Ham Radio Operating Insights from Salty Walt: Portable HF Activations—Preparing for Success

OnAllBands is excited to present articles from experienced portable DXer, author, and popular YouTuber Walt Hudson, K4OGO, known to hams everywhere as Salty Walt. Look for more posts and plenty of good operating advice from K4OGO in the days to come.

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Currently one of the most popular activities in amateur radio is portable operations, and the biggest part of that trend is portable HF activations. With the amazing growth of Parks on the Air® (POTA), the idea of getting outside and operating is taking the hobby by storm and is also contributing to a wonderful growth cycle in the ham community.

POTA is great, but there are many other reasons to get out and activate portable. Those reasons range from emergency communications to the necessity of having to get out of a restricted homeowners association to enjoy the hobby. For me, the reason I prefer to operate portable on the HF bands is to take advantage of a location that will increase my ability to make long-distance contacts. Living by the ocean, that location is at the beach beside saltwater, which greatly enhances my signals on both transmit and receive.

Yes, I’m fortunate to live on the coast, but no matter where you’re located there is a place nearby that is optimal for improving your operational situation, whether it’s an elevated summit or just an open park free of power lines, people, and noise. Getting outside portable can improve your experience and is also a great way to experiment with different equipment and antennas. It’s a place to learn and grow as a ham radio operator.

After hundreds of portable HF activations, the one thing I have learned the hard way is to be prepared. Thinking out an activation and setup is key to having a great time and experiencing a good activation. Going over every detail before packing up and setting off can make or break an activation. Trust me, I’ve made all the mistakes, including making a 100-mile trek out to the middle of nowhere only to find that my PL-259 coax connectors won’t work with the BNC connectors on the transceiver I brought along because I forgot to pack a simple adapter.

With that said, let’s go over the steps of preparing for a successful portable HF activation.

Let’s start with the question, “What’s your mission?” Here’s what I mean by that. Are you going out with the plan to make 100 POTA contacts in an hour and fill up the logbook or are you trying to make long-distance contacts? Are you going out for an hour or two or is this an all-day “Field Day” type of activation? Are you practicing for an emergency situation? All these things matter very much when it comes to band selection, equipment selection, antenna selection and, most of all, location selection. Carefully take all these into consideration when planning a portable outing.

After we have determined our goal or mission, the most important step to think out is antenna selection. Throwing the trusty end-fed halfwave antenna over a tree and hooking it up might be great for a quick, casual POTA activation but not ideal for a DXing day atop a summit or on the beach. In the same manner, that 5/8-wave vertical you built for portable DXing isn’t the antenna for practicing and preparing for emergency comms. In that situation it might be best to investigate and build a Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) antenna to concentrate your signal in a regional geographic area. You can have the best equipment money can buy, but without the right antenna it really doesn’t matter.

Another key ingredient for a successful HF portable outing is band selection and having a good idea which band you’re going to use before even setting out. Checking, understanding, and preparing to use a certain HF band or bands is extremely important in antenna selection and setup. Simply said, we’re not going to do much DXing at 3 pm in the afternoon on the 40 meter band, but we might make a great number of regional POTA contacts using that band.

On the other hand, at that time of day if band conditions are good, we might make some incredible DX contacts around the world on the 15, 12 or 10 meter bands if they are open, as well as some great contacts on 20 meters around the country with some DX sprinkled in. Understanding the characteristics of the HF bands and when to use them is key to planning and having an enjoyable experience.

Then comes the part of the setup that gets all the glory—the transceiver. Choosing and using a good transceiver that fits your needs is kind of like choosing the type of automobile you drive. Some prefer, or are loyal to, a certain brand while others just want something that’s affordable and works. Regardless of where you stand, having the right transceiver is another crucial part of the HF portable equation.

Are you pulling up to a park and operating in or beside your vehicle? Then maybe that big 100-watt rig with all the latest features is your thing. Are you climbing up a summit or walking over a dune and across sand for 200 meters? Then maybe that lightweight 20-watt or QRP rig is the answer. Do you need a rig with an internal antenna tuner (ATU) in order to use non-resonant multiband antennas? Putting some thought into it and having the transceiver that suits your needs is extremely important.

Last, but definitely not least, are all the supporting items to finish off your setup or go-bag:

• The proper battery or power source to power everything
• Selecting the right coax and thinking it out as far as coax type, length, and connector types to match your antenna and transceiver
• Do you need a choke for your antenna feedline?
• Do you need an antenna tuner?
• How will you deploy your antenna? Do you need a telescoping pole?
• How will you deploy the pole?