Axel<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://ileif.de/@blog" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>blog</span></a></span> <br>Sieht gut aus :mastogrin: </p><p>Was mir bei <a href="https://muenchen.social/tags/Obsidian" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Obsidian</span></a> leider inzwischen fehlt: Eine <a href="https://muenchen.social/tags/Portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Portable</span></a>-Version, mit dem ich Obsidian an Windows-Rechnern nutzen kann, auf denen ich keine Admin-Rechte habe - und die ich auf den USB-Stick bekomme, ohne dazu auf meinem Linux-Rechner erstmal eine virtuelle Windows-Maschine einzurichten und bei jedem Update händisch zusammenzubasteln :mastoface_with_rolling_eyes:</p>
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Ham Radio Outside the Box<p><strong>Rapid Deployment Field Expedient Random Wire Antenna Ideas</strong></p> <p class="">The image shows amateur radio station VA3KOT/P inside its stealth enclosure – an old airline pilot briefcase made from stout, strong leather.</p><p>This is an <em>almost</em> complete station:</p><ul><li>Yaesu FT-891 QRP/QRO-optional in its field hardened steel 50-cal ammo box enclosure</li><li>Bioenno 12Ah LiFePO4 battery</li><li>9.5ft tactical collapsible whip</li><li>Adjustable loading coil for the whip</li><li>PAC-12 capacitance hat for the whip</li><li>LDG Z-11 Pro auto tuner (I like to think of it as a super fast L-match with a good memory)</li><li>CWMorse aluminum paddles</li><li>Heil Traveler headset (the microphone is feeling neglected due to not having been used for a very long time)</li><li>Ham-made (by me) Guanella 4:1 balun</li><li>Selection of coax cables</li><li>Set of ground radials</li><li>Random wire antennas (we’ll talk about those shortly)</li><li>Operating table (yes, operating table too; see image below)</li></ul><p>What’s missing? Just a chair. I have a selection of lightweight folding and collapsible camping chairs to support my delicate derriere.</p> <p>Oh yes, the table; these pilot cases (NB: I am not a pilot) are so strong that, if stood on end, they make an excellent support for the radio.</p><p>When everything is packed inside the pilot’s case then it is a little on the heavy side (not to be confused with the Heaviside which is a layer of the ionosphere). The weight is manageable if it is only being carried a short distance, but I have a small folding cart for transporting it further away from my vehicle.</p><p><strong>So what about a rapid deployment, field expedient antenna?</strong></p><p>Rule 1: It has to fit inside the briefcase. Rule 2: If an antenna doesn’t fit inside the briefcase refer to rule 1.</p><p>I have 2 choices that meet Rule 1; a “tactical” (meaning it is painted green and looks like it might not be out of place on a Humvee) collapsible whip. It can be mounted directly on a 3/8x24tpi bracket fixed to the rear of the ammo box. It is usually deployed with a loading coil and capacitance “top” hat.</p> Rear connections. Note the bracket for mounting the tactical whip on the left. The antenna wire and radials are plugged into the magnetically attached 4:1 balun. The CW paddles are secured to a steel bracket which is also magnetically attached to the ammo box – a steel box is very handy for attaching accessories with small rare earth magnets. <p>Second choice is a simple wire antenna. I am currently in favor of random wires due to their inherent multi-band flexibility. Although I have never been a fan of auto tuners, for several reasons, their speed in finding and memorizing a match for multiple bands is very valuable for the kind of hit-and-run style activations that I enjoy. The LDG Z-11 Pro is an L-match which means it is perhaps more efficient than a typical C-L-C type of manual tuner.</p><p><strong>Don’t risk disappointment</strong></p><p>I have read a lot of blogs and watched a lot of videos in which an operator buys a commercial wire antenna and deploys it in the field without investigating whether the antenna is actually going to work in the manner they expect. We don’t all have the time or inclination to model an antenna to find out how best to use it, but it can lead to disappointment if we don’t do the homework first.</p><p><strong>‘Tis a gift to be simple, ’tis a gift to be free</strong></p><p>It is very simple to make a “Simple Wire Antenna” (SWA) and it can even be free if you can scrounge some leftover wire. Climb an old telephone pole and pull down disused POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) wire if your neighborhood has switched to fiber lines. Okay, I’m kidding, don’t do that; some poles also carry high voltage electric cables.</p><p>I have had great success recently with a sloper wire 27 feet (8.23m) long supported from a tree, or my Spiderbeam 23ft (7m) pole, and worked against four 13ft (4m) ground radials. The LDG tuner easily finds a good match of 1.5:1 or less on my main bands of interest: 20m, 30m and 40m. Out in the field there is no lossy coax transmission line involved – apart from very short sections to plumb in the Guanella 4:1 balun and tuner. This wire is a little short for 40m but presents no problem for the tuner. I have received some very good signal reports using this wire.</p><p>Then I wondered, if the wire was longer, could the antenna work even better? EZNEC helped me decide. I modeled three random wires: 27ft (8.23m), 41ft (12.5m) and 84 ft (25.6m). To make it a fair comparison, the same band (20m) was compared and the three wires were modeled in exactly the same sloper configuration. The results were very revealing.</p><p class=""><strong>Model 1: 27ft random wire sloper</strong></p> <p>The elevation plot shows a good directional signal with a small amount of gain at an elevation of 35 degrees.</p><p>The azimuth plot shows a wide angle of radiation with ~5dB of Front-to-Back signal strength.</p><p>The 27ft sloper has been a solid, reliable performer with strong signal reports being typical.</p><p>.</p><p><strong>Model 2: 41ft random wire sloper</strong></p> <p>It would be tempting to throw a 41ft wire up into a tree and run it as a sloper down to the ground, but the results might be very disappointing.</p><p>Although the gain is increased, the elevation angle of maximum radiation has also increased to 75 degrees and the directionality has all but disappeared.</p><p>This would make the antenna a cloud warmer and much of the signal would disappear into space. Your CQs might perhaps be answered by extra-galactic radio operators a few thousand years in the future. How patient are you?</p><p><strong>Model 3: 84 ft random wire sloper</strong></p> <p>If you have a much better throwing technique than mine, you might be able to get your throw weight up 62 feet in a tree to pull up an 84ft random wire sloper. But, if you look at these charts you may not want to do it.</p><p>Your signal now goes straight up into outer space. In most parts of the world 20m is not an NVIS band so almost your entire signal is wasted. As an aside, I recently experimented with a “V” wire antenna with 29ft arms supported at the ends by trees. I QSOd on it but I received a very disappointing 449 RST report for my 30 watts of signal. When I modeled the antenna afterwards I realized why – the radiation pattern was very similar to this 84ft sloper!</p><p><strong>Why does this happen?</strong></p><p>What causes the increase in radiation elevation? A big clue emerges when we examine the current distribution on the antenna wire. Remember, high current points along the wire are responsible for the majority of the RF energy radiated.</p> Current distribution in a 27ft wire Current distribution in a 41ft wire Current distribution in an 84ft wire <p>As we can see from the three charts, a 27ft wire has just a single high current point.</p><p>Along a 41ft wire a second high current point begins to emerge and the interactions raise the radiation angle.</p><p>When we look at the 84ft wire we can see that there are two full current maxima and the emergence of a third. Once again, these interact to raise the radiation angle.</p><p><strong>Was this a fair comparison?</strong></p><p>I think it was fair. None of the three wires is overly difficult to erect as a sloper. Some hams get a lot satisfaction from shooting wires high into trees on the assumption that higher and longer is better. In fact, on the lower bands an 84ft sloper might perform quite well. With the popularity of POTA, and the solar cycle at its peak, a lot of activity is to be found on 20m which is why I chose this band for the comparison.</p><p><strong>What if …</strong></p><p>Maybe, if we orient an 84ft wire differently, we can get it to be the outstanding performer we would expect on the higher bands. I have QSOd on several occasions with an end-fed 84ft wire hung about 5ft above ground supported by a long hedge, or low branches of small trees. Even at QRP power levels I got good results despite the antenna having no gain.</p><p>So let’s follow the old adage of getting as much wire as possible, up as high as possible, but with the proviso that it must abide by the limitations of being rapidly deployable and field expedient. How about an Inverted-L?</p><p>In fact, to make it RDFE (Rapidly Deployable, Field Expedient) I am going to call it a Lazy Inverted-L. The feed end of the wire connects to the rig (sitting on the pilot’s briefcase) at a height of 2 feet. The wire then goes to the top of my Spiderbeam 23ft (7m) pole about 3 feet (1m) away with the remainder sloping down to the far end supported 3ft (1m) high on a trekking pole. It might not be the best setup but remember it must be “RDFE”.</p><p><strong>Model 4: 84ft Inverted-L antenna</strong></p> <p>The results are quite encouraging. First, the antenna has a decent amount of gain for a SWA. Second, the elevation angle has two useful components: a forward lobe at 35 degrees elevation with a -3dB point down to 15 degrees for a chance of getting some DX action.</p><p>There are two more lobes behind with a higher radiation angle that could yield short range contacts.</p><p><strong>Where’s the gotcha? </strong></p><p>The azimuth for maximum radiation changes from band to band. That would mean re-orienting the wire for band changes. Fortunately the RDFE, Lazy Inverted-L orientation makes that a fairly easy task.</p><p><strong>Imperial or Metric?</strong></p><p>I have tried to use both Imperial and Metric dimensions in this post. I was brought up using Imperial measurements, earned my Physics degree which was taught entirely in metric units and now tend to mix them up. Canada is officially metric but supermarkets still mark the prices of meat and produce in dollars per pound. Why? Because it sounds cheaper I guess! Okay fellow hams, what’s your favorite HF band? Mine is 65.6168ft. Yes, that’s 20m.</p> <p><strong>Help support <em>HamRadioOutsidetheBox</em></strong></p><p class="">No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please <strong>follow/<em>subscribe</em></strong> using the link at the bottom of my <a href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">home page</a>, or <strong><em>like</em></strong>, <strong><em>comment</em></strong> (links at the bottom of each post), <strong><em>repost</em></strong> or <strong><em>share</em></strong> links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my <a href="https://www.qrz.com/db/va3kot" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">QRZ.com</a> page. Thank you!</p><p>The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank"></a><br>This work is licensed under a <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/1/" target="_blank">#1</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/amateur-radio-2/" target="_blank">#AmateurRadio</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/antennas/" target="_blank">#Antennas</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/cw/" target="_blank">#CW</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/outdoor-ops/" target="_blank">#OutdoorOps</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/portable/" target="_blank">#Portable</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/pota/" target="_blank">#POTA</a></p>
Dendrobatus Azureus<p>$ curl wttr.in/nieuw_amsterdam_suriname|lolcat</p><p>gives the following output here</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/wttr" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>wttr</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/weather" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>weather</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/curl" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>curl</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/opensource" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>opensource</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/free" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>free</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/POSIX" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>POSIX</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/API" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>API</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/programming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>programming</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/bash" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>bash</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/csh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>csh</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/ksh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ksh</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/sh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>sh</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/freeBSD" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>freeBSD</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/BSD" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BSD</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/Linux" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Linux</span></a></p>
Dendrobatus Azureus<p>I love the power of curl combined with wttr.in</p><p>$ curl wttr.in/leonsberg_suriname|lolcat</p><p>Giving this example for those of us who love to use true free services for our work / live flow</p><p>I've been using wttr for decade(s)</p><p>Read here for more examples. </p><p><a href="https://github.com/chubin/wttr.in?tab=readme-ov-file" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">github.com/chubin/wttr.in?tab=</span><span class="invisible">readme-ov-file</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/wttr" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>wttr</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/weather" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>weather</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/curl" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>curl</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/opensource" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>opensource</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/free" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>free</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/POSIX" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>POSIX</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/API" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>API</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/programming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>programming</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/bash" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>bash</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/csh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>csh</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/ksh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ksh</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/sh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>sh</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/freeBSD" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>freeBSD</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/BSD" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BSD</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/Linux" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Linux</span></a></p>
Mike K3LOE<p>Week 29 of the <a href="https://mastodon.radio/tags/HamChallenge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HamChallenge</span></a>: Make your own xOTA activation</p><p>I interpreted this as "get a type of place on the air which doesn't already have an established xOTA program."</p><p>This is PLOTA: Parking Lots on the Air. I semi-regularly try to activate the top of a parking deck at work over lunch. Looking forward to fall 🥵 </p><p><a href="https://hamchallenge.org/2025/29" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">hamchallenge.org/2025/29</span><span class="invisible"></span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.radio/tags/HC29S" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HC29S</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.radio/tags/PLOTA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PLOTA</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.radio/tags/HamRadio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HamRadio</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.radio/tags/AmateurRadio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AmateurRadio</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.radio/tags/Portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Portable</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.radio/tags/QMX" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>QMX</span></a> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mas.to/@hamchallenge" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>hamchallenge</span></a></span></p>
Double AA<p>You’re heading out the door for the day. <br>Which one are you grabbing? 🤔</p><p><a href="https://social.lol/tags/Handheld" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Handheld</span></a> <a href="https://social.lol/tags/HandheldGaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HandheldGaming</span></a> <a href="https://social.lol/tags/Gaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Gaming</span></a> <a href="https://social.lol/tags/RetroGaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>RetroGaming</span></a> <a href="https://social.lol/tags/Retro" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Retro</span></a> <a href="https://social.lol/tags/Portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Portable</span></a></p>
vrtxd<p>Sitting in public transit yesterday, I dug out my <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/FoldableKeyboard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FoldableKeyboard</span></a> to my lap, paired it with my <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/Fairphone" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Fairphone</span></a>, opened a terminal command line app <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/Termux" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Termux</span></a>, connected to my <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/RaspberryPi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>RaspberryPi</span></a> <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/SelfHosting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SelfHosting</span></a> <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/HomeServer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>HomeServer</span></a> and updated its software remotely on the go. All <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/SecondHand" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>SecondHand</span></a> <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/Reused" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Reused</span></a> <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/Refurbished" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Refurbished</span></a> <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/Computers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Computers</span></a> & <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/Electronics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Electronics</span></a>.</p><p>No real need for the <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/Portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Portable</span></a> keyboard nor remote access here, just felt like trying it out for fun, and for a brief moment, it felt like I was leading a <a href="https://piipitin.fi/tags/Solarpunk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Solarpunk</span></a> lifestyle.</p>
Atilio FRANCOIS<p>QGIS 3.44 Portable: the last version before QGIS 4, now available!<br>Before the big leap to QGIS 4, this stable, proven version is an excellent reference for your current projects, training courses or change-sensitive environments.</p><p>Good news: a portable version of QGIS 3.44 is now available! <br>👉 <a href="https://shorturl.at/pmDzl" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">shorturl.at/pmDzl</span><span class="invisible"></span></a><br>No installation required: you can run it from a USB stick, network folder or external drive.<br><a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/QGIS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>QGIS</span></a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a></p>
Vivekanandan KS :nixos:<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mstdn.social/@justsoup" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@<span>justsoup</span></a></span> When u make anything in any <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/language" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>language</span></a> of course there are many ways to do things. But there are always these <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/best" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>best</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/practices" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>practices</span></a> which will help u in the long run. <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Nix" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Nix</span></a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/Flakes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Flakes</span></a> is one such thing, which will help u in the long run making things truly <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a></p>
Tech News 24h<p>Power Your World with DJI's New Portable Power Station: Power 2000V <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/tech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>tech</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/technews24h" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>technews24h</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/dji" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>dji</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/battery" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>battery</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/powerbank" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>powerbank</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/powerstation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>powerstation</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadgets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>gadgets</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a> <a href="https://www.technews24h.com/2025/07/power-your-world-with-djis-new-portable.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">technews24h.com/2025/07/power-</span><span class="invisible">your-world-with-djis-new-portable.html</span></a></p>
Tech Singer<p>There are allot of people here who understand the world in my particular way, so I thought I'd throw this out and see if anyone has done this sort of thing before and can save me from wheel reinvention. I have a <a href="https://tweesecake.social/tags/Windows" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Windows</span></a> machine running <a href="https://tweesecake.social/tags/Windows10" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Windows10</span></a> which I want to connect to the internet as follows. It has to be <a href="https://tweesecake.social/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a>. It has to have access only to a very specific and limited number of IP addresses and DNS names which I will identify in advance and which I will edit by hand. It has to block access to everything else including Microsoft's machines, Google's machines, Basically, if it's not on my list, the machine will not connect to it. Whether the machine wants to connect to an IP address, a DNS name, or a device on the local network, I want connections to be promptly blocked. By promptly, I mean that I want the machine not to time out trying to connect to the stuff not on my list, I want the machine to be told no as soon as it tries. I want this because the machine shouldn't be waiting to timeout, it should just be doing what I told it without wasting cycles and time trying to talk to devices I don't want it talking to. The obvious solution is some sort of <a href="https://tweesecake.social/tags/whitelisting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>whitelisting</span></a> <a href="https://tweesecake.social/tags/firewall" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>firewall</span></a> or <a href="https://tweesecake.social/tags/security" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>security</span></a> system, but I have three problems there. First, I'm <a href="https://tweesecake.social/tags/blind" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>blind</span></a> and need <a href="https://tweesecake.social/tags/a11y" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>a11y</span></a> with <a href="https://tweesecake.social/tags/Jaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Jaws</span></a> and <a href="https://tweesecake.social/tags/NVDA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NVDA</span></a>. Secondly, as I said, it has to be portable, so I can't carry around a second box with a firewall. Thirdly, the machine has both ireless and ethernet access. I want both ports to have access only to the IPs/names I specify. Whether the machine is connected over ethernet or 802.11, I want those rules to be in effect. I have considered MS' firewall, but am nervous that it will let the machine talk to MS, which I don't want it to. Is any of this even possible? Boosts would be appreciated.</p>
HP van Braam<p>My new <a href="https://mastodon.tmm.cx/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.tmm.cx/tags/workstation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>workstation</span></a>, finally computing on the go! What will they think of next?</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.tmm.cx/tags/retrocomputing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>retrocomputing</span></a></p>
Ríni Fogol<p>Nothing to see here, this is just a <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/handheld" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>handheld</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/computer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>computer</span></a> based on the <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/Blackberry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Blackberry</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/QNX" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>QNX</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/unixlike" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>unixlike</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/realtime" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>realtime</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/os" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>os</span></a> running <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/PForth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>PForth</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/forth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>forth</span></a> system.</p>
Noah Chinn<p>Revisiting my trip across Canada got me pining for my old Psion 5mx. Remember PDAs, back in the days before smartphones? Well, as a writer, this one stood above the rest. But can I find a modern equivalent? </p><p><a href="https://www.noahchinnbooks.com/2025/06/11/return-of-the-psion-5-sorta/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">noahchinnbooks.com/2025/06/11/</span><span class="invisible">return-of-the-psion-5-sorta/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/retrotech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>retrotech</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/retro" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>retro</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/psion" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>psion</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/oldisnew" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>oldisnew</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/handheld" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>handheld</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a></p>
Dendrobatus Azureus<p>This is a screen capture of KDE Connect on one of my Androids.</p><p>As you can clearly see my LAN has quite an amount of devices. All of these devices are being used by me. <br>They have specific purposes which makes my Android experience along with my Computing experience versatile and efficient.</p><p>I did not know how important KDE connect was for me. When I learned about it, I knew that it doesn't just enrich what I can do</p><p>KDE Connect is not a gimmick where I can control a Media Player, without any network connectivity by itself, from any of my KDE Connect devices. Many different functions can be handled smoothly without any problems, with the highest Speed that my wLAN can deliver from the point of my view of the LAN routers I have in my network.</p><p>Right now I'm using a wLAN router that is portable. This enables me to have the most efficient data transfer Speed between the devices I have on me without any snooping from any Big Company.</p><p><a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/KDE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KDE</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/Connect" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Connect</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/KDEConnect" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>KDEConnect</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/LAN" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>LAN</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/wLAN" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>wLAN</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/network" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>network</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/Android" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Android</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/Linux" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Linux</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/POSIX" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>POSIX</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/OpenSource" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>OpenSource</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.bsd.cafe/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a></p>
Ham Radio Outside the Box<p><strong>My radio is tiny. So why is my POTA backpack so heavy?</strong></p><p class="">We have mountains in Ontario. We call them mountains, but they are really just small hills. So I have never had to actually hike for miles up steep slopes carrying a backpack with all my radio gear, plus anything else I might need for a mountaintop activation. To all those who operate in this fashion, you have my sincere admiration.</p> VA3KOT’s POTA kit packed and ready to go. <p><strong>Get your kicks on fourteen zero six</strong></p><p>At the other end of the scale we have what has been called PLOTA (Parking Lots On The Air) activators. These operators perform their activations while sitting in their vehicles. It is tempting to think they probably grab their morning coffee at the a drive-thru en route to the activation. I confess that I have done this too, but only when the temperature drops down to double digits with a minus sign in front. I imagine that, in southern states, when it gets hot enough to cook eggs on the sidewalk, operating in air-conditioned comfort is almost a necessity. If this style of operating works for you, or is necessary in your environment, then you are doing your part to keep outdoor radio operations alive and thriving.</p><p><strong>Mr Blue Sky</strong></p><p>In between hiking up an inhospitable mountain, exposed to the elements, and being welded to a car seat is another option. Maybe this is the true expression of operating outdoors – leaving your vehicle and carrying your station into the back country, or even a local park. This is my personal choice. It combines a love of the great outdoors with a love of radio – what I have dubbed operating in the Big Blue Sky Shack.</p><p>There are options even within that. Do you carry your gear from your vehicle to the nearest picnic table, or do you backpack everything you need (seat and table included) down a trail, blatting the bugs that are intent on drinking your blood, admiring the wildlife while avoiding large mammals intent on eating you, to find a clearing in the trees where you can set up.</p><p><strong>Oh Yuck!</strong></p><p>Let me tell you a story about picnic tables that may discourage you from regarding them as a comfortable, convenient place to operate. I used to be an RV camper; it was fun but for several reasons I eventually sold my trailer. During one camping trip a neighboring camper was packing up his giant fifth wheel. I watched as he laid his sewage hose out to dry on a picnic table. For those who have never owned an RV (or caravan as it is known in many parts of the world), a sewage hose is used for emptying the contents of the “black tank” at the “dump station” on the way out of the campground. But I am sure you always use a plastic table cloth, don’t you? Well consider this, your table cloth is going to pick up millions of bacteria from the picnic table surface and transfer them to your food. Yuck!</p><p><strong>Little boxes</strong></p><p>Going back to the supremely fit, energetic types who climb real mountains to operate. They tend to carry extremely lightweight radios; often the whole station packs away into a tough, rugged plastic case that slips into the pocket of a backpack. I have often thought of emulating this idea. But instead, not being quite as fit as I could be, and with age-related physical limitations, I have chosen a different approach. My backpack station is a little on the heavy side (not to be confused with the Heaviside which is a layer of the ionosphere that makes our hobby possible).</p><p><strong>Say, friend, I got a heavy load</strong></p><p>At the heart of it all is a QRP-Labs QMX transceiver. This tiny device is so light it almost defies gravity – but it is not a complete portable radio station. So I built a backpack frame that can carry everything I need – and it is surprising what that includes when you can’t pop back to your vehicle to grab something else. Here is a list of what I carry:</p><ul><li>Transceiver – QRP-Labs QMX (low band version)</li><li>Talentcell 6500 mAh LiFePo4 battery</li><li>Drok buck converter to regulate the voltage fed to the transceiver</li><li>Putikeeg CW paddle key</li><li>Earbuds</li><li>Ham made line isolator (common mode current choke)</li><li>Selection of RG-316 coax cables</li><li>Rite in the Rain log book, pencils</li><li>UTC wristwatch</li><li>Reading glasses</li><li>Selection of wire antennas and radials</li><li>18.5ft telescoping stainless steel whip</li><li>Lightweight tripod for supporting the whip on rocky ground</li><li>Spiderbeam 7m telescoping fiberglass pole</li><li>Telescoping plastic seat</li><li>Multitool</li><li>Small tarp</li><li>Selection of cordage</li></ul> Modified lighting tripod – a bargain purchase at a charity store. Shoulder strap was added later. <p>Of course there are even more things that must be carried such as water, bug spray, snacks etc. Those little hardened plastic boxes with a tiny radio, key and wire antenna are impressive to behold, but they are not a complete and independent station incorporating everything needed for personal comfort and survival far from shelter and the means of egress.</p><p>Experience has taught me not to rely on commercial backpacks to carry all my gear. Most are intended to carry the typical range of items needed by a hiker. I bought a rugged, military style, cotton canvas backpack from a local supplier and was disappointed when I tried to use it to carry my radio equipment. There was no padding, no frame; it was very uncomfortable to carry. Clearly it was made for lighter, softer loads than mine.</p><p>Another alternative is real backpacks made for the military. They are built tough but are also very tough on the budget. I just couldn’t justify spending many times more on a backpack than the radio equipment inside it.</p> Custom antenna bracket secured with a quarter inch nut and bolt – and Gorilla tape! Note the radial attachment point. <p><strong>Just in case</strong></p><p>The solution involved a little bit of work in my garage workshop using many items I had already hoarded ready for future project ideas. I had to purchase two 30-cal steel ammo cases, but they were very inexpensive. One was sold for storing hunting ammunition, but the other was a bona-fide military surplus case with markings indicating it was intended for storing 200 cartridges of 7.62mm rounds and other items. I plan to repaint it sometime before it gets me into trouble. Why steel ammo cases? They are built tough for protecting delicate equipment, they are cheap, and they provide sufficient heft to create a firm operating platform.</p> Vertically stacked cases are the right height for field operations while the operator is seated on a camping stool. <p>Both steel cases are stacked vertically on a modified aluminum backpack frame. The bottom case holds antennas, cables etc. The top case holds radio, battery, key etc. Everything is pre-assembled inside the radio case – just pop the lid, insert the earbuds, turn on, tune in and go.</p> Telescoping plastic stool from Amazon <p>My Putikeeg CW key has very strong magnets on its base and holds very securely to the steel case. I use it in vertical fashion, with the paddles peeking up above the rim of the steel case. The assembly sits at a very comfortable height for operating the radio without the need for a table. My seat is a lightweight, plastic, telescoping thing with a padded cushion on top. It is an ingenious design with many latches holding it up. I was very cautious about trusting my posterior atop this perch at first, but it supports my weight just fine. The pictures tell a lot more than many more words can convey. </p><p>Whatever style of outdoor operating you prefer you are helping keep amateur radio alive. This post describes the way I operate and is not meant to be judgemental about any other style. There is room enough in our hobby for whatever way you like to operate. In fact, <strong><em>I invite you to comment or send me a description of your outdoor radio equipment</em></strong> – <em>even if it is mounted on a set of four wheels</em> 😉</p> All tuned up on fourteen zero six. The antenna connects to the BNC on the right. The Putikeeg paddles are secured by strong magnets. Earbuds are on the right. Beneath the radio are the 6500 mAh LFP battery, Drok buck voltage regulator and a line isolator. <p>My POTA gear is constantly evolving so what you see and read here may not be what you see if we meet on a trail sometime. I like to experiment and try out different ideas. Some call me nuts; maybe they are right but I’m having fun.</p> <p><strong>Help support <em>HamRadioOutsidetheBox</em></strong></p><p class="">No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please <strong>follow/<em>subscribe</em></strong> using the link at the bottom of my <a href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">home page</a>, or <strong><em>like</em></strong>, <strong><em>comment</em></strong> (links at the bottom of each post), <strong><em>repost</em></strong> or <strong><em>share</em></strong> links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my <a href="https://www.qrz.com/db/va3kot" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">QRZ.com</a> page. Thank you!</p><p>The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank"></a><br>This work is licensed under a <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/cw/" target="_blank">#CW</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/outdoor-ops/" target="_blank">#OutdoorOps</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/portable/" target="_blank">#Portable</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/pota/" target="_blank">#POTA</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/qmx/" target="_blank">#QMX</a></p>
Boiling Steam<p>They have to tell you that THIS IS AN XBOX because it does not, absolutely not, look like a totally generic handheld PC like the other 20 out there.<br><a href="https://mastodon.cloud/tags/microsoft" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>microsoft</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.cloud/tags/xbox" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>xbox</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.cloud/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.cloud/tags/lol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>lol</span></a></p>
Tech News 24h<p>Hisense Unveils M2 Pro, Its Smallest, Lightest, Most Portable 4K Laser Mini Projector Ever <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/technews24h" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>technews24h</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadgets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>gadgets</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/projectors" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>projectors</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/hisense" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>hisense</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/portable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>portable</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/entertainment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>entertainment</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/technews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>technews</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/tech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>tech</span></a> <a href="https://www.technews24h.com/2025/06/hisense-unveils-m2-pro-its-smallest.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">technews24h.com/2025/06/hisens</span><span class="invisible">e-unveils-m2-pro-its-smallest.html</span></a></p>
Ham Radio Outside the Box<p><strong>Shark’s Teeth and Canadian Jam – a tall story</strong></p><p>I recently purchased a Spiderbeam mast from a vendor in the United States. The list price was US$78 – a great price for a high quality product. But the story didn’t end there – not by a long shot. The cost for shipping via courier was an additional US$44. I expected there would be more to pay once the product crossed the border into Canada and that expectation couldn’t be more true. There was plenty more to pay! I received an email from the courier telling me I owed them a further CDN$90 and that to expedite delivery would I like to send them the loot in advance. I paid the ransom and received another email saying thanks for the cash, now your delivery is going to be delayed by three days!</p><p>I began to feel that I was being treated like a sucker; I was charged brokerage fees, handling fees, processing fees and, of course, taxes owed to the Canadian government. Then along came the credit card bill from the bank advising me of their extortionate exchange rate to convert US dollars into Canadian dollars. In the end my US$78 mast cost well over CDN$250! I am going to take very good care of this most precious piece of ham radio gear.</p><p><strong>What did I buy with that small fortune?</strong></p><p>I chose the Spiderbeam 7m (23ft) mast, primarily because it collapses down to a very manageable 28 inches and, although heavier than most, is still light enough to backpack into a field operating location. Is 7m tall enough? Well I thought about that for a while and decided it would be quite sufficient for my needs. Spiderbeam masts are built from heavier gauge fiberglass tubing than other similar products. Many telescoping fiberglass poles – especially those intended for fishing – are very flexible. When deployed for ham radio purposes they tend to bend which reduces their effective height. Spiderbeam masts remain fairly straight – a 7m mast supports a wire at 7m; it doesn’t bow down under the weight of the wire.</p><p><strong>Crash prevention</strong></p><p>Many years ago I invested in an MFJ 31ft telescoping fiberglass pole. One day, while testing an antenna in my yard, a gust of wind blew the mast over. It crashed against the wall of my house destroying several sections near the top of the mast. Fortunately I was able to restore it to a shortened length of 29ft by replacing the broken sections with those scavenged from a Crappie fishing pole. It has served me well since but it is heavy and collapses to a length of around four feet.</p> Everything packs into a camping chair bag <p>My new Spiderbeam mast is going to be very well protected – it cost far too much to replace if it became damaged. So here is a short account of what I have done to protect it during transit and while in use out in the Big Blue Sky Shack.</p><p>First, in transit, I pack it inside a length of 2-inch (50mm) PVC plumbing pipe. That all goes inside an expanding document tube which, in turn, goes inside a carry bag previously used for a camping chair. The bag is also used for packing tent pegs and guy lines.</p><p><strong>What is the plumbing pipe for?</strong></p><p>Well I guess I could just set the Spiderbeam mast down on the ground and guy it in place. However, by slipping it inside the plumbing pipe it can be easily removed for adjusting the antenna wire when needed.</p><p><strong>Shark’s teeth?</strong></p> “Shark’s teeth” cut into support tube to prevent the base from slipping <p>Experience has taught that tall masts have a tendency to slip at the bottom. It is simple physics; 23 feet of mast supported 2 feet from the base provides enough leverage to topple the mast in windy conditions, or when a long wire under tension is attached at the top.</p><p>In the past I have dug a small divot to hold the base in place – effective but with a tendency to generate disapproval from park wardens. Now, to protect my precious Spiderbeam from catastrophic collapse I cut a set of “shark’s teeth” at the base of the support tube. It works and, if I ever encounter a growling bear on the trail, I can show it my shark’s teeth to intimidate it into retreat.</p> Guy lines secured to support tube using Canadian Jam Knots <p>The top of the support tube has a small section of enhanced diameter created by slipping several strong rubber bands covered in electrical tape. It’s purpose is to prevent the guy lines from slipping – simple and effective. The guy lines made from 550 paracord are secured using Canadian Jam knots. I have no idea why Canada is credited with this particular style of knot, but it is a very secure way of tightening a guy line around the support tube. Canadian Jam knots are also very easy to release when it is time to pack up the station.</p> Modified Taut Line Hitch – sliding knot to tighten guy lines Super light aluminum pegs hold the guy lines to the ground <p>At the other end of the guy line I use modified taut line hitches to create an adjustable loop around lightweight “aircraft grade” aluminum tent pegs. The modified taut line hitch involves a couple of extra wraps of cord to make it more secure. I have found standard taut line hitches tend to loosen a little when tied on paracord.</p><p>Finally, at the top of the pole, I attached a small loop of very thin, but strong, cord. I took a few inches of cord, formed a loop and tied a simple knot at the end. The knot was fat enough to fit tightly in the top, hollow section of the Spiderbeam mast. It was secured with hot melt glue and is very secure. I don’t think it could be dislodged even if I wanted to remove it.</p><p>The loop can be wrapped around an antenna wire, then slipped over the top of the mast as seen in the picture. To remove the wire I simply lift the wire above the top section of mast to release it quickly and easily.</p> Cord loop at top of Spiderbeam pole for holding antenna wire <p>So far, all is well. The small fortune I have invested from my meager retirement savings into this excellent Spiderbeam mast is going to be very well protected!</p> Releasing the antenna wire is easy – simply lift the wire to the top of the pole and the cord loop releases <p></p><p></p><p></p> <p><strong>Help support <em>HamRadioOutsidetheBox</em></strong></p><p class="">No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please <strong>follow/<em>subscribe</em></strong> using the link at the bottom of my <a href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">home page</a>, or <strong><em>like</em></strong>, <strong><em>comment</em></strong> (links at the bottom of each post), <strong><em>repost</em></strong> or <strong><em>share</em></strong> links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my <a href="https://www.qrz.com/db/va3kot" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">QRZ.com</a> page. Thank you!</p><p>The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank"></a><br>This work is licensed under a <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/amateur-radio-2/" target="_blank">#AmateurRadio</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/antennas/" target="_blank">#Antennas</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/outdoor-ops/" target="_blank">#OutdoorOps</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/portable/" target="_blank">#Portable</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/spiderbeam/" target="_blank">#Spiderbeam</a></p>
Ham Radio Outside the Box<p><strong>Testing and modifying the “POTA PERformer” antenna</strong></p><p class="">What is the POTA PERformer? Greg Mihran KJ6ER has introduced us to an antenna that he calls the “POTA PERformer”. The capitalized PER in its name is an abbreviation for “Portable, Elevated, Resonant”. But what is it really? The POTA PERformer is an adjustable elevated vertical radiating whip with two adjustable elevated radials. In concept there is nothing really new about it, but the unique implementation devised by KJ6ER is quite interesting.</p><p><strong>Get up off the ground</strong></p> Tripod mounted whip at Ham Radio Outside the Box <p>Most hams will be aware that a quarter wave vertical antenna, mounted on the ground, requires an extensive system of radials to be efficient. I have successfully used such an arrangement with as little as four radials during a POTA activation out in the Big Blue Sky Shack. But, as they say, even a poor antenna will get you contacts when conditions are right. Some recommend as many as 120 radials although anything over 16 provides very little further improvement. In a portable situation laying out a lot of radials for a short-term temporary station doesn’t make a lot of sense. So what is the alternative?</p><p><strong>Less is more</strong></p><p>If the base of the antenna is raised above the ground, fewer radials are needed to form an effective counterpoise and make the antenna efficient. How many? KJ6ER has settled on two radials for the POTA PERformer. If the radials are arranged at 90 degrees to each other the antenna has a directional radiating pattern. But using two radials increases the footprint on the ground and that could be an important consideration if, for example, we are operating on a narrow trail. Could we get away with just one radial? I modeled a POTA PERformer using EZNEC and came up with a comparison, shown in the following table.</p><p class=""><strong>TABLE: 1 radial versus 2 radials</strong></p> <p>Now I’ll admit that I am no expert in computer modeling, but the results I obtained seem to differ from what KJ6ER found. In either case, whether two radials or just a single radial are used, we have a directional antenna that can be rapidly deployed in the field.</p><p><strong>One radial or two? Now here’s a surprise!</strong></p><p>The original POTA PERformer is a multiband antenna. It covers all the bands from 20m up to 6m with a 17ft telescopic stainless steel whip and adjustable length radials. KJ6ER suggests extending the band coverage to 30m and 40m by means of a loading coil at the base of the whip and then … surprise … combining the two radials to create <em><strong>one</strong></em> long radial wire. I suspect the 30m/40m version may lack some of the gain and efficiency of the higher band version due to the losses involved in base loading a vertical radiator. Perhaps a full length vertical wire supported by a pole, or a tree, might be better.</p><p>I have always felt there is something incongruous about using a counterpoise that is longer than the radiator. Perhaps that concern is unfounded if we consider that a raised radial wire also radiates.</p><p><strong>Customizing the original clever idea</strong></p><p>I have tried the POTA PERformer with both a single radial and two radials. Both versions “worked” and I made contacts. It is difficult to interpret which was better, but my own preference – for field expediency – is a single radial. The 20m, 30m and 40m bands are my preferred haunts, only for the reason that two of my QRP radios do not support the higher bands. Even though the POTA PERformer is a great idea with very positive reports from several sources on YouTube and elsewhere, it doesn’t fit well with how I like to operate. Here is why.</p><p><strong>Please remain seated</strong></p><p>A raised radial wire is a tuned counterpoise. Its length is important. That means band changes involve adjusting the length of the radial(s). One way of doing this is to insert a non-conducting link in the wire and move it between linked sections to set the conducting part of the counterpoise to the correct length for the band of operation. The overall length remains the same but the sections of the wire not being used are isolated from the rest of the antenna. Another way that I have tried is to use a metal measuring tape and unwind it to the correct length. Perhaps using multiple raised radials where each wire is adjusted for a different band would also work. Whatever method is used, getting out of your chair and fiddling with radials and whip lengths is a time consuming distraction. So what’s the alternative; how can you stay in your seat and change bands?</p><p><strong>Get on the ground and spread ’em!</strong></p><p>Sacrificing a little efficiency is required but it can be done. My own method is to spread out four radials wires in a fan pattern on the ground, facing the direction I want my signal to go. Are four ground radials enough? If the vertical element is ground-mounted then using only four radials results in efficiency loss. But, if the whip is elevated? Who knows, but it works.</p><p>Since ground radials are detuned their length is not critical. No adjustment is required whether operating on 20m, 30m or 40m. The only requirement is that there is sufficient copper on the ground to provide a good counterpoise; I use 4x13ft radials. Orienting all the radials in one particular direction does improve the signal in that direction to a small extent. How much efficiency is lost? That is very hard to quantify but the convenience factor is high. </p><p>A 17ft whip with an adjustable loading coil (bypassed for 20m) will cover all three of the bands that I need. I have also used a 9ft “tactical” whip whose fixed length sections are held together with bungee cord. This shorter whip uses a separate loading coil for each band and is usually only employed with my QROp rig (a 100 watt radio that is usually set to 20 watts or less). This radio gives the ability to transmit a little more power when needed.</p><p class=""><em>“QRP when possible, QROp when needed”</em> – <strong>Ham Radio Outside the Box</strong></p><p>Is there any real difference between 5 watts and 20 watts? Maybe not but it does give me a nice warm feeling – especially if I get too close to the antenna while keying up.</p> <p class="">To better understand and learn more about the POTA PERformer it is worthwhile downloading and reading <a href="https://whiteriverradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/POTA-PERformer-Antenna-by-KJ6ER-2023-03-1-1.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Greg KJ6ER’s PDF document</strong></a>. It may inspire you to build one or even devise your own variant to suit your unique operating needs.</p><p class=""><em><strong>Note to Fediverse readers:</strong> the formatting of this post may be presented better on the original WordPress site. Visit: </em><a href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/2025/05/27/testing-the-pota-performer-antenna/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/2025/05/27/testing-the-pota-performer-antenna/</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Help support <em>HamRadioOutsidetheBox</em></strong></p><p class="">No “tip-jar”, “buy me a coffee”, Patreon, or Amazon links here. I enjoy my hobby and I enjoy writing about it. If you would like to support this blog please <strong>follow/<em>subscribe</em></strong> using the link at the bottom of my <a href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">home page</a>, or <strong><em>like</em></strong>, <strong><em>comment</em></strong> (links at the bottom of each post), <strong><em>repost</em></strong> or <strong><em>share</em></strong> links to my posts on social media. If you would like to email me directly you will find my email address on my <a href="https://www.qrz.com/db/va3kot" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">QRZ.com</a> page. Thank you!</p><p>The following copyright notice applies to all content on this blog.</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank"></a><br>This work is licensed under a <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/amateur-radio-2/" target="_blank">#AmateurRadio</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/antennas/" target="_blank">#Antennas</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/counterpoise/" target="_blank">#Counterpoise</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/ground/" target="_blank">#Ground</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/outdoor-ops/" target="_blank">#OutdoorOps</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/portable/" target="_blank">#Portable</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://hamradiooutsidethebox.ca/tag/pota/" target="_blank">#POTA</a></p>
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