I like these types of videos. Gives me lots of ideas for my gear and sets goals for me as well. Thank you for putting the links in the description; it helps tremendously! Your channel has a great set of different types of subject matter that doesn't get hum-drum. Thanks for all you do. I know it's a lot of work! It is appreciated. 73! Michael-WA5AZQ
I went to Home Depot to buy these cases. They had a lot of them; decided to make sure all the latches work and could not find any that did not have a problem. Left without buying any. Went with high hopes but glad I tried them before walking out. Ordered the bags and they are great; just use them with different totes.
That's interesting, I wonder if they had a bad lot. I've bought 4-5 over the years (the last one about a year ago) and haven't had issues with the latches. On a side note, If you live in the Midwest, Menards now carries similar totes. In fact they look almost identical with the exception of being green instead of red.
Great informative video, Michael, I got some great tips for my portable antenna kit especially the metal screening for the groundplane, counterpoise what a great and simple idea and for me the way to go. And a great explanations of all your antennas in your antenna kit. Thank you for sharing.
Amateur radio efficiency at it's best. You definitely have the POTA deployment kit ready for action. 👍. RG8X is excellent product for the purpose you are using. Not very good on 2 meters or 70cm but very useful in relatively short lengths on HF. That aluminum window screen is the bomb for rapid vertical antenna deployments. I just started using the window screen with my I-Max 2000, antenna (made by solarcon) tuned for 10 meters. I had a big roll left of LMR-400 and it's a holy terror on 10 meters with my Kenwood TS-480hx @ 200 watts. I back it down to 25 watts most of the time now since the band is in such good shape. The window screen is a game changer. 👍. Thank for the video and great job as always. 73 Earnest K5EWM.
Another advantage of 8X is that it doesn't get as stiff in the wintertime as the heavier coax does. If you ever tried wrangling LMR-400 in single digit temperatures, you know what I mean.
@@KB9VBRAntennas I absolutely agree with that. I have experience same thing with my use of RG8X coax in winter weather, although above freezing it is far more flexible and easier to work with and deploy over rg213. 👍
I tried using Faraday fabric instead of the screen and it works just as well if not better. Time to update your kit! Love your videos. They are a big help!
My antenna options are very similar, but instead of a 9:1 end fed wire, I carry a homebrew 20/40 fan dipole. That 20/40 fan dipole is a POTA QSO machine. My 20/30/40 linked dipole is similar to yours, and I'm now considering adding another link to give me 17 meters too. KZ9V
I have a similar go-box for my camping and portable antennas. Antennas are tools in the toolbox - more = better. You're using relatively heavy gauge wire, lighter gauge would be easier to pack and deploy, and less easy to be seen. I use basic stranded 18ga PVC wire which is light, compact and durable enough for temporary deployments. Have you demonstrated your arbor weight throwing technique in another video yet? If not it would be a good addition to your portable operating library.
Michael , quick question, In regards to the "magic carpet screens" are they effective if you put them down on a parking lot surface such as a paved blacktop in lieu of a grassy or dirt surface ? Thanks, Jim K2WPA I also carry my Rig Expert Antenna analyzer with spare batteries and electrical tape in my bag.
Arborist throw line is so much better the paracord for a throw line. I couldn’t believe how much better it was until I tried it for myself. It slides through trees like butter.
Hi Michael, I'm a little late to the party, but I'm fairly new in the hobby and have been searching for information to get started in POTA/SOTA. I enjoyed the video and picked up quite a bit of equipment as a result. What hat do you use to tote the vertical antenna gear? The feather flag stand is 24" and won't fit in the 5-gallon bin. I also have a DX Commander Expedition which is 28" collapsed. Any suggestions? I do enjoy your videos, thanks!
Weclome aboard to the wonderful world of POTA. I'm using a photographic tripod bag to carry my whips and stand. You can find them in a variety of lengths.
I use a homemade EFHW or a chameleon vertical. can fit everything in a small backpack that will fit in my saddle bag of motorcycle. Even my radio (x5105) and raspberry pi all fit in the same saddlebag. 80m-6m
Thanks for catching that, I neglected to add them to the list. Here are the packing cubes that I use. amzn.to/3rmEFYg The small ones are good for organizing antennas and ropes and the medium one holds my coax. You can also pack clothes in them.
It doesn't look like the vertical whip fits in the case? I made a protective case out of PVC for my vertical whips after damaging one from a drop. Do you use anything to protect yours?
I use an APACHE 3800 case from Harbor Freight. Fits my Yaesu-891, MFJ-939 tuner, 12Ah Bioeno battery, the mic and few small cables. It's a great case for $40. I also have the Apache 4800 for my ICOM 7300 with the same 12Ah battery.
I use a sling bag, which I'm not a big fan of but haven't found anything better. I did a video on it last year and my kit hasn't changed substantially since then: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cdaqvb6wEts.html
Hey Micheal, Great video, great content. Your antenna kit is very well rounded for your pota deployments. I’ve seen you use the linked dipole in 2 different videos, it works well, but for access to some other bands for activation, wouldn’t you be better off with the options of a ocf 40 m dipole? You could have more options than just 20-40m bands. Just a thought. Enjoy all your videos. 73 Jeff KI5HGT
The off center fed dipole seems to be making the rounds again. And with good reason, as it is a well performing antenna. I have an 80m OCF that I've deployed with excellent results for both Field Day and Winter Field Day. Here's one video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RIrkwvRqCgM.html. I don't usually carry it in my kit because it is a big antenna. Maybe I should build a reduced size version with a small transformer and thinner wire for packability.
I seldom use the vertical for 80 meters, so I don't carry the Silver Bullet 1000 with me every time I go out. Instead, I use the Sporty Forty coil for 40 meters, which is more compact
I still use the coil, but since I seldom do 80 meters with the vertical setup, I don't carry it with me to every activation. The smaller Sporty Forty coil has taken its place. As we get closer to the winter months, 80 meters with a vertical becomes more viable, and I'll add it to the kit when I know I'll need it.
An earth ground isn't necessary for portable operation. For the ground network, I'm using a 36x84 inch bright aluminum window screen. Here's a video that breaks down my entire vertical antenna setup: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hAIgx05QzQo.html
41 foot random wire antenna will do 40 meters just fine, but unless you have a good manual tuner, it will be a challenge on the 80 meter band. The shortest effective non resonant length for 80 meters is about 63 feet. sprott.physics.wisc.edu/technote/randwire.htm
Nope. I like wire that I can afford to replace. When you're camping, the cable the stepped on, crimped, and buggered up. That's what I carry spares with me.
