Go Bag for KX3 and AlexLoop

A LowePro Flipside 300 backpack will hold a KX3, AlexLoop, tripod for the loop, Tenergy 10AH LiFEPO4 battery, and misc accessories. This enough to operate at a picnic table or bench. The bag fills from the front which allows the tripod to be on the back. Internally, there is the AlexLoop and three bags; a ThinkTank bag for the KX3 and two Arriba Microphone bags. One Arriba bag has the battery and the other has the accessories. There is nothing wrong with the AlexLoop bag but, this packs it all into one. The KX3, AlexLoop and the 10 AH battery are a lot of capability for portable ops.

Good Luck with the Hex

I purchased a hex beam from NA4RR at the Orlando Hamcation.. NA4RR's web site is NA4RR.com.  I took it out to Mr. Grumpy's Crooked Fence Ranch for a dry run of assembly. The ranch is Don KK4DWC's QTH.  Assembly went very smoothly. We only did one band for the dry run. I hope to use the hex beam for extended portable ops and Field Day. Thanks to Don, Marv KK4DKT and Jim K4LIX for assistance. Melissa, Marv's wife took pictures. There will be some challenges on a portable mast. So we will see how that goes.

Orlando Hamcation 2013

Marv KK4DKT and I made another Orlando Hamcation trip. We arrived on Friday for a few hours at the hamfest. Friday night Marv visited his daughter who is going to school in Orlando. I did some ops from our third story room at red roof. I made a few contacts on 30 meters using the KX3 and the Alexloop. Any contact from indoors is a joy. Saturday we put in our due at the hamfest. The crowd was large. I met Kelly K4UPG and friends for lunch. See more on Kelly's Blog. My big buy was a Hexagonal Beam from Roger KA4RR. It was a pretty good deal. I don't have any type of beam. I see this as a field day antenna and eventually installed at the house. They are clever antennas but large. So this will be a new challenge supporting it in the field.

It was a pleasure to attend the QRP forum in the afternoon setup by Jim K4AHO. The excellent presentation was by Jim W4QO on DX and QRP. The gist is that QRP makes ham radio more interesting and challenging. I was invited to give a demo of the KX3 and the Alexloop after the forum. The weather was perfect. I am rather proud that I can pack the KX3 and the Alexloop into a backpack which also includes a tripod. The Alexloop gained the most attention. My claim is it is the most convenient portable antenna to setup. It is so small and self contained compared to a dipole or just about any wire antenna. So I chose 20 meters around 14.060. My first call was to N8ZYA. Darn! he did not hear me. The second call was to KO1U Mark. I got him and he even gave me a 599. I always enjoy meeting QRP folks at the hamfests and Orlando came through. Thanks Jim and Kelly.

Marv bought a slinky antenna. He tested it out in the hotel parking lot late in the afternoon and into the evening. Marv has his FT 897 and accessories in his Ham Box 1000. See the pictures. Marv snagged his first New Hampshire QSO. He had been trying for NH ever since he got his license. He was born there. We made it back safely Sunday and made a few 146.52 contacts on the way. So all good for another Hamcation. It was enjoyable. There was quite a contingent of Panama City folks here having fun.

Alexloop and KX3 in hotel room

Roger NA4RR Hex Beams. Roger is very helpful to us hex beam neophytes.

Alexloop and KX3 in backpack. Also includes tripod for the loop and 10 AH LiFe battery.

KX3 and Alexloop demo

Marv's Slinky Antenna

Marv's awesome Ham Box 1000

A Tale of Two Hobbies

My QRZ.com N4KGL page has my Mighty Mo rocket photo above. It was the featured profile for a while on QRZ.com. John W8JER of Sturgis, Michigan saw the photo and just had to check our rockets. At the February 2nd Samson AL launch John drove up and parked. I am always encouraging folks to come to our rocket launches. However, we don't usually draw folks from Michigan. John and his wife Michelle made Samson a stop on their way to the Orlando Hamcation. So John and Michelle had plenty of rockets to watch. I launched my 4 inch diameter Thor with a patriotic paint scheme on a 54 mm J415 motor..

Of course, John and I talked Ham radio. He drives a Ham Radio equipped Subaru mobile. I offered or perhaps  insisted on showing John my Elecraft KX3. So what to use for an antenna? The most convenient is the Alexloop. I setup the loop and we checked out 17 meters and it was active. There was a Michigan station on. John keeps a sked with his friend Jeff WD8PER from Sturgis. So John called up Jeff and he heard the 10 watt KX3 S9 in Michigan. John took the mic and had a chat with Jeff. John was impressed with the Alexloop. It is always fine business when you make a point to point QSO with a friend.

It was nice to meet and make friends with John and Michelle. It was my two hobbies rockets and radios coming together. Look for John with his fuzzy hair cap at the Hamcation. He will have a table there to sell some gear. Perhaps he will buy an Alexloop sometime. Also check out W8JER's page on QRZ.com he has an awesome Hex Beam and tower.

Go Ahead Make My Lunch

I have been setting up portable on my lunch break from work in Panama City Beach, FL. One QSO is a success. Today I worked ZS4RC in South Africa  15 meters band, 10 watts SSB with the Elecraft KX3. Of course that made my day or is it made my lunch. The KX3 is ideal for this mission. My antenna today was a 50 foot wire setup as an inverted Lwith a Balun Designs 9 to 1 Unun. The counterpoise is a ribbon cable with a quarter wave conductor for 40, 30, 20 and 17 meters. I make use of the KX3 internal tuner and it tunes on all bands. The tuner only does a few clicks to tune with the unun. I have gone without the unun and it tunes most but not all bands. So I would love to work you guys. I operate at 1730Z for about 30 minutes. No telling where I will be on the bands. Go Ahead Make My Lunch!

There are two 20 foot crappie poles for the inverted L and the counterpoise in the foreground.

This day I left the adapter for the unun at home so I used a BNC to SO 239 and plugged into the center. I hooked the counterpoise under a screw on the KX3 which provides a ground pad.

It is hard to beat the Alexloop for convenience and surprising performance.

Ham Friends This Weekend

I spent Saturday morning with my local ham buddies operating portable at a park in Lynn Haven FL. See the post on W4RYZ.org While at the park, I worked Jim K4AHO in Orlando.  We had a pretty long CW QSO on 40 meters. Jim is heading up the QRP forum at the Orlando Hamcation. I had also worked Kelly K4UPG from Orlando last Saturday from the rocket Launch.  

Sunday, I worked Bobby AK4JA on 60 meters PSK. I also worked Jim Clary ND9M in traveling in KY. He was the K3Y/4 just prior to my turn as K3Y/4. He also returned the favor and worked me.

Monday, John K4KQZ and I made some progress on setting up for a sked to work each other on 60 meters PSK. John and I go way back and meet each year at the Huntsville Hamfest. I also met a new ham to me on 60 meters KJ4UDD Neal in Dothan, AL. Any ham from Dothan is interesting to me as that is my hometown. Neal was running a KX3 on 5 watts for the QSO. So we have the same rig and he has an Alexloop like I do to boot. I hope to meet him to do some portable ops sometime.My last QSO on Monday was with Sonny WB4NKU in Ft Valley GA.

I also exchanged emails with Jerry N4EO in Tennessee and Tom WD0HBR from Dothan during the weekend.

So all these folks have me as a common friend. A small world story is at the August 2012 Monte Sano QRP event that Craig NM4T setup, Bobby AK4JA and Sonny WB4NKU were there. In fact, Bobby operated my KX3. We did not get introduced until recently when we met on 60 meters and pieced together that we were at the same place within a few feet of each other. It turns out many of the folks I mentioned here were at that event. I look forward to a return in August 2013. We all know each other even better now. I am also looking forward to Going to Orlando Hamcation with Marv KK4DKT and meeting Jim K4AHO and Kelly K4UPG and more of the QRP folks down there. It was a good three day weekend and I enjoyed all the contact with my ham buddies. I hope all of you had a good one.

Greg N4KGL

Lynn haven FL Portable Ops. The  three poles hold up a 88 foot ribbon cable doublet.

Rocket Launch Ops

I attended the January 12th SouthEast Alabama Rocketry Society launch in Samson, AL. Of course, I can't resist bringing the radio gear. I setup a 44 foot NorCal Doublet and the KX3. I was looking for Kelly K4UPG operating as K3Y/4 from Sanford FL. I found him as soon as I tuned up on 40 meters. I also worked K3Y/7 on 15 meters and checked into the SouthCARS net on 40. I was pleased to have Jim KC4HW, John KK4LST and James KE4GWW with his Son Tullis attend. All members of the Wiregrass ARC in nearby Dothan, AL. They got a great rocket show from the SEARS fliers and Tullis launched some of my rockets. I have recently gotten interested in fox hunting radio style. I tested out my yagi, VHF loop and offset attenuator all from Arrow Antennas. I find they work pretty good with my Baofeng UV-5R HT. Of course I knew where the Byonics MicroFox was located as I placed it myself. This was a warm up for the Orlando Hamfest Fox Hunt and future opportunities with the Panama City and Wiregrass clubs. Enjoy the photos.

18 inch saucer on a J motor

Gizmo on I motor

20 foot poles for NorCal doublet

Center of NorCal Doublet

KX3

doublet hooked directly to KX3. It uses internal tuner

Arrow yagi for fox hunting

Arrow YHF loop, offset attenuator and HT

Byonics Micro Fox