Update:
So, the replacement radio arrived and I headed straight out of the door to make sure it works as intended. G/SC-004, starting 15:59 UTC:
6 DX QSOs on 20m.
9 UK QSOs on 40.
It started to get dark, so I packed up after my last QSO at 16:33. Loving the EFHW - easy to deploy and take down. I used a tree this time. Looking forward to having a go on the mast next time.
Very pleased with the result, and really appreciate everyone’s input. Looking forward to activating more summits with HF, and new summits in particular.
Hi Fraser,
Do you have recommendations for 2 person Bothy bag features and/or a favourite model/supplier ?
I presently take a small 2 person tent flysheet for activations where I think the weather might be inclement or I might be a while on the summit. It had enough room for myself and Moxie the labrador when she came with me.
I am looking for something a bit lighter for the next iteration of my SOTA kit.
Andy
MM7MOX
Hi Fraser,
Thanks for the video on the bothy bag. I think I will add one to my sota kit in place of the survival bag, it looks like it will be something I will use more often rather than just being carried for emergencies.
Andy
MM7MOX
Here is picture of Shadow the SOTA spaniel in a 2-man bothy bag during a June blizzard on Maoile Lunndaidh GM/WS-053. Perfect for shadow and myself. A lab should be fine!
Top bit of kit, so quick to deploy when the bad weather hits.
I have a “Lifesystems” Survival Shelter 2. I have to admit, I have only ever used it in the garden to see how it works, but it is small and light and accompanies me on all activations - “just in case” I need protection from the weather.
I cut my 2m flowerpot antenna down and terminated it with a BNC connector. I can connect it to the 4m of RG58 that I’m carrying for HF anyway. Not much extra to carry if I want to play on 2m.
I treated myself to my first Elecraft earlier this year as a personal reward for upgrading my license and activating a summit via CW, but prior to that, your setup exactly mirrored mine for many activations. While heavier than what I use now, it was incredibly effective and I had a blast. Like you, it largely rekindled my “first love” of sunrise and cold air in the mountains, and combined it with my much newer interest in amateur radio.
I’ve only just noticed this… that expensive EFHW has a 3d printed figure of eight wire winder but the wire is not wound figure of eight. They way it’s wound will cause twists in the wire with repeated winding / unwinding and will eventually lead to failure of the wire. More amusing the manufacturer photos shows the wire wound in same poor way. The cynic in me thinks this is a way to sell more wire.
We’ll see how long the wire lasts. I’m going to try to get my hands on some 80s disco coloured wire, just so I can see it better.
By the time I ordered a torroid, connectors, wire, and got some sort of housing/winder… the cost isn’t far off. Same for the choke, but I chose to build my own to reduce the number of connectors in the system.
Being new, I don’t have much stuff ‘in stock’ at home… but my cupboard will eventually look like a hoarder’s cave. It’s just a matter of time.
I have two suggestions to further improve your setup.
winding antenna wire. I find winding antenna on plastic winders a bit tricky to pack. I use method of figure eight on open hand described in following link Winding Rope and Wire so they don’t tangle – Practical Antennas Little packet is very flexible and sturdy to pack into rucksack even without any protection. Wire unwinds very easy and quick.
I use wire covered in silicon which almost never tangles, and yes bright colour is an excellent idea.
I use 5.5mtr of RG174 which is much lighter than RG58 and at that length additional losses are minimal.
I try to align my wire aerials with the wind direction. This means that there is little or no side pressure on the walking poles supporting the ends.
Taking off the rubber boots (and keeping them somewhere safe) allows the pole to be pushed a few inches into the ground to hold it in place while the cord on the end of the wire is threaded through the hand strap on the pole, and then pegged down as a back stay.
Quicker to do than to explain, and saves extra guys / pegs…
That’s exactly what I’ve been doing… though on one summit (Dunkery Beacon) there wasn’t much soil to get into. I only just managed pegs for the mast… and I thought a few guys for the walking poles might be helpful.
Yes, although I rarely use the poles when walking, typically just on very steep uneven sections.
The rubber boots are usefull in protecting the rucksack where they live.
I thought the boots were for tarmac. There should be a disc which stops the sharp bit going too far into the ground. This is how I use mine and I couldn’t be without them, up or down hill, especially when carrying SOTA gear. One of them keeps my tarp up but have never used them for antennas.
I bought my first set when in Slovenia, to help with the ascent and descent of Triglav - from Bohinj to Rudno Polje.
They were a godsend going up and down - I now never go anywhere without my poles.
My first set eventually needed new tips after a few thousand miles… but with the bottom section being made for a specific tip, it was difficult to find new ones. Also, the carbon/resin had fallen apart in one of the bottom sections.
I’ve since bought a pair of alpkit poles, which use the same tips as some Leki poles (spares available), and the bottom section is Alu which will make life easier when they need replacing. Barely any weight penalty for something sturdier and longer.
I always thought they were called snow baskets. But snow baskets are much bigger than what are known as baskets or mud baskets. They make a big difference when using them. Mine are the notched type that make it easy to clip the poles together at the “sharp end”.
It’s not the winder but the winding pattern. Figure of 8 reduces twisting in the insulation. It unwinds without tangling, without kinking and reduces the eventuality that twisting and kinking will be the cause of failure.
Well you’ve paid for the winder, you may as well use it to reduce the straining etc.
