Long distance Ham Radio | K7SW ham radio

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Have you ever setup a vertical antenna like this on one of your operations you have done ? There is no denying THIS is FUN stuff ! Let me know what antenna you have used for portable DX.

[@johnwest7993]

Yep, I did it at 9,000 feet in CO during a good sunspot cycle decades ago back in the 1970's. But I used a 3 element 10 meter beam on a 10 foot pipe propped up against a big bush with bungie cords, and used an armstrong rotor. 16 Watts SSB into Australia for hours on end. It was a blast.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

@@johnwest7993 those were the days for sure.

[@johnwest7993]

With a little luck we'll still see some more really good sunspot activity before we croak. :)

[@Rusted_Link]

This is absolutely inspiring, I have two goals. Australia on any band and the city next door via NVIS.

[@Capt_Duffy]

Simply Brilliant...!!! So elevated radials do make huge difference...

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thank you, they prove themselves every time ;) This trip was really fun

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

Radio is magic.

[@randalltom9750]

My best contact was with a 12m Spiderbeam Mast, a 20m wire vertical, a single elevated radial pointed towards Japan, and a 1:1 balun… Boise to Yokohama SSB… I think I must have hit the grayline…. Great job…. I love my KX2.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Randall, you are right, that is a really good setup you used for that contact. It is really interesting seeing what we can get by with to make a contact. 73 Kevin

[@christybowen1193]

10watts, that far...amazing!

[@hamradiowithkevin]

🤩😍

[@johnrees44..G4EIJ]

I bet you’re glad you videoed that one! Fantastic contact..and what a great ‘buzz’ for you.. Well done..

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Yes! Thank you! I had no idea it would happen but I take that as a WIN. Just another reason I get out to operate. Thanks for watching John👍

[@Allofthemonkeys]

Fun to recognize some of the scenery as you were driving

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Yes 😉, and now the snow ❄. I am sure the gates are now closed til spring

[@Allofthemonkeys]

@@hamradiowithkevin No doubt. Time to break out the snowshoes! Jk

[@willian.direction6740]

Great contact Kevin.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thank you, I enjoyed sharing.

[@dan-jones-bassist-wb8jay]

I use a 20 foot fiberglass fishing pole mounted on an old metal camera tripod. I wrap 31 feet of wire around it and use a 20 foot counterpoise wire. It runs through an EMTECH tuner, and able to use 80-10m with this. That is my summer setup. Now in the winter, I use the ATAS120 on the car, and operate inside the car. 73 de WB8JAY

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Dan, that sounds like a really great setup for DX. Thanks for sharing.

[@alvarogaitan2529]

wow Kevin terrific DX fantastic congratulations 73 from kb2uew you happy I am happy too

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thank you Alvaro. 73

[@randalltom9750]

I’ll echo the fiberglass telescopic mast… only I use a resonant wire with an elevated radial, extending from the feed point (6’) aimed at the DX (3’). Having said that, I’ve never picked up Austrailia… except on IRLP (HT) . My best was Tokyo from Boise (5w Grayline). I love my KX2! Buy a Lotto ticket dude! Awesome video.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

@Randall Tom, that is an excellent setup, and I bet it works very well. Thank you for sharing, and thanks for the support. Awinning lotto ticket would be 👍.

[@alzeNL]

I'd have to drive along way to get up 8000ft ASL in the UK. Its pretty hilly down here in IO90BS, but nothing like mountainous. I've used a number verticals and a buddipole as well ! - i'm afraid i was too clumsy for the buddipole and moved onto other antennas after losing/breaking a couple of those whips. Love your radials, nice setup - I use a Toybox antenna for HF - I've not used it alot due to weather and commitments, but it works well ! EDIT - That is an amazing QRP contact, really congratulations !

[@hamradiowithkevin]

There is an upside and a downside to the buddipole system. The radials are a great way to get use from discarded wire. Thanks I felt pretty fortunate that I got to him before the pileup began

[@dougtaylor7724]

Killer contact. Congrats.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Your not kidding, i am still pretty stoked about that one. looking forward to finding more like this. Thanks for checking out some of my videos Doug !

[@dougtaylor7724]

I went to a campground in NC at 5300 feet. Set up at 2 pm on a Thursday. First contact Italy, second was Chile. I’m rolling! Then the band died for an hour. But it was fun while it lasted. Must be amazing out there with mountains. I’m stuck in Alabama at 560 feet.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

@@dougtaylor7724 a campground is a great thing indeed ! Sometimes a short burst like that band opening is just what the doctor ordered to keep us wanting more, it certainly works for me 😁 sadly in winter the roads are shut down so we have to wait until it all melts now. 73

[@joekrepps]

Very impressive!! Congrats!! I did QRP Mobile for a few years but never this level of success. I also have a Buddistick but I've never made a contact with it. Maybe it's time to revisit it! ...I wish the guys who think they need an amp would watch this! NOTHING wrong with QRP!!

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thank you, and YES, dig that buddy stick out and get after it 👍.

[@StlSinger]

Pretty cool how frequency travels inside our firmament. I need to get a ham radio

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Indeed it is Brad, the process of becoming a licensed ham begins the learning of how really vast and flexible our firmament really is. Thanks for watching.

[@StlSinger]

@@hamradiowithkevin does the ham radio community actually recognize the dome and flat earth?

[@hamradiowithkevin]

@@StlSinger I really couldn't say.

[@roberthawkins3106]

​@@StlSinger I'm doing my own tests which prove the globe. I live near New Buffalo, MI directly across from Chicago. 95% of the time the skyline is hidden under the horizon. When it's visible it's distorted from the mirage effect. Look up the hidden physics of the ether which explains many Flat Earth arguments. Light itself is actually just a small section of the radio frequency spectrum. Our entire reality is created by electricity and magnetism.

[@rocklicker639]

Thats awesome congrats!

[@randalltom9750]

Love your videos… and great Dx Q! I have a 2 dr JK Wrangler, a manual, low miles, great tires… all that said, I wish I had my previous YJ. The YJ is Jeep perfection. Since High School, I’ve owned seven Jeeps. My 2006 YJ, manual, 4.0L was by far the best. Keep your rig, trust me. The KX2 is a keeper too! de W7UDT (dit dit)

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thanks Randall, I have been thinking about selling the Jeep when i don't use it for a while, but every time i take it out for an adventure, I just can not bring myself to sell it ;)

[@randalltom9750]

@@hamradiowithkevin If it’s paid for, keep it and run it til the wheels fall off! My 06’ YJ had 240k on it, and it still ran great. It had a softtop, and one dent in the rear passenger side corner, from a Walmart parking lot hit and run. The engine leaked oil, but it ran great. That 4.0L was a powerful. I could start off in 3rd gear, never was stranded. My newer Jeep is a 2010 JK. I bought it two years ago with 18k on it. Big tires, manual 6 speed, hardtop, bells & whistles, yada… it should have been a great replacement. What I didn’t realize is that it is an aspirated engine, not fuel injected. Jeep was crazy to change out that 4.0L! Now rigs are twice as expensive, and I’m not going to pay that…. I’ll live with it. But I learned a lesson, sometimes, even in radio, a tried and true piece of kit, is often your best choice.

[@76ersnet58]

that was awesome! i have a copper vertical for 10 meters that I am still tweaking

[@hamradiowithkevin]

10 meters is another really fun band. It was open for a few hours on hour road trip recently. Build that bad boy antenna !

[@TylerWest1776]

This is seriously so cool! I'm new to this whole ham radio thing I bought a few of them a couple months ago I'm still trying to learn. Awesome video!

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thank you Tyler, welcome to the hobby, and above all, have fun experimenting. Kevin

[@TylerWest1776]

@@hamradiowithkevin Will do! I have a lot to learn! I'm watching your videos and others. Great job on talking with guy from Perth!! Didn't even know that was possible. 😎

[@vk6jk]

Fantastic to see you get a VK6 in the log on QRP....we're pretty isolated over here. Even the next State for us would qualify as DX for most! lol

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Yes I felt really fortunate that he took my call. I wish there was a way to let him know about the video so he would know how appreciative I was. Thank you for watching.

[@sysOpModular]

This is so incredibly cool.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

sysOp, Thank you. And Indeed it is cool !

[@vu2bhf]

Excellent 👍❤kx2

[@ashleedominguez3748]

Freezing 😬

[@hamradiowithkevin]

It would be bad up there now.. Burrrr

[@randalltom9750]

Elevated radials are best practice with a vertical… two ER’s opposite, make the antenna efficient. I don’t on the 1979 MFJ, I prefer a wire vertical… but amazing Auzzie contact! My best SSB was into Tokyo from Boise. Yours was twice my best! Awesome…

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thanks Randall, 100% on the ER's. Since this video, i have Switched to the Chameleon whip. It is far more stable. It certainly takes some luck when the bands are open, and that makes these contacts so much fun.

[@redman840]

@@hamradiowithkevin From time to time,spray a light coat of lithium lubricant on the whip,and wipe down any excess with a rag,in order to keep the sections from wearing out.Repeated use allows each element to begin to slip inside of each other as they begin to wear down.The Chameleon whip is a lot better quality product than is the MFJ.That’s a great contact,using raised counterpoise wires.

[@ActinOut]

This was pretty cool. Seems like some of the biggest thrill in ham radio is making the longest distance contacts on as low as watts possible. Which, don't get me wrong. As a hobby that is exciting. I chuckle a bit though with this in the context of actual emergencies: If the only other person in the world that gets your signal is on the other side of the planet, I'm not sure how helpful they will really be able to be for an emergency. Good luck with their ability to get you help. We'll keep doing it anyway though, right. 😂

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Yeah I totally get what your saying. If all I ever did was emergency communications locally, it would certainly get boring fast. It is fun and good practice to find out what our gear can and can not do. 73

[@timaustin577]

2023 wow cool

[@DARTHDANSAN]

Wow wow

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Absolutely

[@VA3OSO]

Duct tape is the key to good portable DX

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Don't leave home without some👍

[@DARTHDANSAN]

How kool

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thanks

[@mikegianfrancesco9431]

Sweet

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thanks Mike

[@Zayne_24]

So the internet lied to me saying it depends on the wattage aka output power. I looked it up and the KX2 Radio is 10 watts. I’m studying to get my FCC License I wanna get all three at once (I know it’s ridiculous but I want that challenge).

[@hamradiowithkevin]

That is a lofty goal, study up and make it happen. Don't let that hold you back. It is not a bad thing to get your license and keep learning and upgrading as you go. For me, being a fun hobby I think the experience should be an enjoyable one for you. Go at the pace that is best for you. The KX2 will run at 12watts connected to an external power supply if that helps you in your Ham radio journey.

[@Zayne_24]

@@hamradiowithkevin thank you so much. It is definitely a hefty goal. I’d love to be able to work someone in Australia or Afghanistan or somewhere like that. What you did in your video got me excited too.

[@TomKristiansen]

I am new to study HAM i have the book and readying, but i dont understand how your able to reach all over to australia where you using a repeater for that??

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Great question Tom, that is why HAM radio is so cool. It is a direct line to each person. It can blow your mind how it works.

[@toddshobe5472]

Where in Utah were you operating from?

[@hamradiowithkevin]

About 40 miles east of Salt Lake city. Thanks for watching

[@jacob7291]

How can I do a shot like this with a Harris prc-150 radio

[@hamradiowithkevin]

That radio is a bit out of my reach. 73

[@u2fanforever1]

New ham, typical new ham question. How do you know your signal went long path and not across the Pacific Ocean?

[@hamradiowithkevin]

The other ham told me he aimed his antenna that direction. And because of that, the signal would not reach me the other direction.

[@rawcado]

Hey, did you ever make a contact with Mike again??

[@hamradiowithkevin]

I have not, it sure would be fun to though. Was a really fun QSO that day

[@MrLew1965]

I'll stick to my satellite phone///Lol

[@tonyalb3863]

10Wats that amazing ! how much did this whole system cost $$$ including transceiver