The sunspot count is up to about 12, I believe - so maybe things are looking up! This evening, just before dinner, I heard N0UR on 30 Meters, operating from NPOTA NP31 - Isle Royale National Park. I worked him, but I had a slight hitch in my sending and I knew I goofed it up as soon as I sent my call. Instead of coming back to W2LJ, I heard Jim come back to W2REJ. Just the teeneist, tiniest hesitation between those last two dits in the "L". Argh! QSB kicked in and I couldn't hear if Jim heard my corrected call.
After dinner, I took a chance that Jim was still on frequency; and luckily he was. I also took the chance at being a pain in his keister and worked him again. Second time was the charm; and I heard my call come back the correctly. Whew!
I saw on the DX Cluster that 6 Meters was open, so I took another chance and twiddled the dial for a bit. Even though the HF9V is made to work on 6 Meters, that's really pushing it. It loads and I get a decent SWR reading; but I think we're talking highly inefficient compromise, here. In any even, I heard and worked two stations - N4GG at EM74 in Georgia and NV4B at EM64 in Alabama.
Even though it was only two stations, it was a lot of fun. 6 Meters is a relatively new experience for me. It's neat to see how those borderline HF/VHF signals travel. If I can get something halfway decent built and up, maybe I will hear and work more. Another project in the long line of many!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Larry, thanks for the QSO last night on 6m. That was one of the strongest sporadic-E openings we've had in quite awhile.
ReplyDeleteI will be operating QRP portable in the June VHF Contest this weekend. I hope to hear you again on 6m.
73,
--Chris, NV4B