K4UPG QRP Portable Ops

Adventures in Ham Radio QRP Portable Ops!

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QRP Portable in St Louis and Orlando this week

September 26th, 2009 by kmack

I took my radio with me to St Louis and tried my hand at Hotel Portable ops. The conference schedule did not allow me much time, but I did get a break one afternoon and took 30 min to play radio in the courtyard. I threw my Coleman Clothesline reel over a tree limb at about 15 feet and paid out about 30 feet of wire and placed about 16 feet of wire on the ground as a counterpoise. It loaded well on 40m with my BLT+ and I worked three stations in about 20 min. Not bad!

St Louis Hotel Portable Airport Hilton

St Louis Airport Hilton Loading the Window frame!

After returning home, the weather in Orlando was great and I hit the nearby lake park for some antenna testing with a Mini Bac in various configurations. I was really happy with the Delta Loop which loaded well on 20m and 40m. This antenna is a keeper and I’ll be doing more testing and learning about how to deploy it.

Lake Fredrica operating position

Buddistick deployed for comparison

Here is the Delta Loop! Can you see the 26 gauge teflon coated wire? Here is a link to an outlined view of the Delta loop. CLICK HERE. The Red line is the feed line which is twisted 1 turn per foot and held together with masking tape. Pretty slick. The “insulator” I used is also masking tape, as are the corner point markers and peak of the Delta. As I measured it I stuck a small piece of tape on the wire.

Mini Bac antenna in 14MHz Delta Loop Configuration

5 Responses

W6EOD writes:
September 28th, 20091:07 pmat

Way to go Kelly! I’m interested in the Mini Bac also. Gonna have to do some research on it. My Sierra is up again and ready. Let’s get that Sierra to Sierra QSO soon.

Steve W6EOD
kmack writes:
September 28th, 20095:25 pmat

Thanks Steve! Maybe this weekend if the rain doesn’t wash us out. Saturday perhaps?
72,
Kelly K4UPG
W6EOD writes:
September 28th, 20098:25 pmat

I think a trip to the river this Saturday is in order. I’ll keep you posted if anything changes. We are normally there from 1200ish CST – 1700. I will also take my PFR-3. I’d like to get a discriminating report on how it sounds.

Steve W6EOD
kmack writes:
September 28th, 20099:33 pmat

Sounds good! Weather permitting I’ll be listening for you. Start on 40m say 7035-ish or if that is overrun, let’s go up to 7115. Do you have 30m capability too?

Maybe some others will read this and join us! Let’s get a group thing goin’

72,
Kelly K4UPG
W6EOD writes:
September 29th, 200912:15 pmat

I’ve got 40, 30 & 20 capability. I will also be working the Polar Bear QRP event that same day. You should get you a number and join in if you have not already.

Steve W6EOD