qrper.com/2024/06/on-a-pota-mission-with-the-rgo-one/?swcfpc=1 Click the link above to read full details about this activation, including all equipment links, at QRPer.com.
Thomas, I think the inspiration is not from the Eagle, but from the old Ten-Tec Argosy. Not only is this radio called "Argo" (when you read RGO instead of spelling R-G-O), but the old TT Argosy's were also 50 watt small format radios. There's also the RGO logo, which is the silhouette of a ship that looks just like an Argosy (a type of ancient merchant ship from that region).
I really wanted to build a Penntek 35, but he isn't selling the kits anymore. He doesn't answer my emails when I ask about it. I guess he really is done. That is a sweet radio. 73 de AI5DD
John at Penntek, is almost fully retired at this point. I think the only radios he has left are the TR-45L Skinny and those are in limited supply. Only recently, I've seen a couple of TR-35s on the used market. They don't come up often, though.
Hi Thomas, I was wondering, how does one go about properly grounding their radio when they go POTA? Or, do most people just not ground their radio? Thanks!
So most portable QRP ops I know do no proper RF grounding in the field. That's me, in fact. It's just not needed for quick activations. In the shack, it's a different story, though and I highly recommend it. Especially if running QRO.
I have before, but you're right, it's not often enough. Sometimes it's because mobile phone reception is so poor, other times I simply don't have enough time. It was a pleasure to do all of that casual hunting!
Hi Thomas, nice video. The radio kind of reminds me of the Elecraft K3 that I own. What battery are you using? I’m thinking of doing POTA with my K3, since I already own it and it’s paid for, but wondering what LiFePO4 battery to purchase for it. Curious if you have any recommendations? Thanks much, K6UI
The battery I'm using is a 15Ah LiFePo4 battery from Bioenno. At the end of the day, I could probably use one slightly smaller, but I tend to use this larger battery for any of my "QRO" radios. I haven't run the numbers on the K3 (I don't own one), but I would assume a 15Ah battery would last a LONG time if you're running QRP power with your K3. At 100W, I'm not sure how long it would last, but I'm guessing for a full activation.
Thanks for the reply Thomas. Those MaH estimates are good to know. For some reason I was thinking I would need a 50 or even a 100MaH LiFePo4 battery. But yes, if strictly keeping everything 5-10 watts, even for SSB I should be able to go for a quite a while with a really good LiFePO4 even at 15Ah. The Bioenno seems to have great ratings, but they are 2-3X higher in price than other similar batteries though without the Anderson power pole connectors of course. I guess the best way to know is to just try it. I’m going to do simple POTA activations in the parks around Los Angeles where my wife and I can drive to, pull up at, and grab a bench, so nothing serious. I’m currently waiting for an OM0ET magnetic loop antenna to arrive for even simpler POTA. I’ll have my EFHW wire on hand just in case. Keep up the great videos. They are very helpful to a POTA novice. Thank you!
@@SoulStarLA I have a 9aH LiFePO4 battery that lasts about 2 hours at 80 watts with my FT-891 on FT8/FT4. Plenty of time for an activation and then some.
That is one thing I wish we had in Canada, was the public lands resources they have in the US. Our parks are not near as accommodating, the US really has a good grasp on it's resources and has some amazing state parks. We have barely anything here that supports outdoor activities.
@@Homer19521 Like what...there is a reason its called History. We going to go around and change every name of every park, street, building, cemetery because the historic timeline isn't one shared in today's view. You can't change history but you can surely change the future and that can only be done by learning from history.
Parks in the US can also differ greatly based on the state they're in. Some states invest in their parks (I feel like NC is one of them). I've been to some states where the parks have a minimum amount of facilities. It really can depend here. I must say that in Canada, so far, I've been impressed with some of the national, provincial, and regional parks.
@@Homer19521 It was a mixed bag with Zebulon Vance. He was very vocal about opposing antisemitism; he was a slave owner, so modern historians don't paint him in a good light. Asheville did remove his public statue because of this. I'm conflicted about him - it just shows that a person is multifaceted - racist but also a contributor to the local history and a leader in several ways in the South. Many lenses to look through. We must learn from all history.
@@ThomasK4SWL Thomas, that's so true. I am originally from Wisconsin, and we have some great Parks, and we have some parks that need a little bit/lotta bit of work there and in Illinois. Your parks look especially lovely, though. Maybe it's because we know you're doing important work with your CW Key! 😂
He's not out of business. He simply makes these radios in very small batches. They have to be pre-ordered directly with him (you configure them as you wish), then he gives you the timeline for its production.
Great activation as usual Thomas, The RGO One has not been updated from Dec 2023 and the price list is from 2017. I wounder if he no longer producing them
He's still producing them and there are actually updates in the works now. Often, Boris shares this info and current status on the RGO One email group.
This may be a naive question. Why do you locate the vertical antennas so far away. I am thinking HF QRP radiation should not be an issue. Is it because of the surrounding shelter? I have no experience with verticals.
@@TridentMissileTech There are no trees close by and height of antenna giving better performance is the real reason why the antenna is located far away, not damaging effects of radiation. Strange that you thought it necessary to point out the obvious. Probably not the first time.
@@TridentMissileTech Honestly, in this case, it had a lot to do with the tree location (being quite far away) and the height I wanted my sloping EFHW. When the EFHW was stretched out, it took most of my feed line to reach it. That and the feed line shield acts as the counterpoise for this antenna, so the extra length was a part of the antenna's ground. You have a good point, though, and one of the reasons I love QRP so much: at 5W of output power, RF safety isn't an issue even when the antenna is on the table with your radio.
qrper.com/2024/06/on-a-pota-mission-with-the-rgo-one/?swcfpc=1
Click the link above to read full details about this activation, including all equipment links, at QRPer.com.
@@ThomasK4SWL Interesting story… lots of work and dedication…
Great to see a video with an "unusual" or atypical radio. As always, I learn something new with every video you make. Thanks, Thomas!
Thank you for the kind comment!
Thanks for reminder to update the RGO One. Great radio and I need to try using it for a POTA activation.
Thomas, I think the inspiration is not from the Eagle, but from the old Ten-Tec Argosy. Not only is this radio called "Argo" (when you read RGO instead of spelling R-G-O), but the old TT Argosy's were also 50 watt small format radios. There's also the RGO logo, which is the silhouette of a ship that looks just like an Argosy (a type of ancient merchant ship from that region).
You are probably right about the inspiration!
One of the things I appreciate about this channel is your enthusiasm for many different types of radios. There's more than one way to have fun!
Thank you!
My wallet doesn't appreciate it though 😂
(Love the channel)
Nice to see that "Jersey" wire making some contacts! ;-)
That Jersey wire has got some serious prop chops! :) I was just thinking of making another with it, of course!
its only when you start answering youself that you need to worry ; )
😂 Oh dear. I might already be there!🤪
I really wanted to build a Penntek 35, but he isn't selling the kits anymore. He doesn't answer my emails when I ask about it. I guess he really is done. That is a sweet radio. 73 de AI5DD
John at Penntek, is almost fully retired at this point. I think the only radios he has left are the TR-45L Skinny and those are in limited supply. Only recently, I've seen a couple of TR-35s on the used market. They don't come up often, though.
Talking to yourself means only that you need to talk to someone intelligent every once in a while ;)
TU, Thomas, de KA8VLW, Ken, Michigan
Ha ha! I love it!
Hi Thomas, I was wondering, how does one go about properly grounding their radio when they go POTA? Or, do most people just not ground their radio? Thanks!
So most portable QRP ops I know do no proper RF grounding in the field. That's me, in fact. It's just not needed for quick activations. In the shack, it's a different story, though and I highly recommend it. Especially if running QRO.
I think this is the first time I've ever seen you hunt P2P in your videos. Very cool.
I have before, but you're right, it's not often enough. Sometimes it's because mobile phone reception is so poor, other times I simply don't have enough time. It was a pleasure to do all of that casual hunting!
thanks for sharing your outing! K5NR
And that my friend is why I don't log my QSOs on my phone. I have nubby fingers 😂
Ha ha! I'll admit that I find it so much easier in the field to simply use pencil and paper these days. :)
Hi Thomas, nice video. The radio kind of reminds me of the Elecraft K3 that I own. What battery are you using? I’m thinking of doing POTA with my K3, since I already own it and it’s paid for, but wondering what LiFePO4 battery to purchase for it. Curious if you have any recommendations? Thanks much, K6UI
The battery I'm using is a 15Ah LiFePo4 battery from Bioenno. At the end of the day, I could probably use one slightly smaller, but I tend to use this larger battery for any of my "QRO" radios. I haven't run the numbers on the K3 (I don't own one), but I would assume a 15Ah battery would last a LONG time if you're running QRP power with your K3. At 100W, I'm not sure how long it would last, but I'm guessing for a full activation.
Thanks for the reply Thomas. Those MaH estimates are good to know. For some reason I was thinking I would need a 50 or even a 100MaH LiFePo4 battery. But yes, if strictly keeping everything 5-10 watts, even for SSB I should be able to go for a quite a while with a really good LiFePO4 even at 15Ah. The Bioenno seems to have great ratings, but they are 2-3X higher in price than other similar batteries though without the Anderson power pole connectors of course. I guess the best way to know is to just try it. I’m going to do simple POTA activations in the parks around Los Angeles where my wife and I can drive to, pull up at, and grab a bench, so nothing serious. I’m currently waiting for an OM0ET magnetic loop antenna to arrive for even simpler POTA. I’ll have my EFHW wire on hand just in case. Keep up the great videos. They are very helpful to a POTA novice. Thank you!
@@SoulStarLA I have a 9aH LiFePO4 battery that lasts about 2 hours at 80 watts with my FT-891 on FT8/FT4. Plenty of time for an activation and then some.
thank you
That is one thing I wish we had in Canada, was the public lands resources they have in the US. Our parks are not near as accommodating, the US really has a good grasp on it's resources and has some amazing state parks. We have barely anything here that supports outdoor activities.
But why name a park after a guy like this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebulon_Vance
@@Homer19521 Like what...there is a reason its called History. We going to go around and change every name of every park, street, building, cemetery because the historic timeline isn't one shared in today's view. You can't change history but you can surely change the future and that can only be done by learning from history.
Parks in the US can also differ greatly based on the state they're in. Some states invest in their parks (I feel like NC is one of them). I've been to some states where the parks have a minimum amount of facilities. It really can depend here. I must say that in Canada, so far, I've been impressed with some of the national, provincial, and regional parks.
@@Homer19521 It was a mixed bag with Zebulon Vance. He was very vocal about opposing antisemitism; he was a slave owner, so modern historians don't paint him in a good light. Asheville did remove his public statue because of this. I'm conflicted about him - it just shows that a person is multifaceted - racist but also a contributor to the local history and a leader in several ways in the South. Many lenses to look through. We must learn from all history.
@@ThomasK4SWL Thomas, that's so true. I am originally from Wisconsin, and we have some great Parks, and we have some parks that need a little bit/lotta bit of work there and in Illinois. Your parks look especially lovely, though. Maybe it's because we know you're doing important work with your CW Key! 😂
He’s sold out… looks like he’s out of business…
He's not out of business. He simply makes these radios in very small batches. They have to be pre-ordered directly with him (you configure them as you wish), then he gives you the timeline for its production.
@@ThomasK4SWL Well that’s good news… they sound well built… I’ll keep checking his web page… hopefully I’ll be one of the lucky ones..
Did my first POTA the other day, only 14 contacts but its a start😁
De M7FWJ
I just started doing SOTA activations, but I plan on doing a POTA in the near future. You gotta start somewhere...
Wonderful! Hey--I only did 14 contacts during this activation! :) Great job on accomplishing your first POTA activation!
14 is a lot, especially with propagation up and down these days. Congratulations !
How does it compare in size to a K2?
Very favorably. I prefer the variable filtering and ergonomics of the RGO One, but in terms of performance, they are very similar.
Great activation as usual Thomas, The RGO One has not been updated from Dec 2023 and the price list is from 2017. I wounder if he no longer producing them
He's still producing them and there are actually updates in the works now. Often, Boris shares this info and current status on the RGO One email group.
I really like the look of that coax, it looks ideal for POTA/Portable ops. And yes you’re quite right you gotta respect those trees.
Indeed you do! Sadly, that one dead tree I've used for years at Vance is not long for this world. :)
This may be a naive question. Why do you locate the vertical antennas so far away. I am thinking HF QRP radiation should not be an issue. Is it because of the surrounding shelter? I have no experience with verticals.
Because.......tree high, antenna high good signal, shelter low, antenna low poor signal.
@@procrusteus referring to horizontal distance from his radio. Not vertical height.
@@TridentMissileTech There are no trees close by and height of antenna giving better performance is the real reason why the antenna is located far away, not damaging effects of radiation. Strange that you thought it necessary to point out the obvious. Probably not the first time.
@@TridentMissileTech Honestly, in this case, it had a lot to do with the tree location (being quite far away) and the height I wanted my sloping EFHW. When the EFHW was stretched out, it took most of my feed line to reach it. That and the feed line shield acts as the counterpoise for this antenna, so the extra length was a part of the antenna's ground. You have a good point, though, and one of the reasons I love QRP so much: at 5W of output power, RF safety isn't an issue even when the antenna is on the table with your radio.