The Ontario QSO party was in full swing and I was having a ball logging lots of CW QSOs, mostly US stations hunting for VE3s and VA3s. Then I heard another Ontario station calling and I thought to myself "I just gotta bag this one!" So I called him back and then the frequency fell … Continue reading VE3KOT meets VA3KOT
Tag: CW
First POTA Activation of 2022
Friday 29th April was a mild, sunny day in southern Ontario and I was eager to get outside and play radio. My wife suggested one of our favourite places, Black Creek Provincial Park in Northern Bruce Peninsula and I readily agreed. Most Ontario Provincial Parks are well signposted to make them easy to find. But … Continue reading First POTA Activation of 2022
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
A Backpack Radio Lap Desk
It isn't always easy to find a picnic bench just where you need one for outdoor radio operations. Quite often a compromise is necessary. That is where my lap comes in handy. Somewhere convenient to put the logging notepad, writing instrument, CW paddles and a small clock for logging the time when contacts are made. … Continue reading A Backpack Radio Lap Desk
A DIY Clone of the Yaesu FH-2 Remote Control Keypad
The biggest disadvantage to using a Yaesu FT-891 transceiver for field operations may be that its small form factor means most features have to be accessed from the menu system. Fortunately, some of the most used features can be easily assigned to the front panel "A", "B" and "C" keys. That's great, but in the … Continue reading A DIY Clone of the Yaesu FH-2 Remote Control Keypad
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!
POTA Activation at Killbear Provincial Park VE-0254
Killbear Provincial Park is on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay just north of Parry Sound Ontario. XYL Krystyna, myself and shack assistant Trunkles, our faithful 15-year-old English Setter (now sadly SK), were camped in the park for 3 nights in the fall of 2021. Killbear is a beautiful park with great beaches and probably … Continue reading POTA Activation at Killbear Provincial Park VE-0254
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
Six Weeks to Live
"Hush … did you hear that?"Josh froze in silence as he summoned the others in the room to do the same."I heard a truck stop right outside our door" he said in a low conspiratorial tone. They all knew the enemy Radio Direction Finding trucks were patrolling the area looking for allied spies and their … Continue reading Six Weeks to Live
What did Beethoven do for Ham Radio?
You may not be a classical music fan but you're probably familiar with the opening bar of his 5th symphony: "dididit dah". Let that go around in your head a few times. There, now you know the letter V in Morse Code! Now add the simplest letter of them all, E. It's just a "dit" … Continue reading What did Beethoven do for Ham Radio?
Ham Radio Outside the Box 