Ham Radio, Marksmanship & Fieldcraft

This video presents a three-day cross-training trip in Puolanka, Finland, where HF radio, fieldcraft, and marksmanship are brought together in one practical outing. It shows how a lightweight HF station performs from a cabin set deep in a valley surrounded by foothills. Several antenna configurations are tested until a sloping end-fed finally succeeds in breaking out of the terrain. Once the right configuration was found, Winlink messages flow in from long distance, demonstrating how HF maintains regional and interregional communication without any repeaters or infrastructure.

FT8 was employed to understand the antenna performance with 10 watts from the TX-500MP. Reception reports arrive from Scandinavia, Europe, Iceland, Canada, and the United States, confirming that the compact kit performs well even under difficult conditions.

The video also shows time spent at the rifle range using the Sako 75 in .22-250 with the FX True Ballistic Chronograph. The chronograph captures the velocity and energy profile of the ammunition, revealing how inconsistent the store-bought match rounds are and why ammunition quality matters when precision is required.

The fieldcraft segment follows a pre-dawn push into the cold, wet räme swamps in search of black grouse. It illustrates how patience, movement, positioning, and comfort management determine whether a harvest is possible. The landscape, timing, and behaviour of the birds are explained as part of the overall learning experience.

The closing message reinforces the purpose of the trip: cross-training. HF communication, navigation, movement, marksmanship, hunting, and survival skills each support the others. The video also highlights how skill exchange and team building strengthen capability in the field.