A first-time activation of a POTA park

As a latecomer to the Parks on the Air program, I didn't think there were any unactivated parks in the vicinity of where I live just southwest of Oslo. But the other day I found one which had been attempted, but with too few contacts to count as an activation. I managed more than the required ten, so that is a first for me.

When you love radio and want to do more hiking: POTA

I love amateur radio and I would like to do more hiking - so what's more natural than to take part in the Parks On the Air (POTA) program. I've only recently discovered POTA and how it combines the two: amateur radio and hiking.

Today I went to a park not too far from home. In addition to a short drive it took about a one hour walk in the terrain each way to NO-0497, "Furuåsen og Hagahogget". There is a magnificent view over the Oslo fjord from a trekking cabin there: Hovdehytta. It has a history going back to 1922.

Garden portable with the QMX+

Just a few days ago I had my first SSB QSO with the QMX+. It was from LA to PA - Norway to the Netherlands - on 20 m using a vertical quarter wave antenna.

 

The speaker/microphone is a "For Kenwood" Chinese speaker mic bought for a Baofeng some years ago. I replaced the microphone element with a more sensitive one that I had in my junk box. 

Surprisingly, the speaker gives (almost) adequate volume without an amplifier. The speaker is 8 ohms and connected via two 33 ohm* resistors from the left and right audio outputs of the QMX+. The resistors are the only components in the little square box that the speaker-microphone connects to. Initially I felt no need for any more audio amplification, but after some more use, I see the point in more power output as the audio easily gets distorted when the volume is increased.