Ham radio QRP has evolved over the years. It has expanded and diverged into new and interesting niches. Yet the classic QRPer is still alive and well. Our guest for this episode is Dick G0BPS who has been a part of the classic QRP culture for many years. He is a past president of the QRP Armature Radio Club International (ARCI) and was elected in into the ARCI QRP Hall of Fame. He also serves as the secretary of the G-QRP club. We will explore what it meant to be a QRPer years ago, what has changed and what has remained the same. So join as we talk about the BIG REWARDS of operating QRP.
Join us as we talk about how YOU can enjoy the pleasure of working QRP 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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The Ultra Porta Paddle is a high-quality portable morse code paddle made in the USA. These paddles are a top contender for an operator to use as their primary key. While they are a more expensive paddle, they are also a higher quality paddle made with excellent craftsmanship. Doug W6AME who is the owner and operator of American Morse Equipment sent me a short description about how these paddles were developed. Scroll down to see his comments.
This "paddle feature" is the fifth 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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#SOTA #PortableRadio #HamRadio #CW #MorseCode
Doug Hauff W6AME writes:
“The Ultra design was based on my experience of making keys for many
years, and what I saw available in portable paddles. Over twenty years
ago I found that there was not much available in mini paddles and keys,
just some terrible cheap plastic things & a few hyper expensive models,
so I started making mini keys and paddles.
As for the Ultra, I had tried a rather popular mini paddle at Dayton a
few years ago, and while I was impressed with the rather clever, very
inexpensive to manufacture design, I was unimpressed with the feel,
especially considering the cost. You just can’t get around the feel of
an all-plastic paddle. I decided to design a paddle that fit inside the
same small envelope, but an all-metal design with superior feel.
Most of my keys and paddle have plain bearings, which do a good job and
are simple to implement. I first used ball race bearings in a design
mostly for sales appeal, but I discovered two advantages with ball
bearings that can justify the added complexity: they provide a superior
ground path compared to plain bearings, and they do impart a subtle
improvement in feel, a kind of hard to define smoothness and precision
one can feel. And there is the sales appeal.
Likewise, I have found that the neodymium magnets I use in some of my
other keys provide a crispness and fine adjustability, adding to the
feel.
So, starting with ball bearings, neodymium magnet, and 1 x 1 x 3+ inch
envelope, I developed the Ultra, borrowing from my other designs such as
the Mini-B; fully enclosed, anodized aluminum construction, Stainless
contacts, etc.
Greatest difficulty was designing the bearing mounts, and tooling and
procedure for assembling the four ball bearings and two dowel pins into
the base. I lost a lot of bearings and bases first time around…
Reject rate now just a few percent.”
Do you want to use Morse code when operating your ham radio but find it difficult to learn? Joe Fischer AA8TA joins us tonight to talk about how to break through the struggles of learning Morse code. He is the current CWops CW Academy Manager. We will be talking to him about how the CW Academy works, how to best learn CW, and what tools you might use on your path to proficiency. We’ll also talk about what other CWops activities and programs are available to assist you in finally reaching your goals.
Learn more about Joe on his website: https://aa8ta.net/10-2/
Join us we talk about how YOU can learn Morse code 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
Donate https://www.patreon.com/redsummitrf
Obtain a sticker https://redsummitrf.blogspot.com
Steve WG0AT is a well-known Summits on the Air activator. His excursions to the top of SOTA summits to operate mountaintop portable with his to goats, Peanut and Rooster is legendary. But there is so much more to his story. Steve has been operating from the top of mountaintops long before the existence of SOTA. So what was that like? What was the motivation? How have things changed? Join us as we talk with Steve about those early days.
Lost Dutchman State Park has some interesting lore surrounding it. Sitting between the Goldfield Mountains and the Superstition Mountains, many have been drawn to this location in search of the Dutchman’s lost treasure. While historically interesting, it is also a beautiful place to set at a table and enjoy getting on the air with a ham radio. I wanted to participate in "Support Your Parks Weekend" and had planned on activating this park on Saturday that weekend. Then I saw a post on Discord about Brian N2BTD looking for somebody with whom he might join, to activate this state park. Sunday worked better for him, so we decided to go that day. It was a pleasure to meet-up with Brian and get this park in the books for Parks on The Air.
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For this October activation I work four bands on Morse code, 60, 40, 30, and 20 meters, plus 20 meter sideband. The callsign of every chaser is included in this one. It’s a short hike to the top of Wolf mountain where I work 40 stations in the howling wind (off and on). Hike up, get on the air, get down for this SOTA & POTA activation. Happy Halloween!
The linked dipole is a great antenna and many portable operators use it. Of course there are other good choices like the end-fed half-wave. In this video I explain why I use the linked dipole. It’s a fun adventure, with the field test of a new portable paddle, scenery that was not what I expected, and a unique activation, as I have never been to the top of this one before.
The QU-7025 Morse code paddle (or key) might be a good option for you hams who are new to CW. They are an inexpensive option if you don’t want to jump right into a big purchase. The paddle is a pretty simple design you see in various homebrew and 3D printed variants. I think you could say it is the Baofeng UV-5R of Morse code paddles.
This "paddle feature" is the fourth 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!
Twitter: @NJ7V_
Instagram: RedSummitRF
Facebook: Red Summit RF
TikTok: RedSummitRF
Donate: https://www.patreon.com/redsummitrf
Obtain a sticker https://redsummitrf.blogspot.com/
Why should you share your portable radio experiences with others. We have a panel of guests on today’s episode that have a passion for sharing their adventures. We’ll ask them why we should all share our experiences. Hopefully this discussion will give you ideas on how you can share your stories when it comes to portable radio.
Join us as we talk about how YOU can share your portable radio experiences 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.
Guests are:
Jesse VE6JTW "VE6JTW CDN Rockies Radio Adventurer"
https://www.youtube.com/c/VE6JTWCDNRockiesRadioAdventurer
