on the antenna input. I kept everything on a plastic tray, so I could move the station in and out of the screened-in porch.

My KX3 setup for some early morning operating

The monthly SKCC Weekend Sprintathon was on, so I caught a bit of that. This month’s theme was homebrew keys, so I had packed an old straight key I built from an assortment of junk box parts.

My old homebrew straight key built from an assortment of junk box parts

When I fired up the KX3, I encountered some local noise, but it didn’t seem as bad as I remembered from last year. I did a quick check and noted that the KX3 loaded up the antenna on every band from 80M through 10M. With an A Index of 27, the band conditions weren’t all that great. Regardless, I worked some SKCC stations and the occasional POTA activator.

It was very hot and humid, so I operated in three short shifts. Towards midday, I started to lose my shade. When that happened, I called it quits. I had 11 WES contacts, including one bonus contact with the club station KS1KCC. I also hunted four POTA activators. After that, I brought the rig inside and went out to spend the afternoon in the pool.

For the rest of the week, I operated on and off from the screened-in porch with the KX3. I limited my operating time to the morning hours while I had shade. I didn’t do any POTA activations this year. Mostly, I tuned around the bands, working whatever stations I could hear. The rest of the day was devoted to typical beach vacation activities.

One morning, I took the KH1 out to the dock for some POTA hunting. The dock is at the end of a 100-yard wooden walkway out on Currituck Sound. I parked myself on a bench and ran the counterpoise wire back down the walkway. I don’t know if being surrounded by water was the reason, but some of the activators were really booming in. I was able to get them on the first call.

Operating from a dock on Currituck Sound — Operating the KH1 from the private dock on Currituck Sound

Mid-week, a UFI (unidentified flying insect) stung me on the finger while I was in the pool. In the aftermath of the vicious and unprovoked—and perhaps exaggerated—attack, my finger was a little swollen. Thankfully, it didn’t impede my ability to send CW.

Grand-dog, Belle, enjoying her first trip to the Outer Banks

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, our week was over. On our last day, I made a few more contacts from the house before taking down the antenna and packing up the radio gear. I ended the week with about 47 contacts, mostly with POTA activators. Among those contacts were eight with KG1A at US-6305 in Florida. I worked him at least once each day I was on the air. Hunting with QRP, a funky antenna, and lots of residential noise is more challenging than activating, but it was still fun.

I had a great time spending the week with my daughters, sons-in-law, grandkids, and the grand-dog. Of course, getting in a little ham radio time with some beautiful scenery wasn’t bad, either.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Stormy Monday Activation

Angry-looking clouds. Unsettled geomagnetic conditions. That sounds like a good time to go activate a park with a compromised antenna. So that’s what I did. When you get the opportunity to go play radio in a park, you just have to go for it.

Early on a Monday morning, I made a trip up to Evansburg State Park (US-1351, KFF-1351). We had some storms overnight, and there were some lingering dark clouds around. So, I hunkered down under a picnic pavilion. I didn’t have much time, so I went with the Elecraft KH1 and its internal whip. Along with the whip, I used a Tufteln 90-degree adapter. For keying, I used my trusty CWMouse paddles on my clipboard.

Picnic Table-portable with the KH1 at Evansburge State Park — Picnic Table-portable with the KH1 at Evansburg State Park

I installed the AXE1 extender coil for 40M and got started. The noise floor was very low, but I had to endure the occasional loud static crashes from storms in the area. Despite the unsettled geomagnetic field, the first five QSOs came quickly. After working a couple more, I gave 30M a try and logged three more.

With 10 contacts in the log, I removed the AXE1 and moved up to 20M. There was a bit more activity up there, and I made nine more contacts in short order. I shut down after an hour on the air with 19 contacts. That included four park-to-park contacts.

There are far better antennas than the KH1’s 45-inch whip, but probably none faster to deploy. Not to mention the huge fun factor in making contacts with such a diminutive antenna.

72, Craig WB3GCK

A Dog and and a Bumblebee

Once again, I was out in central Pennsylvania for a week. My daughter’s family traveled out of state for my grandson’s hockey tournament. While they were gone, I looked after my grand-dog, Belle, and ‌took care of the house. I spent much of my time walking Belle and taking her on trips to a local park, but I still carved out a little time for ham radio.

Since my grand-dog, Belle, has some separation anxiety when her entire “pack” has to leave her behind, I try not to leave her alone for long. So, instead of activating some of the local parks, I set up an antenna in the backyard for some ‌casual operating.

Using the 35-foot wire I tried out recently, I threw together a wacky but serviceable antenna. From the chair I was operating from, I tossed the wire up over my grandson’s basketball net and ran it over to a 20-foot pole.

My thrown-together antenna. A 35-foot wire runs from the chair, over the basketball net, and up to the 20-foot pole in the background.

I handheld my KH1 and used my K6ARK pressure paddles for keying. Admittedly, I was a little out of practice using those touch paddles, so it took a couple of contacts to get used to them. My apologies to the stations that had to endure my early attempts using them.

As I had hoped, the KH1 found a decent match on each of its five bands. That was the good news. The bad news is that my daughter’s yard is in a low spot and tends to be a little noisy at times. Despite those challenges, I easily worked three POTA activators on 20M during the first of several backyard sessions during the week.

Most days, I took the KH1 out in the backyard for a little airtime in the morning and again in the afternoon. My grand-dog accompanied me, but she preferred to spend her time sunning herself and rolling in the grass. I mostly hunted POTA stations and worked some Alabama QSO Party stations. I also heard the occasional SKCC member, but I wasn’t set up for using a straight key. Most of these sessions were short and ended when Belle decided I needed to pay more attention to her.

Flight of the Bumblebees (FOBB)

As the saying goes, it was déjà vu all over again. I was also out at my daughter’s house for last year’s ill-fated Flight of the Bumblebees contest. After blowing the finals in my (then) brand new KH1, I was hoping for redemption.

For the FOBB, I used my trusty clipboard and CWMouse paddles. This made for easier logging during the contest. I also eliminated the basketball net and sloped the antenna wire up directly to the 20-foot pole.

My setup during the Flight of the Bumblebee (FOBB) contest

Belle and I headed out to the backyard a few minutes after the contest started, and Bumblebee #37 took flight. I started out on 40M and quickly logged my first contact. The local noise was present, but stations were still getting through. Based on the signal reports I received, I was getting out better than I could hear. After an hour, Belle decided it was time to go in. So, with 11 contacts in the log, I went back inside and took a break.

I eventually headed back out for about 30 minutes towards the end of the contest. The conditions seemed better this time around, and I picked up seven more contacts. When I ran out of FOBB stations to work, I called it quits with 18 contacts in the log. Seventeen of those were bumblebees. That was a far better finish than the solitary contact I made last year—and I didn’t blow any finals this time.

Given my surroundings and local noise, I think the 35-foot wire antenna did reasonably well for me this week. My particular configuration was no DX killer; my contacts were mostly in nearby states. My most distant contacts were on 20M during FOBB: Mississippi to the south and Missouri to the west.

Although there was nothing particularly exciting about my backyard-portable operation, I still had a fun week spending some quality time with my grand-dog and getting on the radio now and then.

72, 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

It’s Been a Minute or Two

Except for Field Day, I’ve been mostly off the air for the past few weeks. To remedy that, I took advantage of a rare day with outstanding weather for a quick, early-morning activation at Valley Forge National Historical Park (US-0761, KFF-0761).

Since I have to be careful with sun exposure these days, I drove straight to an area I knew would have shade all morning. My original plan was to experiment with a wire antenna with my Elecraft KH1, but for reasons I won’t bore you with, that didn’t happen. Instead, I used a whip antenna on my truck and ran coax over to my camp chair and table. My handy-dandy propagation app showed unsettled geomagnetic conditions, so I went with my longer 17-foot whip and homebrew loading coil.

Despite the poor band conditions predicted for 40M, there was no shortage of early risers hunting parks. Although there was a lot of static from impending storms, it only took five or six minutes to make my first ten contacts. After logging 20 contacts on 40M, I changed bands. I made a half-dozen contacts each on 30M and 20M.

I finished up with 32 contacts after an hour and 10 minutes on the air. Eight of those were park-to-park, including one with my friend Ken N3CU, and one on each of the three bands with Tom KG1A in Florida.

My antenna taken from my shady location — My antenna, as viewed from my shady location

I packed up and headed home to cut my grass before the rain moves in tomorrow. Except for a minute or two of sheer panic when I temporarily misplaced the keys to my truck, it was a good morning and fun to get back out in a park.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Persistance is Futile (Sometimes)

Yesterday was the perfect day to be out operating in a park, so I headed over to Valley Forge National Historical Park (US-0761, KFF-0761). I wanted to keep things simple, so I used my Elecraft KH1 and its whip antenna. While this setup has worked surprisingly well for me in the past, yesterday was not one of those times.

When I arrived at the park, I headed to a picnic table in the shade of some large trees. (Given my history with skin cancer, the sun is not my friend these days.) This was a spot I have used before with the KH1, so I was hoping for similar success.

Operating from Valley Forge National Historical Park (US-0761, KFF-0761)

I started out on 40M, using the AXE1 extender coil and a 33-foot counterpoise wire. I also used a Tufteln right-angle adapter with the whip. After quickly logging two contacts, things slowed way down. I spent 20 minutes of fruitless CQing, wondering if I should move on to another setup. Instead of bailing on my KH1 setup, I stubbornly pressed on.

Well, after 30 minutes more of trying various bands on the KH1, I had a paltry four QSOs in the log. It felt like I was beating my head against a wall, so I packed up the KH1 and headed back to my truck. I used my 12-foot base-loaded whip and TR-35 from the truck. I allotted myself 45 more minutes. If I couldn’t reach 10 contacts by then, I would just slink home wallowing in disappointment.

Fortunately, my trusty TR-35 and 12-foot whip saved the day. After 30 minutes, I logged another nine contacts on 40M and 20M. It was getting close to lunchtime and my short attention span was kicking in, so I packed up and headed home.

Yesterday just wasn’t a good day for a 45-inch antenna. Looking back, I should have switched setups sooner and saved myself some frustration. In the words of Don Schlitz, the famous songwriter who passed away recently: “You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.”

72, Craig WB3GCK

Visitors, Geese, and a Busted Activation

This was supposed to be a post about how I made a bazillion POTA/WWFF contacts in an hour. Yeah, well, that didn’t happen. However, I had some interesting visitors stop during my (attempted) activation.

I made a trip over to French Creek State Park (US-1355, KFF-1355) for a short activation and a little antenna experimentation. To make sure I wouldn’t be in anyone’s way, I set up at a picnic table well away from the parking lot.

My antenna today was a vertical wire just under 18 feet fed through a homebrew 9:1 unun with a counterpoise wire just under 9 feet. I ran 20 feet of RG-316 coax over to my Elecraft KH1 on the picnic table. I had used this antenna configuration with my Penntek TR-35 and T1 ATU a few times in the past. While it worked well with that rig, I wanted to see how it would work with the KH1’s ATU.

My antenna with Hopewell Lake in the background.

My first visitors showed up just as I was getting started. It was about six Canada geese who wandered over about 20 feet from my antenna. One of them had a bad attitude and hissed at me when I went over to check the antenna. I calmly told him to buzz off; I was here first. They wisely moved on, de-escalating the situation. I’m pleased to report that no humans or geese were harmed during this brief but intense standoff.

Radio-wise, I wasn’t having much luck. QSOs were few and far between. On paper, the band conditions didn’t look too bad, so I’m not sure what my issue was.

My third contact was an ear-shattering call from my friend N3CU. Ken was also in the park somewhere, so that accounted for his loud signal. I told him where I was, and he came over to visit. I last ran into Ken in French Creek back in January, so it was great catching up with him. Eventually, Ken headed off to continue his activation.

Ken N3CU (left) and WB3GCK at French Creek State Park (Selfie courtesy of N3CU) — Ken N3CU (left) and me at French Creek State Park (Selfie courtesy of N3CU)

After I got back on the air, I heard a noise in the woods behind me. It was a hiker coming off ‌a trail. He was curious about my antenna, so I gave him my Amateur Radio and Parks on the Air “elevator speech.” After a brief chat, he headed off toward the lake.

After I had six 20M contacts in my log, I moved down to 30M. Just then, another fellow came up to see what I was doing. I was wearing my Navy ball cap, so that prompted five or ten minutes’ worth of “sea stories.”

While we were swapping tall tales, I had the KH1 calling CQ with one of my earbuds in my ear. I heard N3CU calling, so I told my visitor I needed to answer a call. He wished me good luck and headed off towards the parking lot. I needed to get back home, so I shut down and packed up after finishing up with Ken.

So, after an hour and a half, I only had seven contacts in my log. This was my first busted activation in quite some time, but I don’t consider it a failure. I was out in a beautiful park with excellent weather, and I got to catch up with a friend and chat with some other random visitors.

I’m sure I’ll have better luck on the radio next time.

72, Craig WB3GCK