Best radio for backpacking/overnight hikes

Same story here Mike…313 Activations with my FT817 and no issues…many activations with other ops yards away (also running FT817’s).

Interference likely due to station proximity or antenna orientation or??? We always made sure we were not placing the antennas broadside to each other.

At some point/distance RF overload will occur with most any radio obviously. We just try to separate as much as we can and orient antennas away from each other.

73

Pete
WA7JTM

I have the KX3, which I really love, but it is a bit heavy for multi-day trips. Purely from the point of view of weight, the CW only MTR series from LNR Precision seems to be the most popular choice, but as you say in your original post, you need SSB for the time being. One much cheaper alternative to the usual choices (KX3, KX2, FT817) is the mcHF SDR transceiver from M0NKA:

http://www.m0nka.co.uk/?page_id=2

You can buy the boards pre-populated with the SMD components if you are not confident with fine soldering. The cases can be bought off Ebay:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/2017-Aluminum-Case-for-mcHF-SDR-Radio-UI-RF-V0-5-V0-6-shield-board-speaker-/122509318400?hash=item1c861fd900:g:q7gAAOSwYvFZIovR

Whilst it does not have 6m and above - neither does the KX2 - this would work out a hell of a lot cheaper, and give a great deal of satisfaction in the building of the kit.

On board batteries may be convenient, but I always use external lithium batteries these days, as you get more control over the voltage and thus the output from the PA. Lithium batteries have way more capacity than internal options. It seems to me that a lot of folks are going down the external battery route these days.

Internal tuners are also very convenient, especially if you are using digi-modes (in particular the JT modes), in which case you can just click to tune if you decide to change bands. On the other hand, end-fed antennas allow you to leave the traditional coax feeder at home and thus save weight that way. I now use a Fuchskreis end-fed antenna, which works fine for me. However, with the mcHF so cheap, you could buy that and still have change for an external ATU like the very popular T1 Auto-tuner from Elecraft:

http://www.elecraft.com/T1/T1.htm

The mcHF also has a built in pan-adapter, which would cost you another $500 from Elecraft. In fact, you would have plenty of money left over for other important lightweight items, such as a nice light tent:

If I’m teaching grandma to suck eggs here, then please ignore me, but a lightweight tent like the one above could take over 1.5 kg off your shoulders. FWIW, I’m ordering mine (tent) in October.

Just please don’t buy the ready made Chinese clone of the mcHF. If we don’t support the developers, then innovative products like this will just cease to exist. Will China step in then to keep the innovation going?
Cheers
Matt

The mCHF looks very interesting, although it weighs about 1.4lb and rx current consumption is about 400ma

This is a VERY cool looking radio, although it’s not a direct sampling receiver (uses SI570, mixer and audio CODEC). I wonder how readable the color LCD would be in daylight. It’s also most suited to the experimental crowd and not appliance users.

73, Barry N1EU

The clone is a complete rip-off of M0NKA design, he has not received a penny in royalties from the Chinese copy merchants.
It is possible to reduce the RX consumption dramatically by replacing one of the regulators, it also reduces the heat pushed into the case, but the mod is complicated.

(I deleted the reference to the clone, don’t want to support rip-offs)

This has almost turned into the age old debate regarding car manufacturers. We all have our reasons for recommending our favorite radio.
Mine, driven by weight as my lungs have seen too much abuse after many years of being in the army. That and I like the display of my radio as I feel at times like I need reading glasses.

I think that Andrew in post # 35 really nail it.

One more point I would like to add, the efficiency of your antenna system is important.

I think the KX2’s built-in ATU is a HUGE feature to have if you want to work multiple bands and you want to keep weight/bulk to a minimum.

Barry N1EU

2 Likes

On this subject I wonder if anyone has any experience of the PRF-3 as a portable radio?
I’d love to try one but not sure if they’ve been popular in the UK due to the additional import costs.
I do like the idea of an all in one 3-band, CW radio with ATU and SWR indication but perhaps this older design has been superseded now by better options?

Michael (G0POT)

Hi Michael

I have one that I built a number of years ago. I like it as it’s “all in one” but to be fair it was considerably better value when I bought it as the pound was stronger and the dollar weaker.

Here is the reflector link to my original build and usage review but unfortunately the images seem to have gone and cannot be edited so I have added a Flickr link too.

73 Marc G0AZS

1 Like

Hello,

I have a PFR-3 (first version) that I boought last year second hand. I wanted this rig since I started learning CW.
I am very satisfied with it, although my experience in CW is still little.

When I activate, I don’t want to be stressed with a bad SWR and I prefer to avoid carrying lots of extra gear up to summits. The built-in Tuner in the PFR-3 helps avoiding this extra gear.

I currently use an EFHW antenna built by my friend EA2BD. It is for 20-40 meters but I can tune also in 30m that helped me to qualify in some activation.

The only issue I find is a non regulable and too loud sidetone: this sometimes make me feel annoyed when I mix in my earphones my own keying and the replies of chasers and I end with lots of beeps inside my brain, hi!

I find the PFR is very light, CW filter and selectivity is good as judged by my expert ham mates, and I use the Mini Palm keyer (one more accesory!), because I didn’t get used to the built-in iambic.

Tuner is quite sensible and I can tune until led light goes off. It’s cool when you use it to try alternative antennas wherever, as for when I forget my fishpole at home!

Hope this info helps. 73 de Santi EA2BSB

1 Like

@VE6VID:

This has almost turned into the age old debate regarding car manufacturers. We all have our reasons for recommending our favorite radio.

OP here – I’m thrilled with how this thread is going! My kit is pretty much complete at this point (going to write a blog post going over it sometime soon), but I’ve really appreciated reading everything here, and if this thread can help any other SOTA-newcomers figure out the right balance of price, function & weight it’ll be well worth it.

2 Likes

Op.
I think it is great as well. All of the posters have valid points for various radios. I sure wish there was something like this thread when I was buying my first radio years ago, or my first mobile HF radio.
Please do share with us your selection for radio kit.

Malen
VE6VID

Hi,

I think I already shared this file in another thread, but it fits here…
It’s a summary and comparative table with many known rigs, stating key factors like:

  • weight
  • power consumption
  • voltage supply minimum requirement.

Rig comparison chart by EA2BD
(it opens a PDF…)

I believe the three are important to decide on a rig for Portable operation.
I need some time to add on this file the latest rigs/ kits available on the market…

73 de Ignacio

Feeling depressed now. I have had six of those rigs for 7 years plus a few others.

Been using a KX2 for a few months. Hands down the only option IMO. (unless you reduce bands and modes like 20m CW only etc). With internal tuner and batt is still smaller and lighter than all other options. It really is a wonderful little radio.
Clifford

1 Like

Hi. Like you I started with a HT and wanted to progress my skills in HF but as a new ham. Where to start??

After much research and talking to fellow club members I decided to try a used radio. So for $750.00 Canadian dollars I ended up finding a used FT 817 with an ellcraft T1 tuner and all the associated cables and connectors and a signal box to do digital modes. All this in mint condition. So far I have activated my first SOT
A on black mountain in A local Provincial Park. It was a 24 hour activation. Noon to Noon. My rig failed. I had antenna matching issues with my homemade Balun. We had the 817. A Kx2 and a KX3 in use. What did I learn. Well a lot actually. I have since fixed my antenna matching issues. The 817 does well on reception. The audio quality is much better than either the kx2 or kx3. That being said it is limited to 5 watts. Since that trip I have taken it from here in Vancouver to the North West territories. And with a 9:1 Balun the T1 tuner and a 136 ft end fed half wave antenna. I have made contacts from the territories to Northen Wisconsin Chicago and San Francisco area. So yes it works. Incidentally my other two cohorts with their kx2 and kx3 were able to make contact with a Japanese ham on vacation in New Zealand from black mountain while on a reconnaissance hike a week earlier than our Sota.

Much of Sota operations is dependant on current conditions which band will give you the best propagation etc . That is a matter of practice.

My thoughts are. Get a rig. And start to play. As one of the other respondents pointed out. The best rig is the one you have. The nice thing about the 817 is that they tend to keep their value. One final thought I have is that the 817 is very menu driven. You have bro know that to make it really functional. So that takes a lot of practice.

73

VE7RGK

3 Likes

Hi
If you like building your own gear you could try one these QCX: 5W CW transceiver , high performance, single band 5W CW transceiver kit with WSPR beacon and built-in alignment and test equipment. Available for 80, 60, 40, 30, 20 or 17m bands.
Looking on the website they seem to be sold out very sharp of the first batch and are taking pre- orders.

73
Graeme

Remember, here in the EU we tend to regard Elecraft rigs as a more expensive option, because for us they are. We have to pay another 20% VAT, about 8% import duty and 4% handling fee (approx) on top of the list price. We also have a terrible exchange rate at the moment, although that is improving. If I lived in the US, my choice would also be a KX2, and I think the extra one would pay on top of an FT817 is absolutely worth it. The KX2 appears a good way up on Sherwood’s receiver performance tables, I don’t think the FT817 appears at all, although I haven’t gone through the table with a fine tooth comb. You could also stagger the cost by using a trapped EFHW antenna to begin with, and buying the ATU and other peripherals later.
Cheers
Matt

Are you sure there is import duty on amateur radio products in the EU? There isn’t any in the UK and we’re still in the single market (just).

You’re quite right, no import duty. I had to re-read the Zollausweis for my MTR3b, it’s just VAT and a handling fee. I seem to remember paying duty on my K1 in 2005, but again, I may be mistaken.
Matt