KR8L Blog

During Field Day this weekend I worked Alaska with my QCX-Mini running one watt to my station vertical (Butternut HF9V). That was my 50th state with this radio. My history of working states with the QCX-Mini goes something like this:

On July 18, 2025, approximately one month after putting the radio on the air, I had worked 47 states with one watt or less (some as low as about 700 mW). On August 31, 2025, I worked Kentucky for the last of the lower 48. All the others had been worked with the HF9V, but in that instance I was out in the yard running two watts to a 21-foot wire with a 4:1 transformer and a 7.5-foot counterpoise. The end of the wire was draped over a maple branch about 16 feet up.

On February 22, 2026 I worked Hawaii with one watt to the HF9V.

And finally, on June 28, 2026, I worked Alaska with one watt to the HF9V. It took just over a year to get all 50 states, running one watt or less 98% of the time and never more than two watts. (And I’d guess that a 21-foot wire with 7.5-foot counterpoise is not as efficient a radiator as the HF9V. But then there was no feedline loss, so…?)

And by the way, in that time I have also worked 43 “DXCC entities” with one watt or less. (Alaska was number 43.)

I spent a few hours over the weekend in the contest with my 20 meter QCX-Mini, which I have configured to run one watt with a nine volt power supply.  Antenna was my Butternut HF9V.  My objective was to add to my total of countries worked with one watt or less, so I only called DX stations (plus one each USA, Canada, and Mexico).  I made 16 contacts in 16 countries and added six to my <1W countries list, bringing the total to 42.

Best DX was 9H6A on Malta, 5400 miles.  That was also a lifetime new country (any mode, any band, any power) bringing my lifetime total to 189.

I transcribed my paper log to Cabrillo format and had my entry uploaded by 0035Z.  

Perhaps the most difficult thing (other than just being heard) was working a station with a contact total in the low thousands and sending back a one or two digit number. This usually elicited the telegraphic equivalent of “WUT?”. 😁

Just received my QSL card from KP5/NP3VI on Desecheo Island. I already have a confirmed contact from a previous DXpedition, but this one is special to me because for my 20 meter contact I was using my QCX-Mini running one watt. KP5/NP3VI reported that he was running 10 watts at the time.