Ham On A Bike

  As many of you know, most of my portable operating is done via a bicycle.  When I discovered the QRP Labs QCX Mini series it was like the heavens opened up for my QRP portable operating. For years I've used my Yaesu FT-817 for portable operating especially while doing my bike touring activities.  The FT-817 provided multi-mode options but during my bike tours the unit and accessories took up a lot of space in my panniers.  So the QCX Mini rigs are the perfect portable rigs for my CW and bike touring activities. I opted to order a 40 meter QCX Mini kit. The backlog for an assembled units was too long for my liking so why not put my ham radio skills to work and build this unit. I completed my unit in a couple of weeks without any major flaws. Made so minor adjustments for power output and I was off to the races.   Those first few weeks of operating only wetted my appetite to purchase another unit. Just before ordering another kit, I came upon an operator wh...

  If  any of you follow "LIVE" broadcast of American Football you may have heard the announcers refer to a defense scheme called "Cover Two".  It is a defensive setup that uses two deep safeties to protect the two deep halves of the field.   This is what I use to describe the "CW MOUSE COVER" for the QRP LABS QCX Mini and QMX QRP Transceivers.  Why do I call it the "COVER TWO"?  Because it protects the two knobs and two buttons on top of these two QRP radios, The developer of the CW Mouse Paddle and now this cover asked me to test ride his CW Mouse Cover. There are a few of these covers out within our community but this is the only one I've had an opportunity to use.  I am not able to compare it with any of the others so the opinions I give are strictly based on my use and how it works for me.  The first thing I observed with my test model was it is made from 3D PLA printed material. (PETG material is available upon request).  My cover i...