Hiking Mobile with the KX1

By Paul Signorelli, W0RW/PM
Special to The ARS Sojourner

Well, I got to do some backing above Evergreen, CO, in the snow recently. Off-frequency SSB was clobbering 18157.5 MHz, so I pulled out the Elecraft KX1.

I have tried using a real back pack with a whip on it and remote keying with fixed frequency but that is not too convenient. So I just stuck my 8-foot whip through the shoulder hole of my down vest and the base of the whip into my pocket.

I ran a clip lead to the KX1 and held the KX1 in my left hand, keying with my right hand. I only dropped it once – 3 feet onto a rock. It needs a safety lanyard.

I was using a 12-foot drag wire for grounding on 20 meters. I worked K2TG and WØAV right away and some other mobile in Arizona, too.

I was using my internal 14-volt Nicad batteries and they lasted 3 hours. It has the internal antenna tuner, of course. I was at 3 watts with a 1.3 SWR.

Thirty words per minute is a little hard while hiking, but 25 wpm is pretty easy even with that funny iambic paddle.

The paddle gets loose after a few miles.

It really helps having the rig in your hand for changing frequencies and sending speeds, etc.

I will be out again on February 7 for FYBO around 14.060 MHz.