Backpacking with a Pocket-sized Shortwave Radio

Bruce Prior N7RR

In the midst of a blizzard in early May 2005, a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker
named John Donovan disappeared near San Jacinto Peak in California. During his trek,
he apparently fell and found himself in Long Canyon1 with no obvious way to escape.
He was alive for some days before expiring. A delayed search for Donovan was soon
abandoned. John had no way of communicating his predicament.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

A year later, a poorly-equipped Texas couple stumbled across John Donovan’s

makeshift camp and backpack after days of struggle. Brandon Day and Gina Allen had
wandered away from the Mountain Station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and
had lost their way with no camping gear or warm clothing. The famished and thirsty
Texas couple found matches in Donovan’s backpack, enabling Brandon to set a large
fire which precipitated their own rescue. John Donovan’s body was finally spotted by a
helicopter crew eleven days later.2
Imagine taking a trailside lunch break in a remote wilderness far from any inter-
net or cellphone facility, while chatting or texting with somebody across the country or

1 https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2006/december/lost/
2 http://www.backpacker.com/trips/lost-found

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on another continent. That is only possible using shortwave radio, which is now availa-
ble to ultralight adventurers. Shortwave radio is by far the best option for sending a de-
tailed emergency message from a remote place, even from a deep canyon.3

Modifying the Ten Essentials

The ten essentials list has been publicized for years. Here is a modified version:4
1. Navigation
2. Sun Protection
3. Insulation
4. Illumination
5. First Aid Supplies
6. Fire
7. Repair Kit and Tools (including knife)
8. Hydration and Nutrition
9. Signaling
10. Emergency Shelter
The modified version combines hydration and nutrition into #8, and adds sig-
naling as Essential #9.
8) Hydration and Nutrition
Emergency food is rarely critical in the short term, so nutrition itself cannot be classed as
“essential,” although it is helpful for comfort. Spare water could be a matter of life and death,
however. There are many ways of scrimping to minimize a backpack burden, but we should
never venture outdoors without an abundance of water and light-weight capacity to carry
more, plus the means to treat water of unknown quality.5 In frigid conditions, an adequate wa-
ter supply requires fuel to melt snow with a winter-grade stove. A hydration bladder6 can be
suspended with a looped cord around a person’s neck and under clothing to stay liquid in ex-
tremely cold conditions.

9) Signaling
The Mountaineers Ten Essentials list doesn’t include signaling gear and skills,
although the Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills textbook makes a passing refer-
ence to “Signaling device: whistle, cell phone, etc.” in a sample equipment list. Start
with a loud pealess whistle, like the many models marketed by Fox40.7 A signal mirror
is only useful when the sun is shining,8 but it can send alerts long distances, including
to passing aircraft. Practicing with the mirror in situations where no false alarms are

3 Shortwave communication is possible from deep valleys using a phenomenon called near vertical inci-
dence skywave (NVIS) propagation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_vertical_incidence_skywave
4 adapted from from Ronald C. Eng, editor, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 8th Edition, Seattle:

2010, The Mountaineers, p. 35

5 http://www.backpacker.com/survival/which-water-treatment-is-for-you/
6 https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/camping-and-hiking/best-hydration-bladder
7 http://www.fox40world.com/
8 http://www.rei.com/c/signal-mirrors?r=c&ir=category%3Asignal-mirrors&page=1

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Bruce Prior N7RR

triggered is essential. An internationally-recognized emergency signal is three or six

flashes. A flashing headlamp can also be used for signaling, using a hand for blocking
so that three or six flashes are sent in regular sequences.
Emergency satellite communicators such as the SPOT GEN3 personal commu-
nicator9 or the or the ACR ARTEX ResQLinkPLB™ or ResQLinkPLB+™ 10 or the Gar-
min inReach SE+ 2-Way Satellite Communicator11 or the Garmin inReach Explorer+
Satellite Communicator12 could be critical for backcountry adventurers with no tech-
nical communications skills. All of those devices require usage fees. It is unlikely that a
satellite communicator would have worked for John Donovan deep in a canyon, how-
ever.
Far and away the most effective backcountry communications facilities are avail-
able to licensed radio amateurs, also called ham operators.

Shortwave Radio
Although ham operators often use Very High Frequency (VHF) spectrum, which
ranges between 30 MHz and 300 MHz, as well as Ultra High Frequency (UHF) spectrum
between 300 MHz and 3 GHz, most of that activity takes place through terrestrial re-
peaters, which are usually located on high places for the purpose of re-transmitting sig-
nals for stations within line-of-sight of the repeaters. Much of the backcountry, espe-
cially in remote lowland areas, is beyond the range of terrestrial Amateur Radio repeat-
ers.
Shortwave radio is also called high frequency or HF radio. That’s between 3 MHz
and 30 MHz in the radio spectrum. A special characteristic of shortwave radio on planet
Earth is that its waves can propagate beyond the horizon – even across continents and
oceans – without the use of intervening infrastructure. Those radio waves accomplish
that by being bent by an invisible shell surrounding Earth called the ionosphere and re-
flecting back to Earth, spanning distances much longer than line-of-sight. The lower
segments of the shortwave spectrum propagate most effectively at nighttime, whereas
the higher parts do best in the daytime.
Shortwave radio is used for long-distance aviation and maritime communications.
There are still a few active private and government shortwave broadcast stations. Some
government time stations are also available.13 Sending broadcast-style information

9 http://findmespot.com/en/
10 https://www.acrartex.com/products/outdoor/
11 https://www.rei.com/product/119864/garmin-inreach-se-2-way-satellite-communicator
12 https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/561269
13 time frequencies: WWV (male voice), Fort Collins CO AM: 2.5 MHz, 5 MHz, 10 MHz, 15 MHz, 20

MHz, and sometimes 25 MHz; WWVH (female voice), Kauai HI AM: 2.5 MHz, 5 MHz, 10 MHz and 15
MHz; CHU, Ottawa, Canada USB: 3.33 MHz, 7.85 MHz and 14.67 MHz

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 Backpacking with a Pocket-sized Shortwave Radio
Bruce Prior N7RR

around the world normally is done these days on cable or satellite TV and on the inter-
net. Are you heading into the remote backcountry or across an ocean? Guess what? No
internet!
Shortwave radio still hums with activity, but mostly via non-commercial or Ama-
teur Radio, also called ham radio. Ham operators worldwide inhabit the shortwave
spectrum in nine frequency bands. Those nine bands are well spread out within the
shortwave spectrum, giving hams great flexibility to adapt to changing ionospheric con-
ditions. Nobody should attempt a blue-water ocean voyage in a small vessel without an
Amateur Radio license and a shortwave transceiver, plus the skills to operate it in diffi-
cult conditions.
Common modes used on the shortwave spectrum are Morse code telegraphy
(CW), single sideband voice (SSB) using either lower sideband (LSB) or upper sideband
(USB), slow-scan television (SSTV), also called image, plus various text modes. Hams
sometimes use amplitude modulation voice (AM) or frequency modulation voice (FM),
but most voice Amateur Radio operation on shortwave frequencies uses SSB, since it is
efficient and reliable.

Shortwave Amateur Radio

Here are some general characteristics of the shortwave bands which are available
to Amateur Radio operators:
80 m band: 3.5 MHz to 4 MHz: CW, text, LSB & AM voice, SSTV – This large band is es-
pecially useful for regional communications across a state or province and beyond.
There are daily message-traffic and chatting networks which meet on 80 m, mostly us-
ing CW and LSB. At nighttime the 80 m band is full of activity.
60 m band: USB, CW and text in 5 channels from 5.3305 MHz through 5.4035 MHz.
This limited band is useful for regional communications, like across a state or province.
Beginning in 2017, a tiny 15 kHz segment of 60 m became an international Amateur Ra-
dio band, so its popularity will likely increase when the Federal Communications Com-
mission authorizes its use in the USA.
40 m band: 7 MHz to 7.3 MHz: CW, text, LSB & AM voice, SSTV – The 40 m band is al-
most always open for ionospheric communications, night or day.
30 m band: 10.1 MHz to 10.15 MHz CW and text – Amateurs in the USA can use a maxi-
mum of 200 W power on the small 30 m band, where no voice modes are allowed. Prop-
agation is similar to that on the 40 m band.
20 m band: 14 MHz to 14.35 MHz CW, text, USB & AM voice, SSTV – This band is the
most popular Amateur Radio spectrum for long-distance communications. It can be
open from before dawn until after dark.

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Bruce Prior N7RR

17 m band: 18.068 MHz to 18.168 MHz CW, text, USB & AM voice, SSTV – Since anten-
nas designed for this band can be relatively short, pedestrian-mobile operation14 is com-
mon on 17 m in daylight. Propagation is similar to that on the 20 m band, but usually
during the daytime only.
15 m band: 21 MHz to 21.45 MHz CW, text, USB & AM voice, SSTV – This large day-
time band can propagate long distances with low transmitting power and there is usu-
ally little interfering static noise when it is open. Propagation is seldom marginal. Usu-
ally the band is either open or closed for a given path.

12 m band: 24.89 MHz to 24.99 MHz CW, text, USB & AM voice, SSTV – This is a rela-
tively-underutilized Amateur Radio band, but it can be effective for long-distance com-
munications at miniscule power levels when it is open for skywave propagation.
10 m band: 28 MHz to 29.7 MHz CW, text, FM, USB & AM voice, SSTV – This largest of
the shortwave Amateur Radio bands is used regularly for local communications and for
excellent long-distance communications on the infrequent daytime occasions when the
ionosphere allows such propagation. There are a few scattered 10 m FM repeaters avail-
able in some regions.

Summits on the Air (SOTA)

Wolfgang Sontag OE2WNL on Asitzkopf in Austria https://www.qrz.com/lookup

An increasingly-popular backcountry Amateur Radio activity is called Summits

on the Air.15 SOTA provides an excuse for getting outdoors and visiting high places
which we may not have known about except through the SOTA program. Let’s face it.
Amateur Radio is mostly a sedentary pursuit. SOTA is to ham radio like John Denver
and Joan Baez have been to popular music: it’s literally a breath of fresh air. The pro-
gram is operational in many countries. Most SOTA summits are hikes rather than tech-
nical mountaineering projects. Other SOTA objectives can be accessed using 4-wheel-

14
http://www.hfpack.com/
15
http://www.sota.org.uk/

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drive vehicles. In the USA, many wilderness SOTA summits have no official names ex-
cept for their elevation in feet and are seldom visited. Talk about solitude!
SOTA activators climb qualified summits and set up their ham stations within
25 m elevation of the true summit and contact other ham chasers in any other location,
including occasionally activators on other SOTA summits. A scoring system for SOTA
awards points — ranging between 1 point and 10 points — is based on the elevation of
the summit, not the difficulty of climbing it. Points are awarded both to activators on or
near a summit and to chasers. An activator must contact at least four other stations di-
rectly without the use of land-based repeaters in order to earn points.16 To qualify as a
SOTA summit, a mountain must have a topographic prominence17 of at least 150 m in
most regions and 100 m in relatively flat regions. SOTA often offers a 3-point seasonal
bonus to activators: it might be during a monsoon or during the winter or during the
summer — whenever outdoor operating is especially challenging.
On popular summits, activators try to avoid overuse of the summit area by op-
erating away from the actual summit, but still in that chunk of territory within 25 m ele-
vation from the top. Most SOTA activators try to adhere to the seven Leave No Trace™
outdoor ethics principles.18
Although some use of technology can enhance our safety and our outdoor expe-
riences, our focus should be the outdoors, not gizmos. Activating SOTA summits is just
one more excuse for getting outdoors. Exploring the high country within the limits of
our personal abilities is one of the rewards of the SOTA program. We can appreciate
new vistas and watch wildlife – always from an appropriate distance so we don’t en-
croach on their space. Heading toward obscure SOTA summits will get us to places
where other people seldom go.

Parks on the Air (POTA)

Another outdoor Amateur Radio program is called Parks on the Air (POTA),
sponsored by World Wide Flora & Fauna.19 Subject to local regulations, a ham can oper-
ate from anywhere within those places as an activator. Hams and unlicensed shortwave
listeners can become POTA hunters by contacting or logging POTA activators.

Becoming a Licensed Ham Operator

In order to transmit on Amateur Radio frequencies, a person needs to obtain a
license by passing one or more written examinations.20 There are no usage fees for Ama-
teur Radio. There is no citizenship or age requirement to earn an Amateur Radio license

16 Yes, there are Amateur Radio earth satellites and high-altitude balloons carrying repeater stations
which usually receive on one frequency and transmit on another frequency. Those non-terrestrial repeat-
ers may be used for SOTA activities.
17 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topographic_prominence
18 https://lnt.org/learn/7-principles
19 To get started, go to: https://wwff-kff.com/.
20 For more information on obtaining an Amateur Radio license in the USA, see:

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in the USA or Canada. In the USA the first license is called Technician Class. Technician
hams have limited access to some shortwave frequencies, but they also enjoy all Amateur
Radio privileges above 50 MHz, where radio signals only rarely propagate far beyond
the horizon. Although the examination is not trivial, almost any teenager or adult could
pass the Technician exam after a few hours of study.
The mid-level USA amateur license is General Class. A bit more study is needed
to pass the General Class exam,21 which allows access to all Amateur Radio bands, in-
cluding shortwave, so it is definitely worthwhile for outdoor enthusiasts to attain Gen-
eral Class status.
Passing both the Technician Class and General Class exams is straightforward.
There is no need to purchase a textbook or to sign up for an in-person course. Just sub-
scribe to HamTestOnline,22 opting for a combination of Technician Class and General
Class. Stick with the Study mode option, and the program will guide you through the
question pools of both licenses. Passing scores are 74 percent. That’s 26 correct answers
out of 35 questions for both exams. Once you’re scoring hits 80 percent or above on each
exam, (28 correct of 35) you’re ready to take the exams,23 which cost $15 for both exams
if they are taken at the same session.
Top-level Amateur Extra Class licensees can operate on any frequency on all
Amateur Radio bands. Although sub-teenagers have been known to become Amateur
Extra Class hams, passing the Amateur Extra Class exam is quite difficult, about the
same challenge as a first-term college course in electrical engineering.

Elecraft KX2: Featherweight 9-Band Shortwave Transceiver

Until recently, transceivers which cover the entire Amateur Radio shortwave spec-
trum have been too heavy to qualify for ultralight adventuring, or they have been lim-
ited to one or two modes on just a few shortwave bands. That situation has changed, big
time.

http://www.arrl.org/licensing-education-training . For amateur radio licensing in Canada, see:

http://wp.rac.ca/category/uncategorized/begin/begin-2/. Passing the Canadian Basic exam with a
score of 80 percent or higher gives licensees access to all Amateur Radio frequencies. The Canadian Basic
exam is about comparable to the USA General Class license exam.
21 A good method for preparing for those two exams is to purchase the latest editions of ARRL’s Tech

Q&A book and the ARRL’s General Q&A book. While studying, online practice quizzes on
http://www.qrz.com/hamtest/ are helpful. A comprehensive online license-preparation system is also
available: https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/study.jsp.
22 https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/
23 To find the time and place of an Amateur Radio exam session in your area, go to

http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-exam-session and fill out the online query form.

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(image courtesy of Elecraft® Co.)

Elecraft KX2 Featherweight Transceiver with KXPD2 Morse paddle and MH3 microphone

A well-respected California Amateur Radio manufacturer called Elecraft® 24 now

produces a pocket-sized transceiver called the KX2 in a featherweight package. It oper-
ates with CW, SSB, AM, FM and common text modes25 on all nine shortwave Amateur
Radio bands from 80 m through 10 m;26 it allows high-quality reception on all shortwave
frequencies. The FM voice mode was added recently to the KX2 with a new free firm-
ware download, giving operators access to FM repeaters on the 10 m band. The KX2 is
so miniaturized that it is available only factory-assembled. The mass of a fully-equipped
KX2, including rechargeable internal battery, antenna tuner, external microphone,
KXPD2 attachable Morse paddle, plus a real-time clock & external devices controller is
626 g (1 lb 6.1 oz). An external battery charger is normally left at home, so its 322 g (11.4
oz) mass is not included in a typical backcountry load. Long-distance wilderness travel-
ers could use a DC 9 V ~ 15 V external rechargeable battery pack and a solar charger,
plus a voltage regulator.
The KX2 and SOTA were made for each other. The radio produces up to 12 W of
transmitting power on the 80 m through the 20 m bands and 10 W output on the 17 m
through the 10 m bands, which is ample for reliable long-distance or regional communi-
cations if the optimal band for the time of day is chosen. The KX2 includes a built-in
speaker on the tilted bottom panel. There are some advantages to earbuds or head-
phones, however. That way, reception is clear and neighboring outdoor enthusiasts and
wildlife won’t be disturbed. In addition, headphones consume less battery current than
the internal speaker does.
The high-quality and capable KX2 shortwave transceiver is small enough to fit in-
side a backpacker’s trouser side pocket. To protect the radio, most backpacking KX2

24 http://www.elecraft.com/
25 Special digital modes and SSTV normally require a governing computer or another external controlling
device.
26 As noted above, voice modes are not allowed on the 30 m Amateur Radio band in the USA.

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Bruce Prior N7RR

owners carry the radio inside the backpack unless they choose to operate it hand-held
style while in motion. Since the KX2 has a built-in microphone, carrying the external
microphone is not necessary for voice operation, saving backpack bulk and mass.
Most Amateur Radio operation is done for fun — hams chat with other hams
whom they may never have seen in person. In an emergency, nothing is better than
shortwave ham radio for getting a specific message out with information which is useful
to first responders.

Generating Morse code

It’s possible to produce Morse code on the KX2 with an old-fashioned telegraph
key, like those used in railroad telegraph offices in the 19th century or in the radio rooms
of 20th century ships or even in the cockpits of old aircraft.27

Telegraph operators frequently retired early, suffering from what we now know
as carpal tunnel syndrome.28 One of those telegraph keys with a heavy base could easily
out-weigh a KX2, so classic Morse telegraph keys are seldom carried into the wilder-
ness.
Most CW operators these days generate Morse code with a much easier method:
they use a thumb and a pointer finger to manipulate a small single-lever or dual-lever
paddle with lateral back-and-forth motions to send the short dits and the longer dahs of
Morse code via an electronic keyer. Such a keyer facility is built into the KX2 at no extra
cost. Pushing the paddle gently in one direction produces a short dit or a series of dits;
pushing the paddle in the other direction generates one or more longer dahs. Squeezing
with both the thumb and the forefinger on a dual-lever paddle produces an alternating
series of dits and dahs. The result is like the difference between handwriting and key-
boarding. Except for signals sent by exceptionally-expert operators, Morse code pro-
duced by a straight manual telegraph key is often harder to interpret on the receiving
end than Morse which is generated by an electronic keyer.
A low-profile optional Morse dual-lever paddle, Elecraft® model KXPD2, is de-
signed to mount on the front panel of the KX2. The radio itself therefore serves as a sta-
bilizing base for the paddle, saving considerable weight which a separate base would
entail. Excellent-quality dual-lever and single-lever portable paddles made in northern

27 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraph_key
28 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_tunnel_syndrome

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Italy can be mounted on the KX2 with a special adapter.29 Two American manufactur-
ers, American Morse Equipment30 and NØSA31, make low-mass single-lever and dual-
lever Morse keyer paddles which are appropriate for ultralight backpackers. The most
economical paddles for the KX2 are rudimentary designs made by QRPguys, including
the single-lever32 and dual lever33 versions.

Text Modes
The KX2 adds another twist. By switching modes, that same Morse code keying
paddle can produce three different text modes: radio teletype or RTTY,34 PSK31,35 and
PSK63,36 which on the receiving end are usually displayed on a computer screen. PSK31
is especially convenient and robust. Messages in that mode often will propagate reliably
via the ionosphere when other modes cannot, including CW. Sometimes a PSK31 signal
even can be decoded when our ears hear nothing! On the KX2, as CW or text signals are
sent or received, the words scroll across the large display, which takes up about half of
the space on the top of the KX2. CW or those three text modes can be sent or received
with the KX2 from inside a wilderness tent, on a small sailboat, on top of an airy moun-
tain summit, or even while walking on a trail, without an external computer. In order to
transmit using a text mode or CW with the KX2 alone, the operator normally must be
familiar with Morse code. There is no Morse code requirement to obtain an Amateur
Radio license, but learning Morse is useful, since CW is still commonly used by hams,
including many SOTA activators, on the shortwave bands. If done right, learning Morse
code is straightforward.37 It’s like learning a second language, but much easier. Chil-
dren often think of Morse code as a fun game akin to learning a “secret language.”
For operating at a home station, there is another way, however. A free computer
program may be downloaded from Elecraft, called the KX2 Utility, which may be used
to display CW, RTTY, PSK31 or PSK63 text. The currently-received text and a large
buffer of recently sent or received text may be read on the Terminal window of the KX2
Utility. It is possible that way to carry on Morse code conversations without any aural
Morse code skills! CW text may be read on the KX2 display, but in order to send it, ei-
ther a computer keyboard or a Morse paddle is needed. See the end of this article for a
way to send and receive Morse code and text modes in the wilderness on the KX2 with-
out knowing Morse.

29 See http://www.i2rtf.com/adventure-dual.html and http://www.i2rtf.com/adventure-mono.html.

30 http://americanmorse.com/
31 Larry Naumann NØSA has no website. For an online brochure about NØSA paddles, send an email to

n0sa@att.net.
32 https://qrpguys.com/kx-single-lever-paddle-kit
33 https://qrpguys.com/kx-iambic-mini-paddle-kit
34 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioteletype
35 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSK31
36
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSK63
37 http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Morse/Learning%20Morse%20Effectively-Prior-N7RR.pdf

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Minimizing Antenna Weight

An optional built-in antenna tuner for the KX2, called the KXAT2, weighing
only 152 g (5.4 oz), makes it practical to use simple wire antennas with the KX2 on all
shortwave bands, considerably decreasing backpacking mass which multiple antennas
would require if separate resonant antennas were employed for each of the nine
shortwave ham bands without a tuner. With a wavelength almost as long as an Ameri-
can football field, the biggest disadvantage of the 80 m band is that the most effective
operation without an antenna tuner requires a fairly lengthy antenna, almost 40 m or a
half-wavelength long. If very thin-gauge but strong copper-covered insulated steel wire
is used,38 even a lengthy antenna is light enough for ultralight backpackers to carry.
However, if an antenna tuner is employed, a considerably shorter non-resonant antenna
can be deployed.

With the addition of a simple BNC-to-dual-post adapter, a 58-foot (17.7 m) wire lobbed
over a high tree branch, plus a shorter counterpoise 13.1-foot (3.99 m) wire placed on
the ground, the KX2 equipped with the internal antenna tuner will transmit or receive
efficiently across the entire shortwave Amateur Radio spectrum from the lower end of
the 80 m band to the top end of the 10 m band.
With its 12 W output, the KX2 is capable of intercontinental communications us-
ing that rudimentary antenna system. For transmitting on the 80 m or 60 m bands
where the antenna cannot be launched high above the ground, either a longer radiator
wire (say, 74 feet [22.55 m] with a 17 ft [5.18 m] counterpoise) or a half-wavelength di-
pole antenna works better.39
The antenna should be tied to a non-conductive cord so that it can be fastened to
a rock or fishing weight to be lobbed over a tree branch David-sling style. A good knot
to tie around a fist-sized rock is the scaffold knot.40 The cord should be relatively long to
minimize interaction of the antenna to the supporting tree, creating losses in the an-
tenna. Thicker trees and denser forests produce greater losses.41

38
https://thewireman.com/antennap.html
39 The 80 m and 60 m bands are especially good for Near Vertical Incidence Shortwave (NVIS) propaga-
tion, enhancing operations at relatively short distances, but still beyond line of sight. For enhanced NVIS
operating, the antenna works better when it is parallel to and relatively close to the ground.
40 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPl8jjSDc3I
41 See Kai Siwiak KE4PT and Richard Quick W4RQ, “Live Trees Affect Antenna Performance,” QST Feb-

ruary 2018, pp. 33-37.

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Bruce Prior N7RR

KX2 Bottom Line

The basic 296 g (10.44 oz) KX2 can be purchased for $749.95 plus shipping. A re-
movable KXBT2 battery pack costs $59.95 (plus $24.95 for an external KXBC2 charger)
for an additional 152 g (5.4 oz). Most KX2 owners will pay another $179.95 for the op-
tional 152 g (5.4 oz) KXAT2 internal antenna tuner. Some also may want to buy another
module, the 4 g (0.14 oz) KXIO2 real-time clock module for $69.95, which includes a cir-
cuit for controlling two external electronic devices. A 146 g (5.15 oz) MH3 external mi-
crophone with frequency up and frequency down buttons costs $59.95. The 28 g (0.98 oz)
KXPD2 keyer paddle costs $109.95.42
The KX2 allows mountaineers or long-trail thru-hikers or cross-country cyclists
or sailors to communicate from remote places anywhere on earth or at sea to almost
any other places via ham radio. The only condition is that the operator must be quali-
fied as a licensed radio amateur. At just over one pound with all internal options, the
KX2 will fit into any ultralight backpacker’s weight budget. Had John Donovan been
carrying a KX2, he almost certainly would have been rescued from that California can-
yon.43

No Morse code Option

By itself, the KX2 requires skill in the Morse code for operators to use CW or the
PSK31, PSK63 and RTTY text modes. Now there is an opportunity for licensed opera-
tors in remote locations to use those modes without any knowledge of Morse code. The
QRPworks44 company manufactures a 40-character 140 g (4.9 oz) accessory unit for the
KX2 transceiver called the SideKar™ and a larger 80-character 255 g (9 oz) SideKar
Plus™ which allow transmission and reception of those modes without a Morse code
paddle.

42 Prices exclude shipping charges and sales tax for California residents.
43 The KX2 was not available in 2005. The only lightweight Amateur Radio shortwave transceivers on the
market then were frequency limited, and mostly CW only.
44 http://www.qrpworks.com/sidekar.html

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SideKar Plus™ mounted on a KX2 transceiver

The SideKar™ is sold with either of two different keyboards for $289 plus shipping. The
SideKar Plus™ with either keyboard costs $309 plus shipping.

SideKar™ with Slim Wireless Keyboard

(images courtesy of QRPworks.com)

The Compact Wireless Keyboard is 71 g (2.5 oz), whereas the Slim Wireless Key-
board is 213 g (7.5 oz) and takes up more room in a backpack. Some operators may
choose to buy both keyboards so that they can use the larger one at home and the

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 Backpacking with a Pocket-sized Shortwave Radio
Bruce Prior N7RR

smaller one in the wilderness. The SideKar™ and the SideKar Plus™ also do automatic
contact record keeping and have room for 20 @ 80-character text or macro memories.
That’s a lot of computing power in such a tiny box.
A more economical kit product called the KX-QRP 2nd LOOK45 displays 80-char-
acters in two lines.

Technician-Class Licensees on Shortwave

It’s much better to study a bit more and earn a General Class Amateur Radio li-
cense. However, Technician hams in the USA have some access to shortwave radio. With
the KX2 plus the SideKar™ or the SideKar Plus™, Technician hams can operate CW on
some shortwave frequencies without knowing Morse code. They are allowed CW-only
shortwave transmitting on three bands: 80 m, 40 m and 15 m, plus CW, text, and SSB
voice on the 10 m band. The American Radio Relay League has proposed expanded text
and voice spectrum for Technician-class hams on the 80 m, 40 m and 15 m bands. We
are awaiting a response from the Federal Communications Commission.

45 http://www.k8zt.com/2ndlook

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