NAQCC June Sprint

This coming Tuesday night is the June edition of the NAQCC Monthly Sprint. The top two highest scoring NAQCC members (in the Simple Wire Antenna category) will win book about keys by Dave Ingram K4TWJ, who is also an NAQCC member.

I've plastered these notices to just about every CW and QRP mailing list on the Internet that I can think of. I'm posting it here also; just in case you're a loyal reader who does not subscribe to any of the QRP or CW forums.

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This Tuesday evening, the North American QRP CW Club will be holding its monthly sprint.

Here are the particulars:

Date and time:
Wednesday, June 13th, 0030-0230 UTC
(Remember that's Tuesday evening here in the USA) That's 8:30 - 10:30 EDT, 7:30 - 9:30 CDT, 6:30 - 8:30 MDT and 5:30 - 7:30 PDT.

Bands - Frequencies:
80M - 3555-3565 kHz (Be courteous to FISTS operating on 3558 kHz)
40M - 7039-7050 kHz (Avoid W1AW on 7047.5 kHz).
20M - 14059-14065 kHz. General:
A particular station may be worked once on each band. Operate CW only.
All licensed amateurs are invited to participate, but only those operating QRP (5 watts or less) are eligible for awards.

Call: CQ NA

Exchange:
RST - SPC (State Province or Country) - NAQCC Nr.
(non-Members substitute power level for NAQCC Nr., e.g. 5W, 1W, etc. Be sure to add the W.)

QSO Points:
QSO with a Member, 2 points.
QSO with a Non-member, 1 point.

Multipliers:
Each USA state
Each VE province
Each country except W/VE
All multipliers count only once in the contest.

Bonus:
If you use only a straight key for the entire sprint, multiply your score by 2.
If you use only a bug for the entire sprint, multiply your score by 1.5.
If you key with anything other than a straight key or bug, there is no bonus multiplier.

Categories:
SWA - simple wire antennas - for those using a simple wire antenna per NAQCC definition.
GAIN - gain antennas - for those using other than a simple wire antenna.

Special Award:
This month the top two NAQCC highest scorers in the Simple Wire Antennas category will win prizes! First place wins Dave Ingram's wonderful book, "The World of Keys" while the second highest placing NAQCC member will earn a copy of Dave's book, "Keys II: The Emporium". Dave K4TWJ is a 'card carrying" member of the NAQCC and we thank him for his generous donation of one of the books. The other book was procured using funds donated to the NAQCC.

REMEMBER: You HAVE to be a NAQCC member to be eligible to win one of the books; and there's still plenty of time to join before Tuesday night's sprint. To join the NAQCC, please visit: http://www.arm-tek.net/~yoel//joinup.html

Entry Deadline:
All entries must be RECEIVED before 2400Z on June 19, 2007. So submit as soon as possible, especially regular mail entries.

For further information, please visit: http://www.arm-tek.net/~yoel//sprintrules.html


73 de Larry W2LJ
NAQCC #35

Dreaming of vacation !!!!

Tonight's QSO has me dreaming about being on vacation!

I called CQ on 40 Meters tonight, to be answered by Hal, who is on vacation at the Outer Banks in North Carolina near Kitty Hawk. He was running a KX1 at 3 Watts to a 120 foot hunk of wire and he had a great signal! 10 dB over 9 (at times) great!

It was a very pleasant QSO; but now I have visions in my head of operating the K1 from Lake George. Summer is almost here; and vacation time is around the corner.

Can't wait!

73 de Larry W2LJ

Ham and cheese for lunch ?

Well, now that I think about it ..... that IS what I had for lunch today - a ham and cheese sandwich. But the other kind of "Ham" that I'm more interested in could best be described as "dessert".

After scarfing down my sandwich, I went out to the car and fired up the K1. As the Spirit that controls the Aether would have it, as soon as I got the station ready to go, I was greeted by the dulcet tones of a station calling CQ on 20 Meters. It turned out to be Herb, WØHM out of Shakopee, MN. The conditions weren't terrible; and they weren't the greatest, either. QSB was rolling in and out fast almost giving signals a kind of fluttery feel. Not like Polar flutter, exactly; but on the same vein.

It turns out that H and M are Herbs two initials; but just look at the call ....... WØHM. How great is that for a Ham radio callsign! The very first principle that you learn when studying basic electronics is Ohm's Law. I wouldn't mind having that call even if H and M weren't my intitials !!!

The QSO lasted about 15 minutes. Not what you would call a long ragchew; but enough to supply my radio "fix" for the day. Herb was using an Icom IC-706 to an Inverted Vee and I was using the K1 to a Hamstick mounted on my truck. Herb is 57 years old and has been licensed for about 24 years now. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, we had to give it up as QSB was getting deeper with the faded periods lasting longer and longer. Also, I had to start getting back inside to work; so we bid each other 73 and called it a QSO.

Geez, I hope the weather is pleasant again tomorrow so I can give this another shot. Maybe tomorrow, I'll pop on the 40 Meter Hamstick to see where that takes me!

73 de Larry W2LJ

Summertime condx!

Today, June 1st is the official opening of this year's hurricane season. If you believe the groundhogs among us (you know the type - afraid of their own shadows!), then this year is going to be a busy one. Undoubtedly caused by Global Warming, of course.

Ahhhhhh ..... Global Warming, the cause d'celebre of the decade of the 00s. I'm no climatologist; but when did we become SOOOOOOO arrogant as to believe that we humans are the end-all-be-all cause for everything that happens on this planet? Now I don't doubt that Global Warming is real and exists ....... I just don't think that we humans are the cause of it.

I believe that global warming is a natural cycle in ecological scheme of things. As Hams we should be really in tune with the sun. We're so darned aware of the 11 year sunspot cycle; and we're all bemoaning the fact how crappy band conditions are at the bottom of it. We can't wait until we're out of the bottom of it. So why can't there be a normal cycle of temperatures? The sun can't heat up and cool off a few degrees in a cyclical fashion, just like sunspots ebb and flow? As a species, we've been measuring the temperature of the earth for what ...... 400 years or so? And from that pitiful sample, we're supposed to be experts on climate change? What a joke!

One last thought ....... if we're so responsible for climate change; then how did the last Ice Age come to an end BEFORE the invention of the SUV? Really folks ...... get real!

But I digress. The weather has been sultry and summer like in NJ the past two weeks. (Probably due to Global Warming. Doh!) The bands have gone into their summertime behavior pattern. (Pattern ...... suggests a cycle ...... I better be careful here!) 80 and 40 Meters are filled with static crashes; but unfortunately the low sunspot count is making sure that the ionosphere barely "excites" and 20 Meters is pretty useless once the sun goes down. So while 40 Meters seems to be the best band propagation wise during the night, the static is punishment on the ears and brain.

The sunspot low has been predicted to occur anywhere between last March and this coming September, depending on who you listen to. In either event, once we pass through the nadir, sunspots should start appearing again pretty rapidly.

From this blog to God's eye!

73 de Larry W2LJ

It's gonna snow!

It's the last day if May; and it reached 90 degrees here in New Jersey ...... and it's gonna snow !!!!

When I got home tonight and checked my e-mail; there was an e-mail from my Congressman. He directed me to a site where I could offer my assessment of the newly proposed immigration bill.

Oh my goodness !!!!!

What a novel concept ..... a Congressman actually taking the time to poll his constituency on a matter of national importance and security! Way to go, Congressman Ferguson. You made my day; now I just hope you pay attention to what an overwhelming majority of your constituents seem to be saying.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Getting back into the swing of things .....

Okay, the new job has settled down to the point that I'm in a semi-comfortable routine; and my head is no longer spinning in circles. Back to familiar things.

I joined the Barbershop Sprint tonight. There was some activity; but not terribly much. I worked just about everyone I was able to hear. That netted me 14 QSOs in about an hour and a half. I pulled the plug a half hour early as I just wasn't hearing any new stations and my CQs were going longer and longer in between answers. It was fun; but boy ...... being away from radio for about a month made a very familiar thing feel not so quite familiar any more! Next Monday night is the ARS Spartan Sprint; so I look ofrward into getting into the QRP Sprint routine again.

I went out at lunch time and set up the station in the car at the parking lot. 20 Meters was dead .... dead .... dead .... DEAD! I think scanning up and down the band around 1800 UTC, I only heard maybe two whole stations?!? I think we need some sun spots.

For those of you who have been visiting my Website; and have been noticing the "weirdities" on the pages ..... I think I finally have them straightened out. The gentleman who provides me with hosting space had to change servers. In the process of moving, I think things got corrupted; and there was gobbledy-gook at the bottom of each page. I finally figured out how the new system works and I think I cleaned up all the pages tonight.

It's good to be getting back in the radio groove again.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Turning the page

Two weeks ago, I hit a milestone on the "road we call life". I hit the big Five-Oh.

Yep, I'm 50 now. Officially middle aged. Only 5 years from being eligible to join the AARP and only some 15 or 20 years away from retirement.

No K3 to commemorate the event. Harumpff!

73 de Larry W2LJ

Aloha!

It came! It came! It came!

A milestone arrived in the mail today! That most coveted piece of cardboard, measuring only approximately 3.5 X % inches; but yet of inestimable value to me! My QSL card for my QRP contact with Hawaii from back in 2005, finally made it to my door!

Oh joy of joys! Only one more QSO to make; and have confirmed and then I will have made contact with all 50 United States via QRP CW. Alaska - the final wilderness - the final frontier - the final QRP CW QSO needed.

I imagine it will come sooner or later; probably later than sooner. I imagine ol' Sol is going to have top break out in a decent case of acne before I manage Alaska with 5 Watts from New Jersey. However, stranger things have happened; so you never know.

Godspeed and safe travel to all of you headed out to Dayton this weekend for Hamvention and FDIM. I envy you all; and wish I could be there with you. Hey, if Elecraft is handing out samples of the new K3; will someone be sure to pick one up for me? Pretty please? ;)

73 de Larry W2LJ

Did you feel the earth move?

Did you feel it? There were rumblings throughout the Amateur Radio and QRP worlds today! The epicenter was in Aptos, California and shock waves are still being felt throughout the Amateur Radio community; and probably this will continue right throughout the time of Dayton Hamvention.

Today, Elecraft announced the new pinnacle of its line of Amateur Radio transceivers as they rolled out the K3!

You know, I cannot do justice to the explanation of this radio; so I will just post what Wayne Burdick, one of the co-founders of Elecraft posted to the Elecraft and QRP e-mail reflectors:

Greetings!

This afternoon at the DX Convention in Visalia, CA, we unveiled a new top-of-the-line transceiver -- the Elecraft K3. This is the culmination of three years of design, test, and refinement, and we believe the K3 will set a new standard for performance and value in its class. It has features and performance comparable to present radios ranging from $4000 to $12000.

(We'd like to thank the many surprised convention attendees. What they all said boils down to something like "Yes!")

A full K3 web page will be set up by Monday, complete with order form and other details. Meanwhile, please take a look at the temporary page:

http://www.elecraft.com/K3

Among other things, you'll find a very high-resolution front panel photo (as well as other photos):

http://www.elecraft.com/K3/K3_big_v2.jpg

And the K3 data sheet:

http://www.elecraft.com/K3/K3_Data%20Sheet_rev06.pdf

There's also an order form that could be printed and mailed, but sometime on Monday the on-line order page will be up and running, which is the preferred method.

As explained on the order form, you can reserve a K3 now for initial shipments in July. A 50% deposit is requested if you'd like to secure one of the first 200 production units (serial numbers 20-220, probably).

Here's a quick summary of the K3's specs:

- K3/100 and K3/10 models (the K3/10 can be upgraded very easily, internally, to a K3/100)

- Basic K3 price ranges from $1399 to $1989 depending on whether you start with the
10-watt or 100-watt model, and whether you choose factory assembled or
modular, no-soldering, kit (this is the subject of the next email).

- Desktop/portable size: 4"H x 10"W x 10"D (10 x 25 x 25 cm) -- optimized for both
home and travel use

- All modes (SSB, CW, DATA, AM, FM, plus AM-sync receive, and built-in PSK31/TTY decoder)

- High-dynamic range, down-conversion architecture, plus 32-bit I.F. DSP
for software-defined capabilities (and lots of room for future expansion)

- Optional subreceiver with *identical* performance to the main receiver,
including a fully independent front end, its own set of roofing filters,
its own DSP, and low-noise synthesizer; binaural or combined receiver audio

- Up to five crystal roofing filters *per receiver*, with bandwidths as narrow as 200 Hz

- Narrow ham-band filtering, plus optional general-coverage receive filters
(can be added to either or both receivers)

- Internal 100-W ATU option with two antenna jacks

- 100 W PA module includes two large fans, circuit breaker, full parameter monitoring

- All signal sources phase-locked to common 49.380 MHz reference oscillator;
1 PPM TCXO option, firmware-correctable to better than 0.5 PPM

- Built-in PSK31, RTTY, and CW decoding and display allows use of
digital modes with or *without* a computer; use CW keyer paddle or
attached computer for casual, two-way data QSOs

- Advanced noise reduction; auto- and manual notch. Noise blanker included (both
I.F. hardware pulse blanker and DSP noise blanking)

- Easy-to-use DSP shift/width and locut/hicut controls with automatic crystal filter
selection based on selected passband width (in real-time -- no filter calculation delays)

- Dedicated CW/voice message buttons; optional digital voice recorder

- 100 general frequency memories with alphanumeric text labeling, plus 4 scratchpad memories per band

- Full-custom, optimized, segmented LCD with two VFO displays, alphanumeric text, and
dedicated filter passband graphic

- Rich I/O set: stereo speaker outputs, fully isolated soundcard interface, dedicated RS-232
I/O (and optional USB adapter), receive antenna in/out jacks (for patching in RX filters, etc.),
and both front- and rear-panel mic and headphone jacks

- One-click PC firmware download program checks for updates automatically and quickly
updates microcontroller and DSP firmware

If you have any questions on specifications, performance, etc., that are not answered by the data sheet, feel free to email wayne@elecraft.com.

Sales questions should go to Lisa:

sales@elecraft.com

We'd like to acknowledge the hard work of the following colleagues:

Lyle Johnson, KK7P (DSP, digital I/O, audio I/O, many of the PC boards, and countless critical tasks)
Bob Friess, N6CM (RF deck, ATU, high-performance 1st mixer, noise blanker, other receiver design)
John Grebenkemper, KI6WX (synthesizer, general receiver architecture)
Brian Broggie, W6FVI (manufacturing engineering -- say hi to him at Visalia tomorrow)
Paul Russell (purchasing)
Lisa Jones (who somehow held down the fort during the entire process)

Eric (WA6HHQ), as usual, applied pressure in all the right places to ensure that this would be the best radio we could make: he's Mr. Performance and Features. Wayne (N6KR -- yours truly) was the principle designer, and also got to do all the fun parts (packaging, firmware, and Owner's manual). And that's why he gets to answer your questions :)

We'd also like to express our thanks to our very patient 15-member focus group. Over a period of about a year, they endured a never-ending series of concept drawings, refinements, and feature discussions. They're a distinguished bunch! I'm sure you'll hear from some of them as the K3 is discussed at length.

Finally: thanks to all of you who have generously contributed ideas for a hypothetical K3 during our many on-line "fishing expeditions." You had wonderful input, and I hope we've created the radio you've always wanted.

73,
Wayne, N6KR
Eric, WA6HHQ

Thanks Wayne, Eric and all the folks at Elecraft! If this radio is even as good as the K2, you have a proven winner on your hands! Now all I have to do is start saving and maybe in about 5 years, I'll be able to afford one! (I guess there's always the lottery!)

73 de Larry W2LJ

Please excuse my absence

Please excuse me not blogging for the last week and a half or so .......

I just started a new job last week - my first new job after 23 years. And I have changed fields entirely. Ever since I left college to join the work force, I have been involved in the photographic field. I have worked as a studio assistant, I worked as a Public Relations photographer for Six Flags corporation, I have done the photo retail thing; and I also worked in a custom color lab. For the last 22 years, I worked for Sinar Bron, a distributor of high end Swiss made professional photographic equipment, as the Service Manager of the Service Dept.

Last week, I went to work for Pitney Bowes. I work in an IT environment, prepping routers, switches and servers for installers to install in their various facilities.

On Monday night I was overwhelmed.

On Tuesday night my head was spinning.

On Wednesday night I was asking myself what ever made me decide to change jobs?

On Thursday night I was feeling a little better.

Tonight I'm feeling like I might actually get the hang of this!

So once I'm feeling a bit more confident, I'll get back on the radio more. Right now, when I get home, I'm ready to hit the rack - and that's about it! The one good thing about this job? An hour lunch break! That will leave me with more time for lunchtime QRP sessions!

73 de Larry W2LJ

You would think I'd know better!

This is one for the "Frustrating QSO' column - the name and callsign of the Ham are withheld to protect his stupidity.

It began with me calling CQ on 7.055 MHz. I was answered by W$XXX, who was absolutely pinning the S meter on my K2. ALL the LEDS were lit up - he had to be 60 over 9! Of course, I gave him a report of "5NN plus". In turn, I got a 579 - pretty good. Perfectly readable, moderately strong signals - I love to get RSTs like that.

We go further into the QSO and I'm always getting "FB COPY" whenever he starts transmitting. Cool beans!

Then I make the dreaded mistake. On my next over, I mention that I am running a K2 to a G5RV. On his next transmission, I get "BK RU QRP?"

I answer, "BK YES 5 WATTS".

Oh crap! I knew it ...... here it comes!

"U BETTER RUN LIL MORE POWER. BAD QRN RUFF COPY. 73 TO U. W2LJ DE W$XXX SK"

Like magic, I went from a 579 to a 229 in one fell swoop! I hate QSOS like that and the lids who hear the words "5 Watts" and suddenly go deaf. If I had never given my power; or perhaps lied and said that I was running a K2/100 at 100 Watts; I'll bet the stupid QSO could have lasted a lot longer. But no, "5 Watts" means "crummy signal no matter how well I'm hearing you - don't disturb me with the facts, please!"

Sheesh!

73 de Larry W2LJ

SOC

SOC stands for The Second Class Operators Club. It's a group of good natured and perhaps a little bit too self-deprecating bunch of Hams who celebrate our human-ness, our foibles, and our ability to screw up royally!

We realize we're not icons of Hamdom; and we're darned proud of it! The only requirement for membership is to realize that you're not perfect and to have fun with that reality. Today on the SOC e-mail reflector came a post by Rich Arland W3OSS who is an SOC member and a member of the QRP Hall of Fame, by the way!

"As long as we are sharing stories: In the mid-late 80s was stationed at Langley AFB, VA and was a member of the Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Klub (SPARK) who's membership was made up of a group of rocket scientists. No, I mean "REAL" rocket scientists....from the OSL (Other Side of Langley)....the NASA side. One of our FD sites was on the NASA grounds a couple of blocks away from a huge wind tunnel. (Believe me....this was MUCH better than the Nike missile site and it's bazillion mosquitoes!!) Several of our "Rocket Scientists" had researched an idea for a huge loop antenna for 80 meters. They announced at a meeting before FD that their newest antenna design would garner some really good 80M Qs....much better results than over the last several years. The "Rocket Scientists" proceeded to erect their "super-loop" on Saturday afternoon and shortly before sundown they started hunting on 80M with a virtually no success. They worked a few stations over the night but nearly not as many as previous years. They futzed and putzed with their death-ray antenna to no avail. They still had problems working stations on 80M. Signal levels were down and it took many calls for them to work even the loudest stations. About 9AM on Sunday, I was told to drag my Argonaut 509 into the 80M camper and use a hastily erected G5RV to make the five Qs for our "low power points". So here I am, rummaging around inside the camper setting up the Argo. I look down behind the table and saw several runs of coaxial cable laying on the floor. The "Rocket Scientists" had apparently loaded up into he dummy load the night before, confused the coaxial cables (they weren't marked) and tried making 80M Qs using the dummy load. Amazingly, they actually made contacts....I made sure to tell them that I was extremely impressed by their "QRP" operations, but they should really leave the low power stuff to some of us that knew what we were doing! Needless to say, there were some red faces at the next club meeting."

"Rocket Scientists" or no; these guys are prime membership material for the SOC. After all, who among us hasn't screwed up big time to the point of wanting to disappear?

Just so you know what we're all about, here are two quotes from a couple of our members:

Competence is tolerated, but not encouraged (Chris, SOC#436)

I demand the right to make a fool of myself in any way I see fit (Lee, SOC#425)

If you think you're SOC material; and want to investigate a little further, then visit:
http://www.qsl.net/soc/

73 de Larry W2LJ
Proud to be known as SOC Member #619

5 Whats?

40 Meters didn't seem to have a whole lot going on. I called CQ up by the QRP watering holes for a while and was fruitless. I wanted to get my QSO in for the day; because I 've been doing real well in that department. In the first four months of 2007, I think I've only missed one or two days without at least one QSO.

I decided to go down to the bottom of 40 Meters and see if there was any decent DX that I could hear. I did hear an Israeli station calling "CQ USA"; and I tried calling once or twice without success. Then the station must have shut down for the night; as I didn't hear any more CQs out of him.

A bit further down the band I heard RA6AU, Vasili in Russia calling CQ. He had quite the little pile up going. I heard some pretty loud stations calling, too. For the heck of it, the next time he called CQ, I waited for just about two seconds before throwing my call into the mix. I figured that I'd let the QRO stations drown each other out for a bit; and then try and make an end run.

It worked! Vasili came back with "LJ?" and I repeated my call two times more. We exchanged RST and names and he was on to the next station with a "TNX QSO QRZ DE RA6AU". Not the rarest of DX; but it's always nice when a 5 Watt station can beat out some of the big boys.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Foxtravaganza 2007

Last night was Foxtravaganza. Foxtravaganza is the final event of the QRP Foxhunting season. The individual hunts are over, and team and individual results have been tallied and recorded. But for one last frenetic evening most, is not all, the Foxes get on the air at one time for an fast paced, frenetic evening of fun.

I divided up the evening into two halves. I spent the first 45 minutes on 40 Meters and the last 45 minutes on 80 Meters. When all was said and done, I handed out a total of 34 pelts. This total was a bit less than the evenings during the regular season; but during the season, I only had one other Fox on the air along with me. Last night there had to be at least a good 10 -15 Foxes on the air all at the same time!

It was a ton of fun; and the Foxtravaganza experience just reinforced to me just how good the other Foxes and the Hounds are. These guys are the best!

Today is Good Friday, the most solemn day of the year for Christians. It is the day we remember how Jesus Christ, the Son of God, took upon a human nature and offered His life up in order to win our salvation. The day is spent soberly and quietly.

73 de Larry W2LJ

March Poll Results

For March, the poll on my Website featured a question about antennas. Specifically, the questions was, "Which of the following antennas do you use most of the time?"

The answers, rather surprisingly to me, shook out as follows:

Resonant Dipole received 8 votes or 20.51%
Yagi or log periodic received NO votes!
Doublets received 10 votes or 25.64%
Verticals received 11 votes or 28.21%
Spider or Hexbeams received no votes.
Full sized wire loops received only 1 vote for 2.56%
Compact Magnetic Loops received 2 votes for 5.13%
Cubical or other quad antennas received 2 votes for 5.13%
Long Wire or Zepp antennas received no votes
"Other" received 5 votes for 12.82%

I am surprised that no one who voted in my poll seems to use either Yagi or long wire antennas. And I was also surprised that vertical antennas won the vote by a narrow margin. I expected Doublet (or multi band) antennas to receive a large portion of the vote; but I also thought the resonant (single band) dipole category would receive more votes than it did.

I guess more people are using verticals as a way to deal with the limitations of small, suburban lots.

Interesting.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Madre de Dios!

The Democrat leadership of the House Armed Services Committee is doing away with the term "Global War on Terror" in all 2008 budgetary documents.

They don't like the way it sounds.

Hmmmm ..... the terrorists have no problem declaring war on the United States by using passenger planes as weapons of mass destruction.

Maybe the Democrats need to grow a backbone; or better yet, we can call them the "Linguini Spined Party of Appeasement".

I like the way that sounds.

73 de Larry W2LJ
(Sorry for getting political ...... but enough is enough.)

Back home where it belongs!

I came home from work yesterday to see a white USPS Priority Mail box waiting for me. I did not need the powers of the Amazing Kreskin or even Superman's X-Ray vision to know what was inside. My K2 was back! Hot dog!

My initial inclination, of course, was to rip the box open and run the rig downstairs to the shack and start pounding brass. But first things, first! First there was track practice for my son, homework for both my kids, bath time and bed time. Then and only then did I take the K2 and put it back in its rightful place on the operating table.

To my delight, I found out that Alan W3DVX did an outstanding job putting the final touches on my K2. The frequency is spot on! Twirl the dial on 30 Meters to 10.000.00 MHz and WWV is there, right where it should be! Next was a check of the K2's internal crystal filters. I went to 40 Meters and picked out a station that was in a cluster of several close by signals. Changing the filters was a thing of beauty. The station I had picked stayed put, rock solid and the interfering stations magically disappeared as I flipped through the K2's filters.

The KAF2 is now installed and I reset the internal clock to UTC. The audio filter sounds fabulous and I can already see where it will be a big help in the QRP sprints; when everybody and his brother seems to obstinately occupy about 5 kHz of spectrum instead of spreading out!

And as if things couldn't get better, I started calling CQ down around 7.031.00 MHz and I was answered by TK5JO, Guy in Corsica. A new one for me! I've never worked Corsica before, either QRP or QRO. This becomes my 69th DX station worked as I continue on towards QRP DXCC. Oh baby, what a night!

As I predicted, an already fabulous rig is now even better since it has been professionally tweaked and aligned by someone who knows EXACTLY what they are doing! And with this result, I can recommend Alan Wilcox, W3DVX and his firm Wilcox Engineering enthusiastically and whole heartedly!

If you want to have an Elecraft radio; but are hesitant for whatever reason to build it on your own; then Alan is THE man! If you're like me; and you've already built your own KX1 or K1 or K2, and you know it can stand some improvement and don't have the time to tackle the job on your own; then Alan is the man for you! His work is top notch, A-1 and his rates are reasonable. He is a true gentleman and he'll keep you informed every step of the way. By all means, do yourself a favor and visit his Website: http://wilcoxengineering.com/

You will be so glad that you did!

73 de Larry W2LJ

Two nice Qs!

I got on 40 Meters on the K1 tonight and seemed to have a pipe line into North Carolina. The pipe line was very productive and yielded two very nice QSOs. The first was with Jim KB2JWD who lives in Waxhaw. Waxhaw is near the South Carolina border, not too far away from Charlotte.

I've worked Jim before in the Adventure Radio Society's Spartan Sprint; but this was the first opportunity I've ever had to chew the rag with Jim for a bit. Jim was running his NorCal SST rig at 1 Watt out to a G5RV. He was an honest to goodness 579 into New Jersey. That 'lil NorCal rig was doing a great job squeezing out RF into the aether. Unfortunately, Jim had to QRT and couldn't stay on too long. But for as long as it lasted, QRP to QRP QSOs always seem extra special.

The next QSO was with W4/VU2YK. Wouldn't you know that the first VU station that I've ever heard, let alone worked, would be portable in Raleigh, NC ???? Rahul has been in the USA for the last three months, visiting his son who works and lives in Raleigh. He's going to be here for another month, and then will be heading for New Delhi, which is his home QTH.

Rahul was using an Icom IC-706 at 100 Watts to a dipole that was only 15 feet up above the ground. The dipole may not have been high; but Rahul had a killer signal! If the K1 had an analog meter, the needle would have been pegged. We talked for a bit and then the band started going even longer and both our signals were getting weaker. We exchanged the normal "end of QSO" pleasantries and we both QRTed for the night.

A relaxing night on the radio is better than just about anything!

73 de Larry W2LJ

#68 is in the books!

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

Alan's got my radio!

As mentioned previously, Alan W3DVX of Wilcox Engineering, has my K2 at the moment.

I heard from him the other day. He's got the frequency readout and the filters aligned. He fixed my BFO problem where I was hearing both sidebands of a signal.

He's at the point of installing the KAF2 and has run into a problem. When the KAF2 is installed, it messes up the operation of the KAT2 auto tuner that I built and installed last year. I should have my K2 back this week, hopefully, all professionally tweaked, aligned and ready to go!

73 de Larry W2LJ

Say It Ain't So, ARRL !!!

This was posted to QRP-L yesterday by Alex KR1ST. Alex is a very level headed guy; and I have no qualms with accepting this as the truth.

The top echelon of the ARRL and its counsel have met with the FCC, on February 13th 2007, to change their petition on regulation by bandwidth (RM-11306). Indeed, after the deadline for comments and reply comments have expired:

http://tinyurl.com/2v6k63

The changes they now propose will in effect allow (automated and non-automated) RTTY and data transmissions up to 3kHz wide in those portions of the HF band you now traditionally find only CW. If you read the appendix carefully and compare that to their original proposal you can see that they have dropped bandwidth segment divisions for all but the ten meter band.

If you thought that CW operations were relatively safe under the original regulation by bandwidth proposal because the proposed bandwidths were so narrow in your segment of interest to be useful for high speed data, well, it is not anymore. The new proposal allows for RTTY and data up to 3 kHz wide to be transmitted all the way down to where you now traditionally only find CW transmissions.

One may wonder why the membership is not informed of this meeting and the dramatic changes in the petition. This new proposal is not only harmful to (QRP) CW operations but also to operations outside the USA and its territories.

As you can see from their meeting record, the ARRL argues that a revision of the petition was necessary because of recent rule changes. One of the big rule changes is of course the dropping of the Morse Code proficiency test. Perhaps the ARRL expects CW to eventually disappear and has already begun the refarming of the CW portions of the HF bands. You probably noticed the recent request on the ARRL web site for expertise on HF Digital Communications.

If you haven't done so before, now is a good time to let the FCC and the ARRL know what you think of this revised proposal so that you don't get reminded one day that you should have taken action, when that robot station pierces your ears during your pleasant Sunday afternoon CW sked. You can file additional comments through the FCC's ECFS system:

http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi

and you can contact the ARRL through the usual channels.

73,
--Alex KR1ST
http://www.kr1st.com

Write your Division Director and leave comments with the FCC today!

73 de Larry W2LJ

Time for a callsign change!

I was a happy ham as a General. I had plenty of
HF privileges, which is what I always had wanted. I was also getting my share of DX as well as ragchews. Life was pretty good.

However, in the radio club that I belonged to, there was another DOH. Phil Styn WB2DOH was the other DOH And people used to get the two DOHs confused.

So in 1983, two momentous things happened. First, I set paperwork in motion with the FCC to request another callsign. It was granted and I became N2ELW in the Spring of that year. That was the callsign that I was to live with for the next 17 years.

The second thing that happened that year was that I started on the road to upgrading my license class once again. This time my sights were fixed on to acquiring an Advanced Class Amateur Radio license. I commenced studying in the mid-summer and was finally feeling fairly confident by October. Confident enough to make a trek to the FCC and take the exam.

Taking a license examination in those days was light years different than it is today. First off, there were no question pools. You picked up a copy of the license manual for whatever class license you were interested in, and you married it. You and the book became inseparable companions. You and the book became one. You not only studied the theory; but you learned it. You had no idea as to what kind of questions they were going to throw at you; so you learned everything the best you could. Sure, everybody memorized formulas and stuff like that; but you had no questions to pick from - you were going into the exam cold as an ice cube.

Secondly, if you wanted to upgrade; then that meant a visit to the FCC offices. For those of us in New Jersey, that meant either a trip into New York City on Varick Street, or a trip out to Langhorne, PA. I chose the Langhorne, PA location. It was an easy drive and the Oxford Valley Mall was located right next door. There were plenty of places there to go grab a snack, afterwards.

Unlike today, there were no friendly "Joe Hams" there to greet you. You were met by FCC personnel who usually acted like you were the last person they were interested in seeing. The usual demeanor of the day was brusque and "no nonsense" of any kind. But, on the up side, the FCC folks were extremely professional, competent and fair.

We lined up like cattle waiting for the slaughter. Code exams were given first. For the heck of it, I decided to give the 20 WPM code test a try. I had my 20 WPM certification from ARRL Qualifying Runs for a while by then, and I figured it would be a cakewalk. WRONG! For whatever reason, I choked like a Little Leaguer on a baseball bat. I failed miserably - making the "newbie" mistake. I missed some characters and instead about forgetting them and moving on; my brain became a log jam and my copy ended up looking like gibberish. Kind of like "white coat" high blood pressure, I guess. Some folk's blood pressure goes up at the Doctor's office just because they know it's going to be taken and they get all worked up about it.

Later on, I realized that it was a case of the pressure of the moment of being in the Hallowed Halls of the FCC. Once I was out of there, I was able to copy at 20 WPM with no problem. Good thing I wasn't testing for the Extra exam that day! But it was not a good way to start; especially on the day that I was taking the hardest examination of all the FCC offered for Amateur Radio exams. Years later, upon earning my Extra, I was to confirm what many others had told me. The Advanced Class Amateur Radio exam was THE toughest of all the tests. The theory and the math were difficult; and I still had to know frequency allocations as well. All in all, it was not a pleasant experience; but I did in fact make the grade.

It was October 18th, 1983 and I walked out of the FCC offices as N2ELW, Advanced Class Amateur Radio operator. New frequency privileges in my pocket and a burnin' yearnin' desire to make use of them.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Reality comes crashing down

In the months that preceded my upgrade to General, I scrimped and saved my money for a new rig. The Drake 2-NT and Heathkit receiver were good; but General class Hams use SSB ..... right? Once I had upgraded to General, I was headed for the Promised Land, the land of milk and honey ..... 20 Meter phone!

As much as I liked CW, I still had the visions of Ham Radio in my head that I had since I was a kid. Being a General meant sitting at the desk with my feet up and chair tipped back. There would be a microphone in my hand and I would be talking to all the rarest places on planet Earth! I would become close friends with people around the globe. A bit naive, yes, but old visions die hard.

I managed to save up some cash and bought myself a used set of Kenwood T-599 and R-599 Twins. I bought them from John Kakstys W2FNT who was for years an icon in the used Amateur Radio equipment market in New Jersey. A trip to John's basement was like Christmas, the 4th of July and Disneyland all rolled up into one - especially for a newer Ham!

After the license upgrade, the Kenwood Twins were installed into the place of honor on the operating desk. An Astatic D-104 all bright, and shiny chrome was to be the method of sending my voice into the aether. I turned them on, tuned everything up and proceeded to cautiously call CQ on the 20 Meter phone band. And that is precisely when all hell broke loose!

Unbeknownst to me, my family was downstairs trying to watch TV when I undertook my SSB maiden voyage. Much to their dismay, as well as mine, my voice made 5X9 into the TV! Walter Cronkite sounded like a weird Frankenstein Donald Duck thanks to yours truly! The picture took on a herringbone pattern unlike anything I had ever seen before! This had all NEVER happened in all those months of pounding brass! TVI had never raised its ugly head until that day.

Still being a relatively new Ham, with no Elmer (mentor) to speak of, I was blissfully unaware of the proper RF grounding techniques that would be needed to successfully carry on a SSB career. Some further delving into the ARRL Handbook as well as other ARRL publications gave me quite the education. However, working out of a second story shack made things all that much more difficult in obtaining the proper RF ground. Counterpoises of the proper length helped; but did not solve the problem completely. I was gloomily staring at self imposed quiet hours as there was no way the family was going to let my hobby interfere with their TV viewing. That's when it struck me! All I had to do was hook up the key and I could operate anytime I pleased! The plan was formed ...... CW during Prime Time and SSB during the off hours.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the Hamfest. I took a liking to CW even more than I had before!. I ended up using it all the time after a bit of experimentation revealed that I was getting much more of a "bang for the buck" using CW. I quickly got disenchanted with SSB as my meager antenna set up wouldn't allow me to get out much. It became quite plain to me that CW was getting me scads of DX that I was never able to get with SSB. And CW was keeping my family from turning into a lynch mob out to get ME!

So it was quite by accident that I became the avid CW op that I am today. But it was a happy accident; and I'm glad that it happened. I've had the best time I could ever hope to have using Morse Code, simple wire antennas and QRP. I wouldn't change it for anything.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Upgrading

One of the first things that I did after making my first few QSOs as a Novice was to purchase an ARRL General Class License manual. Even though the Novice license had become a renewable license class; I decided that I would pretend that is was "old school" and that I would upgrade within a year.

Many QSOs and listening to W1AW got me up to 13 WPM rather quickly. I buried my nose in the license manual for what seemed like months. Finally in either June or July, it was announced that the FCC was going to be appearing at a Hamfest up in Morristown, NJ to administer exams. Wow! That was not a common, everyday occurrence. The rule of the day was that you had to appear before the FCC at their offices. This was truly the exception to the rule.

The day for the Hamfest came. I remember that it was ultra hot, humid and sticky; and I was as sick as a dog! I had some kind of summer cold; and as hot as it was, I was shivering. I must have been running one heck of a fever. My sister was kind enough to drive me up to the Hamfest and wait for me while I tested. I wasn't feeling well enough to drive myself.

I remember going in there and putting on those antiquated headphones to take the Morse Code portion of the exam. I remember that they started with the higher speed 20 WPM exam and work their way down. This was good; because after listening to the code at 20 WPM, 13 WPM actually seemed slow! This was still at the point where you copied a QSO and they checked your copy for at least one minute of solid copy. I must have done all right; because the next thing that I remember was someone shoving a copy of the written exam to me along with a sheet on which to mark my answers. I answered the questions the best I could and then this grumpy older lady who worked for th FCC was shoving a white cardboard slip into my hands which informed me that I has to sign as KA2DOH/AG until the permanent version of my license came through the mail. I was happy, I was proud; and I was feeling miserable. If I didn't want to stay for the rest of the Hamfest, I must have been doing pretty badly. I remember crawling into my sister's car so that she could drive me home. I didn't even get on the air when I got home. All I remember at that point was crawling into bed and falling asleep so fast that it was like I had passed out.

The next thing to happen over the next few days changed my Ham radio life forever.

73 de Larry W2LJ

The Beginning

I was first licensed in December of 1978. This was a few years after my first, unsuccessful foray into Amateur Radio. I tried to earn my license as a high school student; but as it turned out, I did not have enough determination to learn the Morse Code. I got frustrated and gave up way too easily.

After college and winning my "first" full time job, I read in the local newspaper about an Amateur Radio Novice Class license course that was being offered at a neighboring town's high school night program. I took the plunge and jumped in with both feet. Eight to ten weeks later, in November of 1978 I passed the test. I even aced the Morse Code part! Four weeks later, in December, I received my license with the callsign KA2DOH.

As a Christmas gift that year, my parents bought me a used Drake 2-NT transmitter from Burghardt's in North Dakota. I has saved for and had purchased a Heathkit HR-1680 receiver that was specifically oriented towards the beginning Novice operator. I took most of January to build that radio. Finally on January 28th, 1979 I was ready! The antenna was a random length wire stretched between my bedroom window and the garage. This went to an antenna tuner which went to the 2-NT. I don't quite remember how I rigged the station to switch the antenna between the transmitter and receiver; but I do vaguely remember there being a manual throw knife switch in there! My dummy load was a Heathkit Cantenna. The key was a Viking Master straight key. I had a Globe VFO hooked up to the Drake 2-NT through its crystal socket.

I carefully tuned the transmitter and the antenna tuner and listened for a station calling CQ. I was too nervous to put out my own. I finally heard someone calling at a comfortable speed. The frequency was 21.135 MHz on the 15 Meter band. I put out the station's call followed by "de KA2DOH" and was answered by Adam KA9CIH out of Armington, Illinois! This milestone QSO lasted all of about 20 minutes, from 2110 - 2130 UTC. I gave him a 589 and he gave me a 599. I don't remember too, too much about the QSO except that I was terrified, ecstatic, sweaty-palmed and elated all at the same time! And at the end I was walking on air because finally, I was a "real Ham"! I was also exhausted! I didn't make any more QSOs that day. I didn't even call CQ any more that day; as I even logged unsuccessful CQs in my logbook.

My second QSO came a few days later when I answered a CQ put out by KA3CIV, Gary in Saxonburg, PA. And so it went, day after day after day. My code speed increased; and by the summer of that year, I was ready to go for my General. That's a whole story in its own right that I will go into in another post.

For kicks, I've dug out my old Novice logbook and have entered into QRZ, some of those first stations that I had worked. Sadly, some of these folks are either Silent Keys or have dropped out of Amateur Radio altogether. Happily, some others are still active and have upgraded and sport different class callsigns. The image above is my Novice QSL card. I did the artwork myself and had them printed by a QSL printer who no longer exists. Those Novice days were good days! I'm glad that I entered the Ham radio arena the way I did. I think the FCC made a terrible mistake when they discontinued the Novice license. It was certainly an experience that I will NEVER forget.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Living with compromise antennas

The results came in for Monday night's Spartan Sprint. Out of 78 entrants, I came in 17th in scoring, if you look at it solely based on the numbers of QSOs generated. Not bad; but again not great. There's another method of scoring, which is based on the number of QSOs generated that is tied in to the weight of your station. In that category, I came in 21st, which shows I need to get cracking and finish the ATS-3 !!!!

The first method, though, is scoring as per any other QRP Sprint. And like I said before, I did okay - just okay. Such is the curse of living on a typical 100' X 50' NorthEast suburban lot. My G5RV is layed out more like a shallow horizontal Vee rather than a straight line dipole. And since the maple in the back yard had to be topped; I lost about 15 feet worth of height for the apex of the antenna. My Butternut HF9V is okay; but typically for a vertical, it's noisier than the doublet. Add to this the fact that I desperately need to re-do the radial system this Spring or Summer.

I sure could use a few higher trees in the backyard! I know that the G5RV would certainly play better if I could manage to get it up higher. But right now, 25 feet is all she wrote. My darling wife is adamant about no towers; and besides, I can't afford one anyway. So I guess I have to face it and work with what I have.

It's human nature, I guess, to always want more. I should be happy with what I have. I live in a community with no HOA's or any kind of deed restrictions. I COULD have a tower if I really desperately wanted it enough. I am not forced to live with indoor attic antennas. I need to learn to be satisfied with; and be grateful for what I have.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Pesky Armadillos

Tonight was the 2007 Pesky Texan Armadillo Chase sponsored by those "Pesky Texans" of the NeTxQRP Club. This is always a fun event. This year there were only 12 'dillos to chase around; and I managed to snag 7 of the armored critters.

KT5V, W5MJ, W5TA, N5ET, N5DO, K5OT and KG5U.

Normally I have a radio pipeline into Texas and Lone Star QRPers are generally easy to copy. Not tonight! It was a real struggle on 40 Meters as there was no shortage of static crashes and deep QSB. There were a lot of requests for repeats of information; and several times I had to really listen carefully to make out the callsign of the Armadillo who was calling CQ. Even with the cruddy band conditions, it was still fun.

Meanwhile, it's 11 degrees outside and I'm freezing!

73 de Larry W2LJ

They're still up!

My antennas, I mean. Last night, the wind was so hard and so loud that it woke me from a sound sleep. I think I have a feeling that I now know about the kind of wind the Apostles heard on the first Pentecost!

As I lay there, listening to the house rattle and creak and marveling at the sound of the rushing winds, one of my third or fourth thoughts went to my G5RV and Butternut vertical. In the grogginess of the moment, I was sure that I was going to wake up in a few hours to find antenna and mast bits and pieces laying on the ground.

Daylight brought a plea from my dog, Jesse to be let outside in order to take care of his morning "business". As I opened the door, I was greeted by a overwhelming blast of cold Arctic air. It was about 10 degrees at that point and the wind was still howling. But a quick inspection through the open door revealed that vertical, mast and wire antenna had survived unfazed, to this point. (Knock on wood and fingers crossed!)

I certainly hope the winds die down today. Not just for the sake of the antennas; but because the wind chills are exceptionally brutal. When I dropped my kids off at school this morning, my face felt like it was going to crack as I walked them from the car to the school building. I hate it when it's so cold that my face aches.

To think that just a couple days ago it felt like May outside. Now it feels like we were dropped somewhere on an Arctic ice shelf.

Did I mention that I hate winter?

73 de Larry W2LJ

THAT didn't last long!

Wow - the nice Spring weather lasted for two days. Now we're in another Arctic blast with temperatures in the low 20s and the winds are howling outside! The windchill makes it feel like 5 degrees right now. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...............

Fortunately, I was able to stay warm inside and operate the Adventure Radio Society's annual monthly Spartan Sprint. And it was a very good time, too. The band conditions were pretty darn good. I made 41 QSOs in the two hours which is pretty good by my standards.

40 Meters was long and I was able to work the following states - GA, IL, FL, WA, MN, TX, LA, CO, NC, MO, MS, ID and even a NJ station of ground wave! 80 Meters yielded the closer in states - VA. PA, NY, NH, ME, MD, MI, ON, and some farther ones too ... FL, and WI, AL and TN.

QRN on 80 Meters was quieter tonight. I guess the cold outbreak quelled any thunderstorm activity on the Eastern half of the country; so we were kind of back to winter band conditions for the evening. Hopefully it will hold for tomorrow night's 80 Meter Foxhunt.

73 de Larry W2LJ

It Feels Like Spring!

This morning, we received over 2 inches of rain. Right now, I'm sitting here during my (late) lunch break; and it's sunny and 55 degrees. I hope this is a harbinger of thing to come!

If this keep up; it will be time to start packing the K1 in the car for portable operations from the car during lunch time again! It will be nice to get out in the sunshine and fresh air, fire up the radio and make some QRP CW contacts.

In the meantime, I have decided to send my K2 to a professional to get some work done on it. Right now, it is performing superbly; but I want it to be professionally "tweaked" and aligned. I haven't the time to do it myself. I'll be sending it out after the last 80 Meter Foxhunt.

I feel bad about not doing it myself; but between work, K of C commitments, taking care of my children when Mom's not home (working), taking the kids to their various activities (cheer, gymnastics, etc.) - it's just a bit too much to think about. I've been in touch with one of the Elecraft builders about it; and have found out that his rates are super reasonable.

My K2 is great now; and I expect it to be even better when it comes back.

73 de Larry W2LJ

A Good Evening

I guess I was in a bit of the building mood tonight, and I did some more work on my ATS-3. I have to be the slowest builder in all of QRP-dom! Anyway, I added some resistors to the PCB tonight; and it's coming along nicely. The resistors are going on rather easily.

I did have one big scare, though. As I was emptying some resistors out of the little carrier that they come in, one bulleted out and made like a dive bomber for the floor! Luckily, I spotted it right away and didn't give myself a heart attack. For those of you not familiar with surface mount resistors, these little buggers are about 1/16th by about 1/10th of an inch. They are incredibly tiny! It's no small miracle that I was able to find the resistor right away. I can imagine the hoops I would have to jump through to find a replacement somewhere.

Then, after I turned off the soldering station for the night, I had an interesting QSO with Mike N2VT on 80 Meters. It turns out that Mark is located in Chinatown in Manhattan! It's hard for me to imagine a Ham station in Manhattan. Mike was using a Yaesu FT-857 to an inverted Vee. I can only imagine that he must have had it on the rooftop of some building. I don't think that there are a lot of backyards in Manhattan!

When Mike found out that I was using a K2, he had a lot of questions. He told me that he was tempted at one time to purchase a K2; but now he's thinking more along the lines of maybe a KX1. If my experience is typical, whichever Elecraft radio Mike buys; he's in for a treat. Fun to build and even more fun to use!

73 de Larry W2LJ

February Poll Results

The poll for February on my Website was:

"How much of the time do you use CW?"

Here's the talley:

100% - I was born with a key in my hand! - 11 votes or 57.89% of the vote.
75% - I love CW but dabble with other modes. - 7 votes or 36.84% of the vote.
50% - I like CW just as any other mode! - 1 vote or 5.26% of the vote
25% - I prefer talking to pounding brass. - 0 votes, 0%
0% - Who was Morris and is his code like the DaVinci Code? - 0 votes, 0%

Only 19 votes last month as opposed to over 50 last month. Hmmmmm ...... okay, maybe it wasn't as popular a question as I thought it would be. For March, I'll do something with antennas.

I'm glad to see that 100% users of CW made a strong showing in the poll, regardless!

73 de Larry W2LJ

Spring must be close!

Last night was a good one in the 80 Meter Foxhunt. I managed to nab both pelts. Jerry N9AW and Dave N1IX are both top caliber QRP operators; so it was a relatively easy night.

But the noise that's making its comeback on 80 Meters! Wow! You can tell that Spring, with its abundance of unsettled weather and thunderstorms is on the way back. The static crashes were bad enough at times to make me wince as I was attempting to break the pile-ups. I'm glad I did not have my headphones on last night.

The Winter Foxhunt season is rapidly coming to a close. There are only about three weeks left after this week. As always, there will be some "Foxhunt Letdown" after the season is over. Undoubtedly, there will be a Summer season of 20 Meter hunts; but for whatever reason, it's not quite the same.

The Foxes on 80 and 40 Meters deserve a great big hand. Contending with the bands during this sunspot lull has been no piece of cake, by any stretch of the imagination. Sitting there and faithfully calling CQ while trying to dig out callsigns from a very unforgiving ionosphere can be a tedious job. Fortunately for us Hounds, we've had a bumper crop of tenacious and able bodied QRP operators who endured on our behalf. To call them the "Cream of the Crop" is no exaggeration - by any means! Thanks to all the Foxes and all the Hounds who were willing to chase the quarry!

73 de Larry W2LJ

A New Day

The day is here. February 23rd, 2007. A day to mark in Amateur Radio history. The day that knowledge of the Morse Code as a requirement to earn an Amateur Radio license has ended. The page has been turned.

I do not feel sad because I feel that Amateur Radio is going to change in any big way. I doubt that it will. I do not fear that the bands where I spend my time will degenerate into a CB kind of cesspool. I do not predict the end of Amateur Radio as we know it and I do not predict the demise of CW as a mode, in fact I remain optimistic for the future.

I feel sorrow simply at the passing of a tradition. There are exceptions; but for the most part every Amateur Radio operator in the USA (and the world) who has spent any time on the HF bands all have had that common bond. I feel sorrow for the operators who will never even try Morse Code, thinking it too difficult; and at the same time depriving themselves a world of fun and excitement.

To mark the event, here are some posting that have appeared on the Internet today. They represent all points of view.

From KC5WA:

"The end of an era. The removal of the code proficiency requirement to obtain an amateur license. I struggled with learning the code for 5+ years to get to the 5wpm and even longer to obtain that coveted 13wpm and my general and advanced class tickets. Then to drive for 5 hours one way to take the exam only to fail it twice. Still I made it. NOW the ARRL is celebrating the end of the era. HORSE FEATHERS. CW is still my preferred mode of operation even if I have lost a lot of those abilities due to illnesses. The music that is CW is
still heard in my shack and will be until I am unable to turn on my K2 OR KX1. I hate to say it this but I really believe a time is coming when all the digital equipment will be useless as an old rusty horse shoe and it will be up to those who can utilize CW. I for one will not celebrate the end of an era. I will mourn it's passing and continue to use CW with my limited abilities until they put my urn in the ground."

From N9PUZ:

"The really exciting QSOs are yet to come. We'll get to work OPs who were never forced to learn CW to get their licenses. They just really wanted to do it."

From N6VL:

I just finished a QSO with Darrel, W7GXL, in Buckeye, AZ. I did not realize it but I signed off just as the new rules kicked in. I believe 9:01 PM in CA is 12:01 AM ET. Darrel and I were on 7111 kHZ. We were both using straight keys.

I kinda like that part of 40 meters. It is good to see it getting use as an unofficial slower speed CW sub-band. There is plenty of room between the broadcast heterodynes. I heard Darrel on a little earlier working a station up in WA state. They were just below 7120 and had to sign because of QRM. It turned out to be the BCC's lower sideband by all indications.

Anyway I kind of like the irony of working CW on 40 just as the rules change.

From N1PDP:

" I am sorry to see the no code rule, as I have a hard time with code,
but I am still going to work on the code."

From KE5MMT:

" That is "exactly" my position on Morse. I only have three letters, the numbers and prosigns to go. I'm going to do a paper upgrade tomorrow. I have NO intention of putting the code aside. The first thing I did after passing Element 2 and 3 was to apply for FISTS membership and I'm proud to say that I'm now FISTS 12991. I can't wait to do my first CW QSO."

From AB8XA:

"With all due respect, I see no end of any era here, and nothing to say good-bye to or be bittersweet about.

As in years past, those who want to use code will, and those who don't won't, whether they had to learn just enough to pass a test or not.

As in years past, hams will be exposed to code on-the-air and it will continue to enchant some and not others. The difference is now code won't have the negative association of testing as one's first exposure.

As in years past, human copy of CW will get distant contacts phone or computer CW readers won't. Some new hams will continue to be enticed to learn it for that reason.

As in years past, there will be new hams, including some in the Extra bands, who can't maintain a 5 wpm QSO, whether they passed a copying test at that speed or not.

As in years past, there will be experienced ops who will QRS to accommodate them, just as there will be some who won't.

The era of code is alive and well, and can coexist with any new eras. As I see it, the glass is half full, not half empty."

From AD6YU:

Welcome to the Brave New World, February 23, 2007! My history: Novice and Technician (5 WPM), 1959; General (13 WPM), 1960 and Advanced, 1977; Extra, 2001.

In 1960, Generals had "all amateur radio privileges" on all bands; Extras were 20 WPM, and had to have 2 years experience as a General or Advanced (or old Class A), but had no more operating privileges than a General--just a fancy blue FCC diploma-type license, the "Ph.D" of ham radio.

After Charlie made the Extra 5 WPM in 2000, I thought: "Geez, here I am at 13 WPM and I don't have use of all the CW sub-bands; some newbie comes in at 5 WPM, and gets everything."

So, after taking the Advanced and Extra written tests in 1977 and 2001, more than 40 years and 2 exams later I'm just right back to where I started from! And get this: an Advanced with 13 WPM **STILL** doesn't have use of all the CW sub-bands, whereas a newbie no-code Extra will get everything! All because a few moss-backs said to Charlie, "Well, **I** had to pass old elements 4A **and** 4B, whereas the Advanceds only passed 4A." Charlie bought the argument, so now upgrades from Advanced to Extra have to pass the combined new element 4 (A and B together).

So, have fun studying about elliptical satellite orbiting near the equator, Smith Charts, phased verticals, and effective radiated power--stuff you use every time you're on the air, LOL.

Incentive licensing? Sure. The Brave New World is for selling more books and study guides, selling more equipment (Are you listening, Kenwood, Yaesu, and Icom?), and making the VECs seem even more self-important than they already are. But the sun is shining today. Be happy, and smile!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So as you can see - there all kinds of points of view out there.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Code Bashers ...... Can't stand 'em!

The Morse Code requirement as it pertains to obtaining an Amateur Radio license disappears on Friday. As an avid user and proponent of Morse Code and Amateur Radio, this saddens me. Personally, I feel like the FCC has ripped the heart and soul of the Service from its rightful place. To me, the Morse Code and CW are more than a mode of operation; they are a tradition. A tradition that keeps us close to our past and our roots. CW and the code ARE Amateur Radio. They are part and parcel of what separates us from the other radio services. But, time marches on and "progress" is made. The FCC has determined that the Morse Code requirement is an "undue burden" to the advancement of the Service. So that's it. The changes have been made and there's nothing I can do about it.

What ticks me off and yanks my chain, are the people who are celebrating this as the "death" of Morse Code and CW. Take for instance the letter that appears in the March 2007 issue of QST. This letter is written by a gentleman from New Mexico who holds a degree; a Doctor of Pharmacy. In the letter, he writes:

"Personally, I applaud the FCC's action regarding the elimination of the code requirement. For all the wondrous attributes of CW, a relative minority of hams utilize this (antiquated) mode of operation."

He goes on to say further in the letter after extolling and bragging of his educational background,

"I have been licensed as a "no code" Tech for 16 years. I just purchased a new HF rig; and you can bet by February I will have upgraded to General (perhaps even Extra). This change has rekindled my interest in ham radio. I have always been interested in the theory. The code requirement served as an unnecessary barrier to expanding my interest and involvement in Amateur Radio. Proficiency with Morse code does little to support the very reason for amateur operation to exist."

Very good, Doctor! I have several problems with these excerpts from your letter.

1) Prove to me that the number of Hams in the United States who use and enjoy Morse Code and CW are a minority. Please show me your statistical analysis. And could you please tell me what your definition of a "minority" is. 49 percent? 40 percent? 30 percent?
20 percent? 10 percent?

2) If you're going to come off as an expert on the subject; and you're going to try and "wow" me with your logical argument; then please stop using pejorative terms such as "antiquated". It's trite.

3) Unless you take a code exam, you are NOT going to upgrade your license to General or (perhaps even!) Extra. Until February 23rd, you still need to take Element 1 to qualify for those license classes. Get your facts straight ..... again.

4) No one has ever stated that proficiency in Morse Code has anything to do with the reason that Amateur Radio exists.

6) The gentleman states that he holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. A little searching on the internet has revealed that this learned man had to study and master these subjects:

Principles of Chemistry
Calculus
Biology
Genetics
Organic Chemistry
Physics
Microbiology
Kinetics
Pharmaceutics
Pharmacology
General Pathology

and a whole lot more. The bottom line is that this gentleman is obviously quite intelligent and smart. He's dedicated and he knows his craft.

And you expect me to believe that he couldn't pass a 5 WPM code test? That it was a "barrier"?

Please ....... I may have been born at night; but it wasn't last night.

If you don't like code, then just say it. "I don't like code and I don't want to use CW". Be honest with yourself. Trying to come off that the Amateur Radio Service is going to be lightyears better because a licensing requirement is disappearing doesn't pass the smell test, as far as I'm concerned.

Morse Code and CW as a mode in the Amateur Radio Service will survive and perhaps even flourish. The reports of its death are an exaggeration. (Thank you, Mark Twain.) But please folks, don't try to insult my intelligence with vapid arguments and suppositions.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Sigh!

As seen on the ARRL Website - the following survey:

ARRLWeb Survey

Are you or your club doing anything special to welcome new or upgraded hams after Morse code testing officially ends next Friday?

A> Yes, I'll be inviting hams to my station
B> My club is planning a "welcome" event
C> No

Has it come to this? Has it really come to this? I haven't seen the League this giddy about anything since the announcement of the WARC bands.

BTW - So far, the "No" choice leads with 83% of the vote as of this moment. Now before you all get your undies in a knot, that doesn't mean that 83% of the Hams responding are crusty old curmudgeons who are preparing for Doomsday. I think it's just a majority of existing Hams saying, "OK, it just got easier. If you want a license, go for it. If you don't, then don't". One thing for sure, though ..... there's no excuses now. Although I'm sure somebody will come up with a new one.

73 de Larry W2LJ

A new QRP-ARCI contest!

Jeff Hetherington VA3JFF the Contest Manager for QRP-ARCI posted today about a new contest that will make its debut this March. This one involves the trading of Maidenhead Grid Squares as part of the exchange. Here's the straight skinny:

Date/Time:

1500Z to 1800Z on 18 March 2007.

Mode:

HF CW only.

Exchange:

Members send: RST, Grid Square, ARCI member number
Non-Members send: RST, Grid Square, Power Out

QSO Points:

Member = 5 points
Non-Member, Different Continent = 4 points
Non-Member, Same Continent = 2 points

Multiplier:

Grid Square total for all bands. The same station may
be worked on multiple bands for QSO points and SPC
credit.

POWER MULTIPLIER:

5 Watts = x1
1 - 5 Watts = x7
250 mW - 1 Watt = x10
55 mW - 250 mW = x15
55 mW or less = x20

SUGGESTED FREQUENCIES:

160m 1810 kHz
80m 3560 kHz
40m 7030 kHz (please listen at 7040 kHz for rock bound participants)
20m 14060 kHz
15m 21060 kHz
10m 28060 kHz

BONUS POINTS:

If you are operating PORTABLE using battery power AND
a temporary antenna, add 5000 points to your final
score. (You can NOT be at your shack operating from
battery power using your home station antenna to
qualify for this bonus.) This is to help level the
playing field for contesters who work from the field
against contest stations with 5 element yagis at 70
ft.

Score:

Final Score = Points (total for all bands) x Grid
Squares (total for all bands) x Power Multiplier +
Bonus Points


Categories:

Entry may be All-Band, Single Band, High Bands
(10m-15m-20m) or Low Bands (40m-80m)

How to Participate:

Get on any of the HF bands except the WARC bands and
hang out near the QRP frequencies. Work as many
stations calling CQ QRP or CQ TEST as possible, or
call CQ QRP or CQ TEST yourself! You can work a
station for credit once on each band.

Email Log Submission:

Submit Logs in plain text format along with a summary
stating your Callsign, Entry Category, Actual Power
and Station Description along with score calculation
to contest@qrparci.org on or before 5 March 2006.

Snail mail Log Submission:

Submit Logs along with a summary stating your
Callsign, Entry Category, Actual Power and Station
Description along with score calculation to:

QRP-ARCI Grid Square Sprint
c/o Jeff Hetherington, VA3JFF
139 Elizabeth St. W.
Welland, Ontario
Canada L3C 4M3

Entries must be postmarked on or before 18 April 2007.

Results:

Will be published in QRP Quarterly and shown on the
QRP-ARCI website.

Certificates:

Will be awarded to the top scoring entrant in each
category. Certificates may be awarded for 2nd and 3rd
place if entries are sufficient in a category.

Looks like another good one. Thanks, QRP-ARCI !

73 de Larry W2LJ

ARRL DX Contest weekend

Wow! Wall to wall CW on all the (non-WARC) bands! It was so good to hear that! I'm not a serious contester by any means; but these major DX contest weekends are always fun. I didn't have a lot of time it spend; but the time I did put in gave me a huge amount of enjoyment and satisfaction. And once again, I got to see firsthand that QRP does work!

I had two goals for the weekend. One was to work a Hawaiian station, the other to work an Alaskan station; as well as picking up a few new countries, if possible. I ended up working two Hawaiian stations; but Alaska was a bust. I thought I had a good shot of working KL1V down at the bottom of 20 Meters this afternoon; but the propagation path wasn't strong enough for QRP. I heard him work some W2s and W3s; but I'm sure those guys were either QRO; or had better antennas than me!

Here are some of the stations I ended up working, QRP of course. IK4ZGO, TO6M, FS6KA, VP9/W6PH, CO8ZZ, PR7AB, PT7AG, C6AKQ, EF8M, V31TP, WP2Z, KH7X, HP1XX, V31JP, EA8/OH4NL, NH6P, C6AWL, PX2A, OM7M, P40W, YR9P, 8P9NX, F2DX, AND IR2X among others.

In addition for the chance to work some DX, the weekend was great high speed code practice! I really had to concentrate at times to get some calls that were being sent in the 40 WPM range. I'm guessing that at least some of those high speed guys were using either computers or programmable keyers; because in one instance I was asked to repeat my state and the guy ended up sending manually. The difference in fists between the exchange and the request for the repeat were like night and day! And the code speed used for the repeat request was way slower, too! It gave me a good chuckle.

I guess I will never end up being a serious contester as I can't imagine leaving all of that work to be done by a computer. Maybe if I got into it seriously, I would make use of that to relieve some of the tedium; but somehow it doesn't seem just quite right to me.

If I remember correctly, the next big CW DX contest will be held by CQ Magazine and is sometime in May.

73 de Larry W2LJ

A bargain!

A bargain! How many times do you see a good bargain anymore? Have I got a bargain for you! Well, okay, I don't have a bargain; but Doug Hendricks KI6DS has a bargain for you!

Yesterday, Doug introduced through his company, QRPKits, a new line of QRP transceivers. These are the DC40A, the DC30A and the DC20A, for 40, 30 and 20 Meters respectively. The kits were designed by Steve Weber KJ1DV, the QRP Hall of Famer. The kit is of "through hole" construction (no SMD) on a quality silk screened circuit board. You get about 1 Watt output when you run it on 13.5 Volts. You can get more info from http://www.qrpkits.com/dc40a.html

Today, Chuck Carpenter W5USJ was running one in beacon mode on 14.062 MHz for a good part of the day. Chuck reported running the 1 Watt to a Butternut vertical antenna from his home QTH in Texas; and was soliciting reception reports via QRP-L(s). Keeping an eye on the e-mail reflectors, I saw he was getting decent reports from all over the country.

When I got home from work, I ran downstairs and flipped the K2 on. Sure as sugar, dialing in 14.062 MHz brought in the beacon. It was an honest 449 here at peaks between periods of QSB. This little guy was working well! How can you go wrong with a transceiver that's only going to set you back 35 bucks! And from the pictures, it looks like a good first time construction project if you want to get your feet wet in the world of kit building.

Thanks Doug and Steve - looks like another winner!

73 de Larry W2LJ

Blogger's Note: This morning , on the QRP e-mail reflectors, there was a post by Robert, F5UL. He copied Chuck's beacon message all the way in France! Not bad for 1 Watt from North East Texas. Depending upon the exact power output that Chuck had going, it's roughly 5132 Miles Per Watt!

Looking for 1K MPW ????

Are you looking to finally make your "1000 Miles Per Watt" Award? This coming weekend is an excellent opportunity!

This weekend the ARRL is CW portion of the ARRL International DX Contest. The bands will be buzzing with all kinds of DX this coming weekend! Last year, I used this contest as an opportunity to see how easy it would be to break the "1000 Miles Per Watt" QRP benchmark. I was amazed with my results. I set the K2 at 1 Watt out to make it easy - no division required! Within a half an hour from the time I had gotten on the air, I had several (10 or more) Europeans in the log - all of them more than 1000 Miles away.

This year, in addition to looking for new countries, I think I will play around with setting the K2 for 500 milliWatts out. The thing to remember (and be extremely grateful for) is that a lot of these monster DX contest stations have awe inspiring antenna farms. If these guys listened carefully enough, they could probably hear a cricket chirp under a rock at the bottom of a pond.
And there's points for them if they dig out your signal!

While I don't mean to torture anyone and make their ears bleed, it's interesting to see how many guys you can work in just a few tries. If they pick up the signal rather quickly, then that means they're hearing you rather decently. If you call and call and call; and all you get is "QRZ?" then please move on to someone else or boost your power a bit - maybe to the "full gallon" QRP 5 Watts. Don't make anyone knock their heads against the wall just to give yourself an ego kick. It's not the gentlemanly thing to do.

The other thing I'm considering trying is to see how many bands I can get 1KMPW this weekend. John Sielke W2AGN did that one year and earned himself a really nice 1KMPW certificate from QRP-ARCI to commemorate the feat. 1KMPW on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 Meters on one award would be so cool! Might have to wait for the sunspots to come back to achieve that, though.

See you in the frenzy this weekend!

73 de Larry W2LJ

Must be Global Warming

For the last few weeks, we have been flirting with temperatures around Zero; with wind chills well below Zero. Tomorrow into Wednesday, we're expecting a "wintry mix" with snow, freezing rain and whatever.

Punxsatawney Phil predicted an early Spring, nonetheless. And yesterday there were four Robins frolicking around in our back yard.

Must be Global Warming.

73 de Larry W2LJ

The League is going all out!

Wow! The ARRL is pulling out all of the stops! Pardon my French; but the folks up in Newington seem to be positively orgasmic about the "new rules" that go into effect on February 23rd, with the elimination of the Morse Code requirement.

The ARRL is SO pumped that they will staff HQ with Volunteer Examiners to give examinations before and after the rules change. Also ..... get this ...... they will be putting W1AW on the air as a Special Event Station to commemorate the event! The special event will start up on 12:01 AM on the 23rd and will stay on the air as long as demand and propagation dictate. Then, on both Saturday and Sunday, the station will be on the air from 10:00 AM untill 5:00 PM.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/02/09/102/?nc=1

"Welcome Weekend" is what it is being called. Okay, I understand that this is history in the making. I understand that to many people, this is an event that was a long time in coming. I also understand that this has the potential to swell the ranks of amateurs in the United States. But as a dedicated CW op, there's still a part of me that's bothered by this. And I'm going to leave it at that. If I say anymore, I'm sure I'll be accused of being an "old fart" who is negative, behind the times and is against "progress" and newcomers. That couldn't be further from the truth; but that's how it would be perceived, I am sure.

So "welcome" to all the new Generals who will come on to HF! I have one word of advice for all of you. After the novelty of SSB wears off; and it will, sooner for some and later for others ..... pick up a straight key and come on down to the CW portion of the bands. We'll be waiting for you with open arms. Discover the fun that Morse Code is. I GUARANTEE (bold face and capitals for emphasis!) that there will be a number of you that will hit yourselves on the forehead (ala' V-8) and ask yourselves "Why didn't I try this before?". It's not as hard as you talked yourself into thinking it was!

73 de Larry W2LJ

5Z4/9A3A

I bagged a new country today. I worked a Ham in Kenya; and this is the first time I've ever worked Kenya, either QRP or QRO! I was scanning the bottom of 20 Meters and heard a station working others quite rapidly. He was sending fast! He had to be going up past 30 WPM and the callsign was a blur. All I could tell was that he was NOT a US station!

So I followed the formula WFWL, or "Work First, Worry Later". After about the third call , he came back to me. I gave him a customary DX "599 TU" and before I knew it, he had acknowledged our brief QSO and was on to the next station.

Now to figure out who I had just worked! Fortunately, the band was open and his signal was not degrading. I was able to listen long enough to make out that it was 5Z4/9A3A. 5Z4 ???? Where's that? A quick click of the mouse to start up DX Atlas and I was able to find out that 5Z4 is Kenya! Hot dog!

He slowed down a bit in a few minutes to have a brief chat with the station he was currently working. Slowed down to maybe 28 wpm or so! Anyway, I was able to make out that his name was Ivo and that his QTH was Nairobi. I don't think he mentioned what rig he was using; but he did say he was running 800 Watts into a 3 Element SteppIR antenna.

I'm not a big DX Hound by any means. I'm sure I'll never make the DXCC Honor Roll like my friend Bob, W3BBO. But when I hear a new one, it's a nice feeling to work them, especially QRP. A rough guesstimate is about 7,200 miles; or about 1,440 miles per watt. I will check it out for sure, later.

73 de Larry W2LJ

Blogger's Note: Using the program DX Atlas, I was able to determine that the Great Circle distance between South Plainfield, NJ and Nairobi, Kenya is 7380 miles. At 5 Watts. that ends up being 1,476 miles per Watt.

Samuel Clemens would be proud!

As Samuel Clemens, better know as Mark Twain, put it: "The report of my death was an exaggeration!"

And so it would seem, the same holds true for Morse Code; and the mode by which it is transmitted - CW. Even though the Morse Code haters and the NCIers would have you believe otherwise; the proof seems to be in the pudding:

http://www.arrl.org/members-only/contests/results/2007/skn/

73 de Larry W2LJ