Homebrewed linked EFHW (10-20m), SOTAbeam tuner, 18ft fiberglass fishing rod !! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers. Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. … Continue reading
Antenna Pole Tips by KX0R For activating summits without trees, we usually need to bring a support for an HF antenna. The most common tool is a collapsible fiberglass pole. There are many types of poles available, and they have … Continue reading
No, this is not the name of another royal baby… it’s about my third attempt to build a 2m antenna for my SOTA activations. In my earlier iterations I was unable to strike the balance between size/weight and usability. What … Continue reading
Using a Buddipole antenna (BP) for my SOTA activations leaves me high and dry when it comes to the 40 m band. I was never able to build an efficient BP for these frequencies and received many ‘complaints’ that I … Continue reading
Finally everything fell in place… my shack is running on solar power only. An idea/project I have been pursuing for years but the circumstances were never perfect… until this July. Last fall, a hailstorm took care of the roof and … Continue reading
After reading KDØBIK’s blog post comparing the new KX3 with the FT-817 under the aspect of using it for Summits on The Air (SOTA), I felt I have to defend ‘my’ little radio a bit. No doubt, the KX3 is … Continue reading
I am always carrying my HT (Yaesu VX-7R) as a backup on my SOTA activations. It saved my butt on two occasions when high winds prevented me from setting up my vertical Buddipole. Since high winds are not unusual at … Continue reading
I received quite a few inquiries regarding the solar setup I am using for my SOTA activations. I hope I answered all of them in this short video. If not, please fell free to add questions/comments via Youtube httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsvPOyn0LeQ !! … Continue reading
My requirements are simple… small, capable (all bands/all modes) and lightweight with a large fun-factor. Radio: Yaesu FT-817ND (with all the standard parts) Antenna: Buddipole (highly portable VHF/HF dipole antenna system) Power: Internal FNB-85 Ni-MH Battery Pack (1400 mAh @ … Continue reading
