Portable Operations

Below are notes for future portable operations based on previous operations. Everytime you setup a portable operation you learn something. Hopefully I can keep my notes here for others to use.

May 2009

Hatteras Island - NA-067

I had the pleasure of doing a mini-DXpedition over the Memorial Day weekend on Hatteras Island. The YL and I setup a 20m SSB station in the tent using a MFJ 20m SSB Travel radio, a hamstick rotatable dipole, a 12ah battery, and a 18w solar panel.

Overall, the test was a success. Contacts were made in eleven different countries utilizing only ten-watts of output power. While time was short for operating (hey, this was a vacation, too!) I did find that operating during the grey zone (twilight) yielded the best results. Pointing the dipole towards Europe yielded excellent results on both sides of the antenna.