As the weather warms up, our thoughts at OnAllBands turn to the thrills and challenges of portable operating. Nothing beats the excitement of deftly handling a pileup from a park, island, or summit, where you can be the station in demand without traveling halfway around the world, battling hurricane-level winds, and dodging poisonous reptiles who scamper across your keyboard. It’s what makes POTA, SOTA, IOTA, and a bunch of others OTAs the rising stars of amateur radio operating.
Read this insightful article on “Working Through and Managing Pileups During Park and Summit Activations” by Thomas, K4SWL.
One of our favorite tools for making these mini-DXpeditions a success is the AlexLoop HamPack Portable Magnetic Loop Antenna System. The system was created by Alexandre Grimberg, PY1AHD, a ham with five decades of experience and a genuine passion for making portable ops as entertaining and hassle-free as possible. The antenna can be deployed in under two minutes (watch this AlexLoop assembly video from PY1AHD) and is perfect for outdoor ops or during vacations, mounted in a window or on a balcony.
Also ideal for space-restricted amateurs who prefer the comforts of operating from home, the stealthy HamPack system includes:
- AlexLoop transceive QRP magnetic loop antenna for 40-1o meters (3 feet in diameter when assembled)
- Full-size backpack featuring two reinforced pouches—one for accessories and the other to accommodate any size QRP transceiver
- Tuner with a large, precisely printed scale that displays the range of frequencies. Its large knob, smooth-geared tuning control system, and AlexTune LED Indicator allow tuning of any frequency between 7 and 30 MHz in five seconds.
- Maximum power handling of 25W PEP SSB, 10W FM/AM and Digital
- 8-1/2 foot cable with BNC connector to connect to your transceiver
The AlexLoop Gets Even Better
Always thinking of ways to make the HamPack more efficient, PY1AHD introduced the RC-2 Remote Tuning System, which eliminates the need for the operator to be near the antenna to make frequency and band changes.
The RC-2 remote control unit and its compact motor drive work together to provide precise tuning and band selection, all handled from the operating position. Its large VFO-style knob lets the operator easily select the desired band and frequency by simply rotating the knob left or right to move through the frequency range.
The tuning speed control knob is useful for quickly navigating to the desired band or frequency when set to the highest speed. When close to the desired frequency, adjusting the speed to a lower setting allows for finer tuning. The compact motor drive is roughly the size of a nine-volt battery and is easily installed on the HamPack antenna tuner by replacing the existing tuning knob using the included installation kit. The tuner also comes with a padded carrying pouch, 19-foot control cable, and a RG-58 coaxial extension cable with BNC male and BNC female connectors. Required 9VDC alkaline battery not included.
What do hams say about the AlexLoop RC-2 HamPack Remote Tuning System?
Five Stars: “Fast and easy tuning. This remote tuner works very well. I recommend using a fast-tuning setting—about the 9 o’clock position on the speed control button—to tune for loudest background noise, then connect your antenna to an analyzer, with speed control button at about the 12 o’clock position, and tune for lowest SWR. Using this method I can usually tune to a new band in about a minute. In warm weather this may not be a big deal. However, in cold weather it saves time and a trip out to a cold balcony to change bands. As usual, Alex includes all the tools you need for installation and top-notch, well-designed pouches to hold everything.”
The RC-2 is available separately or as a combo with the AlexLoop HamPack Portable Magnetic Loop Antenna System.
Find all available AlexLoop products at DXEngineering.com.
