Fun day up at the Lake

Sunny and beautiful up in Lake George, NY.  It was in the mid to high 80s today and the kids had a great time enjoying the water.

I brought the Kindle along with three freshly loaded books and am already a quarter way into the first one.  This is the life and I am going to squeeze out every nano-second of enjoyment that I can!

I even got on the air today!

That's the Buddistick set up behind the cabin.  I brought along the 12' painter's pole mast and I set up for 20 Meters today.  I used four 11" arms, the coil and one of the extra long black whips.  I had a quick QSO with KD4NUL in Georgia; but the band quickly changed and did in our QSO.

I handed Randy KB4QQJ a contact for the SKCC Weekend Sprint.

The most gratifying QSO was a ragchew with Marc W4MPS who hails from Clayton, North Carolina.

I learned during our QSO that Marc and both call East Brunswick, NJ our hometown!  Marc moved to North Carolina in 2009 after retiring; while I moved to South Plainfield in 1998 after getting married.  But we both claim East Brunswick as "home".  What a small world!  A QSO from Lake George, NY to Clayton, NC to talk about East Brunswick NJ.

I started the day using the K1; but changed off to the PFR-3A, as it's nice having those paddles attached to the unit.  I was putting out about 5 Watts to the Buddistick using the small SLA that you can see in the upper corner of that plastic bin which I used as an operating table.  Using the Autek antenna analyzer that you see next to the SLA, I was able to adjust the Buddistick down to an SWR of about 2:1.  The built in tuner in the PFR-3a handled that with ease.

Later this week, I still plan to go across the street with the end fed wire and Fuchs tuner to see how that works as an "all band" antenna. But today is considered a success and I had fun; and got a little sun burnt in the process.

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

K6BBQ's Field Day 2011

And to think I used to think that I had fun on Field Day!



We used to enjoy our food at Piscataway Amateur Radio Club Field Days - but we never had burritos!

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

Sad day

Today, as most of you know, was the launch of the final Space Shuttle Mission - STS135.  Atlantis lifted off and with that, the last manned mission launched from the USA had begun.  From here on out, if we desire to get to the International Space Station, we will have to rely on "bumming a seat" with the Russians.

I was born in 1957, the year that Sputnik was launched so I am a "Space Program" baby, as it were.  Some of the very first TV images that I can recall were of Alan Shepard's and John Glenn's Mercury flights.  I watched with rapt attention all the Gemini and Apollo missions.  I followed SkyLab and the Shuttle missions with equal interest.

It is sad, for me at least, to see it come to an end.

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

All righty, then!

Tomorrow evening from 9:00 to 10:30 PM EDT, begins the 20 Meter Summer QRP Foxhunt season for 2011.  And although I did not volunteer for Fox duty this year (the young whipper snappers need to get THEIR feet wet!) I will be participating, as a Hound as always!

That's ONE smart Fox, Dude!

The Foxes for tomorrow night's hunts are Jay KT5E in Colorado and Jim K9JWV in Utah.  Off the top of my head, I'd think that I stand a decent chance to nab two pelts. After all, 20 Meters ...... Utah and Colorado from New Jersey ...... right?  Well, one thing I have learned from many years of Fox hunting is  - throw common sense and general rules of thumb right out the old window!  When you think it's going to be easy, it ends up being darned near impossible and visa-versa!  But the one thing it always is, is FUN !!!

Now, what's that you're telling me?  You're afraid to give it a shot?  You fear your code speed is not up to snuff?  Fear not, gentle reader!  The exchange is standard ..... RST, state, name, power out.  So you know right off the bat, for instance, that if you call Jay and he hears you and calls you back, that you'll hear something like this "TU W2LJ 559 CO Jay 5W" In turn all you have to do is send back pretty much the same thing just giving his RST (real RST, please - not the auto 559 if he's better or worse than that!), your state, your name, and your power out.  Even if you're not up to the standard Foxhunt speed of 20 WPM, all you have to do is listen for your own callsign.  And any Fox worth his pelt will QRS (slow down) for you, if he hears you send to him at a slower speed.

Plus I'll let you in on a dirty little secret !!!! Psst ..... make sure no one is around to overhear us ..... if you call the Fox at a code speed that's slower than the rest of the Hounds, you might just stick out from the pack and be heard earlier than the others !!!  You just might have a built in advantage!  Just telling you what I noticed from years of Fox duty.  When you have 20 Hounds calling you all at the same time - out of the ordinary stands out!  But hey ... you didn't get that from me - OK? (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

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

When All Else Fails

How many times have you heard that?  The inference being that Amateur Radio is there as a last, stop gap measure when all other communications fail.  Many ..... MANY, are quick to snort and chuckle under their breath.

"With today's technology - cell phones, satellite phones, the Internet, etc, etc, etc - there's NO need for Amateur Radio as a last measure.  It's just a hobby for old men that has outlived its usefulness."  Sadly enough, I've heard that uttered by some within our own ranks.

After reading the July 2011 issue of CQ magazine, I wouldn't go putting all my eggs into the "outlived its usefulness" basket.  Not just yet.

On page 13 begins an article, six pages long, by Richard Fisher KI6SN entitled "Radio Amateurs Face Wrath of Tornadoes Head-On".  It's a very good read, worthy of your time and effort.  If you don't get CQ, it's worth the trip to the local newsstand or book store.

When a series of tornadoes hit the Southern states this past Spring, in some cases Amateur Radio WAS all there was until emergency communications could be restored.  In some cases, it was Amateur Radio Ops who helped restore those affected communications channels.

The point is, there is a reason the FCC titles the rules governing Amateur Radio "Part 97 - AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE".  That's what we are, bottom line.  When push comes to shove, and work or communications needs to get done, many times you'll see a brother or sister Amateur Radio Op in the fray, volunteering their time and talent (gratis), doing what needs to get done.

Whether it's with CERT, or helping to provide disaster relief or passing emergency traffic, being a storm spotter for SkyWarn, or helping in a search and rescue, or helping out in an emergency shelter, or even helping provide communications for your local parade, walk-a-thon, or 5K run .... often you'll find a Ham ready, willing and eager to lend a hand.  And don't think for a second that it's not noticed and not appreciated.

I was surprised to read a "Letter to the Editor" in our little town paper a week ago.  The letter was from one of the Lieutenants of our Police Dept. In the letter, he publicly thanked the town's CERT and ARES/RACES operators (by name) for assistance given within the last month.  We're always thanked for our efforts but the public letter was not expected, by any means; and it sure was appreciated.  We're not out there to be Police Officers, Firefighters or EMS personnel.  We're out there to do what we can so that the professionals can be free to be placed where they can best do their jobs!

Now ...... to keep this QRP related (somehow).  Take a good look at the cover of said July 2011 edition of CQ.  The cover photograph is of Lloyd Barnett W4RFZ, Control Op for the Tornado Net in Alabama.  Not that he uses them for his net operations, but in his hands he's holding a Tuna Tin II and a Herring Aid 5 receiver.  See?  You'll find QRPers just about everywhere.

"They're everywhere! They're everywhere! They're everywhere!"

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

MI QRP Independence Day Sprint

For me, at least, it turned out to be a dud, kind of like the firework above.  I worked less than a dozen stations and about three or four of those ended up being ragchews.  I was calling "CQ MI QRP" and I guess that was interpreted as a general "CQ QRP" call.  Hey, I met two new QRP friends that I've never worked before, so it wasn't a total loss! And I ended up catching up with some friends I haven't spoken with in a while.

I pulled the plug when the time between contacts became really excessive.  At that point, it's just better to go and read or get other things done.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you

Happy Independence Day !

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

Indeed, 'twas a washout

No park as hoped for today.  The thunderstorms started at 4:00 AM and continued off and on throughout the day, curtailing my shack operations as well.

While it was wet and on the cool side here - 74F (23C), I had a QSO with Rolan W3FDK in Maryland who informed me that it was sunny and in the 90s there - just two states away!  I also actually worked one of the 13 Colony Special Event Stations, K2H out of MA on 40 Meters.  He's the only one I've heard on CW and he was calling CQ, sounding quite lonely with not many takers.  I even posted his whereabouts on the DX Cluster and that didn't seem to draw him any takers, either. Too bad.

I did get the Baby Black Widows finished and operating. I used them in a very nice ragchew on 40 Meters with Ernie AA2YK.  He sounded great, too!  He was using a Nye Viking straight key and I would've sworn he was using a keyer and paddles also.  His fist was that good; and that's a joy to listen to.

 

They feel great and work FB, too.  I need to do just a little more adjusting to get the feel exactly the way I want; but these are a winner!  If you have a KX-1 or a PFR-3 or PFR-3A, I would strongly suggest getting in touch with W5JH before he runs out of stock.

Lastly, as I pine away for some outdoor operating, here's a video that Steve WG0AT (portable ops expert extraordinaire)  posted on YouTube today.  He was using that Tinker Toy set that we Hams call Buddipole parts and his ATS-3B with a 9V battery, folks - about 1 Watt out - maybe?

Enjoy the video !

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

Raining here

And it's been raining since we had a line of serious boomers go through about 4:00 AM.  The park is looking doubtful for today.  Looks like any operations today will be out of the shack.

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

Not hearing

any of the 13 Colony Special Event stations in the CW portions of the bands.  I see them listed on the TelNet clusters as being active in the SSB portion, though.

I did manage to work S51DX in Slovenia with 5 Watts on 40 Meters tonight.  If I don't work any better DX tomorrow from the park, that will be my first entry in the Club72 DX Marathon for July.

Something that I heard that was really strange.  A station was calling CQ on 40 Meters and started doing a military style drum cadence using his straight key.  It was an unmistakable drum beat, that was instantly recognizable especially if you've ever marched in a parade.  He did that three or four times before continuing to call CQ.  Weird!

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

Someone had a good day!

http://www.w1pid.com/hill_jul/hill_jul.html

Hope I am as lucky tomorrow!

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

I'm a sucker

for the 4th of July.  Always have been, since I was a kid.  This might have something to do with that.  This is one of the very first cartoons that I remember seeing.  It probably wasn't the first; but it hit fertile ground and took root.  It made me very aware that the freedom and liberties that we enjoy did not come easy.  And that's why it's all the more important that they be so vigilantly protected.



On a Ham radio (Heh! Ham radio with Porky Pig right above this!) note, I gave my Baby Black Widow brass pieces their second coat of lacquer today.  This stuff dries really fast!  I've used various brands of polyurethanes and lacquers to protect my collection of autographed baseballs. (If they weren't so dear to me; I'll bet I could sell those and have enough for a K3 and a KX3!!!) None of the lacquers I have previously used were as nice as this.  It is Rust-oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2 - Clear Gloss.  No drips, no runs (no errors - a little baseball humor, there).  A nice crystal clear finish that doesn't even look like it's there - and that's the whole point.

I am still hoping to get some park operating time in tomorrow; but the latest I hear is for thunderstorms tomorrow.  It's good that the park is close.  Maybe I can get some time in in the late morning to very early afternoon, then the storms can go to town, for all I care.  Today, my wife is working, so I can't leave the kids at home.  They're at that age now where they're too young to be left alone for more than an hour; but too old to be tagging along with Dad. 'Tis a pity, because it's sunny and only very scattered partly cloudy.  And right now, around Noon, it's 85F (29C) with relatively low humidity.  Would be a great day to be out there!

Well, if it does rain tomorrow and should lightning keep me off the air; at the rate this Rust-oleum is drying, I should be able to continue with the Baby Black Widow build.  I'll post pictures as I make progress.

OH .........  don't forget two things !!!!!  First, July is QRP Marathon month for Club 72.  Make your best, longest distance QRP contacts and enter them.  See how you stack up against other QRPers.  Last marathon, Fred VE3FAL and I were the only two QRPers from North America to enter.  C'mon guys, lets show them what VE/XE/W/K QRPers can do!

Secondly. if you're not out watching beautiful pyrotechnic displays (fireworks) Monday night, keep in mind that the MI QRP Club Independence Day Sprint will be going on.  2300 UTC on July 4 to 0300 UTC on July 5. For those of you who may be UTC challenged, that's from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM EDT, for example.

Happy Independence Day weekend - and a belated Happy Canada Day to all our VE friends and neighbors!

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

My Fancy-Shmancy Spray Booth

Is the top of an old pizza box in my driveway!  The 400 grit sandpaper finished off the brass pieces of the Baby Black Widow very nicely, giving them a smooth, satiny brushed finish.  I stopped at Home Depot on the way home last night to pick up some 4/40 screws.  These are being used to fill the threaded holes while spraying so that they don't get all gunked up.  It's a good thing I decided to pick up two packets of screws - one would not have been enough!

I have given the pieces two light coats tonight - the lacquer I purchased needs only a 30 minute wait between coats.  Tomorrow, I will flip the pieces over to get the "other" sides.  A good drying period of tomorrow afternoon and all day Sunday and I should be able to finish the build on Monday.

I was looking at the Black Widow gallery on Jerry W5JH's Website and when I do the bigger set of  Black Widow paddles, I think I might polish them to a mirror finish using my Dremel and polishing wheels.  There was an example there and it really looked slick.

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

Speaking of portable ops ......

My good friend Rem K6BBQ, fellow QRPer and Polar Bear and Flying Pig has a lot of fun operating portable on a regular basis.  And he likes to share by posting exceptional videos. Make sure to go to YouTube and subscribe to K6BBQsHamShack.



I've said it so many times before - QRP and the Great Outdoors - perfect together! Rem shows us how it's done!

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

Hoo Yah!

So here's the deal ...... the long Independence Day weekend is coming up!  And the weather looks like it may cooperate.  Sunny and in the lower 90s (about 33C)   Sooooooo - I am hoping for an hour or two in the park on Sunday with the PFR-3A and various antennas and a chance to play for a bit.

Cotton Street Park is located about 1/4 mile from my house and it's where I usually walk to for FOBB.  It has HUGE trees.  No kidding, on some of these trees, the closest branch to the ground is higher than the top of the maple tree in my backyard!  The trees are dense enough to produce a lot of nice shade, too - keeping the sun at bay for some comfort.

I will take the PFR-3A (with battery and key, of course) the antenna line launcher, end fed wire and Fuchs tuner and perhaps the 88' EDZ speaker wire doublet as a back up.  This will be a "shake down" to make sure everything still works for our annual Lake George trip this Summer.  Of course everything still works; but call me paranoid, or anal, or whatever.

I'll bring my BlackBerry along so that when I am QRV I will post a spot to QRPSPOTS.

I am looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend for a change!

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

Baby Black Widows

I have started building my set of Baby Black Widows for the PFR-3A.  They arrived the other day and I skipped one step in the construction and began by finishing the brass pieces first.  Jerry W5JH's instructions would have you begin by mounting the knurled heads on the screws; but I figured I can do that while the lacquer is drying after I spray the finished brass pieces this weekend.

I bought both 220 and 400 grit sandpaper at Home Depot.  As Jerry suggested, I masking taped the sandpaper down onto a flat surface, our freezer in the basement.  I gloved up one hand and began sanding the brass pieces.  Gloves are recommended so you don't get any finger oils on the clean brass.  Finger oils on brass promote tarnishing and an uneven look.  When I did the fine and final sanding, I donned two gloves.  Being able to switch hands was a boon towards preventing hand cramping while moving the pieces back and forth along the sandpaper.  These are pretty small pieces and you have to hold on to them very well so they don't go launching into space!

The sanding is done and the brass now has a nice "brushed" finish.  I have wrapped the pieces up in a silver polishing cloth for safekeeping until I can spray this weekend.  I will need to stop back at Home Depot for some 4/40 screws so I can fill the threaded holes before I spray the lacquer so that the threads don't get "gunked up".

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

G4ILO

I, like everyone else am shocked at the turn of events that have taken place in Julian's life.

I wish him and Olga the best and am praying for a miracle.  Some may think that's foolish; but I don't.

Hang tough, Julian - my prayers and those of a lot of your other friends are with you!

Larry W2LJ

Field Day Past - Part 2

This is a side shot of the Mess area.  Norm KB2SBB (SK) and Charlie N2LHD (SK) were our head chefs.  Our FD was known throughout the area for the food we served. Indeed, many visitors came just for the food. There weren't many FD sites in the area that offered ice cold fresh fruit, and hot entrees like baked ziti and other goodies that were way beyond the standard burgers and dogs.

Norm KB2SBB (SK) grilling sausages for sausage, onion and pepper sandwiches.

Jimmy N2LFI (SK) was also one of our cooks.  PARC Field Day took the food very seriously. For us, Field Day was not a contest.  Our final score was important, but secondary.  In retrospect we had two main goals:

A: Prove that we could set up an effective portable Comm Center in case of the ultimate emergency

B: Provide one of the biggest social events of the Ham year. It was supposed to be fun, after all !!

And we did take operating seriously. Here's Rich W2PQ at the mic, while W2LJ does some logging duty.

Bill W2WK does some logging while Al W2KOG (SK) looks on.  It was towards out latter years that we brought laptops for logging.

For our earlier Field Days we brought desk tops with huge CRT monitors!  Hey folks, this was less than 15 years ago - times have changed.  I'm sure there are people logging this Field Day using iPads and other tablets.

Another Sunday morning shot.  Someone off to the left is sipping coffee while W2WK and AA2KS look a little weary.  FD Fuel (Pepsi Cola) cans litter the desktop!

W2LJ, W2PQ and WA2RMZ take a breather after helping with the guy ropes that kept our extension ladder "tower" in place.

Two of PARC's steadfast operators, and winners of a few NJ QSO Partys - Don KO2K and Bill W2BT walking across the Field Day site.

Lastly, one of the founding members of PARC, Chuck WB2MSV (SK) going for a refill to the "807 tent". Chuck was the motivating force and guiding spirit behind many of the PARC Field Day efforts.  He made sure we did things right, helped solve problems and provided a lot of laughs to boot.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Field Day Past - Part 1

As most of you know, this being the last full weekend of June, it is Field Day Weekend here in North America.  As mentioned in yesterday's post, none of the bigger clubs around here seem to be putting in a big Field Day effort.  Setting up in the backyard and going it alone just seems ...... not sure what to say about that.  Maybe just not right is what I mean.

I hate to be thought of as one who lives in the past; but the Piscataway Amateur Radio Club in its earlier incarnation new how to do Field Day right!  It was a huge effort and was a lot of fun.  Unfortunately, as with all organizations, it seemed like too few people did too much of the work - the ol' 90/10 rule.  But while it lasted it was fun.  Here are some photos of PARC Field Day in its heyday.  There are so many that I will post some today and the rest tomorrow.  I hope my fellow PARC members get a kick out of these.

We even had signs to let everyone know what we were doing. Notice our extension ladder tower.

Rich Alderiso AA2KS - a bit bleary eyed; but ready to go!

Chuck Phillip WB2MSV (SK) always brought his RV to PARC Field Day.

Food was a HUGE part of PARC Field Day, sometimes it seemed it was more important than operating.  Here Jack W2IMM (SK) and Drew W2OU have a bite to eat between operating shifts.

Bob W3BBO putting some time in behind the paddles.

Yours truly early on a Sunday morning. I was so tired that someone shoved a mic in my hand and I actually started using it!  I had a lot more hair and was a lot thinner back in those days!

We operated in a collection of campers, tent, trailers in a soccer field in Piscataway.  Don KO2K who worked for the town always seemed to get the site mowed and sprayed for bugs right before the weekend.  We had an HF beam attached to an extension ladder that we used as a tower. This was always used by the 20M Phone guys.  The CW guys invariably used a dipole some 30 or 40 feet in the air.  

When I was one of the club officers, I made a point to stay for the whole 24+ hours of Field Day, usually sleeping in the CW camper that belonged to Rich W2PQ or crashing in Bill W2WK's trailer.  After a long weekend of CW contacts, it was not unusual for me to hear CW in my head for the entire following week!

More photos tomorrow.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Three Projects

I always seem to do things backwards.

Winter is supposed to be the season for building things and Summer is supposed to be the season for operating, right?  Not for me !!!

I have two projects in the wings - no actually three.  Two I want to get done rather quickly, the third can take the rest of the Summer.  The third, in fact, I want done for next Fall / Winter.

First project is to construct a pair of Baby Black Widow paddles for the PFR3A.  I want to take them with me when we go on vacation next month up to Lake George, so time is of the essence here.  I got them through the mail today and hopefully, I can start on them this weekend.

I have a set of the original Black Widows (which I still have to build, sigh!) and I wanted these for a while now.  Jerry W5JH, who kits these, mentioned on several of the QRP e-mail reflectors that due to diminishing sales that there is the possibility of these paddle kits being discontinued.  I wanted to get a set before that happens.  So tomorrow, I'll have to get over to Home Depot at some point for some 200 and 400 grit sandpaper and some brass polish so I can begin finishing the metal pieces.

Second project - the Hamcan transceiver.  This has been sitting around in its padded envelope for way too long!  I inventoried the parts tonight.  Seriously, this kit should take all of about an hour to build.  I should be ashamed of myself for not getting this done and on the air by now.

Last project for the Summer is getting that 160 Meter vertical built that I saw in the August 2010 edition of QST.  I think while I'm at Home Depot this weekend, I'll buy some of the parts I need for that, too.  The main construction of that won't occur until after vacation, however - most likely this will be an August project.

Field Day is tomorrow and other than the Metuchen, NJ Club K2YNT, which is gathering at Rutgers, and the RCA David Sarnoff Group, which is gathering at Princeton, there are no other groups that I know of in the immediate vicinity that is putting forth an effort.  The two clubs that I belong to, ETS of NJ and RVRC, which are primarily repeater clubs are not doing anything this year.  Marianne, my wife, is working tomorrow anyway, so that will preclude me from going to any Field Day sites until she gets home from work around Midnight tomorrow night.  I will probably set up the PFR3A and the Buddistick in the backyard tomorrow afternoon to just give out points for a couple of hours.

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

Nuts!

I was tuning around 40 Meters after a hard day at work, itching for a ragchew.  Then on 7.033 MHz, I heard John W3FSA calling CQ.  He was a strong 599, so I gave him a call.  To my delight, he heard me and came back to me, giving me a 559 report.

John lives up in Bethel, Maine; but was at his second home near Portland, near the coast.  John was also using a K2 at 5 Watts; but he had a big advantage over me.  His G5RV was up 50 feet, probably in some of those really tall Maine pine trees.   My EDZ is only at the 25 foot level.

W3FSA courtesy of QRZ.

Anyway, we were having a nice conversation when it happened ......... rumbles of thunder.  That meant on the next go round I had to let John know I was pulling the plug - pronto.  'Twas a darn shame, as it was a nice QSO.

However, safety first - always!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Good reading

If you are like me you enjoy reading Amateur Radio stories that are in the vein of "Human Interest". I love reading stories where guys tell you how they became interested in Ham Radio and how they learned and the mistakes they made, etc, etc, etc.

If you're into that, like I am, I have two good links for you:

http://worldsbesthobby.com/

which I came across due to Steve K9ZW's blog; and also:

http://www.novicehistory.org/

which I have known about for years.  If you started out YOUR Amateur Radio career via the Novice License, please consider writing about it for the Novice History page.  A lot of other Hams enjoy reading these stories and would be thankful if you shared.  You don't have to be a Jean Shepard style storyteller. Just write about your experiences and I'm sure we'll all enjoy it.

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

No cakewalk

Looks like working Washington state as K6JSS/7 is going to be an effort.  John K7HV is on; but he's 449 at best when the QSB dies down.  I've been calling for the better part of an hour now and he's not hearing me.  I can hear him working other East coast stations; but it appears my signal is being trounced by other QRPers.

On the other hand, John K4BAI answered my CQ on 20 Meters and he was the loudest I have ever heard him. He was a good 579 here in NJ and I got a 579 back from him.  And I also had a short QSO with Terry WA0ITP. So it was nice meeting two old friends on the air.

As I finish typing this, I just finished an attempted QSO with K6JSS/7. But I am not sure that John got my info right.  I will consider this a bust and will try again another night.

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

Completing this would be nice!

I have no idea if there will be enough CW ops on the air in order to complete this; but this Independence Day Special Event will be on the air again this year.

http://www.13colonies.info/

I am a huge Revolutionary War buff.  I have studied that period of time as intensely as any Civil War buff.  I guess it all began years ago when our family spent one of our vacations in Colonial Williamsburg.  I would really love to give this a shot; but I have a feeling that not having SSB capability is going to limit me.

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

Crud!

Wanted to end Father's Day with a fun time behind the key, participating in the Flying Pig's monthly Run for the Bacon sprint.

Just as the contest started, something in the neighborhood flicked "on" and I was rewarded with 20 over 9 QRN on 20 Meters and about S9 to 10 over QRN on 40 Meters.

Looks like I'll go read for a while.

Massive disappointment.

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

With apologies to my Polar Bear friends - sometimes you're the bear; and sometimes the bear gets you. Tonight, I got "got".

Father's Day

I spent the day being a Father.

Got up, went to church with the family and spent the rest of the afternoon redoing the landscaping in front of the house.  The severe heat of Summer '10 and the severe cold of Winter '10/'11 did in about seven plants.  I took the old ones out weeks ago; but thanks to a VERY wet May, I didn't get replacements in until today. 

I got on the air for a few minutes this afternoon and didn't hear a whole heckuva lot on the bands.  Unless it was just me, signals seemed sparse and nothing too loud on 15, 17 and 20 Meters.  I baited the hook with some fat, juicy CQs; but got no bites.

I also issued a few more Bee numbers this afternoon.  Notable requests came from Dave Benson K1SWL, owner of Small Wonder Labs.  I've built a few of Dave's offerings and they always work great - first time every time.  It's nice to know he will be joining us for FOBB.

Also issued a number was Steve WG0AT, of Rooster and Peanut fame.  Steve was issued Bee # 161.  And I issued # 162 as an honorary (and it will be the only honorary number issued) to Rooster and Peanut.  Steve didn't ask for this, it was something I decided to do on  my own.  R & P faithfully follow Steve on his adventures, and even though they won't be operating (although that would be a kick in the head, wouldn't it?) they get a number for carrying gear, if nothing else.

Steve and friends (human AND goat) went on a camping/fishing trip to  Powderhorn Lakes in Colorado.  He took his ATS3B and Buddipole along for some different "fishing" in case the under water ones didn't bite.  If you want to see some really beautiful photos, take a gander here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/goathiker/Powderhorn#

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

Hamfest time!

I did get up at 4:00 AM and was at the RVRC (Raritan Valley Radio Club) hamfest site by 5:00 AM. It was a sunny, hot day and I did get a little sun burned - a bit, but not too badly.

I didn't need much of anything but did pick up some BNC to binding post adapters for easily hooking up speaker wire doublets to the K1 and PFR3A (and someday the KX3!).  I have a couple already; but these are the type of things I always misplace.  I also picked up a new computer microphone for a couple of bucks.

In the very early morning it was very humid and hazy.  The job I was tasked with was to direct the cars of the sellers into their spots in a neat and organized manner.  I'll tell you ..... when you arrive somewhere at 5:00 AM and you look down at your watch, 11:30 AM feels like a whole day went by!

Where else but at a hamfest can you find a 50 Caliber machine gun barrel ?

We had a good amount of vendors; but it was strange.  You could find computer parts galore; but there was only one guy selling coax.  Also there was a guy selling QRP antennas.  What the heck is a QRP antenna ?  I thought antennas were antennas!  I guess QRP antennas have limited power handling capabilities?

We also had some guys set up to do HF radio demos.  Alan W2AEW had his Icom 703 hooked up to his MP Super antenna that was mounted to the lip of the bed of his pick up truck.  We were able to hear some VKs on 40 Meters in the early morning.  The comm van with the pneumatic mast, courtesy of Brian N2MPM,  was holding up what looked to be a PAR EndFed. And on the top of the comm van was a Buddistick that was attached to a K3 inside the van.  This was the first time I got to see a K3 in real life.  I was surprised in a way, how much bigger it is than a K2.

But the best news of the day, by far, was learning from Bill W2WK that the Piscataway Amateur Radio Club is in the process of re-forming and starting back up again!  PARC was the best radio organization that I have ever belonged to.  To be extended a personal invitation to come back as a member was just the best part of a pretty good day.

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

Romantic Radio

Strange title for a post, eh?  But you'll get my meaning in just a bit.  No I don't mean using the radio to send love messages, I mean the "Romance" or magic of radio.  If you're a QRPer or a fan of outdoor radio, I'm sure you've had visions inside your mind's eye of being out in a beautiful, idyllic setting with a small, portable set up.  The weather is beautiful, the backdrop ideal; and you're cranking away on the radio having the time of your life.

Many of us never get to live that dream in EXACTLY that manner; but Michael Rainey AA1TJ is.  You may remember Mike from his unique designs and homebrew rigs. He and his wife are hiking in Europe and he managed to upload this video onto YouTube of his radio efforts in Austria along the Danube.  It can't get much better than this, can it?



W2LJ has the honor of calling it a very early night tonight as tomorrow is the Raritan Valley Radio Club's annual hamfest. As a new member, I will be working the fest this time instead of just being a visitor/buyer. The wakeup call is for "O Dark Thirty" as the old joke goes; but it is no joke - 4:00 AM!  The forecast for tomorrow is partly sunny, humid with a high of 86F (30C). I will be packing some sun screen in additon to the HT, battery and some money!

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

Ham Nation

A netcast series by Bob Heil K9EID.  This looks to be a winner - a great series and I wish them a long run.  I would've picked another name for the Network other than Twit, though.   :)



Kudos to my good friend, Drew Moore W2OU for bringing this to my attention.

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

Maunder Minimum

The Amateur Radio mailing lists are all abuzz with the news story that broke yesterday about the possibility of the recurrence of the Maunder Minimum. I even posted a link yesterday and bit hard on the hook myself.

While I tend to defer to the experts, I have to wonder sometimes.

At the end of the 70's the media was all ga-ga with predictions that were going around about the coming of another Ice Age.

In the late 90's and throughout the 2000 decade, a lot of people were preoccupied about Global Warming.

Now we're back to predictions of another possible mini-Ice Age again.

What we have to face is that Ol' Sol goes through many cycles.  He'll be around a lot longer than any of us.  What's a mere second to him is a lifetime for us.  What's going to be with the Sun is going to be; and there's nothing we can do about it anyway, when you come right down to it.  So we might as well relax and just enjoy the ride.

Good advice for me to listen to, too!

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

PS - I'm still going to get my hands on a KX3 - sunspots or no!

Well ... THAT was fun!

My wife's car is in the shop, so she had to take mine to work tonight. In turn, that gave me a rare Tuesday night at home (prevented me from going to yet another meeting) and allowed me the chance to participate in the NAQCC Monthly Sprint.

I can't remember the last time that I was able to jump into one of these. It has to be a year or more since I last participated. I couldn't start at the bell, because I had to wait for my daughter to be dropped off from her Girl Scout meeting by her Troop Leader.  Once Cara was home, I settled down in the basement and actually ran a frequency for almost an hour!

40 Meters was in great shape; and 80 Meters wasn't shabby, either. In all, I made 29 QSOs in just over an hour.  Not a record, or anywhere near my best effort - but not bad for being out of practice, either!  This was the first NAQCC Sprint where the antenna was exclusively the 88' EDZ; and it did quite a good job for itself. I got good reports, nothing less than 459.

This was a nice respite from a cruddy day at work.  Thanks everyone who worked me - it was a ton of fun.

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

As if work isn't depressing enough .....

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-sun-major-solar.html

Dealing with the nonsense, silliness and outright stupidity of people at work is bad enough.  Then my hobby, my solace, my relief, my passion gets affected by things I cannot control.

Almost makes you want to throw in the towel.

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

K6JSS/3

I knew that working K6JSS/3 was going to be relatively easy this week. Pennsylvania is having its turn and I never have trouble making it into PA.  It's the next state over from me; and if I have trouble being heard there, then it's time to pack it up!

Within the first half hour, I worked K3VIG as K6JSS/3 on 40 Meters.  He was calling CQ TEST and I'm not sure what contest he was in, so I sent the standard QRP Sprint exchange of RST/SPC/Power.  I hope I gave him a valid point.  Just a few minutes later, I heard Scott N3SW as K6JSS/3 on 80 Meters and he was loud - 579 loud.  We did the standard exchange of RST, SPC, and ARCI Number.

Ron WB3AAL is on 30 Meters as K6JSS/3, as per QRPSPOTS; but I can't even pick him out of the noise.  Other than working K6JSS/3 right off the bat, the only other radio excitement was working 4O3A in Montenegro on 20 Meters this afternoon.  The bands were kind of quiet all weekend, it seemed.  Definitely not a big contest weekend with wall to wall signals.

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

Boo Hiss !

Today was the monthly Polar Bear QRP event; and I really had my heart sent on some outdoor operating, even if it was only from the backyard.  The park would have been preferable; but neither was to be.  Rain and thunderstorms have kept me inside and off the air (for the most part), although I did have a very brief QSO with Scott W5ESE earlier.

The rain wasn't a big surprise; but the thunderstorms were.  Earlier this morning, I joined my CERT team for some traffic duty during a 5K foot race that was held in town.  We blocked off certain roads and redirected traffic to make sure the runners and walkers would be safe throughout the event.  It wasn't too bad - I was only sworn at a couple of times.  It was a good thing that I thought ahead to bring my foul weather gear with me as it rained a bit during the middle of the event.

I had two radios on me, my Wouxun 2M/70cm radio and one of the town's public works radio - a Motorola handheld.  The communications on the Amateur frequency (we decided on 445.000 simplex amongst ourselves) were a lot more clearer than the town's frequency which is up in the 155 MHz range, I believe.

Next week, the team will be called out to assist in helping out at the Middle School and High School graduations. The day after that, in the evening, we will be going for some search and rescue training on the other side of the county, which will be conducted by the New Jersey State Police.

This coming autumn, our Director of Emergency Management wants to do a real time, live "missing person" drill in town and wants to have as much RACES/ARES involvement as he can get.  This is what I signed up for - glad to see we're actually doing some things.

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

Cool video

Personal experience is that kids find stuff like this to be "cool".

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

Treasure Chest

I don't know how many of you out there pay attention to the other bloggers that I list.  I'm sure that most of you do - however for those who do not ...... I am taking pains to direct you to this blog post

:http://blog.g4ilo.com/2011/06/lost-treasure.html

If you are interested in learning or improving your CW - this is the software tool that you need to be using.

Developed by Julian G4ILO, this is perhaps the most useful and versatile tool out there for CW tutelage,  It will allow you to burn code practice to a CD or to your iPod or other MP3 player.  In addition to random letters, you can have random words, Morse from a text file (Books in Code), random QSOs or whatever you choose.  The options are very customizable (is that even a word?).

Personally, I find it very useful and convenient to just play Morse practice in the background, while I am driving, cleaning, or doing whatever chore I happen to be doing.  Somehow it seems that just listening without even trying to seriously copy conditions my brain towards better reception of the characters when I DO start copying for real.  Also, this is great practice for copying in your head and getting used to not writing things down on paper. Hint: Listen to code at about 5 WPM faster than you are able to copy.  When you go back to your fastest speed - I guarantee that it will sound SLOW to you!

Learning Morse and getting better at it doesn't need to be a hated chore.  If you just relax and stop putting pressure on yourself, you will see rapid increases in your ability.  Tools like MorseGen make it all that much easier.

No radio for W2LJ tonight, so I am very happy to have worked K6JSS/9 last night.  Yesterday and today were beastly hot.  For the last hour or so we have had some rain - but quite the electrical storm.  The antennas are unplugged and the K2 is off the air.  A cool front is moving through and I expect the light show will last for quite a few more hours.

One last thing, and this is totally unrelated to Ham Radio.  James Rollins, one of my favorite authors, is releasing a new book this month.  To celebrate this new release, he has worked out a deal with audible.com where you can download FOR FREE (until June 20th) an audible copy of his first book in the SIGMA Force series, "Map of Bones".

http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_2?asin=B0052OM87C&qid=1307585406&sr=1-2

This book was handed to me a few years back by a friend who knows that I like to read.  I read it and was instantly hooked and have read every subsequent adventure.  I downloaded this audible version to my kindle and am listening to it via the Aux connection to the radio in the Jeep while I drive back and forth to work.  It's just as good now as when I first read it a few years back!

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

What the ????

As seen on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Elecraft-K3-10-Amateur-Radio-Transceiver-QRP-Ham-NR-/190542936014

A K3/10, which is currently at $107.50 at 026UTC on June 9th, 2011 - no reserve !!!

My gut tells me something is wrong here - but if things were to go just right for the winning bidder, this could end up being a bargain and a half.  Why are there alarm bells going off in the back of my head?

It will be interesting to see where this ends up.

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

You win some and lose some!

Well, you win some and you lose some.

I did end up working K6JSS/9 this evening on 40 Meters. Jack KK0I was at the key and we completed a QSO even though summer time QRN has begun with a vengeance.  Speaking of summer time conditions, it peaked out at about 99F (37C) here in NJ today. It's supposed to be even hotter tomorrow with higher humidity.  Since I got home from work, I have been hanging out in the basement shack, as it is nice and cool down here - only 76F (24C).  The air conditioning is on the fritz and picked the perfect time to give up the ghost on me.

Where I lost?  I heard 7Z1HL, Harry in Saudi Arabia on 20 Meters at 14.025 MHz.  He was decently loud - about 569 with QSB.  This is the very first time that I can even remember hearing Saudi Arabia on the air.  I tried and I tried, but no dice with only 5 Watts.

Oh well.

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

Success !!!

Success on two computer fronts today.  The USB Wireless Ethernet card came today.  Of course, Windows wouldn't install it correctly; but the included CD ROM had a set up utility.  I have Internet access back on the family computer again. Happy day, no more arguments about computer time between my two offspring.

I also purchased off of eBay a mini USB wireless mouse for the Acer down here in the shack.  The right touchpad key doesn't seem to work and it really hadn't since I bought this thing.  I contacted the seller on eBay and she told me that she "wasn't aware of it" as she never right clicked.  Right.  You know, I may have been born at night - but it wasn't last night!

Anyway, the mouse works normally and now I don't have to mess with alternate key commands when copying and pasting stuff.

Now if I could only find K6JSS/9 on the air - that would make the day complete!

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

Computer problems

On Memorial Day we had an exceptionally bad thunderstorm rumble through here in the morning.  Strangely enough, however, the only thing that got damaged was the Ethernet card (yes, I did try a different Ethernet cable) inside the "family computer".  Being "frugal" (codeword for cheap), I purchased a new Ethernet card on eBay.  Silly me, I didn't bother to make sure that it was compatible with Vista!

It wasn't and needless to say, it didn't work.  But it was only $5 (no shipping) so it didn't set me back a fortune.  I am currently waiting on a wireless stick. Since the wireless router sits right on top of the computer anyway, it seemed like a no brainer.  It should be here tomorrow or Thursday and things will be back to normal.  In the meantime, I am using the laptop, which is no big deal, except for fighting off other family members for computer time.

My son and I were watching a TV commercial for Staples (I think) where they are advertising all the tablets they have for sale. I told my son, who is just finishing 5th grade, that by the time he leaves High school, there will probably be no such thing as desktop computers anymore.  Maybe even laptops, too.

He gave me a funny look; but look how far we've come.  Floppy disks are no more, serial ports are no more, it looks like cabled devices will soon be no more.  With the "cloud" becoming more and more prevalent, even thumb and zip drives seem to be on the endangered list. This stuff seems to evolve at an exponential rate.  Seems like every time you turn around, something new is being introduced.

On a radio note, I see we are in the throes of some big time geomagnetic disturbances.  I guess this is the aftermath of that lull we had a few weeks back.  I just hope that propagation stays decent for a while.

Well, I think I will head down the basement for a few minutes before hitting the hay.  Maybe I can scare up K6JSS/9 from Wisconsin before I turn in.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Couldn't hear K6JSS/9 on 20 Meters as I have an S9 noise level tonight for whatever reason.  But I did work OM5MZ on 30 Meters.  The noise level was slightly less there and Boby was blasting through.  The 88' EDZ seems to do a really good job for me on 30 Meters.  I didn't stand a chance with the G5RV on that band.

A very pleasant surprise

My cell phone rang this morning around the 10:30 AM neighborhood.  I got that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that it was work, informing me of some kind of emergency that could only be handled by yours truly.  Fortunately, that was not how it had turned out.  Instead, the person on the other end of the conversation was my High School electronics teacher, Bob Benson K2IB.

Bob had gotten my cell phone number through a mutual friend, Dan N2AYM. We proceeded to have a most pleasant conversation for the next 30 minutes.  He called me to mention his surprise at being mentioned in this blog and on my Webpage. It was great catching up with Bob and listening to his latest radio endeavors.  He has a new TenTec Eagle, which he loves; and living in northern New Jersey, he's into operating portable.

We talked a bit about the old days at East Brunswick High School and I got the chance to thank him for being the inspiration for getting my license.  In turn, he mentioned to me that he is glad that I have gotten as far as I have with Amateur Radio.  Bob is getting back into CW operating and is having a blast going at it all over again.

After the phone call ended, I had the chance to reflect that Bob (somehow he will always be "Mr. Benson") was responsible for a lot more than just me getting a Ham Radio ticket.  Getting that license got me way more involved with electronics than I previously had been.  That in turn, led me towards completing an education in digital electronics which led to my previous job.  I spent 23 years as the Service Manager for a firm called Sinar Bron, where I repaired (down to component level) high end photographic strobe equipment which was imported from Switzerland.  That electronics job, and the managerial skills that I learned, landed me my current job.

As wonderful as Amateur Radio is, and the countless hours of enjoyment that it has provided me - there is so much more that I owe to Bob Benson K2IB.  He started me down a path that had many twists and turns; but ultimately led me to where I am today.

Thank you, Bob, not for only being a great teacher and an inspiration; but for now becoming a friend.

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

June 2011 CQ

Let me start off with a disclaimer.  I do not work for CQ magazine; or any of its subsidiary publications.  I do know Rich Moseson W2VU; and in a small way, he's partly responsible for this blog.  Rich was at the "Take Your Kids to Work Day" at the IEEE in Piscataway, NJ.  It was my experiences that day that kicked off this blog back in 2005.

That all being said and gotten out of the way - have you gotten and looked at the June 2011 edition of CQ?  This month's edition is devoted to the theme, "Take it to the Field".  It's about time someone devoted an issue to this!  QRPers have been preaching this subject for years - nice to see it go "mainstream".  If you're not a regular subscriber to CQ, then I would advise a trip to the local news stand, or perhaps your local Borders or Barnes and Noble.  This issue is a keeper.

Speaking of operating out in the field, handing out numbers for The Flight of the Bumblebees is going quite well. We're up to Bee # 148.  I've gotten a lot of Stateside and Canadian Hams looking for numbers - but no DX Hams.  I know the "official rules" state that the contest is from 1700 to 2100 UTC - but if any of you QRPers over on the Continent want to operate for four hours in the afternoon on the last Sunday in July where you are - I'd be happy to hand out Bee numbers to DX stations too.  No need to keep this event strictly a W/VE affair.  You guys should join in on the fun, too!  All I ask is that you follow the same basic rules and keep the exchange the same.  Forward your logs, photos and stories and results to me and I'll list  separate European, Asian, African, South American, Australian results. However I manage to figure it out!

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

Where's South Dakota ?

It's South Dakota's turn as K6JSS/0 this week. As noted by Ron WB3AAL on QRPSPOTS, Jerry NR5A, one of South Dakota's most active QRPers, has been in the hospital recently and just got home.

Don't push yourself, Jerry!  Your health is way more important than a stint behind the radio.  I hope you're feeling better soon!

I attended the "Parent's Meeting" of my son's Boy Scout troop this evening.  Sometime this coming month, their camping trip is going to be to one of the NJ State Parks in Central New Jersey.  Yes, folks, NJ is NOT only what you saw during the opening sequence of "The Sopranos".  We have lots more than highways and the New Jersey Turnpike.  There are tons of lots of wonderful natural, unbuilt areas - you just have to know where to go.

Anyway, the trip will be to Cheesequake State Park, which is right along the Cheesequake fault. Bet you folks didn't know that we have an active earthquake fault line in New Jersey.  I was asked to do a Amateur Radio presentation that weekend during the camp out.  Sound like a prime opportunity to break out the K2 (so the kids can listen to some SSB as well as CW) and the 88 foot doublet.  I'm not sure when the trip is scheduled for; but I wouldn't be surprised if it was Field Day weekend.  If it is, at least there'll be lots of opportunities for the boys to get on the air for a bit.

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

Memorial Day - 2011

Since 1868, Decoration Day, has been a day set aside for us to remember and pray for our fallen soldiers.  This day has come to be known as Memorial Day and it is the day we honor all American Soldiers who have died in American conflicts - from the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror.  It is fitting for us to remember that freedom is not free; and we have our freedoms because of the price that they have paid.



Today, throughout the cities, towns, villages and boros of the United States, wreaths have been laid, salutes have been fired, speeches have been made, parades have been marched, Old Glory has been saluted and "Taps" has been played.

It is fitting to take this day to also remember and pray for the living, those who have suffered from injuries, missing limbs, psychological trauma ..... those who may be home, but for them the war has not ended.  And also this is a day to say to all of our Veterans - "Thank you for your honored service - may God continue to bless you and may God continue to bless America".

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

Hootowl Sprint Highlights

I had a lot of fun working the Hootowl Sprint tonight.  I am pulling the plug early, though.  There's an hour to go; but I have to have my son Joey at the local VFW early tomorrow morning as his Boy Scout Troop is participating in their Memorial Day program.

There was a goodly amount of activity; and it was great to hear a lot of stations.  I'm sure a lot of the guys were tired after participating in the CQ WW Prefix contest this weekend.  I made 21 QSOs in my effort.  We went out to dinner and I got back home past starting time; so that cut into my operating time a bit.

The main highlights were:

1) Working W7CNL on 20 Meters. I think Jack has the lowest QRP ARCI number that I have ever worked - # 271.  That's as close to the founding days of the organization as I think I'm ever going to get.

2) Working AI4SV on 40 Meters and hearing him send 500 mW as his power.  I get a kick out of milliwatting and working milliwatt stations.

3) Working Kelly K4UPG, my fellow Polar Bear on 20 Meters.  Kelly and I kid each other about how we always seem to miss each other during these QRP events.  Tonight we scored - Grrrrrrr.

I had three QSOs on 20 Meters, two on 80 Meters and the balance on 40 Meters.  80 Meters was already into summer time static crash QRM.  I thought 20 Meters would be busier than it was; and 40 Meters, is well, 40 Meters - ol' reliable.

There was no activity that I was able to sense near the old 7.040 MHz watering hole. The conversion over to 7.030 MHz as the standard 40 Meter QRP watering hole seems to be complete.  But there was some digital QRM around 7.034 MHz which was disturbing.  Can't 7.040 MHz be the "lower edge" already?  It's bad enough that these guys don't seem to listen at all before they transmit.  I was running a frequency for about 15 minutes when out of nowhere came some really loud digital noise that forced me to move.  Whatever happened to courtesy?

Sorry, guess I'm tired and crabby.

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

Contentious Discussion Alert

An interesting discussion is in its infancy on QRP-L.  Suggested  this afternoon - should FDIM be moved and rotated about the country, as the ARRL National Convention is?

This is a fascinating idea. The idea is that Hams who might not be able to make it to Dayton might have a chance at attending something closer to home, were it moved there.  Hey, if FDIM ever came to the greater NYC Metropolitan area, I'd be the first to book a room!  The idea has its merits, making the process of attending easier for some who could not normally make it.

However, in reality, I doubt this would ever come to pass for several very valid and realistic reasons.

1) The FDIM folks have built up a really nice working relationship with the Holiday Inn at Fairborn, where the event is held.  It is my understanding that because of the repeat business, a better deal is struck that keeps attendance fees at a reasonable price for those who can make it.

2) Dayton Hamvention - The premier hamfest in the USA.  FDIM coincides and the two have become somewhat ........ maybe symbiotic would be the best term?  There is a "connection" between the two that cannot easily be broken.

3) And this goes back to Point #1 .... having it at the same place every year not only has economic benefits; but logistical benefits as well.  It's just easier to plan when you know a year ahead of time where and when you are going to hold an event of such magnitude.

4) There already exist regional "conventions" i.e Lobstercon, Ozarkcon, Pacificon, etc. that fill this void.  Sadly, Altanticon has gone by the wayside.  But these do an excellent job of bringing together QRP'ers who can't make it to Dayton each year.

While my heart would love to see FDIM move around and make it easier for all to get a chance to attend (myself included) my head knows that it's already at the best place it could probably be.  As my kids get older; the chances that I can attend get better and better with each successive year.  Definitely not this year, of course, as I wasn't there - but maybe next year, or an even better chance the year after that.  My only hope and prayer is that FDIM is still going on when I finally do get the chance to attend.

Hope to get a chance to meet many of you face to face next year - God be willing!

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

Guess it's just as well

I've seen on the various QRP e-mail reflectors that dues to a solar disturbance, band conditions were in the tank today and that propagation was pretty terrible.  That's too bad of course, but now I don't feel so bad about not being to get on the radio at all today.

Right from the get go, it was one thing after another.  Get the Jeep's oil changed, get the grocery shopping done, get the kitchen and bathrooms cleaned, take the kids to the movies. Whew! I'm ready for bed as I type this.

I am hoping that either tomorrow or Monday, that I can get to the local park for a few hours and get some outdoor QRP ops in.  The high temperature for today was 91F (33C) as we've jumped right from Winter to Summer. I know in reality that we did indeed have a Spring this year; but it was a cold and rainy one - not very enjoyable.  Tomorrow is supposed to be a little tiny bit cooler than today; but Monday is expected to be hotter perhaps.

Right now, I'm thinking PFR3A, 69' wire, Fuchs tuner, battery, paddle, fishing line launcher and a whole heckuva lot of fun. It would be nice if the bands cooperated.  I see that the SSN is back up to 65 and the Solar Flux Index is hanging around the 100 neighborhood.  With the K index nudging back down a bit, it looks as though the ionosphere is recovering.  That would be good for an hour or two at the park.

If I get the chance to go, I'll take the digital camera along.  Maybe I can get some stills or perhaps a little video going.

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

6W/RK4FG in the log

I've worked Senegal before - both QRO and QRP.  But when I hear an African nation on the bands, and very loud to boot, I just can't resist!  I don't hear very many all that often and I don't have many QSOs with many African nations.  It's always a treat to work them. This time the HF9V got me through on 20 Meters.  The pileup was not fierce by any means - just a long line of stations to work.  I got through about 15 minutes or so after I started trying.

There's lots of DX to be heard on the bands even with less than stellar band conditions.  This coming weekend is the CQ WW Prefix Contest.  I am tempted to get on the air for a bit using NJ2SP, which is the call for the South Plainfield Amateur Radio Club, for which I am trustee.

Hank N8XX has informed me that there were no NJ2 prefixes worked in the contest last year; so maybe even with QRP power I might command a pileup?  It might be fun!

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

Hey, we're going the wrong way!

Sunspot number down to 23?  Solar Flux back down to around 80?  Seems like we're headed back towards 2010 instead of towards solar maximum.  I'm sure that this is just a valley in the peaks and valleys of the cycle, but c'mon!

I averted a near disaster with the laptop. I don't know how it happened; but the other day, while I was reading my e-mail on the Verizon site, AVG popped up with a box telling me that it had quarantined some kind of virus. I don't think it was a virus as much as it might have been malware.  The computer started acting funny and this fake "Windows XP recovery" box came up telling me that my hard drive was corrupted and it directed me to some site, where for a fee, I could download some software that would restore it.

I recognized it for what it was - a scam and immediately rescanned the laptop.  Fortunately, there was nothing else infecting the computer; but the malware had caused some problems.  It wouldn't allow me to access Windows Explorer and some other features. Nothing fatal - just very, very annoying.

Thank you for the System Restore feature of XP.  I reset the computer to the way it was a week ago and now everything is back to normal and is working perfectly fine. I know what you're going to tell me - if I used Linux this wouldn't happen to me.  You know, I'm sure you're right; but I am nowhere savvy enough to pretend to know computers well enough to be a Linux user.

By the way, we're up to Bee # 112 - anyone want lucky # 113?

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

The Bee Keeper is IN

Wow!

103 Bee numbers given out in less than 24 hours.  It seems that The Flight of the Bumblebees IS quite a popular event.  I sure hope that the weather is good for all of us that day; and that we get a ton of logs, pictures and stories.

I'll be handing out Bee numbers until almost right up until the event.

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