Not too much doing on the radio for me this weekend. I know that this has been a huge weekend for many, as it is ARRL Sweepstakes Weekend (CW). But in all my years of Ham-dom, I've just not been a real Sweepstakes kind of guy. I've jumped in and have participated in the past for needed states and pins. Don't know if the ARRL still offers; but it used to be that if you made 100 Qs, they'd send you a pin for participating. I haven't even done that in quite some time.
Before the Sweepstakes began yesterday afternoon, I did manage to work K6JSS/5 in Oklahoma to keep that alive. Today I was cruising the WARC bands, and I worked Ray HR9/WQ7R on 12 Meters and Jonas TF2JB on 17 Meters. If you get a chance, check out Jonas' background on QRZ.com. Very impressive.
This time change between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time seems to affect me more and more each year as I grow older. It never used to phase me as a kid; but now I find my sleep schedule getting thrown off just enough to be noticeable to me the next day. Another side benefit of becoming even more mature, I suppose.
W2LJ Public Service Announcement - If you have smoke detectors and CO detectors in your house, using the time change as a reminder to change your batteries is a great idea. I went around and changed the batteries in mine yesterday. Carbon Monoxide and smoke detectors save lives and the lives you might save could very well be your own!
Something to look forward to and something you might want to try, if you never have before. This week begins the 2011/2012 Winter QRP Foxhunt Season. Every Tuesday night will be an 80 Meter hunt and every Thursday night will be a 40 Meter hunt. Yours truly has not volunteered for Fox duty this year, as I firmly believe that it is in the very best interest of the activity to cultivate new blood. Back when I was a member of the Foxhunt Committee, I tried to instill that, with varying success. I was and still am of the opinion that if you constantly use the same guys from year to year to year that you are A) running the risk of burning people out and B) not promoting the growth of the activity. I have been pleased over the past year or two ot see new Foxes join the ranks.
According to Dale WC7S, they are still looking for volunteers. So if you've participated as a Hound and it has crossed your mind to become quarry - go for it! I guarantee that you'll have a blast and I guarantee that you will raise your skill level as a result.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
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