Stiphoutse bossen, Kievitlaan

A nice, cold, early morning at 07:00, with the frost still on the evergreen at about 3°C (37.4°F). This time located at the northern end of the Stiphoutse bossen near the Kievitlaan (street name), near camping spot Croy.

I tried a setup that required minimal effort. A backpack and an antenna with a mast carried on my bicycle. It is still not optimal, I haul way too much stuff in an unwieldy way to the POTA location. I still have to minimize more equipment and discover better transportation methods.

I tried a new power supply, a LIFEPO4 battery (Lithium Iron Phosphate), 12.8 V, 7 Ah, 89.6 Wh made by Greencell, a Polish company. Operating at only 15 watts, I had more than enough power. The battery weighs about 900 Gram (2 Pound).

I still have to replace my coax cable. While an excellent Aircell 7 cable, its far too unwieldy. I still use my vademecum, but I should eventually leave that at home as well.

I used an endfed antenna made by HyEndFed, which I hoisted up a mast and attached the antenna to a tree branch in the woods. On the 40m band, it worked perfectly and I did not have to use my tuner. Maybe I can leave that device at home as well next time.

I managed to get 14 QSO’s in a few hours with only 15 watt operating power.