Two Mansions and Two Radios: POTA with the TX-500MP and KH1 Many thanks to Mark (KB2PIZ) who shares the following field report: Breton Point State Park Activation (US-2870)  October 9, 2025 by Mark (JJ5GVY/KB2PIZ) After our work trip out west, my wife and I decided to take a vacation and drive up…

QRP POTA: Will the Elecraft KX1 pair with the AX3? (Of course it will!) by Thomas (K4SWL) The afternoon of Wednesday, September 17, 2025, was just calling out for a POTA activation. I didn’t have enough time in the day to travel further afield than my local Blue Ridge Parkway—my…

PA3AKC’s QRP Labs QMX EDC Field Kit Many thanks to Ron (PA3AKC) who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post.  QPR Labs QMX EDC Field Kit…

Today’s Quick Field Report: KH1 Pedestrian Mobile Twofer (A Bug-Out Month Exception) Good afternoon, friends! I just wanted to share a quick field report from this afternoon. I had several errands in town today—really, I was out and about all day long. On the way home, during that final stretch on…

K4ZSR’s Comprehensive Elecraft KX3 Field Kit Many thanks to Zach (K4ZSR), who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post.  K4ZSR’s Elecraft…

Deal Alert: Bioenno BOGO Sale on 12V 6Ah LiFePO4 Batteries Many thanks to my buddy George (KJ6VU) for spotting this: Bioenno is running a buy-one-get-one-free sale on their 12V 6Ah LiFePO4 battery packs. Here's the product link. To get the deal, add either two of the 6Ah batteries or the…

VA3EKR: A Fall POTA Outing at Shade’s Mills Conservation Area (CA-5604) Many thanks to Scott (VA3EKR) who shares the following guest post, which was originally posted on his blog: Shade's Mills Conservation Area (CA-5604) by Scott (VA3EKR) Chris, VA3CJW, suggested this POTA site, as it was new to…

K4ZSR’s Lightweight, Compact QRP Labs QDX Field Kit Many thanks to Zach (K4ZSR), who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post.  K4ZSR’s…

October “Bug-Out” Month: Quick Update As promised, I’ve officially kicked off October as my “Bug-Out” month. Friday, I activated the Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378) using my TR-45L, AX3, and Vibroplex Deluxe bug. I’ll admit—I had a few butterflies in my stomach committing to this. In my mind, my fist…

Elecraft KX2 + AX1: Grab-and-Go POTA Radio Therapy by Thomas (K4SWL) Sometimes we pack our bags and set out on a voyage to an undiscovered POTA site—trying to keep anticipation and excitement at bay—and sometimes we squeeze in a POTA activation on the way home from the grocery store. Honestly? I…

VA3EKR: Exploring Limehouse’s History While Activating Four Parks In One Many thanks to Scott (VA3EKR) who shares the following guest post, which was originally posted on his blog: September 28, 2025 Limehouse Conservation Area (CA-5563) Just over two years ago I activated this park, but this…

KB2PIZ: Activating Saltwater State Park (US-3262) by Mark (KB2PIZ) I've been on another business trip to Seattle and had some free time to visit Saltwater State Park and complete an activation. I was here last year and only made one contact before I had to leave. This year, the plan was to stay…

KI5OEB: Testing the “Just OK Mini” Antenna in the Field by James (KI5OEB)  Testing, testing, testing!!! On September 22, I went out for a few hours at Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center Historic Site (US-10951), my closest park… I open this by stating the objective of this activation was…

Compromised Antenna? Not Today! AX1 Activation at Fort Dobbs State Historic Site On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, my wife, Hazel, and I were heading back from Greensboro, NC along Interstate 40 when I thought it fitting to make a short detour to Fort Dobbs State Historic Site for a quick POTA…

KV4AN: A Pair of Quick Drive-Up SOTA Activations in Northern Alabama By Steve (KV4AN) My XYL and her sister like to go yard sale-ing on Saturday morning (this is the practice of buying other people’s junk so you can throw it away for them), so I’ve had two beautiful Saturday mornings to do a pair…

Hurricane Helene: One Year Later One year ago today—September 27, 2024—Hurricane Helene moved up from the Gulf of Mexico, swept across the Southeast, and struck Western North Carolina. Its impact was massive—its destruction, unprecedented. by Thomas (K4SWL) The Storm Arrives We’d been following…

VA3EKR: A Dual POTA Activation at Beverly Swamp (CA-1312, VEFF-2551) Many thanks to Scott (VA3EKR) who shares the following guest post which was originally posted on his blog: September 21, 2025, Beverly Swamp Conservation Area (CA-1312, VEFF-2551) by Scott (VA3EKR) I wanted to get the most of my…

K4ZSR: My First Month As A CW Operator by Zach (K4ZSR) My first on-air CW QSO occurred on 16 July 2025. By 16 August, I had hunted 41 POTA activators using CW, completed one SOTA and twelve POTA activations using CW, and logged a total of 278 CW QSOs. While I will not be cutting my mic cords any…

K2BRZ’s (tr)uSDX Portable Field Kit Many thanks to Brian (K2BRZ), for sharing the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. Note that his kit was initially featured on his blog. If you would like to share your field kit with the…

The New Morserino M32 Pocket from QRP Labs! Many thanks to Paul (VP9KF) who notes that QRP Labs has just announced the Morserino Pocket. Here are the details from the QRP Labs product page: Morserino M32 Pocket The QRP Labs Morserino-32 Pocket is designed by Willi OE1WKL (with immense help by Hari…

Hand-Built RFI Chokes for QRP and POTA: KF8ASE Ham Radio Supply At QRPer.com, we love shining a light on small, mom-and-pop ham radio makers who are building high-quality accessories for the field and the shack. Brian (KF8ASE) is one of them. He hand-builds RFI chokes using genuine Fair-Rite…

Labor Day, Family Time, and a Bit of POTA Therapy: QRP DX at Jordan Lake Educational State Forest by Thomas (K4SWL) My wife and I hatched a plan for Labor Day weekend: pack the car, head to the Raleigh, NC area, and spend the long weekend with our daughters, who were just a few weeks into their…

A Quick-Build Cootie Key from the Four State QRP Group Sometimes the best therapy Is building a kit. One of the great things about going to Four Days in May during Hamvention week is attending vendor and club nights at the Holiday Inn Fairborn. It’s incredibly rare that I go to this event and…

Mark’s Fun-Filled “Failed” POTA Activation by Mark (KB2PIZ) Last weekend, I had a business meeting in Seattle and decided to take a scenic drive afterward. I planned to travel up Route 20 from Seattle, pass through Whidbey Island, stop at Deception Pass, and then continue north to Canada on Route…

Hurricane Helene Taught Me Why HOA Antenna Bans Must End — Please Take 30 Seconds to Help The ARRL has launched a simple web-based tool that lets you send a message to your representatives in support of a bipartisan bill that would eliminate HOA/private land use restrictions preventing Amateur…

Behind the Scenes at First U.S. TOTA by Todd (KE2AEQ) The first U.S. Toilets on the Air was a success! We made 336 FM, SSB, CW, and SSTV QSOs—52 of them "Toilet to Toilet"—with 13 operators being awarded the "Straight Flush" award. In the weeks leading up, I deployed an instance of the xOTA…

Jordan Lake POTA with Roger, and a Surprise QSO with Leo in Germany! One of the joys of writing up field reports is reliving POTA and SOTA activations. Since our travels in Canada this summer, our family has had a lot of irons in the fire. My available time has been almost non-existent, so I’ve…

October Will Be “Bug-Out” Month! by Thomas (K4SWL) If you read this title, you might think I’m referring to grabbing some survival gear and escaping civilization—but I’m not. I’m talking about taking a little civilization to the field in the form of a CW bug! Since my earliest days as an amateur…

Everyday Carry for Hams: Do You Have an EDC HF Field Radio Kit? If you’ve been a reader of QRPer.com for long, you’ll know that I’m a bit of a field radio kit fanatic. I love putting together field-portable HF radio systems that are fully self-contained and self-sufficient—meaning that everything…

VA3EKR Bikes to CA-5559: A Slow but Successful Activation! Many thanks to Scott (VA3EKR) who shares the following guest post which was originally posted on his blog: September 6, 2025, Tommy Thompson Park Conservation Area (CA-5559) by Scott (VA3EKR) Today I decided to try something new. Inspired…

One of My Favorite Places on Earth: An ATNO POTA Activation in Tadoussac, Québec There are few places on this earth that I love more than the region of Québec around the town of Tadoussac. Tadoussac sits where the Saguenay River—really, a dramatic fjord—meets the mighty St. Lawrence Estuary. Long…

Business Trip Bonus: Mark Activates William Umstead State Park (US-2755) by Mark (KB2PIZ) I was on a business trip to Raleigh, NC, the week of September 2nd and had some time to activate two parks during the week. For this park, I brought the Xiegu G90, and for an antenna, I used the Chelegance…

AB9YC: One-man mast setup, PVC to the rescue by Anthony (AB9YC) Like many, I have used an assortment of temporary mast solutions over the years, from extendable painter poles to PVC, and myriad options in between.  It’s difficult to pass up a tree with a clear branch at a reasonable height. …

KI5OEB: My Third Time Out with the Icom IC-705! by James (KI5OEB) I was very excited about this activation. I have been very busy doing things around the house and preparing to move my daughter off to college. Work has been the steady daily schedule, but this week shifted my start times to late…

Red Oxx Gator EDC Field Kit for the Lab599 Discovery TX-500 by Brian (K3ES) I am blessed to be able to afford a number of terrific QRP rigs to support my portable operating habit (or is it an addiction).  Every rig has its own advantages and disadvantages, and my operating skills grew as I became…

Watch Out: “Gift Card” Scam Emails Targeting Hams by Thomas (K4SWL) Lately, I’ve been receiving emails that look like they’re from ham radio friends — complete with their name and callsign in the “from” line. At first glance, they seem legitimate. But when you check the actual email address (not…

Back-seat QRPing: A Morning POTA Activation at Cap Tourmente On Sunday, July 6, 2025, I ventured out in the morning—despite the forecast calling for wet weather—to my favorite local activation site near our home base in St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Québec: Cap Tourmente (CA-0012). The day before, we had…

HamXposition Highlights (and Why You Haven’t Heard Me on the Air) by Thomas (K4SWL) Good morning, readers! It’s been a whirlwind over the past four weeks, but things are finally starting to settle down here at the QTH. One of the highlights of this busy season was my wonderful trip to Marlborough,…

For Bug Fists on the Go: The Don Lawson WB9CYY Bug Emulator by Bob Leichner (WO6W) Are you a dedicated bug user? Do you miss your bug while out on a POTA or SOTA activation? Would you like to operate mobile using a bug? Do you want to keep a small bug in your go bag for impromptu operations? Are…

Markus Baseler (DL6YYM), BaMaTech Creator, Silent Key My gratitude to Mike Lauth (LX1ML) for sharing the following sad news: Hello Tom, Just want to give you the information that DL6YYM, Markus Baseler is Silent Key. He is the maker of the famous high-quality BaMaTech TP II and TP III CW keys used…

NI4K: Activating Mt. Rosa and Refining the Elecraft KX1 Field Kit by Zach Hartzell (NI4K) A year ago, my father (W3HN) and I completed his first Summits on the Air (SOTA) activation in the North Georgia mountains. He submitted an article as a guest author for QRPer.com and was grateful for…

Scott Reviews Gigaparts Explorer Pouches: Adaptable, Radio-Friendly, and Now on Sale Many thanks to Scott (KA9P), who writes: Thomas, while I’m generally loath to advertise for anyone, I think the recent price change for Gigaparts’ Explorer pouches might interest the portable radio crowd. Many…

QRP Band Hopping: Two-fer POTA at Parc national des Grands-Jardins On Saturday, July 5, 2025, we drove into the Charlevoix region of Québec to visit one of our favorite parks in North America: Parc national des Grands-Jardins. In all of our years traveling to Québec, we’ve always made time for at…

New Icom IC-705 Firmware (Version 1.40) Many thanks to Richard (MM0RGM) and Markku (VA3MK) for noting that Icom has released a firmware update for the venerable Icom IC-705. Changes from Version 1.32 Improved the importing repeater list. Supported importing repeater list while retaining the…

Icom Announces the IC-7300MK2: Improved Performance and Enhanced Connectivity Icom has unveiled the long-anticipated IC-7300MK2, the next generation of its popular IC-7300 HF transceiver. The new model was officially introduced at the JARL Ham Fair 2025 (August 23–24, 2025), with initial shipments…

Heading to HamX 2025! As I write this, I’m sitting at Philadelphia International Airport waiting for the last, short leg of my flight to Worcester, Massachusetts. This weekend I’ll be at the Northeast HamX (Ham Exposition) in Marlborough, Massachusetts. It’s my first time attending this event, and…

QRP POTA at Cap Tourmente: Testing and (Slowly) Trimming the New RadioPrep End-Fed Half-Wave qrper.com/2025/08/qrp-...

QRP POTA at Cap Tourmente: Testing and (Slowly) Trimming the New RadioPrep End-Fed Half-Wave On Monday, June 30, 2025, the skies finally cleared after a couple of days of steady rain in the Côte de Beaupré region of Québec, where we were staying. Of course, I wanted to take advantage of the…

KN2M: Spiderbeam Fiberglass Pole Seaside Mount Prototype by Dave (KN2M) Knowing that proximity to salt water offers great advantages to communications via the Brewster Angle, I looked for a simple way to operate my KX3 on the beach during a recent vacation trip to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. My…

Two for Two x 2-fer by Brian (K3ES) Steve – KE3Z and Brian – K3ES have very similar, but not identical, operating styles.  We both focus on low power CW mode operations.  Brian mostly uses wire antennas, and Steve has great success with verticals.  We have had some great POTA adventures over the…