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I was a no-code Extra, but a buddy of mine became a Silent Key, and bequeathed me his 1952 Vibroplex Zephyr. So now I know what key I'm going to learn and use. I understand that it's like learning to play a musical instrument, and it's a significant additional skill beyond simply knowing the code. I learned enough about his key to know that he was a master CW operator. The weight on the pendulum had been set up against the stop for years, just as fast as it would go. The spring tensions and contact positions were set extremely fast. I may never get to that point. I'll start with a clothes pin out on the end of the pendulum to make it as slow as possible, about 10 wpm. Lots to learn, but his key will not stay silent.

Awesome ! Trip down memory lane. Looks like fun time .

I love my KX2. I have a TP3, but I just use the Elecraft key. My antenna is a PackTenna Random Wire (10-40m) and a simple 28' wire and counterpoise with the BNC binding posts. Quad paper and a mechanical pencil, a small multi-tool, and the same Throw you use... I just started using a simple set of cord adapters for digital. They're light and compact and simple. Search for the RUclips video, I think you'll find it a sound solution. The only things I would change about the KX2, is adding more keyer memories (my QCX Mini's have 12, and I use them), and a USB C interface. And one last thing... I've modified two of my QCX Mini's with K6ARK's capacitive touch keys, acorn nuts and his simple circuit (awesome). The case is fine for me... In bad weather, I'll sit inside my Jeep using a passenger side 'shotgun' work surface. It's a suspended 1/8" sheet of birch plywood, cut to fit. This makes it easy to use any field radio, without having to mount anything to the vehicle. I'm warm, dry and comfortable. Deployments use a telescopic mast and a tree to lean it into... Yahtzee! Great video. 72 de W7UDT

What kind of a camp chair and table are you using? I'm looking for something similar that isn't going to break the bank. 😅

I have the CHA 17ft vertical and have been using it with a K8MRD ground spike. I can get the SWR down below 1.5 on 20 - 6 using 15 mike's 2.5m radials. Using a power-pole connector it's simple to setup. I am building the CAHR Ares this weekend to add to the pota collection. Also will be testing the 17ft vertical with a EMP cloth. Fun to experiment and play. 73 Bob WB6TIS

I got a good laugh out of this video. I was thinking the same things you were yelling

Would this antenna cover Cb bands 10,11,12 meter bands transmission and receiving when portable.

Evan, I always pick up something new with your videos. As a new owner of the 705 without a chance to put it through its paces (or read the manual!) I saw you were able to send CQ by pushing the BKIN button, I believe? I haven't yet come across how to do that. I know I can do it by going into the memory keyer functions in the menus, but it appears you hit a physical button. Any suggestions where to find out how to do this? Thanks as always! de KC0DWZ [EDIT: As soon as I sent this I found it in the Advance Manual. Never mind... lol!]

Faraday bag to the rescue....that is a great idea! 73, Patrick KF4LMZ

This radio is sexy. Evan, you deserve a begali adventure with the 705 and kx2 mount. Hopefully someone rich will read this and gift you one 😂 77

Great video. Love the 705! Yes, I like the 891, too, but the with the 705 I don’t need to bring a large battery and as long as I get a spot, I get good results with just 5 watts (depending on band conditions). Looking forward to your next video! 73

I’m just learning the alphabet. Please keep up these activation videos because it gives me a chance to try cw copy and i like your insight into a real qso

And my wife thinks I am the only crazy person that yells at radios when I am alone and no one can hear me. Thomas Witherspoon Video NY style lol.

I swear there's one of those guys like at 20:00 at every other activation. I assume they can't actually hear me and just respond when they hear the question mark. Drives me nuts, especially on something like the X5105 that has bad audio. I like the faraday bag. I get phone interference on a few rigs but I don't usually have to move it too far away to clear it up. Any wire will pick it up. I consider it a reminder to put the thing away, but a faraday bag could be handy. Good tip.

The FT-891 does everything the IC-705 does, less the waterfall display, for nearly half the price. Oh yeah, also 100 watts if you need it. If you can live with a little bigger box, the FT-710 has all of that plus waterfall and tuner, for $300 to $400 less than the IC-705. --n1bs

This is my favorite qrp radio review series on the internet. Thank you sir for your detailed videos

Thanks for the review Evan. Is there a way to adjust torsion bar tension? Steve's website mentions "very light touch," but I'm not a light touch kind of operator. Can the key be adjusted to require more touch?

Did you know 3 long speaker wires and a cheap matchbox will work as good or better then this expensive antenna

Brilliant comparison. I’m literally torn between the two. Weeks away from my first exam, looking for a first radio. I want the FX, but the G90 is probably better for me. I can picture myself taking the FX on hikes, but with external tuner, not sure it would really be more practical than the G90.

Faraday cloth as a ground plane will fold up into about a 8"x5"x1" , slide into your pack size. Also i mounted the CHA ss 17 to a truckers mirror mount, and a 12" tent stake, so goes up very easy and very quick. So NO tripod, and no ground radials... works best for me.

Your CHA SS17 vertacle, I have that same antenna, except I use a faraday cloth for POTA... and it will easily tune on 20m 1:1 across the entire band. I just put a permanent marker mark around the antenna at the different basnds... so very easy to just slide up to ... say 20m from 15m. I can also set my entire station up in less than seven minutes... I run a 7300, thanks for your videos, you cram so much grerat info in such a short time... 73 NS9T.

I made a video on actual key speed measurements, and the TR-45L the same - actual key speed is about 10% higher than the displayed key speed.

with the future of radio being digital IMO ALL radios need one USB digital connection and SDR , portable radios need decently rugged build, and you really want a min of 10 watts with 20+ being recommended. and you need a tuner. so with those criteria what does that leave? nothing that I know of. the market sucks. over priced stuff from the big names that is slowly being dragged into releventness from competition from china radios. but nothing I have seen tic's all the boxes. the new Xiegu X6200 is probably the closest to the ideal radio but sadly its only 8w on external battery. and yes the G90 is probably the best value in HF. Josh was talking about pota at the statue of liberty and I joked that a G90 would probably tune the statue itself.

I thought it was going to start paying Sandstorm for a sec.

I've been a member of LICW about 3 weeks and I love the format. I came in with pre experience 60 yrs ago and could copy about 5 WPM. After about a week I started POTA hunting. I can't copy everything but I can copy enough. Next week I'm going to start Intermediate 1 while I continue BC 2. That's the beauty of LICW. I still need work on numbers and pro-signs, bur I can continue to improve in other areas. And, yes, I practice about an hour everyday.

Nice video, I've just ordered a TP-3 from the UK today. Do I need a stereo cable of a certain type to make sure it works with my IC-705?... I've found a lot of "audiophile" cables on music shops websites but they're $50 a pop!!!... In advance, many thanks for your help. 73 de 2E0HJN

I contacted him by email recently. I am on the list for whatever he come out with next.

I scored 3 Speed X straight keys of varying models. I love them. Thats going to be one my list for the collection. COOL THAT IT HAD THE ORIGINAL BOX.

cool piece of History.

Did you stop using your Vibrakeyer?

I just want to display a few keys. This one looks nice. A Vibroplex bug in chrome is on my list, too, along with some kind of Navy style straight key like my very first one.

Fantastic! KX1 light! A feature only the Baogfengs have caught onto :D

Nice video Evan.

Finished my TR-35 build over the long weekend(vid up later this week) Can't wait to put in on the air!

I really hate this channel. You and your excellent reviews and conclusions. Why am I looking at the Penntek website right now? I know getting a KX1 is basically impossible.

I always enjoy the head 2 head episodes! 73, Patrick KF4LMZ

Thanks for the thourough and fair review of the TR-35. Like most of us, I have several CW field radios, and none of them are perfect. There's always a compromise somewhere. Your criticisms are on target, and are things I have noted as well. In balance, I still like the TR-35 mostlly because I find it a pleasure to use. It has great audio, both transmit and receive, and the controls are easy to use. By the way, the sidetone frequency does not bother me, in fact my DX-10 is still using default 700 hz as well. Regarding the key speed settings, John uses an analog potentiometer voltage divider to an a/d port on the processor. It could probably be calibrated by selecting some resistors to get the display to match the actual speed, but in use, I'm aware of it, and I set the speed appropriately. The keying glitches you were getting are also a result of the key speed circuitry. I've found that it's possible to set the knob "between" speed steps, and if you do, the keyer is glitchy. It's probably one of the things I least like about the radio. Thanks again for giving it a good look. It's funny that it conincided with John's retirement announcement, that wasn't known by us when we planned this radio loan. 73, Brian n1bs

I really love my TR-35, but I just don't use it enough. I will have to take with me again on my next trip

I am sure I got one of the last one’s available. I am building the kit right now along with KO4TFE. My concern is finding a lightweight case to accommodate those knobs. I like the 3D case you have for the KX1 , would be a great option for the tr-35. Great review!

Same thing here in the Catskill mountains N.Y State.

“She” drove this here Doesn’t surprise me bro lol

Do ya know why Ford calls there truck TREMOR? It shakes when a Chevy gets close.

My old man turned wrenches for 30 years. He has some good stories.

You're You're hearing the sound of cw propogating off of the aurora. It has a rhaspy sound so will someones voice. Thats definitely aurora dx

Evan, I haven't activated since last September due to my wife's fall injuries, so.my code copy has really suffered. During the winter I built several Tuna Tin II transmitters which gave some code practice trying them out, but no outings other than at the RV. Then we had to deal wife my father-in-law's estate. Now that we are at work in CO it has been a month of working 12 hours days 7 days a week, with snow & cold. I was promised to get a few hours to get back in the POTA swing if the bands will be kind to me & my mushy ears. Yesterday it was 55 mph gusts with 23 - 65 deg temps & sleet, really? Next week's promises temps in the 70s. I got to remember a bad day of POTA is better than a good day at work! I got a small Pelican-type hard case just bigger than my TR-35 & another just bigger than my TP-II key for my Klutz arthritis fingers. Remembering that QRP contacts from CO are 3x harder than from N, Sparser ham population out here. I Love my TR-35, but to adjust the sidetone volume means to crack open the case, the POT is inside near the top, but John turned mine up for me when he replaced the BNC connector that I broke off. My radio rolled off the truck seat onto the asphalt when I opened the door & landed on the bnc connector, hence the hard carrying case now! Sorry for the long post, I hope to work you from MTN this summer!!!! When I set my keyer speed to 14 wpm it is about 16 wpm, the fastest I can send with my TP-II & my fake N0SA keys without my arthritic hands cramping up. I wish I could come up with a tiny CW keyboard keyer the size of my TR-35. I am taking lots of B & omega victims for those hands!!! I can't do the MTN topper, my fingers are too clunky on the controls, I have the old ATS-3b.1 if you remember the older KD1JV designs. 73, Davey -KU9L

There is something about the simplicity of those Penntek radios that I really like. 73, Patrick KF4LMZ

Nice activation. I like the Palm Paddles. I have several and even the Palm Straight Key. I use the paddles in the car, only CW mobile. They even made a keyer that you plug into the back of the paddles. Another one look like the paddles but it is a keyer/sounder great for practice. Same size as the paddles. Sadly, the one I did not buy was the single paddle. CW mobile, mostly listen and it helps with head copy as does LICW classes. Mobile set up FT-891 and ATAS. It works, made many DX contacts but at heart I am a CW rag chewer. Most QSOs an hour plus. 72 Bill KG4FXG

TR-35 or SW-3b?

DANG! That place is LUSH! Keep an eye out for ticks!

Hi Evan! Listening! Idk why but I saw a foldable wagon on amz that turns into a bench with an umbrella support and for some reason when I saw it I thought of you. So many hams out there who do the same and I thought you’d love it haha 73!