[TenTec] Choosing A Backpacking Radio

[rick@dj0ip.de]

According to the manual, the Argonaut 509 weighs 6#.
I sure don't recall it being that heavy but that's what the book says.
Power consumption is about 135mA no audio, and 160mA max audio when
listening to a signal.
I used it with a 1A power supply but don't recall the actual current drain
on TX.

It shocks me sometimes to see pictures who climb for hours, reach the top,
then put up a tooth pick.
Leave the amp home and take an antenna.  I concur with Jim.  If I walk that
far, I want to work a lot of stations.

I have 3 different fiberglass poles, all different lengths and weights.
One fits in a back pack and extends to 33 ft.  It's sold by my competitor,
not by my company.
The two longer ones are carried by hand and use like a walking stick.
I just put duct tape on the bottom to protect them.

The antenna I use does not need a ground or radials.
It is coax fed and works good on 7 bands without switching.
It works without a tuner on 40/20/15/10 and with tuner on the WARC bands.
There will be a test review in the May issue of QST... another month or so.

Jim will hate it, but it sure is nice to change bands without having to drop
the pole!

73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)



-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jim Brown
Sent: Saturday, March 19, 2016 6:43 AM
To: tentec at contesting.com
Subject: [TenTec] Choosing A Backpacking Radio

On Fri,3/18/2016 6:58 PM, Katz Ajamas wrote:
> To my mind one needs TWO SOTA radios. One 5W-2-W, 40-6, up to 6lb or
so,for the easy, < 6 mile RT day hike with a YL carrying the lunch and water
and me carrying 20lb of radio, battery, and antenna stuff. Then there is
another radio, 2-3 band, maybe 3lb max  for radio, battery, antenna, the
whole station, for the > 6mile RT hike, sans YL sherpa, so packing own lunch
and water.

Why two radios? Why not buy one GOOD one that satisfies all of your
requirements rather than two mediocre ones? If you're on top of a mountain,
a VHF/UHF talkie will work hundreds of miles. The only reason for another
VHF/UHF radio is to work CW, SSB, and digital modes on those bands.

The Argonaut VI draws 550 mA on RX and weighs 3.5#. The FT817 weighs 2.5#
and draws 450 mA on RX. I can't find a weight or current spec for the 509.
The KX3 without batteries weighs 1.5# and the RX requires only 150mA, so you
can carry a lot less battery for the same operating time as most other QRP
rigs. So not only does the KX3 weigh a lot less, the batteries needed also
weigh less. The KX3 works 160-6M, including the WARC bands, and the preamp
for the higher bands, including 6M, is as good as most outboard preamps.

If you want 100W, the KXPA100 is 7#. You don't have to carry it up the
mountain if you don't want to. :)

And as W4JZ notes, his little KX1 puts out 4W on 80, 40, 30, and 20 from
6 internal AA batteries, CW only. It weighs 11 oz with the optional tuner
and miniature paddle and draws only 34 mA on RX! Not cheap though
-- we pay for miniaturization. By the time you buy the 30/80M module, the
tuner, and the paddle you've spent $600. The KX3 with a tuner and paddle is
about $1300 bought as a kit.

On Fri,3/18/2016 4:23 PM, Jim Allen wrote:
> Better antennas weigh less than amps and batteries,  just sayin'.

I generally agree with this. Figure an amp and battery to run it is going to
add at least 12# to your pack weight, anda decent wire antenna with a
counterpoise, both reasonably well rigged, will beat most commercial loaded
short antennas by a lot. BUT you've also got to carry the "stuff" to rig
that antenna on a peak that probably has no skyhooks. 
Small diameter wire doesn't weigh much, but the weight of that support and
rigging "stuff" can add up.

I've not done any SOTA activations, but I've operated 3 Field Days QRP from
two different mountain peaks, and two of those years we won FD for 1A
Battery, running only CW. If you're working CW or the efficient data modes
like PSK and JT65 you don't need more than 5W! That mountain peak is good
for at least 10 dB, 10X the power. BUT -- we weren't backpacking, we drove
to the peak with a small tri-bander (Force 12 C3SS), a 40M dipole rigged on
portable military surplus mast, and an 80M dipole rigged from an existing
tall tower to the ground. Those antennas were probably at least 5-8 dB
better than anything you could pack up a mountain!

73, Jim K9YC





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