Ah, The TR-45L…
I will go out on a limb and say that if we were to poll every person who purchased the Penntek TR-45L and those operators were honest in their answers, 90% or more would say that they bought it because it looks like what a ham radio should look like. It has switches and knobs and…oh yes…that gorgeous lit dial to indicate transmit power, SWR, or receive signal. This is the kind of radio you would make if you were asked to produce a radio for a movie. It has a lunchbox handle and is beautiful in every way.
The fact that it is a CW rig at 5 watts with 5 bands is just icing on the cake. This thing is a QRP devotee’s delight. There is nothing about its appearance that doesn’t inspire joy for me.
When I first got it, I described it as being a Sunday Driver of a rig. I stand by that. Everything about it just feels like it’s coming from another age. This is not to say that the performance isn’t top notch! Far from it! The receiver is quite good at pulling signals out of the noise and I’ve worked some serious distances on this continent with less than the full 5 watts. I got mine with the Z-match tuner add-on and love that thing so much. The more knobs and switches, the better!
My first activation with this radio was when it was just starting to get cold outside. I didn’t get much time in with the rig before the weather really settled in and I got into my Get-In-Get-Out winter activations with my IC-705. During that first activation with it, I could just imagine a warm summer day, a cold beverage, a picnic table, and all the time in the world to play radio. Everything about this rig makes me want to slow down and savor my time on the air.
So that’s what I did.
The Plan
With an entire week to do whatever I choose (within certain limits, as one would expect) I decided to head out to a place I’ve not been since the snow disappeared: West Branch State Park – US-1999. I packed up the TR-45L, my Begali Traveler, the 40-20-10 EFHW and headed for the park. No time limits. No pressure. Just me and the radio.
The park was not particularly crowded, though there were families at the beach that I could see from my position at my Regular Spot. I got my throw line over The Branch on the second try and had the antenna deployed in no time at all. This is the kind of thing that comes from being relaxed and completely unhurried.
I spread out my tarp and set up on 40-meters.
The Activation
The band conditions were back to the ones that I loved so much earlier in the year. No CMEs, no tantrums, just good propagation. Really, really good propagation. I was pulling in contacts fairly quickly. RBN was picking me up at 20dB which was a shock. With contacts rolling in steadily, I validated the activation in about 15 minutes. But again, I was in no rush. I settled in and kept calling CQ.
The scenery at the park is so different in the summer. The trees are full of leaves and the grass in this new pollinator area is high. So high that I could pretend that I was deep in the bush with my Jeep almost hidden behind the grass. The geese were menacing me for a bit and I maintain that they are QRM as they clearly have agency and intent.
I was also reminded – almost constantly – of the other park visitors. The Skidoos and Jet Skis were ripping up and down the reservoir. People were being pulled behind boats with dual outboard motors and screaming the whole time. I didn’t feel so bad about not using headphones as there was no way anyone could hear me over that. The park feels different in the summer. It’s less a silent and solitary space and far more communal. Both certainly have their place. I suppose if I want to have warm fingers, I will have to share the place. I’m fine with that.
A phone call with one of the several pieces of business to which I must attend this week interrupted me as I was closing out a QSO on 40. I took the opportunity to switch over to 20-meters. In no time, I was in an actual pile-up! It was just like old times at the park. At the end of the day, I’d hit from Washington State to Nova Scotia to Florida to California. It was a really, really good day to be throwing disruptions into the ionosphere.
The QSO Map
With solid propagation all day, here’s what the QSO Map looks like with less than 5 watts.
Final
There is nothing about the TR-45L that isn’t a joy. Again, it feels like what you think about when you think “Ham Radio”. It’s a mix of solid performance and physical interaction that is tough to find in a world of touch screens and SDRs.
Today was also a reminder that slowing down and really setting aside some time for True Recreation is pretty important. I left the park today feeling relaxed and content. We probably all need a little more of that whether it’s with radio or something else.
Thanks for reading along and 72!
