#elecraftax2 — Public Fediverse posts

The summit of #SOTA OK/LI-004 Jizera (#WWFF OKFF-0851, #POTA CZ-0010) does not offer very much space for an antenna and is usually pretty crowded on weekends. You are also not allowed to leave the trails to make use of the activation zone - the nature reserve needs to be protected. So I put up the #elecraftax2 as a fallback option and quit after 10 QSOs on #20m in #morsecode. #HamRadio #SummitsOnTheAir #ParksOnTheAir #Amateurfunk #qrp #elecraftkx2 #hiking #mountains #czechia #czechrepublic

According to the #POTA map it’s possible to activate two entities directly at Saint-Malo: FR-5420 and FR-5421. So I set up my emergency #elecraftax2 antenna at the mole and hit the waves on #20m in #morsecode with 10 W of output power. There was no space to put up the #efhw without endangering the other pedestrians here. It went surprisingly well with 13 QSOs in 45 minutes. #HamRadio #ParksOnTheAir #Amateurfunk #elecraftkx2 #morsecode #hiking #travel #Bretagne #Brittany #France

Today‘s temperature was well over 30 °C so I chose to make this trip’s final activation in the afternoon when a 2 bft wind came up. #WWFF EAFF-0431 Reserva Natural Especial Serra de Tramuntana (#POTA ES-2151) was the target again. I had a lot of P2Ps today and the ODX was to @OH3CUF in OHFF-0201 with 2785 km. A nice ending for a hot XOTA trip to #Mallorca. #HamRadio #Amateurfunk #qrp #morsecode #hiking #20m #qcxmini #elecraftax2 #ParksOnTheAir

Today‘s temperature was well over 30 °C so I chose to make this trip’s final activation in the afternoon when a 2 bft wind came up. #WWFF EAFF-0431 Reserva Natural Especial Serra de Tramuntana (#POTA ES-2151) was the target again. I had a lot of P2Ps today and the ODX was to @OH3CUF in OHFF-0201 with 2785 km. A nice ending for a hot XOTA trip to #Mallorca. #HamRadio #Amateurfunk #qrp #morsecode #hiking #20m #qcxmini #elecraftax2 #ParksOnTheAir

Our sore muscles were the reason why we skipped #SOTA EA6/MA-021 Talaia de Cals Reis today and did a walk starting in the small village of Orient near Bunyola instead. The resulting activation of #WWFF EAFF-0430 and #POTA ES-2151 (Paraje Natural Serra de Tramuntana) was just a quick one with only a couple of QSOs. #HamRadio #ParksOnTheAir #Amateurfunk #qrp #morsecode #hiking #mountains #20m #qcxmini #elecraftax2 #Mallorca #safetyfirst

It‘s our fourth time on #Mallorca but our first visit to Cap de Formentor. To have an easy trip we took the bus from Port de Pollença to Far de Formentor. On the way back I activated #SOTA EA6/MA-077 Talaia d'Albercutx (#WWFF EAFF-0431, #POTA ES-2151). It‘s just a 45 minute walk from one of the bus stops and has a magnificent view. #HamRadio #SummitsOnTheAir #Amateurfunk #qrp #morsecode #hiking #mountains #20m #qcxmini #elecraftax2

Parc Natural de sa Península de Llevant (#WWFF EAFF-0055, #POTA ES-0203) contains #SOTA EA6/MA-030 Morey and is one of my top locations to avoid tourists on the island. We took route 13 to the summit and only met two cows, four mules and one fellow hiker. When encountering animals larger than me in the wild I‘m always happy that my wife is a veterinarian and constantly at my side! #HamRadio #SummitsOnTheAir #Amateurfunk #qrp #morsecode #hiking #mountains #20m #qcxmini #elecraftax2 #Mallorca

Finca Pública de Son Real (#WWFF EAFF-2661) is a public, state-owned farm dating back to medieval times with a large park. It also contains Necròpolis de Son Real, a grave field from the seventh century B. C. directly at the Mediterranean Sea. Despite being very near the touristic centers on Mallorca’s East coast it’s not crowded with tourists and easy to activate. #20m #HamRadio #Amateurfunk #qrp #qcxmini #morsecode #hiking #elecraftax2 #Mallorca

Our first and short tour on the island of #Mallorca took us to #WWFF EAFF-0431 Reserva Natural Especial Serra de Tramuntana near Cala Sant Vicenç where I worked as EA6/DK3IP/P. We sat near the sea with a superb view over the coastline and got used to the heat… #20m #HamRadio #Amateurfunk #qrp #qcxmini #morsecode #hiking #elecraftax2

@OH3CUF You‘re perfectly right. Normally distance, chokes and counterpoises are the key to a solution. The problem with the RF getting into the rig appeared exclusively with the #elecraftax2 (very short, built to be set up near the transceiver, just one counterpoise and therefore not the most effective antenna anyway), never with any of my #EFHW antennas. I could isolate the issue to the audio socket - one type of headphones was very prone to the bad audio, another one not.

Despite the ongoing #IARU HF World Championship #contest and the high level of QRM I activated #SOTA OK/US-003 Loučná (#WWFF OKFF-2889) today. The landscape around it and the view from near the summit are fantastic. Just five QSOs on #20m with the regular chasers but also one summit-to-summit were the results. #HamRadio #SummitsOnTheAir #Amateurfunk #qrp #elecraftax2 #QCX #morsecode #hiking #mountains #czechrepublic

Different summits - different setups: Normally I prefer long hikes and relaxed activations with plenty of time on the bands. But today I wanted to test my new Special Edition Palm Radio Pico Paddle (very tiny!) and two antennas so I went to three summits in a row: #SOTA DM/SX-109 Steinberg, DM/SX-002 Auersberg and OK/KA-001 Klínovec. The weather was magnificent and the tests with the #EFHW vs. the #elecraftax2 went well. #HamRadio #hamr #SummitsOnTheAir #Amateurfunk #qrp #elecraftkx2 #hiking

Two firsts for me today: my first operation as HB9/DK3IP/P and my first activation over 2000 m. #SOTA HB/AI-001 Säntis (also #WWFF HBFF-0389 and #POTA CH-0175) is easily accessible by funicular and has a spectacular view from the top. 38 QSOs in total with the ODX on the East Coast of the USA is satisfying for the compromised #elecraftax2 antenna. #HamRadio #hamr #SummitsOnTheAir #Amateurfunk #qrp #elecraftkx2 #morsecode

The #elecraftax2 didn't satisfy me today in #POTA DE-0149 Aachen Kurgarten Park: The roughly 4 W out of the #QMX were good for only 7 QSOs in 90 minutes with #FT8. A least I found a relaxing and sunny spot in this beautiful park which is definitely worth a second try in #morsecode with a decent #efhw. #HamRadio #ParksOnTheAir #Amateurfunk #qrp

The #elecraftax2 didn't satisfy me today in #POTA DE-0149 Aachen Kurgarten Park: The roughly 4 W out of the #QMX were good for only 7 QSOs in 90 minutes with #FT8. A least I found a relaxing and sunny spot in this beautiful park which is definitely worth a second try in #morsecode with a decent #efhw. #HamRadio #ParksOnTheAir #Amateurfunk #qrp

@eric_normandeau I think generally whip antennas are the most portable. As soon as you have a long whip the efficiency is okay. @DK4HAA’s build is a good compromise between portability and efficiency: https://draussenfunker.de/diy/teleskop-viertelwellen-vertical.html I have something similar and use it during #POTA activations. I take the #elecraftax2 only when there is no tree or the surroundings don’t allow me to put up a mast or use a tree as a support.

@eric_normandeau I think generally whip antennas are the most portable. As soon as you have a long whip the efficiency is okay. @DK4HAA’s build is a good compromise between portability and efficiency: https://draussenfunker.de/diy/teleskop-viertelwellen-vertical.html I have something similar and use it during #POTA activations. I take the #elecraftax2 only when there is no tree or the surroundings don’t allow me to put up a mast or use a tree as a support.

I found a nice spot to activate #WWFF DLFF-0100 = #POTA DE-0035 Rhein-Taunus Nature Park near Frauenstein surrounded by “Streuobstwiesen”. There is no direct translation for the word but it means something like “meadow with fruit trees” - mainly apples or cherries. Most of the apples then become cider or „Äppler“ as it is called in the region. I left as soon as the wind became too strong. #HamRadio #hamr #Amateurfunk #qrp #elecraftkx2 #elecraftax2 #morsecode #ParksOnTheAir

Today’s second activation is done (#SOTA DM/BM-154 Kösseine, #WWFF DLFF-0659 Gipfel der Großen Kösseine and #POTA DE-0031 Fichtelgebirge Nature Park). I’ve used the most minimalist antenna set up I own. 10 minutes into the activation it started raining again. In total I made 18 QSOs and the ODX was to North Carolina. This gets me another 10 SOTA points earned the hard way. #HamRadio #Amateurfunk #qrp #morsecode #elecraftax2 #elecraftkx2

Today’s second activation is done (#SOTA DM/BM-154 Kösseine, #WWFF DLFF-0659 Gipfel der Großen Kösseine and #POTA DE-0031 Fichtelgebirge Nature Park). I’ve used the most minimalist antenna set up I own. 10 minutes into the activation it started raining again. In total I made 18 QSOs and the ODX was to North Carolina. This gets me another 10 SOTA points earned the hard way. #HamRadio #Amateurfunk #qrp #morsecode #elecraftax2 #elecraftkx2