so i finally got off my butt and drove up to W4V/SH-001 yesterday with my KX2 and a random wire thrown up in a tree. took me like 45 minutes to get 4 contacts which i know sounds bad but the band conditions were pretty rough in the morning and i had to switch from 20m to 40m before anything started happening. the summit is only like a 20 min hike but man carrying even a light pack with the radio, battery, and all the coax gets heavy quick. anyway i got my 4 contacts and qualified but honestly expected it to be easier lol. anyone else find 20m totally dead before like 11am on weekdays? might just be my location

yeah 20m in the morning can be rough depending on where you are, i usually just start on 40 and move up once the band opens. also 4 contacts is 4 contacts man, activation is an activation. i did one last fall with a buddistick on a ridge and barely squeaked by with 5 contacts after like an hour. the KX2 is a great little radio for this stuff though, ive been thinking about picking one up myself

what kind of battery you running with it? im trying to figure out what to bring for a POTA activation next month and dont want to carry more than i have to