Your videos are awesome. What surprises me is that there aren’t a lot of Hams dialed in... Yet! You play real radio... field deployable, in open atmosphere, sometimes up on a scary pitch, cool gear, innovative engineering, and with a yippee skipee attitude to boot! I know you’re having fun, cuz’ I am just watchin’ ya! Thanks again Adam!
Incredible work. Been looking to activate that summit - now I know which vehicle to bring. Great to hear some un-edited multiple QSO's. Helpful to see how to handle the traffic. I didn't know they sometimes staff the tower! I'll have to bring up some kind of snacks or something for whoever is on watch.
05:30 haha oh I've been that guy traveling lost af and happy to hear someone on simplex! I almost got my self into a long distance mountain bike race Ham support somewhere in AZ by checking in on the net, not knowing what was for.
I felt bad when I asked him for his grid and he didn't know. I didn't want him to feel like he shouldn't have responded. I appreciated him coming back to my call even though I couldn't log it for the contest.
@@K6ARK You handled pretty good! Definitely a great ham operator with skills and a nice dude on the air. I monitor more than anything and there is a fair amount of " Angry hams " out there. KN4HZV
The drone incident reminds me of a park host that started using a leaf blower in the campsite next to mine during a POTA activation. Consideration of others? Don't think so. I am very impressed with your coolness with the QRM. Keep it up!!! 73! de KE5ES (Steve from Texas)
Ah sweet! I finally found your channel. My buddy has shown me a bunch of your videos but I keep forgetting to write down your call sign to look you up.
Great video! Any thoughts on what your preferred solution would be for multiple radios & multiple antennas? I've thought about this too. One idea I had for a single-radio setup would be a KX2 + a transverter (28mhz IF -> 144mhz), then utilize the "dual watch" feature on the KX2 with earphones to monitor two frequencies (e.g. 146.52 & 144.2). But that might be too much noise in the brain. The other logistical challenge with multiple radios in portable environments is of course the power requirements, but I guess bringing a DC splitter isn't that big of a deal!
Hello, in your experience -if any-, what improvement achieved by using 3 element on 50 MHz over a dipole? Assume only using 10 Watts so I could stay in portable category. I am looking to extend my activity on that band and using the dipole provided low amount of QSOs with 10 W. Thanks!
6m is a fickle band, requiring the right conditions for long distance propagation. There are times when a big yagi and an amp won't even do much. So, don't get discouraged. A 3 element yagi can get you nearly dBd of gain over a dipole which is one S unit on the meter. That can definitely make or break a contact. Also consider using FT8 or CW for better signal to noise ratio performance. 10W CW is like 160W of SSB, and FT8 provides an even greater advantage. If you have a tall (8m +) pole, consider making an extended double zepp for 6m and hang it vertically. It performs quite well.
Very nice Vid, I did hear you in Yuma, Az., via VHF/FM but we were unable to connect. Still very interested to see how you made that portable antenna rotator. Again - enjoyed the vid! 73 de John KA7TXS
Hey Adam! Really enjoying your videos. Trying to decide on radio. What would you recommend for someone just getting into sota? Is the 57 a good option still or would you recommend something else? Just passed my general but no radio yet. Appreciate your videos. Very inspiring! Thank you!
Oh, great question. If you're planning to operate SSB primarily, get a FT-891 and a 12 Ah or 15 Ah Bioenno battery. Run a linked dipole and you'll crush it. A 100w station will make your operating much more enjoyable when conditions are sub-optimal. If you insist on QRP, check out the KX2 for an exceptionally capable and versatile rig. I'm not a huge fan of the IC-705, but if digital HF ops or 2m/70cm SSB operation are important to you, it's a great radio for that. The waterfall is downright gorgeous and build quality is top-notch. If you are a CW op, the MTR4B or MTR3B (if you can find one) are by far the top choices. They're tiny, ridiculously power efficient, and perform really well. I know you asked about the FT-857... it's discontinued, but you may be able to find one on the used market. If you want to do 2m/70cm SSB or CW, it's a good choice too. It has some drawbacks - CW filtering is poor if you become a CW operator, and filtering in general is more limited than you'll get with the DSP in the 891 or IC-705. The KX line transceivers have the best receivers and filters of the bunch, in my opinion. But I added an aftermarket 500 Hz CW crystal filter and the FT-857 still ends up in my pack more often than the 891. Sooo... have I answered any questions or just confused you more? Lol. Check in with me via email if you want to chat more about your priorities in a radio and discuss options. My email on QRZ.com is good.
Saw one other vehicle as I was headed down but he was pulled off to the side. I always travel at a safe speed, assuming other vehicles headed the opposite direction may not be. There are plenty of wider spots to pass if needed.
Nice! I assume that was 2m. That's fantastic. From a home station and with 5w. My best on 2m is 328 miles ruclips.net/video/TtzPsRmyENg/видео.html. That was quite a day!
@@K6ARK yes it was on 2m FM. With a Cactus J-pole @ 22-25’ none the less. I’m going to be building a quad for 2m in the next couple of weeks to see if that can increase my range. I’ve been fallowing you learning little secrets for QRP. And like you love home brew ham stuff. I’m hoping to do SOTA work later this spring... right now my summits are all snowed in and I don’t have any snow shoes.
Nice! I operated as a 3-band, low power station and logged 143 QSOs for 153 QSO points and 18 multipliers for a total of 2,754 points, assuming all of that checks out. Not bad for 5.5 hours of operating. It was good fun!
You hauled up a lot of aluminum! So glad to see homebrew antennas doing the work - they look great. You racked up a good number of Q's - nice job - looked like a blast!. 👍 NØDET
Your videos are awesome. What surprises me is that there aren’t a lot of Hams dialed in... Yet!
You play real radio... field deployable, in open atmosphere, sometimes up on a scary pitch, cool gear, innovative engineering, and with a yippee skipee attitude to boot! I know you’re having fun, cuz’ I am just watchin’ ya! Thanks again Adam!
Incredible work. Been looking to activate that summit - now I know which vehicle to bring. Great to hear some un-edited multiple QSO's. Helpful to see how to handle the traffic. I didn't know they sometimes staff the tower! I'll have to bring up some kind of snacks or something for whoever is on watch.
I'm looking forward to your rotator video. I want to see if I can adapt your build to give me rotation on the top of my Buddipole long mast yagis.
#MNHR
Team replay for the win!
Great video man. I thought you couldn't drive up for SOTA.
Beating the crap out of that Taco on the way up!
Nice.
As always, an excellent video
Would love to see a video on the rotator
Can’t wait to get you in the log, S2S, from VK2
Ahhhh! Piece and quiet up on a mountain.
05:30 haha oh I've been that guy traveling lost af and happy to hear someone on simplex! I almost got my self into a long distance mountain bike race Ham support somewhere in AZ by checking in on the net, not knowing what was for.
I felt bad when I asked him for his grid and he didn't know. I didn't want him to feel like he shouldn't have responded. I appreciated him coming back to my call even though I couldn't log it for the contest.
@@K6ARK You handled pretty good! Definitely a great ham operator with skills and a nice dude on the air. I monitor more than anything and there is a fair amount of " Angry hams " out there. KN4HZV
Hey Adam you nailed it. Nice station setup. I can not wait to get out and try sota. Great job Motters M7TRS 73's
The drone incident reminds me of a park host that started using a leaf blower in the campsite next to mine during a POTA activation. Consideration of others? Don't think so. I am very impressed with your coolness with the QRM. Keep it up!!! 73! de KE5ES (Steve from Texas)
Ah sweet! I finally found your channel. My buddy has shown me a bunch of your videos but I keep forgetting to write down your call sign to look you up.
Excellent! Hope you enjoy. 🤘😁👍
When you go up to Palomar, is there a one way road up to the summit? Also, are there any public bathrooms up there?
Great video! Any thoughts on what your preferred solution would be for multiple radios & multiple antennas? I've thought about this too. One idea I had for a single-radio setup would be a KX2 + a transverter (28mhz IF -> 144mhz), then utilize the "dual watch" feature on the KX2 with earphones to monitor two frequencies (e.g. 146.52 & 144.2). But that might be too much noise in the brain. The other logistical challenge with multiple radios in portable environments is of course the power requirements, but I guess bringing a DC splitter isn't that big of a deal!
Made it!
Can you tell us who that rotor was from? Did you make that? Thx.
Hello, in your experience -if any-, what improvement achieved by using 3 element on 50 MHz over a dipole? Assume only using 10 Watts so I could stay in portable category. I am looking to extend my activity on that band and using the dipole provided low amount of QSOs with 10 W. Thanks!
6m is a fickle band, requiring the right conditions for long distance propagation. There are times when a big yagi and an amp won't even do much. So, don't get discouraged. A 3 element yagi can get you nearly dBd of gain over a dipole which is one S unit on the meter. That can definitely make or break a contact. Also consider using FT8 or CW for better signal to noise ratio performance. 10W CW is like 160W of SSB, and FT8 provides an even greater advantage.
If you have a tall (8m +) pole, consider making an extended double zepp for 6m and hang it vertically. It performs quite well.
Very nice Vid, I did hear you in Yuma, Az., via VHF/FM but we were unable to connect. Still very interested to see how you made that portable antenna rotator. Again - enjoyed the vid! 73 de John KA7TXS
Thanks for trying. I heard you in there but couldn't quite pull you out. Next time - a bigger beam 🤘😁
Hey Adam! Really enjoying your videos. Trying to decide on radio. What would you recommend for someone just getting into sota? Is the 57 a good option still or would you recommend something else? Just passed my general but no radio yet. Appreciate your videos. Very inspiring! Thank you!
Oh, great question. If you're planning to operate SSB primarily, get a FT-891 and a 12 Ah or 15 Ah Bioenno battery. Run a linked dipole and you'll crush it. A 100w station will make your operating much more enjoyable when conditions are sub-optimal. If you insist on QRP, check out the KX2 for an exceptionally capable and versatile rig. I'm not a huge fan of the IC-705, but if digital HF ops or 2m/70cm SSB operation are important to you, it's a great radio for that. The waterfall is downright gorgeous and build quality is top-notch. If you are a CW op, the MTR4B or MTR3B (if you can find one) are by far the top choices. They're tiny, ridiculously power efficient, and perform really well. I know you asked about the FT-857... it's discontinued, but you may be able to find one on the used market. If you want to do 2m/70cm SSB or CW, it's a good choice too. It has some drawbacks - CW filtering is poor if you become a CW operator, and filtering in general is more limited than you'll get with the DSP in the 891 or IC-705. The KX line transceivers have the best receivers and filters of the bunch, in my opinion. But I added an aftermarket 500 Hz CW crystal filter and the FT-857 still ends up in my pack more often than the 891. Sooo... have I answered any questions or just confused you more? Lol. Check in with me via email if you want to chat more about your priorities in a radio and discuss options. My email on QRZ.com is good.
@@K6ARK Thanks Adam! I'll be in touch soon. Just waiting for my callsign to be recognized in QRZ.com. Thanks again!
Did you meet another vehicle on that road. Enjoyed the vid!
Saw one other vehicle as I was headed down but he was pulled off to the side. I always travel at a safe speed, assuming other vehicles headed the opposite direction may not be. There are plenty of wider spots to pass if needed.
What’s your longest VHF contact on voice? Mine is 110 mile QRP from my shack.
Nice! I assume that was 2m. That's fantastic. From a home station and with 5w. My best on 2m is 328 miles ruclips.net/video/TtzPsRmyENg/видео.html. That was quite a day!
@@K6ARK yes it was on 2m FM. With a Cactus J-pole @ 22-25’ none the less.
I’m going to be building a quad for 2m in the next couple of weeks to see if that can increase my range. I’ve been fallowing you learning little secrets for QRP. And like you love home brew ham stuff.
I’m hoping to do SOTA work later this spring... right now my summits are all snowed in and I don’t have any snow shoes.
FBOM, what was your final score? I worked the contest from CN89 with 24 QSO's to 4 Zones on just 50 and 144 = 184points
Nice! I operated as a 3-band, low power station and logged 143 QSOs for 153 QSO points and 18 multipliers for a total of 2,754 points, assuming all of that checks out. Not bad for 5.5 hours of operating. It was good fun!
Oh man... is that a drone nearby? That's rough on the audio. I would've gotten very sidetracked.
I know, I was, but I really wanted that QSO. 210 mi on VHF
@@K6ARK Good on you for staying focused!
You hauled up a lot of aluminum! So glad to see homebrew antennas doing the work - they look great. You racked up a good number of Q's - nice job - looked like a blast!. 👍 NØDET
Might want to work on the audio when your in the wind. You were very hard to listen too. Otherwise like ur videos.