On the air.
Anywhere, anytime.
WWFF activations, field operations, and a family-friendly 11m CB network on holiday. Two portable HF stations — a 25 W IC-7300 setup and a 5 W QRP setup — built to operate far from the shack.
Field-Ready HF
The same radio as the shack — the IC-7300 MK II — deployed in the field from a LiFePO4 battery, into a resonant multiband dipole for quick WWFF setups.
ICOM IC-7300 MK II
The same transceiver as the shack — doubles as the portable rig. The IC-7300 MK II's compact form factor and low RX current (0.7A standby) make it a natural fit for battery-powered field operation. The real-time spectrum scope is invaluable in the field for finding activity fast.
Resonant on all four bands — no ATU needed. That means maximum efficiency at the antenna itself, with no matching loss. Easy to deploy solo in the field.
5 Watts, on foot
A second, much smaller portable station built specifically for WWFF/ONFF activations: a QRP Labs QMX at 5 W into a SOTAbeams Band Hopper IV, run as an inverted V on a lightweight mast. Everything fits in a backpack, and it operates under a separate callsign, ON3VZ/P.
QRP Labs QMX
A five-band QRP transceiver about the size of a pack of cards, 220 g including its enclosure, doing CW, digital modes and SSB at 5 W. A single USB-C cable carries both CAT control and audio, so the whole rig-to-laptop interface is one cable. Runs from a LiFePO4 pack regulated down to 11.50 V through an adjustable buck converter — the QMX's supply range is a strict 6.0–12.0 V.
A separate identity, on purpose. ON3VZ/P has its own QRZ.com logbook, LoTW certificate and Log4OM configuration, kept deliberately apart from the shack's ON3VZ log. QRP status travels through TX_PWR = 5, spot comments, and profile text — never through a callsign suffix like /QRP, which ONFF doesn't recognise for activator credit.
VHF / UHF
A dual-band handheld for POTA walk-around use and as a backup for the mobile rig. Lightweight, rugged, and compatible with the car's magnet mount antenna via a simple pigtail.
Yaesu FT-65
A rugged 2m/70cm handheld — the portable VHF/UHF companion. Primary radio for POTA walk-around use on site, and a solid backup for the FTM-510DE ASP when not in the car. A key trick: via a SMA-to-PL259 pigtail it connects directly to the Komunica BM-1 magnet mount — giving the handheld the benefit of a full-size rooftop antenna with no extra hardware.
11m Citizen Band · 27 MHz
No licence needed. A local POTA-inspired family radio network for the Ardennes holiday house.
On family holidays in the Ardennes, we built a local CB radio network using 27 MHz (Citizen Band). No amateur radio licence required — fully legal in Belgium with CE-marked equipment. The full family can participate from day one — a great way to get the kids involved in radio too.
The setup combines the two PNI HP 82 handhelds (4W FM) with a proper base station (Albrecht AE 5900 Mini SSB) and a mobile car station — giving 12W SSB range of 20–60 km vs the 2–8 km of the handhelds. The holiday house becomes the radio hub.