Category: K6ARK Portable Radio

Um, yeah… Why not? It’s just an Icom IC-7300 and a 4-element 10m beam. It was for the ARRL 10m contest.

With a newly minted 10m portable 4 element wire beam antenna, I couldn’t resist hauling the station up to a local SOTA summit. The pack wasn’t light, but it’s not too hard of a hike – 1.5 miles and 1,000 ft of elevation gain, mostly on trail.

This was its virgin voyage, with no QSOs yet, so let’s break this puppy in.

My Gear:

I’ve had questions about the chair I’m using and unfortunately they don’t make the Helinox Ground Chair anymore, but the "Chair One" is an awesome alternative: https://amzn.to/2JYxeRB

The Icom IC-7300 is not my normal SOTA rig, but for contests, the waterfall is such a benefit, I sometimes carry it out to summits. It’s a fantastic radio at an incredible price for what you get: https://amzn.to/34g4UAZ

Pool cleaning poles make surprisingly good portable antenna masts. This one is a 12 footer: https://amzn.to/34iaCSW

#hamradio #youtubersbunch #hamharder

Landras Dream by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Back To The Wood by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Got a sweet postcard in the mail today. Thanks, David, for the kind words, and for taking the time to write. You’re going to love your new MTR3B – it’s a fantastic radio. I have three ????????????. Stay safe out there, and 73 for now. #Shorts #Youtubersbunch #Hamradio

What is the best antenna for my handheld radio? How many times have we all heard that question? In this video, I talk you through the process of deciding which HT antenna will be best for you, and I share a few of my favorites.

RUBBER DUCKS:
Smiley Regular Duck (my preferred SAR radio antenna): https://www.smileyantenna.com/product-p/14650.htm
2.5" Flexible Mini-Duck (I use this one around the house for nearby repeaters and the DMR hotspot): https://amzn.to/39LnuVd

WHIPS:
Diamond RH77 series dual-band antennas
– BNC model: https://amzn.to/37FPiaU
– Female SMA (for Baofengs, Anytone 878, etc.): https://amzn.to/39NdXN9
– Male SMA (Yaesu, Icom, etc.): https://amzn.to/37xdlIM
Signal Stick: https://signalstuff.com/product/super-elastic-signal-stick-sma-male/

TELESCOPIC WHIPS:
Half-Wave Telescopic Whip Antennas:
– Smiley Antenna Half-Wave: https://www.smileyantenna.com/product-p/14680.htm
– MFJ-1714: https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-001013

WIRE ANTENNAS:
– Roll-Up J-Pole Build Instructions: https://harriscountyares.org/training/KNW/KNW-123.pdf
– Extended Double Zepp Calculator & Build Instructions: http://www.westmountainradio.com/antenna_calculator_zepp.php?frequency=144

DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS
K6ARK Portable Yagi Build: https://youtu.be/a4XIgYD-d1k
Elk Antenna: https://elkantennas.com/
Arrow Antena: http://www.arrowantennas.com/sub/arrowiiyagi.html

The Amazon links above are part of an affiliate account. Clicking through those links and making a purchase gives me a small kick-back to help support the channel.

My previous attempt at this never-activated summit, WE/SD-025, failed. I bailed at the base of the climb due to heavy brush. Today, I go back and try again. It’s cooler and I’m wearing heavy cotton clothing to help shield the scraping and shin-bashing of the manzanita, scrub oak, and sumac.

In my pack is a freshly modified MTR3B with the 17m band added where 30m used to be. I’m hoping for some DX. Let’s see if it works.

N0SSC – Sterling’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/sterwing

YouTube Ham Radio geek swag: https://grapevineamateurradio.com/

Thanks for watching!

What better time to find out than the 2020 SOTA Trans-Atlantic S2S QSO Party? The first winter storm of the year was in-bound, but I’m not going to let a little bit of rain stop me. I chose a local drive-up summit, brought my tent as a shelter, and left my home bright and early to get to the summit and on the air by 5am.

I had a blast activating, and recorded as much of the activation as possible. Here’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

Enjoy!

Fellow YouTuber, 2E0UKH told me about a 2 element dual-band beam he built. I ran with the idea and made my own, out of arrow shafts, with an additional element. The results? Pretty dang impressive.
2E0UKH YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ukgadget2

MMANA GAL file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IQ8l_cLdpa7m4fzYdZe1jQMwLSZQOqi1/view?usp=sharing

Antenna Photos – SWR and Patterns: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GAKAw9uykCkPEijr7

Element Lengths and Positions:
– Driven element
– Position: 0"
– Element Length: 20.17" (ea.)
– Director #1
– Position: 3.78"
– Element Length: 19.05" (ea)
– Director #2
– Position: 13.26"
– Element Length: 18.36" (ea)

SUPPLIES:
Arrow Shafts: https://amzn.to/3oDgpuM
– Note: you can likely find them a little cheaper on AliExpress.com
Threaded Inserts: https://amzn.to/37UQhWm
Arrow Connector: https://amzn.to/3oFrTOA
– Note: you can also just use a threaded rod and a jamb nut or some LocTite to secure it

HARDWARE:
Nylon Threaded Rod: https://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?partnum=98831A330
Aluminum Threaded Rod: https://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?partnum=93225A675
… more durable alternative
Stainless Steel Threaded Rod: https://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?partnum=95412A882
Nylon Spacers: https://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?partnum=94639A534
Aluminum Hex Nut: https://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?partnum=93181A009

Key Build Tips:
– Use a drill press. Hand-drilling will not result in straight enough holes.
– Remove the anodized coating from the inside of the arrow shaft before crimping in the inserts. The coating is non-conductive.
– Apply dielectric grease to the outer part of the threaded insert to prevent corrosion.
– If you over-crimp the inserts, you’ll have to re-drill the clearance hole portion and re-tap the threads.
– Be careful installing threaded aluminum rods, as the threads can be easily damaged.

Have fun building, and good luck!

K6ARK Portable Radio shirts for sale (thanks Jason!): https://grapevineamateurradio.com/products/k6ark-portable-radio-t-shirt-special-order

#MNHR

People often ask how I record my QSO audio for my videos. Well, here’s how.

This quick tip is a little longer than the others, but I figured it was worth giving you the full picture of how I record my audio.

The recorder I use:
Sony ICD-PX370 Mono Digital Voice Recorder with Built-In USB Voice Recorder – $43.00
https://amzn.to/2I9Gqkx

A newer, stereo recording model with rechargeable internal battery:
Sony ICD-UX570 Digital Voice Recorder – $74.79
https://amzn.to/34IHxQ0

Short Aux Cable: https://amzn.to/2SGMB1F

Over 10 years as a ham and no satellite QSOs in the log. But, to be fair, that’s mostly for lack of trying. I recently decided I should give satellites a try

I built a portable 3 element dual-band yagi and have been itching to try it out. Hooked up to an HT, I was able to hear QSOs on a couple of amateur satellites and the ISS over the past couple of days, but I was unable to make any contacts. Suspecting inadequate power was the issue, I hooked up the FT-857 in "split" mode and gave it a shot on a low pass of AO-27. Did it work? There’s one way to find out…

Want to see where baby antennas are made? This is the spot.

Stop by for a quick tour of my electronics workbench, the simple tools I use, and how I organize my junk, then join us on Temporarily Offline’s stream to chat about our workbenches.

What better way to take my new (to me) mountain bike out for its maiden voyage than to do a SOTA activation? I packed up the MTR3B, telescopic pole, and water and food for the morning, and set out for Middle Peak (W6/SC-024) in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. It’s about 5 miles to the summit via fire roads, and plenty of trails in the area provide options for the descent.

The activation went great with plenty of contacts, and I even kept myself upright on the bike the whole trip up and back. Looking forward to the next one…