Just because the K2 is away at the doctor's getting some TLC, doesn't mean that Amateur Radio has to stop! In the meantime, my able bodied K1 has switched from its role as my primary portable rig to a new status as main shack rig.
As much as I love my K2, the K1 has always been my sentimental favorite as I built it before the K2. It's a great little radio; but its size in no way limits its capabilities. The receiver is superb and the transmitter is every bit as rock solid as the K2. Really, its only limitations are the bands that I can go on. I constructed my K1 as a 4 band version, employing 40, 30, 20 and 15 Meters.
Since Foxhunting season is over; I'm now back into a nightly routine of looking for a nice ragchew. Tuesday night, however, I had the bug to go to the really bottom end of 40 Meters to see if there was any DX to be had. A little tuning around got me locked onto a new one! On 7.005 MHz, I heard HH4/K4QD calling CQ. Now Haiti is not the rarest DX in the world; but it is kind of rare. Its a very impoverished and strife torn nation and is not noted for too much Ham radio activity. My ears perked right up when I heard Jan. He was clipping along at about a 23 WPM pace, working split and listening for calls 1 kHz up. I twirled the VFO up to where I thought he'd be listening and used my RIT control to get back to the frequency he was transmitting on. Three or four calls and I was in the log. Jan was a strong 599 and he gave my 5 Watt signal a 579.
Haiti is my 68th DXCC entity worked since I went 100% QRP in 2004. 68 countries worked on the bottom end of the sunspot cycle. Not too shabby! A few minutes later, I heard and worked Ego, 9A2SY in Makarska, Croatia. Croatia is not a new one for me; but I still get a thrill of having my 5 Watt signal heard 'round the world. QRP is a real kick - QRP DX is even better!
73 de Larry W2LJ
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