QRP Antenna's

[JohnyMac]

I ran across QRP Guys the other day while looking for a new QRP antenna/design. They carry a lot of things for the folks who use QRP radio's. Worth checking out.

[Jackalope]

    It's funny, I happened to be looking at their website this afternoon.  Their prices are very reasonable.  However, I'm not sure about the durability of their products, and the unfinished look of their products turns me off.  For instance they produce an end fed wire antenna with a built in tuner.  All the electronic components are exposed, so if there's a light mist, heavy dew or fog, those components are going to get wet.  Granted their stuff is made for extreme remote lightweight QRP operating, I think it's just too lightweight for serious SHTF conditions.

[JohnyMac]

I had similar thoughts Jackalope. Tupperware maybe?

[Jackalope]

    Yeah, maybe.  Then it looks like a home brew project. 

[pkveazey]

I get the QRP thing if you are on the move but I believe that a car or tractor battery will be around someplace, if not, a perfectly good operating automobile, for power. I have a complete 100 watt, 12 VDC, HF rig with attached LDG auto tuner, in my Radio Bug Out Pack ready to go. Two 100 foot Spools of 14 gauge wire and accessories. The Radio Bug Out Pack also has an 8 watt dual band Handi-Talkie with extra batteries and a charger. I like the option to dial the 100 watts back to less than 10 watts but you never know when you just absolutely need more power. Yes, Some QRP rigs are lightweight but most of the ones I've seen are just about as big and heavy as a regular rig. I don't think that hauling around a huge full blown rig with all the bells and whistles is very smart though. Mine is an Icom 718 with dead audio and I have to use headphones to hear it, but then again, that might be a good thing in order to not give away my position. I don't plan on unhooking my 100% functional Icom 718 if I have to grab and run.

[JohnyMac]

My QRP rig that is in a Faraway container is a Yaesu 818 nd and a LCD tuner. It will operate off any car battery which might be around, AA batteries, or NiCad battery which came with the radio. Complete weight with dipole antenna is just under 5 pounds.

I am always experimenting with antennas though and there seems to be some nice ones out there like QRP Guys one, that are small and light weight.

Last year, I did the July 4th QSO Party contest on 5watts and got all 13-states plus one of the two special event stations on a 66' dipole I threw between two tree's about 30' high. The configuration was horizontal not inverted 'V'. The one special event station I could not QSO with, was the one in Great Britain.