Make that two!

Thanks to reading John K3WWP's daily diary, I came to realize it was two new DXCC entities worked this weekend by yours truly.  I had forgotten that Curacao is now its own entity, so I had to add that one to the tally.  That makes my QRP DXCC now at 109, and that puts me over 140 in regular DXCC.  Still a long way to go before I even start coming close to the neighborhood of DXCC totals of several Ham friends that I admire.

I worked K6JSS/2 last night on 80 Meters.  Working them on the first night of operation - that's the fastest I've ever done that. And I am still very glad that the string is still unbroken.  Seems there was a little confusion as two K6JSS/2 stations were on 80 Meters at the same time last night.  I was able to work the only one I was able to hear.

Last night's Run for the Bacon was a lot of fun.  40 Meters have very little background noise (as compared to the other night when I worked K6JSS/7 and it was horrific!).  I worked about a dozen stations in all and even managed to work a DX piggie for once!  Bob N4BP operated from the Bahamas as C6AKQ, his DX contest call sign.  As usual, Bob was booming into NJ.  In fact, it's a rare day when Bob does not boom into NJ, whether he's in Florida or the Bahamas.  If I hear Bob on the bands, and he's less than 579 or so, then I know something is afoot with regards to solar weather.

As a treat, today is a day off from work for the President's Day holiday.  I have to drop Cara off at cheer practice in about an hour.  The first competition of the season is next Sunday.  Luckily this one is being held right in our own school.  In between chauffeuring chores, I will try to get on the air. I see the Flux is 105 and the Sun Spot number is 103.  Maybe I'll hear something interesting.

Also spending some time on the InterWeb doing some more research on possible wire antenna candidates.  I am spending a lot of time on the W4RNL site.  Also spending time looking at new vehicles.  Yes, after eleven years, the Explorer seems to be spending more time in the shop lately.  Instead of repair, repair, repair - both Marianne and I think it might be time to look for something new (or at least different, if not "new").  The prospect of car loan payments is not exciting, though.

The tease of Spring that we got last week is now just a fond memory.  Those killer winds that we had over the weekend ushered in a cold front which brought snow this morning.  Not much, just enough to cover the grass.  Not even enough to shovel.  I am sick and tired of looking at it, though!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Added a new one

I just realized that I added a new DXCC Entity to the "worked as QRP" list yesterday, when I contacted VP2MMM in Montserrat on 10 Meters yesterday.

10 Meters was not as sizzling today as it was yesterday.  15 Meters was still hopping this afternoon, as was 20 Meters.  I see the Solar Flux Index is a bit down - closer to 100 than 120.  With less that three hours left in the contest, this is a good time for newer QRPers to jump into the fray of a DX contest.  The big guns who are still in the thick of things have reached the point where they've worked a lot of stations; but are still hungry for points.  They are inclined to listen for weaker QRP signals that they might be hearing.

I was pleased to see on Facebook that George N2JNZ's new FlexRadio station is working quite well for him.  On 40 Meters alone, he's had more than 108 QSOs with 50 countries worked.  He said that the new release of software has made CW a lot better than it was; and that he has been having a good time with his bug.

My own involvement was very little.  I really was only poking around a bit to take advantage of the good conditions on 15 and 10 Meters; as well as to see if I could scare up a new country or two.  Working Montserrat completed that goal.  As always ...... want to make sure the antennas work, too!  All contacts except for one were made with the Butternut HF9V.  That vertical has been a very solid performer for me for this last decade.  I sure am glad it's out there.  This weekend, we've had some pretty ferocious winds, too.  Loud enough to make me cringe a bit as I was laying in bed last night as I was drifting off to sleep.  The HF9V takes the winds here in stride.  A little swaying, nothing even really noticeable.  And that's nice.  At one time, I owned another brand of vertical and I used to have agita and nightmares when the wind would start to blow.  Ice storms were even worse!

Tonight is the Flying Pigs monthly QRP sprint, The Run for the Bacon.  I would expect participation to be down as probably everyone is a bit pooped from the DX contest.  In an open e-mail to the QRP and CW e-mail reflectors, I invited K6JSS/2 to join in on the fun as "the Key" is passed from Arizona to New York state tonight at 00:00 UTC.

One last thing.  I was in "the library" looking at the newest issue of QST, when my eye settled on an advertisement for the Icom IC-R75 receiver.  Here's the text that made me pause for thought, as my fledgling footsteps into this hobby were as an SWL:

"Listening to shortwave over the air is part science, part art.  There's something magical about tuning a knob on a box and opening an earful of life in another part of the world.  No Ethernet cables.  No server shut-downs. No broken links.  Just hundreds to thousands of miles of air between the station and you, with your IC-R75".

Can you imagine if this ad had somehow magically appeared in an issue of QST of the 50s or 60's perhaps? "Ether what?"  "What's a server?"  "What's a link and how do you even break one?"  Yet these are things that we have now come to accept as part of every day life and get taken for granted.

It's nice to see that Icom (or perhaps just their ad agency) still recognizes that radio, in and of itself,  is still "magical".

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Couple o' things

Last night, I saw on QRPSPOTS that Tom AC7A was calling CQ as K6JSS/7 on 7.107 MHz and wasn't getting many takers.  So even though it was getting kind of late here in NJ, I decided to go on down to the basement and give it a shot.  40 Meters has been long at nights; and I figured I'd at least give it a go.

Much to my horror, I turned on the K2 only to find that my neighborhood killer QRN had made a comeback for the evening.  I was faced with about 10 over 9 dB buzz saw noise.  40 Meters has been so good for me lately; and now this? And time is running out as K6JSS/7 - Arizona is only good until Sunday evening. What to do .... what to do?

I decided to try something radically different, thanks to an idea that Jim W4QO hinted at on QRPSPOTS a couple of weeks ago when GA was in the batter's box.  I ran upstairs for the netbook; as it runs so much faster than my shack laptop, which is ancient by comparison.  I fired up the browser and headed on over to WebDSR by WB4MAK site.  I turned the AF Gain on the K2 all the way down and turned up the volume on the netbook.  "Dialing in" 7.107 MHZ , I gave Tom a call using the K2 as a transmitter and not a transceiver ...... "K6JSS/7 de W2LJ" and listened.  Sure enough, after a few calls, I heard Tom coming back to me.  The QSO was difficult as we were both down in the mud. Tom earned a 449 from me; and I, a 229 from him.  But it got the job done and K6JSS/7 is in the log and the string of states is not broken yet!  Talk about your SDR radios, eh?

Secondly, I went out with Joey this afternoon,  as planned and measure the distance from the maple tree to the house where I anchor wire antennas.  Only 65 feet - not the 85 feet needed for a 80 Meter sized Windom.  It looks like the 88 foot extended Double Zepp will be the new wire antenna this spring.  With 44 feet of wire for each leg, I will be able to fit it in the backyard easily.  It will be a horizontal "L"; but it will fit.  I have the wire, I have the window line.  I want to order one of those Emtech Ladder Grabbers and I will need to come up with a balun (which I will probably make).  Since this will be a "new" antenna, I want to put virgin coax on it, so I will need to order some of that.

I want to get this done as soon as possible.  I am hoping that we have seen the last of the major snow for this winter (which I probably just jinxed) and that I can get this done within a few weeks.  I think it will be way easier to get the G5RV down and the new antenna up while the leaves are still off the branches.  That's my hope anyway.  This will also be my first really good practical chance to use the antenna line launcher that I homebrewed at the end of summer last year.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

The bands are jumping !

It is sooooo nice to see both 10 and 15 Meters jumping today for the ARRL DX Contest.  It seems like such a long time since I have made a bunch o' contacts on 10 Meters in one day.  The signals are nice and strong and the Big Gun DXers seem to be not having too much trouble pulling out my 5 Watt signal.  Thanks for your good ears and big antennas, guys!

It's a shame that after tomorrow that those bands will go back to being a habitat for tumbleweeds.  Hopefully the sun will start cooking the ionosphere to the point where this becomes normal for a while. 

We can hope, can't we?

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Worthless ?????

An interesting discussion is evolving on QRP-L.  Hopefully it won't devolve and become a  QRP-L embarrassment.  Anyway, it all began a few days ago when a fellow QRPer happily announced that he had worked PJ6/K4UEE,  his 100th DXCC entity at QRP power levels.  QRPers, being who and what they are, immediately started offering their congratulations, but also encouraged this fellow Ham to apply for "the wallpaper".

In this case, "the wallpaper" would be the QRP DXCC certificate, which is pictured above.  Things got a bit sticky when one Ham opined that it is a "useless award".  And even though I have the award and am VERY proud to have it, I can understand his point (which he is entitled to).  QRP DXCC does not require the applicant to mail in his QSL cards; or LOTW credits as the regular award does.  All you are required to do is send in a list of the 100 DXCC entities that you worked, providing call sign, date and band information. Therefore, in the opinion of this Ham, the QRP DXCC is useless because it lacks credibility. In his opinion, this is a simple case of, "I earned it 'cuz I said I did what I said I did,"

If this were a court case or a matter of law, I would agree wholeheartedly.  But this is not that, this is something totally different.  This boils down to being a matter of honor and faith, as it were.  The same Ham who proclaimed the QRP DXCC certificate "useless", also claimed in his post that he has worked over 120 DXCC entities via QRP and that he has the cards to prove it.  I never met the man face to face; and probably never will, yet I believe him.  I don't need to see his cards.  If I cannot take him at his word, then what's the point?  Furthermore, what's the point of just dreaming up 100 DX QRP contacts, taking the time to fabricate the details, put them down on paper and then send in $10 for the certificate?  It just doesn't make sense that anyone would do something like that; but I guess someone could.  And that would be very sad, indeed, if they needed to live a lie like that.

He went on to make the point that perhaps instead of offering a separate QRP DXCC award that the League (oops, sorry ..... the ARRL - they don't want to be called "The League" anymore) should just offer a CW endorsement on the regular DXCC award.  I see the point in this and would normally agree.  However, when I re-did WAS for the second time - all 50 via QRP and CW, all I got for my efforts and $10 were the words "QRP" and "CW" in rather small 12 point type, in an innocuous position towards the bottom right hand corner of the award.  Hardly what I would call a significant recognition of the added difficulty.

So here we have several issues coming into play in one topic:

1) What is credibility?  Does "honor" and "my word" count anymore; or have we become so jaded that we must always have the "cold hard proof".

2) In the end, do we really even need the certificates?  When it comes right down to it, isn't "I earned it 'cuz I said I did what I said I did" enough?

Maybe it's just human nature to want tangible recognition for a rather difficult achievement.  Maybe that's what drives us to strive to reach beyond the mundane, everyday things.

You have to be a Ham to dissect things like this!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Not a great night

"Sometimes you're the Louisville Slugger - sometimes you're the ball".

"Sometimes you're the windshield - sometimes you're the bug".

"Sometimes you eat the bear - sometimes the bear eats you".

It appears that I was on the short end of the stick tonight.  I was trying to work Don NK6A in CA on the 40 Meter QRP-L Fox Hunt.  Charles W2SH, who lives eight miles away from me was successful - good for him!  For me, Don was at best a 229.  Very weak and lots of QRM to boot.  What a difference eight miles and some extra added elevation (plus the fact that Charles is a much higher skilled op than me) can make!

So I thought I'd flick on over to QRPSPOTS and at least see where K6JSS/7 in Arizona was operating. 10.106 - 10.107 MHZ and I could not hear a thing!  If  Tom AC7A was on the air; I sure wasn't able to hear him.  I hope this weekend is successful.  I have no illusions that I will work all 50 K6JSS stations; but I don't want to go down so early in the count!  Tom mentioned that due to the ARRL DX Contest this weekend that K6JSS/7 might stay mainly on the WARC bands.  Maybe I'll have better luck on 17 Meters this coming Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

On the logging front ..... I have left AC Log behind and an now using Ham Radio Deluxe exclusively.  I have not mastered it by any stretch of the imagination, but have figured out most of the ins and outs of the program.  I don't use the rig control features (yet), or hardly any of the bells and whistles, but I like how the program looks and works. And I also like that I can grow into this program and who knows, maybe a year or two down the road, I just might use the features I am not using presently.  Now, is that a ringing endorsement, or what?

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Beauty and the Beast

It is often said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". And I suppose that is very, very true. I took a look at this on e-bay and my immediate reaction was, ""Ewwwwwwwww" !!!

The picture is tiny and really doesn't do it justice (or perhaps it does); but in my humble opinion, this has got to be one of the homliest straight keys that I have ever seen!  That knob is just ...... just ...... I don't know what! The key is being listed at $9.00 and for $8.00 more you can have it shipped from Odessa, Ukraine to your front door.

There are four available so hurry up boys, get 'em while they're hot!  I doubt that Mr. Begali or the folks over at Junker, Hi-Mound or GHD are losing too much sleep over this one.

All kidding aside (and I really am just kidding), from the looks of it, the construction looks to be mostly plastic.  I doubt it weighs very much and it would have to be clamped down in some matter of fashion in order for it to work well.  Hey, for all I know, it might have the greatest mechanical action since Rolex - but it sure isn't what you'd call "eye candy".  Although, at that price, you might consider it "wallet candy".

This coming weekend is the ARRL DX Contest.  Currently, as I type this, the SFI is at 111 and there are about 60 freckles Ol' Sol's surface.  I hope the promising conditions last into the weekend with no further disruptive CMEs or solar flares.   I certainly would like to get a few DX QSOs into the log with 5 Watts.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

K6JSS/2

The New Jersey edition of K6JSS/2 will occur the week of August 15th through the 21st.  This will hopefully coincide with the NJ QSO Party which occurs around then.  I have volunteered to serve as the Point of Contact for New Jersey.

The state hosts a most excellent QRP club, the NJQRP, and many of its members are QRPers who actually live in the state.  I am hoping for a huge turnout of NJ QRPers and that we will do our state proud, representing it as well as all the other states have done so far.

NJ QRPers - keep that week open and plan to be on the air a lot!  Let me know if you will be available to operate.  I will be posting a ton about this between now and then, with most of it occurring as we get closer to August.  As always, I can be reached at W2LJ@arrl.net.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Patience pays off

for an unexpected double pelt in the 80 Meter QRP Fox hunt.

Early on, I did not hear the Fox in the lower part of the Fox band; but I was able to hear the Hounds baying.  My strategy was to go up and see if I could hear the "High Fox" and I did hear John K4BAI picking off Hounds and handing out pelts at a rapid clip.  After much calling, John's fabulous ears picked me out.  I guess it was too close for him to hear; but 4RN (the 4th Region traffic net) was in full swing and covered him up pretty well. Luckily, due mainly to the K2's excellent filtering, I was able to hear him and he was able to hear me - exchange completed and pelt #1 was in the bag.

The other Fox was Dave N0IT in Missouri.  As I didn't hear him at all early on, I wasn't expecting much.  However, his furry little head popped out of the QSB and I was able to snag him on my second or third call.  Pelt #2 in the bag!

Again, both Foxes were heard louder on, and were worked with the Butternut HF9V.  I spent a little time looking up antenna articles on the Web and will soon decide between a Windom or the 88' EDZ as my replacement wire antenna.  The longer leg of the Windom would be about 85 feet.  I just might have enough room between the maple tree and the house to accommodate that.  This weekend, I'll have to have my son Joey accompany me to the backyard with the tape measure to do some figuring.  Planning a new antenna is always fun!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

A different perspective ......

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/02/ham-radio-tweets/

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Breaking the pileup!

Watch as John K7HV breaks the pileup and works S9DX, Sao Tome & Principe with 2 Watts from a PFR-3.



Next time you meet a "QRP Naysayer" who says it can't be done - show him this!

Way to go, John, nice job!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Good afternoon on the radio

I was able to put a decent amount of time on the radio today, interspersed among other chores and duties.  So far, I have been keeping my New Year resolution for getting on the air more.  I am way ahead of last year's pitiful QSO tally.

15 Meters was open nicely today and I had the pleasure of working W5KCM, Randy down near Ft. Worth, TX.  We had a small ragchew and Dick was using his Yaesu at the 5 Watt level and had a very nice 579 signal into NJ.  Later on in the afternoon, I heard Paraguay absolutely booming into NJ; but before I could get a QSO in, the band dropped out - just like that!

I snagged FM5LD on Martinique on 20 Meters.  I have worked Philippe several times before and he always puts a good signal into NJ.  For the rest of the afternoon, I just band hopped, listening here and there; and calling CQ here and there, having QSOs here and there.  I finished up by working Mert W0UFO as 6JSS/0 on 20 Meters before coming upstairs to get dinner going.

A cool tool for seeing where your signals are being heard is the Reverse Beacon Network.  This is a network of receiving stations that have CW Skimmer implanted and are constantly skimming the HF bands, worldwide.  You can go to the site, plug your own call sign into the query tool and find out just where you are being heard.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

What a difference about 10 days makes!

Tonight, I had a nice QSO on 30 Meters with Mike KØMDS in Kansas.  You might recall from a blog entry that I made close to two weeks ago that it was Mike who was my contact as K6JSS/0 from Kansas.  That QSO was tough.   This one was a lot easier and was quite enjoyable.  Mike answered my CQ and we went back and forth for a couple rounds before the band changed and propagation disappeared.

I was hanging out on 30 Meters tonight as there's a RTTY contest and 40 Meters is quite bad.  There are RTTY signals down almost to 7.030 MHz, which was pretty unthinkable back in the mid 90s.  Back then, the digital enthusiasts tried to stray no lower than 7.060 or perhaps 7.050 MHz at the lowest.  That "gentleman's agreement" seems to have gone out the window or perhaps down the toilet, might be a better expression.

The HF9V served me well again tonight.  Mike was a 449 and he gave me a 549.  We both compared notes about the amount of snow on the ground and we both agreed wholeheartedly that we can't wait until spring.  I am anxiously planning the take down of the G5RV and replacing it with an 88' EDZ, as mentioned before.  I will have to place an order for one of those ladder line grabber devices so that I can homebrew the antenna when time comes.  I have a 4:1 current balun kit down in the basement that I better get started on, too.  I will probably need it.

K6JSS/Ø will leave Minnesota tomorrow night and will become K6JSS/7 in Arizona.  The Arizona effort will be headed up by Tom AC7A, who is a fine QRPer and is also very well known in Fox Hunting circles.  In fact, Tom mentioned after the Thursday night hunt, that he was using his newly acquired Ten Tec Eagle.  That is one fine looking rig!  I am hoping that the receiver will facilitate Tom's being able pull my weak signal out of the aether some time next week.  The way 40 Meters has been going so long lately, that may end up being the band of choice.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Happy Birthday, Tom!

Today is Thomas Edison's 164th birthday, as commemorated by Google:

I am very fortunate to live only a few miles away from the site where Edison perfected the electric light in Menlo Park.  Menlo Park is not a town unto itself.  At the time, it was just a part of a larger town which was known as Raritan, NJ - named after the largest river in our area.  Raritan was renamed "Edison" after the inventor's death and now Menlo Park is just a neighborhood of Edison, NJ.

There is a memorial tower and a tiny museum there. The actual buildings which made up TAE's Menlo Park laboratory were moved down to Florida after his death by his good friend Henry Ford.  The National Park Service maintains the Edison Laboratories in West Orange, NJ as a National Historical Landmark.  I have been there a few times and it's a very interesting place to visit. It was there that Edison perfected the phonograph and did his early pioneering work in movie making.  His movable stage is located there and you can see it still today.  The stage was on a circular or oval track which allowed it to be moved so that it was always in the direct sun for best lighting.  Some of Edison's original batch of electric lamps still burn there.  They have been refilled with inert gas and are run on DC so as to make them last.

The memorial tower at Menlo Park is currently closed to the public as it has fallen into disrepair.  The good news is that private funds have been raised and a refurbishment project is underway.  It should be reopened in a few years for public viewing and the tiny museum is also going to be renovated and made substantially larger.

Back in the mid 90's the Piscataway Amateur Radio Club held a special event station right on the tower grounds.  It was super cool to visit the museum when it was open.  There was a visitor guest book there and it was fantastic to see the signatures and addresses of all the folks from foreign countries who came to see the spot where the electric lamp was perfected.  Almost as cool as looking through QSL cards!

For as many inventions and patents as Thomas Alva Edison is famous for, we don't normally think of him as associated with Amateur Radio.  But in a way, he indirectly was ......

"Thomas Edison in 1883 noticed that electrical current flowing through a light bulb's filament could make the wire so hot that electrons boiled off, sailing through the vacuum inside the light bulb to a metal plate that had positive charge. Because Edison didn't see any way the phenomenon would help him perfect the light bulb, all he did was to make a notation of the effect, which he named as the Edison Effect. The Edison effect remained on the shelf until 1904, when a former employee; inventor John Flemming went to work for Marconi Radio Company! John Flemming first assignment was to find a better way to receive radio signals. Flemming began experimenting with the Edison effect. He discovered that radio waves passing through an airless tube created a varying direct current, which could be used with headphones to reproduced the sound carried by the waves."  From that point, the vacuum tube was developed, which was the building block of all radios until the invention of the transistor (also developed in New Jersey, by the way).

On a personal Ham Radio note - more progress has been made with Ham Radio Deluxe.  I finally figured out how to rename the Custom Fields; and it was just as easy as everyone stated.  The only thing is that I didn't realize that you had to have the very latest version to be able to do that!  I had been using version 2494.  Tonight, I downloaded and installed version 2837 and that little problem was taken care of.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Thanks, guys!

Thanks, guys, for all the suggestions regarding Ham Radio Deluxe. You are the best!

I am using version 5, and for whatever reason the export option "ADIF+HRD" still wasn't moving over the data for "Custom Field 1".  So I took Andy K9CHP's suggestions and used them with a little twist.  Instead of using the backup function, I am just making a copy of the database file "HRD My Logbook" which is the .mdb file; and am copying that to Dropbox.  Then I simply copy that to the "HRD Logbook" file on each computer and all three agree!  And, the "Custom Field 1" data doesn't disappear.  This procedure of copying the main logbook database file and then just setting it in place using Windows Explorer isn't new to me. That's how I used to share data between computers back when I was using Log-EQF and then Win-EQF.  Back in those days, I used to keep the data on a 3.5 inch floppy.  We've come a long way in such a little time!

Since I am not that computer savvy, I had no idea that there was such a thing as Dropbox.  What a neat feature!  For those of you who are like me and don't know about it, let me explain.  You go to www.dropbox.com and you install the software on each of your computers and then you set up an account.  If you do not desire more than 2 GB worth of storage, it's free (that magic word, again!).  Then you place the files you want to share between your computers into the Dropbox folder.  When you go to any of your computers, and look in your Dropbox folder, that file will be there until you delete it or move it.  The same thing as using a USB memory stick; but without the hardware.  Really, really cool.

As far as the 40 Meter Foxhunt goes for tonight - I am afraid it's going to be a night de skunk.  Tom KV2X is way too close to me in NY state to be heard.  I'm not getting a read on Jim N0UR in Minnesota, either.  I am hearing stations from Cuba and France with NO problem whatsoever, though.  The band is way long tonight; and I doubt that I will be able to bag even one skin tonight, except perhaps for a skunk skin.

Looking forward to the weekend if I can get through one more day of work unscathed, with my hide intact.  Next weekend, guys, is the ARRL's International DX Contest - CW portion.  For those of you who are trying to finish up DXCC, this is a good opportunity.  A lot of points hungry DX stations will have their ears peeled - especially Sunday towards the latter phase of the contest.  This is primetime for QRP stations to be heard.  And that Monday following is the Presdent's Day holiday, so you get an extra day to rest up after a big weekend of playing radio.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Anyone familiar with HRD?

I have been playing around with HRD and have a couple of questions.  Are any of you readers familiar with the program enough to try and take a stab at a few answers?

1) I'd like to use "Custom Field 1" in order to keep track of whatever QRP rig / antenna combo I happen to be using for each QSO.  Is there a way to rename the field so that when it displays in the main logbook, it shows as "Rig/Antenna" instead of "Custom Field 1"?

2) I keep my log on three different computers - the shack laptop, the netbook and the main family computer.  I made a few entries last night and dutifully recorded my rig/antenna combo as I talked about in Question 1.  I exported the ADIF file from the shack laptop as a ADIF+HRD file.  This should have recorded all the information in all the fields.  After importing said file into the netbook, I found that the "Rig/Antenna" info didn't carry over.  What's up with that?

I'm sure I must have done something incorrectly.  I am hoping I did something incorrectly.  If this is a quirk of the program, then I'll end up sticking with AC Log.  I'd like ALL my logbook info to be on each computer.

TIA for your help, if you have any to offer!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Any wannabe bug ops out there?

So you always wanted to try a bug, but were scared off the speed?  Here's a new approach by Rich WB9LPU.



It looks like a great idea and I'll have to get one of these!  I currently use a tube that extends the pendulum to slow down my Vibroplex Original to a more comfortable sending speed for me.  This is much more elegant (as the video states).  I sure hope that Rich plans to offer these in the near future.  I'd PayPal for one of these in a heartbeat!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

A quick two pelts

After coming home from a Knights of Columbus meeting, it occurred to me that it was 80 Meter Foxhunt night.  80 Meters has not been a quiet band for me this winter - lots of QRN and hash.  I decided to give it a go, anyway.

I got into it late at around 02:40 UTC, so the main rush had petered itself out.  First, I heard Andy K1RA making exchanges and sending "UP", so up I sent!  Within a few minutes at 02:42 UTC, he came back to me with a 559 report and we completed our exchange.

Next, on to find the other Fox - Drew K9CW.  He was even easier as he was a loud 579 into NJ.  One call and WHAM - in the bag!  That was completed at 02:45 UTC - two Foxes within three minutes.  I have not had such a quick hunt in maybe three or four years.  And with the way band conditions have been this winter, this is one of the few "2-fers" that I have had in a while, too.

Again, oddly enough, both Foxes were louder on the Butternut than the wire, so that is what I used to snare them both.  I really have to do something new wire-wise this spring!  And I also need to lay down more radials for the HF9V this year, also.  Ahhhhh ....... antenna work - it's never done!

As an aside, if you've never tried QRP, the Foxhunts are a great way to get started, if you are so inclined.  It's not a contest; but more like trying to break a DX pileup.  The rules are very simple and can be found here. There's still quite a few hunts before the season ends.  C'mon ..... it's fun!  You should give it a try - I'd be willing to bet a donut that you'll have a blast!  And in the process you'll learn a lot about your equipment and improve your operating skills at the same time.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Minnesota is in the books!

Thanks to the excellent ears of Scott N0AR, K6JSS/0 from Minnesota is in the books.  I had a heck of a time working him and got a 229, thanks to the efforts on his end.  I ended up using the Butternut HF9V, which I rarely use on 80 Meters, preferring to use the G5RV.

Scott's signal into NJ was much louder on the Butternut; so that is the route I took.  His signal was a good 559 with QSB.  This concerns me as the wire was always better on 80 Meters.  I think this confirms my suspicion that this antenna has seen much better days and needs to be replaced this spring.

I will probably replace it with the venerable 88' EDZ which seems to be one of W4RNL's all time favorite backyard antennas.  The footprint is smaller than the G5RV,  and I should be able to fit it in the backyard without having to zig-zag the wire.  I have plenty of window line and plenty of wire.  I'll have to build a balun to transition the window line to coax to feed to the shack. 

The other possibility is a Carolina Windom.  Using my maple tree as a center anchoring point, the run from the tree to the house is longer than from the tree to the mast across the yard.  I think that would also fit with no problem whatsoever and would make good use of the different lengths that are available to me.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Super Bowl Sunday

I guess you could call me un-American; but I am not a big fan of football.  The game is on and I am typing this.  My father-in-law was a huge Steelers fan while he was alive; so if there's any allegiance, I guess it's that.  Every now and then I am hearing my wife shriek from the other room as she cheers on her dad's team. I, on the other hand, am a HUGE baseball fan.  For me, the Super Bowl means that it's only a few weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.

I managed to get some more "on air" time today and worked a few stations on 40 and 20 Meters this afternoon.  I worked WA1SKQ, Rich in Cranston, RI as well as AB7JK, Kim in Largo, FL and finally KB0BWY, Bill in Ramsey, MN.  That last QSO bodes well as K6JSS/0 leaves Kansas and becomes K6JSS/0 from Minnesota this week.  Minnesota has always been a "pipeline state" for me - always very easy to work, so maybe K6JSS won't be as quite as big a struggle this week.

It was funny during the QSO with Bill, though.  Band conditions changes as we were QSOing and it was like someone pulled a window shade down on Bill.  He went from 569 to nil in a matter of seconds. Then the QSO was over.  I sent my 73 and my call to keep it legal; but I severely doubt that it made it to the other end.

I also downloaded and have been playing around with Ham Radio Deluxe version 5 this afternoon.  I thought it was going to be snail slow on the laptop in the shack, but so far it has been only tolerably slow. Considering that Dell was designed when Windows 2000 was in vogue, that's not bad at all. On the main computer and the new netbook, it is as slick as icy rain in January. 

So the sequence of computerized logging programs has been from Log-EQF to Win-EQF, to AC Log and onto Ham Radio Deluxe.  I am not sure if I will abandon AC Log and move over to HRD for good, but it's fun to play with in the meantime.  It is relatively easy to use even early on.  I suppose once I get used to it, it will be even easier to use.  It has a lot of nice features, looks nice and best of all, is free!  What true blue Ham wouldn't get excited about the "free" part?

I like having the DX Cluster window right beneath the log window.  Not that I use the DX Cluster to chase DX stations; but it's nice to see what other Hams are hearing and where they are hearing it.  It gives you a good idea as to how the bands are working at any given time. As a QRPer, I have found that if the DX has made it to the cluster, the chance of  being heard grow slimmer and slimmer as the post gets older and older.  A QRPer's best chances are when the DX first comes on the band, before they are spotted.  That's why we fans of low power have to be vigilant and good listeners.

The world map with the delineation of day/night is cool too.  That magical time of grayline propagation is easier to see with that display.  The first time I worked Australia as a Novice was via grayline propagation. I've been a big believer of that path ever since.

Having all these tools available on one screen is very nice.  Of course, there's no such thing as a free lunch; and HRD has it's drawbacks, too.  Since it's a more complicated program, it's not as fast as AC Log. In particular, importing ADIF files takes quite a bit longer.  Also, there are more keystrokes involved; but after I get used to the program, this might be a small price to pay for all the added features.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Fun afternoon on the radio

The weather this afternoon turned out to be as dismal as promised - maybe even more dismal than promised!  The kids and I went grocery shopping late this morning.  When we went into the store it was drizzling - when we got out of the store it was drizzling. When it was time to transfer the grocery bags from the car to the house it started raining in earnest and was just plain miserable.  It was a day where you could feel the cold and wet all the way, deep down into your bones.

The cruddy weather notwithstanding, I did manage to put some time in on the air this afternoon.  In honor of it being FYBO day, I decided to forgo the K2, and instead broke out the PFR-3A.

My "Summer Station" was on the air.  I was using my Bulldog clip paddles, and headphones along with a Booster-oo audio amplifier (which these old ears find most helpful).  I didn't use the AA0ZZ keyer, I just manually called "CQ FYBO" instead.  The power source was a 12V SLA battery which had been charged via a solar panel.  If I end up sending in my score, at least I can qualify for the "alternate power source" bonus.

In all, I made seven FYBO QSOs and had a couple of nice random ragchews in between.  The contact I envied the most was Bob N4BP who was giving out 82F (28C)  as his FYBO temperature part of the exchange.  It was 58F (14C) in my basement!  I know I was confusing people as one or two expected a NJ temperature in the 30s.  So when I was asked for the temperature a second time, I would send "58F INDOORS".

The stations I worked were N4BP, VA2SG, WQ0RP, WA2DAC, N8KBG, AE8M and WD8RIF.  Anyone that I heard with the PFR-3A, I was able to work.  It was nice using it again and "rediscovering" its ins and outs.

All in all, it was a great way to spend a dank, gray, miserably wet February winter afternoon.  Maybe next year it will be sunny and dry and I can operate from the back yard!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

FYBO - Saturday 2/5/2011

Tomorrow is the annual FYBO contest, sponsored by the Arizona ScQRPions, who in all probability, will not be freezing their buns off at all.

But the rest of us might!

The forecast for the immediate W2LJ area and environs is wet and cold.  A Winter Weather advisory has been issued, as a high of only 38F (3C)  is predicted with a wintry mix starting early tomorrow morning as snow around 1:00 AM, changing to sleet, freezing rain, then rain, then freezing rain again, and finally ending as snow sometime around 10:00 PM Saturday night.

The odds of W2LJ going outside to operate are VERY slight.  The backyard is a sheet of ice and I really don't care to risk much valued equipment or life and limb (got my priorities straight, right?) on the glazed over snow.  I don't know .... somehow envisioning my painstakingly built K1 or PFR3A covered with freezing rain, sleet and snow just doesn't send thrills running up and down my spine.  If it was going to be sunny and dry, I'd consider it,  but when you step on the snow and it sounds like glass breaking, you know it's not particularly Ham friendly outside.  So I'll probably just sit in the basement for a bit and will hand out points.  I'd be willing to be that my basement temperature will be colder than some outdoor temps in Arizona, California or Florida!

For the rules, you can go to the Arizona ScQRPions Website - here.

Who knows?  Maybe between now and then, I'll get a hankering for a bad case of pneumonia and you'll get an exchange from me something like:   559 NJ Larry 5W 28F

But then again, maybe not!

SERIOUSLY, though (all humor aside)........ as the rules state, this is supposed to be a fun contest and not an episode of the Discovery Channel's "Survivor Man".  Please use your noggin and common sense and avoid frostbite, hypothermia and other cold related injuries!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

So who is better off?

In the "Golden Age" of Ham Radio, things were harder.  The testing procedure was different.  In most cases, if you wanted to take an Amateur Radio test, you had to travel to an FCC Field Office to take the exam under the watchful eye of a hard core professional test giver. 

After you passed your test, you had no place like HRO or Amateur Electronic Supply where you could dial up an 800 number, whip out your credit card and have a new rig delivered to you in a matter of days.  You had to "roll your own" as it were; or save up your hard earned cash for whatever was available "du jour".  It was not uncommon to scavenge parts from discarded radios, cars and whatever to homebrew a rig that put out just a few Watts in order to communicate with the world.  Not that it couldn't be done; but it wasn't as "easy" or elegant as it is today.

On the other hand, today we have it made ..... right?  There are ample opportunities to take an Amateur Radio exam just about anytime and any place that you want.  We have computers to aid us in studying Morse Code and the exams themselves.  There are places on the Web where you can take practice exams as many times as you want, until your confidence level is at 1000000%.

Today we have rigs that will practically let you contest or operate almost without you having to be there.  The bells and whistles have developed to the point where Hams from years ago couldn't have even envisioned them.  The latest IcoYaesWood radio will almost walk your dog for you, if you ask it politely.

On the other hand ...... we have enough RFI pollution where sometimes it is impossible to find a quiet band on which to operate.  There are enough wireless gadgets, plasma TVs, thermostats, furnaces, CFLs, etc, that make so much hash that you just want to scream about the 40 over 9 QRN that is covering up that DXpedition that you so much wanted to put in the log. Today, there are enough HOAs, covenants and other difficulties in place that make even thinking about putting up an outdoor antenna a traumatic event.  Years ago, no one really gave you a second look when you ran a wire from your trees to your house.  Unless you screwed up their TV reception, no one cared what you did in your house, on your property.

So who has it better?  The Hams of old who had more "primitive" equipment; but had seemingly more freedom, quieter bands and plentifully populated bands to operate on?  Or the Hams of today, who have more opportunity, better equipment, better resources - but who have to suffer with more inherent QRN, and when the bands are quiet for a change - can call CQ for an hour because there's no one on?

This post isn't meant to stir up a hornet's nest or start a big debate - just to let you know about some things I've been thinking about on the ride to and home from work. So, did "they" have it better; or do "we" have it better?  When it comes right down to it, it's probably a wash.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Looks like KS will be as tough as TX.

Mike K0MDS posted on QRPSPOTS that he was going to be on the air as K6JSS/0 this evening from 0100 unit 0200 UTC.  The first half hour was spent on 40 Meters and I heard NOTHING!  For the second half hour, Mike is calling CQ on 80 Meters at 3.561 MHz.  Here, I can just barely hear him - 339 at best!  I can hear him work quite a few stations quite easily.

Maybe it's just propagation, maybe it's the storm that's plaguing 3/4 of the country tonight. Maybe New Jersey is stuck in the middle of an RF hole ....... wait a minute!  Persistence pays off again as Mike's wonderful ears pulled me out of the muck!

How this QSO took place is a thing of amazement.  There are plenty of times that QRP signals are as loud as any QRO signal; but not this time.  This QSO was a testament to K0MDS and his fantastic skill.  Thanks, Mike for pulling a tiny 229 signal out of the aether!

By the way, tomorrow is Groundhog Day.  Unless Mr. Groundhog has an ice pick on him, I don't think he's coming out of that hole, much less see his shadow.  While the rest of the country seems to be getting snow out of this monster storm - we're getting ice.  Oh, it's going to be lovely trying to get into work tomorrow!

72 de Larry W2LJ!
QRP - When you care to send the very least

Amazing when you think about it

It's Saturday; and that means the Bob W3BBO and I had our weekly "BS Session" via Echolink.  This is how we've kept in touch since Bob moved from New Jersey back to his home of Erie, PA.  Today's conversation waxed a bit nostalgic about the changes we've seen in technology in just our lifetimes.

Take me, for instance.  My earliest memories go back to when I was around three years old, which would be 1960 or so.  I remember President Kennedy talking about missiles in Cuba.  That was on an old RCA black and white TV.  The TV screen itself was small - the same size or perhaps even smaller than the screen of the netbook that I am using to type this! The TV cabinet was huge!  It was considered a piece of furniture.  When the TV broke, the TV Repairman would come to your house with a traveling case of tubes; and he would replace as many as necessary until the TV worked again.  TV programming ended around midnight with a picture of the American Flag flapping in the breeze while the National Anthem played.  After  that, all that you could see on the TV screen was a test pattern until programming resumed the next morning with the "Agricultural Report".  Yep, back then most of New Jersey and Long Island were still rural, agrarian environments.   When you turned the TV off the picture would dissolve down to a little white dot that glowed for a while, until it too, disappeared.

As a kid, I also remember the fuss when your parents would buy you a new transistor radio, one that could fit in your pocket, used batteries, had no tubes and didn't have to be plugged into a wall socket.  Of course, the more transistors the better and a lot of the radios listed on the case how many transistors, diodes, etc, were inside.  "Hey Jimmy, that puny radio you have has only 5 transistors - mine has 7! Nyah!" We were so hi-tec!

In 1967 we got our first color TV set.  May aunt and uncle who lived next door to us had one for years, but I'll never forget the thrill.  Hey, who would have thought that the Robot on "Lost in Space" had red claws!  Even in those days, TVs were still considered to be furniture and the TV repairman came to your house to fix them.  There were, however, a new breed of TVs - portables, that were coming of age.  You could plug one of these just about anywhere as they had their own rabbit ear antennas attached and they also had a handle that you could use to carry them around.

Telephones were big, bulky things with a rotary dial that hung on the wall.  Desk phones were popular too, and in the mid to late 60s we no longer had "party lines".  There was a time that you could pick up your telephone's receiver only to hear another conversation taking place on the line.  You had to wait until the conversation finished before you could "dial" someone up.

When my dad did our income taxes, he brought home the big adding machine from the store.  It was heavy, noisy Victor brand machine that rang a bell when it delivered a total.  I still remember my dad using it on our kitchen table and me being able to hear the machine doing its adding thing all the way up in my bedroom on the second floor.

I bought my first calculator when I was a sophomore in High School back in 1973.  I bought it at JC Penney and I remember distinctly that it cost $50.  For all that money you got a device that could add, subtract, divide and multiply and it had a red LED display that was barely visible in the bright light. And that was it.  If you wanted more functions you had to buy one of those fancy Texas Instruments scientific calculators that cost MUCHO bucks.  I also remember that calculators were verboten in chemistry class.  Slide rules ruled the day!

In math class we were hooked up to a mainframe computer at Rutgers University.  We had an old RTTY type teletype terminal that we used to write and test simple BASIC programs.  I remember having to insert the telephone handset onto an old style acoustic modem in order for us to be hooked up to the mainframe.  The computer game of rage was "Hunt the Wumpus".  I also remember teachers telling us that computer programming was the new wave field of the future.  If only I had listened!

Today we have telephones that fit in our pockets, electronic devices like TVs that have become so inexpensive to manufacture that we throw them away when they break; and we buy new ones.  We have "personal" computers that make the computer in the Lunar Module that landed the men on the moon look like an abacus in comparison!  We've come so far so fast.  It makes you wonder what things will be like in the next 50 years and if the vaunted technology that we have today will look like "sticks and stones" in comparison.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

K6JSS Award in the Golden Jubilee Year

So far, K6JSS has been active in the states of Connecticut, Hawaii, Georgia and Texas.  Next up, beginning at 00:00 UTC Monday will be Kansas.  Of course the goal is to activate all 50 States this year.  And to that point, Ken Evans W4DU, the president of QRP-ARCI posted these points this past week on QRP-L.

**********************************************************************

1. A valid contact is considered an exchange of signal reports - QRP ARCI numbers are not required nor are QTH/Name/etc. But we suggest RST + QRP ARCI number or power out if not a member.

2. You can "claim" the K6JSS QRP ARCI number even if it is not exchanged. We all will know pretty quickly, if not previously, that it is QRP ARCI #1. If you don't know your QRP ARCI number, go to http://qrparci.org/ and click on "Member Lookup". Enter you call and your number will be displayed. If you are not a member, you can exchange power out in lieu of a number. Of course you can also join at http://www.qrparci.org and receive a number!

3. Requests for QSLs go to the address listed at qrz.com for K6JSS. Please send an SASE. All requests for QSLs with an SASE will be honored. However, to control the costs and the work of our volunteers, we ask that you not request a K6JSS QSL for each and every state you work during the year. Of course if you require a QSL for an award, then we'll be happy to QSL with an SASE of course. Again, all requests for QSLs will be honored. Just use your discretion as to help us control the load. The QSL card design is complete; we are just tweaking it. We will not have cards to mail to you until approximately February 1. We will NOT be doing LoTW which we have considered because it is very complicated for this event


4. At the end of the year, special certificates (different from the QRP All States award) will be issued to any amateur confirming QSOs with K6JSS in 20 or more of the 50 states of the USA while running QRP. Endorsement certificates are issued at 30, 40 and 50 states confirmed. QRP ARCI awards do not require QSLs with the application for an award. Just a list that you prepare certifying that you worked the stations listed for the award and GCR - General Class Review of 2 General Class or higher amateur friends of yours. You can down load the GCR form on the qrparci.org site. This approach will be used for the Golden Jubilee Award.

5. If you miss a few states and are desirous of getting all fifty, we will present some opportunities at the year's end to pick up a few states that you may have missed. So if you find yourself getting a late start, jump in
and work what is on now.

We are encouraging K6JSS operators to work as many modes and bands as possible. Check QRP Spots (http://qrpspots.com/ ) often to determine who is on.

**********************************************************************

With propagation such as it is, working all 50 States worth of K6JSS stations will be a challenge.  It's nice to see that QRP-ARCI will offer a certificate for a minimum of twenty states worked.  As a confirmed paper chaser, I will do my best to work as many as I can in order to get one of these certificates to hang on my shack wall.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

This guy needs a life!

Unfortunately, I know a guy or two like him.

http://southgatearc.org/news/january2011/ham_buys_new_radio.htm

He'd better get rid of all the sharp, pointy objects from the house ...... fast!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Enough said !!!

I love trains, I really do!  But I sure wish the "Arctic Express" would find a different destination.  We're looking forward to return trips tomorrow night and possibly a huge layover next Tuesday.  Whew!

These were taken as a result of the visit we received last night from the "Alberta Clipper".
 

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Snow is a 4 letter word!

We've gotten about 4 - 6 inches so far today.  Right now, it's freezing rain and sleeting.  In the next hour or so, the muck is supposed to turn back to heavy snow.  About another 10 inches or so by the morning.  Eegads! Add to the muck the fact that we've also been experiencing some on and off thundersnow throughout the evening.  Nice touch!

On the bright side, in between bouts of thundersnow,  I did eek out a QSO with John AE5X as K6JSS/5 tonight - and I really do mean eek out.  It was tough.  John was 449 here on 7.111 MHz; but the QSB was a wild, untamed beast.  John would go from a very copyable 449 to ESP in milliseconds, and then back up again.  Definitely like riding a roller-coaster.  We exchanged RSTs and really not much else except very brief greetings and salutations.  I am listening to him now as he slid up to 7.1115 MHz to avoid some QRM.  He's calling CQ over and over - he needs some takers!

I have to thank John for his very fine pair of earbones, that he was able to pull my QSB signal out of the aether.  John and his K3 - a very good combination!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

QRP Hall of Fame.

It's nomination time!  Do you know of someone you think is deserving?  I do and I think I will send a letter of nomination (again).  I've nominated this person about three times now - maybe if they get tired of hearing from me, said person will finally be considered.  Well, it's worth a shot, anyway.

****************************************************************

QRP Hall of Fame

Now is the time of year for the call for nominations for election to the QRP-ARCI 'QRP Hall of Fame'.

You can submit either real mail or internet nominations but they must include the following information.

Name & Call of person nominated
Name & Call of person making the nomination.

A full description of why you think your nominee should be in the QRP Hall of Fame HoF). Remember the voting body may not know this person and you must convince us the person is worthy. Things such as "John Doe is a great guy and always helps out at the club" will guarantee they will not be admitted.
Be specific in your recommendation and try to persuade us as to why your person should be in the HOF.

The voting body consists of the QRP ARCI Board of Directors, the President, the Vice President and the eight most recent members of the HoF. Nominations may be submitted by anyone, whether a member of the QRP ARCI or not. Similarly, membership is not required for someone to receive the honor, since this is an award to recognize those who have made great contributions to the QRP community, not just to the QRP ARCI."

If no nominations are received or the nominee(s) receive(s) less than the required vote two-thirds majority of the votes, there will not be an induction at Dayton for 2011. The BOD is adamant that it is not a
requirement that we will have an induction each year.

Please forward your nominations to BOTH President QRP president@qrparci.org AND to the Vice President vp@qrparci.org. Nominations in writing should be sent direct to Kathy Bromley and I at the following addresses:

Ken Evans, W4DU
848 Valbrook Ct.
Lilburn, GA 30247
U.S.A.

Kathy Bromley, WQ5T
3424 Brooken Hill Drive
Fort Smith, AR 72908
U.S.A.


The closing date for nominations is March 1, 2011. When a nomination is received, a confirmation e-mail or letter will be sent to the person making the nomination. If you nominate someone and do not receive a confirmation, we did not receive it. You will need to receive a confirmation to insure your nominee will be considered.

Ken Evans, W4DU
President - QRP ARCI

*******************************************************************

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

No joy in Mudville

I tried working John AE5X who was doing a stint on 40 Meters tonight as K6JSS/5.  No joy.  I saw him post himself on QRPSPOTS around 00:30 UTC and tried answering his CQs for about a half an hour.

He was about 229 - 339 in NJ with plenty of QSB; and since he didn't hear me - I guess I was even less on the flip side!  The good thing is that there's still plenty of time to get K6JSS/5 in the log.  I will keep trying every night this week and even during the day this coming weekend if time allows.

I'm thinking that at night, it might actually turn out that 80 Meters might be my best shot.  The band has been soooo noisy here this winter, though.  If K6JSS/5 were to call CQ on 80 Meters, they might have to be 569 or better for me to even hear them in the muck that I am witnessing.  A few years ago, the band was so quiet that a decent signal stood out like a beam of light in the darkness.  Even the weak ones were easy to 'bear down" and listen for.  This year the band is full of loud, whooshing background noise; and weak signals are just getting sucked up in the soup.

However, the fun is in the challenge; and I think that Texas this week just might be a good challenge.  There's nothing more satisfying than meeting the challenge and mastering it.  If it were easy, it would be boring and not as satisfying. That's what QRP is all about.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Several things

Cold again today.  Last night, the low (as per my trusty Radio Shack digital indoor/outdoor thermometer) was 4F (-15C).  This was the coldest I think I've ever seen it here since we moved to South Plainfield.  That said, it's tough for it to reach 0F or below 0F in these parts.  After all, we are only about 10 miles or so as the crow flies from Raritan Bay / the Atlantic Ocean, and that huge drop of water tends to keep the air warmer than destinations inland.  Accuweather.com is still calling for 6 - 8 inches of wet, heavy snow later this week, but the dire predictions of a blizzard have seem to have eased.

I spent some time cruising the Web today and was visiting Rex W1REX's site - QRPme Can it!  If you can't find something interesting to build from the plethora of kits that Rex offers, well ...... then I am not sure what to say.  Personally, I am thinking of ordering the QRP Pocket Pal, and the Picaxe Hatchet Kit.  Rex offers a bunch of really neat things that look extremely "do-able" for even the novice builder.

I have been reading with interest, an e-mail thread that has been on the Butternut antenna e-mail list.  It seems a recent antenna purchaser out in the mid-West has been nervous about his Butternut being able to withstand the high winds and harsh winter weather out there.  I have had my Butternut HF9V for about 10 years now.  It has been through several hurricanes, Nor'Easters and even a few blizzards with nary an incident.  Back when I lived in East Brunswick, I had an "other" brand vertical (for comparison, both antennas were ground mounted - the Butternut is not guyed, the "other" brand was guyed - both are the same approximate height).  That "other" brand antenna gave me agita whenever there was bad weather.  Even during normal summer thunderstorms, that stick would sway like a hula dancer on amphetamines.  And during winter ice storms? ..... that antenna outdid the best limbo dancers I have ever seen.  While it never broke, it was a constant source of heartburn.  The Butternut, on the other hand, has been a "set it and forget it" type of deal; and I would recommend the HF9V to anyone.

K6JSS leaves the state of Georgia tonight and heads for Texas.  Texas has always been an easy grab for me.  Now that I am looking to make a deliberate QSO, I'm sure it will be as elusive as the Holy Grail.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Uncle!

"Uncle!"

That's what you used to yell as a kid, when someone was beating you at something, whether it be a game or a fight.  "Uncle!" meant that you had had enough.

Winter - 2010/2011 ........... "Uncle!"

I have had enough of winter one month into the season.  It's currently 8F (-13C) outside and it's around 9:42 PM local time.  Usually the low for the night will occur around 2:00 or 3:00 AM.  The forecasted low temperature for tonight is supposed to be somewhere around 1F (-17C).  And Accuweather.com keeps brightening my weekend by talk of another blizzard coming Tuesday night into Wednesday.  Lord, I hope they're wrong this time!

I haven't been down the shack today playing radio, because it's just too darn chilly down there.  The indoor thermometer I have placed there is currently reading 55F (13C).  That's colder than places like TX or FL or CA get for FYBO!  It's just not comfortable sitting down there for long stretches of time - even with a long sleeved t-shirt, shirt and sweatshirt on, in layers.  And I don't want to plug in an electric heater down there only to drive up the electricity bill (and probably cause RFI, to boot!).

I've been burning wood in the fireplace all day and have kept the thermostat for the furnace at 66F (18C).  The main floor and the second story bedrooms are cool but relatively comfortable as opposed to the even cooler (make that cold) basement.

When I was a kid, I never minded the cold.  The older I get, the harder it seems to get.  I guess I'm just a Florida, Texas or Arizona kind of guy at this point.

Spring, anyone?

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

80 Meters too!

After looking at QRPSPOTS one more time for the evening, I saw that K6JSS-4/W4QO had switched to 80 Meters. Always up for a challenge, I decided to give it a shot.

Band conditions on 80 Meters did indeed prove to be a challenge and the QSO was much more difficult than the one on 40 Meters.  After a few tries, Jim finally heard me and gave me a 339.  I gave Jim a 559.  I ended up finding that things worked best with the Butternut HF9V vertical, much to my surprise.  Usually the wire works better on 80 Meters.  This time the vertical did.  Everything is topsy-turvy with 80 Meters this winter!

By the way, this post is being done via the Kindle.  Versatile lil' bugger!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

K6JSS/4 - in the log!

QRPSPOTS is a wonderful thing!  Jim W4QO posted his schedule for tonight; and I found K6JSS/4 exactly where and when he said he would be. After listening to Jim work a station in Omaha, NE, I gave him a call.  I was awarded with a QSO and a 569 signal report.  Jim was 579 during the QSO with Omaha and increased to a 589 during our QSO.  Whoever thinks QRP signals can't be loud as all get-out is sadly mistaken!

Even after all these years as a Ham, the way propagation works constantly amazes me.  A few hours ago, I could barely hear K4BKD operating as K6JSS/4 - you'll remember that I noted the nearby Bulgarian station was louder.  Let some time go by and things changed to the point where Georgia was its old "pipeline" self.  This is another reminder of why one has to stick with it during the QRP Foxhunts. Band conditions can change dramatically in a very short time. Just when you think things aren't going to work - WHAM!  The band changes and a QSO is possible.

The steady, armchair copy of Mr. Jim Stafford was quite appreciated too.  There's a very good reason why he was named "Amateur of the Year" last year and why he's a member of the QRP Hall of Fame. Jim is a dependable, "steady as a rock" operator.  In fact, as I am typing this, I am enjoying listening to him work other stations.  A great fist is a wonderful thing, and it's a pleasure to QSO with him - anytime!  But this time was all the more sweet!

The first three K6JSS Golden Anniversary states are in the log.  It's the little things that keep this QRPer very happy!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Scratching my head

As I've said before - propagation, she is a crazy thing!

I've mentioned before where K6JSS, the official call sign of the QRP-ARCI will be sent into the ionosphere from all 50 states this year, in honor of the club's Golden Anniversary.  So far this year, the club call sign has been active from Connecticut, where I managed to work Ed W1RFI as K6JSS/1, and Hawaii, where I managed to work Max KH6MZ was K6JSS/KH6.

This week the host state is Georgia and I have been having a devil of a time!  40 Meters is nice and quiet - but LOONNNGGGGG !!!!!  For example, tonight I am hearing LZ2VU from Bulgaria much more easily that K6JSS/4.  80 Meters will probably be the "go-to" band; but has it been super noisy this winter!

Regular readers of this blog will probably remember  a few years back, where 40 Meters was useless to me as I had some tough local QRN problems on that band.  For those couple of winters, 80 Meters was my oasis from the noise.  I had great success operating and got quite a bit of success in the 80 Meter QRP Foxhunts.  This year, everything seems to have been turned upside down.  40 Meters is the quiet band - but is extremely long.  I'm having no problems working Europeans and out towards the far Mid-West and the West coast.  But southeast towards Georgia and Florida which used to be a pipeline?  Nada!  Meanwhile, it seems that every time I go to 80 Meters, I am presented with a ton of background noise.  80 Meters is sounding a lot like I am used to hearing in July instead of January.

The final push for K6JSS/4 from Georgia is tonight, tomorrow and Sunday.  I am going to try like the dickens to get them in the log.  I probably won't be lucky to work all 50 different K6JSS stations, but I am going to give it the old college try to work as many of them as I can.  Besides, what else do I have to do this weekend?  Not much as it's supposed to be deep freeze time.  Both tomorrow and Sunday nights, the forecasted low temperature is supposed to fall below 0 degrees F (that's -17 C or colder) !

Stay warm!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Fun afternoon

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to get in another shot with K6JSS/KH6 and decided to take it.  Max KH6ZM was calling CQ without any takers; so I threw my call out and heard him come back to me.  Max was only 339 into New Jersey this time;  but we got the job done.

It was interesting to watch some of the reports from other QRPers via QRPSPOTS.com  I was able to see that Max also worked stations in CT, KS, and NH.  If you are not familiar with this Website, then it's high time you did yourself a favor and checked it out.  Put together by Terry WA0ITP (with whom I've had the great fortune to QSO with many times) and the 4 States QRP Group, it's a DX Summit kind of thing; but devoted to QRPers.  In addition to spotting other QRPers that you've worked; or juicy DX stations that you've worked via QRP, you can spot yourself!  This might go against the "purist" QRP blood flowing in your veins but I can envision a good use.  Say, for instance, that you're packing your "Go Bag" and you're headed out for a mini-QRP expedition to a local park or trail by you.  For the time and effort you're putting in - want to stack the deck in your favor?  Spot yourself!  That's right - announce the time and frequency that you will be working and just maybe you'll find some QRPers just waiting for you once you're on the air.

After the Hawaii QSO on 15 Meters, I headed on down to 20 Meters and put out a CQ on 14.060.  I was answered and greeted by Tony AD4TT from Daytona Beach, FL, where it was a balmy 62 degrees.  That might not be so warm by Florida standards; but it's a might better than the high of 30 degrees that we're having here today!  Tony was pumping 175 Watts into a Hamstick that he has mounted on a tripod on the top of his condo.  Not able to put up a "normal" full sized antenna, Tony makes due with what he has and for our QSO anyway, it rewarded him with a nice 589 signal into New Jersey.

Never underestimate the ingenuity of Hams.  If we can find a way to pump RF into the aether, even under the most daunting circumstances, we'll usually find a way!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

It doesn't have to be complicated.

A theme or idea that I have expressed over and over throughout the existence of this blog, is how I look fondly, back on my time spent as a Novice.  Truth be told, technically I was a Novice for only about 6 or 7 months.  In reality, even though I earned my General ticket and had the privileges, I was a Novice for a lot longer than that.

And I look back on some of the things I did and some of the things I used and wonder how I made any contacts at all.  But I made a lot and each one of them was fun.  It was nice to be fresh and new.  But the longer I stuck with the hobby and the more "experience" that I got, the more complicated (and more expensive) things started to become.  Bigger rigs, "better" antennas, more and more accessories.  At some point, it got to be a bit overwhelming.

When I got married and moved the station from my house in East Brunswick to the house here in South Plainfield is just about the time the QRP bug bit really hard. As I've stated before, I was always a QRP dabbler.  I joined QRP-ARCI back in the early 80s, when QRP was considered to be 100 Watts or less.  I've had in the past, a HW-8 and a HW-9.  But the desire for a simpler way of Ham Radio life manifested itself in my psyche; and I went full time "QRP only" back in 2003.

For a lot, simpler is not better.  The more complex, the more sophisticated the better - and that's OK.  It's just not for me. Heck, maybe in my case it's more of a case that "ignorance is bliss".  For a lot of years, when I was living at my parents' house I used a random length variant of this antenna, exclusively.  I remember a Ham friend coming over to the garage, which had been converted into my shack.  He looked at my antenna and laughed.  "How can you make any contacts with that thing?", I was asked.  I just shrugged my shoulders and pointed to the QSL cards hanging on the wall.  It might not have been expensive, it might not have been shiny, it might not have been commercial or complicated - but it worked.

And that may have been due to my radio enthusiasm starting out as an SWL.  You learn fast that all you need as short wave listening antenna is just some wire running around the perimeter of a room, tacked up high near the ceiling.  I guess when I transitioned to Amateur Radio, that simplistic approach stayed with me.  Also, I was licensed close enough to the "Golden Age" of Ham Radio to be enthralled by the stories of a lot of grizzled old veterans who relished in describing the stations that they cobbled together in their teen years from old radio and TV parts and such.  It doesn't have to be fancy and high tech to work - and maybe that, right there, is part of the magic of it all.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Propagation - she is a weird thing!

After my crappy session as 80 Meter Fox the other night, I began to do what I always (irrationally) do.  I began to think there MUST be something wrong with either the rig or antennas.  I always seem to consider band conditions last, crazily thinking the fault has to lay with my equipment or me, somehow.

Today, my stupid fears were quelled somewhat.  Although the bands weren't what you'd describe as "viral" with activity, there were some stations to be heard and worked.   I did manage to work LY13A on 17 Meters this morning; and on my first call at that.  So if 5 Watts made it to Lithuania from New Jersey,  things must be working right!

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with the LY13 calls, I'll suggest a quick mosey-on-over to John AE5X's blog, where he has a post devoted to them - click here.  I wasn't sure what they were all about either; but one Amateur Radio rule that I remember from my Novice days is "Work now, worry later!".  Meaning, if you hear something unusual that you're not familiar with; but propagation and conditions favor you - work it while you can and figure out later who it was!   I got them in the log and thanks to John, read all about it after the fact.  There were also quite a few LY13 stations on 20 Meters, but they had bigger pileups that I couldn't seem to bust.

Later in the afternoon, I worked K6JSS/KH6.  This week is Hawaii's turn to host the K6JSS callsign for the big Golden Anniversary Celebration of QRP-ARCI.  I heard KH6MX calling CQ on 21.060 MHz at 20:07 UTC.  It wasn't a ragchew by any means; but I did manage to get Max to copy my callsign and the 559 report that I gave him.  There was lots of QSB, but his signal did actually achieve 579 status before I QSY'ed to another band.

Lastly, on 40 Meters, I managed a very short QSO with Tom Mitchell WY3H, co-founder of the North American QRP CW Club and NAQCC Number One himself!  I garnered a 229 and Tom was only 449 here; but we exchanged greetings and such.

Now off to make some dinner; and maybe I'll get some time to get on a little bit more tonight.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

80 Meter Fox session - terrible time!

Last night was my second stint as 80 Meter Fox. The session was a great disappointment to say the least.  When you put out that "CQ FOX" call, you brace yourself to be hit with the cacophony of a solid wall of call signs all trying to make contact with you, the Fox.  When that doesn't occur, it is a bit unnerving.  When you don't get an answer to your CQs for the first five minutes of the hunt, you know it's going to be a long night.

And it was.

In the 90 minutes of the hunt, I handed out a little over 20 pelts.  That might be a "personal worst".  I was told later, that the frequency I had picked was occupied by two W5 QRO stations that were having a ragchew.  Needless to say that propagation was such that both stations were unheard in NJ.  Unfortunately, I was masked under the QSO to the rest of the country.

I worked mainly stations from New England, the Mid Atlantic, and as far west as Illinois and Wisconsin, and as far south as Virginia.  W2SH, who is about 10 miles from me as "the crow flies" gave me a 229!  That's a real indication as to how bad things were last night.  I originally thought that perhaps I was having antenna problems; but using the G5RV or HF9V made no difference.

Bob W3BBO sent me this link:  http://www.reversebeacon.net/dxsd1/?f=0&c=w2lj&t=dx, which is a "reverse beacon" listing.  If you look at it, you'll see how propagation was limited to the areas I had previously mentioned.

The other Fox, Jim N0UR had a grand old time.  He's located in Minnesota and once again, as Bob W3BBO has preached to me over and over again, "Location, location, location".  When you're situated smack dab in the (more or less) middle of the country, you have a lot more places that can possibly hear you and work you.

Unless propagation improves over the next year, I'll have to seriously reconsider volunteering as a Fox during the next Winter season.  Calling "CQ FOX" for 90 minutes without hardly any takers isn't really all that much fun.  Although I am sure that by the time that point rolls around, that I will have totally forgotten last night and will once again sign my name on the dotted line.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Navajo Code Talkers - the legacy lives on.

Found this via Facebook; and while it isn't Amateur Radio related; it still deals with radio in a certain way. These brave Native Americans have done much and continue to do much to defend their country.



72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Waiting for another storm

Seems like we're going to have another significant snowfall come through here Tuesday night into Wednesday.  In the meantime, this afternoon I had a nice conversation with Art WB4MNK on 20 Meters.  And to give you an idea of how much difference a bit of latitude can make.......

I was sitting in the shack while it was 25 degrees outside with wind chills making it feel like it was actually in the teens.  Art was sitting in his backyard, using his KX1 while it was a balmy 70F.   You have to love Florida in the winter time!  Art had a nice 559 signal into NJ using his QRP rig and a portable vertical antenna.  As I've said so many times before - there's nothing like operating QRP from the Great Outdoors when it's sunny and beautiful outside!

Tomorrow evening as the snow begins to fly, I will be engaged in my second slot as an 80 Meter QRP Fox.  Hopefully the static of the snowfall won't create major QRN problems.  I am listening to 80 Meters right now as I type this and the band is fairly QRN free.  I hope conditions are good tomorrow.

On a side note, who says that good can never come out of a less than desirable situation?  Unfortunately, this past weekend, there was a heated discussion on the CW e-mail reflector that sadly ended with some subscribers getting disgusted enough to unsubscribe.  However, in the process of reading the heated e-mails that were flying back and forth, I learned about an "online" Morse Code learning Website that I didn't even know existed.  It can be found here: http://lcwo.net/

Always interested in new tools that will help me improve my code speed, I registered and played around for a while.  This is a good site and will not only help you learn the code if you are new; but will help you improve your speed if you're a CW veteran.  And it will keep details about your progress along the way.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care send the very least!

Back in the saddle

Feeling pretty good today, I managed some shack time.  And does it feel good to be behind the key again!  The goal today was to work Ed Hare W1RFI who was operating today as K6JSS/1 - the 50th Anniversary QRP-ARCI station from Connecticut.  With about an hour to go until K6JSS changes from Connecticut to Hawaii, I managed to add Ed in the logbook.  He was a good 569  on 80 Meters when I worked him; and as I am listening to him work stations as I type this, he is only getting louder.

K6JSS will be "guest operated" from all 50 States during this 50th Anniversary year long celebration.  It will be interesting to see how many of them I can manage to get into the log.

I also worked John K1ESE on 40 Meters, while I was hunting for Ed earlier in the day.  John and I have each other in our respective logbooks many, many times for all the QRP Sprints that we have participated in.  It was good to hear his strong signal from Maine make it to New Jersey again.

I am looking forward to getting some quality operating time in this week.  This was a good way to ease into it.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

I am home ..... now to the radio!

Well, maybe in a day or two.

My surgery went well this morning. In the hospital by 5:30 AM and home around 2:30 PM.  I was surprised to find out that I was getting a general anesthetic and not the local I had thought I was going to get.  The operation started at 7:00 AM and I was awake; but quite foggy at 9:15 AM.  Thankfully there was no post-anesthesia nausea.  I can tolerate pain; but I HATE feeling nausea

My doctor had informed me that my parathyroid gland was about four times normal size and that my parathyroid hormone level at the beginning of surgery was a very QRO level of 400.  After the surgery, it was back down to a normal QRP range of 19!  There are no real precautions other that I can't drive for a few days until I regain normal range of motion of my neck.  It's going to be a nasty scar - the incision is about 6 inches long at the base of my neck under my Adam's Apple.  Sorry for being graphic!

I have to take calcium and Vitamin D supplements for the next year to build my bone density level back up to where it should be.  Thankfully, there's not much pain to speak of expect that my throat feels very sore from having the breathing tube inserted by the anesthesiologist.  Right now, it hurts to laugh and cough; but drinking and eating are not a problem.

But I will be home for a week; so I plan to get some radio time in this week.  Who knows, maybe I'll actually hear the Spratly DXpedition!  And maybe there's a kit or two lurking in the basement that I can get a start on.  Actually, I need to finish my NEQRP Club SCAF filter.  This would be a good week to do that.

So the prescription for next week is the "Four R's" - Relax, Rest, Read and Radio!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Making good on resolutions ?

Well, I hardly think that two days count; but so far I have managed to make it on the air for the first two days of the New Year, anyway.  The first day was no big deal as it was Straight Key Night; but today is a bit different. In between cleaning up the house and putting gift boxes away and stuff like that, I have managed to find a few minutes of air time.

The bands are very quiet; but I did manage to work Eduardo CO8LY on 30 Meters using the HF9V.  I wished Ed a Happy New Year and wanted to let him know that he was a very strong 599 into New Jersey.  I also spent some time on 20 Meters and worked Pete 8P9NX in Barbados.  He was coming in very strongly and gave him a 599, also.  I got a 499 in return, which as a veteran QRPer, will take any day of the week with a smile.

Tomorrow, I go visit my "primary care physician" to get medical clearance for my surgery this coming Friday.  I am hoping to spend a nice portion of my recuperation time behind the rig, killing two birds with one stone ... getting some relaxation in and some QSOs in the log book!

One "resolution" that I have made for 2011 that did not appear on my posting the other night was that I have to get a new (maybe "different" would be a better word) laptop or netbook for the shack.  This Dell Latitude is not bad; but it is older and won't run newer, more sophisticated logging programs well.  The program I am speaking of in particular is Ham Radio Deluxe.  It works great on the family computer; but is a slow as a snail stuck in molasses in January on this laptop.  Whatever I get needn't be brand new; but it has to be faster than this beast.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!