QRP Failure at Palisades-Kepler

Well, I tried it.

I picked up an x6100 to try my hand at QRP. I popped down to Palisades-Kepler (US-2310) to give it a whirl and…nothing.

I installed the R1CBU firmware (on an SD card) so that I could try FT8 live on the device. Eventually, I’d like to take only one device (and maybe a second battery) and my Spooltenna to parks for quick setup and just hanging out with my partner while attempting to get contact. The x6100 has an okay battery, but the firmware seems to give it roughly 90-120 minutes estimated of full on FT8 usage before it dies. I was about 20 minutes into using it with my Spooltenna before I was convinced I had dome something wrong - it could hear fine, but no one was answering my CQs and I couldn’t answer others, even those with pretty high dB from where I was.

(Somewhere in there you can see my caution-orange Spooltenna wire connected to the chair)

Absolutely convinced I had done something wrong, I brought out my IC-7300 and hooked up the CF-31 and tried to make a contact or two. 14 later, I was convinced the other direction - my setup was fine. I just didn’t know how to be patient for QRP.

Although it was a nice sunny day - the first time in 8 days without rain out here - I learned more about QRP’ing than any blog I’ve read. I think I will try again soon and be more patient. Maybe bring a book. Or maybe I need to learn the UI more or convince someone to do a SSB contact with me on it. I have, in fact, many plans to try again, but just needed to accept the first failure.