LAFF-0060, NO-2581 Svartskog

A HF rig to less than NOK 1300, would that work? I got an offer of a uSDX transceiver which (on sale) cost a little les than NOK 1300,-. Before I purchased it, I consulted SaltyWalty. He owns all these cheap Chinese rigs, and in one of his videos, he claims that it would work. I decided to test it.

I tested it a little at home, and I was a little curious about how this would work. I have heard someone who claimed that the modulation wasn’t very good. However, it seemed to me that it works. Obviously, it is not a KX-2 or an IC-705, but actually it seemed to work quite well.

However, “the proof of the pudding is the eating”.I thus went out to my local area/park for testing. I used a 20 meter EFHW erected an inverted vee.

I started to call on 20 meter SSB, and I got 11 in the log without any modulation complaints. Then, I QSYed to CW, and got 16 more QSOs. Finally, I made a few calls on 15 meter, and got three QSOs. I had plans to be active on 40 meter as well, but I run out of time. I just made a few test calls in order to be spotted on reversed beacon network, which I in fact was.

In total, I had 30 QSOs from 11 DCXXs.

DXCC: CT, DL, F, G, HB9, I, LY, OH, PA, SV, 9A.

LAFF-0060, NO-2581 Svartskog

It was the first Tuesday in May, and I went out to Svartskog for an activation. First Tuesday means Nordic Activity Test on 2 meter. Knowing that it was unlikely to obtain the necessary 10 QSOs on 2 meter, I also brought with me whips for HF work. I only got 2 QSOs on 2 meter. 20 meter was also tough, but I 40 meter was quite OK. Finally, I made a few calls on 60 meter, which resulted in 2 QSOs. Totally, I achieved 15 QSOs from 11 DXCCs.

DXCC: DL, E7, EA, G, I, LA, OH, OM, PA, SM, SP.

LAFF-0060, NO-2581 Svartskog

It was nice weather, and I decided to once again activate LAFF-0060 / N-2581 Svartskog. The plan was to use the KX-2 and an EFHW. However, with no coax, that didn’t work. Then it was time for plan B, a longwire. I always have 7.6 meter wire (and a 7.6 meter counterpose) in the KX-2 bag, but I haven’t used it so far. I erected the LW as a sloper, and it worked quite good. In the end I had 13 QSOs from 9 DXCCs in the log on 12, 20, and 30 meter. All CW.

DXCC: CT, DL, F, HA, HB9, I, OK, OM, TA.

LAFF-0060, NO-2581 Svartskog

Yet another activation of Svartskog. Also this time with a IC-706 and whips for 40 and 80 meter. 14 QSOs from 8 DXCCs were achieved, 4 on CW, 10 on SSB, 8 on 40 meter, 6 on 80 meter.

DXCC: DL, F, I, OK, OM, OZ, SM, SP.

LAFF-0060, NO2581 Svartskog

My first activation in 2026. A short activation with IC-706 at around 60 W and a mobile whip. Unfortunately, I forgot the CMC, so I had some problems with RF. Nevertheless, I ended up with 16 QSOs, 12 on CW and 4 on SSB. 13 QSOs on 40 meter, and 3 on 80 meter. 9 DXCCs.

DXCC: DL, G, GM, I, OH, OK, PA, SM, TF

LAFF-0060, NO-2581 Svartskog

I visited Svartskog once more this evening. This time on 80 meter only. I used a 12 meter fiberglass pole and a W3DZZ in an inverted V configuration. It worked excellent. In total, I got 34 QSOs in an hour activation from 11 DXCCs, 16 on CW and 18 on SSB. The rig was IC-706 at around 60 W.

DXCC: DL, LA, OE, OH, OH0, OK, ON, OZ, SM, SP, UR.

LAFF-0060, NO-2581 Svartskog

I had bought a 40 meter coil to my “China whip”. Once more I activated Svartskog. First on 20 meter, and then on 40 meter. I ended up with 28 QSOs on 20, and 4 on 40; 22 on CW, and 10 on SSB. Among them, it was a P2P (DLFF-0325). The 40 meter coil worked very well.

DXCC: CT, DL, F, G, I, LA, LZ, OH, OM, ON, PA, SP, SV.

LAFF-0060, NO-2581 Svartskog

I had ordered a new antenna from China, a 5+ meter whip. Thus, it is possible to have a ¼ GP from 20 meters and up. It would obviously be fun to try it, and I headed out to Svartskog with this antenna and the KX-2. The antenna worked very well, but the conditions were far from great. Nevertheless, I ended up with 12 QSOs on 20 meter, all CW.

DXCC: DL, G, GI, HB9, I, OM, SP, UA, W, 9A.

LAFF-0060, NO-2581 Svartskog

 

I decided to head out for a short activation from Svartskog. I used a KX-2 and a MP-1. The conditions were good. I started on 10 meters, and got two QSOs only, both from UR. I then QSYed to 20 meter and got 30 QSOs, all on SSB. In total 13 DXCCs.

DXCC: DL, EA, HA, I, LX, OH, OM, ON, S5, SP, UR, W, 9A.

LAFF-0060 Svartskog

 Recently I purchased a KX-2, a really excellent rig for portable operation which I really enjoy using. Included was also the AX-1 antenna. I knew many HAMs use it frequently and have reported surprisingly good results. But how well can a 1.2 meter high antenna actually perform? I have had a MFJ-1899T for several years, which is a similar antenna, but I have never used it for SOTA/LAFF operations. I have been afraid that the efficiently is too low. If I remember correctly, a pedestrian-mobile web-site claimed the MFJ 1899T was 6 dB down from a 1/4 GP on 20 meter. (However, the MFJ do radiate. It performs very well on 10 meter, and I have worked PA on 40 meter from the living-room table with 5 watts.)

A quick test (3 minutes test with AX-1, then a 3 minutes test with 1899T, both 20 meter CW). Around 50% more skimmers (reversedbeacon network) heard my testing with the AX-1 than with the 1899T.  However, it was no significant difference in the signal strength.

From this finding, I thought it could be of interest to test it in order to get some hands-on experience. Thus, I headed out to LAFF-0060 Svartskog, around 10 minutes drive from my QTH. In addition to the AX-1, I also brought with me a 10/20/40 meter EFHW. The end fed was put as a sloper up in a lazy way. The feed point was around 1 meter above ground, and the other end 4-5 meters.

I started to call with the AX-1, and continued to call until all chasers were worked. Then I changed the antenna to the end fed, and called for almost the same time length.

So what was the result? Eight reversed-beacon skimmers heard my calls with the AX-1. All but one did also hear my calls on the end fed. In addition I was also heard on 14 more skimmers with the end fed. The SNR was 2 dB higher with the end fed. I worked 9 stations with the OK reports. After changing antenna and putting out a spot, I worked three more stations. The reports with the end fed was around 2 S-units higher. Since only three more stations were worked with the end fed, almost all chasers were worked with AX-1. That surprised me, and it shows that AX-1 must be a very good compromise antenna. Before going home, I also worked stations on 17 and 15 meter with the AX-1.

So, I'm absolutely satisfied with the AX-1 (and KX-2 of course). If this had been a SOTA or POTA activation, I would have fulfilled the requirements. As a LAFF activation, I would have needed around 4 times as many QSOs. But that could have been possible if the conditions had been a little better.

DXCCs: DL, EA, F, HA, I, LZ, OM, S5.