I have used this paddle in the field and really like how small and light it is. It nearly meets its lofty goal of being as good a paddle as the Palm Pico Paddle. Handmade and affordable, it is defiantly suitable primary paddle for most Summits on the Air enthusiasts. You will have no worries about sending at higher speeds with this little gem.
This "paddle feature" is the 7th in a series of videos about PORTABLE CW KEYS called "Portable Morse Code Paddles". I hope you enjoy this feature and come back for more!
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For this Summits on the Air (SOTA) activation I hiked just under 7-miles RT with 1500’ elevation gain. It was a fun day operating QRP on Daisy Mountain W7A/MN-153 where I got a contact from Alaska, and two from Japan on 5 watts.
The End-Fed Half-Wave (EFHW) antenna can save you the trouble of packing a tuner with you on your portable radio expeditions. SOTA activation I take along an EFHW antenna built by Ariel Jacala NY4G. This antenna is resonant on 15, 20, 30, 40, and 60 meters without the use of an antenna tuner. 30 meters requires a ling be disconnected, but the rest of the bands are all resonant without doing anything to the antenna.
NY4G SOTA Package Antenna: https://www.ny4gefhw.com/store/p/sota-package
Use RedSummit for the discount code
Also with me, is my new go-to antenna mast that I acquired from PackTenna. This mast is actually a 28-foot carbon fiber fishing pole, but serves well as an antenna mast. It’s very compact and holds up well in high winds. I don’t see myself ever going back to the one I used to use!
Lastly, I wanted to try something with the PackTenna TrekMount that I forgot to do on my last SOTA activation. I put it up on my mast up about 10 feet just to see how it works with a little more height.
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**Trigger Warning – there’s an annoying amount of wind noise into the mic throughout this video**
Freezing temperatures, snow, and extreme wind guests are just a few of the unexpected challenges you might face on a portable ham radio expedition. In this video my wife, Sandy W7NRS, and I encounter all three!
We traveled to Flagstaff, AZ and then on to the edges of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument to activate 3 peaks for Summits on the Air (SOTA).
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In this episode we talk about the benefits of joining a SOTA community, the different opportunities that exist, and how to organize a group if one doesn’t exist near you.
Organizing and cultivating Summits on the Air groups is very important to the success of the larger SOTA community. It is a way to build comradery with those who share a common interest, it provides a landing spot for hams that are new to SOTA, and it facilitates new activities and gatherings. Today’s guests have all quietly moved to facilitate an active SOTA community in their area.
Mike KN6EZE has organized a SOTA group in southern California, Pat KI7SVM has done the same in the Carolina’s, and Doug N4HNH has facilitated a sense of community in Georgia. Each has done different things to organize their SOTA communities, but there is also some overlap.
Join us we talk about how YOU can participate in the SOTA community in this episode of the All Portable Discussion Zone “AP/DZ”. Every aspect of Portable Ops is explored in this biweekly live stream as we discuss news, gear, achievements, the workbench, contests, awards and more – find all Portable Ops related topics here.
Twitter:
Charlie NJ7V @NJ7V_
Dan KC7MSU @KC7MSU
Brian W7JET @BBW7JET
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I have never tried using a tuner while working portable. I’ve always used resonant antennas. I’ve wanted to give it a try though, and when Ray K8DRT heard me mention it he lent me is EmTech ZM-2. The only problem was I wanted to try the tuner with a random wire antenna, and I didn’t have one. But after looking around in my antenna parts I found a 9:1 unun that Adam K6ARK had made for me. So, I fired up the soldering iron and made the antenna. Then I went to the back yard to test everything out. Success! The tuner and antenna worked great, but the true test comes in putting it on the air in the field in an actual portable activation. So, the following day I did just that on a couple of Summits on the Air peaks.
You can find the full CW recordings of this activation here: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1Ag_c6-5zAyDv-FAIdDNQhjqlcDBs_q7y
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Chris ZL4RA has completed some amazing SOTA activations. He lives in New Zealand where you can find some of the most inhospitable mountains. But Chris takes it all in stride and keeps it lighthearted. His fun and positive disposition seen on his YouTube videos is contagious. Join us for this interview with Chris, where we will explore some of his adventures in Summits on the Air. Also, Chris is the creator of a very useful website in Beta that you might be interested in called SOTA STARS. We’ll talk about that too!
SOTA STARS: https://sotastars.com
Join us we talk about how YOU can improve your SOTA activations in this episode of the All Portable Discussion Zone “AP/DZ”. Every aspect of Portable Ops is explored in this biweekly live stream as we discuss news, gear, achievements, the workbench, contests, awards and more – find all Portable Ops related topics here.
Twitter:
Charlie NJ7V @NJ7V_
Dan KC7MSU @KC7MSU
Brian W7JET @BBW7JET
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I call this paddle the "Stainless Steel Unbranded" for short. It has no official name or brand. It will show up on most shopping sites as the "stainless steel cw morse key telegraph key paddle key with magnetic base". This is a decent option for somebody looking for an affordable, relatively durable CW paddle.
This paddle on EBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/-/353762265820
This paddle on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3L1KEqx
This paddle on AliExpress: https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005003464741818.html?channel=twinner
CW Hotline: https://hamradio.solutions/cwhotline/
Anker Power Supply: https://amzn.to/3gu1NLv
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My friend, The Tech Prepper, recently lent me the PackTenna Trekmount. I was interested in trying it after seeing him get several 2-meter sideband contacts using it on our last joint activation. So, I threw it in the pack for this Summits on the Air activation. I started my activation on 2-meter SSB and was amazed it the antenna’s performance. After working 2-meter SSB I hopped on 23-centimeters FM and got a few more contacts. Then I returned to the PackTenna Trekmount for 2-meter CW. Finally, I finished out on the HF bands on Morse code. This was a very successful SOTA activation, with some fun variations.
You can find the full CW recordings of this activation here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IexRnaUMCovIRwZFFP4fI2Bm4dWK3krL?usp=sharing
Check out The Tech Prepper’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheTechPrepper
The Tech Prepper Video on the PackTenna: https://youtu.be/kD0wyWrnlUo
PackTenna TrekMount: https://www.packtenna.com/store/p21/TrekMount_Antenna_Mount.html#/
PackTenna Website: https://www.packtenna.com/
MSR PocketRocket: https://amzn.to/32CbK68
Trekking Poles: https://amzn.to/3u6KtV0
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Are you looking for a way to learn, or practice Morse code? The CW Hotline might be a great option for you. This multi-functional device is an easy-to-build kit that will connect you with other people who want to learn. You can use it as a stand-alone practice oscillator, connect to VBand, or simply connect directly to any of your friends who also have a CW Hotline in service.
In this video I walk you through the kit build, configurations, and then demonstrate how easy it is to connect with a friend and start sending and receiving Morse code.
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My friend, The Tech Prepper, recently lent me the PackTenna Trekmount. I was interested in trying it after seeing him get several 2-meter sideband contacts using it on our last joint activation. So, I threw it in the pack for this Summits on the Air activation. I started my activation on 2-meter SSB and was amazed it the antenna’s performance. After working 2-meter SSB I hopped on 23-centimeters FM and got a few more contacts. Then I returned to the PackTenna Trekmount for 2-meter CW. Finally, I finished out on the HF bands on Morse code. This was a very successful SOTA activation, with some fun variations.
You can find the full CW recordings of this activation here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IexRnaUMCovIRwZFFP4fI2Bm4dWK3krL?usp=sharing
Check out The Tech Prepper’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheTechPrepper
The Tech Prepper Video on the PackTenna: https://youtu.be/kD0wyWrnlUo
PackTenna TrekMount: https://www.packtenna.com/store/p21/TrekMount_Antenna_Mount.html#/
PackTenna Website: https://www.packtenna.com/
MSR PocketRocket: https://amzn.to/32CbK68
Trekking Poles: https://amzn.to/3u6KtV0
Twitter: @NJ7V_
Instagram: RedSummitRF
Facebook: Red Summit RF
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Red Summit RF Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/redsummitrf
Help support this channel – buy me a Coke: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/RedSummitRF
Donate via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/redsummitrf
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