HF Naive: Kit update. (Part 1)

Equipment
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Hiya,

After an introduction to HF on GW/SW-002 (thanks to @G5OLD), I noticed that HF contacts can come in thick and fast (that’s what it seemed like on the day). So I’ve decided to give it a go (SSB).

I’m not keen on spending ££££ on kit that’s potentially going to get wet/battered/lost etc. I may even decide to stick to 2m if I find it too cumbersome.

So far, I have the following:
1- Xiegu G106.
2- 3Ah battery pack.
3- 21m EFHW from @M0VUE

I’m looking for some pointers with other bits:
1- A pole/mast, suitable length, rucksack friendly. Also usable on 2m (don’t want an excess of coax on my 2m flowerpot).
2- Other nicknacks that you recommend (filters, guys, etc).

I’m hoping to have a stab at it in the next week or so. :crossed_fingers:

EDIT (12:02 UTC):
I’ll be experimenting with this contraption too - the brown ground stake is made of steel, and weighs an awful lot. First step is to head to a fishing outlet to see if I can get a lighter one.

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The Decathlon poles are a good starter. I’d recommend the 6m one unless you really want to cut down on weight/size for transport. 4m poles usually pack down small enough for an EasyJet carryon bag though.
You’ll also need a means to support the pole - bungees if there are posts on the summit, or a set of guy ropes/pegs and a way to attach them to the pole. You can get away with supporting the pole between your legs in some cases but it’s a lot easier if it’s self supporting.

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My advice is to start simple. Only get what you need - you will soon work out what other things will help.

I use a 6m Decathlon travel pole so it is small enough to fit in my (large) rucksack. I usually guy it with yellow nylon cord (you want it to be visible to lower the risk of someone tripping over it). You will also need 3 tent pegs. I use a Sotabeams guying ring and top insulator but you can do this with the right knots. I also carry bungees in case there is a fencepost or similar to support the pole.

The other issue is shelter. Keeping yourself dry isn’t too hard with decent waterproofs but what about your radio kit? You may also need to deal with the wind. I bought a lightweight tarp which means I can set up my own shelter on almost any summit. But, as I suggested keeping it simple, you may want to choose summits with walls or rocks, or only go out when the weather forecast is good (not easy in autumn in the UK, or at any time of year).

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IMO, lighter poles are only really viable if you’re using a vertical wire in light winds. If you want the 20m long EFHW up in a strong wind, you’ll need a strong (heavy) mast. You’ll always have to compromise on what you want / need and are prepared to carry. You can always use 2 hiking poles to keep your wire off the ground. I’ve done it a few times. All you’ll need is two lengths of string and 2 pegs per pole, with the wire in between like a clothes line.

As others have said, what about a tarp - the lightest one you’ll get is about 500g. Also a storm shelter - I’ve been caught in downpours where I didn’t have time to put up a tarp - another 500g. Are you bringing a flask of hot water? another 1Kg. It’s easy to add weight :wink: The only good thing is that when you eat all your food the pack is lighter !

Give it a go, see how it works out and change anything that doesn’t work for you.

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I must be doing it wrong then. :wink:

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Not sure what you mean by a lighter pole. The Decathlon 6m travel pole works fine with my 20m long EFHW even in high winds (I’ve been out in 40mph). Keeping it simple, I keep the end of the wire off the ground by attaching a length of nylon cord to it and pegging this to the ground.

I have this tarp:

290g not including pegs. The pegs are 8g each. You could get away with 4 but I take 13 to fully peg it in. So still under 500g. Storm shelter not used.

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It is windy in Ireland.

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You must be. Admitting it is the first step :joy:

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I was thinking about that too - going abroad.

Yet to get my full license, but I REALLY want to activate summits in other places. I’d be hiking abroad once a year anyway.

To add a bit of SOTA excitement to a trip would really be the icing on the cake.

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I use walking poles most of the time, so thanks for the tip. :+1:

I try to head out during good forecasts, but that doesn’t guarantee good weather. Already caught out on a few activations, but it wasn’t too bad using a HT since I have a headset for it. It basically sits in the rucksack once I’m on frequency, and needn’t get soaked like everything else.

I still haven’t learned (from my own experience) how cold I can get once stationery… failing to bring a hot drink with me. @G5OLD may have witnessed my shivering during our outing - akin to Elvis… so thanks for the kick up the bum.

As far as wind is concerned, would a shorter pole be a good compromise or would it make little difference on a windy summit?

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I’ve been doing SOTA for just over a year. Apart from the odd(?) activation with my PRC-2000, a 1980s, very heavy military backpack set, I almost always use:

Xiegu G90: -
3600mAh LIPO RC battery pack: -
SotaBeams Tactical Mini, with four guys about 1.5m up the pole: -
This EFHW https://www.radio-stuff.com/product-page/light-weight-so239-portable-efhw-antenna

Although I do chase on CW, my activations have been exclusively phone as my CW skills are not that great really, despite having passed my Morse test!

I’ve completed 90+ activaions and earned 318 points with this setup, including a good number through the winter, in very windy conditions. It’s never let me down. I am at the point in my SOTA career where I will probably start experimenting with other options - I’d like so lighten the load a bit but this has worked well for me and might give you some ideas. Hope it’s of some help.

I’ve become rather addicted to SOTA - it’s re-kindled my love of hillwalking and portable radio. I’ve lost 4.5kg in personal weight too :grin:

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The first thing I do when I arrive on a summit is put on extra layers (unless it’s a warm summer’s day). Even though I don’t feel cold when I arrive I know I soon will be. The tarp also provides a surprising amount of warmth on a cold windy day. In winter hand warmers are very useful and a flask of hot tea always goes down well.

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:100:

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Hi Omar,
Is that a typo and should read 20m not 21m? (i.e. are you talking band or physical length?).
Some say that an EFHW will work on all bands without change but to do that I have found that an ATU is needed and the G106 does not have one built in. The radio will work fine when used with a resonant antenna for the band you are operating on. You might want to put a link in the 20m EFHW to make it switchable to 10m. Just cut the wire at the correct point and add a link of some king. I use 2mm RC power connectors but crocodile clips will also work or even Anderson powerpoles. Oh and don’t rely on the feeder cable as the counterpoise, add an extra wire for better operation.

A tip also is that the G106 microphone is a bit “weak” on the audio side and you might like to replace it with a HT microphone which puts out more audio. A cheap aftermarket one meant for a Boefeng or similar works well but you will need to wire a 4-pin RJ12 plug on in place of the double jack plug.

73 Ed.

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You don’t need an ATU. I use my 20m long EFHW on 40m and 20m. It will also work on 15m and 10m but I tend to use GPs on those bands.

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Even better is a freshly made cuppa. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Steel? Steel? I now consider the swaged 25mm aluminium poles that I started with to be OTT. Some of us are making every effort to go the other way Omar. After Mullwharchar with Andy MM0FMF a couple of weeks back. I’ve decided to try leaving the poles in the car for the longer walks. My lightweight set up will be tested on HF soon. :grinning:

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Walking poles with a homemade extension to support the beam at around 3m.
Rhinog Fach GW/NW-078 23rd November 2021

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Hi Omar ! @2E0OMX

Lots of good advice here. The G106 is not tuneable, so I would focus on a simple resonant antenna to get you started on 40m, 20m and maybe 10m (because its so good right now).

  • Buy or build your self a linked dipole. Some wire and parts from sotabeams is what you need. I can help or you can have my old one.
  • A tactical mini from sotabeams is a great starter mast - i recommend!
  • Battery, lots of good options. Protected 12V Li-on from RS is a good option. The Li-po batteries used for RC equipment are cheap and readily available, but are usually unprotected and i would rather not be carrying them up hills in case of a short.

Thanks
Tim
PS: You’re going to need a bandpass filter with the G106 and a summit with strong AM interference… :cold_face:

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He already has an antenna and battery pack so why does he need any more? Let’s keep it simple to start with.

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Antenna support/mast
This will do you - Antenna Supports & Hardware - Antenna Lifting Kite, Telescopic Masts, Compact light. you don’t really need a 20’ high aerial support if you’re on a hill thats already quite high!!! :crazy_face:.

I spent some time practicing erecting one with the recommended 3 guys. I gave up and found it much, much easier to get hold of a shortish length of black waste pipe, (its thicker than ordinary plumbing pipe) and about 16" long with one end cut off at an angle to make a point. It needs to be wide enough to get the end of your mast in it. Insert the pipe into soft ground then put the mast into it. If needed ~I insert it into cracks in rocks which are easily found on most of our summits or simply pile heavyish rocks around it. It also protects your mast from getting knocked about with direct contact with the stones/rocks… It takes up no extra space in your bag as the collapsed base of your mast sits in it for transport. I’ve never had to use guy lines - the antenna wire obviously helps to keep it up.

Oh, and you’ll need a witty reply for the inevitable; "Are you going fishing? question from the odd passerby.

Aerial/antenna
I use Sota beams linked dipole - you don’t need a tuner.

You need something to sit on. Well, I do - as `i only use morse and like to sit down to operate. . Simplest is go to your nearest garden centre and buy one of their kneeling mats. If you’ve got camping kit then a couple of pieces of Karrimat or similar will do. You won’t want a wet bottom anyway if you sit down. :slightly_smiling_face:

Shelter
Bearing in mind it gets much colder up hills than at sea level, some kind of shelter is important unless you only intend going up when the weather is perfectly warm.

As many others have said, first line of defence are walls, rocks and so on. Its surprising how a dip in the ground of just a few feet slows the wind down. I’ve tried tarps, but they can be a bit unwieldy on windy summit days and I’ve found they don’t work too well on un-even ground…

I do use a golfing umbrella, sometimes, :crazy_face: which `i peg down. I probably get some odd looks but at 74 and years spent in the hills I don’t care.

But if the weather looks inclement and likely to rain, or you think you are going to freeze your wobbly bits solid, the ‘go to’, item is a two man bivvi bag/shelter. I’ve used these on summits in quite bad winter conditions and been quite warm.

Some have attached ground sheets which make them really comfy - but awkward to get in and out of if you have to adjust your antenna. Mine had no fixed ground sheet so i modified mine by adding half a decent sized tent material to one half of the base - so i could sit on it and stop any wind getting in around the back.

PS. `if you use a paper logbook, do make sure the pen/pencil you use is waterproof and doesn’t run if your log gets wet… :upside_down_face:

Good luck

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