Thomas Witherspoon

Bug-Out Month Begins! My First Field Activation with the Vibroplex Original Deluxe As I mentioned in a previous post, I declared October, 2025 to be my Bug-Out Month. I did this primarily to motivate myself to get comfortable using a bug—a semi-automatic key—not just in the shack, but in the field as well. I was inspired by several things that happened over the past few months: my buddy Kevin gave me a vintage Skillman bug; I spent way too much time with friends at the Long Island CW Club booth…

Bug-Out Month Begins! My First Field Activation with the Vibroplex Original Deluxe

As I mentioned in a previous post, I declared October, 2025 to be my Bug-Out Month. I did this primarily to motivate myself to get comfortable using a bug—a semi-automatic key—not just in the shack, but in the field…

QRP POTA: Will the Elecraft KX1 pair with the AX3? (Of course it will!) by Thomas (K4SWL) The afternoon of Wednesday, September 17, 2025, was just calling out for a POTA activation. I didn’t have enough time in the day to travel further afield than my local Blue Ridge Parkway—my park-away-from-home these days—so I headed there with a field kit packed in the car. In mid-September, I was still dealing with some lower back pain.

QRP POTA: Will the Elecraft KX1 pair with the AX3? (Of course it will!)

by Thomas (K4SWL) The afternoon of Wednesday, September 17, 2025, was just calling out for a POTA activation. I didn’t have enough time in the day to travel further afield than my local Blue Ridge Parkway—my…

Deal Alert: Bioenno BOGO Sale on 12V 6Ah LiFePO4 Batteries Many thanks to my buddy George (KJ6VU) for spotting this: Bioenno is running a buy-one-get-one-free sale on their 12V 6Ah LiFePO4 battery packs. Here's the product link. To get the deal, add either two of the 6Ah batteries or the battery/charger combo to your cart, then apply the coupon code BOGO at checkout. The discount takes 50% off your subtotal.

Deal Alert: Bioenno BOGO Sale on 12V 6Ah LiFePO4 Batteries

Many thanks to my buddy George (KJ6VU) for spotting this: Bioenno is running a buy-one-get-one-free sale on their 12V 6Ah LiFePO4 battery packs. Here's the product link. To get the deal, add either two of the 6Ah batteries or the…

K4ZSR’s Comprehensive Elecraft KX3 Field Kit Many thanks to Zach (K4ZSR), who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post.  K4ZSR’s Elecraft KX3 Field Kit by Zach (K4ZSR) I acquired a new-to-me KX3 in 2023, but really didn’t use it much until the fall of 2024.

K4ZSR’s Comprehensive Elecraft KX3 Field Kit

Many thanks to Zach (K4ZSR), who shares the following article about his portable field radio kit, which will be featured on our Field Kit Gallery page. If you would like to share your field kit with the QRPer community, read this post.  K4ZSR’s Elecraft…

VA3EKR: A Dual POTA Activation at Beverly Swamp (CA-1312, VEFF-2551)

Many thanks to Scott (VA3EKR) who shares the following guest post which was originally posted on his blog: September 21, 2025, Beverly Swamp Conservation Area (CA-1312, VEFF-2551) by Scott (VA3EKR) I wanted to get the most of my…

Hurricane Helene: One Year Later One year ago today—September 27, 2024—Hurricane Helene moved up from the Gulf of Mexico, swept across the Southeast, and struck Western North Carolina. Its impact was massive—its destruction, unprecedented. by Thomas (K4SWL) The Storm Arrives We’d been following weather reports in advance, expecting heavy rain, localized flooding, and some winds. That’s not unusual here—we often see the remnants of hurricanes and tropical storms.

Hurricane Helene: One Year Later

One year ago today—September 27, 2024—Hurricane Helene moved up from the Gulf of Mexico, swept across the Southeast, and struck Western North Carolina. Its impact was massive—its destruction, unprecedented. by Thomas (K4SWL) The Storm Arrives We’d been following…

KV4AN: A Pair of Quick Drive-Up SOTA Activations in Northern Alabama By Steve (KV4AN) My XYL and her sister like to go yard sale-ing on Saturday morning (this is the practice of buying other people’s junk so you can throw it away for them), so I’ve had two beautiful Saturday mornings to do a pair of quick drive-up SOTA activations here in Northern Alabama.  The first Saturday, I went to Gunters Mountain, which is around an hour away near Swearengin, Alabama. 

KV4AN: A Pair of Quick Drive-Up SOTA Activations in Northern Alabama

By Steve (KV4AN) My XYL and her sister like to go yard sale-ing on Saturday morning (this is the practice of buying other people’s junk so you can throw it away for them), so I’ve had two beautiful Saturday mornings to do a pair…

Compromised Antenna? Not Today! AX1 Activation at Fort Dobbs State Historic Site On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, my wife, Hazel, and I were heading back from Greensboro, NC along Interstate 40 when I thought it fitting to make a short detour to Fort Dobbs State Historic Site for a quick POTA activation. Fortunately, both my wife and Hazel agreed. We all wanted to stretch our legs, and Fort Dobbs is a wonderful park to do just that.

Compromised Antenna? Not Today! AX1 Activation at Fort Dobbs State Historic Site

On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, my wife, Hazel, and I were heading back from Greensboro, NC along Interstate 40 when I thought it fitting to make a short detour to Fort Dobbs State Historic Site for a quick POTA…

KI5OEB: Testing the “Just OK Mini” Antenna in the Field by James (KI5OEB)  Testing, testing, testing!!! On September 22, I went out for a few hours at Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center Historic Site (US-10951), my closest park… I open this by stating the objective of this activation was testing the Ham Radio Duo “Just OK Mini” antenna. I set up the IC-705 with a desire to do an hour of SSB.

KI5OEB: Testing the “Just OK Mini” Antenna in the Field

by James (KI5OEB)  Testing, testing, testing!!! On September 22, I went out for a few hours at Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center Historic Site (US-10951), my closest park… I open this by stating the objective of this activation was…

KB2PIZ: Activating Saltwater State Park (US-3262) by Mark (KB2PIZ) I've been on another business trip to Seattle and had some free time to visit Saltwater State Park and complete an activation. I was here last year and only made one contact before I had to leave. This year, the plan was to stay until I completed the activation. To ensure success, I packed the trustworthy Chelegance MC-750 and the Chameleon end-fed sloper.

KB2PIZ: Activating Saltwater State Park (US-3262)

by Mark (KB2PIZ) I've been on another business trip to Seattle and had some free time to visit Saltwater State Park and complete an activation. I was here last year and only made one contact before I had to leave. This year, the plan was to stay…

Labor Day, Family Time, and a Bit of POTA Therapy: QRP DX at Jordan Lake Educational State Forest by Thomas (K4SWL) My wife and I hatched a plan for Labor Day weekend: pack the car, head to the Raleigh, NC area, and spend the long weekend with our daughters, who were just a few weeks into their first year at university. I’m sure they were glad to see their loving parents—but let’s be honest—they were most excited to see Hazel.

Labor Day, Family Time, and a Bit of POTA Therapy: QRP DX at Jordan Lake Educational State Forest

by Thomas (K4SWL) My wife and I hatched a plan for Labor Day weekend: pack the car, head to the Raleigh, NC area, and spend the long weekend with our daughters, who were just a few weeks into their…

A sunrise #hamonabike Early Bird #amateurradio #hamradio #morsecode #cw #parksontheair #pota activation with #hb1b into #randomlengthwireantenna up 37'

Jordan Lake POTA with Roger, and a Surprise QSO with Leo in Germany! One of the joys of writing up field reports is reliving POTA and SOTA activations. Since our travels in Canada this summer, our family has had a lot of irons in the fire. My available time has been almost non-existent, so I’ve only managed a handful of POTA activations. What I didn’t get in quantity, though, I certainly made up for in quality.

Jordan Lake POTA with Roger, and a Surprise QSO with Leo in Germany!

One of the joys of writing up field reports is reliving POTA and SOTA activations. Since our travels in Canada this summer, our family has had a lot of irons in the fire. My available time has been almost non-existent, so I’ve…

One of My Favorite Places on Earth: An ATNO POTA Activation in Tadoussac, Québec There are few places on this earth that I love more than the region of Québec around the town of Tadoussac. Tadoussac sits where the Saguenay River—really, a dramatic fjord—meets the mighty St. Lawrence Estuary. Long before Europeans arrived, the Innu people had used this place—known to them as Totouskak—for thousands of years as a seasonal base for seal hunting and trade.

One of My Favorite Places on Earth: An ATNO POTA Activation in Tadoussac, Québec

There are few places on this earth that I love more than the region of Québec around the town of Tadoussac. Tadoussac sits where the Saguenay River—really, a dramatic fjord—meets the mighty St. Lawrence Estuary. Long…

Red Oxx Gator EDC Field Kit for the Lab599 Discovery TX-500 by Brian (K3ES) I am blessed to be able to afford a number of terrific QRP rigs to support my portable operating habit (or is it an addiction).  Every rig has its own advantages and disadvantages, and my operating skills grew as I became familiar with each of them. My first QRP rig was the sleek and rugged TX-500 from Lab599, and it still holds a special place in my heart. 

Red Oxx Gator EDC Field Kit for the Lab599 Discovery TX-500

by Brian (K3ES) I am blessed to be able to afford a number of terrific QRP rigs to support my portable operating habit (or is it an addiction).  Every rig has its own advantages and disadvantages, and my operating skills grew as I became…

Watch Out: “Gift Card” Scam Emails Targeting Hams by Thomas (K4SWL) Lately, I’ve been receiving emails that look like they’re from ham radio friends — complete with their name and callsign in the “from” line. At first glance, they seem legitimate. But when you check the actual email address (not just the name that shows up in your inbox), it’s clearly not from them. For example, the "from" line might read, "Thomas (K4SWL)" but the email address is something more like abc4567@gmail.com.

Watch Out: “Gift Card” Scam Emails Targeting Hams

by Thomas (K4SWL) Lately, I’ve been receiving emails that look like they’re from ham radio friends — complete with their name and callsign in the “from” line. At first glance, they seem legitimate. But when you check the actual email address (not…

Back-seat QRPing: A Morning POTA Activation at Cap Tourmente On Sunday, July 6, 2025, I ventured out in the morning—despite the forecast calling for wet weather—to my favorite local activation site near our home base in St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Québec: Cap Tourmente (CA-0012). The day before, we had learned that my father-in-law had been admitted to the hospital. Details were still forthcoming, but we knew we’d need to adjust our travel schedule and return home earlier than planned.

Back-seat QRPing: A Morning POTA Activation at Cap Tourmente

On Sunday, July 6, 2025, I ventured out in the morning—despite the forecast calling for wet weather—to my favorite local activation site near our home base in St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Québec: Cap Tourmente (CA-0012). The day before, we had…

For Bug Fists on the Go: The Don Lawson WB9CYY Bug Emulator by Bob Leichner (WO6W) Are you a dedicated bug user? Do you miss your bug while out on a POTA or SOTA activation? Would you like to operate mobile using a bug? Do you want to keep a small bug in your go bag for impromptu operations? Are you just learning to use a bug? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, this bug emulator may be of interest.

For Bug Fists on the Go: The Don Lawson WB9CYY Bug Emulator

by Bob Leichner (WO6W) Are you a dedicated bug user? Do you miss your bug while out on a POTA or SOTA activation? Would you like to operate mobile using a bug? Do you want to keep a small bug in your go bag for impromptu operations? Are…

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New Icom IC-705 Firmware (Version 1.40) Many thanks to Richard (MM0RGM) and Markku (VA3MK) for noting that Icom has released a firmware update for the venerable Icom IC-705. Changes from Version 1.32 Improved the importing repeater list. Supported importing repeater list while retaining the existing order. Added the ability to select other near repeaters using the dial after entering an access repeater using the Near Repeater Search function on the DR screen.

New Icom IC-705 Firmware (Version 1.40)

Many thanks to Richard (MM0RGM) and Markku (VA3MK) for noting that Icom has released a firmware update for the venerable Icom IC-705. Changes from Version 1.32 Improved the importing repeater list. Supported importing repeater list while retaining the…

Scott Reviews Gigaparts Explorer Pouches: Adaptable, Radio-Friendly, and Now on Sale Many thanks to Scott (KA9P), who writes: Thomas, while I’m generally loath to advertise for anyone, I think the recent price change for Gigaparts’ Explorer pouches might interest the portable radio crowd. Many probably know that Gigaparts offers a recently revised Explorer backpack. This dedicated radio backpack uses a loop field to accept hook-backed accessory pouches for many popular radios. (Hook and loop is the generic description of VELCRO-brand fastening materials.)

Scott Reviews Gigaparts Explorer Pouches: Adaptable, Radio-Friendly, and Now on Sale

Many thanks to Scott (KA9P), who writes: Thomas, while I’m generally loath to advertise for anyone, I think the recent price change for Gigaparts’ Explorer pouches might interest the portable radio crowd. Many…

QRP Band Hopping: Two-fer POTA at Parc national des Grands-Jardins On Saturday, July 5, 2025, we drove into the Charlevoix region of Québec to visit one of our favorite parks in North America: Parc national des Grands-Jardins. In all of our years traveling to Québec, we’ve always made time for at least one excursion to this park—it’s just that beautiful. Parc national des Grands-Jardins (CA-0499) has been protected since 1981 and is part of the Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve (CA-0015).

QRP Band Hopping: Two-fer POTA at Parc national des Grands-Jardins

On Saturday, July 5, 2025, we drove into the Charlevoix region of Québec to visit one of our favorite parks in North America: Parc national des Grands-Jardins. In all of our years traveling to Québec, we’ve always made time for at…

Heading to HamX 2025! As I write this, I’m sitting at Philadelphia International Airport waiting for the last, short leg of my flight to Worcester, Massachusetts. This weekend I’ll be at the Northeast HamX (Ham Exposition) in Marlborough, Massachusetts. It’s my first time attending this event, and I’ve been eager to experience it. I’ll also be presenting at the conference—my session is Friday at 1:00 p.m.—and on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m.

Heading to HamX 2025!

As I write this, I’m sitting at Philadelphia International Airport waiting for the last, short leg of my flight to Worcester, Massachusetts. This weekend I’ll be at the Northeast HamX (Ham Exposition) in Marlborough, Massachusetts. It’s my first time attending this event, and…

It's a John Denver #hamradio #amateurradio #cw #morsecode #pota #parksontheair activation "Sunshine On My Shoulders"

Historic Site, Modern QRM: A Low-Profile QRP POTA Activation at Parc des Moulins You might recall that on the morning of Wednesday, June 25, 2025, I fit in a brilliant little POTA activation with the CFT1 at Cap Tourmente. I performed that activation early in the morning knowin…

Historic Site, Modern QRM: A Low-Profile QRP POTA Activation at Parc des Moulins

qrper.com/2025/08/hist...

Tackling the Magruder Corridor in North-Central Idaho by Ken (WR7D) I’m a member of the All-Idaho Contest Club (AI7ID) in Southwest Idaho. Occasionally, we plan other ham-related activities. In June, we started discussing a potential trip through the Magruder Corridor in North-Central Idaho for some POTA and SOTA action. The Magruder Corridor is a rough, single-lane road between Grangeville, ID, and Darby, MT. It separates the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area and the Frank Church River of no Return Wilderness Area.

Tackling the Magruder Corridor in North-Central Idaho

by Ken (WR7D) I’m a member of the All-Idaho Contest Club (AI7ID) in Southwest Idaho. Occasionally, we plan other ham-related activities. In June, we started discussing a potential trip through the Magruder Corridor in North-Central Idaho for…

A Beautiful Morning at Cap Tourmente (CA-0012) with the Mighty CFT1 We woke up to beautiful weather on the morning of Wednesday, June 25, 2025—POTA was in the air! Cap Tourmente, my local POTA park, opened its gates at 8:30, and I planned to arrive shortly thereafter to fit in a casual activation before my wife, daughters, and I made our way to Québec City later that morning (where—hee hee—I had another activation planned!).

A Beautiful Morning at Cap Tourmente (CA-0012) with the Mighty CFT1

We woke up to beautiful weather on the morning of Wednesday, June 25, 2025—POTA was in the air! Cap Tourmente, my local POTA park, opened its gates at 8:30, and I planned to arrive shortly thereafter to fit in a casual activation…

Pushing Through QRM: Low-Profile, Low-Impact POTA with the Elecraft AX3 and New Clamp Mount I’ve mentioned my good buddy Mike (KE8PTX) in previous posts—he’s designed some very cool 3D-printed accessories for portable operators. Just a day before our family left on our multi-week trip to …

Pushing Through QRM: Low-Profile, Low-Impact POTA with the Elecraft AX3 and New Clamp Mount
qrper.com/2025/07/push...

"Crazy, but that's how it goes
Millions of people living as foes
Maybe it's not too late
To learn how to love and forget how to hate."

Crazy Train
by the late, great Ozzy Osbourne

Short on Time, Yet Loads of Fun: Gusty QRP POTA at Cap Tourmente! On Sunday, June 22, we spent the day in Québec City enjoying a local farmer’s market, visiting a café, catching up with friends, and taking a long walk in the woods. Somehow, we managed to return t…

Short on Time, Yet Loads of Fun: Gusty #QRP #QRP at Cap Tourmente!
qrper.com/2025/07/shor...