so i finally did my first activation up on a local summit, W4V/SH-001 if anyone knows the area. been putting it off for like a year because i kept convincing myself i needed more gear or a better antenna setup but my buddy just told me to stop overthinking it and go.

ended up bringing the KX2 and a 40m EFHW strung up between two trees maybe 20 feet up, nothing fancy. took me probably 45 minutes to get 4 contacts which i know isnt great but hey it counts. the last contact was a guy in ohio who was genuinely excited i was on a summit which was kinda cool, made it feel more real i guess.

only issue was the wind kept messing with my antenna and i had to retune twice but whatever it worked. already planning the next one, thinking about trying 20m next time too. anyone else do a lot of SOTA in the southeast?

nice work getting out there, honestly the first one is the hardest part. i remember spending way too long fussing with my setup on my first activation when i shouldve just been calling CQ. once you do a few you get a feel for what actually matters and what doesnt.

for 20m def worth it especially if you want to rack up distance, i had a contact in europe on my third or fourth activation just running like 5 watts SSB which still kinda blows my mind. the EFHW is a solid choice for portable, i use one too. only thing id say is bring a second feedline connector just in case, learned that the hard way on a rainy summit in tennessee lol

4 contacts is fine dude, you only need 4 for the activation to count so you did exactly what you needed to. some people stress about big pileups but theres no rule saying you gotta work 50 stations. congrats on the first one