Testing a new knee board and wire antenna during a beautiful SOTA activation on Mount Mitchell!

qrper.com/2022/12/testing-a-n...
Click the link above to read full details about this activation, including all equipment links, at QRPer.com.
HOW TO SUPPORT:
You'll notice I have no ads in my videos. If you'd like to directly support these videos, consider supporting me via our PayPal Coffee Fund or via Patreon. Note that both fall under the name of the SWLing Post which is a part of QRPer.com.
SWLing Post and QRPer on Patreon:
www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=74...
Coffee Fund:
www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr...
Thanks for watching!
73,
Thomas
K4SWL
Chapters
Intro and short hike to summit: 0:00:00
The new Tufteln N0RNM Knee Board: 0:08:56
The Tufteln Transformer-less Random Wire: 0:13:45
Deploying the antenna: 0:15:58
On The Air: 0:21:30
QRT and Summary: 0:55:47
Note about Pileups: 0:56:33
Note about Knee Board: 0:58:41
Packing up antenna: 1:00:43
Packing up Throw Line: 1:03:12
Packing my backpack: 1:05:02
Final thoughts about pileups: 1:06:41

[@n4jaw]

So glad you touched on how to handle pileups. Thanks

[@Derrick6162]

I learn something new every time I watch your videos. Enjoyed, Thanks for sharing...👍👍

[@lightnin_lou]

Thanks Thomas for another great video showing some products to use with portable operations.

[@mcdeadsquirrel]

Just great!!!! I never knew that it was the highest point East of the Mississippi!!! Thanks for great video!!

[@OregonOrcadian]

Thomas, another great video! Thanks. I especially appreciate you showing the setting up. Also great comments on the the new gear. And thanks for the insight about choice of throwing weights.

[@JonathanKayne]

Also, its funny because I am recognizing some of the callsigns since some of them work me when I do POTA.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

It's all POTA family!

[@JayN4GO]

Love pileups now ! Merry Christmas to you and the girls Thomas. Tnx fer sharing

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Thank you and a big Merry Christmas to you and your family, OM!

[@o2bnov0307]

It was great to see you working the pileup. I found you guidance at the end very helpful. Thank you.

[@jonthompson2179]

Ordered that knee board last night and this morning they were sold out

[@tcort]

That knee board looks neat. It's different from the laptop boards I've seen. I like that it's one leg, so that I could use a CW paddle with a leg strap on the other leg -- I like to key with my left hand so that I can write with my right hand. It would save bringing a mini table with me on activations.

[@JonathanKayne]

I seriously need to learn how to properly deploy my arborist throwline. In Colorado I am usually in an area where I don't have any trees to deploy an antenna on so I end up using my fishing rod, but when I visit Asheville I end up looking like a fool since I don't know the proper technique.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

You only look a fool if someone is watching! :) That why I like to practice when my wife and daughters are away. Ha ha! If you practice by throwing even a dozen times into a tree, you'll get the hang of it.

[@SQ5TK]

I envy you because you have such beautiful areas to activate. There are a lot of parks in my area, but the terrain is flat. 73 de SQ5TK

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Honestly, I do feel pretty privileged. I like mountainous areas which is one of the reasons we live where we do now. That said, I've always wanted to explore Poland and some day I will! It's a beautiful country.

[@gliderrider]

Good thing you weren’t using a ‘sketchy’ novelty rig on this day.

[@davidryeburn6446]

You didn't mention the KX3 when you said the knee board could be used with other rigs. Too small for the KX3? David VE7EZM and AF7BZ

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm confident it would work. That's why Joshua designed it with movable shock cords. You can strap almost any radio in place with it.

[@bhenry5091]

Hey Thomas. I'm about to use HAMRS for the first, but something you said has me confused. You mentioned that sometimes if you put in a qso, and leave the device's page, the contact may disappear, yet you then say that if you put in a fake qso, the contact will be saved. Could you clarify this? Thanks, Brent

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Yes. At present, if you create a new log, then configure the page for your meter band, mode, park number, etc. if you then move off of the HAMRS app to do something else (like spot yourself on the POTA page, or check text messages, *sometimes* when you re-open the HAMRS app, your configuration will be lost. You'll have to go back and re-enter the mode, frequency, park number, etc. The way to lock it in is open the new log, configure it, then add a fake contact (I simply log the model number of the radio I'm using). Once even (fake) one contact has been logged, the configuration is locked in. I then go into the logs later and erase the fake contact.

[@brucecorbettn9bh398]

How do you find the temperature of clouds?

[@ThomasK4SWL]

For temps at various elevations, I simply check out NOAAs pinpoint forecasts and conditions. It helps that Mt. Mitchell also has an accurate weather station.

[@KQ4KXA]

I just got my tech license I'm in NC and want to try vhf SOTA what do you use to know the boundaries where you can start calling SOTA? 73's KQ4KXA

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Try this tool by N6ARA: activation.zone/ With VHF in North Carolina, the trick will be to make sure hunters know you'll be on a summit and that you can spot yourself. You'll only need 4 contacts. Go for it!

[@lyingcat9022]

Do you ever work split when calling SOTA and POTA CQs?

[@lyingcat9022]

Or does it take up too much bandwidth?

[@ThomasK4SWL]

No. It's not convention to use split for POTA and SOTA. I think if I were to activate a super rare entity that might also be along the lines of a mini DXpedition, then I might. What I do is try to keep my filter width wide and listen for stations that don't zero-beat. Riding a RIT control can help if the radio has a dedicated RIT control.

[@lyingcat9022]

@@ThomasK4SWL this makes sense and is along the lines of what I read elsewhere last night:) Thanks In the process of licensing now with the goal to activate Mt. Rainier here in WA. We are trying to plan an expedition this year to summit the volcano. And I’d love to added the achievement of making some CW and SSB contacts from atop the glacier. Thanks again for all your instruction here and it would be an honor to have a QSO later this year :) Cheers

[@ellisc.foleyjr9778]

Well Tom this was another one I missed you on, but I did hear my buddy Pete's call 599+ WA2JMG and he got covered 2nd time when you QRZ's them. so he missed out also. but quite a pile up gud show! will keep looking for you we'll get you on cw again yet! tnd fer sharing! de Ellis WA1RKS

[@HL1KKC]

Thanks for showing me. I enjoyed watching it. de HL1KKC

[@qrptedmac]

Man pile up didn’t stop. de AD8EV

[@ThomasK4SWL]

It was a little crazy!