[Elecraft] QRP rig for backkpacking

[phoon.usinet]

Fellows, just want to thank you in advance for your comments and ideas
below.

I've designed a nice portable vertical GP for mountain backpacking.  With a
QRP+ a year ago, worked Madagascar, Europe, SA, Japan, litterally all over
the world, from the Flat Tops wilderness in Colorado at 10,700 feet up.
Went through a snow storm and it just kept humming.

Trouble was, I nearly killed myself trying to hike down a steep rocky slope
with too much heavy gear on my back.  In addition to some 50 to 60 Lbs on my
back in a back pack, I also had a heavy canvas bag in one hand, that caused
me serious balance problems. I slipped, and luckily just banged up my hip on
sharp rocks, and was just plan lucky.  The weight was in the QRP+ and the
silly heavy battery I took for it (7 AH "motorcycle type").  The QRP+ has
awful drain on receive, and a less than really efficient transmitter chain.

I've already lightened the GP vertical, with a few minor improvements
underway. So there is not much more weight I can cut there.  And the antenna
is fantastic.

I've got to lighten up for the next trip.  Hence the search is on for a
lighter rig and battery, as major areas for weight reduction.

I take a Padette, so the key is about as light as I can get.

From what I can learn, the K2 comes out at about 5 Lbs, just about what my
QRP+ weighs, so it is out of the question.

On the other hand, the K1 comes in at about 1.3 Lbs, and I can have all the
CW bands I want: 40, 30 20 and 15M.

I would really like candidate recommendations for LIGHT QRP RIGS that work
well, have efficient current drain on Xceive and Xmit,  and are ideal for
backpacking in UTAH canyons and on plateaus and the big Colorado peak
country, where I can easily get up above tree line on ridges, or near high
alpine tundra tarns, after the lightning season in Sept. - Oct.

What do you know about the Rockmite rigs, and the Oak Hills rigs?  How do
these stack up in terms of weight, performance and current drain?

What are the pros and cons of various candidates?

Is it really worth taking a tiny Rockmite, with only one band, and not much
band tuning, for a 7 day QRP outing?  Seems like it is just too little
radio, and I'd be better off with a bit more weight and the 4 band
capability of the K1.

Am I being stupid taking the high performance vertical GP, though it does
have some weight?

I could take a tiny antenna tuner, a roll of wire, a slingshot, and shoot a
wire up over a tall pine in the woods, with a "counterpoise" (I guess that
is really just ONE radial) on the ground.  This would be lighter than the
portable GP, but the problem here is the antenna is not self supporting up
high where there are no tress, nor on the UTAH plateaus on canyon rims,
where there are no trees.  And, in my view, this is a very compromised
antenna for QRP work.  That Madagascar contact to the other side of the
world would NEVER have been possible at 4 watts without a high performance
GP vertical set in an alpine meadow above tree line.  So I am not inclined
to skimp on the antenna. Your thoughts and ideas?

If you have had experience, or have ideas, please contribute, preferably in
a public posting here.

Peter Hoon
VE1CHS
phoon@attglobal.net