Earlier this week I went out with my WSPR Beacon for Android kit to set-up the MP1DXMAX for a 40M WSPR test. It was -18c and the wind was really kicking my butt, but it didn’t stop the boys and I from sticking it out a couple of hours.
Watch the MP1DXMAX Intro video on YouTube.
The image above shows the gear I took out with me, minus the tablet. While I was very surprised to get NVIS range station from OH8 and OH2, reports from stations around Europe were consistent with other compromise antennas I have tested previously (in a good way).
I setup the MP1DXMAX with its counterpoise set, the MP1C, and MC2 Superplexer. I would have used the low profile tripod, but its coax connector gets buried under snow when it’s too deep. So I attached the UM2 Super Mount to a different tripod I already had here. I also used the SW1 Titanium Super Whip to top it off.
The bottom picture shows everything in the kit. Actually one can easily see the benefit of the MP1DXMAX, where breakdown size is critical to your qrp field operations.
The days kit included:
- The MP1DXMAX
- Tripod
- MC2
- Counterpoise Kit
- FG1 frequency guide
- Yaesu FT-817ND
- ZLP MiniProSC
- UltraPack DIY QRP Battery pack
Nexus 9 Android Tablet, running WSPR Beacon app for Android.
In my original post about the MP1DXMAX, I was pretty frustrated with the counterpoise system. Trying to deploy with mittens in arctic temps was frustrating at best, however. Bonnie gave me some advice which reduces the tangling. In fact this “trick” will probably work for most people below 65°N. The trick is to tape or heat-shrink the strands together, making them one long wire. That makes the counterpoise much easier to deal with. I just wanted to throw that out there. For me, I’ll stick to the wire winder.
de oh8stn
