Portable Operations Ideas Part 4 of 4

So, how do we carry all this stuff around?  In your car to the park or campground...no problem.  Bike mobile users put a lot of thought into where to place the radio, battery and antenna.  Marine mobile users have the game pretty well figured out.  Pedestrian mobile ops also have specialized techniques for packing around radios and talking as they walk.  So, you're just a person who wants to hike up a trail and spend the day on the radio...or walk through a park or nature area until you find a good place.  Personally, while I have several brand name packs, what would I recommend?  In most cases, get one of the inexpensive internal frame backpacks from Wal Mart.  I happened to find a contractors' pack at Lowe's for 1/2 price that has lots of zippered pockets in it.  You don't need an expensive backpack that will haul a tent, sleeping bag, food, water, etc. (unless you are going backpacking).  Anybody who tells you that you do is trying to over-complicate carrying some gear a short distance.  However, if your gear weighs more than 15-20 pounds or other factors limit your ability to carry a pack, I would try to get a higher quality pack, so the weight distribution is spread out on your hips rather than your shoulders.  They have better designed pockets, larger, and are more water repellent.. And, as most people already know, if you will be on trails, rocky or uneven ground, etc., give special consideration to your footwear.  For something like the FT-817 or a CW QRP rig, a wire antenna, such as the EndFedz, a CW paddle, along with a snack and water (and first aid kit), a small pack might be all you need.

Whether you do mobile, marine, bike mobile, pedestrian mobile, or whatever, an organization called HFPack is a great resource.  There are numerous QRP organizations, as well as Summits On the Air (SOTA), that can offer advice.

I'm sure that I've left out something, but hopefully this will benefit you in your choices for portable ops.  Whichever equipment you choose, remember...have fun!  Here's wishing you some good DX.

Visitor Hit Globe Now On Blog

If you hit my blog, you'll notice that I now have a spinning hit globe.  It's brand new as of December 12, 2011, and pretty weak with hits.  Unfortunately, it isn't retroactive to the many previous hits...like a thousand.  That would look way cool.  But, thank you very much for visiting.  Please do subscribe if you want.  I'll be happy to provide a link to your blog if you want me to.

More on QSL Card Progress

I got a card from Belgium the other day.  That was cool, as I don't have any from that country.  It is sort of nice, being able to check the mailbox every day, knowing that a card will be there every couple of days.  I got two in one day this past week!

This endeavor has taught me 3 things:  1) Keep caught up in your log book r/t who you want send a QSL card to.  2) Decide when it's time to use the Buro and who you want to send that way.  I'm getting poor and IRCs and the concern of if the other ham will send his card can weigh on a person's mind. 3) Send out a few cards frequently, rather than having 50-60 to try and get written, envelopes prepared for, and mailed.

I've worked on deciding if I want to accept eQSL cards for my collection for some time.  I discovered the printer will do a great job of printing them on photo 4x6" paper, however the edges are chopped off.  It is really cool getting a hardcopy card, with the hand-written QSO facts, and the envelope, with foreign stamps to look at.  But, it is definitely easy, and free to use electronic cards.  I think this medium will work once a person gets a confirmed contact for a country or state.  Duplicates then won't count for any awards anyway.

I do find it frustrating that when you work a special event station with a cool theme, that either the QSL card is a generic one from the club or trustee, or it turns out they don't accept QSLs for the exchange.  I worked a station, S52OSV in Slovenia, that commemorated 20 years of the signal branch of their armed forces.  That would be a cool card to have.  They don't QSL...  Crap.  I do understand that everybody can't afford event cards, or cards at all in some instances.  I read an article about the value of cards.  An example was a fellow who took a long time to get a card back to the sender, and it was all handwritten on a 3x5" card.  He thanked him for the contact and apologized that his income and family size wouldn't allow him to purchase cards.  I got a card back earlier this year from a maritime mobile station I worked.  He was on his boat off MA.  The card was self-printed with a drawing of a boat and his name/address on one side of a 3x5" index card, with the contact hand-written on the other side in cursive.  There were even the blue lines on the card.  At first, I didn't like it and hoped he would send me a nicer one (when his new stack came in), but then I realized how much time it took him to hand write all the info with the nice note, and now it's one of my favorite cards.

My own cards from cheapqsls.com have a nice, but generic format, with the template already there to put the info.  It's specialized a bit with some clip art from SKYWARN and ARES, but no photos.  I hope to do photos some day.  I'm considering learning how to make my own.  I'm interested to learn about your own experiences with cards.

QSL Cards Almost Caught Up!

After procrastinating for a long time, I've almost got my last batch of QSL cards ready to mail.  I have somewhere between 20-30 stateside cards to mail.  All the overseas cards went out about 2 weeks ago, and I got one from France at the end of last week.  I'm expecting cards from several other countries in that part of Europe, as well as from Mexico, as well as one more hardcopy card from the ILLW event.  At least I hope so, considering the amount of postage I spent money on...

Back in the summer, I sent one guy an IRC and SAE.  I won't name him by name.  I never got a card back from him, and he didn't email me.  Later, I discovered that he only does Buro.  If somebody accident sends me a card, not knowing that, and I only do Buro, I'd feel an obligation to make an exception and take that IRC to the post office and send the person a card.  At the very least, I'd email that person and explain.  Anyway, to get the country, I guess I'll either have to pay $2 and send one card to the Buro, or not get the card from Italy (if that were the country).  That's my gripe for the day.

I suppose I'll start sending cards via the Buro, but I'd like to get my foreign DX cards built up a bit.  I have had good luck with Canada.  With one reminder letter, I've had 100% so far.  eQSL cards are another story. I can't get my printer to not cut the edges off.  So, I usually end up sending a card to them anyway.  I have noticed that nobody ever sends me a card first.  Wonder why that is?

The last thought for the day:  The Bureau is referred to as the Burro as it is slow.  However, it is usually spelled Buro.  Any ideas why?

Merry Christmas!
Steve

Recent Events

Well, the last month or so hasn't been totally productive.  No major ham events to report...just an update.  I of course aggravated my torn meniscus in my knee climbing my tower, thus making any new climbs in the near future out of the question.  We decided that we didn't like where my OCFD was so, a friend was going to change it.  He injured his leg.  Then, I got the Par OA-50 and as we can't get up the tower, it will be on a painter pole, hoping for some luck.

O.K., then I get to feeling crappy and my legs start to bother me.  Turns out I had cellulitis in both legs = trip to hospital and light duty for several weeks.  So, I'm hobbling around with wraps on my legs and ankles to keep them stable, as I realize both how much money I didn't make during my time off, and how huge the hospital bill will be.

The good news is that I finally got a QSL card from one of my very first DX contacts in the Ukraine.  I had forgotten about him as it had been so long.  I also got a neat card for a maritime mobile contact during museum ships weekend.  I was looking at my own log, and the stack of contacts that I've never sent QSL cards to is scary.  I guess I'll have to devote a few hours to it until they get mailed.

Anyway, it's now November; Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away.  That means turkey, stuffing, pumpkin and pecan pie!  Oh, let's not forget Black Friday sales.  Anyway, I hope everybody has a great rest of the year, and holiday seasons.

73,
Steve

20 Meter EndFedz Works Great

I did some more experimenting with my EndFedz.  I finally got the standoff at the top of my tower, so I fastened it to the rope and pulled it up to the pulley.  At about 32 feet high and sloping to about 15 feet, I made some successful QSOs from Mexico City to California, to Maine and to Europe.  I checked in on the Maritime, SATERN and Intercon nets.

Regarding SWR, I haven't used an analyzer yet, but I measured it, used it with a tuner for a while just in case the SWR was a bit high (no, a tuner won't hurt it; you don't need one).  After a while, I shortened it by an inch or so, and my FT-450 meter only shows one bar when I key and talk.

To test it further, I started at the top of the band, and went all the way through the data section with the tuner.  It tuned it without any problems, so I know it was under a 3:1 SWR.  With a stated SWR of 1.5:1 for 300 kHz, that goes to within 50 kHz of the bottom of the 20 meter band.  It seems logical that it will perform sufficiently to the bottom edge, given that small amount of difference.

At QRP, the Maritime Net gave me a a copy, but the band static and other stations made it difficult to copy all of my call sign.  Cranking it up to 100 watts solved that problem.

I plan on trying it out in the different configurations, such as an L, horizontal, and vertical as soon as I  can.  I suspect using it as an L would give it more of a directional approach, but don't quote me on that...  I'd also like to see how much adjusting the takeoff angle actually affects it, as well as height above ground.  The direction it is pointed as a sloper does seem to affect the direction somewhat.    I'll update the blog as I get more results to share.

This Week's Progress

Well, progress has been made...  I finished my standoff with clamps, pulleys, water-proofing, etc.  I borrowed a safety harness from a buddy (my rope rescue harness from the 80s doesn't quite fit anymore).  Another buddy will help me from the top of my roof, while I'm 40 feet in the air.  Anyway, once that is done, I can run the wires and tune the 80m OCF.  It should outperform my 20m vee by a good margin (I hope).

I'm hoping to get that done by this weekend, as it will be Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend.  I'd like to make some contacts.

In other news, I tried out my EndFedz 20m.  Haven't run it through its paces yet, but it seemed to do well.  I got some QSL cards during the past week or so.  Today, I got 3 cards.  N7LE Central Oregon DX Club, K1MQ from Rocky Hill, CT, and W5WAZ for the Maritime Net check in on 14.300 MHz.  That was the first time I've ever checked in on it.  Sounded interesting though and I'll try to catch it again.

Some other cards from the past couple of weeks include SP4XQN from Poland, PD5DB in The Netherlands, and S51ZZ in Slovenia.  I'm happy to get a card from W4LEX, from Museum Ships Weekend aboard the USS Lexington.

Anyway, don't forget about trying to get a lighthouse this weekend.

Vacation and Portable Antennas

Edited on July 30, 2011.  I originally blogged this as ideas for vacation antennas and portable ops with my FT-450.  Since then, I've made some purchases which alter my original plans a bit...not much.

First of all, I ordered a Balun Designs QRP balun with wing nut side posts.  I plan on making several lengths of antennas with ring end connectors for different quick change bands.  Add 50 feet of RG-8X coax for portable use.  Then, while I was in the mood, I ordered an EndFedz 20m antenna.  EndFedz has mono or dual band, but can be horizontal, vertical, L or sloper and only needs one tie-off point.  I chose the 100 watt 20m over the 10/20/40 model because if the location is poor and band conditions aren't good, that extra 75 watts might come in handy.  That is a 6 dB difference.  I also considered the 20/40 combo, but the extra $40 was spent on other accessories, and 20m is the best band overall.

If no trees are handy, I also worked on my painter pole.  The heavy duty one sits in an RV satellite dish tripod.  I added an 8 foot lighter, aluminum pole on top of that, with a pvc "T" in the middle for them to slide into.  This makes the total height 22 feet high.  I've worked northern Europe at 13-15 feet.  *Addendum: I got another painter pole and am going to try to attach them together.  That will give me 33 feet if it will stay up with guys and not fall over.

For the final touch, I got a second power supply.  I have a big and heavy linear for home use.  I got a smaller and light weight Jetstream JTPS28, which will fit in a satchel or pack nicely.

This combination of ways to rig an antenna and run portable isn't quite as fancy as a Buddipole or Buddistick, but it was much cheaper and once the antennas are cut to resonance, there isn't any of that tapping coils.

I Can Finally Put Up My OCFD!

Patience finally paid off.  Thanks to our storm in May, a broken tree is hanging in several pieces in my yard.  Another tree is growing around my antenna tower.  The tree company took forever to get to me, but tomorrow they are cutting down the damaged tree and trimming the limbs by the tower. Then, up goes my 80m OCFD, with a 4:1 Balun Designs dual core balun.  It will be nice having twice the elevation and 80/40/20/10m.  I'm not certain if I can use 6m, but it's so dead most of the time that it doesn't really matter.  While the insurance company won't pay for cutting down the tree, they can work clearing debris and removal from the house area and roof into a claim, which hopefully will pay most of the cost.  Yeah for me!

Special Event Stations & Thoughts for the Day

Well, I tried today to contact station N4S in Florida.  It's a special event station that commemorates the last launch of the space shuttle.  I think they'll be on the air until Thursday around 14.274-75 MHz.  I tried and tried, but with the kilowatt boys and beams, the pileup was terrible.  It makes us 100 watt stations with inverted vee antennas at 15-20 feet seem like we're throwing a cup of water into a swimming pool.

The 3rd week of August will be Lighthouse Weekend.  I think that is really big in the Europe.  I probably won't be able to get any contacts, but I will give it a try.

Quoting directly from Amateur Radio Newsline: HAM HAPPENINGS:  ILLW THE WEEKEND OF AUGUST 20 – 21

With only a few weeks to go to the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, a total of 290 entries have been received but many more expected before the event.

So far this year 13 Lightships are entered mainly from Belgium, England, Germany and the USA. There's also one each in the Netherlands, Sweden and Wales.  For those not aware, lightships are a rarer breed of the long-gone era of magnified flashes a light used by ships as they navigated along the coast and around the world.

Since 1998 the 48 hour, third weekend in August event has attracted more than 440 entrants, from some 50 nations.  This year the dates are August 20th and the 21st.  More information is on the World Wide Web at illw.net.  (VK3PC)

I've gotten some nice QSL cards in the last week.  S51ZZ sent me one from Slovenia, and I got one from The Netherlands, from PD5DB.  NK7U sent me one from Oregon.  I've been on FM for a while, but I'm fairly new to HF.  His was the first ever DX QSO I made outside of Field Day.  I was looking at my list of contacts and I really need to sit down and start writing out cards.  I got some IRCs from the post office recently.  Sadly, a card from Prince Edward Island, Canada and 2 stations from Museum Ships Weekend haven't sent me their cards.  The Canadian station even requested $1 USD.  I did get some cool cards from the USS Cavalla and USS Stewart from Galveston, TX.  The dual contact was made through an operator in the radio room of the WW2 sub, the Cavalla.  That was really cool.

That's my thoughts for today.  If you know of any special events, please let me know through a post or email.

73,
Steve

I Am Not Selling an HT

I mentioned a while back that HRO was selling the FT-60 for about $40 less.  For some reason, the wording must have gotten hits to my blog, because a lot of people hit it looking for the HT, thinking I was selling one.  Thanks for visiting, and I hope you'll come back.
Steve

Heard Budd Drummond W3FF of Buddipole On Air

While I was checking out 20m, I heard Budd Drummond, inventor of the Buddipole on the air from California.  I tried for a long time, but just couldn't get through.  He has a model A Ford that he is mobile in, a 3-wheel bike that he goes mobile in, and does DXpeditions, such as Buddies in the Caribbean.  He seems like a great person.  I wish the atmosphere would have allowed a QSO.  Somebody in Tennessee and a ham in Indiana both made it.  Maybe I'll hear him on the air some other time.

Solar Activity Dropping?

We all heard and read about how we were going to have really good solar activity.  New research data has scientists wondering if the opposite might be true.  I've attached the link.  The Maunder Minimum was called the Little Ice Age.  It was a period of low solar activity between 1645-1715, and while subtle, a small drop in temperature caused drastic changes in the world.  We might be headed for a second one.  By chance, I watched a television show on the effects of the Maunder Minimum just the other night.  The story is definitely worth reading.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110614/ts_afp/usspacesun#bd

Thank You!

My list of visitors is gradually growing.  A few comments are showing up on articles.  I just wanted to thank those of you who have dropped by, and ask you to continue to promote my site by recommending it to friends.  I also welcome any input from you, or a blog entry on something you have sent me.  I noticed that my screen jumps up and down for a few seconds when it loads.  Recently, I put a lot of photos of 2010 Field Day on the page, and links to some YouTube channels.  Let me know if it's causing you any problems.  73!  Steve

Ham Radio Deluxe Will Not Work With My Yaesu FT-450AT

Every time I try to get HRD to work with my FT-450, it shows that it can't read the frequency.  I have it connected via a DB-9 straight through cable, with a serial/usb converter.  I have tried it with and without the converter.  The HRD site is surprisingly not helpful.  Likewise, Google searches haven't solved the problem.  If anybody knows why it isn't working and how to walk me through it, I would appreciate it.

Yaesu FT-817ND for QRP Phone?

I don't claim to be an expert on ham radio.  I do try to keep up with stuff and read a lot.  Some day, I'd like to get a radio that is more portable than my FT-450.  I've considered the FT-857D and the FT-817ND.  Obviously, the 857 has more punch, filtering and other options.  Yes, it is almost $800 at the time of this writing, and weighs a whole lot more than the 817, and requires a battery in all portable operations.  In contrast the 817 is about $200 less, has minimal filtering and only 5 watts.  It does have the internal battery and a AA battery pack--handy features if needed.  I guess my question is basically, all things considered...would 5 watts or less be able to do much on phone SSB?  I can see an antenna being a homebrew dipole/vee, EndFedz or something like a Buddipole/Buddistick.  Unlike a lot of people who buy the 817 for CW, I don't know any morse right now.  So, I'd be limited to voice, or perhaps digital mode, such as PSK-31.  So, I'd appreciate comments by anybody who drops by my blog.  Thanks, Steve.

Kentucky Emergency Management Publishes New NLE Photos

The Kentucky Division of Emergency Management published new photos of the National Level Exercise for earthquake preparedness which we held last month.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kyemnlephotos

Arrow Antenna Sold

I guess Al Lowe of Arrow Antenna must have retired.  Tim Chapman - KB7MDF now owns the company.  I hope he will run it with the same sense of responsibility that Al did all those years.  Anyway, I've talked to him via email a couple of times and he seems like an o.k. guy.  Here's wishing him the best!

My New Balun Arrived

Well, I got my new balun in today's mail.  It's a Balun Designs 4:1 OCF balun.  It has dual cores and a lot of  features that set Balun Designs apart from competitors.  Yep, I paid $96 plus shipping for it, but it is nice.  Having used their 1:1 QRP balun for a while, I can say that this one is a lot heavier.  The thicker NEMA box, combined with another core really added the weight.  Fortunately, my antenna rope is rated at 420 pounds!  Now, if the tree company would just cut down the broken limbs from the storm, so I could get the 80m OCF up and working.  Anyway, check out Balun Designs and look at the comparison page which shows their models vs. another company's baluns.  It's amazing what differences you can see when you take the covers off.  Bob Rumsey is a great guy who will help you in any way he can.

The Yaesu FT-450: A Great Radio!

My Review of the Yaesu FT-450 HF/6m base:  I had people recommend that I buy an FT-450.  Various features set it apart from other radios.  Then, the 450D model came out at Christmas 2010 and people were scrambling to get the 450 on markdown.  I got mine slightly used, in mint condition for $300 less than a new one.  I haven't been using my FT-450AT for that long, but I can say that I honestly love my little radio.  The performance of it really rocks, and the features are amazing for its price range.

In comparing it to the 450D model, there isn't much difference.  The buttons on the D model are back lit, it has feet on it (not sure how helpful they are--mine has an after-market bail), some improvement in the filtering on CW, and a slight change in the knobs.  Borrowing info from FoxTango.org, here is an overview of all the features on the FT-450, before the D model came out:

The FT-450 is a rugged, innovative multi-band, multimode portable transceiver for the amateur radio HF/VHF bands. Providing coverage of the 160-10 meter bands plus the 6 m, the FT-450 includes operation on the SSB, CW, AM, FM, and Digital modes, yielding the most comprehensive performance package available for field operation.  Designed for use from an external DC power source, the FT-450 provides 100 watts of power output from a 13.8-Volt external power supply.  The multi-function Liquid-Crystal Display includes various backlighting, which may be disabled for battery conservation. The display includes bar-graph indication of power output, ALC voltage, SWR, and modulation level.  Among the advanced features of the FT-450 are many incorporated only in large base-station transceivers. These include Dual VFOs; Split-Frequency operation; Digital Signal Processing (Bandpass Filtering, Noise Reduction, Notch, and Microphone Equalizer); IF Shift; Clarifier (“R.I.T.”); IF Noise Blanker; AGC Fast/Slow/Auto/Off selection; RF Gain and Squelch control; IPO (Intercept Point Optimization) and a receiver front-end Attenuator; VOX; Built-in Electronic Keyer; Adjustable CW Pitch; Built-in CTCSS Encoder/Decoders; and Time-Out Timer (TOT) functions; Computer Interface capability; and Cloning capability.

I know some people complain about the 3:1 tuner.  I talked to Yaesu, and the tech noted that it wasn't designed to tune a 10:1 match...  He noted that it fine-tuned an antenna which was close to resonance.  I like it because if I turn the VFO too much and accidentally get out of my band range, the word "tuner" disappears.  Likewise, if I were to accidentally hit the band up or down buttons, it won't tune if the antenna won't match, e.g. a 20m dipole and I accidentally tuned it down to 30m.  If I do hit the tune button, the arrow flashes and it won't do it.  I consider these handy features.  I'm not disappointed that it won't tune a large mismatch.

Anyway, as much as I love my FT-60R HT and enjoy using my FT-1802M mobile, this radio has won my heart.  At least that's my opinion!

Museum Ships Weekend

This weekend was the Maritime Weekend for Museum Ships.  I was only on the radio for a couple of hours Saturday night, on 20m.  There was about S5-7 noise on my end, and I didn't even have a balun up...just a 20m dipole about 15 feet high on a painter pole with some coils of coax.  I got to speak to KK5W aboard the USS Cavalla submarine in the radio room, berthed in Galvaston Bay, TX.  The USS Stewart, a destroyer escort counted as a dual credit.  I contacted the W5LEX station on board the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, TX.  A contact was made with K1USN at the maritime museum in Braintree, MA.  Another contact was made to KK4TE, the Alabama QSO party.  He wasn't aboard the USS Alabama, but he has a cool QSL card of it.  While I was waiting for KK5W to come back on the air after a break--they had a major pileup, I got to chat with K1LDL maritime mobile, who was on his 24 foot sailboat off Gloucester, MA.  He and I had been trying to get through the pileup for a while.  I don't know if he made it or not.  I just happened to be scrolling by when they came back on the air and I made the contact with no competition.  During all this searching up and down the band, I managed to get through a lot of noise and talk with SP9LJD of Poland.  I was especially happy to get this as it is my first QSO with Poland.  I hope he sends me a QSL card!

Iraqis arrested in MY town for terrorism

Two Iraqis were arrested in MY town and charged with over 20 counts of terrorism, including using IEDs and sniper rifles against US troops, and trying to export money and stinger missles to Al Queda.  The AP story is copyrighted, but here is the web address: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TERRORISM_CHARGES_IRAQIS_KYOL-?SITE=KYBOW&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

An Off Center Fed Dipole for 80m Through 10m (and maybe 6m)

Well, here I am…thinking about antennas for my base.  It can get frustrating when you begin comparing various antennas and the prices.  I guess fortunately for me (?), I’m too poor to be worrying about a big Yagi or Quad.  Wire from Lowe’s is the way I went.  At the present time, I have a mono-band dipole up with a 1:1 Balun Designs balun.  I’ve been pondering for some time whether to put up a fan dipole or an off center fed dipole.  Numerous radiators with a fan dipole mean possible SWR interactions and more tie-off points to find, and tree limbs to cut or avoid.  Plus, my yard is too small to have a regular 80m.  So…along comes the storm this week with 70+ mph winds, effectively destroying a lot of a big maple tree in the front yard.  I guess I now have a way to get an ocf from the tower to a tie-off point for 80m on the short side, and a long run by the back fence for the long side.  I hate to lose a great shade tree…  So, I ordered a 4:1 ocf dual core balun from Bob at Balun Designs, and I am trimming tree limbs and wondering what it costs to cut the rest of the tree down…  Wish me luck!  73, Steve

Severe Storm This Week

Well, the storm that came through with 70+ mph winds didn't produce any tornadoes in our area.  I'm glad about that.  It did bring down a large portion of a maple tree in my front yard, and left at least 4 top limbs hanging by slivers.  I spent most of the day Thursday with a chainsaw cutting up limbs and dragging them to the street.  It could have done a lot of damage to the house, but we got lucky with only a soccer ball sized hole in the roof, about 5 feet of gutter damaged, and a foot rest for a lawn chair killed.  Turns out the insurance company won't pay on a tree, because it isn't considered property.  I'm hoping the tree removal company is affordable...

Great You Tube Channels

I enjoy watching videos of hobby interests.  YouTube has a lot of really good uploads, but a few are at the top of my list.  Steve, WG0AT hikes with his two pet goats--Rooster and Peanut.  They do QRP contests and activate SOTA summits.  They even hike to the top of mountains and camp out.  Many videos are set to music and Rooster and Peanut voice their opinions during the video in the form of captions...


The other channel is Randy, K7AGE.  Randy publishes "how to" videos on a variety of ham radio topics.  He also travels a lot and takes radios to other countries, where he does DX.