CQ WW WPX CW Contest – May 25th, 2019

In this video, I get a chance to talk a little philosophy while driving to a local park. I then set up my Mountain Topper and SOTABEAMS dipole and work 11 stations… 8 of which were 5,000+ miles away! This will show you that a tiny, battery-powered radio can produce excellent results and allow you to have a ton of fun.

 

Gear seen in this video:

MTR-5B HF radio: https://www.lnrprecision.com/store/MT…

3Ah lithium ion battery: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01…

Mini Speaker: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01…

Palm Mini Paddle – no longer available

Zoom H6 Audio Recorder: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/deta…

GoPro Hero7 Black camera: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc…

2″ Drive-On Mast Mount: https://tn07.com/mast-supports

Green 33′ fiberglass telescopic mast: https://tn07.com/telescoping-masts

Small, Cheap 12v Li-ion Battery for QRP Radios

The 3000mAh TalentCell lithium-ion battery provides a 12v DC jack that can be used to power QRP radios in the field (or shack). It comes with a charger and a cable that can be used by most QRP radios. AND IT’S ONLY $25!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M7Z9Z1N/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_xeo1Cb6JSMC0Y

Note: There is a general lack of truth about the true voltage of these three-cell battery packs. And the performance varies, based on the quality of the Li-ion cells used to build the pack. The Li-ion internal battery I purchased from Elecraft for my KX2 has 3 Li-ion cells, just like the battery shown in the video. It has a TENERGY-brand sticker and the label says, “Li-ion 10.8V 2600mAh”. These batteries all have an initial voltage that is close to 12v but they quickly (minutes) settle down to 11v. These cells are typically the Li-ion 18650 cells that are 3.7v each. So, it’s a stretch to market them as a three-cell 12v battery pack! But, it’s still good enough for my trail-friendly QRP radios. The 8AA NMH battery pack I’ve been using for my MTR-5B has lower voltage than this $25 Li-ion battery, was a PITA to charge, and weighs 60%+ more. So, this Li-ion battery pack isn’t perfect but I still think it’s a good solution for anyone who wants to power a trail-friendly QRP rig. – Cliff

Radio Giveaway! (10k YouTube Subscriber Celebration)

UPDATE – The winner is Harry Kidder – N8PSI.  Many thanks to the 602 people who participated in the drawing. And even more thanks for your feedback in telling me the types/topics of videos you’d like to see me make in the future!

Yesterday, my YouTube channel crossed the 10,000 subscriber boundary. To say thanks, I’m giving away one of my personal QRP radios… my Youkits HB-!B. The random drawing will be held on Friday, May 10th, 2019 @ Noon central time. [The original post contained a link here to a Google Form to enter the drawing.]

NOTE: Please forgive the left-channel-only audio on this one! I recorded my lav mic directly to the DSLR camera (I normally use an external recorder) and I forgot to tell my video editing software to render the audio as Monophonic.