After finishing, revising and size-reducing my HamPi, I decided to continue on and finish assembling a new revision of a portable station.

Since I actually have plans to use this in the field, I wanted to pack things up as small as practical while loosing as little functionality as possible.

 

The Radio Pocket

The base of my system was my Elecraft KX-3, the internal antenna tuner and batteries make it ideal portable rig (almost like that was what it was designed for!). I didn’t really do any measurements, but I arbitrarily decided that it should fit into a GoRuck padded Field Pocket. I didn’t realize it at the time, but you can easily fit an entire amateur radio station into a GR-2 padded field pocket with room left over!

Inside this GR-2 Field Pocket:

That’s it. That’s a fully functional ham radio station. There’s even enough room left in the case for a CW key if that’s your thing. It’s not really my thing, I prefer digital modes and that necessitated a 2nd field pocket…

 

The Digital Add-on Pocket

Inside this GR-1 Field Pocket:

Together with both cases I have a fully modern HF amateur radio station that fits almost anywhere.

It’s my hope to take a few short hiking trips this summer into state parks and find a nice tree to shade me for some QSOs.