Great 👍🏼 video Mike! QRP works. I had a Buddipole kit setup in a worst case scenario deployment in my backyard, and my granddaughter at the time was 5 years old. On her first key up she hit Italy 🇮🇹 5 watts QRP with a 59 signal report using my Yaesu FT-817ND 😱!
"QRP Works" he says!! Lol...I love it! Good video Mike. Nice contacts. It was great to see you having success with a mere 7 watts and on SSB Phone no less. And watching you having a blast doing it made this video as much fun as if I were making the contacts myself. I am fascinated with QRP, but it's either hot or it is not and the odds were in your favor today. Merry Christmas!
I told you QRP works Mike! Only a few DB difference between 5 watts and 100 watts. You"ll start to love it now because you can make tons of contacts AND your battery will be MUCH smaller in the pack! Merry Christmas from Pete, W8BBM.
Sometimes I need those few DB's but not that day! I've got some smaller batteries coming, and I may have a couple other qrp radios I'm going to be showing. Now if I could just make it warm again...
I always get a kick out of seeing a HAM trying QRP for the first time. They always start with the mindset that without power it will never be heard. Then they discover not only is it heard but often it gets the same RST sent back from a station running 100 or a KW. If you ever want to fully understand the why behind this look up the "Inverse Square Law". I've been a QRP Op for 45 years and it still tickles me pink! Welcome to the amazing QRP world. 73
Thanks Julian. I had thought about getting the KX2 at Dayton but I just got 2 more qrp radios that I'm gonna have some fun with on top of this one. I'm sure the KX2 is a way better radio overall but for the price I may not be able to justify it now.
Proof positive there's hope that with the right antenna QRP transceivers can get out there! Thanks for the videos! Perhaps someday we'll have a QSO de N7MRF 73s.
Love your videos. Hopefully I'll get upgraded to General class in a couple weeks. You've got me really wanting to do QRP ops. Again, great video and thanks for taking the time to do them and share them and encourage other hams to get outside.
We’ll get on it. It’s just a really big book and a few hundred questions and a bunch of hours studying. Oh, and it opens you up to a whole different and wonderful experience in ham radio. Totally worth it. Then you will do like I did and want the rest of the privileges and get your extra.
Hey Mike! That's the real radio contacts. That's we so like the QRP activities. No need 100W or 1kW to get a lot of contacts. 5 or 7W are OK! Great video! HNY 2020 and 73, Paul
From the man himself!! Whats up Paul? Thanks so much for watching! Big fan of your channel. I've been rewatching all your videos since this and can't wait to get out and play more QRP. Hope to make a contact one day. 73
@@hamradiotube Oh thank you Mike! I am so happy that you like my videos 😉👍 We are waiting for the better WX. I can't wait for more QRP trips 😊 Keep up the good work Mike! 👍 73 and greetings from Slovakia! Hope to meet you once on the air!
Another great video. I've noticed the atmospheric conditions are improving. A few nights ago, I made a contact with a station in central Italy, with 8 watts SSB, using my Elad FDM Duo and a MFJ 10-40m EFHW antenna. I've also been tweaking my Transmit Bandwidth and that's been bearing fruit also. I've went from 300 by 3500 Hertz to 200 by 2700 Hertz. I'll with a better antenna or just a more advantageous set-up I think I can get an even better range. Cheers
Just got my RS-918 in the mail today. I'm currently charging up the internal battery and will give it a go on some regional nets later today. The menu system looks somewhat complex so there's probably a bit of a learning curve as the included manual is very sparse on info. Looking forward to doing some POTA activations with it from up here in British Columbia.
OH man you got the one with the internal battery, I'm jealous. The menus really aren't that difficult once you familiarize yourself with them. The original version of this radio is the MCHF developed by M0NKA, but my google search to his website for the manual doesn't seem to exist anymore. Curious. Either way, congrats on the new radio. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun with it.
Right on, thanks. I tried to get Retevis to send me one but Cherry ghosted me after I did a video for them for the RT-52. I guess I just wasn't good enough at reviewing DMR radios haha! 73 and Merry Christmas.
Funny seeing your shock that QRP works. lol. During a recent contest, using 5w and a hobebrew 7 tap unun and piece of wire, I worked 34 states and 14 countries. Antenna starts out at 8 feet high. You should look for '80 EFHW & Multi tap UNUN part 1 of 3...' if you wanna see what you can do with a $3 toroid core and hunk of wire. Its crazy. You can work all bands with no tuner when using a multi tap UNUN. Near perfect match on all bands. And YES, you can actually make contatcs with 5w. Think about the S unit and the dB..... 73 OM
It was just so amazing that all those stations were coming back. I have never seen a pileup like that from anyone running QRP. I have a QRP EFHW for 80 that works on all the bands with a little touching up with the tuner. Mostly resonant on all of em but it's like 132' long. I've got plenty of antennas to play with and I have another one on the way. Cuz, you know, I need more haha!
Yep, my 80 efhw is about the same length. I'm not sure cuz I keep f'ing with it. haha. But yeah, it started out at 135 then I broke my leg in 2 places and tore tendons whilst trimming 4' off. I healed and it works great. Plus, it gave me something to play with while I couldn't walk all spring and summer. Awesome! That's where my multi tap unun was born: out of a life of agony. I like the unun cuz of the near-pefect match I get with no tuner at all. LOVE your vids! By far the most fun to watch and they're always interesting. Happy new year OM 73
Yes it could but then I wouldn't be able to set up at that beautiful location as it takes up way more land. Lots of hikers go through there too so I wouldn't want to have the dipole there.
It’s quite underwhelming I’m afraid. I’m filming with my iPhone. Audio is from a cheap wireless lav I picked up for about $100, and I edit with iMovie. Oh and I have a tripod. That’s it.
Looks like that radio did very well!!! I have looked at those, but worried about quality. I have seen good reviews and I have seen bad reviews. May have to look further into one of those. 73 Juddie WD8WV
Yeah this was given to me from a friend. I'm not so sure I would just go and buy one of the Chinese ones. They are so hit or miss. You can buy an original MCHF from the guys that designed it (either as a kit, or pre-built) and know that you are getting a quality bit of kit. There is a link in the description. Last I checked though, they were sold out.
I was on 40 meters. 7.285 I think. The radials make a huge difference. I did a video just on the antenna you can check out where I show that a little bit. The untuned swr is quite high as its a 9:1 unun designed to be that way so it can be tuned on multiple bands.
@@hamradiotube Thanks. I've seen it go as low as about 5:1 with a radial. That is still a fair bit of coax loss though. I was running 25ft of RG52. But, it works. I will try your solution for fan radials. Good idea.
I have same radio. I had to reset after firmware upgrade... It is receiving well but now my radio won't transmit. Completed the settings PA Bias etc.. but still no luck transmitting. Can you help please 🙏
That's what I do with my FT-891! Great radio for digital or CW! It has all the filters you need. I see some QRP guys saying its over kill due to the current drain on RX but with lithium batts these days its not an issue I think. I have 2 lithium 4ah mini bike batteries in my bag. They hold up fine. I use it for SOTA. I activate the summit on FT8 and usually have some battery power left for a QSO. But it all depends on how much weight you can haul in your back pack. Here in Texas we have to carry more weight in water than equipment. Water is 8.6lbs a gallon. =] WW5RM
Sad that You did not mention the original designer M0NKA of this Chinese nockoff. And Yes, many of this Chinese copy's show earlier or later issues. By the way, the original one You can order online on the website or M0NKA with superb build quality and the joke is, for a lower price!!
@@hamradiotube I guess a video about all the gadgets you bring with you in field ops is in order. haha, Thanks again man, DE N2SAL hope to QSO with you sometimes, best 73.
@@hamradiotube Riceve il segnale solo dopo 2,5 MHz? Come mai fa visualizzare anche frequenze dove non riceve? Così porta in confusione. Sono buone solo le frequenze di colore bianco?
There are links in the description. I would get the original MCHF if I were you. The one I'm using is a clone and was given to me by a friend so I have no idea what seller it came from. I put a couple amazon links but I also put a disclaimer on them too. You just never know what you're gonna get with these Chinese manufacturers. Plus, they straight up stole the radio design/software from the European guys that developed it.