My non-ham XYL, who is my main hiking buddy, for years has tolerated my dallying on summits just long enough to activate on CW using my venerable KX1. She even picked hikes that would lead to enough activations for me to reach MG. What a sweetie!
However, the term “non-ham” no longer applies - she secretly attended an online license study course and then passed her test for the General license which, in the US, is the first level that allows HF phone activity. Woo-hoo!
Now she wants to join me in SOTA, but since she is not (yet?) a CW op she wants to activate on SSB and FT8 (I don’t currently run FT8, even on the home rig, so this will be a learning experience). Accordingly, a KX2 is in our near future. This prompts questions for the group, who I hope can contribute more current information than some of the old entries on the web:
Wanting to get the maximum RF output from the KX2, I plan to use an external 12 volt battery (I have a 4.5 Ah Bioenno LiFeO2 battery that was way overkill for the KX1 and should be just fine for the KX2). Since I had not planned to use the internal battery, I planned to buy neither the battery nor the KXIBC2 Internal Battery Charger. However, if we want to run FT8, I assume I need a clock in the radio. Should I therefore get either the KXIBC2 board, which includes a clock circuit, or the KXIO2-F_Real-Time Clock and General-Purpose Outputs board? If so, which is preferred for FT8 operation?
Searching the web and the Reflector for posts on how people run FT8 with a KX2 has yielded multiple different suggestions, some rather dated. We often hike far and high and I don’t relish the idea of packing a laptop (although on one occasion we reached a summit and I discovered I had neglected to remove my laptop from the day pack before starting out - the XYL delights in telling the story ). I have seen some reports of an FT8 app for Android phones, and the use of a dedicated phone USB to radio USB cable to avoid the need for audio coupling. Can Reflector readers please point me to some fairly current guidance?
Suggestions for lightweight mic and headsets for field use also will be appreciated. Some SOTA users here in the southeastern US recommend the K6ARK microphone but it is sold through Amazon and is currently unavailable.
You don’t need a clock in the radio, you can use the clock in the FT8 device. If that is your phone, it will sync its time to the network. So even if there’s no service at the summit, the phone clock should be accurately set if it had service on the drive in.
You can use the KX2 microphone with the FT8 device and the FT8 device’s microphone with the KX2 speaker. Leads make it nicer but not absolutely necessary. If you ask Victor @GI4ONL he will tell you which leads he bought to use with his phone and KX2.
You and I are getting older… bigger displays are better! I can see my 2023 vintage Android phone in the sun. A bigger problem is touching the right small area of screen with my big bear paws! A tablet may be a nice sweet spot between phone and laptop.
You can buy a KXIBC2 if you want. If you are using an external battery there is no need. Or you can buy the KXIBC2 clone board that Manuel HB9DQM designed. This does all the Elecraft board does but also adds a USB port and can charge the KX2 battery from a USB cable. Or use the KX2 battery to charge a phone etc. from the USB port.
The microphone can be very simple, just a electret insert and a PTT switch. I was given a working MH3 with a cable with failing plastic for free (thank you Paul). I should get round to removing the lump of steel in the MH3 that makes it feel better but weigh more! I’m not sure which is better, MH3 or any computer mic.
I have had a few QSOs using FT8CN on my old Android 9 phone. You don’t need state of the art phones. ISTR hearing FT8CN is no longer supported and there is a better version. Sorry, I don’t know the name of the new version but it can be downloaded from the Play Store.
Agreed on the question of installing a clock in the kx rig. Not necessary for ft8/4 and I don’t know what its intended application is.
I recently had a second look at FT8CN (first seen several years back) to see whether it made more sense to me this time. It did, but out of the blue it offered to update itself to the latest version, to which I agreed. It does seem more organised and capable (ie. understandable to a bear of little brain) now.
I also recently downloaded/installed a ft8/4 app for the iPhone and iPad. Looks to be very good, IFTx. Uses air coupling of signals to and from the radio, Vox control of tx on radio. Have not used in anger yet.
For remote use of my home station (IC76010) I also installed another app on the iPad, SDR-Control by a German developer, i am stunned by how well it looks and works. And sub-apps thrown in for FT4/8, RTTY, logbook, POTA spotting, Weather fax, another half a dozen functions… great value for a reasonable price. I know IOS isn’t your preferred spyware but for others this may be useful.
You can purchase the components for the K6ARK mic directly from Mouser or Digikey and I 3d printed the housing at my local library.
Search ‘kx2 ft8’ on YouTube and you will see how people are doing this with the cables and apps. Some people suggest to dial back the output to 5W unless you have the aftermarket heat sinks installed, which is what I do. FWIW, I think you/she will find that SSB is just faster and less hassling with setup and apps, but it’s definitely good to know how to do FT8 with the KX2. It’s saved an activation or two for me and only requires carrying a few extra cables.
). I have seen some reports of an FT8 app for Android phones, and the use of a dedicated phone USB to radio USB cable to avoid the need for audio coupling. Can Reflector readers please point me to some fairly current guidance?
