Experimenting with a 40M HamStick

Not long ago I stopped by the Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) in Anaheim, CA. As I looked around, I noticed a large wall display of HamStick antennas.

Actually, they are no longer referred to as “HamSticks. ” They are marketed by Shark Distributing, Inc. and packaged with their name. Regardless, HamSticks are legendary in the Ham universe.

I bought several of them, included an S-F20 and S-F40.

In the field, I screwed the 20M stick to a magnetic mount. Then I placed it on the roof of my 2004 Tundra and tuned it with my antenna analyzer. Tuning is easy. You slide the  whip up or down until your analyzer shows the lowest SWR. Once tuned, I marked the whip with a sharpie for easy deployment in the future.

I tested the 20M stick on several POTA activation’s. I was shocked at the great performance. I even had a DX QSO with a chap in Puerto Rico. Best $25 I ever spent.

Next up, the 40M stick. Hoo boy! This was a whole different story. I discovered numerous blogs and YouTube videos that trash this antenna as unusable. Many Hams say it cannot be tuned. Others say there is no way to “shorten” a 40M antenna to 44″ and get it to work.

Sure enough, I put the 40M stick on top of the truck and could not tune it. Not even close. I could not bring the SWR down below 2.5 no matter what position the whip was in. I suppose I could  have tuned it to the lowest SWR and used an antenna tuner (Z-11 ProII), but that spoils the convenience of a hamstick.

I found a YouTube video that recommended I loop the coax cable a few times around a ferrite toroid.  OK – why not?

What a difference! I was able to tune the antenna to an SWR of 1.2:1!  Now I have a very convenient way of getting on 40 meters in less than 2 minutes – without having to use a tuner.

The lesson here is – experiment. If something does not work, try to determine why. Then fix it or figure out a workaround.

73,
N1SPW

Will it Send a Winlink Email?

A few weeks ago, a colleague stopped by my office to ask if I wanted a couple of cheap GMRS H/T’s. Never one to turn down a free radio – I said, “Sure!”

He brought in a fairly large box that contained two H/T’s with cables, batteries (extras too), antennas, ear pieces – the whole lot.

The H/T’s are TIDRADIO TD-H3 models. You can find a similar combo package on Amazon for $48.99 USD. I had never heard of them.

I took great pleasure digging through the box to see what I got. The first thing I noticed was the neon green color. Whoah! These things are bright.

The second thing I discovered is the radios are dual-purposed. The H/T will boot up in either GMRS mode or VHF/UHF mode. (To change modes, there is a boot-up sequence). This I found quite innovative and versatile.

As I started messing with the H/T menus, I realized that I was dealing with a Baofeng derivative. The menus are almost identical, the voice is the same, and the features are eerily similar.

Once I discovered the Baofeng lineage, I did not have to explore any further. I am very familiar with this type of radio.

The one thing I did want to know – can it send a Winlink Email?

Continue reading “Will it Send a Winlink Email?”

The TSA & POTA Batteries

On a recent trip to Montana, I decided to take my portable POTA activation backpack. This kit has everything I need to do an activation.

One of the biggest equipment challenges was the battery. When at home, I use a 20 or 30Ah lithium iron (LiFePO4) battery in my battery boxes. I also have a non-boxed 10Ah LiFePO4 battery I use when I go super lightweight.

I have avoided using the popular Bioenno batteries because of their high cost (a 12Ah battery costs $157).

Instead, I use the Eco-Worthy LiFePO4 line of batteries. They are rugged, reliable, small, amazingly lightweight, and affordable. I have been using them for years without a single problem.

When planning my trip, I discovered the TSA has changed the rules on the lithium batteries you can carry onboard an aircraft. Passengers are now limited to a maximum of 100Wh per battery.

Continue reading “The TSA & POTA Batteries”

Parks on the Air (POTA) Brochure

I spend a lot of time in parks. Some of them are very crowded.

It is very hard for the public to resist asking, “What is that very long wire hanging from that very long pole attached to your truck?”

As often as I can, I pause my POTA activation long enough to answer their questions and tell them about Ham radio and POTA. Quite often, I give out a QSL card with my name and phone number in case they have follow-up questions.

I finally got around to writing a POTA brochure to hand out in the field. It is a tri-fold that is easy to transport and store in my power box.

You can download a copy here if you want to explore the layout.

Leave a comment if you would like me to Email you the document template so you can create your own.

POTA On!

73,
N1SPW

The Seven Virtues of Parks on the Air (POTA)

A while ago I submitted an article idea to the QST Magazine editors at the ARRL. It described the seven virtues of the POTA program.

A short time later I received an Email from them advising me they did not think my submission was worthy of publication in their magazine.

Of course, I was disappointed, but not surprised. Rejection is a common theme among writers.

Instead of abandoning the piece on my archive server, I share it with you here.

I am very passionate about the POTA program. It has brought me great joy and many fun challenges. I wrote the piece to thank all of the folks that saved the program and continue to run it today.

73
N1SPW

July 2025 ARRL Board Meeting Minutes

I try hard to steer away from discussions involving controversies. I must say, however, I closely monitor the operations of the ARRL. I also admit – it was very hard for me to send in my renewal dues this year. The ARRL has some serious issues that need to be fixed.

In the August 20,2025 issue of the ARES letter was a very interesting quote:

“At the Board meeting, ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, opined on the state of ARES. He noted that the number one area of negative feedback he receives from the field is that ARES is broken. He expressed his desire for ARES to be rebuilt from the ground up.”

Since the quote refers to the July 2025 ARRL Board Meeting Minutes, I had to take a look. Sure enough, that quote is on the top of page 6.

The quote originated from a Q&A discussion during a break. What I find so interesting about this quote, is that it made it into the minutes at all.

Continue reading “July 2025 ARRL Board Meeting Minutes”

Winlink-Express – Digirig – Windows ‘How-To’

I have added another document to the N1SPW “How-To” series:
Winlink-Express – Digirig – Windows ‘How-To‘

This one shows you how to build a Winlink-Express client using a Digirig.

I do not follow the masses and use SoundModem software.  I find it to be too complicated to configure for new users, and overkill for what we need. Instead, I show you how to use Direwolf as your TNC.

My “How-To’s” are specifically written for the new Ham and/or non-techies.

Have some fun and build a Winlink-Express client station.

73,
N1SPW

Powering a Pi in the Field

Many Hams have abandoned including a Raspberry Pi in their field Go-Kits.

There are a couple of reasons for this:
1) Pi’s are expensive relative to other options.
2) Pi’s have a reputation for being power hungry and running hot.
3) Pi’s run on 5V making them a pain to power in a 12V Ham world.

I am still a fanboy of the Pi for EmComm use. Why?

First, they are small and reliable. Second, they are also extremely flexible since they run a version of the Debian Linux OS. Finally, since they run on 5V DC, it is easy to keep them powered for very long stretches of time.

I solved the Pi field power problem with one of these:

This is step-down transformer that converts an input of 10-32V DC to a clean 5V. Plus each USB port provides up to 3A. Perfect for a Pi. You can buy two of these devices on Amazon for less than $20.

All you need to do is terminate the ends with PowerPole or XT-60 connectors and you are good to go.

These are not only great for a Pi, you can use them to power/ charge any mobile device that runs on 5V.

73,
N1SPW

PAT-Winlink – Digirig – Pi ‘How-To’

I have added another document to the N1SPW “How-To” series:
PAT-Winlink – Digirig – Pi ‘How-To’

This one shows you how to build a Raspberry Pi based PAT-Winlink client.
PAT-Winlink is an open source Winlink client that runs in a web browser.

If you follow the steps in this “How-To”, you will have an SDCard that will run on any late model Pi (3/4/5). When the Pi boots, with one mouse click you will have a working Winlink client station.

My “How-To’s” are specifically written for the new Ham and/or non-techies.

Have some fun and build a working Pi Winlink client from scratch.

73,
N1SPW