Pairing the PFR-3 with an EFHW Antenna

My previous outing with my trusty old Hendricks PFR-3 portable field radio (see QRP on Deck) was with a Random Wire antenna. The big advantage of the random wire is that it is non-resonant on any band and can be tuned on any band. I prefer to use resonant antennas that can be paired with … Continue reading Pairing the PFR-3 with an EFHW Antenna →

How to find out if your common mode current choke really works

What is common mode current? It is the current that flows along the outer surface of your coax shield from your antenna back towards your radio. It can cause SWR problems, erratic behaviour of radio equipment and even RF shocks when you touch metal parts of your rig. A coax cable has three conductors! Due … Continue reading How to find out if your common mode current choke really works →

QRP On Deck

We had a little light snow today and the temperature was hovering just below freezing, but I wanted to get outside and check out one of my old QRP rigs. The radio of the day was my Hendricks PFR-3. The "PFR" stands for Portable Field Radio. The PFR-3 is (or was; I'm not sure if … Continue reading QRP On Deck →

Modifying my DIY Loading Coil

I have been very pleased with my DIY clone of a Wolf River coil. It has served me well on multiple POTA activations for the last few months. But, there is always room for improvement! And, besides, hams love to tinker with their equipment to make it just that little bit better. The coil is … Continue reading Modifying my DIY Loading Coil →

Flirting with Radiation at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park

The first of November 2022 was an unusually warm day in Southern Ontario so the urge to go and activate a new-to-me park was irresistible. Wasaga Beach Provincial Park (POTA entity VE-0426) is about a one hour drive from my home in Owen Sound but it's a very pleasant drive along the south shore of … Continue reading Flirting with Radiation at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park →

How to Design and Build a Field Expedient End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna for 20m, 40m and 80m

Field expedient antennas differ from home-based, permanent antennas. At a home QTH there is often plenty of room to install a larger, higher antenna. In the home shack, the radio is often capable of putting out a much more powerful signal than a field radio. Out in the field, for example at a campsite, space … Continue reading How to Design and Build a Field Expedient End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna for 20m, 40m and 80m →

To V or not to V? Obey the rules!

Rules? It has been said that rules are for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools. Sounds a bit harsh but it may have some truth to it. In our hobby it might be better expressed as "rules are for the guidance of experts and the obedience of novices". What is an … Continue reading To V or not to V? Obey the rules! →

3 Days, 3 Activations, 2 Parks

It is getting near the end of camping season for 2022. We have one more trip planned for the beginning of October before we winterize the trailer and prepare to hunker down for the long, cold winter. It won't be long before I'll be switching to local park activations in the snow using my radio … Continue reading 3 Days, 3 Activations, 2 Parks →

No Antenna? No Problem!

You would think I might have learned from experience. Never rush out to do a POTA activation without first checking that all the necessary parts of my portable kit are packed. The last time I made this mistake it was the power cable that was missing. This time I arrived on site without an antenna! … Continue reading No Antenna? No Problem! →

Grounds for Improvement

As I write this post my sophisticated home weather station shows the temperature has just edged over the 30 degree Celsius mark. I call it sophisticated because it synchronizes with the US national time standard in Fort Collins, Colorado by receiving VLF (Very Low Frequency) radio signals - without an antenna! Wait a Canadian corn … Continue reading Grounds for Improvement →