Random Wire Revelations

Back to QRP I was inspired to dig my old Hendricks PFR3 QRP rig out of the closet recently. I wanted a super lightweight rig with an easy to deploy, but efficient, antenna that I could grab and go without any advance planning. VA3KOT's Hendricks PFR3 QRP/CW radio The antenna I chose was a random … Continue reading Random Wire Revelations →

Wire Supports for Solid Ground

One of the challenges of living in the Great White North at this time of year is frozen ground. I was reminded of that just recently when, after a few days of milder temperatures, I optimistically stepped out of the house to probe the ground with one of the stakes I use for supporting the … Continue reading Wire Supports for Solid Ground →

The Weird Antenna Wire End Effect

I have been giving some thought to antenna wires recently. I was particularly interested in the reason for them being shorter than we would expect if we simply calculate their length by dividing signal propagation speed by the frequency of the signal. The length (L) of a half wave wire can be calculated using the … Continue reading The Weird Antenna Wire End Effect →

A New Loading Coil for the Field Vertical Antenna

There are several reasons for building our own ham radio projects instead of buying commercial products. First, the satisfaction of making contacts using hardware you have built yourself. Second, it usually costs far less to build it yourself. The restrictions, lockdowns and supply chain shortages we have experienced recently sometimes also make it a necessity … Continue reading A New Loading Coil for the Field Vertical Antenna →

Radio Sled First Outing – On the Beach on February 1st!

The first day of February has been very mild with temperatures creeping just above freezing. There is a decent covering of snow, with lots more due over the next couple of days - ideal conditions to give the new radio sled its first tryout. I chose a nearby beach looking out over Georgian Bay which … Continue reading Radio Sled First Outing – On the Beach on February 1st! →

A Radio Sled for Winter Outdoor Ops

VA3KOT's Radio Sled Winters in Southern Ontario last too long! Especially when your principal interest in amateur radio is operating in the Great Outdoors. So, I built a sled. It is based on what ice-fishing enthusiasts call a "Smitty Sled"; I call it simply my radio sled. A pair of child-size downhill skis were purchased … Continue reading A Radio Sled for Winter Outdoor Ops →

How to Get a Line 40ft Up a Tree

There are more ways to get a line up into a tree than you can shake a stick at. I have tried several. A popular method is to use a slingshot with a lead sinker (or equivalent) and fishing line. This method will get your line higher than you really need it, but you then … Continue reading How to Get a Line 40ft Up a Tree →

An Easy T2LT Portable Antenna

Let's start by explaining what T2LT means. I visited several sites online that use the term without explaining it. T2LT or TTLT is an abbreviation of Tuned Transmission Line Trap. It sounds complicated but it really couldn't be simpler to build, erect and use. It can be compared to a regular dipole in that it … Continue reading An Easy T2LT Portable Antenna →

A Portable Vertical Antenna

I needed an antenna that would fit entirely within my backpack, along with radio, tuner, coax, battery, headphones and key. In other words, one pack with a complete portable station on my back. In the past I had always carried a second pack with poles, guy lines and tent pegs to support a vertical antenna … Continue reading A Portable Vertical Antenna →

“The Other Half”

I have a real problem with using vertical antennas when operating field portable. And I mean quarter-wave vertical antennas. You see they need "the other half"; a ground plane, radials, or counterpoise and without "the other half" they just aren't going to work. So here's the rub (as Shakespeare would undoubtedly have commented had he … Continue reading “The Other Half” →