loading . . . Featherlight QRP Delight with the Poor Man’s KH1 **An unexpected POTA win at my home activation spot**
**by Leo (DL2COM)**
Ever since Elecraft released the magnificent KH1, I haven’t been able to shake the idea of running my self-built QCX-Mini (20m) in a pedestrian-mobile setup. The thought of having a super-lightweight, grab-and-go solution for spontaneous ops—and maybe even a remote SOTA summit—kept circling in my head. Plus, it just sounded like fun to piece something together from a handful of simple parts and create another self-contained kit.
Hi there! Will you do the QSO thing for me?
The big challenges: finding a suitable key and a compact antenna that works without a tuner. Sure, strapping an Elecraft T1 and AX1 to the QCX’s back might work in theory, but it would be bulky, awkward to handle, and probably a magnet for common-mode issues. So I was pretty happy to learn about a resourceful builder in Thailand who makes budget-friendly monoband whips for HF. At first I was hesitant—shortened whips are notoriously high-Q and finicky to tune—but other SOTA ops in Germany had given good reports. After a reassuring email exchange with Jeep (yes, that’s really his name), I picked up a 20m version from his eBay store. He even sent me SWR screenshots showing 100 kHz bandwidth at <1:1.5 using a Diamond MAT-50 magnetic grounding mat as counterpoise. Impressive!
I experimented with a big alligator clip and a few feet of AWG 15 wire (abt 1.5 mm2) and ended up with a very workable SWR around 1:1.4 in the upper CW section of 20m with the whip fully extended and about 2/3 of the wire on the ground (while holding the NanoVNA in my hand, standing). Good enough for me.
Next: the key. “Cursed be the portable operator that knoweth not Ara, N6ARA.” Done. No idea what magic Ara works, but a Tiny Paddle Plug showed up in my mailbox just days later here in Germany. “Sorry Ara, there’s a bit too much solder on top of the brass keying thingies, but I really wanted to get on the air. I’ll clean it up later.”
It’s doing the thing! Operating with a view…..
Ergonomics were great. Effectiveness? Let’s see. And the best test bed: the trusty EU POTA hunter crowd. Honestly, I only expected maybe one or two QSOs before packing it up—I really didn’t have time for a full activation under compromised conditions.
We’re lucky to own a tiny bit of land literally a stone’s throw from park DE-0097. The lake’s shoreline marks the park’s border, and there’s easy access via a small dock. I’ve activated there many times — great view, but the downside is that the lake sits in a depression with rising ground all around.
“Oui, oui, assieds-toi, mon ami.”
I hauled out a little wooden chair and balanced my phone on my lap for logging. Spotted, called CQ, and… a few minutes later: CT1EHX from Portugal! Calls kept coming and by the time I had five logged I thought, “Wait, I might actually pull off a full activation.”
Half an hour later I had 11 QSOs from all over the EU, including two park-to-parks from England and Italy. Incredible. This featherweight QRP contraption really worked.
What?? RF wonders. Oil on canvas.
I heard a few PTT clicks here and there, but the aluminum dock and counterpoise seemed to play nice together. And hey—BS170s all survived.
Baby snake kept me awake
Highlight of the day: a young grass snake (Natrix natrix) swam by to say hello. Gorgeous little visitor, and a nice reminder that the ecosystem here is alive and well.
All of it.
Big thanks to Hans, Ara, and Jeep for making this QRP adventure possible. Next mission: find a compact pouch and maybe a phone arm-mount so I can log while standing. Happy to hear your suggestions 🙂
# **Gear used:**
* QRP-Labs QCX-Mini 20m version
* N6ARA Tiny paddle plug kit
* N6ARA Tiny paddle QMX/QCX adapter
* 20m Monoband whip antenna (24hrsradioshop) & wire counterpoise to BNC via large alligator clip
* Panasonic In-ear headphones
* Eremit 11.1V LiIon battery (by now I have an angled DC plug. man…. keying was a wee bit tedious with that straight plug in the way).
**_vy 73 de Leo DL2COM_**
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### _Related_ https://qrper.com/2025/09/featherlight-qrp-delight-qcx-mini/
