Pedestrian Portable HF DXing

G3XBM operating pedestrian portable in South Devon

The latest edition of Practical Wireless carries my article on pedestrian portable HF DXing. Getting out of doors in a noise free location with a simple HF rig and using it handheld - not with a large semi-permanent antenna, but with a whip on the rig - is one of the great pleasures of QRPing. With a good location, such as a clifftop site with a slope towards the sea, DX can be worked easier than might be expected even with a few watts of SSB.  Nothing quite beats talking to a station thousands of miles away with a small radio in the hand.  A small counterpoise wire is a must to get the best results. Especially in the summer Es season when signals can be S9, this can bring a whole new dimension to the hobby. Forget that plasma TV interference and get out there in the great outdoors!  Best bands are 15m, 10m and 6m (when open).