Got on 20 meters yesterday with almost identical setup, 17' Chameleon whip and pipe clamp but i used 8x 20' radials and got my first contact into Europe, Slovenia to be precise! Great video!
Michael, I love your videos not just for the radio but also for the camp cooking, which gives me ideas for my kids' Scout troop to use. The Driftless Area is a special place for me; my grandma and a bunch of my other ancestors are buried near Richland Center and my great-uncle used to live in Lancaster. It's been years since I've been up there and I need to get back. 73 de KB9OFH.
Some of my recipes are Scout tested and approved but anything of mine out of the Dutch oven will please even the pickiest of eaters. I have a similar attachment to the Driftless Area. I have relatives from Hager City and Red Wing (my grandparents are buried in red wing) and more relatives from the north end of the region in Elmwood. I even lived in Whitehall for a couple of years as my father taught at the high school there. I guess the driftless area is imprinted in my DNA.
Michael I enjoy your videos tremendously. I’m currently rebuilding my QTH & mobile stations. Preparing to become active in POTA hopefully in the near future. 73 Steve AA4SH
Funny you changed your setup that way. I use that whip on 20-10 (maybe 6) and was thinking about a WRC to get lower frequencies. Same idea, just came to it in reverse. I've been using the "Portable Resonant Elevated Directional -ator" setup made popular by KJ6ER. Works good here on the east coast because the whole country is west/south of me. I just picked up the Workman version of the JawMount, and it looks to be identical but at a much lower price, if anyone else is looking for one. Very nicely built. Correction: I just ordered a WRC. Been eyeballing it way too long.
I think it was this outing that I made my first contact with you. Yes, please do a video showing your new setup in more detail. I have the wolf river coil and the chameleon whip. I have mixed results with it and always end up slinging up an EFHW after I get frustrated with the WRC. 73
I think the biggest challenge is finding the best tune spot on 20 meters and higher because the tune spots for the higher bands is pretty tight. That's why I found just using the whip is easier and I then save the coil for below 20 meters. Also, don't sweat it if the SWR isn't below 1.5:1. I feel ok if I get it below 1.7:1.
@@KB9VBRAntennas A resistive 35 ohm impedence and the resulting 1.5:1 VSWR is pretty typical for a ground mounted 1/4 wave vertical antenna. They work fine and users like the low take off angle for DX. KZ9V
The loom is like one I have. I also have an electric spinning wheel with PowerPole connectors, HI. You were mentioned in conversation at the New England Ham Expo this weekend.
I enjoy all the info obout the parks you activate. I heard a guy complaining about POTA a while back saying he didn't like not having info about the parks, obviously he doesn't watch your videos.
I use this antenna idea based upon your videos concerning it and how to make the radial sets and have had the best time on FT-8 making contacts around the world. It works very well for me in a restricted neighborhood in South Carolina. I have made contacts with Australia and HI with no issues and this thing is mounted on the ground.
I really like the way you did your radial bundles for faster set up and take down. Also, you did an excellent job of dealing with that jerk who came on the air at the end of your video. Well Done!!! -- K7SFA
I had to change frequencies because I was getting crowded out by an adjacent channel and that joker followed me to my new spot. So he was really interested in what I was doing.
Thanks for sharing Michael. Great weekend camping there. New to HAM (KD9VBE) and i was wondering if you had a video explaining how you record the contacts or what software you might use on the notebook? thanks for showing this stuff. I learned alot watching this.
Yes, the Dells and Baraboo range are considered part of the driftless area. The glaciers did have a slightly different influence on that area as it was the failure point when glacial lake Wisconsin drained.
Driftless = God's Country. I'm still working on getting into HF, but I scored a WRC during a club meeting. I'm looking forward to actually using it soon!
Nice video as always! I have been wondering (need to try myself) if, having trees like that, one could throw a ~33ft wire in in the trees, connect it to that setup using a bolt and crimp connector, and use that as the vertical for 40m without the coil as well. 60m and 80m will just have to use the coil. LOL :D Thanks! DE W2SWA
You know Mike, someday you should come out west and see some of the most odd geological events that have occurred here, as a example how about entire mountains spinning around due to tectonic plates, and the uplifting of massive landmass sections, I think you would be impressed.
I have found some parks don't allow antennas in the trees or spikes in the ground. I noticed you have, what looks like ,a very low to the ground tripod you have attached your CB Antenna quick release mirror mount. Where did you get the tripod and do you guy it? How do you stabilize it? Thanks. Love your videos. I saw you on the POTA spot list over the weekend but couldn't hear you in the SF bay area.
I'm using a heavy metal bases that are used for advertising flags seen in front of businesses. This is the base I'm using in the video: amzn.to/3vN23w8 It's quite stable and heavy but you could sandbag it if you are in a windy place.
The pizza was amazing. I've tried many different styles of camping pizza and settled on this thick crust style that I adapted for the dutch oven. I'll feature it in an upcoming camping video.
Good video and my 17 f whip from Wolf River Coil just arrived today so I haven had a chance to try it out yet. Like you I’ve seen other videos doing this so I thought I would try it out. 73. KV5P
@@KB9VBRAntennas I can’t wait to try it, I have both the Silver Bullet 1000 and the Silver Bullet Mini. I have the 1000 mounted on a T post in my wife’s flower bed with an old CB 102” Stainless Steal Whip screwed in to the top of the coil. It works great 👍 I just got the Silver Bullet Mini and 213” whip today for POTA. 73 KV5P
A trick for Pizza in a DO is to cook it upside down (lid on bottom and body on top). Easier to access the pizza. You'll need welding gloves to handle the CI.
I've heard of that trick for pizzas and breads. I build my pizza on parchment paper and drop it in the over. I do the same with breads and biscuits too, saves on cleanup.
That looked like a lovely trip. And the food! 😋 I'll be in the La Crosse area for the next three weeks. Let me know if you would be available for a meetup. U-rah-rah
I'm having difficulty getting anything on my Pixie QRP. I have a high-impedence crystal earpiece. My aerial is where I;m getting problems. I have 10M of 18 gauge stranded, insulated wire coiled around a broom handle.
Hello, Just curious about the tripod used on this video, what is it? Where can I find one, I think is great to use with the antenna mount you have, I happen to have one as well. Thank you Kb1mlq
It's a cross brace stand for a teardrop flag. I like it a lot because it is heavy (it can support the 17 foot whip in 20+ mph winds). But it also rotates, which is a bit of a pain. amzn.to/3HnIkeb
The RS (readability and strength) system is a method to describe signal quality. Readability is scaled between 1 - 5 with 5 being fully understandable and clear and 1 being completely unintelligible. In reality nothing is really rated below a 3 or a 2. The strength indicator goes between 1 and 9 and that roughly corresponds to the S-meter on your transceiver. A 59 signal is very strong and fully understandable. A 51 signal is understandable but not strong. 44 would have elements of unintelligibility, is weak, but can be copied. A 33 is very weak and just above the noise floor. There is a great deal of subjectiveness to rating the signal quality, but it gives a general indicator to the other station how their transmissions are being perceived.
It was early in the season, so many of the sites were empty, but we did have a neighbor next to us. Many of the campgrounds in Wisconsin State Parks are large and have a fair amount of screening between the sites. But if it is crowded I will use a vertical antenna with the window screen or faraday cloth in order to conserve space. I'll also use headphones or make sure my audio doesn't carry outside my campsite, especially in the day or later in the evening.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Very true. I’ve done bad weather camping once. Once. Not sure how we missed a rain storm coming… Young & dumb I guess with no smartphones back in the mid 90s. LOL! Look forward to more camping videos. 73!
It's a CB antenna quick release mirror mount. amzn.to/36Yie1h It appears that they are currently unavailable on Amazon at the moment, but I seen them in other places like hamfests and CB shops.
over 90% of your power pours out of the coil unless you have a capacity hat. That will help but you still lose 80% of the power thru the coil. Stick with a vertical or a wire.
I like how you give some historical and geographic context of the park you're activating. Thanks for the video.
Dutch Oven, Ground mounted Vertical using the Whip, POTA @ camp, camping and camp fires ? That is what fun is made of. Great Video Michael
We camp and activate parks with style, especially when it's a late shift around the camp fire.
"It's not drift less because this region lacks ambition..."
😂 You rock, Michael.
Got on 20 meters yesterday with almost identical setup, 17' Chameleon whip and pipe clamp but i used 8x 20' radials and got my first contact into Europe, Slovenia to be precise! Great video!
Michael, I love your videos not just for the radio but also for the camp cooking, which gives me ideas for my kids' Scout troop to use.
The Driftless Area is a special place for me; my grandma and a bunch of my other ancestors are buried near Richland Center and my great-uncle used to live in Lancaster. It's been years since I've been up there and I need to get back. 73 de KB9OFH.
Some of my recipes are Scout tested and approved but anything of mine out of the Dutch oven will please even the pickiest of eaters.
I have a similar attachment to the Driftless Area. I have relatives from Hager City and Red Wing (my grandparents are buried in red wing) and more relatives from the north end of the region in Elmwood. I even lived in Whitehall for a couple of years as my father taught at the high school there. I guess the driftless area is imprinted in my DNA.
Thank you for the information. There is a lot of us new guys to digest.
Michael I enjoy your videos tremendously. I’m currently rebuilding my QTH & mobile stations. Preparing to become active in POTA hopefully in the near future.
73 Steve AA4SH
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate it.
Funny you changed your setup that way. I use that whip on 20-10 (maybe 6) and was thinking about a WRC to get lower frequencies. Same idea, just came to it in reverse.
I've been using the "Portable Resonant Elevated Directional -ator" setup made popular by KJ6ER. Works good here on the east coast because the whole country is west/south of me.
I just picked up the Workman version of the JawMount, and it looks to be identical but at a much lower price, if anyone else is looking for one. Very nicely built.
Correction: I just ordered a WRC. Been eyeballing it way too long.
Thanks! This is KD0FDF Rancho Cordova CA 73's
Thank you so much for your support. It's greatly appreciated.
LOL, what are the odds of contacting someone in the SAME park, AND a new General class ham! That's awesome!
- KF0QNM
That is a beautiful park! I lived in Platteville in the mid- to late 60s and traveled through Dodgeville several times. Great video, Michael. 73
I think it was this outing that I made my first contact with you. Yes, please do a video showing your new setup in more detail. I have the wolf river coil and the chameleon whip. I have mixed results with it and always end up slinging up an EFHW after I get frustrated with the WRC. 73
I think the trick with the WRC is to mark the 'sweet spots' on the coil so that future setups are quicker and less tedious.
I think the biggest challenge is finding the best tune spot on 20 meters and higher because the tune spots for the higher bands is pretty tight. That's why I found just using the whip is easier and I then save the coil for below 20 meters. Also, don't sweat it if the SWR isn't below 1.5:1. I feel ok if I get it below 1.7:1.
@@KB9VBRAntennas A resistive 35 ohm impedence and the resulting 1.5:1 VSWR is pretty typical for a ground mounted 1/4 wave vertical antenna. They work fine and users like the low take off angle for DX.
KZ9V
The loom is like one I have. I also have an electric spinning wheel with PowerPole connectors, HI. You were mentioned in conversation at the New England Ham Expo this weekend.
I enjoy all the info obout the parks you activate. I heard a guy complaining about POTA a while back saying he didn't like not having info about the parks, obviously he doesn't watch your videos.
Freaking cool :) 👍
Hey, congratulations on 50k!! Well deserved hamFam ♡ I hope 100k comes within the year for you! Your content is fantastic
Very cool on the new general getting you in their log! Nice
I use this antenna idea based upon your videos concerning it and how to make the radial sets and have had the best time on FT-8 making contacts around the world. It works very well for me in a restricted neighborhood in South Carolina. I have made contacts with Australia and HI with no issues and this thing is mounted on the ground.
Great activation, Michael! Thanks and 73, Tom ABØJ
No licensed yet but working on it and cannot wait to do some POTA activations!
I really like the way you did your radial bundles for faster set up and take down. Also, you did an excellent job of dealing with that jerk who came on the air at the end of your video. Well Done!!! -- K7SFA
I had to change frequencies because I was getting crowded out by an adjacent channel and that joker followed me to my new spot. So he was really interested in what I was doing.
Another great video. Thanks.
I dig your Outback. I'm a Forester man myself, but it's all Subie goodness
We had a Forrester before the Outback. I loved it a lot, but the slightly longer wheelbase of the Outback pulls the trailer better.
Wow! How many times has THAT happened to you? Working a station in the same park! Awesome!
Not very often. But it does occasionally happen.
Well done wb8idy Swansboro nc
Thanks for sharing Michael. Great weekend camping there. New to HAM (KD9VBE) and i was wondering if you had a video explaining how you record the contacts or what software you might use on the notebook? thanks for showing this stuff. I learned alot watching this.
I don't believe I have a video dedicated to logging with the computer, but I am using Hamrs. You'll find it at www.hamrs.app
I wondering if you should add a couple of camping cooking recipes to the channel. They look so delicious. Like always dig ur videos.
I've been toying around with starting a camp cooking channel. I'll have to try a few recipes and see what the reaction is.
Wisconsin Dells area, also, I believe.
Yes, the Dells and Baraboo range are considered part of the driftless area. The glaciers did have a slightly different influence on that area as it was the failure point when glacial lake Wisconsin drained.
Driftless = God's Country. I'm still working on getting into HF, but I scored a WRC during a club meeting. I'm looking forward to actually using it soon!
Nice video as always! I have been wondering (need to try myself) if, having trees like that, one could throw a ~33ft wire in in the trees, connect it to that setup using a bolt and crimp connector, and use that as the vertical for 40m without the coil as well. 60m and 80m will just have to use the coil. LOL :D Thanks! DE W2SWA
Yes it will work! I'm actually planning something like that for a future video. Stay tuned.
10 meters is good. No power loss from a coil.
Nice activation.
Gotta head up there sometime soon. Been too long. Henry Dodge interesting.
Evidently there is quite a saga between Dodge and James Doty. I think I need to unravel that more.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Indeed. Had no idea but could be interesting. Heh.
You know Mike, someday you should come out west and see some of the most odd geological events that have occurred here, as a example how about entire mountains spinning around due to tectonic plates, and the uplifting of massive landmass sections, I think you would be impressed.
I do have a goal of getting out west to see some of the big geologic changes. Hopefully we can take some longer trips next year.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Great 👍 looking foward to your videos.
I have found some parks don't allow antennas in the trees or spikes in the ground. I noticed you have, what looks like ,a very low to the ground tripod you have attached your CB Antenna quick release mirror mount. Where did you get the tripod and do you guy it? How do you stabilize it? Thanks. Love your videos. I saw you on the POTA spot list over the weekend but couldn't hear you in the SF bay area.
I'm using a heavy metal bases that are used for advertising flags seen in front of businesses. This is the base I'm using in the video: amzn.to/3vN23w8 It's quite stable and heavy but you could sandbag it if you are in a windy place.
Forge
Forget the antenna- I want to know how the pizza came out!
The pizza was amazing. I've tried many different styles of camping pizza and settled on this thick crust style that I adapted for the dutch oven. I'll feature it in an upcoming camping video.
Good video and my 17 f whip from Wolf River Coil just arrived today so I haven had a chance to try it out yet. Like you I’ve seen other videos doing this so I thought I would try it out. 73. KV5P
I think from now on I'm going to leave my coil set to 40m and just use the whip for the higher bands.
@@KB9VBRAntennas I can’t wait to try it, I have both the Silver Bullet 1000 and the Silver Bullet Mini. I have the 1000 mounted on a T post in my wife’s flower bed with an old CB 102” Stainless Steal Whip screwed in to the top of the coil. It works great 👍 I just got the Silver Bullet Mini and 213” whip today for POTA. 73 KV5P
A trick for Pizza in a DO is to cook it upside down (lid on bottom and body on top). Easier to access the pizza. You'll need welding gloves to handle the CI.
I've heard of that trick for pizzas and breads. I build my pizza on parchment paper and drop it in the over. I do the same with breads and biscuits too, saves on cleanup.
That looked like a lovely trip. And the food! 😋
I'll be in the La Crosse area for the next three weeks. Let me know if you would be available for a meetup. U-rah-rah
I have your email so lets see if we can make something work.
I'm having difficulty getting anything on my Pixie QRP. I have a high-impedence crystal earpiece. My aerial is where I;m getting problems. I have 10M of 18 gauge stranded, insulated wire coiled around a broom handle.
+ 10x Points, for Camp Dutch Oven Pizza, while camping! ♨️ 🍕 Looks like fun, doing the parks on the air!
I'll be sharing the recipe in a future video. I've made a lot of pizzas in the dutch oven and this thick crust version is my favorite.
@@KB9VBRAntennas I look forward to it. I love a deep dish pizza. And I am a Camp Dutch Oven fanatic!
Hello,
Just curious about the tripod used on this video, what is it? Where can I find one, I think is great to use with the antenna mount you have, I happen to have one as well.
Thank you
Kb1mlq
It's a cross brace stand for a teardrop flag. I like it a lot because it is heavy (it can support the 17 foot whip in 20+ mph winds). But it also rotates, which is a bit of a pain. amzn.to/3HnIkeb
@@KB9VBRAntennas
Thank you so much.
I like your videos, they are very helpful.
KB1MLQ
73s
Big Michael, would you explain the meaning of signal strength during your contacts? ie: 5/7 what does that indicate?
The RS (readability and strength) system is a method to describe signal quality. Readability is scaled between 1 - 5 with 5 being fully understandable and clear and 1 being completely unintelligible. In reality nothing is really rated below a 3 or a 2. The strength indicator goes between 1 and 9 and that roughly corresponds to the S-meter on your transceiver. A 59 signal is very strong and fully understandable. A 51 signal is understandable but not strong. 44 would have elements of unintelligibility, is weak, but can be copied. A 33 is very weak and just above the noise floor. There is a great deal of subjectiveness to rating the signal quality, but it gives a general indicator to the other station how their transmissions are being perceived.
@@KB9VBRAntennas That is a very good explanation, thank you for replying. I like the pizza in the Dutch Oven idea as well 🙂
I'll be featuring my pizza recipe in an upcoming camping video, so stay tuned.
Hi there! Nice video, what logging software do you use? Thanks, Phil G8PJH
I'm using Hamrs on an inexpensive windows laptop. Hamrs.app
Where is that little bird on the dash?
The bird will return. It was nesting in the house because it didn't like sleeping in the cold vehicle over the winter.
I notice the campground looks fairly empty, do you change your setup if you have neighbors or worry about noise?
It was early in the season, so many of the sites were empty, but we did have a neighbor next to us. Many of the campgrounds in Wisconsin State Parks are large and have a fair amount of screening between the sites. But if it is crowded I will use a vertical antenna with the window screen or faraday cloth in order to conserve space. I'll also use headphones or make sure my audio doesn't carry outside my campsite, especially in the day or later in the evening.
Great activation! Looked like a fun weekend camping! 73 de Jeff K3JRZ
Good weather makes for fun camping.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Very true. I’ve done bad weather camping once. Once. Not sure how we missed a rain storm coming… Young & dumb I guess with no smartphones back in the mid 90s. LOL!
Look forward to more camping videos. 73!
Is that whip the default one that comes with the WRC? or is that the MFJ one?
It's the Chameleon 17 foot whip. You can do the same thing with the long MFJ whip or the 213 inch whip that Wolf River sells.
What is that clamp? Where do we find them?
It's a CB antenna quick release mirror mount. amzn.to/36Yie1h It appears that they are currently unavailable on Amazon at the moment, but I seen them in other places like hamfests and CB shops.
I've seen them listed as the Workman QRCS3.
When in the same park is it still considered P2P? lol
Sure is. Two different stations, same park. If we were thinking, we could have pulled out handhelds and got contacts on 2m and 70cm for more points.
over 90% of your power pours out of the coil unless you have a capacity hat. That will help but you still lose 80% of the power thru the coil. Stick with a vertical or a wire.
what is your wife doing over there? looks interesting!
Weaving. She has a small rigid heddle loom that she likes to bring camping.
Parks?
I worked QRP DX for 3 weeks MOBILE in IA.
.EU Israel S Africa, S America.
QRP.
This Parks stuff is just a waste of time.
Bless your heart. Some say QRP is a waste of time, but I like how everyone can do their own thing.
I’m in your log for that activation! I was portable, unfortunately not at a POTA site.
Don / W5DON
Nice video. Hope to get on the air over Memorial Weekend on some family property.
de W5KAL
We'll be camping in the UP of Michigan over the holiday weekend, so hopefully we can make a contact.
Nice to get you in the log on 17m Mike. I always enjoy seeing my call sign on a QSO map! 73 and POTA on! Fran/KC1NDQ
Thank you.