Hi, new-ish ham here looking for advice / input on my first big radio purchase.
Some background: I got my technician license in 2022 and then my extra license in 2023 mainly because I didn’t know what else to do. For the entire time I’ve been a licensed ham I’ve only ever done SOTA and listened to one satellite beacon. I’m looking to progress in the OTA part of SOTA.
The only radio I own is a Baofeng HT, and I have the Arrow 2m/70cm Yagi antenna. The issue I’m running into is that I live in a sparsely populated area (Alaska, USA), and as soon as I’m out of line-of-sight of the one city I cannot make a single contact. Sometimes I have no luck even with line-of-sight. Since I have the extra license I figure I need to begin using HF and hopefully make contacts in Northern Canada or the US West Coast.
I’ve been doing research about what gear is recommended and have come to the conclusion that much of it is not suitable for me. Keep in mind that doing SOTA in Alaska there are zero trees to attach an antenna to, often strong wind, either snow or bare rock, and for 7+ months of the year I’m not spending more than 30 minutes standing still on a summit. So I need a sort of standalone antenna (I’m not carrying a 10lb mast/tripod) that can be set up rapidly and hopefully still reach down to Canada/US. Maybe this is asking too much?
Anyway, the KX2 seems by far and away the best from what I can tell, but I’m also leery of spending $2k on something that I’m pretty unfamiliar with. I’ve also been looking at the KH1, QMC, MTR-3b (need to learn morse code for these), and a Yaesu FT-818nd.
I can source a used FT-818nd locally. Was thinking of pairing it to the LDG Z-817 automatic tuner, the Elecraft AX1 antenna (that way if I eventually bought an Elecraft transceiver I’d already have the antenna), and the Elecraft KHPD1 paddle (would like to start transitioning to CW).
Am I likely to have success with this antenna-radio pairing? Should I buy an external battery for the FT-818nd? Which bands would you recommend? Do I just dish out the $$$ and buy a KX2 instead? I’m open to any thoughts or advice.
I’m sure there’ll be lots of other replies. But here’s my kit list, past and present.
Radio:
past - FT818 + MX P50M amp (20w+ combo) → 1.7kg approx
current - Discovery TX500 (10w) → 0.55kg
Antenna support:
SOTAbeams tactical mini telescopic pole + 8m dacron guy cord + 2 pegs → 0.8kg
Antenna:
EF 40m HW (~20m of wire and a 64:1 UNUN + 2x4m dacron cord + 2 pegs, plus another 20m wire in case I want 80m) → 0.5kg
(tuned antenna so no tuner required for 80m, 40m,20m,15m,10m)
Power supply:
3x18650 batteries → 150g
(plus spare set for multi-day trips)
Stands up in up to 60km/h winds we often get here, which is generally my limit for tops stuff anyway. Generally good for up to 3000km if bands are in normal state, echoing-round-the-world dx when they’re great (and absolutely nothing if there’s just been a major solar flare like last week)! The extra power of the MX P50M definitely gave me more contacts though - so extra power is worth considering if you want reliably more than single-hop 40m/20m contacts.
KX2 is a good radio, widely used, and might have been my first choice - but is beyond my means. The TX500 claims to be more rugged and waterproof. But that may just be marketing. In ZL it’s also 60% of the price of the KX2,
Hi Robert, Welcome! You’re about to receive 300 different answers…all correct!
That is a marginal antenna and will likely give you disappointing results, in all but the best band conditions. If you have a kx2 with the superb internal tuner, make a 41’ wire and 17’ counterpoise, add a small 9:1 UNUN and you’ve got yourself a mulit-band antenna that’s easy to set up as inverted V over a 5m or 6m telescopic pole.
I operate from Scottish summits, often in winter. We also have few trees. I either guy the mast, about 1m up, using a sotabeams guy ring and their yellow guy rope, or simply jam the base section in some rocks, or even arrange a small cairn around it.
Adam @K6ARK has videos on this antenna, and also sells a QRP 9:1 kit in his amazon store. However, it is easy to wind your own. Doesn’t have to be as small as Adam’s.
Here’s a video of me setting mine up and using it on multiple bands.
The KX2 is a very good rig for SOTA. The joy of a low price doesn’t last as long as the satisfaction of a great transceiver.
Use a decent wire antenna. Fraser’s works well. I would suggest a 40 m near end fed dipole that will also be multi band. 20 m and 15 m are likely to be your most productive bands. 40 m might be good for “the locals”.
Do not be seduced by all the rave reviews of small inductively loaded whips and handheld CW transceivers. Dinky antenna, dinky signal. From Alaska you need every dB you can get to radiate.
Use an external battery with the KX2 to keep the power up. A LiFe type with BMS is recommended.
As a KX2 owner, I can only echo what others are saying. The KX2 will take you a very long way in SOTA, and in ham radio in general. Just remember to let your electronics warm up in an airtight box after you come in from the cold of an Alaskan winter. Otherwise, you risk getting condensation on the circuitry.
73 de OE6FEG
Matt
Hi Robert,
as others have said, you will no doubt get lots of different answers, so I think you need to define your “Scope of requirements”. From what you have said, I would list as follows:
Given the remote location and barren terrain, presuming SSB operation (CW/digital you can get away with a 5w radio, but 20w is better anyway),
Self supporting antenna system. Ideally resonant or tunable.
A sturdy, at least 20w output radio (either natively 20w or QRP plus amp or even 100w radio turned down).
Battery to power number item 2. But not too heavy
If the chosen radio does not have a built-in ATU and the chosen antenna is not resonant or self-tunable, an external ATU (auto or manual).
Some way to spot yourself to alert chasers so that you can get contacts - if you are out of range of cell towers look at SOTAMÄT which uses FT8 to send spots or even emergency (pre-defined) email or SMS messages.
It goes without saying, that you need the safety equipment and suitable outdoors clothes, shoes, walking equipment (e.g walking poles) and food, water and possibly shelter items - although if you have already activated on 2m using your HT, I presume you have all that. Depending upon where you are going an ePurb emergency beacon and/or satellite phone for emergencies would be a wise addition as well.
My suggestion:
Komunica Power HF-PRO2-PLUS-T loaded adjustable HF whip antenna along with their lightweight support tripod and radial wires. Or you can build the tripod yourself from a photo tripod. Chinese copies of this Spanish designed antenna are available under other names through US outlets.
4AH (larger if you can carry the weight) 12V LifePO4 battery.
Not needed, the G90 has one of the best ATUs around built-in. Otherwise take a look at the ATU-100.
If in cell range, you can use your phone’s browser (Android or Apple) to access the Sotawatch3 webpage - it auto-adjusts to your phone’s screen size (or there are a multitude of Apps for spotting, logging etc). If out of range of cell coverage - SOTAMÄT.
Have fun! but above all - take care!
73 Ed DD5LP
P.S. GREAT calll by the way, it almost spells ALASKA !
I was in Palmer, AK in September and activated 6 peaks. I was using a kx2 or KH1 with a 41/17’ random wire antenna and was able to make 30-50 contacts per peak to us, eu, and japan using cw. (Because Alaska is somewhat rare, you’ll get LOTS of ops trying to contact you)
Band conditions were pretty good but on a few days there were bad conditions and I could only get 9 or 10 contacts. I used a 7 meter fishing pole (10oz eBay) mast and set it up by jamming it in rocks or using stakes and 3 guy lines. Setup takes about 5 minutes. In deep snow you can push it in a foot and it will stay up if you pack down the snow and let it sit for a minute.
Also, I do winter ski activations of peaks in Wyoming and Idaho in 0-32 degrees f. I use a Bothy Bag emergency tent and can stay warm in it for 2.5 hours. Without the tent my hands wouldn’t last 15 minutes. Setup is seconds. For a little extra warmth I burn a candle lantern.
Re radios. Yes, Elecraft QRP rigs are very nice but very expensive. For less than half kx2 cost you can get a XIEGU X6100
not as nice as a kx2 but you get a lot of features for the money and it has a built in tuner.
Or as someone mentioned, the 20 watt G90. A bit heavy for an old guy like me but if you’re young and strong, those extra watts will help on SSB.
My favorite HF portable antenna is the Chelegance MC-750. It’s a vertical antenna with a spike that you have to insert into the ground. It works very well, you don’t need trees or anything to mount it. If the ground is rocky or frozen and you can’t insert the spike, a tripod is available (sold separately).
I have the lab599 tx500 radio. It’s not the lightest but I like it a lot. You might want to check it out.
About antenna there are many possibilities. With a 6m carbon pole and 3 guy lines you can already start playing nicely. For an efhw, no tuner needed, you build a tiny 49:1 transformer and connect a 20m long wire et voilà. You are ready to operate on 40 and 20m . Add a link and you also have 30m.
If you have a tuner in the radio, as said previously, you can go for a random endfed and use a 9:1 to tune on those bands.
Efhw can also do higher bands like 15 and 10m but the radiation pattern will not be great for this when in inverted V configuration. For this purpose, the vertical antennas are better. I built a 1/4 wave that I hang to the 6m pole. It has links I can connect and disconnect to select the band. I can select 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m . Works great.
I strongly recommend a little nano vector analyser (nano vna) in order to build your antennas.
For something manufactured that you don’t have to build, you can look at komunica and similar. However, they are often compromised antennas (their physical length is reduced and electrically compensated with coils, reducing performances compared to full length halfwaves). If you don’t want to break the bank, there is stuff on Chinese website. I have a vertical like this one:
Thanks to it’s 5m long telescopic whip, It’s a full length 1/4 vertical from 20m to 10m. Works like a charm.
Note 1 : the 1/4 wave telescopic is a lot faster to deploy than to guy a 6m mast, especially alone in the wind.
Note 2 : be careful with weight. Many people will suggest yaesu FTs but they are anvils of 1kg. To this you add at least 500g of antenna gear / coax. This weight and bulk is non negligible when going for hard summits.
Noting that you mention you are unlikely to be on summit for more than 30 minutes, you could get away with higher power without the need for a larger battery.
Yaesu Ft-891 I find to be pretty excellent, and can double up as mobile and base rig too. The extra weight of the 891 vs the 817 (I have both) isn’t that great (if interested I will disconnect mine and do a weight comparison for you) .
Using a resonant wire antenna (with lightweight fishing pole for support) will negate the need for a tuner.
The one elephant in the room is the imminent arrival of the new Yaesu FTX-1F.
Alaska presents problems with propagation that most of us do not have, so I agree with those suggesting higher power. I would think in terms of one of the small 100 watts rigs, the FT891 has been mentioned, or there is the FT857D which is about the same weight but also has 2 metres and 70 cm. For the same reason I would suggest CW or digital. In addition I would have the most efficient antenna that you can arrange, you will need every decibel you can squeeze out of your setup! When the Gods of Propagation are smiling you will be in high demand!
I think the answers are pretty cohesive- a KX2 as an SSB op is probably the top of the tree. If you do develop your SOTA skills more and start with CW, the KX2 is probably the most capable in that mode too. The FT818/FT-817 is a decent rig but there’s no antenna tuner and the SSB power is less in terms of PEP and talk power than some other rigs - the rig is very basic in terms of tailoring the audio.
I’d say invest your money in a decent wire antenna - an end fed would work well and be convenient with a KX2. A linked dipole is a very dependable antenna, performs well and doesn’t need a tuner. The value ratio in terms of cost vs performance is much more favourable for wire antennas against the pocket convenience antennas. Given that you might be fighting polar propagation too at your northerly latitude, I’d say that having as much antenna as you can, can only be a good thing.
Today is a good example, we have a proton storm from a recent burst of solar flares, resulting in a polar cap absorption (PCA) event and poor propagation in the north.
CW gets through when SSB won’t. You can work the world with 5W of CW but it can be a struggle with SSB.
There are lots of small CW rigs and kits available.
No need for an amplifier.
You’ll manage with a smaller battery.
If you post an alert (which you should do anyway) then RBNHole will create an automatic spot for you when you send CQ so you don’t have to worry about phone signal for posting a spot.
It’s fun!
No need to shout into a microphone - you can be silent. Perhaps not a problem on an Alaskan summit but I am always self conscious talking into a radio on a busy hill top.
Baofung handies excepted, most of the time the actual radio does not matter that much.
Your location being in Alaska is more important than the radio used. You will suffer the effects of being so far North on propagation and being in a sparsely populated part of the world. You will be popular with SOTA chasers and everyone else so having a good signal so you can control your frequency is important. If it was me I’d be looking for a 100W semi-portable radio secondhand such as an 857 to start with. Note it likes a stiffer voltage than the 5/10W radios which are happy with a voltage of 10-15V. There is lots of advice and examples on here of how to run an 857 from batteries. You don’t actually need to run it at 100W either. 40-50W will give you a big advantage over 5-10W especially for SSB.
Antennas will be crucial. Delta loops work well for DX and do not need to be high up unlike many other antennas (just about every QSO for you will be DX!). Likewise 1/4 GP will help working DX. You can tune these antennas so you don’t need a tuner to use them. I’ve only had a tuner in my main SOTA HF radio for 20months, before then I used 817 with resonant antennas.
The KX2 is a brilliant but expensive radio. Probably if you do buy one, you will want to buy an external amplifier to get you to 50W or so as already mentioned.
So the actual radio is not that important. The radio you have is better than the radio you want to own. Antennas, signal power and operator skill will be key to operation. CW will give you a big edge so start learning it now. Likewise digital modes will help but personally I find them tedious and boring, YMMV.
I look forward to seeing you spotted activating and hope to work you because despite being licenced for HF for 22 years I’ve still not worked Alaska apart from one KL7 station who was actually a snowbird operating from his Winter home in Florida!
One small point, the KXPD2 paddles will only work with the KX2 (and maybe KX3).
If you are serious about learning CW, and you’d do well to be in my opinion,get a decent standalone set of paddles such as the Bamatech TP-iii and a spare set such as the N6ARA micro paddles will cover more bases.
Wow thank you for all of the responses! I need some time to look into all of this and come up with an appropriate response (a bit of it was over my head and requires some learning). Will try to have a better response to most of you tomorrow
So far the gist I’m taking away: need >5W due to poor polar propagation conditions. Need a standalone wire antenna, or at least the AX1 won’t cut it. Probably a vertical antenna, as I think I should focus on 15m or 20m, and this will require a mast and possibly guy wires
Robert:
Your conditions in Alaska are very similar to what we experience in the Canadian Rockies. All of the challenges you have mentioned are exactly the same challenges we deal with here. If like me, you characterize yourself as a SOTA guy who also likes to operate at home, you may choose to do something like I do. I only own one radio, a KX2. When at home I plug it into an amplifier to a fan dipole on the roof of my house. I use the KX2 almost every week of the year for SOTA in all the same conditions that you will encounter. Several Canadian SOTA guys also use other radios, like the 818 you have mentioned with good results and could also be used as a base station with an amplifier. I have seen your spots and have wished you would activate on HF. You will find it much more rewarding. There is a short video on my QRZ page which shows some activation conditions in the Canadian Rockies that will be similar to what you will see in Alaska. I also have a couple presentations on QSO Today that you can search that will show conditions and give advice that will be pertinent to your specific requirements. Pat, (K6GUD) who gives some advice above also lives in a cold mountain climate with similar conditions.
Paul Mower
VA6MPM
In my opinion it is important to start with what you already have.
Do not wait to have an optimal setup. Even a monoband trx and a bit of wire will do.
Pay attention to weight as you will carry more important bits. Access to mountains might take a long time…
One more advice. Do not use very small antennas for HF.
