Hmm, how about a printed thumb-tip holder for the radio with a flat contact on one face, another printed fingertip "key" with a bump contact on it. Run a fine wire from radio to fingertip. Then key by tapping your thumb and finger together. A cold-day glove variant would keep your hands warm on those blustery mountain tops. Observers might think you're just fidgeting your fingers while instead you're having a conversation ;)
quadriplegic version: In the mouth transceiver and the tongue presses the roof of the mouth to key and swap the speaker for a phone vibrator for deaf people to do CW. The tongue key is akin to quadriplegic using a mouth device to communicate.
I'm brand new to ham. My son is disabled and can't pass the ham test so we got Wouxun KG-805G GMRS radios. Love 'em. I was an Electronics Tech in the Navy, over 40 years ago, and thought I'd give the Tech cert a whirl. Passed easily and now I'm learning about the different things that can be done in the hobby. This, to me, seems the most fun. Gotta work on the Morse!
Year some ago before the plague, I set out to do a bunch of POTA/SOTA actos. Being 75 I figured it was my way to get out of the house, off the couch and into the world while I still could. Got a couple nice QRP packable boxes, antenna set ups, all that. Then the plague hit and, well, you know the story. Your video inspires me, now that I'm vaccinated and can bite people, to get the hell out and do some crazy stuff like you've done. I love the mini pixie thingie. Before the essential tremor hit, I was building tiny radios myself. Never got as goofy as your stuff but, well, crazy is as crazy does. Thanks for the sweet and inspiring video. Stay safe and sane, amigo. 73 de W8IJN
Looked you up because your callsign feels vaguely familiar, and you didn't show up in any of my logs. Might have heard or even talked to you on a repeater in 2020 after I first got licensed. I have since moved from Vandalia, but it's good to see you've done some activating since leaving this comment, and hope you're doing well. de WR4Y (formerly W8SGV)
Just awesome, this is real hamradio to get the most out of nearly nothing. There are so many pixies out there but never seen more than one qso on any video. This vid will go viral. Best 73 de DL1DN
Thanks for this video. This is where my "craziness" started. I have not built anything before, now the 1st antenna building kit is ready except for tuning. It's your fault and I thank you for that.
You are great to watch partly because you exude fun. I love these little radios and have a couple in Altoids cans. My QRO friends just don't understand.
CW is an amazing tool for SOTA, and learning it well enough to make SOTA contacts isn't all that difficult once you get over the initial hump. Do it! You'll be glad you did.
The schematic is basically just a Pixie transceiver, but with SMD components. I'm planning to have some manufactured so I haven't shared the Gerber files, but if you're really itching to build one, send an email directly and we can work something out.
What a cool micro radio! I appreciate you showing the morse as it comes in, as I'm just now learning morse, and it's helping my confidence. I can just barely copy your sending with no side tone. Cheers KJ7SHW
Oh, so much fun! I made my first Qrpp rig in 1982 as one of my class semester projects in community college, only with dinosaur 2n2222a parts I could see to solder without a microscope, LOL. Makes my tuna tin projects seem huge, LOL. Best, Dave, KU9L
That's even smaller than those CHICOM Pixie kit transceivers that output 300mw. I found a source for those some years back for $3 apiece and bought a couple dozen kits. Still got most of them, gave a few away and actually built just one. Used it to make a single contact on daytime 40m just to say I did. You now have me interested in this peanut!
Wow! How incredibly small, especially compared to my circa’72 novice rig, an SX-101A and DX-60. Your whole rig is smaller than one tube from my old xmtr.
I need your help because I just have too many questions to post 😂 I am getting into Ham a little late in the game but I do have my GMRS license. I too have made tiny transmitters and I have a couple of very small 40 meter kits that I purchased already built. I just need help on the antenna. If you have time or if your in the Palm Desert area, lunch and beer is on me. I just need to pick your brain. Thanks !
6:04 Couldn't you use an ipex connector? Was it just making do with what you had, or would one of those not fit this application? It seems like it would certainly be small enough.
A small micro button/switch would be a bit easier as a key than that. Not as minimalistic but you do stress your fingers and wrist with that and that's not good and not worth it. There has to be a softer, better way than banging two wires together. But what a feat! Kudos! Also a little sidetone is just a SMD buzzer, that's adding very little to the rig. AGBP 73 DL7HH .-.-.
Hope to hear you on 2 meters. Most SOTA stations I contact are phone on 146.520 & 146.580 if you transmit on 2 meter USB let me know what frequency please. KN6REL long beach
That's a brilliant little radio for QRP and I'm going to start morse code lessons in my local amateur radio club very soon and hopefully if I get really good at the morse code then I will be able to buy a transmitter like the one you've got and try and do the same thing and it would be interesting to see how many people I could work with just a tiny transmitter like the one you've got in the video so it's just a little idea for the future for me. Thanks and best 73's cheers. Stephen M3SNV 73's.
Any chance you've got a schematic kicking around for the micro pixie? I'd love to see how it's put together, I've really been wanting to make a similar single-board micro transceiver.
Amazing! Another proof that Amateur Radio is very interesting hobby with various different activities... With amateur radio, you will never be bored! 73 de Z33T
The only thing almost as delightful as jumping cactus is goatsheads. Because evolving in the desert makes organisms bitter and vindictive. Great video! I love QRPp rigs. You can modify them forever. They're like Lego for grown-ups. (Or kids; why not?)
Outstanding! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed your video. I started in HR 63 years ago, BT, (before transistors). I dreamed of doing what you are doing, but the technology wasn't there yet. Got into QRP with the HW-7 and HW-8. Built all the Elecraft QRP radios. Built the Rock Mites, then ATS 2, 3 and 4. Pretty much stopped there. Always CW only. I love your setup. I would probably have a miniature paddle and keyer though. You are living my dream, carry on sir. 73, N7SR
I'm a No-Code Extra who is working on my code so I can build and use ridiculously simple radios with bizarre, experimental, phased tiny wire antenna arrays on the side of the mountain here in CO. CW is a big part of the fun of being a ham and I don't want to miss out on it.
To use only the amount of power necessary to establish the communications ! Never knew where that was lost ? Maybe the once upon a time Elmers, never taught it ? I never purposely ran QRP, let alone QRPp, but have always been accused of it ! Until coming across a chart showing the differences in using power levels from 100 watts, thru QRP ! ( And now look what they're doing with WSPR and the like !) And was very surprised at how little difference there is ! Most of the time, we are only fooling ourselves into believing we must run at least 100 watts to make a contact ! Obviously, not to say with various band, and weather conditions, you shouldn't be QRO ! Been Hamming now for over 42 years ! And have run QRP periodically, always with great results ! And have ran a homebrew, still on the Breadboard, Michigan Mighty Mite, on 40 meters, with a piece of 22 gauge magnet wire, for the antenna, and still made contacts ! Just saying, it doesn't take much, if your not in a rush ! Some will tune right past you, looking for some QRO station ! Tremendous fun ! And is reason I always have encouraged new Ops to learn C.W. ! 👍😉
My call is Que 9EYE, blind ham, I found this very interesting, how can I get someone to build the small little transmitter. Sounds really cool. Thank you again for sharing.
Nothing silly at all. Absolutely fantastic! What the whole game is about. True cw QRP Zen. Minimalist radio possible outdoors AND in (for those who are housebound). Couple bucks worth of equipment, not a couple of G's. Congratulations fm F8WBD Dick.
If you had the chance to publicise the caractheristics of your set up, you would have hundreds of contacts 😁 people would go nuts on rádio/antenna/power supply 👍👍👍
You should 3d print an enclosure that makes it into a wrist watch!
Or a keychain.
I'd buy one
Hmm, how about a printed thumb-tip holder for the radio with a flat contact on one face, another printed fingertip "key" with a bump contact on it. Run a fine wire from radio to fingertip. Then key by tapping your thumb and finger together. A cold-day glove variant would keep your hands warm on those blustery mountain tops.
Observers might think you're just fidgeting your fingers while instead you're having a conversation ;)
In-the-ear transceiver?
quadriplegic version: In the mouth transceiver and the tongue presses the roof of the mouth to key and swap the speaker for a phone vibrator for deaf people to do CW. The tongue key is akin to quadriplegic using a mouth device to communicate.
I'm brand new to ham. My son is disabled and can't pass the ham test so we got Wouxun KG-805G GMRS radios. Love 'em. I was an Electronics Tech in the Navy, over 40 years ago, and thought I'd give the Tech cert a whirl. Passed easily and now I'm learning about the different things that can be done in the hobby. This, to me, seems the most fun. Gotta work on the Morse!
I had great Navy-contract Electronic Instructors in the late 70's...got a great education from them...utmost respect!
FYI THERE ARE MEDICAL WAVERS AVAILABLE FOR HAM LICENSE!!!
I pray your son gets well soon, sir! My prayers
That is just crazy. Well done sir.
Year some ago before the plague, I set out to do a bunch of POTA/SOTA actos. Being 75 I figured it was my way to get out of the house, off the couch and into the world while I still could. Got a couple nice QRP packable boxes, antenna set ups, all that. Then the plague hit and, well, you know the story. Your video inspires me, now that I'm vaccinated and can bite people, to get the hell out and do some crazy stuff like you've done. I love the mini pixie thingie. Before the essential tremor hit, I was building tiny radios myself. Never got as goofy as your stuff but, well, crazy is as crazy does. Thanks for the sweet and inspiring video. Stay safe and sane, amigo. 73 de W8IJN
Looked you up because your callsign feels vaguely familiar, and you didn't show up in any of my logs. Might have heard or even talked to you on a repeater in 2020 after I first got licensed. I have since moved from Vandalia, but it's good to see you've done some activating since leaving this comment, and hope you're doing well.
de WR4Y (formerly W8SGV)
And I thought my new QCX-Mini is small.. Great job on the micro-pixie! It’s amazing how many contacts you have made.
I can't LIKE this enough!!! Well done. Well done.
Smaller the station the more beer you can carry
Excellent ,just learning the code and could understand the subtitles ! Hurray it’s starting to make sense !
Just awesome, this is real hamradio to get the most out of nearly nothing. There are so many pixies out there but never seen more than one qso on any video. This vid will go viral.
Best 73 de DL1DN
Amazing and exciting experience.....! 73 and congratulations from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Well done, Adam. You certainly have a gift for taking SOTA to the next level.
Thanks for this video. This is where my "craziness" started. I have not built anything before, now the 1st antenna building kit is ready except for tuning. It's your fault and I thank you for that.
If I keep watching your videos I am going to have to leave the flatlands. Love all the hiking. Love the open landscape. Great videos!
You are great to watch partly because you exude fun. I love these little radios and have a couple in Altoids cans. My QRO friends just don't understand.
Newish ham here but long time backpacker, I just got into SOTA (VHF) and now this is my inspiration to learn CW. Well done man! 👍
CW is an amazing tool for SOTA, and learning it well enough to make SOTA contacts isn't all that difficult once you get over the initial hump. Do it! You'll be glad you did.
Wow! That's incredible @K6ARK great work. This is really an inspiring video.
Man this is nuts, compared to all the gear we have in our shacks, you are a Legend, Adam, de Ei2iP
What a fantastic little rig!! Thank you for putting the contacts and info scrolling across the bottom.. that helps me to learn!!
Ok, thanks for your answer. I'll wait patiently :-)
I like the plant and pottery explanations you gave . Leave only footprints take only pictures. 850 mW, wow!
Always entertaining, fun, educational and amazing videos. Great job Adam!
Wow. Wow. This is absolutely insane! Fantastic work!
Unbelievable Adam! 19 contacts with 850 mw! You do have elevation in your favor that us low-landers do not have! Great little radio!
Thats realy crazy. Nice little radio. Do you have some documents for us? (schematic, PCB,...). Vy 72
The schematic is basically just a Pixie transceiver, but with SMD components. I'm planning to have some manufactured so I haven't shared the Gerber files, but if you're really itching to build one, send an email directly and we can work something out.
That is crazy small. Well done! 👍
Fantastic Job... I can't wait to swear over building this thing!
WOW! That's some impressive work with such a tiny radio. I came here from the HAM Radio Crash Course channel.
What a cool micro radio! I appreciate you showing the morse as it comes in, as I'm just now learning morse, and it's helping my confidence. I can just barely copy your sending with no side tone.
Cheers
KJ7SHW
Oh, so much fun! I made my first Qrpp rig in 1982 as one of my class semester projects in community college, only with dinosaur 2n2222a parts I could see to solder without a microscope, LOL. Makes my tuna tin projects seem huge, LOL. Best, Dave, KU9L
Fantastic, and I was thinking I was carrying small amount of kit with a SPixie, FT-818 and an ATU. I really need to learn a lot more.
Fantastic, I'm going to have to take up, learning morse.
That is my kind of ridiculous fun, glad to see it went so well for you
FB! Could even copy your fist sans sidetone. Used to do 80M
Very cool little rig! Do you publish the schematics and gerbers anywhere by any chance?
What an amazing build. Thanks for the content.
That's even smaller than those CHICOM Pixie kit transceivers that output 300mw. I found a source for those some years back for $3 apiece and bought a couple dozen kits. Still got most of them, gave a few away and actually built just one. Used it to make a single contact on daytime 40m just to say I did. You now have me interested in this peanut!
That is awesome. Is there any chance you could share schematic? Or even better, if it’s gonna be commercially available I’d happily buy one.
On top of a mountain you feel like a king, with a radio you feel like a God.
Wow! How incredibly small, especially compared to my circa’72 novice rig, an SX-101A and DX-60. Your whole rig is smaller than one tube from my old xmtr.
Yes! Home brew, sota and qrp rules!
Very, very cool.
Would love to see a video on that tiny radio you built!
Adam, loved this. So cool!
I need your help because I just have too many questions to post 😂 I am getting into Ham a little late in the game but I do have my GMRS license. I too have made tiny transmitters and I have a couple of very small 40 meter kits that I purchased already built. I just need help on the antenna. If you have time or if your in the Palm Desert area, lunch and beer is on me. I just need to pick your brain. Thanks !
love the anza borega when i was out in san diego
Beautiful!
Would love a board and list of parts. This would be a great kit.
Great stuff! I wish I know CW... Life would be much easier :D Good luck and HNY! 73, Paul.
Amazing ! I really need to learn CW...it's so fun
6:04 Couldn't you use an ipex connector? Was it just making do with what you had, or would one of those not fit this application? It seems like it would certainly be small enough.
Well done Adam. You have some micro phonics going on there, ceramic caps? Interesting only ~800mW Kool S2S contacts.
A small micro button/switch would be a bit easier as a key than that. Not as minimalistic but you do stress your fingers and wrist with that and that's not good and not worth it. There has to be a softer, better way than banging two wires together. But what a feat! Kudos! Also a little sidetone is just a SMD buzzer, that's adding very little to the rig.
AGBP 73 DL7HH .-.-.
That pixie is amazing. Too small for me. Thanks for sharing. 😀
THIS IS SIMPLY AMAZING!
It is ridiculously funny and imressive to see how all this works! Thank you for the video! :-)
wow I have to check this one out.
I have some Pixies but have never seen the Micro Pixie. So cool. Thanks for sharing, Adam.
73 de NI4B
Adam, great prez at FDIM today. Very inspiring. Jack, NG2E
Thanks so much, Jack, appreciate it.
I have to get my CW chops up!
One of the most amazing videos I have seen on TH-cam for some time ! Well done 👍
Hope to hear you on 2 meters. Most SOTA stations I contact are phone on 146.520 & 146.580 if you transmit on 2 meter USB let me know what frequency please.
KN6REL long beach
That's a brilliant little radio for QRP and I'm going to start morse code lessons in my local amateur radio club very soon and hopefully if I get really good at the morse code then I will be able to buy a transmitter like the one you've got and try and do the same thing and it would be interesting to see how many people I could work with just a tiny transmitter like the one you've got in the video so it's just a little idea for the future for me. Thanks and best 73's cheers. Stephen M3SNV 73's.
Any chance you've got a schematic kicking around for the micro pixie? I'd love to see how it's put together, I've really been wanting to make a similar single-board micro transceiver.
This made my day. Can’t believe it worked! Haha! Awesome!
That was great! So fun to make contacts with such a minimalist radio. Always like your videos - keep them coming!! // NØDET
If you ever make a kit out of it...would definitely be interested!🇺🇲🎙👍
Thst is so insane! It was a thrill to watch you make contact after contact on such a...a...
Wow. Must bone up on CW
Well done, thanks for sharing.
Very nice! Do you share the schematic for this build or could you give me some informations where to start? 73
So awesome and so much fun... 2.6 grams leaves lots of room for lots of camera, tripod, and lens, in the pack!
...and a few Altoids?
cool little piece of kit
Nice summit and scenery. Awesome video and well done on the QSO’s. All the best for the New Year and keep up the good work. 73 Chris M0RSF
Amazing! Another proof that Amateur Radio is very interesting hobby with various different activities... With amateur radio, you will never be bored! 73 de Z33T
The only thing almost as delightful as jumping cactus is goatsheads. Because evolving in the desert makes organisms bitter and vindictive. Great video! I love QRPp rigs. You can modify them forever. They're like Lego for grown-ups. (Or kids; why not?)
Outstanding! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed your video. I started in HR 63 years ago, BT, (before transistors). I dreamed of doing what you are doing, but the technology wasn't there yet. Got into QRP with the HW-7 and HW-8. Built all the Elecraft QRP radios. Built the Rock Mites, then ATS 2, 3 and 4. Pretty much stopped there. Always CW only. I love your setup. I would probably have a miniature paddle and keyer though. You are living my dream, carry on sir. 73, N7SR
Super cool, well done!
I'm a No-Code Extra who is working on my code so I can build and use ridiculously simple radios with bizarre, experimental, phased tiny wire antenna arrays on the side of the mountain here in CO. CW is a big part of the fun of being a ham and I don't want to miss out on it.
You could try to use a U.fl connector for your antenna. It is very small but a bit limited in number of connects/disconnects. 73 de SM3VLC
Awesome, thanks for the idea! I'll check those out.
Insane. Incredible work.
Im subscribed and have activated the bell, only saw this today after a friend showed me. TH-cam recommendations suck.
Ain't that the truth! It's really annoying - I experience the same thing all the time. 🤷
Thanks for the great videos. I wanna do this it looks fun.
Enjoyed it.
The next level. Well done.
It's amazing, great job Adam!!!
HNY & 73
Amazing as usual. Thanks for sharing.
To use only the amount of power necessary to establish the communications !
Never knew where that was lost ?
Maybe the once upon a time Elmers, never taught it ?
I never purposely ran QRP, let alone QRPp, but have always been accused of it !
Until coming across a chart showing the differences in using power levels from 100 watts, thru QRP !
( And now look what they're doing with WSPR and the like !)
And was very surprised at how little difference there is !
Most of the time, we are only fooling ourselves into believing we must run at least 100 watts to make a contact !
Obviously, not to say with various band, and weather conditions, you shouldn't be QRO !
Been Hamming now for over 42 years !
And have run QRP periodically, always with great results !
And have ran a homebrew, still on the Breadboard, Michigan Mighty Mite, on 40 meters, with a piece of 22 gauge magnet wire, for the antenna, and still made contacts !
Just saying, it doesn't take much, if your not in a rush !
Some will tune right past you, looking for some QRO station !
Tremendous fun !
And is reason I always have encouraged new Ops to learn C.W. !
👍😉
Now there's a radio you could install with a battery in a Microphone. And, you could use the mic key for CW.
Adam, that was amazing. This is what I call enjoying the QRPp outdoor. Keep QRPping
73 es 72, from Edwin YV5EN
This is awesome !
Good evening, can I please have a diagram of this transceiver with a list of components. And the type of printed circuit board. Thank you in advance
Just so cool... Meanwhile, I have enough difficulty making contacts with 5 Watts.
QRP, I love it, would not even own a 100 watt transmitter.
My call is Que 9EYE, blind ham, I found this very interesting, how can I get someone to build the small little transmitter. Sounds really cool. Thank you again for sharing.
Nothing silly at all. Absolutely fantastic! What the whole game is about. True cw QRP Zen. Minimalist radio possible outdoors AND in (for those who are housebound). Couple bucks worth of equipment, not a couple of G's. Congratulations fm F8WBD Dick.
If you had the chance to publicise the caractheristics of your set up, you would have hundreds of contacts 😁 people would go nuts on rádio/antenna/power supply 👍👍👍
Got to be the best Sota activation ever!!!
Good stuff Adam!
You're so crazy. Love it.
I need your soldering skill!!
Nice QSO man, 73 from SM6AAL in Sweden...
great job Thanks much K2LNS