Winter Field Day 2021

[@KM4ACK]

Great video. The trials and errors make us better operators. Hang in there. Summer field day will be here before we know it!

[@TheTechPrepper]

A field day from 30 degrees to 110 degrees here I come. The kinks will be worked out by ARRL Field Day in June. Thanks, Jason.

[@ToNzHoLtZ]

This is great prepping practice, thank you for sharing and all you hard work .

[@Stevenfclark]

Very impressive gear and skills for a new operator, looking forward to some new videos 73 de N1AD

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks! Consider it done. More videos on the way. I have some Winlink and 2m packet videos (and a couple of practical prepper) videos in the pipeline. 73, KT1RUN

[@forgetyourlife]

Qrp with a compromise antenna on ssb will always be ruff during a sun spot low. You could have moved to 17m (non contesting band) where everyone goes to gripe about contests during contests. When I do qrp in a contest I wait for the evening when stations are looking for me not being swamped like in the 1st hours after it starts. The learning curve for HF is steeper that’s why so many people just give it up and stay on repeaters or just use ft8.

[@TheTechPrepper]

All great points. I was actually planning on catching the tail end of the contest as operator fatigue could be an issue after 20+ hours. I would have switched to the work bands but I left my auto tuner at home and my random wire antenna. I'll bring it next time just in case I want to make a contact.

[@frankwc0o]

There should be a Winter QRP contest, as a mater of fact, Summer as well.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Agreed. Sign me up! ;-)

[@patrickoneillnl1966]

Sounds like you had a good trip. Even the busy HF chatter was an experience. Sounds like lots of people were busy busy busy collecting QSO for a contest LOL. I enjoyed your video specially the variety of camping and discussing radio gear.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Excellent. There will be a Winter Field Day video for 2022. More outdoor fun!

[@AD6DMDennis]

Thanks for taking us on your overnight journey. Living out in the desert, you wouldn't think about having to deal with sub-freezing temps but glad you powered through.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, Dennis. It was fun sharing the experience. At least I’ve learned some new lessons and have a couple of new pieces of cold weather gear for next time.

[@TangoOscarMikeN3WS]

Great video. Good job on the outing. I think this WFD was the busiest yet. Sorry you didn't make any HF contacts. It can be frustrating. If they would just check for QRP stations every once in a while it would be easier. My advice when you find a big pile up like that..... Try a few times and move on, come back later. Keep spinning the dial, sometimes you get lucky and find a station before they get a pile up.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Hey, this happens. It's just part of taking a QRP rig. I was more interested in running all my little experiments, so in fairness I only gave the contest about 2 hours of my time at the station. Take it easy, Tom.

[@beaukyle1721]

instablaster

[@March94Hare]

I’d love to see a video on your cheat sheets. I’d like to get some of my own built up. I also understand your dislike of the home stations, I sadly only had access to my club station for HF. I do look forward to trying some portable HF and some SOTA/POTA stuff this spring and summer

[@TheTechPrepper]

Dislike is a bit hard... I would say I was disappointed more than anything else to not make any HF contacts. It was still fun running the other experiments and camping in the back country. I hope you enjoy SOTA/POTA when you get to it later in the year. Enjoy that Raddy you just won; it's on the way. The cheat sheet video is on the list. Another viewer pointed something out. There was a typo in my APRS cheat sheet for the email identifier. I had EMAIL2 instead of EMAIL-2. That's why email via APRS failed. It's been corrected. Take care.

[@March94Hare]

@@TheTechPrepper I’m looking forward to it! I may review it as well just because!

[@temporarilyoffline]

That campsite really looks inviting compared to the snow and bitter cold we're dealing with right now. I wish we had more 2m running around here.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Looking back at this video, I probably should not have complained about the cold (30F) as it looks like the rest of country is taking a beating. This is was one of the benefits of the desert, but remember we get 6-8 weeks of 110F to 120F temps during the summer. Stay warm!

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@TheTechPrepper yeah, I don't think there is a perfect place to live.

[@W3OY-RAY]

I find that hanging back a couple seconds after the QRZ call helps get your call out of the bunch. It's all about perseverance. Good luck on your next try.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Excellent tip. Thank you, I'll try this during the next contest. A bit more perseverance is also something to work on. 73

[@n9oqu]

We should start a LAKES on the AIR QRP event. 20 Watts maimum since most parks have lakes it should still be an interesting event. Plus Hams would be encouraged to operate Marine Portable.

[@granitebuilt5836]

Would be interested in seeing a video on the cheatsheets. Looks like you had a pretty successful trip there!

[@TheTechPrepper]

It was a nice relaxing trip.That's the next video on the list. ETA: soon.

[@shank0]

I had no luck qrp except on 40m. Seemed everyone heard me there. Was using ft-818 and KM4ACK endfed kit antenna about 12 ft off ground. Wasn't reaching far, but made a few contacts. Great video. Thanks.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Hi Steve - It's been my experience that QRP is tough. I have had good luck on 20m, but I am typically on a peak and I'm the station be chased as part of a SOTA activation. The FT-818 is a fantastic rig. It's great that you are supporting Jason KM4ACK and using his EFHW kit. That's been on my list for awhile. 73

[@jcollins310]

Looks like you had a fun time out there, besides freezing overnight. I completely agree with you on contesting weekends, they can be very discouraging when running QRP (20w on G90 for me, QRPish). POTA/SOTA is so much more fun for me personally. Maybe contesting will grow on me, but I think I'll avoid the frustration for now. Love your setup, I'm slowly working on my portable setup. Joe W6VIP

[@TheTechPrepper]

Great points. Like you, I am not into contesting. In fact, I've learned to postpone SOTA activations if there is a contest weekend going on. I am sure that the 20 watts made all the difference. Thanks for running lower power. ;-) How do you like your Xiegu G90? I'm considering asking Radioddity for an eval unit. 73, KT1RUN

[@jcollins310]

@@TheTechPrepper I love the G90. I bought it as my first HF rig, now just use it for portable. Having the waterfall and internal tuner made it easy to use for a beginner. I think it's a little on the heavy side for SOTA, but if K6ARK can pack his 7300 I guess I can't complain. 73 Joe W6VIP

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@jcollins310 Awesome. The antenna tuner and waterfall alone make it a possibility. Adam is a SOTA beast. He inspired me to pack an FT-891 and 12Ah battery on a SOTA hike... my back still hurts. ;-) Thanks.

[@reprhunter]

Would love to see a video on all the cheat sheets! Look like a great resource for in the field and at home.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You got it. I think it’s the next video in the pipeline.

[@reprhunter]

@@TheTechPrepper Awesome!

[@dongibbskk4qam]

Great video. It looks like you learned a lot. As far a running QRP against bigger stations, I have found that timing is key. You have to get in up front or at the end and put the /QRP or /P after your callsign. It may be advantageous to have the ability o work more than one band. If you favor the EFHW for resonance, why not have a couple of other bands rolled up on wire winders that are pre-tuned, and have the matching unit fixed so that you can swap out wires. This would give you multiple bands without the need for a tuner. Another thing with QRP is it takes patience and practice. Keep up the good work.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I appreciate the tips from a seasoned ham, Don. The PackTenna Mini EFHW that I own has mini banana connectors that should support what you're talking about. I'll order the connectors and some 26 AWG wire and get to work. Another project is on my "Ham TODO" list. Thanks!

[@backcountryamateurradio]

the operator with the heavy accent in North Texas (17:22) - I heard him all over. I share in your rant sentiment and was just thinking that we should have a low power field day, like what you're talking about. Anyway, Nice camp you have there! Thank you for doing such a thorough documentation of what was going on, including the experiments. I like that you used your rig to show that one can get FM/AM broadcast.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for clearly watching the entire video, Eric. I know it was long. My goal is to show new hams what a field experience can look like.

[@bonbill9611]

Great video.The dry run video you made inspired me to take part at my first wfd. At first i was running 20w to save on my lipo battery but find out soon that i was not enough.I then boost that to 60w and got some luck on 40m with 17 contact on a 26' high dipole.I was 1O QC. 73s

[@TheTechPrepper]

That’s great that you made it into the field and had a successful WFD. I’m glad my little video pushed you to take part. Congratulations on the 17 contacts. 73

[@scottchapman4025]

Another great video - thanks! Really liked seeing the HT charging off the battery/solar combo. That's a setup I'll want to use myself! As for HF, I wonder if you'd enjoy something like 80m NVIS more than the world-wide (more or less) coverage on 20m? Yes, that can mean a less convenient antenna, but the reward is truly USEFUL regional coverage that exceeds VHF/UHF with lots of available Winlink gateways on the band. While the antenna might be longer, I just drape my EFHW across bushes, tree limbs, etc., and get exactly the reach into the 1, 2, or 3 state region that I'm interested in. Just a thought. -Scott, K4KDR

[@TheTechPrepper]

Scott, this is a fantastic idea. I am sold! There's no shortage of room. I am going to put 80m/NVIS on my list of "Ham TODOs". I'm glad you liked the HT charging idea. The Yaesu FT-60R cradle is nice because it expects 12v input. The Baofeng is 10v input which stinks.

[@TheNoCodeTech]

Great video man, very informative!.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you! Stay tuned for more whacky adventures.

[@ReedAB8AS]

Enjoyed this video. We like watching your efforts in planning and activations in the field. The 1H stations with amps / beams was frustrating for sure. Hopefully I’ll be 1O next year. This year I was1H @ 95w and a diplole at 30’ here in WV.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you enjoyed this video. So, more field experiment videos? I have a lengthy list of TODOs on my whiteboard and wasn't sure if people wanted to sit through and watch various experiments in the field. It seems like most of the comments echo the frustration with the 1H stations. At least you were running reasonable power. Good luck operating outside next year. It's a lot of fun and there's more than just radio to do when operating in the field.

[@ReedAB8AS]

@@TheTechPrepper yes please more videoed from the field. Thanks!

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@ReedAB8AS You got it!

[@jdailey19811]

I enjoy parks on the air, and as a general rule, I run no more than 50 watts ssb, but one time I was on an activation and made 20 contacts before I realized I was only running 10 watts, and since it was working, I kept going until I could no longer reach stations. I bumped up to 50 and was able to reach very few more, but I honestly believe some of those home stations are running full power and possibly an amp just to bust pileups. 73 de N4JKD

[@calliepieters3446]

just got my tech license, waiting for my call sign. I'm planning on doing the same thing you do. My wife doesn't like it when I'm always going out by myself in the boonies . good safety measure for outdoor exploration. Thanks

[@TheTechPrepper]

First, congratulations on your license. Welcome to the hobby! The HT is great to have, but some times you may find yourself in an area that you can’t be heard (a valley for example). I’m considering a Garmin InReach as a backup. At any rate, have a blast on the air and in the outdoors. 73

[@aaronakiyama]

High power home stations are a big complaint this year. I'd try doing digital modes next year instead of SSB Phone. Much more level playing field for disparate power levels. I was operating in a valley so it took 40w just to be heard but I was getting out pretty well. Albeit most of my contacts were 1H stations, I didn't feel like I was getting stepped on all day by them.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's a great point. I've had good luck with FT8, but that was not a valid mode for WFD given that you can't do a full WFD exchange. I'll try JS8Call next time and get a bit higher up and out of the valley as I have no issues with HF when out on a SOTA activation with the same station deployment. Well, I am glad you were able to make some contents. It sounds like you enjoyed field day as well. 73, KT1RUN

[@AA0Z]

QRP can be tough. When I run QRP in a contest, it's more searching and pouncing like you did, but I look for those stations that have called CQ a few times with nobody calling back. Also, QRP works great at the end of the contest when those big stations are running and they are looking for 1 more contact!!!! They will pull you out of the noise and really work to hear you to get that one single point on the boards. On contest Saturday's 100W is necessary without getting frustrated. Keep at it. QRP will get easier with the sun spot cycle coming up here.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, Kyle. I'll have a new game plan for next time and incorporate these tips. I'm even thinking about participating in another HF contest weekend to practice some of these QRP techniques.

[@walshgeo]

Great video. I enjoy watching the camp set up and how you are deploying different antenna setups. I have also experienced the trials and tribulations of trying to make contacts on QRP during contest weekends. It gets frustrating. I learned to bring my Y857 100 w rig as a backup for those days. Keep up the good work on the videos! 73 George KB3WAQ

[@TheTechPrepper]

Hi George, Thanks for the view and the comment. QRP works great when I’m operating Summits on the Air (SOTA), but doesn’t work great for contest weekends. Great point about bringing a backup QRO rig. Since I had the Jeep I should have brought the FT-891. I’ve been dying to get my hands on an FT-857D. It’s too bad Yaesu discounted it without a good replacement. The 991A in my opinion is too big and isn’t an adequate replacement. 73, KT1RUN

[@walshgeo]

@@TheTechPrepper Yeah I really like the 857. I use it as my go to rig for HF and VHF when I really need to get a signal out.

[@markdoyle8713]

As I am watching I am making my list of crap/gear for my my next adventure with my new Icom 705 . Oh and my pax 100 amp . Qrp-less than 1kw. Your camp location was spot on . But based on your camera angles the hills just ate up your 5 watts. Great video just subscribed .

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad I could inspire a list of crap to take on your next adventure. The camping spot is the best of I found out here in the Tonto, but I am typically at least 1000' higher one of the surrounding peaks when operating SOTA. I even made a 5,500 mile DX contact to France with the same 5w station about 6 weeks ago.

[@coleporter20]

Great video! I'm a new ham and only have any HT at this point. Looking to get a 50w unit here soon for my truck.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. Glad to see another new ham. I started with an HT, too. The 50w mobile rig is going to be great. That’s something I wish I did earlier. Feel free to check out my first mobile install video. Good luck with your mobile install and welcome to the channel.

[@floatingfly]

Thanks for the video. I can surely understand the frustration running QRP with hotel stations. But, the Oscar stations probably have mostly hotel stations in their log and with out them, the interest and future of Winter Field Day would be in jeopardy. It's definately a catch 22. Power needs to be limited to 100 watts and major multiplier points for Oscar stations. Be safe and 73.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It is certainly a double-edged sword. Personally, I found that Winter Field Day is not for me. I'll skip this year's WFD event and head for an overnight trip next month on a non-contest weekend. Good luck if you're participating this year.

[@rwrp]

I would love to see the cheat sheets

[@pgrundle]

Absolutely awesome video!! Bravo! Cheers from VE7PJG!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, Frank. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@3Dprint4you]

Dont give up on HF. It is worth it and it is definitely better when there are no contests going on. I do have to agree with you though about the contesting. The fact that you are focusing on the emergency prepardness of the radio is spot on though, it's what amateur radio is realy about!! 73 de KF7GYC

[@TheTechPrepper]

I really enjoy HF, but I pretty much stay away from HF when there's a contest these days. Thanks for the view and comment, Don. 73, KT1RUN

[@malenve6vid]

What I have found that carbon fibre mast interfere / detunes VHF wire antennas if they are too close together. What I do is slightly angle the mast and let the antenna hang away from it. Works for me. $20 Light My Fire, man I need to head south to buy a few.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you for the tip. That's a really simple adjustment to make on the next activation. Those Light My Fire knives are great. I'd be interested to know what you think if you get your hands on one.

[@buckeye5704]

QRP takes patience. You did a great job proving out your gear, even without many QSOs on HF. I'm dealing with some health issues so 1 H was the only way for me to participate.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Tim, no worries about the 1H station, I’ll need to suck it up and be patient. Honestly, I let the other non field day experiments get in the way of the contest. I hope you’re on a path to a successful recovery. Take care!

[@buckeye5704]

@@TheTechPrepper Thank you. Its just sleep issues and very low energy. Should it it sorted out soon. Besides hiking into the hills is for you youngsters anyway. Your bushcraft skills are great, btw. I have a Mora in my get home bag in the Ram and a kit blade from Dave Canterbury's knife shop in my main BoB. If I was gonna be at the truck the whole time I'd be running 100 w, but I'm a lazy old fart.

[@miken8yo4]

Great video. Yeah, I'm with you on the home station aspect. 77% of my WFD contacts were home stations. I operated "1O MI", 5W CW only from a POTA. Still did alright overall for my first WFD.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for the kind note. I heard a couple of "outside" stations, but it felt like ~90% were home stations. Next year I'll bring a QRO rig (FT-891) but will try to keep the power level low. Glad to hear you did well on your first Winter Field Day. This was my first as well.

[@G5XDX]

Interesting watch. I like the way you separate things of interest. Experiment 1 etc. Good work. 73 G5XDX Sw UK

[@TheTechPrepper]

Glad you enjoyed the video. That's what the hobby is all about--experimentation. I have another experiment planned for this weekend. I am building a very simple 80m dipole out of a BNC to banana plug binding post with some inexpensive 26 AWG and will be try my luck with NVIS.

[@G5XDX]

@@TheTechPrepper excellent! When 1st licenced I used an ft817nd and a half wave wire dipole for NVIS inter G (600mls footprint). Made from light gauge wire, an electrical terminal choc block for the centre and 3 x 3ft garden canes. 1 in centre 1 at each end. The elements damn near scraped the ground 😅 Worked great late night portable with 3w ssb 💪

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@G5XDX Glad to here that this is right path to take. I'll keep you and the community updated on the FT-818 + 80m NVIS dipole experiment.

[@neubert500]

Other than you being in the desert and I being in the Great Smoky Mountains, We seem to be brothers from different mothers. Our comms desires seem to be the same, I want to communicate with family and friends. VHF and APRS are excellent, although I have not mastered them BUT I also require HF as I have family and friends hundreds of miles away. I FULLY identify with your rant about home stations but realize that most of those will be off the air in the event of grid down events. You tested your comms and learned from the event! Excellent for you. I also could care less about my score in a CONTEST but want to be able to communicate with those I care about. Great video, thank you. Also you might want to look at Js8Call which is an excellent mode for low power HF comms. It was all I ran during the contest,

[@TheTechPrepper]

What's up, brother. It's nice to meet a kindred spirit. I've been planning to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I have a few friends in Tennessee. APRS works extremely well if you have other amateur stations in your area and are close enough to get into a digipeater. I have very little luck at my home QTH unless I use the mobile rig in the Jeep. But, APRS works great as soon as I'm a bit higher in the backcountry. AS for HF, I've had several hams lately recommend 80m with an NVIS deployment to get better local coverage. Have you tried this? It's on my list of experiments now. I've played a little bit with JS8Call, but need to practice a bit more. Are you typically on 40m? I hear that's were most of the activity is for JS8Call. Stay tuned for more practical comms and preps. 73, KT1RUN

[@neubert500]

@@TheTechPrepper I have JUST started experimenting on 80m and have enjoyed it. I lag behind on APRS but have been working with it! 40m on JS8 is where 90% of the traffic is with a small amount on 20. You will be amazed on what you can do with very little power. Great Vids!

[@7wt]

Living the life man. Looks like a hell of a lot of fun. I am just getting into the local SOTA scene. Hope to see you on the air! -KB1LID

[@TheTechPrepper]

You’re going to love it if you enjoy the outdoors. I’ll look out for your spot. Enjoy!

[@jeffaa6xa482]

HF QRP contesting requires patience, since you can't compete with the kilowatt stations. And using SSB gives you a ~12dB disadvantage on top of that, compared to the CW stations.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Very good point. In hindsight, I should have dedicated more than just a few of hours of time to the actual contest. It was still fun getting out there and running these comms experiments. Patience, QRO and higher elevation next time. 73

[@owlcricker-k7ulm]

Good WFD video especially combined with your preparation video. Being new to ham also I have experience similar ups and downs and the challenges of getting the most out of the equipment. Keep up the great job, it is fun and rewarding. I have sent you an email with some of the things that I have learned this year that helped my QRP HF journey.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I appreciate any help I can get and I'm looking forward to reading your email. I've already learned with QRP that the antenna is everything, so I've been having great success with resonant antennas. Good luck as you grow in the hobby as well.

[@owlcricker-k7ulm]

@@TheTechPrepper Roger that. If you put a link on the end of your 20m EFHW and add a piece of wire to get it up to 40m it will help a lot. I am going to make a piece to go on mine that will take it to 80m and test how much better the reception is on that. Probably deploy as inverted V or L configuration. 72s Keep up the good work.

[@LancasterWannaBe]

Great video. I love your comms load out too. Man I feel you on the full power home stations walking all over outdoor QRP stations. I think that for field day, out door stations / contacts should be heavily awarded points to encourage it more. Or perhaps a minimum outdoor-to-home ratio is needed to continue getting points for home stations. Just tossing some ideas out... Your HF might be more successful for you on a low power digital mode. Otherwise sounds like the VHF activity is pretty good nearby your QTH. Good video man! Made me want a coffee at least three separate times though... Haha -KE0SBF

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, Caleb. I think you’re right about having some sort of additional incentives for outdoor stations. Adding the SignaLink would have been a good backup so that I could have done some JS8Call or I could have thrown the FT-891 into the tote. Coffee tastes better out here. 73

[@sailingsota5124]

Nice to see. I tried a New Year SoTA trick on my channel Sailing & SoTa that didn’t work out. Too much snow 📡😅❄️ Keep up the good work mate 👍

[@marvinsmith4]

I believe the e-mail alias to send APRS message is EMAIL-2, looks like yours were addressed to EMAIL2, not sure if that might've caused the issue.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Doh! You are right. My reference card needs to be updated. Dang typos. What if this was a real emergency? Thanks for the catch!

[@davidsradioroom9678]

1. I would like a video on your cheat sheets. 2. You are right; QRP is not for contesting or Field Day. I operate QRO and still have problems getting heard. 3. You have the right idea, go out and train. Experience is a great teacher.

[@TheTechPrepper]

There’s no substitute for training to quickly build experience. I appreciate the comment and view. I love writing in lists, too. Are you an engineer?

[@davidsradioroom9678]

@@TheTechPrepper No, I am retired military. I was in communications.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@davidsradioroom9678 Well, that makes sense, too. Thank you for your service.

[@JnJTrueOutdoorAdventures]

I know this is late, but watching you talk about the winter field day 2021 and running the FT-817 or 818 (I can't remember which one you have). Don't give up on the the radio, contesting is the worst thing to do to find out the capability of the FT-817/818. Contests, which I will work from time to time, mainly FD and WFD (haven't done WFD yet), always bring out the big guns with the 600, 800, 1000 and 1500 watt amps. I know you said that you couldn't find a clear frequency to operate on, but that would of been better, if you could of found a place you could call CQ yourself. For ECOMM, I would love to use my 817ND that I have, I would even use my uBix, which is a 10 watt radio. I have the 817ND in a black backpack with the bioenno battery, solar controller, folding solar panels and a EF Random Wire antenna. I also have my homebrewed, what I call my wolf river coil clone antenna. Also, in the pack I have my RPi with KM4ACK Build-A-Pi, one of those cellphone chargers for power, then I have a Apple iPad mini with bluetooth keyboard. So all I am trying to say is don't give up on HF with the 817ND. Juddie - WD8WV

[@TheTechPrepper]

I’m not giving upon QRP or the FT-818ND. The form factor and its light weight along with it being all band and all mode is why I bought it. I love this rig. It’s also easier to charge the small LiFePO4 batteries for it in the field as it has much lower current consumption than my QRO rig-the FT-891. You have a great set of gear yourself. It sounds like you have given your comms pack a fair bit of thought. As I mentioned before, this radio is great on peaks and during non-contest days. Looking back at this, I wish I had my 80m NVIS dipole that I just built for this trip. It would have been perfect with the mountainous terrain. As always, I enjoy when you check in with the the channel.

[@Radioddityradio]

Cool video!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks!

[@frankwc0o]

Now that I've watched this again, I can see this might have been an inflection point to weak signal communication via VHF.

[@TheTechPrepper]

You nailed it. The only HF I do these days is Summits on the Air and the occasional Winlink session on 80m. Sitting WFD out this year.

[@frankwc0o]

@@TheTechPrepper I was rewatching all the WFD videos from last year, and now I'm understanding what winter is all about - weak signal communications on VHF. I had more contacts on the ARRL January VHF contest this year than last, figured out that it's all about VHF communications on SSB. FM is so hard to do with 10 watts. I can't get anyone to hear me, or people are just not too interested in talking to someone new. I thing it is both, unfortunately. Here in LAX, the HF bands have not been great. So I found out, SSB on VHF, which is a whole new world. Seems like there are many opportunities in WFD to make some interesting contacts within the state. Have a great weekend.

[@sram5887]

Great video Awesome, thank you. From N4SEL 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. It was fun making it.

[@mark351]

A little bit of me dies with every, "Please copy."

[@TheTechPrepper]

Haha. I never had the chance to follow suit. :-)

[@Scout75PortableRadio]

Great job! I really enjoy your videos. Great seeing someone head into the field with specific goals and taking note of the lessons learned along the way. I completely agree with your rant. I get that not everyone can get outside, but there were too many "hotels" for me as well. I was glad to be on the air doing my 1st Parks on the Air attempt a few hours before the contest kick off. I too got quickly frustrated and got off of HF and played a bit on 2m.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. It looks like I may have a struck a nerve calling out the home stations. Oops. It’s time for a QRP field day revolution. Congratulations on your first POTA activation!. I spend 5 to 6 days in a national park and never activate it. Do you prefer POTA or SOTA?

[@frankwc0o]

Are you planing to do WFD 2023?

[@TheTechPrepper]

Not this year, unfortunately. I am at Quartzfest and sadly can't justify another radio weekend. Have fun, though!

[@tantoBass]

Great video. Your videos inspire me to push myself to further my HAM journey and pick up the general ticket. How do you attach the slim jim to carbon mast?

[@TheTechPrepper]

I am glad that this little channel was able to inspire you. Keep pushing yourself. Here's a link to the timestamp of a video where I show the Slim Jim J-Pole deployment on the Carbon 6 mast. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqrJqYSmacRjgJY

[@tantoBass]

@@TheTechPrepper thanks for the link. I haven't seen that video. Very simple solution.

[@USAFJUNKIE]

Summer field day rules were adjusted to 100W max power. I understand your frustration though.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That should level the playing field for the QRP operators. I sat this one out this year. If you played radio this weekend, I hope you had a blast participating. 73's

[@USAFJUNKIE]

@@TheTechPrepper no luck so far...but it's my own fault for not prioritizing upgrading to general, so I'm stuck on 10m.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I was in your situation as a Technician my first Field Day. General is worth the investment in studying. Good luck.

[@USAFJUNKIE]

@@TheTechPrepper thanks!! I got lucky and discovered a band opening on 2m... Ended up getting a contact from a guy doing SOTA 384 miles away! So it wasn't a total bust!

[@jimjames2623]

Liked your video I did not do winter field day this year because I was going to have to be one of those 1H stations Hi Hi. I think you would have better luck doing Winlink on HF there is more stations on HF to connect to. I only work QRP when I am forced too. I have ran a 100 amp hour battery all day and all night on solar running 100 watts of power. If you are hiking into you camp small Battery if you are driving in have a big battery. Good luck to you enjoyed your video. Also Covid forced so many 1 Hotel stations this year.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Jim, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. It's too bad you sat this event out. I realized after recording this video that COVID may have had something to do with the large number of 1H stations. This was my first Winter Field Day, so I had no basis for comparison from previous years. Please don't take it personally. In all honesty, I should have brought a bigger pack and used my QRO rig (FT-891). On that same note, I would have had room to bring my SignaLink and could have tried Winlink over HF. I hope 2021 treats you well. 73, KT1RUN

[@dangermandave67]

I watched this video to see what WFD is like. I feel your pain with these 100W "hotel" stations. Dudes, it's supposed to be FIELD Day, not sit on your ass in your shack day. I got the same thing operating my first Field Day last year. The big dog stations thinned out a bit on 10m, so I'm going to focus on that instead of 20m next time. I'm with you on preferring SOTA, though. That's my jam. You've probably seen this yourself, but Vara FM tends to work better for Winlink than standard AX.25 packet, in my experience.

[@robertklinger2000]

Really enjoyed the video on WFD Tech Prepper! Love when you put success or fail on the screen when you do something good or not so good! I really like the cards you have prepared! Do you have a sample of those?. Keep up the good work and keep the videos coming!

[@TheTechPrepper]

I’m glad you enjoyed it even it was a mix bag of successes and failures. The cards come in really handy. I’ll be doing a video this month on the cards. I’ll share what I have via a Google Doc at the same time. I’ve been posting a bunch of these on Instagram for the last month or two. I’m thetechprepper on Instagram. Shoot me an email if you want an early preview of the cards.

[@robertklinger2000]

@@TheTechPrepper That's really good to know! I will be looking forward to the video! My email is [e-mail]. Thanks and take care from snowy central PA!

[@mikeh4524]

Is CW the solution to your QRP vs the Hotels issue?

[@TheTechPrepper]

That’s an option. Digital modes would be another. Thanks!

[@kevinkc3onohelijeepworld953]

Don’t get discouraged just move up to 100w mobile station 😉also try 60m 100w limit often overlooked freq KC3ONO

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. I won’t get discouraged. I have a 100 watt radio, the Yaesu FT-891. I didn’t bring it due to the weight and the need for a larger battery. My goal was to get the entire gear in a 37L backpack. I have really good success when I operate QRO.

[@reprhunter]

Did you encounter any issues with the mast due to it being carbon fiber?

[@TheTechPrepper]

I don’t think so, although I’ve heard of people having issues when deploying a dipole using a similar carbon fiber mast. I think the sloper is less of a problem, but I could be wrong.

[@KI4ASK]

Great video. I really enjoyed how methodical you were with the different comm scenarios. My YL KI4HHI and I deployed our IC-705 for WFD and had a great time making 20m QRP contacts while backpacking. I put some pictures on my Instagram @joedom. Yeah so many 1H stations, 1O is where it’s at. Yes, QRP can happen and there’s some technique for getting heard. The better operators will call for QRP stations. Keep at it. Thanks for the great content. 73 de KI4ASK

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thank you. Like I said, it was more about experimenting than contesting. It really was a blast. How do you like your IC-705? That radio came out just after I purchased my first HF rig-the FT-818ND. The scope, 10 watts, single USB connection and ability to recharge in the field is intriguing. It’s too bad it doesn’t have a built in tuner at the price point. I’ve noticed that some of the nets have good net controllers that ask for QRP during check ins. I’ve only a heard a few operators during contests ask for QRP stations. Thanks for sharing.

[@KI4ASK]

@@TheTechPrepper we own both the FT817 & IC-705. I’ve made plenty of contacts on the 817. We love the 705 - easy to use for digital modes, it has a screen you can actually see! I don’t miss not having a tuner, we try to use resonant antennas when operating QRP.

[@jonasv328]

To me this looks like a strange position to set up an antenna. Why not go up the hills and put the antenna on the top?

[@TheTechPrepper]

I did the following day. The first day was simply a series of tests/experiments where my camp was located. The performance was better on the hill top.

[@Braz1956]

What connectors/adapters are you using to go from the N9TAX to the FT60?

[@TheTechPrepper]

When you order the N9TAX Slim Jim J-Pole you have the option to pick your connector and I went with BNC. I opted to start standardizing on BNC for all my gear even if not all my radios natively have a BNC connector. Instead, I have a bunch of adapters in that little Altoids tin. For the FT-60R, I use an "SMA Male to BNC Female". amzn.to/3cAFNh6

[@Braz1956]

@@TheTechPrepper Josh at Ham Radio Crash Course recommends this too.

[@chunkylover54]

does the aprs drioid actually transmit on the radio or is it using the igate? I ended up switching to a windows machine running aprsis32 because I couldn't figure out how to transmit from aprs droid

[@TheTechPrepper]

In my case, this setup was configured to transmit over RF (no internet). My Android phone has no cell/data plan and the the nearest wi-fi was 2 miles out as the crow flies. At first, the Mobilinkd, APRSDroid and the radio took a bit of experimenting to get working. I stopped using my Baofeng for APRS because there are subtle configuration devices between it and my Yaesu (and other radios). Don't give up! Carve out some time and try again!

[@chunkylover54]

@@TheTechPrepper figured it out needed to change a few settings. I wish it could do digipeating that would be an awesome fix so i dont have to use my windows machine for my aprs works

[@timevans239]

Really enjoyed your video. New ham starting my journey. Love the Sonoran desert. Keep videos coming will inspire alot of new hams like me. 73 kg7fxn

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks, Tim. I’m a new ham, too. I’ve only been on the air for 8 months. It’s fun sharing what’s possible in amateur radio as I stumble through the hobby. The Sonoran Desert is great. I hope to catch you on the air. Welcome to the channel and the hobby. 73, KT1RUN

[@HammockRadio]

I feel your pain, that's why I sat this one out. After how summer field day went, I figured WFD would just be a repeat. I did tune around at home, but only heard Hotels. I'll stick to POTA to test my gear with and leave the contest events to the KW OMs. 😑

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're my kind of ham Like you, I think I'll put contesting aside and try to avoid the contesting weekends when I plan to activate a peak. It was still fun getting out and enjoy the backcountry. 73, KT1RUN

[@brentsmith5647]

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[@AmateurRadio]

Pausing and pulling out weak stations (and even dropping tx for a second to check for doubles during a rag chew) is a skill not many hams have. If everyone was skilled, we would could all run five watts.

[@TheTechPrepper]

That's an excellent way of looking at it. Thanks for contributing!