You carried that to a SOTA summit?!

[@Michael-nd7gh]

Everyone commenting "Oh how cool, sweet antenna!" or "Nice job hauling the 7300 portable!" or any of the other silly radio comments. It's almost as if hams don't recognize a good beard when they see one.

[@K6ARK]

Best comment on this video yet. 🤘😆

[@markg6jvy135]

😂👏

[@KhelikMikhail]

:))

[@Aimsport-video]

You are a living legend. Can’t wait for the ROHN’s R-55 50 ft freestanding tower SOTA edition.

[@gregmihran8616]

At 4:06, you stated with a smile "I'm not gonna lie, this is totally ridiculous" ... yes, yes it is ... but it wouldn't be fun otherwise! Excellent work Adam! Love that homemade 10M beam, mini-rotor and swimming pool cleaner mast. This is what real HAM radio is all about, 73 buddy. KJ6ER, Silicon Valley

[@tombuttner]

It’s good to see a 7300 getting some true field experience.

[@Sonicgott]

NGL, being able to setup an antenna on a tall mountain like that and being able to get a Chilean DX? And New Zealand? I'm seriously impressed! Nothing more satisfying than hearing a 5/9 from so many stations. Nice work!

[@m1geo]

Nicely done! Reminds me of a few of us doing a 6m contest from a SOTA on the Isle of Man at 1kW! 😂

[@QRP_Practical]

Kudos to you for making that entire setup portable. Well done.

[@mostlypostie1]

That was awesome - I think if you commercialised that 10m beam setup, you would be on a winner - rotator and all!!! Well done!

[@meggalavk3ktt]

great video showing what a dominating location does for contacts.

[@markhuisinga1698]

I could stay up there forever. Its beautiful.

[@d3w4yn3]

Just made my first real (not on a local repeater) QSOs today, chasing come POTA activators. What I really want to do though, is SOTA! Been watching a lot of your stuff for a while now, very inspirational to me! You are a maniac dragging that skyscraper up that mountain! (hahahahaha, only joking, but maybe not totally joking) Thank you for this video! Have some stitches in my right foot, but I'll be out of the boot on my right foot in 4 1/2 weeks, and I'll be activating, in part, motivated by this video!!!

[@n3ljs399]

Good to see good ham radio KZbin channel.... that is no trying to sell you something.

[@K6ARK]

Nope, not selling anything. Full disclosure - I do include Amazon affiliate links to some of my gear and supplies that I buy from Amazon because I always get asked. I figure, if I'm going to send Amazon the traffic anyway, I might as well get a few pennies out of it since it doesn't cost the person making the purchase anymore. I do plan to start selling some kits to build my mini and fed half wave matching units because there has been so much interest in those. But, as you can probably tell, my goal with this channel is not to make money, it's to get you all stoked on playing radio and building stuff.

[@N7ECVQRPLIFE]

One of the best SOTA videos I've seen.

[@chunkylover54]

i miss san diego. I was stationed there in the early 2000's having those trails out your back door is amazing. I got a buddy who owns a outdoor shop called kit fox outfitters. If you ever stop in tell the big guy I say hello! Maybe you can talk him into being a sota guy haha.

[@2metercrew389]

Well done 👍👍👍

[@Ei2iP]

I admire your perseverance Adam, of hauling all that gear, love the ic-7300, hopefully we'll get a chance to work you on the bands, keep up the good work, de Ei2iP...

[@kennethblackwell1137]

An interesting creation....the antenna. Thanks for showing us.

[@TwitchFlys]

This is inspiring! I'm working on getting my license back and going into General. I also looked at the SOTA summits and there's next to no activations on anything in my area... super cool

[@DK5ONV]

One hell of great job you did there! I really like that. Merry x-mas to you and yours. Stay safe & 73's de Günter

[@grantMH1]

Inspiring video w/ lots of good info; great antenna. Thanks for your mountain rescue work! 73 DE KT6L

[@f4isb689]

Great video, nice atmosphere, and sound is very very good 👍 , love that

[@QRPMonkey]

Very cool Adam. Back in 2012 when i started SOTA. I carried a icom 706 and a 7ah lead acid battery and a home-brewed buddiestick. My pack weighted about 35 pounds and i did that for the first few years until i got a ft-817 and built some wire antennas. Conditions back then were great on 10m. Regularly worked NZ and Australia on SSB. Fun times. 73 de Kf7sey

[@dillkenny57]

Great job. I want one set up like that. 73.

[@scottgies]

Awesome Adam! Just came across you on YT and watched this..Very impressive! I am now subscribed. :)

[@TheNoCodeTech]

That is impressive! An inspiration, thank you for sharing.

[@edmoreno9308]

Wow! You've got to be the most inventive engineer I know. What an inspiration to all of us newbies. Thank you for sharing your HAM adventures and inventions.

[@n2dabloo]

I worked Javier (CE7VPQ) from my oilfield supply boat in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 M/SSB with my G-90 @ 20 watts. Awesome video, De KN4EQG

[@cappaculla]

Awesome setup to have for SOTA, props for carrying it all up there....

[@Linas_LY2H]

Increadible location, fantastic set-up! Love the beam! Once upon a time I used to have a Square 2 EL multiband Beam ( a simplified version of the Hex Beam :)) for some 3 years in permanent installation rotated by a small TV rotator. I'm a big fan of wire beams since ! And your project just proves it! 73! Linas LY2H

[@temporarilyoffline]

This was a great video again Adam! Its amazing how you get to know people on the air through repeated contacts.

[@mabo4848]

haha great and thanks for writing the cw code in text ... i am start learning morse code and doing also sota.... so it helps alot to see how conversations look like

[@SQ5TK]

Oh man !!! Idea for antenna is magnificent. Putting IC 7300 into the backpack in order to do SOTA it's a sign of deep devotion to the hobby :)

[@Terribleguitarist89]

Absolute mental antenna... would love to build one like that.

[@markdupuis879]

I was listening in on this contest with my rtl-sdr. I heard you a few times in Louisiana. P.s. going take my tech test on the Jan 7th.

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

BEST WISHES FOR SUCCESS!

[@ecv03]

Did you pass the test?

[@markdupuis879]

@@ecv03 yes I did! Now I need to get my general.

[@phildurall7466]

Dude! Amazing construction skills! Love the rotor! You continue to set the bar Sir!

[@roadie6153]

Great video! Just upgraded from a 718 to a 7300. Loving it so far, but have yet to hear anyone on 10m in my location........

[@nvrumi]

Adam, you are one of my heroes. Thanks for sharing your journey!

[@malenve6vid]

Great stuff Adam.

[@imaflatpicker3066]

Love the attitude! You are truly having a great time and it inspires me to get more active. Thanks for a great video!

[@hamradiotube]

Fricken awesome man! I didn’t realize you had a rotator on that thing too, just amazing!!!

[@564Fire]

Adam, thats so awesome! That looked like so much fun!

[@jhopkins213]

Brave man hauling a $1500 rig (well, it WAS originally priced at $1500, you can pick up an IC-7300 for just under a grand today with rebates) out into the field!

[@desbelfastireland9982]

THANKS ,, ANTRIM IRELAND

[@BadassWeldingVideos]

that is a badass setup

[@K6ARK]

I even did some (not very) badass (really sloppy) welding to make the hub out of some notched fence top rail. Methinks I need to watch some of your videos.

[@BadassWeldingVideos]

@@K6ARK oh, i dont do how to videos, but i am planning on building a nice and tall tower one day. that will be the video to watch

[@LASBassman121]

You made it seem so effortless yet I know a lot of work went into this. Well done. Kudos to you for having all that gear up there.

[@K6ARK]

Yes, design time on MMANA (I'm still learning), sketching up plans, welding some steel together for the center hub, boring out some PVC connectors on the lathe to fit a bearing, figuring out guy lines, breaking the tip of one of the poles, then deciding to shorten them all slightly... It's been a journey, and there's more to do on this one. It's far from perfect but constantly getting better.

[@HALEdigitalARTS]

You're an animal, Adam. Keep it up.

[@K1DTC]

Cool video! What we do for the hobby! looks like it was fun 🤩 i could sit there operating CW All damn day!

[@Steve-GM0HUU]

I did think it was just a little ridiculous when I saw the rotator 😄... Seriously, well done for lugging all that gear up there. Looks like you had some well deserved fun. Thanks for posting.

[@Aussat]

Well done, fantastic!

[@Cardassiaprime]

Great vid. your camera is great too the scenic footage is awesome. impressed you decided to haul all that gear up there- you reap what you sow! I use a Icom 706 for portable - not the smallest but its ok. cant imagine ever pulling my Icom 751 off the bench and carrying up a summit- though interestingly it could be done! great Qso's Job Done-Well Done, SUBSCRIBED,. M7PBX. P.S. @ Michael Thompson, the beard is cool- but not white like mine!

[@scottforbes0]

This video brings new meaning to the phrase “Send it!”

[@Tommy_Boy.]

Crazy-cool video and accomplishment Adam! Really nice. Thanks for all your efforts and the nice production! You're an inspiration, man! 👍📻⚡Cheers & 73, Tom - WA7FLY

[@minibikemadman]

10m contest was great here south of Boston. De w1cjf

[@Mottersmotters]

Hello Adam, great job with the contacts. Fantastic job taking all the gear up there. Some hike and some gear. Super antenna build. Yep four poles. It's been a long day. Motters M7TRS 73

[@Bernard-John]

Hi,good video, i bring my Icom 7300 to the coast, but what you do is another level, keep up the good work, 73 from Rotterdam.

[@dkadayinthailand3082]

OMG, that antenna. Looks like a big job to set that up. Nice video

[@spencergiles72]

That shot of you sitting there rotating it south to Chile is incredible haha!

[@NorthCountryHam]

I really like the set up with motor for rotating. Nice 10m beam and activation.

[@tonyridlen]

Sure hope after all of that long hike and walk that you were able to accumulate a ton of points in your 10 meter contest Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year 2021!!!! 73 Anthony O.Ridlen KC9QVE Amateur Extra Marion,Indiana

[@DevDoesAThing]

Not a clue whats going on here...... but as a fan of Radio i think this is the most fun video ive seen in a long time. keep it up, jersey checking in

[@K6ARK]

Basically, I'm using radio waves bounced off of the ionosphere to talk to a bunch of people in South America from California. And my antenna is a crazy rickety fiberglass frame with some wires which somehow focus my radio signal where I point it. It's stupid good fun 🤘😆👍

[@cathrynm]

This is advanced level, bringing a beam and IC7300.

[@Chris.Schulz]

This is so awesome! Way to go.

[@bubbas3rd]

Sorry I missed this one live. Love learning from you and going with you on these adventures! Oh, and we share an appreciation for bad-A brands of clothing!!

[@K6ARK]

Thanks Brooke! Serious outdoor shenanigans warrant some quality gear. By the way, I loved your stream with TO.

[@bubbas3rd]

@@K6ARK Thank you!!!! I had a blast for sure!

[@ds1tze]

Awesome, just awesome!

[@michaelmurphy5834]

There was a ton more activity on cw. Plus you get a 10db advantage. Glad you had fun!

[@K6ARK]

Perhaps next year I'll do CW, or both. I spent so much time on SSB, I decided to just stick with it for the day other than the SOTA contacts.

[@michaelmurphy5834]

@@K6ARK California appeared to have much better propagation than Ohio. I had 250 plus Q’s on CW. I ran about 300 watts and a TH11 at 60 feet and it often felt like a struggle.

[@K6ARK]

We had a good pipeline North and South, but not much to the East.

[@gilbreathca]

A worm screw drive on that rotator would be self-braking in wind. To some extent...

[@K6ARK]

Yeah, good idea. I may try that. The round belt on the pulleys slips, which I kinda wanted to prevent damage. I have some toothed pulleys and belt as well that I want to try.

[@rudyhardy370]

Good stuff!

[@wb8cxo]

"I'm not gonna lie, this is totally ridiculous" . NOT....OUTSTANDING!

[@markdoyle8713]

Have you considered using the HealthKit sb 200 this boat anchor would be a great seat warmer while making contacts .

[@Veedy]

Love that antenna ! I may have to steal your design..... I've never back packed my 7300, but have used it portable several times. Now that I see that it can be done, it gives me some confidence that I can do it also. Nice video ! VA7BVV

[@timeinthefield]

I absolutely love your videos. Inspired to say the least!

[@George_S.G]

what a great video K6ARK, the antenna looks amazing with a great performer , 73 from Massachusetts.

[@K6ARK]

And it'll get better when I add an element for another 2 dB and a lot better F/B

[@WalterMelones]

Can you do an assembly/design video for the antenna? I want to try it, and see if I can get it to scale up to a lower band.

[@m1hax]

Legend!

[@UF4S]

Awesome!!!

[@alvarogaitan2529]

waoohh you number one terrific set up you the best thanks 73 from kb2uew

[@darckan86]

could you please give more information about the rotor?

[@stewartrv]

Very nice I like it. I love to see a more detailed video of the antenna. I wasn't really able to figure out if its configure as a Moxon or if there are elements strung across like a yagi. I'm guessing the later, if so how many elements is it 2 plus reflector?

[@K6ARK]

Standard yagi configuration. 4 elements currently, but I'm adding one more for a total of 5. "Boom length" will be 7.5 m.

[@vladimirv1763]

Great pole/beam setup! 73 DM2VV

[@papa_hovo]

Kicked in around 20:00 and i started jamming to it😂

[@keithburk9383]

Do you by chance have a video of making the beam? Love it thanks. VA7YBU. 73

[@K6ARK]

No, I didn't film the making of this one. Sometimes I need to just tinker and build, and don't always turn the camera on. Though it's fun, It's really a lot of extra work, and when my time is limited, I sometimes focus just on building rather than documenting everything.

[@keithburk9383]

I get that, I'm sure you spend alot of time filming and editing. I'm new to your Channel so let me just say I appreciate the work you put in it's great thanks a bunch!

[@K6ARK]

Thank you,@@keithburk9383. I enjoy doing it but have to find the right balance, as you can imagine. Appreciate the comment and the feedback.

[@keithburk9383]

You have me seriously looking into sota 👍

[@grimmace77]

This is great! My hero. I just realized you took your 7300 to summit.However the antenna is great. Consider a multiband dual quad?? The band opening was awesome!. The antenna is great! KD9POE

[@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE]

You are MAD...but in a very good way!!! You did really well with the contacts and I loved the beam and rotator. Look forward to seeing further developments of this. Just wondering if you considered making a 2 element qua-gi using your struts and wire techique?

[@K6ARK]

Yes, but then you need a rigid boom or a really funky hub and 2 more poles. Designing for portable is just that much harder. Yagis are easier.

[@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE]

@@K6ARK Understood, thanks Adam.

[@mank_legend5584]

Would you be willing to share the plans for this antenna, or at least provide some of the basic specs so some of us can replicate? That would be awesome Adam! Thanks, DE NØTTI

[@K6ARK]

Yes, its a basic 4 element 26 ga wire yagi. I actually plan to re-build with 5 elements as it will work better for the size of the frame. There is nothing special about the yagi design - it just has straight elements and was optimized for a 50 ohm match. I just modeled it up in MMANA, optimizing for the size of the frame I made. The frame is made of 16 foot telescopic fiberglass poles on a hub welded out of fence post top rail. Guy lines and an elevated center support help keep everything taut. I can share the MMANA file if that would help.

[@mank_legend5584]

@@K6ARK that we be a huge help, thank you very much Adam! Look forward to building it! My qrz email is good. Thanks again! Appreciate you taking the time to help. De NØTTI

[@izzzzzz6]

Did anyone notice the spiral pattern in the sky?

[@stridermt2k]

That is insane! Wow so cool! Inspirational! HRCC brought me here 73 de N2NLQ

[@James_Bowie]

Kudos for that great effort! Very inspiring! 👍👍👍 K6ARK appears to be a difficult call sign on air. I note that call signs that have letters repeated in them seem to cause people confusion. A guy in the UK had 2E0EZT and the 'echo-zero-echo-zulu' bit threw people quite often.

[@TomR459]

very good for the next activation can u take a flexradio instead

[@K6ARK]

Ha! I've thought about it. If it provided a significant benefit, I probably would. The FT-857 is coming on the next activation, along with a gain antenna for 15m with hopes of getting some ZL or VK sunmit-to-summit action.

[@adriandone1652]

@@K6ARK My first and second activation was with FT857 and a lead acid of 18 Ah. Summit was with 400 m diference of altitude for about 4 Km. Was terible. Now MCHF and 350 grams accu LiIon ... 73 de YO8AZQ

[@jackkb2txr833]

it looks like a flat 10m loop I can not see it as a beam a it as no reflector need more info on the antenna !

[@williamgreenleaf9302]

KD2QOJ. Great antenna performance

[@adrianJ146]

Adam, HNY, nice video and VfL activation. Any construction details of this antenna available? many thanks, 73, Adrian, DH1AHL

[@buckman72]

So is there a video showing the antenna build (assuming it's DIY)? And any links to rotator build as well. Great set up would love to try make something similar. Great video keep up the good work and thanks.

[@K6ARK]

No build video yet, but there have been multiple questions/requests about it, so I'll put one together when I update for an additional element. The design of both the antenna and rotator certainly have their weaknesses, and I'm still working those out.

[@buckman72]

@@K6ARK can't wait. K5WCF

[@warihnugroho2628]

Halo teman jenis batre apa yang kamu pakai

[@FishingHam]

That's an awesome setup! looking at the setup maybe it has potential to be used as an 20m moxon beam as well?

[@K6ARK]

Yes! That's in the plans. Also, a 3 element 17m yagi.

[@CoryKlumper]

I had the same thought. Nested 10/15/20m moxon that I can put up for contest weekends and take down to keep the rest of the house happy.

[@AI6XG]

so crazy that it is great! well done de AI6XG

[@cedarridge3020]

WHAT?!? No Group31 battery? 1:31 🧐

[@cedarridge3020]

Just got me thinking, what about a long weekend of SOTA with something to keep it on the air like a big Group31 battery on a wheeled drag kit pulled behind and attached at your waist but mostly weight-supported by the drag wheels? See, you're giving me ideas for this coming Spring. 😎

[@cedarridge3020]

Adam, based on your experience, would a snap together 2 element 10m quad be a good or bad idea for a SOTA? It could also hold a 20m HALO across the top.

[@papa_hovo]

Bought hand held cobra CB and now i am @ an end of a rabbit hole

[@flashover52]

I have some experience with those little 12v motors so now my motors are spinning. What were the 16' poles? Aluminum tent poles, nested aluminum tubing or....?

[@K6ARK]

The 16 ft poles are cheap telescopic fishing poles. You can find them on AliExpress.

[@flashover52]

@@K6ARK Copy...rewatched a bit and heard "wire yagi." Now I know what the wires that were not the supports were for. Interesting concept.

[@DizziLife]

you have great content and are very smart, I am going to try a few peaks myself but there arent many near where i live. do think we could work one another??? im in south east uk

[@K6ARK]

It's certainly possible, especially with CW or FT8. Being able to run 100w would help too. 17 or 20m in my morning/your afternoon might get it done.

[@DizziLife]

@@K6ARK i am only going to be able to run 10w until i get me intermediate passed. I am still without a license. But i am looking forward to trying. :). You got me into sota / pota. Great stuff. Thanks for the reply. !!

[@_Mordion_]

Was there an escalator on the side of this mountain or something..? LOL

[@K6ARK]

Wait til I post the video of the 7 element 10m yagi 👀 🤘😆👍