Ham Radio HF Portable - 2015 CQ WW SSB DX Contest w/HyEndFed 4 Band Classic

[@ekbanjosworld4926]

Thanks again Tracy ! Hat's off to you ! I was just gifted the Hyendfed MkIII I just bought an 8Ah, now I know what to expect when it runs down and about how long it will last. The info on the entire set-up is excellent ! The entire process and operation ! I thought you handled it well when the power was lost ! Admirably much better than I would have ! 😁

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you for your comment! Have fun with that HyEndFed.

[@CigarsOnTheAir]

Its a good motto to follow especially in our hobby/service, "Two is 1, and one is none." That has saved me a few times on my ARES/RACES deployments. I love watching your videos and really makes me want to go do HF and camp. Thanks for sharing this! Cheers and 73, de KK6WOW.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you for your comment, Lambert! 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.

[@JorgePerez-eh1ub]

Dear Tracy, thanks for your excellent and inspirational video, there is the true spirit of the radio, camping, low power, simple antennas, it is clear that you do not have to invest thousands of dollars in amplifiers and antennas to communicate with the world, a big hug , thanks here we have exactly the same equipment that you used in this video with the difference that the antenna and the balum of ours is self-built...best Regards from KJ4GNR, Jorge

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you very much, Jorge! You and I are much alike 👍

[@RSwrightMD]

I enjoyed your video and delighted that our team made your day with the VP5S QSO.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you Scott, it was a thrill to work your station.

[@mi5utc]

Great videos Tracy. You have re ignited my interest in amateur radio. I've an 817ND on the way. Outdoors is the only way ! 73

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you, Sid! I hope you get as much enjoyment out of your 817 as I have from mine.

[@mi5utc]

Got my new FT-817ND and bought the HyEndFed 4 band classic and i am having great fun making contacts with this set up despite very challenging HF conditions on this side of the pond. I placed a few words on the antenna on the HyEndFed website and gave you a mention. 73 Sid MI5UTC

[@MrSupergee]

I enjoy your videos. QRP is lots of fun. I've got into Japan with PSK31 on 5W with some wire strung up in my back yard without even trying too hard. Great fun. Ordered a Portable Zero sherpa bag and stand for my 817 for field work. 73

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+MrSupergee Japan on 5W, now that sounds like fun. Thank you for watching and 73.

[@jcampbell2481]

That's a great video, I enjoyed it very much. QRP looks like a lot of fun! I used to live in Burlington at one time (1972-74). Cheers 73 VA6JRC

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you, John! You'd hardly recognize Burlington now, it's really grown up since the 70's. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.

[@thameswater2561]

Love your film, I`m glad you left the problem in you had at the start gives one food for thought, Regards from the UK.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you for watching and for leaving the comment, I appreciate it! 73 from Canada.

[@willian.direction6740]

Thanks Tracey for sharing your experience, those rigs work very well. I liked the running commentary on different aspects of your set up and experiences with you QRP station.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you very much for the positive feedback, it's much appreciated.

[@petbytes7167]

Great list of contacts running QRP. Great band conditions really helped. My new Hex Beam was still on the ground but l logged 56. de K6KNS

[@raykirchdorfer5452]

Thanks for the video..I felt like I was there with you great video

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you, Ray!

[@JohnDuncan0347]

Thank you Tracy. I thought this was a very well done video and your authenticity shows through. Thanks for sharing. 73

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you, John! 73 from VE3TWM.

[@mk1tina]

Tracey, I think you've been infected with a disease commonly known as "QRP!".. The Symptoms include sitting outside regardless of the weather using a simple but effective station and 5 watts..The fact you have no linear or Shack to keep you warm just shows how infectious QRP can be.. Your video is a clear example of "less is more!".. Well done , thoroughly enjoyed the video as ever.. 73's Mark 2e0vov "fellow infected ham"

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+mk1tina Thank you Mark! I've just checked out your videos, well done. I am now a subscriber. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.

[@mk1tina]

Thanks, keep those video's coming

[@Radio-Hobbyist]

Bummer about the battery. Good job with the QRP there... SSB at that! I bet you had some quiet noise levels. You're a trooper to head outdoors. I'm going to send you some view traffic... standby.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+The Radio Hobbyist Thanks Rick! It's a great location, no power lines or QRM-producing electronics close enough to be an issue.

[@MrM2hb]

Great video, very inspiring. I just passed the general test and am thinking about buying the 817.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+Mr M2HB Congratulations on passing the test! Thank you for watching and for the kind words. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.

[@NivagSwerdna]

Well this is fun, just bought a HyEndFed after having been off the air for a decade... looking forward to trying it out.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

I predict you are going to enjoy that antenna.

[@brunow6usc]

nice video got to look into that end fed antenna got a yaesu 857 to try it on QRP thanks for video. 73s Bruno w6usc

[@tommyseacat3580]

Great video, i love these real world use of radios

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+Tommy N Thank you Tommy!

[@randyvanvliet226]

Your videos make me a true believer in the Yaesu FT817 being a quite capable rig with a good antenna. Best regards KK6SDZ

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Believe it my friend, the FT-817 is no toy and the HyEndFed antennas work very well. 73 from VE3TWM.

[@n.jackson7262]

Hi Tracy, you mention at about 11:20 minutes in that you were having some difficulty with the receiver's selectivity. (And one can certainly hear that during a couple of the contacts shown in the video immediately before you said that. But it wasn't nearly so noticable elsewhere in the video.) I recall that in your Field Day video you mentioned that you had the receiver's pre-amplifier off and the attenuator on. I'm curious whether you were using the same configuration this time round. Thanks and 73.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+N. Jackson Great question, thank you for raising it. Although I did not show the settings in this video, I had the IPO turned ON (meaning the preamp was turned off) and the attenuation turned ON. This meant I had reduced receiver sensitivity to prevent overloading. What I did not do (and in retrospect should have) was turn back the RF Gain control. Next time! 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.

[@PrecisionGroupYT]

Great video Thank You! Makes me want to go camping ⛺️ 73’s

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

What are you waiting for :) I just got back from camping myself. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.

[@ve3eby]

Well done Tracy and Randy. Now you know what happens to the 817 when the battery goes low. I learned that too. 73.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+Paul Stuart You're right Paul...the thing is that I had topped up the charge on both the internal pack and the 28Ah pack before heading out. I think it's time for a new internal pack, the one in there is more than 10 years old. 73 my friend!

[@TimothyK4TEP]

Great videos !!! keep up the great work !!!

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+K4TEP Thank you!

[@alvarogaitan2529]

fantastic video Tracy 73 from kb2uew

[@budgetfood7566]

Thank you Tracy and Randy for making a very inspirational video. I love using an endfed on my ft817 too. Wondering if you are thinking about the bhi dsp filter at all? You are really showing how much fun the 817 can be during contest days, keep it up. Also look up the BX-184, it might be of use when you feel like a rest and save the sore throat.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+Budget Food Hi and thank you! I am very interested in the BHI DSP filter, I may invest in one, or just buy an 817 that already has one installed :) 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.

[@budgetfood7566]

+twmckim yea the bhi do look good for noisier days and/or locations. I have just ordered one of the BX-184 with a mike case so I do not have to butcher my MH-31. Plan is, once I have it built, stick it on a clear freq and have it call CQ every 10 secs while I get on doing other stuff, NOT contesting, just weekdays. There is already enough parrots on the weekend haha. Who knows I might even get a pile up. Will keep you posted how well the plan comes off, but I reckon anything that helps people find the QRP stations is a good move.

[@nl12689]

Enjoyed the video, tnx 73

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you for your comment, Wouter! 73 from VE3TWM.

[@NSNorfolk]

Another well appreciated video. As much outdoor operating as you enjoy, think about building a LifPO based "solar generator." I have on built into an .30 cal ammo can teamed up with a 50W solar panel and charge controller kit for $99 US including shipping. My Elecraft KX-3 runs just fine on it and I'll want to try the FT-897D at lower power. LifPo have greater energy density and are much lighter than SLA and a 50W class panel keeps the battery topped off. Just a thought. Worked a ZS3 last night on, of all things, 40M phone with 5W. That's just over 1,500 miles per watt and thank goodness for stations who will take a "stand by" when they hear a QRP station calling.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you very much for your comments. Lots of information in there. I definitely want to go LiPO and do some backpack QRP'ing. Congrats on the QRP ZS contact on 40 phone, that's outstanding! PS I've been a "non-technical" train fan for years myself. Used to go out and shoot videos on the local CN and CP lines.

[@timg5tm941]

Hi Tracy love your videos and subscribed. One question, you mentioned in another of your videos that you have used an end fed with the feed box up on a tv tower and with it sloping down to your garden fence. Did the tv coax or antenna cause any issues with defining your end fed antenna? How far from the tv coax/ tv aerial was your feed box? 73s Tim (from the UK).

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Hi Tim, thank you for the comment and for subscribing, I really appreciate it! If you can keep the matchbox 2 feet or more away from the tower (and other metal) you should not see any detuning. I used a piece of 2 x4 wood though I could have used a short length of PVC tubing or any other non-conductive material. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.

[@KyleKrieg]

How did you attach the wire antenna to the jackite pole? Love all your videos.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+Kyle Krieg Hi Kyle, thank you! All I used was good old electrical tape, the all-weather variety. Never had an issue, even with all the wind and rain.

[@KyleKrieg]

+twmckim Hello Tracy. Thanks for the comment. Check out my home page and youtube channel if you get a chance. Just getting started on blogging and videoing my ham radio stuff... n0ktk.blogspot.com. I put all my videos on my blog. 73s

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+Kyle Krieg Hi Kyle, the blog looks great, I encourage others who are reading this to check it out!

[@paulhastings3109]

What are you using for a battery, not the one you just got Using what antenna. 73 KQ4CDPaul

[@Oscaro9928]

Tracey, I know they have a short 4 band antenna, can that work as a vertical?

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Hi and thank you for your question. There is no reason {I can think of why it would not work well as a vertical. If you haven't already, take a look at my "HyEndFed 3 Band + Spiderbeam 12m Pole = Easy and Effective HF Portable Vertical Antenna" video.

[@Mr_Meowingtons]

i know this is an old Video but can you make a video on how to work a contest i am still new and i fined this all hectic...

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

As of right now I am thinking about working the 2018 CQ WW SSB DX contest from the field. You've given me something to consider for that outing. Thank you!

[@EugenioGuarente]

Congrats. Excellent job: 73

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+Eugenio Guarente Thank you very much Eugenio! We had fun. 73 from Tracy VE3TWM.

[@va2xmxpetrok349]

Hey Tracy, Love your videos. Happy to see you were making it out much more easily compared to Field day. Nice work. I recently ordered the jackite myself and will be mounting my own homemade end-fed antenna. I am curious though, how strong are the winds at your QTH during the winter ? My concern is the pole breaking due to the strong winds.What has been your experience overall with the jackite?

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+VA2XMX Petro K Hi Petro, I have used the poles at 2 different home QTH's over the past 10 years, through all kinds of wind with no issues. Just don't ask them to support much weight near the top. Please note Jackite also sells individual sections so if one should break you can just buy a replacement section.

[@va2xmxpetrok349]

twmckim I figured as much about the weight. The top sections are very thin and flimsy. Good to know. This coming winter will be the first test. When I get my HF antenna up, we could maybe arrange a QSO. Would be fun.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+VA2XMX Petro K Sounds good!

[@philiprobinson999]

Great video guy's, glad to see the power problems were sorted out quickly and did not put a stop to your 2 days of camping and working some great dx..

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+Philip Robinson Thank you Philip! Overcoming the adversity made the experience better for us.

[@paulkazjack]

This is ham radio. Well said. Not a kw or a Yagi in sight!!

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you!

[@edwymer6928]

I enjoyed the video I am building an End fed antenna for 80-10m. I’m hoping it will preform as well as yours. It will be 21 feet high.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Good luck and have fun!

[@davidenglund]

Noobie question. What are you doing when you say "Please copy 594." Is that an RS report? If so, why are you including tone rating for CW when you are doing phone? Thanks.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Hi David, I'm giving the other station a 59 (standard signal report in contesting regardless of how I am actually receiving him; dumb I know) and the CQ region number. Southern Ontario where I live in zone 04. Most ops drop the "0" if the zone they are in has a prefix of zero, hence the 4.

[@peterclifford8305]

Yet another great video Tracey. Why would anybody give it a thumbs down? Obviously there are sill morons out there!!

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you, Peter! I really appreciate your support.

[@randyvanvliet226]

Have you considered adding a set of head phones or a Heil set of phones and mic during contests? I know it makes for less interesting video's, sound would be missing for the audience, but for rainy conditions?

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Believe me, yes I have :)

[@randyvanvliet226]

Which model or models are you considering?

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Not really at that point yet. Do you have suggestions?

[@randyvanvliet226]

Not yet... waiting, moments away from my FT-817ND to arrive via USPS... Get it sorted out first before I look for a headset and mic. Perhaps a Heil, after I talk to some more veterans.

[@pierrebordeleau5188]

hi tracy,can you tune the cw portion without a tuner ?can you tune warc band with a tuner ? the ant seems to have a very low swr..tnx for the video..do it agn... best 73' pierre ve2opb ...

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+pierre bordeleau Hi Pierre, thank you for watching! Yes, in my installation as shown in the video the SWR was low across the entire CW portion of all 4 bands. On 40m, 20m and 15 m, the entire band was under 1.5:1 so no tuner needed on those. On 10m, the SWR was under 1.5:1 from 28.000 to 29.000. To answer your other question, the HyEndFed multi-band antennas can be used with a tuner on the WARC bands with no ill effects to the matchbox, unlike the PAR/LNR EndFedz I have used in the past. I am a huge fan of the HyEndFed antennas!

[@pierrebordeleau5188]

+twmckim tnx tracy 73' ve2opb

[@nr3rful]

Wonderful

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you, much appreciated.

[@mrrightwing100]

quality well done

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you!

[@W0tln55]

Enjoyed the video! W0TLN

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Thank you, Terry!

[@tommyseacat3580]

Do you need or use an antenna tuner for that antenna?

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

+Tommy N Good question...no tuner is needed across the SSB portion of 40m, 20m, 15m. On 10m no tuner is needed from about 28000 - 28700 as long as the antenna is up in the clear, is oriented in a fairly straight line and is away from metal objects.

[@paulhastings3109]

What charger for the battery, like about solar

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

I use an SLA battery charger. It looks like a big wall wart with a cable and alligator clips. No solar power at my station yet.

[@tx2sturgis]

Life is too short for QRP..... Wait...that looks like fun!

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Now it's your turn to try :)

[@JonathanAdami]

I'm not getting this contest thing, everyone is giving everyone else 5904 regardless of the signal, or the amount of QSO you've had? Is that how it works? I get it, if you want to go fast, you say 59 regardless, but 04 to everyone, I'm interested to know the reason behind it :)

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Hi Jonathan, thank you for leaving a comment. The 04 you heard was the CQ Zone number. For the purpose of this and some other contests, the Earth is divided up into CQ Zones. Whichever Zone you are in becomes part of your contest exchange. So everyone you heard mention 04 was operating within CQ Zone 04.

[@JonathanAdami]

AAAaaaaaaah that's what it is? thanks so much for enlightening me on that one!!! I literally had no idea! I should go back to whomever I gave the wrong numbers then :D

[@Atheistic007]

There’s a VE4 contact I heard in there that I’m familiar with. No, not me.

[@paulhastings3109]

Using the 817 slso

[@johnkesby]

two is one and one is none!

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Yes sir!

[@johnkesby]

@@OutdoorsOnTheAir tops gear and makes me want to fire up the 817 and sota on! Cheers from Noosa Qld Oz.

[@timg5tm941]

Sorry I meant detuning not defining lol

[@FRS-hz4yb]

Great video ! 👍73's from France 🇫🇷 14 Frs 2507 Sébastien

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Merci, Sebastien! 73 from VE3TWM.

[@jeromegrzelak8236]

i loved the look on ur face when ur battery took a dump join the club bluddy hell if u put in a amp mtr u will get a jolley good indication kg6mn

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

LOL thank you for the comment and suggestion. I can laugh about it now...VE3TWM

[@pjo1964]

Take the case off that radio and give it some air. If you blow the final transistors, it'll be $200 to have it fixed, unless you do it yourself.

[@OutdoorsOnTheAir]

Good advice, Paul!