How much do you really carry on a qrp trip to an island

SD7B was a LOT of kit but if you take the solar panel and support stuff out it is a lot less. I had heavy duty poles (14kg for the three) as the wind was expected to get up. Light weight poles would not have cut it in the winds expected... I'm sure SOTA guys have experienced the same on some tops.

This is about the most basic for an overnight stay... on a UK island.

Waterproofs (it was wet)
10m pole, ex-mountaineering assault tent in bag along with antenna wires, guys  and a ground screw hand for the pole. On my back rucksack containing rig, battery, food (petrol stove), water, wind up LED torch and log book. Believe it or not water and fuel to cook with are probably the heaviest items you need to carry before the radio kit. The tent is about 1kg and has been tested in 60mphwinds. The real test is if I cannot carry it all myself, from car to ferry/boat (this was a fishing boat), boat to island it doesn't go with me. I have been known to take a second rucksack with clothes, water, and food in, I will often refer to it as 'The PIG'. It is a faded red rucksack I was wearing when I fell in the alps a while back so it's a good luck charm and empty it doubles up as a sleeping bivvy bag as I fitted an extra liner to it.

I'd love to downsize the kit to an ATS-3B for many reasons but as I make plenty of SSB contacts a CW only rig isn't right just yet and a KX3 suits, if quite a bit heavier. Maybe there might be a homebrew version in between out there somewhere?

SD7B Videos

In no particular order

The drive in Sweden... there are 4 hours of this.... this is just a few mins.

Spotting utlangan and utklipann from another island, before the contest w/e

The ferry to island before the small boat to the island (if that makes sense), reconnaissance trip before the w/e, needed to spot the quay etc

The TWO cars with the trip kit.

m1kta/sd7b

sm7ucz

The ferry crossing to the island

The once loaded with gear boat crossing to the island

On the island

https://youtu.be/ODlhbFX1_Ec

Operating

ATX-100 Instructions

Forgot mine so asked home to send me a copy and I added to blog just in case.

My antenna has seen loads of use and it works IF you use the little grey cells, it isn't a 3 el yagi or a decent dipole at 70 feet so if you think about how you use it you will be fine.

10-80m but will do 6m and 4m too and although I never did will also cover 2m... after all 1/4 wavelength is 19" but you can also get it to be 5/8 as well see instructions. You have a 48" whip 10 sections about 4" per section I'm sure the maths isn't too hard to work out. That said I have a length of yellow cord with knots tied in it for the lengths and tape with the length on them at the knots.

Note the section with the BIG gap goes to the end closest to the radio or the tap points will be all messed up.

Flakskaer Videos and photos

Some more photos and videos from the island.

Seriously nice sunsets... in the lea of the island the water is flat calm.

 The fallen VHF mast & antenna busted.

 Wind now firmly 180degrees opposite direction to Sat AM.

SOA as using CWget and RBN.

Some camera videos...

Random stuff from SD7B

All the stuff on the quay for the boat trip back.