Operating Pedestrian Portable

Even though it has been snowing here today, better weather is coming after what has seemed a very long and dark winter. One of the fun ways to enjoy our hobby is pedestrian portable from  some nice location. Quite a few people enjoy Summits on the Air (SOTA) or Parks on the Air (POTA).

There is a good choice of rigs these days. I would definitely recommend using a counterpoise as this can make a lot of difference. If there is a chance of people walking nearby, watch the trip hazard! Often the rig and antenna can be oriented to get the best signal.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/other-amateur-radio/pedestrian-portable .

Out pedestrian portable

Before I had a stroke, I quite enjoyed operating pedestrian portable. That is with a rig with a whip antenna on the set, not out portable with large antennas such as SOTA or POTA operations.

When the weather is good (it is raining here at the moment!) it is great fun. Seaside operation with good take-offs can be surprisingly good. If you have high noise levels at home, you can choose quiet places.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/other-amateur-radio/pedestrian-portable .

Pedestrian portable?

With the better weather and the easing of UK lockdowns, you may want to think about pedestrian portable operations once again. 

Especially in the Es season, lots of Europe may be worked from the UK with just a whip, a counterpoise and low power on the higher HF bands and 6m SSB. 

One advantage of pedestrian portable operation is the angle of the antenna may be easily adjusted to get the strongest signal.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pedestrian .

Operating Pedestrian Portable

This has been on before, but as it is holiday season, now is a good time to remind people. Some surprising results can be had out portable. Even though the power is normally low, the antenna can be optimised for the best angle and some remarkable DX can be worked, especially in the Es season on the higher HF bands and 6m.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pedestrian

Es season and getting outdoors

We are now in the Es season in the northern hemisphere and 10m and 6m will be good for low power DXing now for several months. On bands like 10m and 6m DX on SSB should be workable out to around 1500km with 1W or less. Often signals are very strong.

This is a good time to venture outdoors to a quiet electrical environment with a QRP rig. One advantage of a whip antenna is the whole rig can be moved around to get the best signal. Use a counterpoise.

There are some tips on pedestrian portable operation on my website. I guarantee you will not be disappointed! Many will be surprised how easy it can be. Whatever, it is a great way to enjoy sunshine and our hobby. Even outside the Es season DX can be worked, but the next few months are good.

The great outdoors

At the moment here in the UK it has been very dull and wet. Today is bright, but cold and windy.  However, in a few months things will improve and it will be time to venture again into the great outdoors. Some great handheld DX can be worked with just a whip antenna and a few watts of SSB or FM.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pedestrian .

QRP DXing from the great outdoors

Here in the UK we have enjoyed some great summer weather. Maybe it is time to try your QRP SSB rig out portable. During the summer Es season some stations can be worked with a very modest QRP portable station: no big antennas, just a whip on the rig can be enough. I find a counterpoise can make a lot of difference. Always be mindful of "humans" who may not understand. 😉

F2 DX on the higher HF bands is getting harder, but Es is a different matter.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pedestrian .

Pedestrian HF Portable

We are in a period of good Es conditions on 10m and 6m. This usually lasts through May, June, July and August. It happens at other times too, but less often. Under such conditions just a few watts SSB can work DX even with a whip antenna. When F2 is good, DX to very far away is possible with QRP SSB.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pedestrian

/P operation

We leave Devon in the morning and I did not turn my amateur radio gear on once! This is a good sign as we spent far more time than I expected enjoying the walks and the scenery. No doubt I shall be  WSPRing again when I get home.  At least I know that I can still enjoy the things I used to do in my home county.

OK, I am more reluctant to use my (poor) voice on HF SSB. This is much harder than it was. Instead, I was happy to walk and look instead.

Pedestrian portable DXing

In the past, when fitter, I had a lot of casual fun working real HF DX with simple rig mounted antennas and batteries. In fact I have worked some impressive DX with QRP SSB using just the whip on the rig, mainly on 15m and 10m SSB.  Best DX includes South America from my late mother's back garden on 15m SSB with the FT817 at 2.5W setting

One advantage is you can move the rig and antenna of optimum signal on receive. A small counterpoise wire is pretty essential to get best results. When fit again I'd like to do more of this, but currently my poor health is getting in the way.

Others, far more dedicated than me, have worked far better DX. Some get up early to work Australia from beaches with QRP on 20m. I have also worked a long way into Europe on 2m FM with QRP. 6m SSB Es is certainly workable with small rig mounted antennas.

I think you have to believe than this is possible (HF DX) and it will happen. Think how strong some signals are. On the higher HF bands a base loaded, or better still a centre loaded, whip is not that far down on a full sized vertical.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pedestrian .

More seaside DXing today

Location today at Rock House beach at Thurlestone, Devon

Today I was busy visiting National Trust places with the wife, but managed a little DXing on the Devon coast again. Lots of DX on 15,12 and 10m SSB with some choice ones in there. All I managed was a 51 report from Madeira Is on 12m SSB with the 2.5W from the FT817.

One thing is amazing when operating from electrically quiet spots: signals just appear out of a silent band, quite unlike the situation at home where the noise floor is always many dB higher. I had no idea how good the noise floor on my FT817 could be!

Another observation is that most DX stations would be workable 2-way (with 2W) but it is the competition in pile-ups that causes the problems most times. On WSPR, all stations have an equal chance of being copied or copying DX stations, so this gives a much better idea of real propagation with low power.

QRP DXing from clifftop and coastal sites is great fun, but it is more of a masochistic rat race in the last analysis. A few days is fun, especially in the lovely sunshine. More than that I'm not so sure. When I told my wife that I wasn't getting too many contacts as other people were using much more power and got heard first she said, "why don't you use more power then?". Hmmm.

DXing on the Devon coast

Thurlestone, Devon

This afternoon I enjoyed the beautiful coastline of the South Hams of Devon whilst doing some operating with the FT817 and a small HF mag-mount on the car. There was plenty of choice DX around including 8Q7, ZD7, FM5, HZ, CE and CX although I only managed to work W, VE, UA1, SV and a few others with my 2.5W SSB in the time I was on. Tomorrow we will be on the top of Dartmoor and I'll try to work a few countries.

Packing for clifftop operation next week

Operating pedestrian portable in South Devon

Next week, I am off to South Devon to stay with my brother for a few days. This time, I am packing some equipment to operate /P and /M (static only) from some prime clifftop and moorland sites with excellent take-offs. With me will be the FT817 and little VX2 together with whip antennas from 15m to 70cms which can be used on the rig or on the mag-mount. As the sporadic-E season has started, there is a good chance of working some Europeans on 6m and 10m. There is an outside chance of some Es on 2m if I strike lucky.

For once the weather forecast is cold and reasonably sunny. Usually when I go back to Devon (where I was born and brought up) and it is raining all week my brother says, "you should have come last week - it was lovely".

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).

Bicycle portable in Blackpool

David G4AKC has been on his bike and working some excellent DX (like VK/ZL) on SSB and CW on 20m from his bike parked up next to the seaside in Blackpool. He uses and Alinco DX-70 on battery power with a  home made top loaded 3.5m long vertical against a tuned frame, and operating "over the sea water".  He says several QSOs were possible at the 1W level. See http://www.qrz.com/db/g4akc .

Pedestrian Portable webpage added to site.

See http://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp/Home/portable for my thoughts and tips on portable HF SSB DXing. If you have further thoughts or tips please let me know. Also, I'd be interested to hear about results YOU have had with true handheld HF DXing.