Just thought I would untroduce myself after my first few months of SOTA activations. I’ve been using a VHF handie but also been trying a little bit of HF with, perhaps unusually, an old military backpack set, a PRC-2000.
I’ve only used 20m SSB on HF thus far, and worked all over Europe and Scandinavia with the 2.85m set-top whip and no counterpoise. I guess I’ve just been lucky, starting close to the peak of the current solar cycle, using just the whip. I do like the simplicity of this setup though - no guys or cables to set up and potentially get in the way of other visitors to the summit. The downside is that the radio is very heavy for a 62-year old and ideally, I’d prefer to set up my KX3 to use a simple vertical, ideally mounted in or on my backpack, so I don’t need to guy it. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Picture is me operating on Boxing Day from High Willhays, G/DC-001 with my mate Archie keeping an eye on my log
If SOTA awarded bonus points for style, you would definitely have earned them! Love the old PRC, although you really need some vintage British army field clothing to go with the PRC =)
You could carry a small/lightweight tripod for your vertical and still save a lot of weight compared to the PRC!
Well that certainly looks much more impressive, with top points for style.
Im in the long queue for a KX2 but did see that Elecraft do an antenna that is pretty much the same as your using - a loaded whip for 20m/15m. It looks like something i’d break in 5 minutes flat - so it doubt it will stand up to the recent weather as well as the antenna you’re using now!
GM,getelmeNs ,Beitifull old Rockers Trancivers . Have a Nice days and hpy 2024 years OMS regards to and all SOTA Teams From IN92eb Rookie Op… (EA2WS) cult arounD the world 44!
Great to see the mountain top Green Radio, well done.
We have quite an energetic GROTA (Green Radios On The Air) group here, with quite a few SOTA-GROTA activations. In all we have about ten WS48 sets, and the odd WS58, WS46, WS21 and SRA13. The ubiquitous ZC1 is way to heavy for our average age! However, the green radios seem to attract the younger hams, which is great. The 25 year old lad in the orange jacket is up ZL3-CB673 with a 20kt wind; a good job the radio was heavy!
Hope to work you S2S someday Denis!
Thanks
Kelvin ZL3KB
Nice to see I’m not the only one hauling things that are way too heavy up mountains. I’ve got a few other green radios here. Most are mains powered or simply too big (1154/1155) to haul up mountains. I do have an A510, which I think is complete and which I really should try and get going at some point.
I just wish I was 20 years younger. I’d take the PRC-2000 up much bigger hills if I was
Clansman made a rather wonderful, fully adjustable leg-strap straight key for one of their sets.
Replaced their cord with a lighter version, ending in a SOTA-rig-compatible plug to make a straight-key backup for the KX2, etc.
If you can find them the Racal Mobilcal TR931 or TR 4031 are both suitable for carrying up a hill and will not challenge you (weight wise)
I should know, I was a member of the design team and our first amateur band qso with the 931 was from Reading to Bondi Beach
I’ve just found someone selling TR931 front panels with knobs for £44. No radio functionality but made available for those who want to rebuild an British Army radio Land Rover.
I presume a “19 set” is not the famous “AN/GRC-19” ? We had those in the army,
I don’t know the weight, but it required a power supply of 24 volts at 75 amps to
run the thing! It was supposed to be a mobile rig, AM and CW at 100 watts.
73,
John, K6YK
GM,getelmeNs ,Beitifull old Rockers Trancivers . Have a Nice days and hpy 2024 years OMS regards to and all SOTA Teams From IN92eb Rookie Op… (EA2WS) cult arounD the world 44!
