I don't usually pay much attention to Hollywood celebrities, and I was certainly not in tune with Mr. Reford's pollical views. He has a special place in my heart for one reason - this ......."The Natural", one of the better baseball movies ever made.
If you're a fan of the game, you gotta love Roy Hobbs.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Wasn't Labor Day just yesterday? Sheesh! We're halfway through the month already and it just started!
Here's what you might hear on the bands this weekend as you try to have that rag chew or make that POTA contact (scratching your head, thinking "What the heck is that?!?"):
Contests:
Africa FT4 DX Contest - https://mysarl.org.za/contest-resources/
North American Sprint, CW: - https://ncjweb.com/Sprint-Rules.pdf
WAE DX Contest, SSB - https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/referat-conteste/worked-all-europe-dx-contest/en/
SKCC Weekend Sprintathon - https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/weekend_sprintathon/
For QRPers we have on Sunday night:
4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint - http://www.4sqrp.com/SSS/sss_rules.pdf
Don't forget - that next weekend is the first Fall FOBB ! https://ars-qrp.com/
Special Event Stations:
09/13/2025 | Baltimore Defender's Day
Sep 13, 1330Z-2100Z, K3S, Port of Baltimore. Nuclear Ship Savannah Amateur Radio Club. 7,14,18,21,28. QSL. Ulis Fleming, 980 Patuxent Rd, Odenton, MD 21113. Check spotting networks for frequency. See QRZ.com info for Savannah Award qrz.com/db/k3s
09/13/2025 | Celebrating Arthur Collins' Birthday
Sep 13, 1400Z-1700Z, W0CXX, Cedar Rapids, IA. Collins Amateur Radio Club. 14.263 MHz. QSL. Brice AntonJensen, 1110 Lyndhurst Dr, Hiawatha, IA 52233. www.qrz.com/db/W0CXX
09/13/2025 | Commemorating USS Midway Commissioning in 1945.
Sep 13, 1600Z-2300Z, NI6IW, San Diego, CA. USS Midway Museum Ship. 14.320 7.250 14.070 PSK31 DSTAR on Papa System Repeaters. QSL. USS Midway Museum Ship COMEDTRA, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. www.qrz.com/db/ni6iw
09/13/2025 | Fred Harvey House Museum on the Air
Sep 13, 1400Z-2000Z, KS0LV, Leavenworth, KS. Pilot Knob Amateur Radio Club. 14.303 21.361 28.355 14.053. Certificate. Steve Rice, 6850 Deer Ridge Dr, Shawnee, KS 66226. Look for us on FT8 on 14 or 17M www.pkarc.org
09/13/2025 | SS John W Brown Sept 13 Living History Cruise
Sep 13, 1500Z-2000Z, K8JWB, Baltimore, MD. SS John W Brown Radio Club. 7210 14230 21300 28320. Certificate. Randall Crenwelge, 2 Laurel Hill Road Unit K, Greenbelt, MD 20770. Join us as we sail on the Chesapeake Bay for a living history cruise honoring those that built and served on the liberty ships during WW2. Please send us full size envelope with postage for a certificate. Dam the Torpedoes! Full speed ahead! www.ssjohnwbrown.org
As I mentioned in an earlier post, tomorrow should have been our monthly ETS of NJ VE Session. No one signed up. I think we're progressing from a dry spell to a drought. Oh well, I guess I'll get the grocery shopping done early this week!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
First, W2LJ is going to make a prediction.
"In person VE Testing will largely disappear."
With the proliferation of online testing sessions becoming more and more available, it appears that in person sessions are going the way of the dinosaurs. Next Saturday is our monthly VE Session and I've yet to have anyone contact me about registering. That is odd and not the way it used to be.
If memory serves me, I don't think we've had a session this year with more than 3 candidates. We only had 2 at the W2QW Hamfest in June and that's very unusual. I don't think it's a lack of people wanting to get licensed, I think it's just a preference for taking the exams from the comfort of your own home, and not having to travel or search for a local session.
Personally, I don't want to have anything to do with online exams. As a VE Liaison, with my license on the line, I prefer the control of in person sessions. Members of the team can keep a watchful eye, in person, to make sure no irregularities take place.
Maybe I'm wrong and on line sessions are just as stringent, if not more so, but I'm not interested in finding out
Second item, I was able to repair my 4 States Tuner today. I mentioned that I had managed to break one of the BNC connectors. The 4 States Group was kind enough to supply a replacement upon request, but it took a long time to get here -;and not because they did anything wrong.
It made its way to South Plainfield only to be returned to the sender by our illustrious Post Office! 4 States sent it a second time only for it to be delivered to my neighbor across the street! He kindly brought it over yesterday and I installed it today.
In the meantime, I ordered these from Amazon - taking a shot in the dark that they'd be compatible based solely on the photo.
My guesstimate was that it was a match, so I took the plunge and ordered some spares. They arrived yesterday and it turns out that they ARE an exact match! So if anyone out there needs to order, or wants to order a few spare BNC connectors for the 4 States Tuner, here's the link.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP -;When you care to send the very least!
Jody K3JZD sent out an email blast:
Only Three Weeks Until the New Fall Flight of the Bumblebees Event.
The new Fall Flight of the Bumblebees is scheduled for Sunday, September 21 2025, during a four-hour daytime window, from 1700 to 2100 UTC.
It is already cooling down here in WPA. Hopefully it will be dry and more comfortable everywhere on September 21st. And a little better propagation would be nice also.
This casual QRP CW event consists of 'Bumblebees' who are operating portable stations at outdoor locations, and 'Home Stations' (and other ‘Bumblebees’) who try to work as many of these portable 'Bumblebees' as possible.
Since this is a new impromptu Fall FOBB, the Bumblebee List is not yet quite as full as it was for the Annual Summer FOBB. However, with still three weeks to go, we already have enough BBs signed up to make it a good QRP CW event.
You can see where all of the Bumblebees are located by checking the reports that are available at https://ars-qrp.com. (If you have forgotten your BB Number, you can find it there).
This event is open to all QRP CW operators. Anywhere. Operators who want to go out and setup a portable station at some outdoor location, and be a highly sought after 'Bumblebee', need to obtain a "Bumblebee Number".
It is very simple to obtain a Bumblebee Number. There is still plenty of time left for you to get a BB Number. The https://ars-qrp.com web site will explain the whole process.
I'll be out there as a 'Bumblebee' - hoping to work you during the event.
72,
Jody - K3JZD
And there, you have the latest!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
So I posted the 2025 Skeeter Hunt results yesterday, and it appears I made a few omissions. A couple of folks sent in summaries and I forgot to include them.
All I can say is "Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa!"
And I am sorry and will make the proper corrections as soon as I can. It just goes to shoow that I'm no Excel genius. I appreciate your patience and graciousness!
I also received a few e-mails from a couple of folks letting me know they had a good time in the Hunt. That warms my heart, as that is my sole reason for managing the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt. It's about giving my fellow QRP'ers a chance to have a good time. If they enjoy it, then as the saying goes, "my work here is done."
Yesterday was a busy day as we had CERT activity at South Plainfield's Annual Labor Day Parade in the morning and then fireworks at night. When I got home at 9:30 last night after the fireworks, "my dogs were barking"! It was so nice to get a chance to get off of my feet. It seems the hardest part of growing older is finding out that things that used to be so easy and done without a second thought, aren't quite so easy anymore.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP -When you care to send the very least!
Congratulations to our top five finishers in the 2025 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt"
First Place - AD0YM - Mike with 25.832 Pointa
Second Place - NK9G - Rick with 24,968 Points
Third Place - W4MPS - Marc with 24,880 Points
Fourth Place - N5GW - Gene with 17,224 Points
Fift Place - K0KLB - Kevin with 16.606 Points
The entire Final 2025 Skeeter Hunt Scoreboard can be found at
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_aNsVnye-9wEzbMRU8jkRZScMIaYZoD9M-7lCpTwveE/edit?usp=sharing
Thank you so much to all who participated. Band conditions may have not been the best; but I would hazard a guess that we all had fun! And that's the point of this event. You all are the wind underneath the Skeeter's wings and for that I am most grateful.
Please be sure to join us for the 15th Annual NJQRP Skeeter Hunt coming your way on Sunday, August 16th, 2026.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to sent the very least!
Long holiday weekend here in the USA - here is what you may hear on the bands:
Contests
ALARA Contest - http://www.alara.org.au/contests/
U.S. Islands QSO Party: - http://usislands.org/qso-party-rules/
Colorado QSO Party - http://ppraa.org/coqp
Kansas QSO Party - https://ksqsoparty.org/rules/KSQPRules2025.pdf?1
Monday:
MI QRP Labor Day CW Sprint - https://www.miqrp.net/contest
ARS Spartan Sprint: - http://ars-qrp.com/Spartan_Sprint/Spartan_Sprint.html
There are also a few digital contests going on this weekend, so you might notice a heightened amount of digital signals on the bands.
Special Events:
08/01/2025 | San Max SP3RN SK 2025
Aug 1-Aug 31, 0000Z-2359Z, 4A2MAX, Neosho, MEXICO. San Max Celebration Team. 7.175 14.175 21.275 28.450. Certificate & QSL. Jose de Jesus Lopez V, 5914 San Bernardo Ave, Suite 4-135, Laredo, TX 78041-2506. www.qrz.com/db/4A2MAX
08/30/2025 | Return to Paradise 47th Anniversary
Aug 30-Sep 1, 1600Z-1600Z, K7RDG, Sierra Vista, AZ. Cochise Amateur Radio Assoc.. 3.890 7.225 14.070 14.285; Voice/FT8/FT4/JS8. Certificate & QSL. Cochise ARA, PO Box 1855, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636-1855. WWW.K7RDG.ORG
08/31/2025 | 100th anniversary of wreck of USS Shenandoah airship
Aug 31, 0400Z-0800Z, W8VP, Ava, OH. Cambridge Amateur Radio Association. 7.230. Certificate. Evelyn Barton, P.O. Box 1474, Cambridge, OH 43725. 9 X 12 SASE ENVELOPE send to CARA P.O.Box 1474 Cambridge OH 43725 www.w8vp.org
09/01/2025 | 175th Anniversary of California Statehood 1850-2025
Sep 1-Sep 10, 0000Z-2359Z, K6S, Monterey, CA. Monterey DX Group. 14.275 21.275 28.375 7.275. QSL. G. Costello WC6DX, PO Box 1332, Monterey, CA 93942-1332. In 1849, the California Constitutional Convention convened in the capital Monterey in order to draft a constitution for statehood the following year. On 09 September 1850, California joined the Union as the 31st state. A commemorative paper QSL card is available for a SASE to QSL Manager WC6DX; no Log Book of the World or e-QSL.
09/01/2025 | Star Trek Debut Special Event
Sep 1-Sep 15, 0000Z-2359Z, N6S and N6C, North Highlands, CA. Starfleet Amateur Radio Group. 14.085 7.100 3.550. QSL. No paper QSLs, See website for, information. Celebrating Star Trek Debuted 9/8/1966 from Sept 1 - 15, 2025 Starfleet Amateur Radio Group SFARG@k6irk.com We maybe be operating on various bands and modes, depending on conditions Stations involved in this Event is: N6S - N6S@k6irk.com - operator - Rob - K6IRK N6C - k6ncc@arrl.net - operator - Ed - K6NCC The following bands, Modes and Frequencies, are what we maybe be operating on Band FT8 SSB 6m 50.303 10m 28.100 28.400 12m 24.900 24.960 15m 21.100 21.400 17m 18.075 18.150 20m 14.085 14.325 30m 10.125 40m 7.100 7.210 80m 3.550 3.925 Digital QSL Cards or certificates will only sent out and will confirm on QRZ, LoTW and eQSL. Special digital QSL cards that will be sent out at the end of the event. Depending on the popularity of the event, we may do paper cards at some point. https://www.qrz.com/db/N6S
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Last night I finished posting all the Skeeter Hunt Log Summaries that I have received so far for the 2025 Hunt.to this point in time, 99 summaries were received. There were 222 Skeeter Numbers issued, so that indicates a participation rate of about 45%, which is about right, I guess.
If you participated as a Skeeter or not .......if you only made one solitary contact, please send me your log summary. The deadline for submitting Log Summaries is 11:59 PM this coming Sunday, August 31st.
It's a very simple process - NO adif, cabrillo, N1MM files or jpgs or pdfs are required - just follow the format that appears next:
(Your name) - (Your call sign) - (The S/P/C you operated from)
(Your Skeeter # or out put power if you did not get a number) - (Your mode; All CW, All SSB, Mixed)
Single Op - Multi -op (whichever)
Skeeter QSOs - (Enter the number if none, enter 0)
Non-Skeeter QRP QSOs - (Enter the number if none, enter 0)
Non-Skeeter QRO QSOs - (Enter the number if none, enter 0)
S/P/Cs - (Enter the number of States, Provinces and DX Countries you worked)
Station Class Multiplier - Let me know which was applicable for your setup:
X1 Home stations - commercial transceiver or separates
X2 Home stations - home brewed or kit built transceiver or separates
X3 Portable station - commercial transceiver or separates
X4 Portable station - home brewed or kit built transceiver or separates
Bonus - List of stations with call sign numbers adding up to exactly 21. (Sorry guys! One bonus per customer - I should have been clearer about that, but that's the way it works!)
Of course, please feel free to add any Soapbox comments or photos that you want to share.
So in real life, this is what my Log Summary looks like for 2025 - and ideally what I want to see from all of you!
Larry - W2LJ - NJ
Skeeter #13 - All CW
Single Op
Skeeter QSOs - 35
Non-Skeeter QRP QSOs - 5
Non-Skeeter QRO QSOs - 0
S/P/Cs - 21
Station Class Multiplier X4
Bonus - NK9G, K4BAI, N5GW, NX1K, N2TNN
That's all I need! I plug the numbers into a spreadsheet that has the proper formulas and it calculates your score, so that I can't screw it up.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
I spent yesterday doing two things.
The first was posting results to the Skeeter Hunt Scoreboard, which will be published on Labor Day, September 1st. I didn't do an exact count, but there have to be close to 100 some log summaries that were sent in. If my guesstimate is correct, we're closing in on an 50% participation rate based on the number of Skeeter numbers that were issued. That would be phenomenal!
The second thing I did was to spend some time in the shack getting reacquainted with my QMX.
I haven't used it much since our trip up to Alexandria Bay last October, when I used it for two POTA activations. I'm an old school "knob and dial" Ham. Menus are something to be seen at restaurants, not radios. But I did OK for an Old Man.
The trickiest part for me is getting used to the number of pushes of those two main knobs. Depending on how many "clicks" you make - single pushes,, double pushes or even triple pushes - you accomplish different things.
I ended up using the ZM2 tuner instead of the 4 States (which I prefer) because I sheared off one of the BNC connectors. Thanks to the 4 States Group, a replacement is on the way. The BNC connector is held in place by its solder lugs. I have to come up with a way to add extra stability to that as sometimes my big paws aren't as gentle as they should be.
I was happy that it didn't take long for me to get reaccustomed to my QMX. I made some POTA contacts on 20 Meters during the afternoon and a few on 40 Meters before checking into the St. Max Net at 8:00 PM.
As much as i love my KX3, this little guy amazes me for what it can do in a package about the size of a cigarette pack. It's ideal for POTA activations, and I hope to be doing a lot more of those next Spring and Summer ........ God willing and the creek don't rise.,
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
A video by Kevin, K0KLB - thanks, Kevin!
We still have corn farms in New Jersey - but NOT Like this. Holy cow! I found the drone footage to be spectacularly breathtaking!
And now, if I may take the liberty of re-interpreting one of my most favorite parts of the movie. (As a baseball fan, Field of Dreams is my all time favorite movie!) I'm no Terrance Mann, but .........
Kevin, signals will come, Kevin.
They'll come to Iowa via groundwave and skywave. From their aerials and antennas, they'll turn up in your receiver via the magic of radio.
"You're 5 X 9 in Iowa, you'll say. Thanks for the QSO and 73!"
And they'll put you in their logs, happy as a newly licensed Ham after making their first contact, glad to have worked you.
Amateur Radio is part of America's history, Kevin. It has marked the times. Time and time again, radio signals have turned strangers into friends, have helped save lives, and Hams have helped to push the boundaries of new levels of technology.
These signals.....CW, SSB ......they remind us of how good Amateur Radio is and continues to be.
Oooooh, signals will come Kevin, signals will most definitely come!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Didn't August just begin a few days ago? And here we are, the next to last weekend of the month. The hours of daylight are getting noticeably shorter, as by my QTH, it's appreciably dark at around 8:00 PM and in the mornings, the daylight is taking longer to gain a foothold.
It's this time of year, and going forward that I'm reminded of that Simon and Garfunkel lyric - "Hello Darkness, my old friend."
But enough of the depressing stuff. We still have some Summer left and there will be that second FOBB on September 21st, so all is not lost!
Here's what you may hear on the bands this weekend (especially if you're in the CW sub-bands - as if there's anyplace else to be - right?):
Contests:
Hawaii QSO Party - http://www.hawaiiqsoparty.org/
YO DX HF Contest - http://www.yodx.ro
ARSI VU DX Contest - https://arsi.info/dxcontest/
Ohio QSO Party - http://www.ohqp.org/index.php/rules/
SARL HF CW Contest - https://mysarl.org.za/contest-resources/
Special Event Stations (for those who like to chase em!)
08/23/2025 | Commemorating the 68th Annual International Airstream Rally and 62 years of the WBCCI ARC
Aug 23-Aug 27, 1400Z-1800Z, W1A, York, PA. Wally Byam Caravan Club International - WBCCI Amateur Radio Club (WB8RC) . All bands, all modes, as available based on conditions. QSL. WBCCI Amateur Radio Club, c/o Jim Cocke, PO Box 1307, West Jefferson, NC 28694. Times are daily. Please check spotter pages daily. QSL via QRZ.com and USPS. https://www.qrz.com/db/WB8RC
08/23/2025 | Buhl Farm Park Celebration
Aug 23-Sep 1, 0000Z-2359Z, W3B, Hermitage, PA. Mercer County Amateur Radio Club. 7.185 7.074 145.350. QSL. Mercer County Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 996, Sharon, PA 16146. Mercer County Amateur Radio Club is celebrating BUHL DAY, the 110th Anniversary of Buhl Farm Park, which covers 300 acres donated to the Shenango Valley community by Frank Buhl a local industrialist, for the use and recreation purposes. Check the www.w3lif.org webpage for scheduled times of W3B operation or the QRZ website for W3B for more information. As conditions permit you will find operators at various times on from August 23 to all day on September 1, 2025. A commemorative QSL will be available with a SASE. www.w3lif.org
08/23/2025 | NS Savannah Maiden Voyage Anniversary
Aug 23, 1330Z-2100Z, K3S, Port of Baltimore. Nuclear Ship Savannah Amateur Radio Club. 7,14,18,21,28. QSL. Ulis Fleming, 980 Patuxent Rd, Odenton, MD 21113. Check spotting networks for frequency. See QRZ.com info for Savannah Award www.qrz.com/db/k3s
08/23/2025 | Pokagon State Park Centennial Celebration
Aug 23, 1300Z-2200Z, K9P, Angola, IN. Land of Lakes Amateur Radio Club. 7.180 7.280 14.240 14.340. Certificate. Mark Tritch, 4340 S. 1000 W., Hudson, IN 46747. www.qrz.com/db/k9p
08/24/2025 | Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival Special Event Station
Aug 24-Sep 6, 0000Z-2359Z, K9A, Auburn, IN. Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association. 7.180 MHz 14.250 MHz 28.360 MHz. Certificate & QSL. K9A - NIARA, P.O Box 145, Auburn, IN 46706. QSL Information: There will be no Log Book of the World or eQSL. For a QSL card only, Please send your card and a SASE. For a Certificate and QSL Card, Please send your card and $4.00 USA – $6.00 International We will furnish certificate, QSL card, envelope, and postage. The mailing address for this special event station is: K9A – NIARA P. O. Box 145 Auburn, IN 46706-0145 THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION! W9OU@W9OU.ORG.
Speaking of Special Event Stations, I pout the callsign into Ham Alert for the W9AEF Special Even t Station honoring St. Maximilian Kolbe. Lots of FT8 kits, not many for CW, which was a bummer.
Last night at our monthly SPARC meeting we started kicking off discussions for a Special Event Station for South Plainfield's Centennial in 2026. We did one in 2016 for the 90th Anniversary, and I'd like to make sure we something special next year.
One last thing, here's something interesting that I saw on the QRP-ARCI io group yesterday; and it's compelled me to comment (rant). Someone asked if QRP Afield was going to be held this year. This was the answer given. (The words in bold italics are what caught this eye.)
Quote:
"We have had almost no turnout for QRP Afield for the past couple of years. I received ONE log in 2024.
FOBB has announced that they're going to hold a fall edition on that date this year. Perhaps they'll have more success promoting the event than we did; it just wasn't our style to flog it endlessly as some of the QRP events do. Given that, I'd say there will be no QRP Afield this year.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
with a map of my Skeeter Hunt QSOs.
Nothing spectacular, although when I looked at the RBN map the other day, I noticed I had some pretty good above the noise floor dB levels to Europe. I guess they weren't thrilled about answering a "CQ BZZ". HI!
So far I've received about 80 Log Summaries which is about what I would expect at this point. Log Summaries are due by August 31st so there's time for more to come in.
Something I should have made clearer and for that I apologize. The 1,000 Bonus for making Skeeter Blackjack? One per customer, please.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
It was predicted to be in the 90s yesterday and it was; but what I didn't quite count on was the humidity. Boy Howdy, it must have been upwards about 300% !!! As my Uncle Frank used to say, "It ain't the heat, it's the humdigity!"
I'm glad I decided to set up as backyard portable, so I could be near the refrigerator in the kitchen. If I didn't put away close to a half gallon of cold water, I didn't drink an ounce! It was the type of day, that as I was pounding the tent pegs into the ground for the Jackite support, that sweat was dripping from around my eyes onto my glasses!
Marianne keeps the A/C in the house set to about 77 degrees, but when I would step inside for either more water or a bathroom break, it felt like I was stepping into a meat locker. The heat never bothered me much as a kid. In fact, I grew up in a house that didn't have A/C. It was only in my teens when my parents were starting to grow older that we bought a couple window air conditioning units. But as I age, the heat gets tougher and tougher to deal with, especially in the sense that it really tires me out.
I did not let the heat deter my Skeeter Hunt efforts. From the beginning I thought the day might end up being a dud. After the first hour. I had only 6 or so contacts written down on my scratch pad. They were all on 20 Meters. Signal strengths were decent, it was just that I wasn't hearing too many people.
That changed as we entered the third hour. It was like a dam broke. Lot of signals on both 20 and 40 Meters. I tried a couple of times to go on up to 15 Meters and either listen or call CQ. As far as I can tell, there were no Skeeters on 15 Meters. Here's my RBN map for yesterday:
My goal for the day was 40 QSOs and I made the last one with about two minutes left on the clock. I have not tallied how many different states and Provinces I worked - but I did get Quebec and Ontario in the log.
The setup was the KX3, of course and the antenna was my K6ARK EFRW. I draped the counterpoise to a patio chair to keep it elevated and off the ground. I don't know if it was exceptional band conditions or what; but I was able to work everyone I heard in the times I went into "search and pounce" mode. I was very pleased with the K6ARK EFRW, but I really need to find a nice winder on which to roll the wire up on. Right now I just have the wire in a loop, secured with some Velcro ties, but that's not the most elegant solution.
The paddle I used for the day was this little guy (which I had purchased after reading Craig WB3GCK's review):
About 30 minutes after the Hunt ended, we had a small thunderstorm come through the area. It only rained a few drops, but it brought with it a cool and refreshing breeze.
As always, I'd like to thank everyone who participated. This event would not be what is has become without you. You guys are the wind beneath the Skeeter's wings and for that I am most grateful!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to end the very least!
Told you to stay tuned! Great news came out tonight, from Jody K3JZD:
There will be a NEW Fall ARS FOBB on September 21st
Thank you everyone who responded to the poll concerning moving the very popular Flight of the Bumblebees (FOBB) QRP CW event to the 3rd Sunday in September when the temperature should be more moderate.
Almost all poll respondents favored moving the Adventure Radio Society FOBB event to the 3rd Sunday in September. However, not surprisingly, some had reservations about moving the Legacy ARS FOBB event away from July.
Probably most of the responses were based on local weather patterns. I suspect that those who live where it was 90+ degrees with high humidity in both July 2024 and July 2025 likely said 'Yes, move it'. And I suspect that those who live in more moderate Northern states likely said ’No, leave it where it is'.
Almost all of the poll respondents said that they would like to work an ARS FOBB event on September 21, 2025.
After consideration, it was decided to leave the Legacy ARS FOBB where it has always been, on the last Sunday in July. And add a NEW Fall ARS FOBB event which will occur on the 3rd Sunday in September.
You can work one of these ARS FOBB events each year, or you can work them both each year. As a Bumblebee or as a Home Station. Double the Fun!!
Bumblebees will have to obtain a new sequentially issued BB Number for this new Fall ARS FOBB – Bumblebee Numbers are always temporary – they are only good for one ARS FOBB event.
You can get your sequentially assigned Bumblebee Number for this NEW September 21 2025 Fall ARS FOBB event now. Go to https://ars-qrp.com/FOBB/FOBB.html.
Yes, there will be a 3830scores.com facility setup for entering results for this NEW Fall ARS FOBB. It will be the same as we used for the Legacy ARS FOBB in July. (Thanks Bruce – WA7BNM).
72,
Jody – K3JZD
ARS Trustee
I've signed up already! Bee # 5
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
The new-to-me Lenovo T490S is on its dock, the second monitor is working as an extended display, and HamClock is humming away as usual. The laptop and the KX3 are happily conversing, so for good measure I upgraded the firmware in both the KX3 and the KXPA100, not that I'll probably notice any difference.
It took a while for me to figure out how to update the display drivers to get the 2nd monitor going, but I fumbled my way through it. The blind pig found an acorn again!
I have a wireless keyboard with an incorporated touchpad coming from eBay, and that will finish off the shack setup.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
It's only Tuesday and I shouldn't post this, but I'm going to anyway, with a prayer in my heart and my fingers crossed te weather outlook for the Skeeter Hunt for South Plainfield, according to Weather Bug:
Only a 25% chance of storms / precipitation, so that will probably mean backyard portable (under the patio umbrella!) - the KX3 to the K6ARK EFRW antenna. I've never used it in a Sprint situation, but have deployed it a couple times, It seems to hear as well as mu PAR ENDFEDZ or my EARCHI EFRW.
WeatherUnderground is calling the best chance for precip on Sunday is during the evening around 8:00 PM local time or later - so that's even more encouraging!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
For those of you who might not subscribe to any of the QRP email reflectors - Jody K3JZD posted this yesterday. Rather than summarize and possibly get something wrong, I'm going to cut and past here:
Considering a Date Change for the ARS FOBB
Maybe the End of July Is Not Ideal
Russ–AA7QU created the Adventure Radio Society (ARS) Flight of the Bumblebees (FOBB) event. Russ liked to operate from his camp in the mountains above the McKenzie River valley. From what I know about the Oregon high country, there is a good chance that the last Sunday in July was not as hot there as it typically is in most of the US.
As a Bumblebee in PA, I got cooked in 2024 and again in 2025. Many Bumblebees all around the US reported in their comments on 3830scores.com that they dealt with even higher temperatures. Some Bumblebees abandoned going out due to the dangerously high temperature in their area. So maybe having the annual FOBB in the Fall might be a smarter idea.
I’m thinking that Third Sunday in September would probably be cooler, making it a better day to hold the annual FOBB. There is no major contest that weekend. And no major holiday that weekend.
FOBB Participants, what do you think about this idea?? I need your feedback. Please go to https://ars-qrp.com. Near the top of the main page, you will see a FOBB Poll. Click on the “Move the Flight of the Bumblebee to September???” link. Then answer the two simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ questions. I will report the results of the poll in two weeks.
By the way, the 2025 Bumblebee photos that were submitted will get posted – I have not had the time needed to get started on that task.
Groups.io Moderators – Thank you for letting me post Adventure Radio Society news and event announcements on your reflector.
72,
Jody - K3JZD
ARS Trustee
If you participate in the Flight of the Bumblebees, please let Jody know what you think. As with just about everything in life, there are Pros and Cons. Personally, I don't much care when FOBB occurs - July or September - I'll be there ready and raring to go. If I operate portable, that's the bomb. If I end up having to operate from the shack because of the weather - well ......... yes, that may be disappointing, but at least FOBB is still happening regardless, and that's the good thing.
What is exciting is that if Jody decides to move to September, he has hinted that we may get another shot at FOBB this year! That's just good news any way you slice it! All I can say is, stay tuned! I'll keep you guys up on the latest news about this that I come across.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP -When you care to send the very least!
We're one weekend away from the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt. If you don't already have one, make sure you get your Skeeter number by end-of-day NEXT Saturday!
Here's what's going on this weekend:
Contests:
WAE DX Contest, CW - https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/conteste/wae-dx-contest/en/
FISTS Saturday Sprint - https://fistsna.org/operating.html#sprints
SKCC Weekend Sprintathon - https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/weekend_sprintathon/
Maryland-DC QSO Party - https://www.w3vpr.org/Maryland-DC_QSO_Party
Kentucky State Parks on the Air - https://k4msu.com/kypota/
4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint - http://www.4sqrp.com/SSS/sss_rules.pdf
Special Event Stations:
08/03/2025 | Jackson County Fair, Jackson Mi, Ham Radio demo
Aug 3-Aug 9, 1600Z-2200Z, W8J, Jackson, MI. Cascade Amateur Radio Society (CARS). 7.225 14.250. QSL. CARS - W8JXN, P.O. Box 512, Jackson, MI 49201-0512. w8jxn.org
08/09/2025 | 20th Anniversary Club Celebration - Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS) Ohio
Aug 9, 1400Z-2200Z, K8BF, Ravenna, OH. Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS), Ohio. 7.220 20.260 28.320. Certificate & QSL. Tom Parkinson - KB8UUZ, 9992 State Route 700, Mantua, OH 44255. SASE for certificate and/or QSL Card www.portcars.org
08/09/2025 | Anniversary of Three Polish Lighthouses 2025: Czolpino, Rozewie II, and Krynica Morska
Aug 9-Aug 17, 0000Z-2359Z, SN150LHC*, Gdansk, POLAND. Pomeranian Branch, Polish Amateur Radio Union. 160m to 6m. WARC, 2m, 70cm, SAT, FM; CW SSB FM RTTY FT4 FT8. Certificate. see website, for, information, POLAND. *SN150LRN and SN130LHK. This is an operating event. See website for details. ot09.pzk.org.pl
08/09/2025 | US Coast Guard Birthday
Aug 9, 1600Z-2300Z, NI6IW, San Diego, CA. USS Midway Museum Ship. 14.320 7.250 14.070 PSK31 DSTAR on Papa System Repeaters. QSL. USS Midway Museum Ship COMEDTRA, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. www.qrz.com/db/ni6iw
Tomorrow morning, August 9th is our K2ETS VE Exam session. We have a whopping single candidate registered so far. Registrations have fallen markedly this year, and I'm not sure why that would be. Mike N2JUN mentioned something to me about the FAA eliminating the need for a Tech license for drone operations. I'm not up on the regs and rules for that, so I don't know if that's a valid reason or not. Perhaps, and this is just a guess, but maybe the proliferation of online testing will put an end to these in-person sessions in the near future.
If it comes to that, I doubt that I will continue being a VE Liaison. I really don't want to get involved with the on-line testing program.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
A post totally unrelated to Amateur Radio (maybe not), but something I need to get off my chest after many, many years. And this place is as good as any, I guess. I saw on Facebook where a Math teacher that I had in High School just passed away a few days ago at the age of 94. From the comments, she was beloved by many. My experience was 180 degrees out of phase. (To borrow an electronics math term.)
When I completed 6th grade, my parents decided to transfer me from Parochial School to the East Brunswick Public School system. When I entered Churchill Junior High (that's what they called 7th, 8th and 9th Grades back then - now it's called "Middle School") I was placed in an advanced Math program. It's proper name was S.M.C.C.S. or something like that. We called it "Columbia Math" because it was developed at Columbia University.
I did fairly well - always getting As or Bs. The key to that success was a fantastic teacher - Mr. Cady. He made the esoteric and difficult to understand Math principles totally understandable. He was tough, but fair and was always encouraging and would spend extra time with you if you needed extra help.
In 7th Grade, when most kids were doing like Algebra 101, we were studying Venn diagrams, subsets, advanced Algebra, statistics and stuff like that. Mr. Cady made it "do-able".
Three yeas later, in 1972 I entered East Brunswick High School as a Sophomore. I was carried over into the Columbia Match program, because that's what I was taking at Churchill, and was doing well in. My results there were quite different. I had the teacher that I mentioned who just passed away.
She was a Math genius, but as far as I was concerned, a lousy teacher. She made no effort to go out of her way to explain difficult concepts, at least not in my view. She seemed to get annoyed when you couldn't grasp the concepts she was teaching, and extra help was not really offered. I went from getting As and Bs, to Cs at best and lower grades at worst.
After one particular hard exam to end the first quarter of the Sophomore year, she went around the classroom handing back graded tests. Generally, she was pretty pleased. However, and this is something I still remember some 53 years later and will NEVER forget - when she got to my desk and handed me back my exam ..... she looked me straight in they eye and in a voice loud enough for all the class to hear, actually said, "Unfortunately, some people who are in this class are not smart enough and do not belong here."
In a way, this caused my delay in chasing after my Ham Radio license. I wanted to get it while I was in High School, but the Morse Code eluded me and the thought of Math being involved petrified me. It took about three more years after graduating before I finally took the plunge, determined to buckle down and earn that Novice license. It turned out the Math involved was so basic, that even in idiot like me was able to pass, easily.
But in a strange way, the humiliation that I had to endure brought about a silver lining. When Marv K2VHW and I would hold Technician Class License courses, I was always determined to take the Mr. Cady approach. I always made my best effort to make concepts understandable in plain ol' English, in a way the people could grasp and be comfortable with. And I always made sure to make it clear that I was always available for extra help, if needed.
Thanks, Mr. Cady! I'll never forget you or your classes. May you rest in peace.
And to my readers, thank you for allowing me to vent.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Last night was National Night Out. This event is held by Police Departments throughout the country every first Tuesday evening in August. It was inaugurated for the purpose of fostering good relations between local Police Departments and their served communities. The people of South Plainfield in general have a very warm and cordial relationship with our officers. But a few freebies each year never hurt ...... right?
There were plenty of local businesses manning booths, giving away items, and promoting their wares. Our CERT members manned to OEM booth and we gave away small things for the kiddos, like vials of bubble soap, coloring books, mini Etch-A-Sketches and stuff like that. For the adults we had information on emergency preparedness and I brought lots of ARRL informational handouts about Amateur Radio. I also purchased a pack of ARRL pens and they disappeared quicker than you could say "Jack Robertson"!. As an added bonus, the International Space Station made a pass at almost 90 degrees and Marv was able to play the audio from his HT. People were astounded that they were listening to Hams orbiting the Earth,
Attendance was noticeably larger than the last time we did NNO two years ago. Last year NNO was postponed due to rain and then the make up date got rained out as well! The event was supposed to las from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, but according to Marv K2VHW the line for free burgers was still "a mile long" at 8:00 PM!
The photos aren't the best quality. If they look hazy that's because we've been inundated with smoke particulates in the air from the wildfires in Canada. As a result, the contrast is very poor.
One of our members Harry KC2PGX is also a Scout Master. He was looking for help last night as one of his Scouts is trying to earn his Merit Badge in Amateur Radio. There are two requirements - the Scout has to participate in a QSO lasting at least 10 minutes and the Scout needs to visit a licensed Ham's shack. I suggested to Harry that he should check into Marv's Middlesex County Chatgroup Net one evening along with his Scout. Once the guys hear that they have a guest trying to earn a Merit Badge, 10 minutes worth of conversation would be the last of his worries. As far ad the Ham Shack visit goes - I offered to make my humble shack available - as long as they didn't mind "the mess that it is'!
All in all, it was a successful event. It didn't rain this year and National Night Out went off without a hitch to maybe a record setting crowd.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least.
This post is going to be about personal satisfaction, but in two different ways.
First off, last night after dinner, I went down to the shack, determined to get the new laptop talking to the KX3. I use the rig control feature on AC Log for one reason only and that's to allow the logging program to know what frequency I'm on, so that I don't have to manually enter it. Lazy? Yeah, I guess, but I like it!
I realized the other night, or remembered would be more accurate, that I needed to load the drivers for the KXUSB Cable in order for everything to work properly. It was easy enough to find them via a link on the Elecraft KX software and firmware page. I downloaded the drivers, but then ..........what next? Where do they go and how do they get there? I am definitely no computer genius.
I perused the page and discovered the installation utility all the way to the right of the page. I clicked on that, and installed the drivers. Success - kinda. I went to the KX3 utility which I had downloaded and installed on Sunday and hit the "Test" button and saw that rig was talking to computer via COM 4 at a rate of some 38 point something kilobytes a second - or whatever.
I opened AC Log and ............. nothing. The Rig Control utility was polling the KX3 but wasn't giving any answer. So now what? That's when I spied that you can choose the "communication speed". I hit the 38 point whatever button and the rig and logging program started singing a duet. Nice!
Here's the thing. When I run into computer problems, I generally take on the IQ of a small soap dish. I work in an IT Department and work with computers every day; but when it comes to drivers and where to put them, and configurations and opening up databases and stuff like that - well, you'd get better help from an Oreo.
BUT ........ I got it done! All by myself, without going to YouTube or Google or asking anyone for help and that's where the personal satisfaction comes in. But I'm not about to become smug about it. I will always remember that one time I was working at Sinar Bron and I came up with the solution to a problem our studio strobes had encountered. I was feeling pretty proud of myself that I had figured out an answer that even the factory engineers hadn't thought of. My Boss, who was Swiss, looked at me and said, "Larry, even the blind pig finds an acorn every now and then." Wow! Talk about bringing you down to Earth and keeping you grounded! But it was a lesson I'll never forget.
The second thing about personal satisfaction that's on my mind. Last night on the POTA Facebook page, someone was complaining that his QSO acknowledgement rate seems low to him and sometimes it takes a very long time for activators to load their logs so that he can get credit for his QSOs.
Why does everything in Ham radio have to be about competition, awards and all that kind of stuff? What happened to going to a park, getting out in the fresh air and sunshine and having fun making radio contacts? What happened to the personal satisfaction of breaking a pileup and getting a QSO; or the satisfaction of completing a successful activation? Why the need for awards and tallies so that you can declare yourself "King of the Hill"?
I've got my share of POTA certificates. I haven't downloaded or printed any of them to hang on the wall. Just knowing I can be heard, that my station is working and that I can make the contacts is plenty good enough for me! Same thing with activations. I don't need to make 137 Qs on an activation. Don't get me wrong, that would be nice; but I get my 10 done and in the log and I'm a happy camper. I accomplished something and there's deep satisfaction in that - and that's good enough reward for me.
However, I guess it takes all kinds to make up this world that we live in. The trick is in not letting the annoying ones get to you - and most of the times, I fail miserably at that.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
I spent the afternoon yesterday playing computer games, but not the kind you're probably thinking of. I recently purchased via eBay a refurbished Lenovo T490 at a really good price. This will replace my Lenovo T430, which has grown long in the tooth. The T430 is pretty much incapable of efficiently running anything higher than the Windows 8 system that is on it, and it's slow and kludgy to boot.
The "new" laptop arrived on Thursday and when I unpacked it, I was unaware that I had bid on the T490S model, which comes with a touchscreen instead of the standard screen that my work computer has. Nice feature, but not really necessary as far as I'm concerned. It has 64 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD, so it's decked out pretty much the same as the laptop I use everyday.
The fun began when I powered it on, and before I could even start to personalize it, an hour went by getting Windows 11 updates. I spent the time working a few POTA stations including one being run by fellow QRPer, John N0EVH.
When all was said and done, I installed N3FJP's AC Log as well as the KX3 Utility program from Elecraft. I hooked up the data cable to the new laptop to make sure that the radio was talking to AC Log as far as frequency goes. As expected, they two were not talking with each other. Tried various different settings, as well as different port settings. Nothing. Instead of getting frustrated, i decided to just walk away from the problem for a bit.
Later, that evening, after dinner and while I was waiting to check into the St. Max Net, it hit me. I have to download and install the FTDI drivers for the KXUSB cable! The cable is not going to function without those!
I also have to download and install the KXPA100 utility and I want to also install a copy of Libre Office. I already downloaded and installed Kompozer, the program/app that I use to author webpages for SPARC and the Skeeter Hunt (which is only two weeks away, by the way!)
Setting up a new laptop is all kind of a pain in the backside. Samsung has a neat utility on their phones, so when you buy a new one - all you have to do is turn both on and place them side by side. The utility will copy just about everything from your old phone to the new one, without much work and even less thinking about it. It's not perfect, but it beats the band out of setting up a new phone the old conventional way.
Good bye July, we hardly knew ye! It's August already? My, how time flies.
Yesterday's weather turned out not to be not as bad as predicted for my area. From what I understand, this time the Jersey shore and the boros of NYC bore the biggest brunt of flooding. I'll have to admit that it was disconcerting to be sitting at the computer here at work, taking care of business, only to hear my cell phone erupt with a siren and the words "Tornado Warning". Not a watch - a warning as the NWS radar saw a severe thunderstorm around home begin to show evidence of rotation.
Marianne, who was working just a couple miles down the road in Plainfield said she never saw such frequent and crazy lightning before. I was here in Hunterdon County, two counties over, tuning into my Ring doorbell on my phone. The fact that it turned on meant the house was still standing and that we had power. The picture showed that the tree in our front yard was showing no evidence of severe wind, so that was somewhat of a relief.
They actually permitted us to leave about an hour early, as the severe weather was supposed to last until somewhere between 6:00 and 8:00 PM. Traffic was heavy due to everyone travelling slowly, due to the weather, but this time I did not encounter any flooded roadways on the way home.
It was spritzing on the way into work today, and it's supposed to be showery all day today. but starting tomorrow and lasting into next weekend, we're supposed to get pleasant weather with temperatures only in the 80s. A little bit cool for August. I'll take it.
Here's what you might hear on the CW portions of the HF bands this weekend:
Contests:
European HF Championship - https://euhf.s5cc.eu/euhfc_rules/
North American QSO Party, CW - https://www.ncjweb.com/NAQP-Rules.pdf
Monday Night: ARS Spartan Sprint - http://ars-qrp.com/Spartan_Sprint/Spartan_Sprint.html
Special Events:
08/02/2025 | Alcatraz
Aug 2, 0130Z-0830Z, W6P, Vacaville, CA. Vacaville Amateur Radio Club (W6VVR). 7.200 MHz 14.250 MHz 28.500 MHz. QSL. Art Aronsen, 7319 June Bug Lane, Vacaville, CA 95688. There will be 3 stations on Alcatraz Island during times stated. All stations will be on SSB on battery. w6vvr.net
08/02/2025 | KDKA Shortwave Network Centennial
Aug 2, 1200Z-2000Z, KD3KA, Wexford, PA. Allegheny Valley Radio Association. 7.040 7.240 14.040 14.240. QSL. AVRA, P.O. Box 24, Wexford, PA 15090. AVRA & Skyview Radio Society will commemorate the centennial of Westinghouse station KFKX in Hastings, Nebraska. In 1925, following Frank Conrad 8XK's successful shortwave experimentation and the establishment of the Hill Station, KFKX was networked via shortwave with KDKA in Pittsburgh to achieve nationwide KDKA broadcasting. https://www.qrz.com/db/kd3ka
08/03/2025 | Jackson County Fair, Jackson Mi, Ham Radio demo
Aug 3-Aug 9, 1600Z-2200Z, W8J, Jackson, MI. Cascade Amateur Radio Society (CARS). 7.225 14.250. QSL. CARS - W8JXN, P.O. Box 512, Jackson, MI 49201-0512. w8jxn.org
This Sunday marks two weeks before the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt! You can still get a number to participate as a Skeeter - right up until the day before - but why wait? We are up t0 168 Skeeters signed up, representing some 46 different states and provinces.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Of course, I live in the red zone. I hope it doesn't take me another 2 & 1/2 hours to get home tonight! The only good thing about this event is that the rain is supposed to occur from this afternoon, into tonight and overnight into tomorrow morning. It's when we get an exorbitant amount of rain in only an hour or two that things get really wacky.
The good thing about this system is, that once through, it will pull along behind it some drier and cooler air. We've been in the 90s since Sunday and this has been one of the hottest summers that I can remember in a long time. We had a bunch like this when I was a kid, but I was better equipped to handle it then. Even when I was in my 20s and 30s, I would think going out for a long bicycle ride in the 90s was "no big deal".
I'd probably keel over if I tried something like that now. Growing old is not for sissies!
The weekend outlook is looking very nice. Maybe on Sunday, I can pull out the QMX and my K6ARK EFRW and play a little radio from the patio table in the back yard, instead of confining myself to my basement shack. Admittedly, I still have not used my QMX enough for it to become second nature to me. Looks like Sunday might be a chance for a learning opportunity - maybe even at Washington Rock State Park for a POTA activation? Hmmmm?
I love the QMX for its size and portability - but menus drive me nuts! I need a lot more time behind the wheel before "comfort zone" and "second nature" happen. The downside of being a fossil ... being more comfortable with mechanical knobs, buttons and switches.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Before I get into that, I have a confession to make.
As you all know, I love QRP. If I was told that the power setting on all my radios was permanently welded to 5 Watts for the rest of my life, I could live with that - quite happily. But I saw this on the K9YA Telegraph Facebook page last night and my brain immediately screamed "No, no, no ...... NO!"
Now, getting to FOBB. What a magnificent job that Jody K3JZD has done by it. Really ...... a PHENOMINAL job! There were 268 Hams who signed up for Bee numbers. The contest had potential representation by 53 S/P/C's. I can't even fathom that! I know not everyone who signed up was actually able to get on the air, for whatever reasons, but still - the level of enthusiasm and excitement that FOBB generates is awesome. When Rich Fisher, KI6SN's health started to decline, FOBB could easily have rode off into the Amateur Radio sunset. But Jody grabbed the horse by the reins and has done a marvelous job promoting the event, and ensuring that the rest of us have a good time. And after all, that's what these Sprints are all about - having a good time and having fun.
Hats off to K3JZD and a very big "Thank You" for all your hard work! And I'm sure that Rich KI6SN is quite proud and grateful as well to see that his baby is still thriving.!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Boy Howdy! I wish I could be wrong as often in my line of work and still be employed! All last week, all I was seeing from various outlets was that this past weekend was going to be a rainy one. Hazy, hot and humid with a chance for thundershowers on Saturday and most likely all day Sunday. They even gave Sunday a 70 - 80% probability.
Saturday turned out to be sunny and hot ....... all day long. Sunday ..... well, Sunday? The day started out sunny. When I went to my car in the morning to go to Church, I saw there was some moisture on the car and the road, so it must have rained some overnight. However, my weather station did not even record 1/100th of an inch, so whatever happened was really minor.
As the morning progressed, the skies did get grayer and more ominous. I decided that if I was going to set up portable, it would be backyard portable so I could bring all my Ham gear inside quickly. Then, as FOBB start time approached, the skies became even grayer and darker, so I decided at the last possible moment to participate as a home station.
Wouldn't you know it? At the halfway point at 3:00 PM EDT, I came upstairs to refill my water cup and take a "nature calls" break. When I passed our front window, it was sunny as all get out! As bad as it looked, we never got any rain all weekend, except for that tiny smattering during the overnight Saturday/Sunday!
Being on the air from home is better than not being on the air at all, so for that I am grateful. Band conditions were not the best. From the beginning, signals on 20 Meters were down in the mud and QSB was just terrible! A classic case of hearing someone and then they're gone before they even finish calling CQ! 40 Meters was as dead as a door nail, except for W2TEF, who had a good signal, and I think just stayed on 40 Meters the whole time.
Band conditions improved as the Sprint progressed. 40 Meters actually ended up being the better band for me with more QSOs that 20 Meters. I checked 15 Meters about 4 or 5 times and heard no one there. I think that would have been my best chance for QSOs with the Western part of the country. I ended the day with 21 QSOs in the log, with 13 of them being Bumblebees. I think the farthest west I got was Missouri. i worked a couple Florida stations and desperately tried to work old friend Kelly K4UPG, who is also down in Florida. At one point, I thought I had caught his attention as he was calling CQ. He faded out both times I tried to work him, so I don't think he ever heard me. And that's the kind of day it was, There were others whom I would call and they would fade away before I could tell if they were coming back to me or not.
But, so far, as per the 3830 Contest page, I'm currently in 5th place in the Home QRP category. I'm sure that I'll drop down as more entries come in, but 5th place for now is nice, and much better than I expected.
Contests:
MARAC US Counties QSO Party - http://www.marac.org/contests.htm
FRAPR 10M Contest - https://www.frapr.org/concursos/
RSGB IOTA Contest - https://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2025/riota.shtml
Alabama QSO Party - http://alabamacontestgroup.org/aqp/rules/
Flight of the Bumblebees - http://ars-qrp.com/FOBB/FOBB.html
Special Event Stations:
07/24/2025 | Central Kentucky Antique Farm Machinery Show
Jul 24-Jul 26, 0400Z-1000Z, K4HSN, Paris, KY. Harrison County Amateur Radio Club. 28.550 14.300 7.250. QSL. K4HSN c/o C.J. Clifford, 58 Ky Highway 3003, Cynthiana, KY 41031. Commemorative QSL available with SASE. www.qrz.com/db/k4hsn
07/26/2025 | Friends of Bodie Living History Day
Jul 26-Jul 27, 1500Z-0100Z, W6B, Bodie State Historic Park, CA. Bodie Foundation. 7.185 14.235 21.235 28.310. Certificate. John F Pinckney, 139 Belle Boyd Boulevard, Inwood, WV 25428. Frequencies are +/- QRM. POTA# K-3410 No souvenir cards. SWL reports must include call of station in QSO.
Before I post my usual "What's up this weekend?" post tomorrow that I try to make every Friday, I wanted to take a little time to make sure that you ............
Don't "bee" late, so you won't "bee" sorry!
This Sunday IS the annual Flight of the Bumble Bees! YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!
Jody K3JZD has done a fantastic and phenomenal job of promoting this mid-Summer Classic. There are currently 238 QRP'ers who have been assigned Bee numbers. How FANTASTIC is that!?! Can we possibly get up to 300 by game time? THAT would be grand!
I wish we could get this kind of participation for the QRP-ARCI events!
There's still time to sign up for a Bee number if you want one. But even if you prefer staying home and operating from your shack, and there's no reason on Earth to prevent you from doing that - you just jump into the fray without a Bee number. No harm, no foul - just a ton of fun.
Here's an idea and a suggestion........Hey POTA guys who have never tried your hand at QRP CW..... sign up for a Bee number! Talk about a target rich environment?!? You can literally have your activation done in minutes! You wouldn't even have to call "CQ POTA" if you didn't want to!
I am SO hoping that the weather at my neck of the woods is decent on Sunday. As of right now, it's not looking too promising. The hazy, hot and humid I can deal with - the possible lightning is another matter. BUT .......... if the weather prevents me from going portable, I'll just operate as a 5 Watt station from home. I'm not about to miss this for "all the tea in China" if at all possible!
For all the skinny that you need to know about FOBB, you'll find all at https://ars-qrp.com/FOBB/FOBB.html
Let's fill the air with so many signals that Hams not aware of the QRP world will tune into the bands on Sunday only to hear what sounds like a swarm of buzzing bees!
72 de Larry W2LJ - FOBB # 25
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
So I got a few answers to some questions last night.
1) HAMRS will not install on my laptop. I tried both the 32 bit and 64 bit Windows downloads. I currently have Windows 10. I got a message saying that some kind of file was necessary to complete the installation, that apparently my laptop does not have. Unfortunatrly, the error message did not specify what the needed file was.
2) I did successfully install HAMRS on my tablet, but it would not accept an ADIF file that I generated from AC Log. Just to be sure the file was OK, I imported that very same ADIF file into VLS Logger and it imported with nary a whimper.
So I will continue using my tablet and VLS Logger and will periodically export an ADIF file to AC Log on my laptop for posterity and safe storage (of which a copy of that AC Log ADIF file gets put on a USB thumb drive for extra protection). It's just so much more convenient to bring the tablet on portable ops (or vacation, for that matter) instead of my laptop. Another factor is that a battery charge on my tablet lasts much, much longer than the battery on my ancient, wheezing laptop.
I received a disturbing e-mail today. I'm sure it's a scam, but what they are offering to sell me was disturbing. Of course, I have deleted the e-mail, but I snapped a screenshot of it before doing so.
I'd be a millionaire. But before I get into the reason behind my statement, here's a neat phot of "home"., courtesy of the ISS. "Home" is in the upper right corner of the photo, right about where I put that yellow circle.
Back to my wish.
I use N3FJP's AC Log to account for my Amateur Radio QSOs. I was using Log4OM, which I love, but it has become clunky on my ancient Lenovo T430. One of these days, when I get something with more memory and a faster processor, I may switch back, but for now it's AC Log, exclusively on Windows.
My wish is that Scott N3FJP had a comparable and compatible version for Android, as I usually end up using my tablet instead of my laptop. It's much easier to carry the tablet than a laptop, and it would be nice to be able to have the same program on all my devices and have all the QSOs synced between them..
I currently use VLS Logger on my phone and tablet. It's intuitive and easy to use, but it also does not offer a version for the Windows platform.
If I'm not mistaken, HAMRS may be the only logging software out there that is available for both Windows and Android. I may have to play around with it to see if I like it. I'm not terribly good with change. The other problem is that I invested $$ to purchase a license for the entire N3FJP AC Log suite. I'd hate to not use it now.
I know, a minor first world problem, but most Amateur Radio problems are.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
The Special Event Station that the LIMARC Club was holding to honor Apollo 11's landing on the Moon. I probably would have never heard them, anyway, as they were operating on 40, 20, and 15 Meters - all of which are probably unsuitable for an HF contact between Central NJ and Long Island. However, they never triggered HamAlert, which tells me they might not have been spotted anywhere.
This is a scan of a certificate I received for working WA4NZD from the Marshall Spaceflight Center ARC during the 25th Anniversary of the Moon landing, back in 1994. It proudly hangs framed on the shack wall.
Then Bob, W3BBO sent me photos of a couple Apollo certificates that he earned:
I should have checked the NASA On The Air website to see if nay of the NASA affiliated Amateur radio Clubs would be on the air this past weekend. Again, the idea came to me the day after. Typical!
While listening for a possible appearance by K2CAN, I also scanned the bands for POTA stations. I worked one on 20 Meters, and that was it. A bunch were listed on the POTA app, but I couldn't hear or could only barely hear any of them. So I spent some time reconfiguring my Jackite stand/holder.
Originally, all the PVC pipe lengths were 12" (30 cm) long. I shortened the ones in the cross piece to 3" (8 cm) long. In addition, I cemented all the pieces of the cross section together. This will prevent the Jackite from falling over to either side.
I shortened the leg sections from 12" to 6" (15 cm) long. This takes up a lot less real estate and is easier to pack in a bag for portability. The leg sections are still press fitted together. I didn't want to permanently cement the entire thing as it would make it much bulkier and harder to store or transport.
Later in the evening, after checking in to the St. max Net, I scanned 40 Meters for some POTA stations and was able to pit three in the logbook. Which brings another topic to mind, which I will save for tomorrow - after I do a little more research.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
