With a POTA location right across from my office, I couldn’t ignore the opportunity. I set a challenge for myself—activate the park every day during lunch. Time was tight, so speed mattered. I parked in the same spot each day and deployed the mast the same way, turning the setup into a practiced routine.
This week, I decided to run the MTR-4B V2 “The Mountain Topper” from LNR Precision. For the antenna, I stuck with the 29’ random wire from PackTenna—a setup I’ve used many times before. I wanted to keep everything else consistent with previous outings so I could really focus on how the radio performed. I’ve used the MTR-4B V2 in the past, but operating it for five consecutive days felt like the right way to form a solid, informed opinion.
Overall, the activations went smoothly—until Friday (more on that below). The bands cooperated each day, and the hunters showed up ready to work. The MTR-4B V2 is a quirky little rig. To engage the memory keyer, you have to press two buttons in quick succession. Miss the timing on the second press, and you’ll accidentally toggle from paddle mode to straight key mode—or vice versa. I managed to do that several times, and it got old fast.
Another limitation that stood out is the lack of an XIT feature—it only offers RIT. With my lunch break operating window, I didn’t spend any time hunting this week. But in most activations, I like to split my time between calling CQ and chasing other parks. Having XIT available makes it that much easier and gives you a real edge when you’re hunting. The radio clearly has a strong reputation—and it’s probably well deserved for the advantages it offers. But at the end of the day, it just isn’t my favorite.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Thursday night, my well-laid plan shifted a bit. My wife asked if we could trade vehicles so she could pick up a piece of furniture someone was giving her. No problem. But when I woke up at 5:30 Friday morning, I realized my mast was still sitting in the bed of my truck—and my wife was already gone.
Time for an audible.
I grabbed my KH1 bag, hoping I could somehow keep the five-day activation streak alive. When I got to my usual spot, I quickly realized there wasn’t a good place to mount the AX1. With very little confidence, I set up on the hood of my wife’s Ford Explorer, spotted myself, and called CQ.
Boom. Three contacts in three minutes.
“This is going to be easy,” I thought.
And then… nothing.
Over the next 24 minutes, I logged only two more contacts. Early in that dry spell, I realized I hadn’t attached a counterpoise. “That has to be the problem,” I told myself. I clipped it on, fully expecting things to turn around.
Nope.
The bands can be strange like that. Just when I was about to call it quits after that long stretch of silence, something shifted. In the final 11 minutes, I made 10 more contacts. The day was saved, the streak stayed alive, and it was time to pack up and head to work.
Five consecutive lunch-break activations taught me more than I expected. The routine sharpened my setup, exposed the quirks of the MTR-4B V2, and reminded me how unpredictable the bands can be. Some days felt effortless; others required patience and a little stubbornness. While the radio may not be my personal favorite, it proved capable—and the real lesson wasn’t about gear at all. It was about consistency, adaptability, and showing up, even when the plan falls apart at 5:30 in the morning.
Friday
