QRP – Page 2 – WB3GCK QRP Amateur Radio

POTA/WWFF & WES at Marsh Creek

I was out of town this past week puppy-sitting my grand-dog recovering from surgery. Although I brought my KH1 along, I didn’t have an opportunity to use it. Today was the first day I could get in some radio time. Since I hadn’t been there in a while, Marsh Creek State Park (US-1380, KFF-1380) seemed like an appropriate destination.

My (far) better half and I had plans for the afternoon, so I got an early start. The weather was somewhat dreary with some occasional drizzle, so the park wasn’t very crowded. I hunkered down in the truck with my usual Penntek TR-35 and 12-foot loaded whip.

As is my custom, I started on 40M. Since the Straight Key Century Club’s (SKCC) monthly Weekend Sprintathon (WES) was in progress, I grabbed my straight key and worked a half-dozen SKCCers. One thing I love about the TR-35 is that it has separate inputs for paddles and straight key, and you can switch between the two at will. That’s perfect for mixing SKCC and POTA/WWFF.

I started calling CQ on 40M and worked 13 POTA/WWFF hunters before a digital station started transmitting on top of me. Right about then, it started raining, so I grabbed a plastic bag to protect my loading coil. From that point on, I stayed on the WARC bands, picking up some more contacts on 30M and 17M.

After an hour and 10 minutes, I had logged 35 contacts. The bands seemed to be in decent shape, although there was some static from storms along the east coast. Despite the occasional noise, I had contacts with both California and Poland on 17M.

Although it was another of my typical short-duration activations, it was great to get back on the air. And I’m happy to report that my grand-dog is recovering nicely and doing great.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Halloween Activation

I headed out this morning for an early activation at Norristown Farm State Park (US-4363, KFF-4363). Although it’s Halloween, the only ‌slightly scary thing this morning was a creepy old guy operating a radio in the park. Oh, wait… That was me!

Zombie wearing a t-shirt that reads :WB3GCK QRP." AI image generated by Google Gemini.

For this visit, I operated from one of the highest points in the park. I used this same location last week with excellent results. Unfortunately, we’re currently under a wind advisory here in southeastern Pennsylvania, so the wind was really whipping around. I was eyeing up a picnic table but opted to stay in the truck (instead of chasing my logbook across the park). I went my usual setup: Penntek TR-35 (5 watts, CW) and my base-loaded 12-foot whip.

I was parked near Shannon Mansion, built in 1764. Apparently, this was another place George Washington slept. I don't know if it's haunted, but it looks like it should be. — I was parked near Shannon Mansion, built in 1764. Apparently, this was yet another place George Washington slept. I don’t know if it’s haunted, but it sure looks like it should be.

Today was another day with some unsettled band conditions. Before I left the house, the K index was 4 and the A index was 38. By the time I got on the air, the K index had dropped to 3. Even with those numbers, the action was hot and heavy on 40M. I had 22 contacts on 40M in no time flat.

The 20M band wasn’t as good as 40M, but it still produced 10 contacts. My band conditions app showed “Fair” conditions on 17M, and I would agree with that. Signals on 17M were weak, and I made only four contacts. However, those contacts included IK3HMB and F4ILH.

My view of the corn field in Norristown Farm State Park. I could help but think about Stephen King's "Children of the Corn." — My view of the corn field this morning. I could help but think about Stephen King’s “Children of the Corn.”

Having grown tired of fruitless CQing on 17M, I dropped to 30M and picked up nine more contacts there. Right about the time I changed bands, someone with a hybrid vehicle parked next to me. Fortunately, the signals on 30M were strong enough to overcome the noise generator next to me.

I wrapped up my 90-minute activation with 45 contacts in my log and packed up for the drive home. My (far) better half and I have plenty of candy on hand for the neighborhood goblins who will be wandering the neighborhood tonight.

Gremlin holding a walkie-talkie wearing a t-shirt that reads: "Little Radios, Big Fun." He is sitting on a pile of electronic parts and gadgets. AI image generated by Google Gemini.

Have a Happy Halloween!

72, Craig WB3GCK

Unsettled Conditions at Evansburg State Park

I had some spare time this morning, so I made a trip to Evansburg State Park (US-1351, KFF-1351) for some radio time. Before I left, I took a quick peek at the band conditions and saw that we had some unsettled geomagnetic conditions. Despite the less-than-optimal conditions, I had a pretty good morning.

When I rolled into the parking lot, I was the only one there. That’s not too surprising for early in the day on a Wednesday, I suppose. I kept things simple and operated from the truck with my Penntek TR-35 (5 watts, CW) and a 12-foot base loaded whip. I was also using a set of paddles I purchased recently. (More about those in a future post.)

The new paddles I was trying out. I do a separate post on them soon. — The new paddles I was trying out. They’ll be the subject of a future post.

As is my usual practice, I started out on 40M. As I was tuning across the band, I heard N1BS in Rhode Island and had a quick park-to-park QSO with him. After that, I found a clear frequency and started calling CQ. Even though the band conditions app showed poor daytime conditions on 40M, I had my first ten contacts in about 15 minutes. Not too bad, actually.

Band conditions this morning. The 40M was pretty good, despite the predicted poor conditions.

After logging 20 contacts on 40M, I gave 20M a go. That band was good for another 22 contacts, including three European hunters. I moved up to 17M and made six more contacts, five of which were European stations. I seemed to have a pipeline into Poland this morning on 17M.

After 90 minutes of operating, I had 48 in the log. The DX stations included:

20M: Sweden, Belgium, and Denmark
17M: Finland, Poland (3), and Switzerland

Even with an unsettled geomagnetic field, I was pleased with my results. Of course, a QRP-portable outing with questionable band conditions is better than not getting out at all.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Operating a QRP Classic: The Tuna Tin 2

I learned recently that Ed Hare, W1RFI, passed away. Ed was a long-time lab engineer at ARRL. I didn’t really know him, but I had the pleasure of meeting him at a QRP gathering 25 years ago. The post below originally appeared on my old website, but I thought I’d share it over here in Ed’s memory. – WB3GCK

During the 2000 Atlanticon QRP convention at Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, I had the distinct honor of operating a bit of QRP history. Ed Hare, W1RFI, brought the original Tuna Tin 2 transmitter and put it on the air as a special event station operating as W1FB/3.

For those unaware of the significance, the Tuna Tin 2 was built by famed QRPer, Doug DeMaw, W1FB, and featured in QST back in the 70s [1][2]. It was stored at ARRL headquarters for many years until it mysteriously disappeared. It was later discovered by Ed Hare in a hamfest junk box 100 miles away. Ed bought it back for a dollar and has been putting this classic rig on the air on a regular basis. The fact that it still exists at all makes it a very special piece of equipment. The design has been updated over the years and QRPers still continue to build versions of this venerable classic.

Technically speaking, it’s not much of a transmitter. A couple of 2N2222s in a simple, crystal-controlled circuit putting out about a half-watt or so (or about 800mW with the two 9-volt batteries shown). Using a toggle switch to switch from transmit to receive brought back memories of my Novice days. My only QSO was with another QRPer on the 4th floor of the hotel. Still, I was thrilled to be able to briefly operate this famous little transmitter. Especially, under Doug DeMaw’s callsign, W1FB. That really made it special.

WB3GCK operating W1FB's famous Tuna Tin 2 transmitter at Atlanticon in 2000.

[1] DeMaw, Doug. “Build a Tuna Tin 2.” QST, May 1976, pp. 14–16. Available in the QST archives at ARRL.org.
[2] Hare, Ed. “The Tuna Tin 2 Today.” QST, Mar. 2000, pp. 37–40. Available in the QST archives at ARRL.org.

POTA with the CWMouse Paddles

I did a POTA/WWFF activation this morning and used it as an opportunity to try out a new set of paddles. During a recent activation, I encountered a recurring problem with the cheap QU-21C paddles I keep in my backpack as a backup. As a result, the finicky paddles have lost out on their role as my backup.

Always a sucker for unusual paddles, I came across an interesting offering I couldn’t resist. I fired off an order for the CWMouse paddles and had them in my hot little hands two days later. Mike KN6FQM designed the CWMouse paddles, which are currently selling on Amazon for $39.00 (US).

The CWMouse paddles are made from 3D-printed parts and include sealed ball bearing races, two sealed microswitches, and an ⅛-inch stereo jack. One thing that drew me to these paddles was the small size: 74mm/2.9in L x 36mm/1.4in W x 28mm/1.1in H. They weigh a mere 1.5oz/45g, making them ideal for portable use. See the CWMouse website for the complete specifications.

The CWMouse paddles. For size reference, they are on a 3"x5" notepad. — The CWMouse paddles. For size reference, they are on a 3″x5″ notepad.

My destination this morning was Marsh Creek State Park (US-1380, KFF-1380). I usually operate near one of the boat launches, which can sometimes get crowded during the summer. Given that it was a weekday in September, there was plenty of room in the parking lot.

My rig today was my Elecraft KH1 into a 12-foot whip and homebrew loading coil. Starting out on 40M, I found lots of strong signals. I made a couple of quick park-to-park contacts before settling on a frequency and calling CQ. I quickly achieved the required 10 contacts and then some.

My KH1 fit nicely on the center console of my truck.

After 20 minutes, the activity on 40M tapered off, so I moved up to 20M. The action wasn’t as busy on 20M, but I made 11 contacts. One of those was with a station in California—I like when that happens. The 17M band produced three more before I called it quits. After a bit more than an hour, I had logged 32 contacts with six park-to-park contacts.

The CWMouse paddles performed flawlessly. Because of the microswitches, there are no adjustments for throw or tension. However, they felt great right out of the box. They have a nice, light touch, which is what I prefer.

One potential issue is the plastic used for the 3D printing. The website is very clear that the paddles should not be stored at temperatures above 100F. This could easily happen in a closed vehicle, so I’ll have to keep that in mind.

I used the “two-handed” technique with the paddles this morning, which is not my preferred way of operating. I’ll probably glue on some magnets, so I can attach the paddles to my clipboard.

Overall, however, I really like these paddles. It was a pleasure operating with them this morning.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Going with Plan C

I set off this morning to activate Norristown Farm State Park (US-4363, KFF-4363) with a specific plan in mind. We’re talking about me, of course; so things don’t always go as planned. Today was a good example of that.

If a specific parking space was available, I planned to use a loaded whip on my truck and operate from a nearby park bench. Failing that, I figured I would set up at one of the picnic pavilions with a vertical of some sort. When I rolled in, however, the parking lot was crowded and people were setting up for an event under the pavilions. So, I was off to come up with a Plan C.

I drove back up the road a bit and pulled into a mostly empty trailhead parking lot. Off to one side, I found a secluded picnic table tucked away in a wooded area. About five minutes later, I was on the air.

My Elecraft KH1 with the antenna off in the distance

I sometimes think that my 50+ years of ham radio have been an ongoing quest to simplify my operations. My recently acquired KH1 is definitely a giant step in that direction. Everything I need (except for my earbuds) is attached to the radio.

Looking at the propagation forecast, I opted to forego the KH1’s whip antenna and go with something larger. So, I went with the 9:1 end-fed random wire from AD8HK Antenna Systems mounted on a cheap 19-foot telescopic pole. The ground was a little soft, so it took me a few tries with my homebrew ground mount to get the antenna reasonably vertical.

Even with a vertical just under 18 feet, the 40M band was productive today. After eight quick‌ contacts, things slowed down, and I changed bands. The 30M band produced one contact, while 20M was good for a half-dozen more. I went back down to 40M to pick up a few more before calling it quits. After about an hour, I ended up with 18 contacts, five of which were park-to-park.

My Elecraft KH1 at Norristown Farm State Park (US-4353, KFF-4363)

I have to say I’m really having fun with the KH1. It’s ideal for the short activations I tend to do. The battery life is nothing short of exceptional. This was the second activation since I last charged it, and I could probably do four or five more.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Getting Re-Acquainted with my KH1

A little over a month ago, the finals in my brand new Elecraft KH1 gave up the ghost during my second outing with it. After a trip back to the factory for some TLC from the Elecraft folks, the rig safely arrived back in Pennsylvania this week. I anxiously took the little rig out to the field this morning to get re-acquainted with it.

My destination today was Evansburg State Park (US-1351, KFF-1351). With an active geomagnetic field, I knew band conditions could make for a tough outing.

Along with my KH1, I used a new antenna I bought from AD8HK Antenna Systems and received just yesterday. This antenna features a 9:1 unun with 17’9.5″ radiator and a 8’10.5″ counterpoise wire. The unun assembly has an integrated wire winder, making for a neat, compact little antenna. I mounted the antenna on a 19-foot pole and ran 20 feet of RG-316 back to the KH1.

The AD8HK 9:1 Random Wire Antenna strapped to a telescoping pole

With the KH1 resting on my knee, I did a quick check of the bands from 40M through 15M. The KH1’s internal tuner easily found a decent match on all five bands. I went back to 40M and got started.

My newly-repaired Elecraft KH1 balanced on my knee

Despite the questionable band conditions, I logged seven contacts in about 15 minutes. I made another five contacts on 20M and 17M before calling it quits. The nice shady spot where I started out was quickly becoming a toaster oven.

I ended my brief outing with twelve contacts, including four park-to-park contacts. My KH1 has been out of commission for the past month, so I spent a good portion of my time refreshing my memory on the KH1’s menus and functions. The KH1 is thoughtfully laid out, so it all came back quickly.

Today wasn’t the best day for evaluating a new antenna, but the AD8HK EFRW did a decent job. Plus, it was great to have the KH1 back on the air. Both will see more use in the field in the future.

[Update 9/9/2025: During this activation, the KH1’s output power seemed low. As it turned out, the KH1 had been inadvertently set for low power. So, I was only running about two watts. Doh! I guess I need some more re-familiarization with this rig!]

72, Craig WB3GCK

End of Summer Activation

Wait… It’s September already? Where did the summer go? Anyway, I observed the (unofficial) end of summer with a POTA/WWFF activation—and it was a fun one.

I drove up to Norristown Farm State Park (US-4363, KFF-4363) for an early morning activation. I tend to do early activations to avoid the crowds. There was another reason to get out early this morning: NOAA was predicting some geomagnetic storms starting later in the day.

NOAA geomagnetic forecast for September 1-3

I parked my truck near a nice shady spot. For today’s activation, I used a 12-foot whip and my homebrew loading coil mounted on the truck. I ran a coax cable over to my table back under the trees. My rig today was my trusty Penntek TR-35 (5 watts, CW) with my Elecraft T1 tuner.

My equipmet set up at Norristown Farm State Park

Even though the bands would probably be rough later on, they were in great shape this morning. I logged 25 contacts on 40M, and most of the signals were very strong. After things slowed down on 40M, I made some more contacts on 30M, 20M, and 17M.

My Penntek TR-35 and Elecraft T1 at Norristown Farm State Park

After about an hour and 20 minutes, I pulled the plug with ‌43 contacts in the log, including 7 that were park-to-park. I worked a few of the stations on multiple bands:

Three bands: W9GTA
Two bands: KJ4R, K4NYX (P2P), and KI5GTR

One advantage of participating in both the Parks on the Air (POTA) and World-Wide Flora and Fauna (WWFF) parks programs is that you broaden the pool of hunters. Spots on the WWFF website often bring out the European hunters. That was the case today on 17M, with calls from DK9HN, F4ILH, and DM5WW. (Check out this website for more information on “dual activating.”)

So, that wraps up the summer of 2025. It was a fun morning; the bands were busy, and the weather was perfect.

I hope my U.S. and Canadian friends had a great Labor Day weekend.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Skeeter Hunt 2025

Once again, the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt contest coincided with our annual family vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I’m certainly not a hardcore contester, but I wanted to set aside some time to make a few contacts from North Carolina. Although our rental house was beautiful, it presented some challenges for ham radio.

WB3GCK operating in the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt contest — Operating in the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt contest

After a long drive down and all the unloading/unpacking the day before, I didn’t feel like getting too crazy putting up an antenna. Although this was our first time in this rental house, I had a good feel for the layout from online research.

My "shack" for the week — My “shack” for the week

My previous experience has shown that these rental properties come with a lot of RF noise, both from within the house and from neighboring houses. The house this year was no exception. So, I stayed away from vertical antennas near the house and went with an end-fed random wire sloper.

The antenna this year was a 35-foot wire, sloping down from the 3rd-story deck. I fed it through my homebrew weather-resistant 9:1 unun and ran 25 feet of coax into a screened-in porch on the same level. I attached the end of the wire to a fence around the pool area, making sure it wouldn’t get in anyone’s way. The wire was a bit long, so I ran the last two feet horizontally along the top of the fence.

My antenna feedpoint. The far end of my random wire sloped down to the fence by the pool.

I fired up my KX3 and checked the bands. A quick contact with a POTA activator on 40M confirmed it was putting out some sort of signal. The noise on 40M, however, was horrendous in places. The higher bands were better but still somewhat noisy. I hunted four POTA activators while experimenting with the antenna. Two of the contacts were easy, while the other two were tough going.

I also had to contend with some audio interference from my grandkids having fun in the pool down below. Anticipating this, I brought along a pair of over-the-ear headphones this year. Unfortunately, the headphones were no match for four exuberant kids.

Once the contest started, the noise level on 40M was about S3 in parts of the band, and S5-S7 in other parts. There was also a loud noise signal that would slowly sweep across the band from time to time. Despite the noise, I worked four skeeters and one very confused QRO station who wasn’t in the contest. He probably thought I was a POTA activator and couldn’t figure out why I needed to know his power output.

Up on 20M, the noise was lower but still present. I didn’t hear much Skeeter Hunt activity, despite getting some respectable hits on the Reverse Beacon Network. I ended up with a pair of Missouri skeeters in the log. I tried calling CQ on 15M with no luck.

After a little over an hour, I threw in the towel. My operating position was facing west across Currituck Sound, so my nice shady spot was giving way to the afternoon sun. Before I pulled the plug, I had one last contact on 40M with a friend back in Pennsylvania.

So, my 2025 Skeeter Hunt results were less than stellar. Although it was frustrating working through the noise, I still had fun. Plus, the scenery from my temporary “shack” was outstanding.

72, Craig WB3GCK

Antenna Testing at Ridley Creek

On Wednesday, August 7th, I set out to do some antenna experimentation. So, why not get in a POTA/WWFF activation at the same time? To kill those two birds with one stone, I drove down to Ridley Creek State Park (US-1414, KFF-1414). (Disclaimer: No birds were actually harmed during this activation.)

I saw some discussion on the Internet about an antenna configuration I found intriguing. It’s just a 15-foot radiator and a 7.5-foot counterpoise wire fed through a 4:1 unun. Folks claim they work on 40M through 15M—with a tuner, of course. I’m a sucker for simple, field-expedient antennas, so I gave it a try during the recent Flight of the Bumblebees contest.

With the unun I used, I had mixed results. I couldn’t get the antenna to load on 40M, but it seemed to do fine on 30M through 15M. I wanted to try the same configuration, but with a larger 4:1 unun I built a several years ago. After cutting another set of 15-foot and 7.5-foot wires, I was ready to go.

When I got to the park, I headed to a spot I had been using a lot lately. It’s off the beaten path and well away from the other park visitors. Using my homebrew ground mount, I set up the antenna on a lightweight 19-ft telescoping pole I bought years ago on eBay. I ran 20 feet of RG-316 coax over to my Penntek TR-35 and Elecraft T1 tuner.

My operating position at Ridley Creek State Park — My operating position

Before I started my activation, I gave the antenna a quick check. The antenna was an easy match on 30M through 17M, but it took two tries before the T1 found a good match on 40M.

Despite the slightly fussy tuning on 40M, the antenna didn’t do too badly on that band. I logged 12 contacts before the activity slowed down. I next tried 30M, but there were no takers. Moving up to 20M, I logged three more stations. Up on 17M, I worked one last station in Alabama. After an hour on the air, I had 16 stations in the log, including five park-to-park contacts.

Selfie at Ridley Creek State Park with my antenna in the background — Something in the woods behind me was not happy with my presence. Fortunately, I never came face-to-face with whatever it was.

I had better luck with this antenna configuration this time around. The unun I used for this outing uses a larger iron powder toroid (T130-2, as I recall) compared to the smaller ferrite core used in the other unun. Also, the longer run of coax I used this time was probably a contributing factor.

In any event, this configuration can definitely work. Granted, it’s a compromise antenna, but it’s super simple to deploy for casual operating in the field. Still, I think a slightly longer radiator would make for an easier match on 40M.

I have another configuration in mind that I plan to try soon.

72, Craig WB3GCK