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Audio clicks on the NorCal 40A from the KC1 keyer

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A while back I noticed that I had a slight and slightly annoying audio click or pop on my NorCal 40A (wilderness radio edition) whenever the KC1 keyer started up.  That is, on the first element of a character or at the beginning of a played message, there was a click, which I assumed had something to do with the keyer microcontroller waking up.  It was not present at all in straight key mode, which bypasses the KC1 keyer.  I cannot remember now if this was always a problem, or something that had cropped up at some point.  I don’t use the rig frequently, but when I do, it is usually in the field on a hiking trip.  The rig has not been handled particularly gently, so there is the possibility of damage from rough handling.     My beloved Norcal 40A The click was not terrible, but the straight key mode sounded so much better, I decided to try to see if I could fix it.  Adding an extra capacitor bypassing at the KC1 microcontroller didn’t fix it. ...
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Antenna wire for lightweight portable operations

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When building an antenna to carry  to the mountains for a portable radio operation, a lightweight wire antenna is a good choice, and there are several good options for what kind of wire to use. I’ve tried both "polystealth" wire  and Silicone coated wire in #26 AWG, but my favorite for SOTA is Teflon-coated multi-strand 26AWG.   Silver-plated, teflon-coated, multi-strand wire in #26 AWG. My first portable antennas were built with polystealth (available from the Wireman, and a similar wire from DX engineering). I think the polystealth is very strong and great for stealthy fixed locations (I use it for that now), but does kink a bit if you are winding and unwinding a lot. It’s not bad, and winding in a figure 8 helps, but it still can be a slight issue.   The silicone coated stuff (I used BNTECHGO silicone wire from Amazon) is very flexible, but breaking can be an issue.  If you’ve snagged it on something and yank, it will break, at least in 26 gauge....
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Emigrant Peak, Nevada - SOTA activation trip report

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  (Originally posted on the SOTA Reflector) March 1, 2025.  I love reading about SOTA activations in other countries.  Weather, flora, geography, etc are endlessly fascinating to me.  I thought a few of you might be interested in reading about an activation in remote western Nevada, where the terrain may be quite different from what many of you are used to.  Lorene (W6LOR) and I set our sights on Emigrant Peak W7N/EM-114, an unactivated desert peak in Nevada.  The peak is about 40 miles west of the nearest town - unincorporated Tonopah, NV.   The 'EM' in the peak designation is from Esmeralda and Mineral counties. Emigrant peak is in Esmeralda County, which with a population of less than 800 is the least populated in Nevada and one of the least populated counties in the lower 48 states of the US.  The combination of remote location and unknown road conditions lent an air of uncertainty to our trip. Although we searched for online...
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A 10m end-fed halfwave antenna

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  January 1, 2025 (published in QRP quarterly 2025)   My wife Lorene, W6LOR, and I have been enjoying operating from mountain peaks as part of the summits-on-the-air (SOTA) program.  This past year SOTA has featured a 10m challenge, and as part of the challenge, W6LOR decided to build a 10m Rockmite transceiver and I decided to build a lightweight antenna that would be suitable for portable operating.  This short note describes the antenna design and performance.   For lightweight, low power portable operation, an obvious choice was an end-fed halfwave (EFHW) antenna cut for 10m and built with lightweight wire.  I had a stash of #26 AWG Teflon coated wire purchased at discount from eBay that would serve well. The remaining questions were the details of the matching transformer, the feed line, and counterpoise.  There are plenty of on-line articles and videos with design details for multi-band EFHWs, usually built for 40 through 10m, but I coul...
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Winter SOTA on Lookout Mountain

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(Originally published in QRP Quarterly 2022) I’ve enjoyed field portable operation with QRP rigs for a while. My first HF radio was a NorCal 40a, which I still love.  My current setup is an Elecraft KX2, a homebrew EFHW antenna, and an inexpensive 7m fishing pole to support the antenna, usually as an inverted vee.  I use a variety of keys, including ones from N0SA, N6ARA, and K6ARK, and also the Palm Mini Paddle. Lately, I’ve really been enjoying Summits on the Air (SOTA). Some of the best things about the program are the new places it has encouraged me to go to and the fantastic new people I’ve met.  For SOTA, it is important to minimize weight and maximize efficiency. My current kit weights about 3.5 pounds (including everything) – there is still some room for optimization. I’ve been really happy with the antenna I’m using – it’s relatively efficient on 40m, 20m, and 15m and has held up in the field with close to 100 outings. The configuration includes a modest comm...
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