Let's (QSO) Party!

Getting Ready for QSO Party Season

There is a point every year where the calendar starts to fill up with QSO parties, and if you are anything like me, you mean to be fully prepared, organized, and ready to operate efficiently… right up until you find yourself digging through a box looking for something you know you had last time.

QSO parties have a way of revealing how you actually operate, not how you think you operate, and that is part of their value, because they reward setups that are simple, repeatable, and quick to deploy without a lot of second-guessing.

With a few already behind us, the rest of the spring calendar still offers a solid run of opportunities to get on the air.

What’s Still Ahead

From here through mid-May, the calendar stays busy enough that you can be on the air most weekends if you want to be, and that is where a simple, repeatable setup really starts to pay off.

The following dates are pulled from the WA7BNM Contest Calendar, which is one of the more reliable sources for keeping track of these events:
https://www.contestcalendar.com/stateparties.php

March

• Virginia QSO Party — March 21–22

April

• Louisiana QSO Party — April 4–5
• Mississippi QSO Party — April 4–5
• New Mexico QSO Party — April 11–12
• Missouri QSO Party — April 11–12
• Georgia QSO Party — April 11–12
• North Dakota QSO Party — April 11–12
• Michigan QSO Party — April 18–19
• Nebraska QSO Party — April 25–27
• Florida QSO Party — April 25–26

May

• Indiana QSO Party — May 2–3
• Delaware QSO Party — May 2–3
• 7th Call Area QSO Party (7QP) — May 2–3
• Arkansas QSO Party — May 16–17

By the time April rolls around, you can realistically be on the air almost every weekend without having to look very hard, which is exactly when the small details in your setup start to matter more than the big ideas.

Keep Your Setup Predictable

The biggest mistake I see, and one I have made myself more than once, is building a setup that looks great in theory but takes too long to deploy, because every extra step adds friction, and friction costs time once you are in the field.

A good QSO party setup is not the most elaborate one, but the one you can deploy the same way every time, whether you are in your yard, a park, or somewhere in between, because consistency reduces mistakes and keeps you operating instead of adjusting.

Eliminate the Small Problems Before They Start

What slows most operators down is not the big failures, but the accumulation of small issues, because a connection does not quite seat right, a wire needs to be retied, or something that worked last time suddenly becomes questionable.

Those small interruptions add up quickly, and this is where simple connection methods and repeatable layouts start to matter, because when everything goes together the same way every time, you remove variables and spend more time making contacts instead of troubleshooting.

Build for Operating Time, Not Setup Time

It is easy to focus on getting on the air quickly, but the real goal is staying on the air once you are there, which means your setup needs to hold together under real conditions, whether that is wind, movement, or the occasional unexpected tug on a wire.

In my own setups, I tend to favor simple, forgiving connection points that do not require adjustment and will even separate cleanly if something gets pulled harder than it should, because that kind of “give” can be the difference between a minor interruption and a broken component.

Keep It Simple Enough to Use

At the end of the day, the best setup is the one you will actually take with you, because a system that is too complicated or too time-consuming eventually gets left behind, and that means fewer contacts and fewer opportunities to enjoy the event.

If you are looking to simplify your own setup, I do keep a few straightforward antenna options and components available that are built with that same mindset in mind:
https://radioprep.etsy.com

They are not designed to be flashy, but to work the same way every time, which is really what matters when you are trying to stay on the air.

I'll take a banana, thank you.

Banana Plugs: Simple by Design, Reliable by Experience

When I first started building EFHW antennas, I wasn’t trying to create something new or novel as much as I was trying to eliminate friction, because in my experience, the difference between an antenna that looks good on paper and one that actually gets used often comes down to how easy it is to deploy when conditions aren’t ideal.

That is ultimately why I landed on banana plugs for my antenna as the original design choice.

Not because they are flashy, and not because they are the only option, but because they solve a very practical problem in a way that is clean, repeatable, and surprisingly easy to overlook until you’ve spent a few evenings fighting with something more complicated.

A Connection That Doesn’t Ask Questions

A banana plug does one job, and it does it in a way that removes uncertainty from the process, because instead of tightening a screw, adjusting a post, or wondering if you’ve got enough contact surface, you are simply inserting a connector that is designed to seat the same way every single time.

That consistency matters more than most people realize, especially when troubleshooting, because it removes one more variable from the equation and allows you to focus on the antenna itself rather than the connection point.

It is a small thing, but it is a foundational one.

Deployment Should Not Be the Hardest Part

Most of us are not setting up antennas in a controlled environment with a workbench and perfect lighting, but instead are working in a yard, a park, or somewhere out in the field where time, weather, and patience are all limited resources, and in those moments, simplicity is not just convenient, it is the difference between getting on the air quickly and spending twenty minutes adjusting something that should have taken five.

With banana plugs, the process becomes straightforward in a way that encourages use, because you can plug in your radiator, get your wire in the air, and move on to operating without feeling like you are still in the setup phase long after you should be done.

And just as important, when it is time to pack up, you are not undoing hardware or dealing with connections that have worked themselves loose or tightened themselves into place, but instead are simply unplugging and moving on.

A Built-In Safety Valve You Don’t Have to Think About

One benefit that does not get talked about enough, but shows up the first time something goes wrong, is that a banana plug gives you a natural break point in the system, because if your wire gets snagged, pulled too tight, or suddenly yanked by wind, a falling limb, or even just your own misstep, the connection will typically pull free before something more expensive or harder to repair takes the load.

That means instead of stressing the transformer, damaging the wire, or worse, pulling something down that you did not intend to move, the system simply separates and saves you from a bigger problem.

It is not a feature that shows up on a spec sheet, but it is one you appreciate the first time it prevents damage, and after that, you start to realize it was quietly working in your favor the whole time.

Consistency Over Cleverness

There are a lot of creative connection methods out there, and I have experimented with several of them over time, but one thing that experience continues to reinforce is that consistency tends to outperform cleverness in the long run, particularly when you are building something that needs to work in a variety of conditions with minimal adjustment.

Banana plugs provide that consistency in a way that is almost invisible, because they standardize insertion depth, maintain reliable contact pressure, and eliminate the small variations that can creep in when using other connection types, all of which contributes to a setup that behaves the same way from one deployment to the next.

That predictability builds confidence, and confidence leads to more time operating and less time second-guessing your equipment.

Why the Original Still Sticks Around

Even with newer options available, I have intentionally kept the banana plug design as part of what I offer, not out of nostalgia, but because it continues to meet the needs of a large number of operators who value simplicity, speed, and reliability over added complexity.

It is one of those solutions that does not try to do everything, but instead does one thing well enough that it earns its place over time, and in many cases, I have seen operators experiment with other approaches only to come back to banana plugs because they remember what it was like to not have to think about the connection at all.

There is something to be said for that.

If You Want to Build Your Own

If you are building your own wires or experimenting with different configurations, banana plugs are one of the easiest upgrades you can make, because they simplify both setup and teardown while giving you a consistent connection that you do not have to question every time you deploy.

Here is a set that I have used and can recommend if you want to go that route:
https://amzn.to/476s1ym

They are affordable, easy to install, and they will quietly improve your setup in a way that becomes more apparent the more you use them.

At the end of the day, there is always a temptation to chase new ideas or more complex solutions, but in my experience, the designs that last are the ones that remove friction rather than add to it, and banana plugs, despite their simplicity, continue to do exactly that.

They get out of the way, which is exactly what good equipment should do.

Why a 49:1 Transformer Works

The Small Key That Turns an EFHW On!

If you spend much time around end-fed half-wave antennas (EFHW), one number shows up again and again:

49:1

At first glance it looks oddly specific. Why not 9:1? Or 4:1 like many baluns? The answer comes down to where a half-wave antenna wants to be fed. A half-wave wire has a very high impedance at the end of the wire. Depending on height and surroundings, it is often somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000–3,000 ohms.

Your radio, on the other hand, is expecting about 50 ohms. That is a pretty serious mismatch. The job of the transformer is simply to translate between those two worlds.

If you divide roughly 2,450 ohms by 50 ohms, you end up very close to 49:1. That ratio brings the impedance of the antenna down into a range your radio and coax can work with comfortably. Once that transformation happens, the antenna behaves much like a dipole electrically, even though it is being fed from the end.

It is a clever bit of practical engineering.

Why the Transformer Quality Matters

The concept is simple. The execution is where things get interesting. A poorly built transformer will still “work,” but not particularly well. Common problems include:

• Excess heating at higher power
• Losses inside the core
• Unpredictable behavior across bands

Most of those issues come down to two things: core selection and winding technique.

Ferrite mixes matter. The number of turns matters. Even how tightly the wire is laid on the core matters more than people might expect. A good transformer disappears electrically. You do not notice it. It simply lets the antenna do its job.

The Practical Side

Over the years I started winding these transformers for my own antennas. I took them to my local East Texas parks and strung them up in the pine trees. Eventually friends asked for them, then a few other operators, and before long I found myself building them in small batches on the workbench.

There is nothing mysterious about them. They are simply wound carefully on quality ferrite cores, sealed in durable enclosures, and built to survive life outdoors.

The goal is simple: when you toss a wire into a tree, the transformer should not be the weak link. If you enjoy building your own, I encourage it. Amateur radio was built by experimenters. 

But if you would rather spend your time operating instead of counting turns on ferrite cores, I occasionally list the ones I build here:

My Etsy Store (RadioPrep)

Either way, the transformer is the quiet piece of hardware that makes the end-fed half-wave antenna such a practical solution. Without it, the whole idea falls apart.

-73 Dave

The End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna

Find a Tree, Hang a Wire

One of the things I appreciate about amateur radio is that sometimes the simplest solutions are also the most effective.

You can put up towers, beams, and rotators, and many operators do. But some of the most satisfying contacts I have made came from something far less elaborate: a length of wire, a transformer, and a nearby tree that was kind enough to cooperate.

That is essentially the idea behind the end-fed half-wave antenna (EFHW).

Electrically, it is a half-wave radiator fed at the end rather than the center. Because the impedance is extremely high at that point, a 49:1 transformer brings things back into a range that ordinary coax and radios can live with.

Once that happens, it behaves very much like a dipole. The real advantage, however, is mechanical rather than electrical.

• A dipole wants three support points.
• An EFHW is content with one.

Which means if you can toss a line over a limb, you can usually get on the air.

Why Portable Operators Love the EFHW

Portable operators discovered this long ago. POTA activators, field operators, and travelers like antennas that go up quickly and disappear just as fast. A coil of wire and a small transformer can live quietly in a backpack until needed.

The transformer, incidentally, is the part that deserves the most care. When they are poorly wound, they heat up, waste power, and behave badly across bands. When they are built correctly, they simply do their job and stay out of the way.

That quiet reliability is exactly what you want in an antenna system.

Over time I started winding transformers for my own EFHW antennas. A few friends asked for them, then a few more, and eventually that turned into a small Etsy shop where I offer a couple of versions of the ones I use myself.

The transformers I build are nothing exotic, but they are wound carefully on quality ferrite cores, sealed in weather-resistant enclosures, and tested before they ever leave my bench. They are the same ones I use when I throw a wire into a tree and see what the bands are doing that day.

If you enjoy winding your own transformers, I encourage it. Half the fun of amateur radio is experimenting and learning what works.

But if you'd rather skip the ferrite dust and get straight to the operating part, you can take a look here:

My Etsy Store

Either way, the basic advice remains sound:  Find a tree...Hang a wire...See who answers!

- 73 Dave

New sticker design drops!

Let’s just get this out of the way up front.

If you’ve ever chased a POTA activator from the comfort of your shack, your truck, or your back porch…you’re welcome.

My new sticker (available here for $4, FREE shipping) is for the people who wake up early, check the propagation, throw questionable amounts of wire into a backpack, and voluntarily sit at a picnic table talking to strangers on the radio. In other words: activators.

Parks on the Air works because someone actually shows up to the park. Not the website. Not the spot. The park. That means planning, hauling gear, finding a tree that might cooperate, dealing with weather that didn’t read the forecast, and explaining to a curious passerby that no, you’re not “with the government.”

So yes — when the log fills up and the pileups roll in…I activate parks. You’re welcome.

Designed to look like it belongs outdoors

I didn’t want this to look like a typical ham radio sticker. The artwork pulls from vintage national park posters and mid-century travel illustrations — a grid of landscapes that feel like places you’d actually activate from: mountains, deserts, coastlines, forests, and big empty spaces with questionable cell service. It’s part celebration, part inside joke, and part quiet flex.

Field-tested attitude

This sticker is made to live where activators live:

• Water bottles that have seen things
• Pelican cases full of cables you swear you’ll organize later
• Radios, notebooks, go-kits, and shack gear
• Anywhere you want to silently remind hunters who did the heavy lifting

Durable. Weather-resistant. Zero apologies. 

Wear it responsibly!

This sticker is not meant to start arguments. (It might start conversations.) If someone asks what it means, congratulations — you now get to explain POTA again. If another activator laughs and nods knowingly, mission accomplished. And if a hunter rolls their eyes? That’s okay. They still logged you.

Available now

The “I Activate Parks. You’re Welcome.” sticker just dropped in my Etsy shop. If you activate, you earned it. If you hunt, you know it’s true. If you do both… you definitely get it.

See you in the log!

2026! A New Year on the Air

The start of a new year is a good time to pause, reflect, and look ahead. Amateur radio has a way of rewarding that kind of mindset. It is a hobby built on learning, experimentation, and connection, often with little more than a wire in a tree and a willingness to try.

This past year included time on the air, time at the bench, and time helping support the broader amateur radio community. I continued building and refining EFHW antennas and sharing them with operators through my Etsy shop, and it has been encouraging to hear how those antennas are being used in the field, at home stations, and in portable operations.

One of the more significant developments this year was our club stepping in to take on the W5 QSL bureau responsibilities. That work is largely behind the scenes, but it plays an important role in keeping international contacts flowing and preserving one of the long-standing traditions of amateur radio. I am grateful for the volunteers who make that possible and for the operators who continue to value the exchange of QSL cards.

Looking ahead, the goal is simple: spend meaningful time on the air, keep learning, and contribute where I can. Whether that is through building antennas, supporting the bureau, or making a quick contact when conditions allow, the focus remains on the people behind the call signs.

Thank you to everyone who made contact, offered feedback, or supported these efforts over the past year. I look forward to what the new year brings and hope to hear you on the bands.

73, Dave

Thanks for sharing!!

From K2MAS.net

I've had a number of folks share my antenna and Etsy store recently and I want to give a huge shout out thank everyone for do it! Recently, Mark (KA5TXN) shared a great CW activation at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge in a video using my new clamp-style EFHW antenna. You can watch his videos here and read up on his blog with all his content at: DitWit Portable Radio.

Also, last week, Matthew (K2MAS) shared a shot of one of his GoBoxes which includes the same antenna. I think Matthew also shared a link on a Ham Radio Beginner's page on Facebook, but I can't find the link anymore. Anyway, check out Matthew's website which include a really cool equipment list with links to lots of great gear! 

Of course, I will always appreciate the mention by Thomas (K4SWL) back in August, 2025, when he used my antenna for a POTA activation in Québec! Thomas has an amazing page with hundreds of great videos and dozens of contributors. Thanks, again, Thomas!

Let me know if you see my antenna's pop up other places! I'd love to give a nod and hearty, "thanks!" to everyone who's using them.  -73 Dave