Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Come along in this video as I take my new-to-me Trek Powerfly FS9 EQ over The Great Divide as if you were there with me. I start off at the Akamina staging area on the Akamina Parkway within Waterton Lakes National Park in the most south-western part of Alberta Canada. Then I hop on the bike and ride up and over the Continental Divide and into British Columbia. Only then I am within the vast Akamina-Kishinea Provincial Park, where I set up at a backcountry campground and make contacts.
Setting up for some radio experiments in a remote location! I'm testing out my portable radio setup and hoping to make some contacts. Wish me luck with my parks on the air activation and this amateur radio adventure!
This is a full-length video with only the bike ride itself not shown, and me talking to you through the camera.
Visit qrper.com/?p=32706 for a written version of this story along with lots of still photos.
Ten Essentials article from REI rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html
🫵🏻 I'm interested in your feedback on what you'd have done differently with the same gear set I had. Please leave your comments below.
Radio gear list that I brought along: (✅ indicates used)
✅ Elecraft KX3 and hand mic
✅ FT8 cable kit for lightning to KX3; used with iFTx
✅ Charmast USB-C PD battery
✅ USB-C PD to 12v cable
✅ Palm Pico Paddle
✅ Gigaparts POTA Explorer 20 CF mast x2
✅ Packtenna EFHW 20m (w/40m extension)
Packtenna EFRW 20m (w/40m extension)
N6ARA Tiny CW Key
✅ 25' RG-174 feedline with BNC
✅ Tufteln inline choke
N6ARA Tiny choke
N6ARA Tiny SWR
a variety of BNC to SO-239 adapters
Chapters
Intro 00:00:00
Arrival and set-up 00:01:40
Always be chokin' 00:03:17
SOTACAT spotting 00:08:27
CW 00:14:24
SSB 00:31:33
First SSB caller 00:38:24
FT8 aka Fox Tango Ocho 00:47:10
What is your crossover thing? 01:03:09
Wrap-up 01:03:48
Like and Subscribe!
☞ Tips for learning CW ve6lk.com/learning-morse-code
🫵🏻 Morse Tutor kits for sale ve6lk.com/morse-tutor-kits
🫵🏻 Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/VE6LK
🫵🏻 Follow me on Mastodon https://mastodon.hams.social/@VE6LK
🫵🏻 See my website ve6lk.com
🫵🏻 Follow my adventures on QRPer.com qrper.com/author/vince
☞ Subscribe to Thomas K4SWL on YouTube @ThomasK4SWL
☞ Drop by the New CW Operators Roundtable hosted by @AA0Z and Subscribe!
#cw #pota #parksontheair #QRP #hamradio #amateurradio #qrpportable #morsecode #LICW #sota #cwinnovations #CWAcademy #efhw #endfedhalfwave #hamradioantenna #qrp_antenna #antenna #CW_copy_practice #call sign copy practice #CW_copy_practice #subtitles #elecraft #yaesu #alberta #VE6LK #ssb #HamRadioWorkbench #HRWB
Come along in this video as I take my new-to-me Trek Powerfly FS9 EQ over The Great Divide as if you were there with me. I start off at the Akamina staging area on the Akamina Parkway within Waterton Lakes National Park in the most south-western part of Alberta Canada. Then I hop on the bike and ride up and over the Continental Divide and into British Columbia. Only then I am within the vast Akamina-Kishinea Provincial Park, where I set up at a backcountry campground and make contacts.
Setting up for some radio experiments in a remote location! I'm testing out my portable radio setup and hoping to make some contacts. Wish me luck with my parks on the air activation and this amateur radio adventure!
This is a full-length video with only the bike ride itself not shown, and me talking to you through the camera.
Visit qrper.com/?p=32706 for a written version of this story along with lots of still photos.
Ten Essentials article from REI rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html
🫵🏻 I'm interested in your feedback on what you'd have done differently with the same gear set I had. Please leave your comments below.
Radio gear list that I brought along: (✅ indicates used)
✅ Elecraft KX3 and hand mic
✅ FT8 cable kit for lightning to KX3; used with iFTx
✅ Charmast USB-C PD battery
✅ USB-C PD to 12v cable
✅ Palm Pico Paddle
✅ Gigaparts POTA Explorer 20 CF mast x2
✅ Packtenna EFHW 20m (w/40m extension)
Packtenna EFRW 20m (w/40m extension)
N6ARA Tiny CW Key
✅ 25' RG-174 feedline with BNC
✅ Tufteln inline choke
N6ARA Tiny choke
N6ARA Tiny SWR
a variety of BNC to SO-239 adapters
Chapters
Intro 00:00:00
Arrival and set-up 00:01:40
Always be chokin' 00:03:17
SOTACAT spotting 00:08:27
CW 00:14:24
SSB 00:31:33
First SSB caller 00:38:24
FT8 aka Fox Tango Ocho 00:47:10
What is your crossover thing? 01:03:09
Wrap-up 01:03:48
Like and Subscribe!
☞ Tips for learning CW ve6lk.com/learning-morse-code
🫵🏻 Morse Tutor kits for sale ve6lk.com/morse-tutor-kits
🫵🏻 Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/VE6LK
🫵🏻 Follow me on Mastodon https://mastodon.hams.social/@VE6LK
🫵🏻 See my website ve6lk.com
🫵🏻 Follow my adventures on QRPer.com qrper.com/author/vince
☞ Subscribe to Thomas K4SWL on YouTube @ThomasK4SWL
☞ Drop by the New CW Operators Roundtable hosted by @AA0Z and Subscribe!
#cw #pota #parksontheair #QRP #hamradio #amateurradio #qrpportable #morsecode #LICW #sota #cwinnovations #CWAcademy #efhw #endfedhalfwave #hamradioantenna #qrp_antenna #antenna #CW_copy_practice #call sign copy practice #CW_copy_practice #subtitles #elecraft #yaesu #alberta #VE6LK #ssb #HamRadioWorkbench #HRWB
