I Am Not Alone. There Are Many Of Us.

If you look at the above photo, it may depict a lonely road. That is far from the truth.

BEHOLD! I Am Not Alone. There Are Many Of Us. Its just another day in how I've done my portable ham radio activities for years. For various reasons I became Car-Free more than 10 years ago. Bicycle transportation is widely more prevalent in countries outside of the U.S. However, that doesn't negate some of the U.S. Amateur Radio operators who participate in Parks on the Air, Summit of the Air, World Wide Flora Fauna activities and others who provide VHf/UHF Public Service communications from using cycling to enjoy portable ham radio activities. For those Amateur Radio operators outside of the U.S. who use cycling in their portable operating, it seems to be second nature.

I get replies to social media posts and comments about my Ham on a Bike activities. All the comments have been positive. A lot of inquisitive questions about rigs, antennas, keys, batteries, support masts, etc. Quite a few are amazed of my bicycle travels for Parks on the Air activations.

This month I will introduce you to how others :LOAD UP" & become,

"Hams On A Bike"

In my last post, "My POTA Journey - How It All Began!"; I wrote about how long before Parks on the Air became the phenomenon it is today, I carried along my FT 817 on my bike tours. I feel a certain kinship with this Amateur Radio operator as like me; Tonnie - PA44WFF, not only takes his ham radio equipment along on his bike tours but also does a lot of Ham on a Bike activations at World Wide Flora & Fauna (WWFF) sites in the Netherlands. Below is a video of one of Tonnie's six day bike tour excursions.

QRZ - PA44WFF

Here is another Ham on a Bike who takes along his ham radio equipment on bike tours. This ultra portable ops, Ron - VE3SIF likes bike camping and during one of his overnight trips, he made several activations from a Canadian POTA site at a campground near Lake Huron. Ron used his Venus SW-3B into a Hyendfed Mini Portable end fed half wave antenna several times during this overnight stay.

QRZ - VE3SIF

One of the most active Ham on a Bike operators I found overseas is Jouni / OH3CUF, who does a lot of WWFF activating and hunting in his homeland of Finland. Jouni is one of those All Weather WWFF operators. No matter the distance, weather or the terrain, Jouni tackles it all on his ham radio cycling adventures.

QRZ - OH3CUF

Mike / K1NGZ has a great Ham on a Bike setup with his trike. He does a lot of POTA activating and hunting in the western U.S. Mike has operated all around the U.S. especially during his modified Bus excursions, but now has found enjoyment operating his simple QRP setup from his trike.

QRZ - K1NGZ

Now here is a setup not even I had thought of; nor thought was possible. How does that saying go? "Necessity is the Mother of invention". Here is Jim, - KW5CW doing what I consider the IMPOSSIBLE. Jim proves otherwise. Operating Morse Code (CW) from the handlebars of a bicycle. Take a look at Dan's QRP Labs QCX Mini setup on his Ham on a Bike.

QRZ - KW5CW

Whenever I see this Amateur Radio operator's callsign N7KOM, I think of this scene from the 1996 movie "Twister" .. THE EXTREME!

As far as I'm concerned "The King of the Mountain" Tim - N7KOM is "The Extreme". It is not uncommon for Tim to awake just after the tick of midnight local time, hop in his vehicle, garner his pack and gear and trek up snow packed trails for a sunrise Summits on the Air activations on Mount Hood in Oregon and other summits in the Pacific Northwest. That's EXTREME!!!!

But Tim does some "Mountaintop Portable Radio" activations which are more suitable to my capabilities by doing his - MTB cycling to his Summits on the Air sites.

QRZ - N7KOM

The Pacific northwest of Canada is a great place to operate as a Ham on a Bike on the shores of the Big Ocean as is the case with Simon VA7BIX. Even better while doing a "LIVE" YouTube feed, Simon had a Bike-To-Bike SSB QSO with another "Ham on a Bike", Mr. MUDs, Wesley - VA5MUD as he was cycling across Canada.

QRZ - VA7BIX

Not only does Mr. MUDs Wesley - VA5MUD have Bike-To-Bike SSB QSOs like in the previous mention with Simon - VA7BIX, but also has had a Bike-To-Airplane contact as is the case with this SSB QSO to a 737. Come along for the Bike and Flight QSO with Mr. MUDs.

QRZ - VA5MUD

This operator is a trailblazer. He blazes up trails to his Summits on the Air sites. A lot of his SOTA sites provide breathtaking views over vast expansive picturesque mountains of Spain. Not only does he "Ham on a Bike" to his Summits on the Air sites but climbs up steep cliffs and runs up trails to SOTA activation sites as well. Ramon - EA5IW is a multi-modal Amateur Radio operator.

QRZ - EA5IW

Jason - KV7DX uses the same type of rig I used that got me started with "Ham on a Bike", the trusted Yaesu FT817/818 series with the LDG z/817 Autotuner. Hard to beat this multi versatile rig for portable ham radio operations and Ham on a Bike operating.

QRZ - KV7DX

Traveling across the pond to the "Land of Cakes", we find Fraser MM0EFI, who every so often travels around the world to operate from exotic places. Fraser also operates along the moors and mountains in his homeland of Scotland. Occasionally he'll bicycle to activate Summits on the Air sites.

QRZ - MM0EFI

South Korea is a country where cycling is part of daily life. Like me, Gyu-Young CHOI - HL1KKC operates his QRP ham radio when camping. He also skis to mountaintops to operate, and does Island on the air (IOTA) and it is not uncommon for him to hop on his bike and operate along the Han River or somewhere else in Seoul and the surrounding countryside.

QRZ - HL1KKC

Since going car-free several years ago, social media has introduced me to cyclists worldwide like Joop "Jo" - PG4I who lives south of Amsterdam, Netherlands; which is called the "Cycling Capital of the World". Jo is an exclusive Morse Code operator. You can read about Jo's cycling travels activating World Wide Flora & Fauna sites in the Netherlands at his blog ....

PG4I Portable Operations