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Life has been busy last couple weeks so spent time cleaning up the shack and operating CW on the SK .

@@leftcoasthamradio Oh I understand that! I don't think I had my radio on but twice in the last 3 weeks. Usually I'm listening to my local linked UHF repeater net, and another local 2m repeater...some times I do turn on the HF radio and listen to CW to try to train my ears. I use a low cost SK by CW Morse, but when I feel like I've finally met a personal standard of ability...I will break out the GREEN MACHINE I bought from W1SFR. It is set up as a paddle but can effectively be run as a SK.

TNX Patrick !!! I learned CW on a SK and used the SK to hunt and chase POTA / SOTA stations . My paddle skills are not even comparable . 😆

Straight key is my favorite way to send CW when I’m in a casual mood to operate, especially for SKCC. I got to get a bug bc I’m maxed out at about 15-16WPM on the SK . Thanks for watching

It's the best way to get to the summit quickly so I can spend more time operating on CW!

@@twooldmeninthewoods oh no your right, great catch. I forgot to add the QSO map. Worked from the summit as far west as JH1MXV (Japan) and far east as W2CW (NY) .

The QMX transceivers in their QRP category are IMO the best option. To my ears the SDR receive is excellent. They’re lightweight , small footprint and easy to transport . Once SSB is an option the QRPs QMX will be hard to beat .

@leftcoasthamradio I agree, though I will use the SSB functionality for data modes like PSK. My main interest is CW, my favorite mode.

@@ai5ddabsolutely agree with you 100% . I am CW and FT8 ( eating snacks on the summit) . I did SSB along with CW about 6 months ago and did not really enjoy it as much as CW !

The ride and hike up was tough ,however once on the summit it was perfect for a quick afternoon activation. The ride down is was amazingly smooth and fast. What I love about using the mountain bike , it is a time saver. Looking forward to a Right Coast QSO!

If I can use the MTB to cut half the distance , Iam going to use every time even pushing up steep inclines . Gives me more time for CW ops on the summit and the trip down is a no brainer. I was down the summit in ~10mins. Thanks for watching !

There were sections with massive ruts and steep that there was no way I was going bike up those sections. The ride down took me -10mins which was fantastic compared to the bike/hike to the summit.

The hike/bike up was worth it ! QRP DX on this activation was amazing , the QSB kept taking out the “M” in the call sign but finally snagged it for the contact . Thanks for watching all the way through!

It sure was . Incorporating the mountain bike for SOTA saves me a lot of time. Setup is a breeze with either the dipole or efhw and on the air in ~10mins. Thanks for watching, appreciate it!

The rig is a Kenwood TS-830s. It is a hybrid radio with the finals being pair of 6146B tubes.

@@leftcoasthamradio That was / is a sweet radio.

@ the kenwood ts-830s is a fantastic radio , not as intuitive in terms of switching bands on the go bc you have to retune for each band but compared to a modern radio it can compete when compared to both RX and TX

Perfect day and scenery for an activation. Thanks for watching

Gracias! 73 DUGBO

Very surprising this summit is not activated more in SoCal. The video footage did not come close to capturing how steep it was in the top section coming down. I tried to work Ed W4EMB 2x , the 1st I could not hear that it was him until I listening to the recording at home and the 2nd time I lost him and never got my RST :-( Conditions were sketch with the solar activity new years day

Happy New Year ! Bands were rough Jan 1st, Amazing how far CW signals can travel even in a geomagnetic storm. One day we will make that QSO from CA - VT

Absolutely! Glad you liked the views. Happy New Year!

Absolutely 👍🏻!!! It should work for your IPad mini6. Please let me know if it works for you . Thanks for watching too.

Everyday is a learning experience for me. I like the hiking but I’m really stoked on mountain biking to summits or trail heads , saves a lot of time. Thanks for the appreciation!

@@ExactlyLikeVermont HaHa 😆 😂 You might just have to send that backstory too me.

@@leftcoasthamradio Well not too much to say, and let your imagination fill in the blanks...but my brother bought them for me as a gift and when I opened them without him saying a word, I started laughing at the outhouse rocket ship. At our camp up northern Vermont, I call it "Northern Command" (few videos feature it putting an antenna up there), our only facilities are an outhouse...and my brother and I used to always race or hedge our bets on who would have to follow who out there. Last one's the rotten egg, so to speak, and as it were.

Thank you! Agree, I need to show more of my setups when I am out. The app can be found at : tools.adventureradio.de/analyzer/

Sure glad the fog burned off. My fingers were cold 🥶 and the sunshine ☀️ got me energized for the hike down . Thanks for watching !

Thank you 😊 Absolutely 💯 % - Dugbo

For Southern California , the WX was cold 🥶. The fog cleared as I was finishing my activation . Thanks for watching and commenting. 👍🏻

This type of WX is my preferred choice to go portable bc I gain experience for the next activation. I am hoping to get a full rain 🌧️ activation .

Classic.

The AME lever is great - it is tricky bc I hold it in my hand and sometimes send that extra dit or dah 😆

@@leftcoasthamradiothat AME single lever may be my favorite lightweight field paddle. Esp leg strap style. What is the hard case you have for it? 73 ES HNY DUGBO

@@AE6Z HNY! Fantastic!!! It is a great SL paddle. The waterproof hard case was from Amazon. Link : www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076T9V97B/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Your Welcome !!!

Glad the video helped! I think the AX-1 is a great option for your type of activations. Easy and quick to setup anywhere for POTA/SOTA.

Thanks, it is a great combo for portable operations. Especially when I am not able to deploy the dipole or EFHW.

Sure is ! The QMX and AX-1 work great together for a quick and easy deployment.

Absolutely !!! It's a great compact antenna system that works well with the QMX for portable operations.

It sure is a lot of fun. Throw in some exercise and radio and it is good times. For the price the QMX is a great transceiver. Merry Christmas to you and the family. lol 😆 never can have enough ham radio gear.

Absolutely 💯!!! AX-1 QMX setup is in the queue.

winters in San Diego are brutal , daily temperatures ranging 65-80F. 😂 Merry Christmas and HNY !!!

Thanks Ed for coming on the ride .

Thanks Gordon ! AX-1 works great for a small compact 15-40m antenna . Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Absolutely. Added a second counterpoise to the AX-1 and it is good in my book . Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Yes you should . CW is a fantastic mode. CW is my go to and 95% of my portable ops. LICW and CW OPs instructors got me where I’m today .

TNX ! The AX-1 with a couple counterpoise works better than expected.

Great question! Yes , I upgraded to an iPhone 16 and iFTX works perfect using the USB-C.

@@leftcoasthamradioThanks for the update! Saved me at least $25 in new cables!

Use it every time when I am out and about for POTA or SOTA . 👊

Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed the video. De Dugbo

😂 yep “ on the summit pls don’t steal my stuff” TNX for watching !

TNX Mike !!! Appreciate the words! Will have more videos in the coming weeks .

TNX Mike! QMX is my favorite QRP rig for its features and light weight design. The AX-1 performed better than I expected and was a great combo with the QMX.

Absolutely Jim!!! I just bought a great used geared bike , Trek Stache 5. Planning more SOTA / POTA activities . Stay tuned

TNX! Absolutely 👍🏻 !