These 2 Go Together Like Peanut Butter & Jelly. The QRPGuys Mini Tuner & YouKits HB-1B CW Transceiver

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 In May 2023, I purchased a 40 - 15 meter Mini Tuner Kit from QRPGuys. I didn't get around to assembling it until July 2023 which was likely not the right time for me to be building things.  For me, the summer months are the height of my bicycling and portable ham radio activities.

It was an easy simple build less than an hour assembly.  The chart below show the amount of wire needed for 40 - 15 meter.




 



 






















 




















I had over 500' of 26 AWG wire so that was not an issue. I cut 100' of wire and started the process of building and marking the wire per each band and for the counterpoise.  I cut 72' for the total length to fold back for each band and a 28' counterpoise. 





I found this approach very tedious and cumbersome. I spent the better part of two days while doing POTA activations trying to construct a wire to my satisfaction. At the time I found it was taking too much time away from my operating fun and put it all away.


Fast forward to May 2025 and while rummaging through my "Projects To Do" container looking for my QRP Labs QDX kit, I came across the QRPGuys 40 - 15 Meter Mini Tuner and decided it was time to relook at building a wire to use with my YouKits HB-1B.  I decided to take a Linked EFHW approach this time.

Having built a few Linked EFHW and dipoles, this build was going to be a Piece of Cake.  Started with the 15 meter link, then 17 meters, 20 meters and 30 meters.  The final 40 meter portion was a little problematic.  The total length of 15 to 30 meters links was approximately 43'';  which in theory would make the final 40 meter length about 20' for a total length of 63 feet.  Luckily I had a 30' piece of wire around that I decided to use as a start for the 40 meter link.  Surprisingly and unexpectedly this 30' piece of wire worked out as I only had to trim about 18" to get the wire to tune to 1.1:1 on the CW portion of 40 meters.  




I had forgotten that in my initial build and test I couldn't get the SWR LED light to dim on 40 meters.  As suggested by a tip from Dan QRP Guy) …"If your led does not go out at 1:,1 there may be a little too much gain on L2, the indicator transformer. Just reduce the turns on the high side (side with the most turns) of the tap by one turn or two."  I removed two turns.



After getting wires inserted into the links and setting up the wire in a sloper configuration, it was time to test out the tuner. 




The main reason I decided to start and complete this project now is because the terrestrial weather at my QTH for the last couple of weeks has been stormy and as we all know the Space Weather has been EXTREMELY stormy, too.  That being said, the day I tested what I call my "Peanut Butter and Jelly" QRP CW Ham Radio Setup, there was a G2 Geomagnetic Storm Warning with a K5 index. So if it worked under these conditions, then it will work under any conditions. 




Using the internal battery on the HB-1B, I was able to tune the wire to 1.1:1 on the CW portions of 40, 30, 20, 17, 15 meters.  I did several CQ calls on all bands and surprisingly with about 4 watts under compromised solar conditions;  "BAM", my QRP signal was picked up by the RBN.  The real test would come the next morning when I traveled out for an Early Bird POTA activation at Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve US-7956, Louisville, KY. USA.






The next morning as I began my "Ham on a Bike" journey to my POTA site, I noticed that my bicycle Garmin showed "Unable to Locate Satellite".  That was not a good omen as I suspected HF band conditions might be problematic.  Upon arriving at the Preserve,  I was so eager to get this New antenna setup to operate before another Solar Flare and then with all of the unexpected company of animals, (deer and dogs) along park visitors and employees, I forgot to take a photo of my deployed Sloper Linked EFHW. 




However, the "Ecstatic Grin" you see above is due to the 22 contacts I completed on 40 meters with a G2 - Geomagnetic Storm Warning and a K Index of 5.  My Peanut Butter and Jelly QRP Ham Radio CW Setup was a success.  Thanks to all of those Early Bird POTA Hunters and Park-to-Park activators who put this BIG smile on the face of the "Ham on a Bike"




Also, I must thank Mikel EA2CW / AE2CW for reminding me to use my counterpoise so I don't radiate and end up looking like the gentleman below.




 









Location: Louisville, KY, USA

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