Three Toms and a Sam

It turns out that I discovered (after the fact) that my lunchtime session netted me three Toms and one Sam.

I worked today, in order:

9A4W - Tom in Croatia

S51WO - Sam in Slovenia

SP7BCA - Tom in Poland

ON/DJ6OI - Tom in Belgium

Is that kind of weird or what?!? If I had worked four Toms, it would have been time to stop and buy lottery tickets on the way home, or find a good poker game to join. LOL! I thought it would be neat to take all my lunchtime QSOs from this year and plot them to Google Earth. Here's what they look like:

and

By clicking on either, it should get you a larger version to look at.

So the next time that someone tells you can't work anybody with 5 Watts and that QRP is a bunch of hooey - well ................

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

The 10 Meter QRP Watering Hole

was quite packed today at lunchtime!  Which was absolutely, positively fantastic!  In fact, it was just a little difficult to find an empty frequency. So for a change, I listened for a CQ instead of calling, and I ended up having a nice QSO with F5LAW, Yann who lives near Lille, France. Yann was using his Kenwood TS-480SAT at the 5 Watt level.  He was pushing those 5 Watts into a 4 element Yagi antenna.  I gave Yann a 549 and he gave me a 559.  There was some QSB, but the entire QSO was solid copy!  And on his last exchange, Yann's signal had peaked to a solid 589.

Yann had commented that he had survived Autumn storm Christian with no damage to his property, although some of the surrounding area was not as lucky.  That reminded me that it was just one year ago today that Hurricane Sandy did her number on New Jersey and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic coast:

Fortunately, in this section of New Jersey, all the damage has been repaired.  There are still areas close to the shoreline that bore the brunt of the storm much harder than we did and have still not fully recovered!

After working Yann, which ended up being a 16 minute QSO (nice!), I went to 10 Meters and worked OHØH in the Aland Islands.  Then it was time to pack it in and head back into work. Another successful day with QRP.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Stuff

Some things I have been meaning to pass on:

The first concerns a contest that will be held this coming Saturday - November 2nd.  As Greg N4KGL explained to me:

RaDAR is Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio. This Saturday November 2nd is the 2013 Fall RaDAR America Contest. This is not your usual contest. The contest encourages rapid deployment and redeployment but there are several categories for you pleasure. Bottom-line is if you want to have some fun between 9AM and 1 PM CDT (1400 - 1800 UTC) Saturday read on.

So go RaDAR on foot, mobile,  portable or operate fixed. RaDAR participants will be lucky to find other RaDAR participants so fixed stations are encouraged to participate. The exchange is Callsign, Name, RST, City State (Grid locator preferred). I spared you all the details but they are at

http://radar-america.blogspot.com/2013/10/radar-november-2013-contest.html

All hams can play and it would be cool for many of you to disperse to various portable ops locations. Pick your favorite. I will be at St Andrews State Park FL and will be foot mobile on the beach. I will move 1 kilometer for every five contacts. I plan to operate around the following frequencies

40m CW 7055 kHz SSB 7185
20m CW 14055 kHz SSB 14342.5
15m CW 21055 kHz SSB 21437.5
10m CW 28055 kHz SSB 28400
2m FM 145.565 Simplex

Greg N4KGL

I will admit, the concept is cool and this looks like a ton of fun.  I have so much already planned for this weekend, that I will be hard pressed to squeeze it in.  But if I can find the time, I will definitely join in on the fun.

Secondly, I came across this site, which is run by Steve Roberts W1SFR.  http://kx3helper.wordpress.com/
I especially think Steve's QRPads are a great idea!  Neat way to stack QRP rig, tuner, watt meter, etc. Steve also sells his own version of a KX3 stand, and he also sells a fully assembled version of the antenna and 9:1 UNUN that I am currently in the process of building.

That's it for tonight. Fortunately, 10 Meters was still hopping today during lunchtime.  I worked Italy and Hungary again today  Currently the SSN is over 200 and the SFI is at 159.  I sure hope these conditions stay with us for a while. It does a body good to hear so much activity on the bands. Reminds me of my Novice days back in the late 70s.  Back then, it took a bit of effort to find an open frequency!

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

Zombie Shuffle 2013

Another Zombie Shuffle in the books and unfortunately, I missed most of it.  Operating hours were from 6:00 PM local to Midnight, local. First, I ended up working until 6:00 PM last night, instead of my normal 5:00 PM.  Then, on top of that, I had my local radio club meeting, which is always at 8:00 PM on the last Friday evening of the month.  That gave me an hour (roughly) to get home, get changed out of my work clothes, wolf down some dinner and then get to the meeting. Not good - Shuffle-wise.

I ended up getting on the air for the Shuffle at approximately 10:00 PM local.  By then you could tell that the cork had popped and the air let out of the balloon.  Activity was way down by then. 20 Meters was a lost cause on the East coast and 40 Meters was full of SSB QRM in the background.  80 Meters was a bit better than 40 Meters.

I ended up making 13 QSOs - I know, somehow that's an appropriate number for the Zombie Shuffle, right? My score was a paltry 66,451 points.

Some visitors came by the while I was operating:

I didn't mind the witch, the ghost or the Jack-O-Lantern so much, but that skeleton that insisted on "hanging around" my monitor made logging just a wee bit difficult!  At least I was able to lure the gremlins off my feedline by throwing some Snickers bars at them!

PS:  As of Monday morning, according to the results at:  http://www.zianet.com/qrp/ZOMBIE/zombie_006.htm, I have come in 17th in a field of 38 entries.  That's a lot better than I thought!

72 es Boo de Larry W2LJ
BooRP - When you care to send the very least!

Two things

that I want to "talk" about tonight.

First is that tomorrow night is the Annual Zombie Shuffle.  This is a really fun Halloween themed QRP Sprint which is the brainchild of Paul Harden NA5N and his wife Jan NØQT.  The official rules can be found here. The Sprint runs from 6:00 PM local time to Midnight local time.  I will only get a few hours in towards the end of the contest because tomorrow night is the monthly meeting of the local radio club.  As I am the newly elected Secretary, so I kinda gotta be there! (Somebody has to take the minutes!) So look for W2LJ tomorrow night (late), because if you work me, I am worth extra points.  Since I was a Maya King in last year's Shuffle, and an Elvis the year before that, I am automatically an Elvis for tomorrow night.

You're probably saying to yourself, "What the heck is he talking about? Elvis" What?"  Just check out the rules that I linked to above and it will all make sense, I promise you.  Oh and by the way, my Zombie number is 858.

The second thing I wanted to touch on tonight was a Letter to the Editor that showed up in this month's (November) edition of QST.  It appears on page 24 and was written by Sean Cowdrey KJ6TTR from Camarillo, California.  I have never written to the editor of QST in my 35 years as a Ham. I was sorely tempted to because of this letter - it really annoyed me in several ways.  I would like to re-post it here; but that would probably get me in big time copyright trouble.

The gist of the letter is that Mr. Cowdrey is a fairly newly licensed Ham, earning his ticket in early 2012.  I guess he must have had some bad experiences out there on the Left Coast.  He goes on to bemoan Morse Code, those who use it, and those who think that present day Amateur Radio exams are too easy - "crotchety old timers" as he labels them. He goes on to define "crotchety old timers" as anyone who's been licensed for more than 10 years.

Well, this "crotchety old timer" genuinely feels bad for Mr. Cowdrey.  It has been my experience here in New Jersey that new Hams are made to feel as welcome as possible.  Any and all VEs that I have had the pleasure to work with have been nothing less than encouraging, welcoming and professional.  I am trying to think if there's ever been an incident that I can remember of a newbie being dressed down by a veteran Ham on a repeater or at a club meeting or any other occasion, and for the life if me, in all honesty, I can't.  I have heard rumors of such things happening; but to have personally witnessed it? Nope, never, not even once in 35 years. I don't know how new Hams are treated in California, but in New Jersey they are welcomed and made to feel like one of the group.

At the same time, I was also annoyed by Mr. Cowdrey.  In the letter, he makes several statements which really irked me.  I am going to type these in here so you will know what I am talking about.

"From a technical standpoint, other allege that new hams don't even know how to cut wire dipole antennas to the appropriate lengths. While failings such as these may afflict a few of us, it is an inaccurate generalization when applied to the new ham community as a whole."

He then goes on to say two more things:

"I have only occasionally encountered rude behavior, and that has come mostly from operators licensed more than 10 years ago."

"For those who insist on bringing back Morse code testing, coupled with exams that require knowledge approaching that possessed by an electrical engineer, I submit that if you got your wish Amateur Radio would be dead in 10 years.  I think that it is high time that these crotchety old timers lighten up."

Well, Mr. Cowdrey, I AM sorry to say that I have personally witnessed brand new Extras that couldn't figure out how to cut a dipole antenna if their lives depended on it.  In my case, rather than say something negative, I just helped to build the antenna and explained the "why" behind it.  But seriously ...... an Extra not knowing how to cut a dipole?  Something is wrong there.  And if you don't know how, then at the very least, you should be going back to your license study material to review and figure out how and why on your own.

Rude behavior, Mr. Cowdrey is NOT confined to those licensed longer than 10 years ago.  In Ham Radio, like life itself, you are going to have good and bad apples.  Stick with the good and avoid the bad, but at the same time, don't make a Federal case about it. Man up, for crying out loud and carry on.  Nobody comes with a lifetime guarantee that their feelings won't be hurt.

That last paragraph is the one that really frosts my pumpkin, though.  Not so much the Morse code issue, because that's a dead horse that I am not going to beat on, but "exams that require knowledge approaching that possessed by an electrical engineer" ...... really?  Don't you want to learn something out of this hobby?  Is the sole purpose of Amateur Radio to just get on the air and start blathering away?  Or is there more?  Personally, learning the basics of electronics for my license, and then going on from there led me to a wonderful 22 year career in electronics repair.  And the great feeling I get when I successfully troubleshoot a problem or build something with my own two hands is priceless. Studying for those tests was a very small, minuscule price to pay for the enjoyment that Amateur Radio has given me.  The sense of accomplishment that I received from going from Novice to Amateur Extra is something that I doubt I'll ever experience again. Oh, and my knowledge base comes absolutely, positively nowhere near that of an electrical engineer. I think we're being just a tad overly dramatic, there.

But what I'd really like to say to Mr. Cowdrey (if I could) is that "while failings such as what you have encountered may afflict a few of us, it is an inaccurate generalization when applied to the older ham community as a whole."  If you don't want us older Hams to lump all you Newbies together, then perhaps it would be wise if you didn't lump all of us older Hams together.

"Nuff said.

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

Another great day!

On the HF bands - 10 Meters was great again during lunchtime and I had no problem working Serbia, Italy, Belarus and Germany.  All the QSOs were great; but I had two in particular that were gems.

The first came at lunchtime on the 10 Meter band.  After working some DX, I decided to go to the watering hole of 28.060 MHz.  There I heard a weak CQ - DF7IS, Klaus in Kandel, Germany.  Klaus was running 5 Watts from his Icom IC-703 to a sloper.  I just love 2X QRP QSOs, especially 2X QRP DX QSOs!  We gave each other 559 signals and copy was solid, even though QSB was a little trying at times.  But the KX3 pass band tuning really helped me notch Klaus's signal and I had great copy throughout.

The second gem came after I got home.  With dinner done and a Harold walk yet to come, I decided to hit the KX3 in my basement shack before the sun set.  10 Meters was a bit disappointing.  I heard a station from Guinea- Bissau, but the pileup was intense, and his signal was dropping like a lead balloon. 10 Meters did not seem as promising as last evening, so at that point I decided to switch over to 15 Meters.

At 21.020 MHz, I heard JA1NUT calling CQ.  I knew that this was Shin, because my bud W3BBO just worked him a few days ago, and I have heard of him many times before. Shin has the reputation for being a top notch CW operator, a sort of Amateur Radio celebrity, a Ham's Ham.  Nobody was answering him, so I threw out my call.  Shin came back to me, and I gave him a 589.  His signal was warbly, like it was coming over the pole.  I've heard polar flutter before, and this sounded exactly like that.

Shin was running 500 Watts to a 4 element Yagi, and said he was trying to study the effects of the CME.  I knew immediately what he was talking about.  I learned about yesterday's CME from Fr. Z's blog of all places.  We exchanged other pleasantries and when it was my turn, I told him I was using an Elecraft KX3 to a vertical.

That's when I got "KX3 THATS 5W RIGHT?"

I answered "YES 5W QRP TO A VERTICAL"

Shin came back again "AMAZING 5W UR 549 BUT SOLID CPY ALL THE WAY. ENJOY UR MIGHTY 5W LARRY".

Wow - how cool is that?  Another walking on air moment! Amateur radio doesn't get too much better than this.

Before I close for the night, I leave you with a video that was mentioned on the CW Ops e-mail reflector. Can you imagine having an antenna farm like this?  I have passed K3LR's aluminum ranch several times on the way to and from Dayton. This is the first time I've ever seen a grand view like this!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Now THIS is Ham Radio !!!

10 Meters.  When it's open and hot, it's a beautiful thing. As Bob W3BBO said to me the other day, "I guess it's true when they say that, you can work them with a wet noodle when the band is open!"

The band has been open since the weekend and there's no telling how long this will last. Hours ..... days ...... weeks?  All I know is that if you have HF gear, you better take advantage of this now, because it just might not last for too much longer.  You don't want to get stuck with the short straw, or the dirty end of the stick.

As I detailed yesterday, I have worked mostly European stations during lunchtime, and the same held true today.  Today I worked EU7A, EI13CLAN, HAØNAR, S50A and SM5COP, but the "best" contact of the day came after I got home from work.

After dinner, and before taking my dog for his evening walk, I sneaked (snuck?) down to the shack, much to Harold's dismay.  I turned to 10 Meters once again and tuned around for a bit.  I heard a VERY loud BY3M.  I think that may have been only the second or third time that I have ever heard China on the bands. I tried working him (forever the optimist), but the pileup was ferocious with a capital "F". After a while, with sunlight rapidly dwindling, I realized I had better hunt around some more before the band totally faded.

That's when I heard JA5EXW calling CQ on 28.018 MHz.  He had no takers calling him back, so I put out my call.  Sure enough, Ben came back to me and with a 579 report!  579 with 5 Watts to a vertical from New Jersey to Japan. How awesome is that?  Just fathom the distance in your mind - according to HRD, that's 7,018 miles as the crow flies.  That translates to 1403.6 miles per Watt.  I've done better, but that's still mind boggling to me!

We live in a world where the rate of technological advancement doubles every few years now.  Nothing stays the same, and what's new and hot today will be obsolete in just a few years.  But this radio thing?  It still is and will forever be magical to me.  A tiny bit of energy travels half way around the globe and allows two strangers with a common bond to communicate with each other. Absolutely fascinating!

My walk with Harold was just a bit easier tonight. I think I was floating on air for part of our stroll together. This hobby just never gets old for me!

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

So where do youse guys hang out, anyways?

Sorry for using the "Tony Soprano" vernacular, but that's a question often asked by budding QRPers, or those looking to dip a toe into the pond, wondering what QRP signals sound like.

To answer the question truthfully - just about everywhere!  Anywhere we have frequency privileges given to us by the FCC, you will find QRPers.  But I know that's not the spirit in which the question was asked. Because, yes Virginia, there are "special" frequencies where QRPers tend to congregate.  Not that there's anything magical about them, they're just frequencies that QRPers have come to know as "the watering holes".  Just like animals from the African savanna meet and greet each other at the local pond, lake or stream, so QRPers tend to congregate at certain frequencies where the odds are good we will meet others of our species.

For CW, they are as follows:

160 Meters ~ 1.810 MHz
80 Meters ~ 3.560 MHz
40 Meters ~ 7.040 and 7.030 MHz
30 Meters ~ 10.106 MHz
20 Meters ~ 14.060 MHz
17 Meters ~ 18.080 MHz
15 Meters ~ 21.060 MHz
12 Meters ~ 24.906 MHz
10 Meters ~ 28.060 MHz

And for SSB:

160 Meters ~ 1.910 MHz
80 Meters ~ 3.985 MHz
40 Meters ~ 7.285 MHz
20 Meters ~ 14.285 MHz
17 Meters ~ 18.130 MHz
15 Meters ~ 21.385 MHz
12 Meters ~ 24.956 MHz
10 Meters ~ 28.885 MHz

In fact, the Long Island QRP Club has a very nice .pdf that you can print out and laminate and keep close by for easy reference. You can find it here.  You will notice their list also lists other frequencies as well, because there's no hard and fast rule, written in stone.  And more than likely, you will hear QRPers clustering around these neighborhoods and not on these frequencies EXACTLY (although it often feels that way during a QRP contest!).

Now, when you get to those frequencies, you will undoubtedly hear some weak signals.  But if you get blasted by a 599++++ signal, don't automatically assume that it's a QRO station intruding.  It just may be that due to propagation and band conditions, that powerhouse signal you are hearing just might be generated by a transmitter putting out 5 Watts or less. Don't assume that QRP always equals "weak".  Just ain't so!  If there's one thing the QRP Fox hunts will teach you, is that QRP equals Low Power, not necessarily Weak Signal.  Yes, you will work your share of 339 and 559 stations, but if you get involved with QRP and hang with it long enough, you'll hear your share of eardrum blasters, too.

Now to a different matter. I got an e-mail this morning from my good friend Bob W3BBO telling me about how good propagation was on 10 Meters Sunday afternoon.  I didn't get the chance to get on yesterday, but you can sure as all heck guess where I went to during my lunchtime QRP session today! Yep, 10 Meters and it was hopping today, too.  I worked Denmark, Italy and Croatia with no problem at all - no repeats, practically armchair copy both ways - although QSB did rear its ugly head now and then. Oh man, I wish 10 Meters was like this everyday!  I am hoping this lasts for a couple of weeks (or months) - fingers crossed!

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

It was a good week

of lunchtime QRP sessions.  I did not get skunked all week, unless you count yesterday, when I had to work through lunch and didn't get a chance to get outside. The bands seemed decent and this is the week's tally:

MJØASP - Jersey - 15 Meters

IK3VUT - Italy - 15 Meters

EA6FG - Balearic Islands - 15 Meters

H7H - Nicaragua - 17 Meters

DM5MU - Germany - 17 Meters

HB9CVQ - Switzerland - 15 Meters

N4KGL - Greg in Florida - 20 Meters

W0RW/PM - Paul in Colorado, hiking one of the parks - 20 Meters

GI4DOH - Northern Ireland - 17 Meters

All this with the Buddistick plopped on top of the Jeep.  Wonder what I could work if I had a tower and a beam!

I was glad to see that Jim W1PID posted another story on his Website and AmateurRadio.com.  I have become intrigued by his use of that 9:1 unun as described on the earchi.org Website.  So I downloaded the assembly instructions and ordered myself a couple of T106-2 powdered iron core toroids.  The balun looks easy enough to make, and from Jim's posts this summer, it had provided him with much success.  I like the idea of having one wire giving ALL bands, 40 through 6 Meters. And according to the earchi.org site, if you play around with the wire length, it's possible to be able to use one wire for 80 - 6 Meters.  But not to be overly greedy, I'd be thrilled with one wire for use on 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10 Meters.

I'll put it together and I have a box in the basement that will be a perfect container for it. Don't know if I'll get a chance to do much park operating before the weather changes for good; but I'd like to give it a shot.  If it works well, it will bode well for outdoor operating season next year.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Unintentional Intentional DX

Sometimes with DX, it's better to be lucky than good. Well, I really shouldn't say that.  I know nothing of being good when it comes to DX, but I sure can relate to lucky.

Band conditions were good today, and I went out to the Jeep at lunchtime to find 15 Meters hopping!  I heard a huge pileup around 21.023 MHz and I think it was for JA7SGV/6V in Senegal.  He was loud here in NJ, so despite the pileup being furious, and despite having worked Senegal on another band, and because I'm an optimist at heart, I decided to give it a go.  I turned on the "Dual Watch" feature on the KX3, hoping that I would be able to figure out where he was listening.  After listening for a goodly bit, it became apparent that I was not hearing the same stations that the DX station was going back to. So I hoped for the best and started throwing out my call at 21.025 MHz. It seemed as good a place as any to start.

Then all of a sudden, my call comes back to me.  But it wasn't from the ear bud tuned to 21.023 MHz, but instead from someone transmitting on 21.025 MHz.  I quickly turned off "Dual Watch" and deactivated the split function and twirled the main VFO up to 21.025 MHz.  I thought just maybe it was someone who heard my call sign in the pileup, recognized it, and wanted to say "Hello".  A half second later, when I got up to 21.025 MHz, the station was still calling me and sending out "W2LJ 579 TU BK" waiting for an acknowledgement.  Obviously, this was NOT someone wanting to say "Hello". So since the station was loud, auto-pilot and habit kicked in and I sent back "DE W2LJ TU 599 NJ BK".

It turns out that it was MJ0ASP, located on the Island of Jersey.  A DXCC entity that I have never worked before at all, let alone via QRP!  How cool is that!  Tried for Senegal, but got a brandy new one, instead (albeit by accident!). Add to the fact that New Jersey was named for the Island of Jersey, so there's a little historical connection there, too..  My hat is off to Elecraft, because if it weren't for the "Dual Watch" feature on the KX3, I might have missed Jersey entirely.  A very good day on 15 Meters, indeed, as a little while later, I also worked Luca IK3VUT in Italy and Pep EA6FG on the Balearic Islands

I was listening for K3WWP and KC2EGL on 40 Meters, as they were scheduled for another Parkpedition today.  I didn't hear anything on 7.041 MHz, so I broke down, packed up and headed in. Checking e-mail, it appears that it was raining in Kittaning, so John and Mike put lift off on hold for about an hour or so.  Can't blame them. Who wants their equipment to get wet?

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

There was lots of activity today!

There was a whole lot more QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party activity today compared to what I witnessed yesterday.  And I had a ton of fun in the process.  I did not get to put in as much time as I would have liked, but that doesn't really matter, as I'm only a Giver of Points, after all.

But when all was said and done, I added 42 QSOs to my log - on all the bands, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10.

In addition to working all the bands, I worked Jorge EA2LU on 20, 15 and 10.  I worked Art WB4MNK on 40, 20 and 15.  I worked Jim NØUR on 80. 20 and 15.  I worked Bob N4BP on 20 and 15 Meters, and we QSYed to 10 Meters to give that a shot, but it didn't pan out.

After working hard around the house on Friday and Saturday, it was fun to kick back and relax behind the radio today.  Thanks to all out there who worked me ..... recuperation at its best!  The only downer was not being able to work Ken W4DU the QRP ARCI President.  I heard him several times on 40 Meters, and tried with the HF9V, the EDZ and the W3EDP.  I guess it just wasn't in the cards this time around.

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

Sure hope there's more activity tomorrow!

I'll be the first one to admit it.  I was not able to get on the radio at all today, during the day.  I had VE exams in the morning that I assisted at. That was followed by grocery shopping, leaf raking and Halloween yard decorations put up and then sanding the bathroom walls that I had applied spackle to yesterday.  Very busy with no time for radio - no time for the QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party.

So when I was able to turn on the radio this evening, hoping to relax for a bit and hear many of my fellow QRPers, it was a disappointment to say the least.  I worked 8 other QRPers and one station who thought I was calling "CQ PA TEST" instead of "CQ QRP TEST".

Two stations worked on 20 Meters and the rest on 40 Meters. No activity at all on 80 Meters that I was able to hear, which is a shame as all the summer time static crashes are gone.  80 Meters is back in season, again.

Tomorrow, I have a quiet day planned.  My son and I will be putting in some more time at the local soup kitchen in the afternoon, but other than that, the day should be free.  The QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party runs until 7:59 PM EDT tomorrow, so I should be able to get on in the late morning, early afternoon and later afternoon.  I sure hope I can work more stations than the eight I worked tonight!

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

Follow up: I went back to 80 Meters around 11:00 PM EDT (0300 UTC) and called CQ for a bit. I ended up with four stations in the log. Background noise was near zero, the band sounded beautiful.

Oh man, I sure went and did it ......

I was twiddling around the 30 Meter band and worked a couple DX stations - OM3SX and E71A and kept tuning, listening to hear what I could hear.  Then I heard K5T calling CQ with not many takers at all.  K5T is activating Timbalier Island IOTA NA-119, which is off the coast of Louisiana.

I worked them quite easily, and then they continued to call CQ, again - not many takers. Sounding kind of lonely, in fact.

I know what it's like to organize a special event station. I also have some experience helping to get a small expedition on the air, having helped the now defunct Old Bridge Radio Association with an expedition to Liberty Island in New York Harbor back in the very early '80s, when I was a relatively new General. Knowing all the planning and preparation it takes to pull something like a K5T IOTA expedition off, I couldn't let them just call CQ forlornly all night long.

So I spotted them on the TelNet Cluster.

They went from calling CQ and working a few stations via simplex to total pandemonium and working split in the space of about 5 minutes.

Geez, I sure hope they didn't mind going from 0 to 60 mph in ten seconds! (Somehow, I don't think they did)

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Dave Benson K1SWL passes the torch

This appeared on the RockMite group reflector today, courtesy of Chuck Carpenter W5USJ:

After a run of about 12 years Dave, K1SWL, is discontinuing the Rock-Mites so he can finally retire.

The announcement was made today, 11 October 2013 vial his website.

The Rock-Mites will continue to be available from QRPme.com

Otherwise known as Rex, W1REX.

Many thanks to Dave for little Gem that has provided many of us a lot of fun.

Best wishes to Rex for another long run.

Not bad for a kit that was started as a handout at LobsterCon in 2002.

Chuck Carpenter, W5USJ
EM22cv, Rains Co. TX

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

AAØZZ EZKeyer II

Announced today by Terry WAØITP from the Four States QRP Group:

The Four State QRP Group is pleased to announce the availability of a new kit. Building on the very popular EZKeyer, this new and capable Morse Code keyer has some additional features - a beautiful blue, easy building enclosure, new PIC microcontroller, larger message memories, additional commands, new printed circuit board layout, and large panel mount push button switches for easy assembly and use.

See the kit's home page for more details and ordering information. 

http://www.4sqrp.com/kits/ek2/ek2.php

As always, thank you for supporting the Four State QRP Group. All proceeds go to funding OzarkCon.

I have the original AAØZZ EZKeyer and it's a keeper.  This one looks to be even better!

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

New KX3

My "new" KX3 arrived on Monday.  Fast shipping from Brian K3USC (a word about that later). It is in immaculate condition, just as he described.  I took it to its new home in the basement shack, fired it up, loaded up the latest firmware and programmed the CW memories.  My first QSO was with MWØEDX in Wales, and I busted a small pile up to accomplish that. This little guy is going to get quite the workout in the W2LJ shack. What's nice is that since this KX3 will be permanently connected to a standard power supply, I can leave the display backlight on all the time.  My portable always has it off, to maximize battery life.

A word about shipping.  Brian and I both took our rigs to the Post Office and each of us shipped via Priority Mail within an hour of each other.  The KX3 got to South Plainfield on Monday.  Unfortunately, the USPS in New Jersey doesn't seem to work as quickly as the USPS in Ohio does.  By the end of the day on Monday, Brian's new radio had just left the state, outbound for Ohio. Fortunately, it arrived in Ohio yesterday afternoon and got delivered today.

I guess Priority Mail, like propagation, is not reciprocal.

I had a great QSO last night with Brian KB1QZA who hails from the Boston MA area.  I received an e-mail over the weekend in which Brian explained that his CW skills were a bit rusty and he wanted some practice. We met on the air last night on 40 meters.  We ended up having a delightful rag chew for over an hour. Brian's CW skillset was nowhere as rusty as he thinks it is.  He was good copy and his fist was good, and I hope we have a chance to do it again.  Last night, our QSO centered mostly on CW and Ham Radio.  I would like to learn more about his work as he is a Professor of Biology at Boston University.  I am sure that's fascinating stuff.

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

Ch...ch...ch...changes!

Some changes at the W2LJ shack regarding equipment, and I have the NEQRP group and the NoGA QRP group to thank for it (indirectly).  The past two weekend Sprints, combined with my lunchtime QRP operating have made me realize just how little I use my K3. I have not touched it in months. My operating for the last noticeable amount of time has all been KX3 ... KX3... and more KX3. Don't get me wrong, the K3 is a GREAT radio, a fantastic radio, a radio that has become the DXpeditioner's weapon of choice, lately.  I have just started feeling guilty about letting such a great radio go to waste. It's a sin for it to just sit there and not get any use.  The rig is too good and it's worth too much to just be a glorified display piece.

So I decided to part with it. And let me tell you, it was a gut-wrenching decision, for several reasons.

I put an e-mail announcing my intentions on QRP-L, quoting the price I was interested in getting for it.  I thought it was a really, really good price, considering that I've had it for a very short time and that it is in pristine condition. Really ..... on a scale of 1 to 10, it has to be an 11.  I really baby my equipment.

I received a couple of responses, and the second response appeared to be the most promising. I received an e-mail from Brian K3USC (who also happens to follow this blog), asking what the K3's serial number was. Brian was in the market for a K3, but was up front and told me that what I had in mind as payment was a bit more than what he wanted to part with in cash, so I thought it was a bust.  But then he mentioned something in his e-mail that really started the wheels spinning inside my noggin.

"I'm in the opposite boat as you. I have a KX-3 that I'm not using like I thought I would and want a K3 !
Let's stay in touch on this..."

This intrigued me on several levels.  I'm not using my K3 as I love the KX3 so much. Yet I was still a bit uneasy parting with it, because that left me with no backup radio in the event, God forbid, something should happen to my primary.

So I suggested a trade.

Well, over the next few days, after a series of traded e-mails, photos, and a twisted pair conversation, Brian and I came to an agreement.  His K3 is on the way to him and my second KX3 is on the way to me.  A bit weird having two KX3s, no?  Not really.  Brian's KX3 will be the shack rig, while mine will stay in the LowePro 150 to stay on as my portable ops rig.  I have pretty much come to the decision that as long as it's not unbearably cold this winter, I will continue my lunchtime QRP sessions year 'round, even if I need to stand there in coat and gloves.  I should be raring and ready to go for FYBO next year!

Since my K3 was a K3/100, will I bite the bullet and buy the 100 Watt amplifier for it?  That's a distinct possibility and probability as I am still enough of a DXer (let's say one notch higher than "casual") to crank up the power to grab a country that I have never, ever worked before.  Let's discuss the following scenario:

I'm working a DXpedition.  It's one of the last few days that they're on site before packing up to come home, so the pileups have become manageable.  They're calling CQ and I come back to them.  I try and try and try with 5 Watts, but they're just not getting my call - propagation is being an imp.  You think I'm NOT going to pump it up to 100 Watts if I can?  Au contraire, mon frer, I am a QRPer first and foremost, but it ain't my religion, either! Scissors beats paper and a new or rare DXCC entity in the log beats 5 Watts in "desperate" situations.

But I will wait for a bit until the order for the KXPA100 start shipping on a regular basis.  I have been keeping my eye on that.  At this stage, the first production versions have been rolled out to the Field Testers. Regular orders will begin shipping this month or early November.  I am guesstimating that the "normal" order and fulfillment process should kick in at the end of the year or at the beginning of 2014.

I can wait.  I have been 100% QRP for the last 11 years. What's a couple more months?

I leave you with a link to a "queasy stomach" video for all you guys out there who use sling shots to launch antenna lines (like I used to).  This was given to me by Don K2DSV, a fellow ETS of NJ club member.  I realize that none of you use the ammo that the guy in the video does, but you MAY use lead fishing weights, which can be as dangerous.  As Sgt. Esterhaus used to say on "Hill St. Blues", "Let's be careful out there!"

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f9b_1380313509

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

Can you believe it's been 9 years already?

I received an e-mail from Paul Huff N8XMS the new Manager of the North American QRP CW Club, concerning some of the events coming up to celebrate the 9th Anniversary of the club.

Wow - 9 years!

Has it really been that long?                   Was it only 9 years ago?

In a way, contradicting questions, but sometimes it feels both ways.  Sometimes it seems like only yesterday that Tom Mitchell KB3LFC (at the time) and John Shannon K3WWP announced their idea for a new club that would cater toward the crowd that was passionate about QRP and CW. Since those two areas are my "cup of tea", as soon as I saw that announcement, I pounced on it like a hungry cat on a bowl of Friskies.  I signed up and  was fortunate to become NAQCC member # 35. In the early years, I was able to help Tom and John spread the word about the club, and was made the club's first Publicity Officer, sending out announcements of Sprints, articles to Ham publications about the club, and even suggesting to John the possibility of establishing a new look for the club newsletter.

And yet, with regards to the other question, sometimes it feels like the NAQCC has been around forever. Monthly Sprints, monthly challenges, a very good monthly newsletter, and a healthy membership roster are just some of the signs of a well organized and well run Amateur Radio club.  And the NAQCC is very healthy.  When I was no longer able to continue doing publicity on a regular basis, due to family commitments,  Dave VA3RJ took up the slack and took over. And other club members volunteered to pitch in and take on other important club roles - all the sign of a very healthy organization.  But perhaps the greatest example of this is this is when the two original founders decided that it was time to pass on the baton of leadership, there was not even a hiccup.  Paul Huff N8XMS walked up to the plate with bat in hand, and is ready to hit the ball out of the park for the NAQCC club members.

So if you're a member of the NAQCC, you have reason to be proud - very proud indeed!

To celebrate the 9th Anniversary, the club is planning various activities.  All will be announced in the next edition of the newsletter, being e-mailed later this week.  But I have been granted permission to talk about two of them right now.

The first you may already be familiar with.  Every October, the NAQCC conducts its N#A Special Event operations, in honor of its founding.  All the call sign areas get an NA operator(s), whether it be N1A, N2A, N3A, etc.  The goal is to work as many of these stations as you can.  This year will be no exception, and the festivities will commence on October 6th.  QSLs commemorating each district will be available as well a special certificate if you manage to work N#A stations in all ten call districts..

Later in the month, the monthly NAQCC Sprint will be turned into a "Special Anniversary Sprint".  All of the N#A stations will be on the air for that evening.  Nine special prizes (9th Anniversary, get it?) will be awarded by a random drawing from submitted logs.  So if you'd like to win something (and the NAQCC has a reputation for awarding good stuff), then "you have to be in it to win it" as the commercial goes.

And here's another sign of a VERY healthy and popular organization.  As you may or may not know, the NAQCC holds a regularly scheduled, two hour long Sprint each month.  The record number of log submissions was 194 for the 100th Sprint Celebration back in February of this year.  194 logs for a regularly scheduled monthly Sprint - how's them apples? Them apples is phenomenal - that's what!

So like I said, if you're already a member of the NAQCC, go ahead, puff out your chest - you've got something to be proud of!  You,  your founders and club officers have accomplished an amazing amount in your first nine years.  And the very best thing is that the NAQCC's outlook is very FB, OM!  But if you're not a member - just what the heck are you waiting for?  There are no dues - just fun, and a lot of it.  If you're a fan of CW and QRP there is NO reason on God's green Earth for you not to be a member of the North American QRP CW Club.  Just follow the instructions provided here. And if you want to, you can tell 'em Larry W2LJ's Blog sent you. That and two bucks will buy you a cup of coffee!

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

Nuts!

Oh boy! Today was fun! The North Georgia QRP Group held the inaugural Peanut Power Sprint, as detailed here in previous entries. I have to extend the group my most sincere thanks, because I had an absolute blast.

I set up in the backyard again, similar to how I set up for QRP Afield last weekend, but I made one major change.  Last weekend. I set up so that the KX3 was in the NorthEast corner of the yard and the PAR was at the South end.  I reversed that this weekend, placing the PAR at the NorthEast corner and setting up the KX3 on the patio table which is on the South side of the back yard.  In addition, I bungee corded my Jackite pole to the top level of my kid's old (and now unused) play set/swing set.  That gained me some additional altitude, and the top of the PAR was at about the 40 foot level.

For whatever it's worth, it seemed to make a big difference.  I was busy from the get-go and was actually able to call CQ and hold a frequency for a while.  20 Meters was the band to be on.  I tried listening and calling CQ on 15 Meters for a while, but for me that proved to be fruitless.  40 Meters was wall to wall RTTY - all the way down as far as 7.030 MHz!

When all was said and done, I had made 38 QSOs.  35 were with other Peanut number holders and 3 were with "non-Nut" stations. A quick glance tells me that I worked 12 different states.  I probably could have worked more, but I had to leave at 2030 UTC to go handle a chore.  When I got back at 2054 UTC, some 25 minutes later, I was still able to work stations; but it seemed like the good rhythm I had going earlier was lost.  I was working stations, but not at the same snappy pace. At around 2144 UTC, I shut down about 16 minutes early, as it was time to start dinner and I wasn't hearing any new stations, anyway.

Once again, thanks to Jim W4QO and the NoGAnauts!  This was a real good time and I hope they decide to have another next September.  The Peanut Power Sprint was a great way to wind down the 2013 outdoor Summer QRP contest season!

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

Apologies

for not posting all week. Whew!  What a week!  It was so busy this week, that I only managed to get one lunch time QRP session in.  The other days, I ended up either working through lunch, or got saddled with "must attend" conference calls during lunch hour.

Last Monday, I had to serve out a jury duty summons.  Here in Middlesex County, you are summonsed for "either one trial or one day".  You report to the county courthouse with your juror badge, which is mailed to you ahead of time. The badge has your name and a juror number. People are randomly picked throughout the day in groups of 20 or 30 or more. If your number gets called, you go into a courtroom as part of a "panel" where you may or may not be selected to serve on that jury. If your number isn't selected for any panels and you're not picked from a panel to be on a jury that day - you go home. My number wasn't selected for any panels, so I came home and now I don't have to concern myself for reporting for jury duty for another three years.

Since the week was so busy, I rewarded myself this morning by attending the OMARC Fall Hamfest, down in Wall Township, NJ.  I attended their Spring Hamfest, which was held on Dayton weekend.  I liked it enough to go back.  Again, it's a small event, but it's very nice, nonetheless.  Attendance was decent and the people there were really nice, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous, so it made for a pleasant morning. (Great job, folks from OMARC!  I'll be back next year, for sure.) My only purchase was a 25 foot length of RG-8X coax with a male PL259 on each end.  This will be used to connect my PAR ENDFEDZ when it is sufficiently high up in a tree.

But, I was given a great idea by two guys who were selling military surplus fiberglass antenna masts.  In particular, I really like this:

They anchored the bottom section of mast in these tripods. I asked them if they were selling them, as one of these puppies would be just perfect for holding my Jackite pole.  They informed me that they don't sell them, and they acquired theirs at Lowe's. They are the tripods used to support quartz work lights. Perfect!  I have to look into getting one of these. The two gentlemen had 26 feet worth of mast being held by this particular tripod.  It was slightly breezy and yet it was anchored like a rock.  Looks like a promising concept.

The other thing I noticed at the Hamfest was just a personal observation.  Something that to me, is one of the marked differences between CW and Phone operation.  A little background - you all know that many times I have stated that I am not a big VHF/UHF talker.  I have my handheld mounted in my Jeep because I do enjoy listening to the local repeaters on the way to work and on the way back.  If you're like me and you do mostly listening, you get accustomed to "the regulars" on the different repeaters and you get to know voices and the personalities behind the voices - and after a while, you form a picture in your mind of what you think the face must look like that goes with the voice you are hearing.

I was walking around this morning and amongst the various conversations going on, I heard some familiar voices - some of the guys I listen to each morning and each afternoon.  I looked up and, Wow!  In each case, the face that I had mentally pictured looked absolutely NOTHING like the actual person!

Then I realized, that this is not something that happens while operating in the CW Mode ...... at least for me. Conversing with a guy in code does not cause me to conjure up the face behind the fist.  I love looking at QRP Quarterly and the photos from FDIM and the various QRP "Cons" because I can finally see the faces behind the fists. But for some reason, I am never taken aback by seeing a photo of some QRP op, or other CW op and saying to myself, "He just doesn't look the way I pictured him". The only thing that I can think of that may be the reason behind this (for me at least) is because voices are distinctive in tonal quality, while CW fists are distinctive in rhythm and pattern.

Crazy, huh?  These are some of the thoughts that run through my head while mowing the lawn. Maybe I should see someone about this!  ;)

Oh, before I forget ...... tomorrow is the inaugural Peanut Power QRP Sprint. Hope to catch you all on the air tomorrow afternoon!

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

Pumped!

As mentioned in the last post, I took my Joplin Amateur Radio Club pneumatic air launcher (PAL) to the local park to try it out.

I made sure to wear my CERT shirt, so that if anyone questioned what I was doing, I could say that I was practicing putting up temporary, emergency radio communications antennas, which was technically the truth.

Using a cheapie foot activated bicycle tire pump that I got from WalMart, I pumped my PAL up to 20 psi, as read by the pump's gauge.  I aimed the barrel over a tree and twisted the red handle to release the pent up air.  The projectile soared OVER the tree and came down, and then the fishing line got "caught up" a bit and the weight ended up dangling about 7 feet from the ground.  Manually letting out just a bit more fishing line got it all the way down to the ground.  If I was actually going to use my PAR ENDFEDZ at the park today, the end of it could have easily been pulled up to about 60 feet high.  The PAL worked flawlessly!  For a taller tree, maybe 25 or 28 psi would have probably have done the job with no sweat. And reeling the weight back in?  Not a problem, it came back to me as smooth as silk.

As it turned out there was no one in the park, and no one from any of the surrounding houses seemed to even care that I was there.  This PAL is going to be a must have for QRP To The Field, FOBB, the Skeeter Hunt, SYBO, QRP Afield and the Peanut Power Spring coming up next weekend.

Now on to my QRP Afield effort for the day.  The weatherman got the forecast right.  It's raining right now as I am typing this, but it stayed dry all day.  But at times, you would have thought it was going to start pouring any second.  It would get sunny, then darkly overcast, then sunny again and the threatening again - all day long.  I am glad that I stayed home and operated from the back yard.  My 31 foot Jackite pole secured to the deck quite easily with two bungee cords.

I managed to get a decent photo where you can see the clouds rolling in, the Jackite and the PAR ENDFEDZ going up to it.  Instead of being a vertical, it was more or less a sloper today. But it performed fine!

I was a bit disappointed, as I thought that since this is kind of the last big blowout outdoor QRP event for the Summer, that there would have been more activity.  I got on the air at 1700 UTC and was able to stay on until 1930 UTC.  In that time, I only worked 18 stations - 14 on 20 Meters and 4 on 40 Meters.  I was surprised not to hear more New England QRPers on 40 Meters.  The ones I did work had great signals - nothing less than 589 on 40 Meters.

While I was CQing away, Harold my trusty Beagle was having a ball being outside.  But all the running around eventually took it's toll and Harold plopped under the shade of our maple tree for a snooze.

It was definitely weird, weather-wise.  When it was sunny, it was hot. When it was overcast, it got to feeling cool, especially when it got breezy. Too bad the solar weather took its cue from the terrestrial weather.  It would have been fun to have worked a lot more stations.

The other downside of the day ....the skeeters! They were out in force. I eventually ran in the house to apply some Cutter's. I think that before I did that, I involuntarily donated about a pint of blood.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

QRP Afield - tomorrow.

Today was better, QRP-wise at lunchtime.  The weather was gorgeous, and I guess the solar weather improved a bit too.  I worked 9A2HF, Franc in Croatia and RU3ZC, Boris in Russia on 17 Meters.  On 20 Meters, I had a short QSO with W4YH, Lee from Slyacauga, Alabama.

Today also marked a minor milestone.  I broke the century mark by making my 99th, 100th and 101st lunch time QRP QSOs for this year.  I started this back at the end of April and while not active every day, I have been active most week days.  Shucks!  It seems like I get more operating in during my lunch hours than I do during non existent "free spare time" at home!

However, I am looking forward to making some free time, and working the NEQRP's QRP Afield event tomorrow afternoon, and putting my club member number #650 on the air.  I think I am going to set up in the back yard, so that Harold (our beagle) can run around and get some fresh air while I operate.  Plus I will be close to the fridge for needed refills of cold iced tea, as needed (That's very important. I love iced tea!). I think I will lash the Jackite pole to the deck with some bungee cords and will use the PAR ENDFEZ, KX3 and battery for a backyard, portable field station.

I was going to go to the park to operate, but my son Joey has to serve as an Altar Server at 5:00 PM Mass tomorrow evening.  If I stay in the back yard, I can maximize my operating time as I won't have to tear down nearly as early as I would have to at the park in order to have him at our Church on time. There's also a chance of some afternoon showers here, too - so if I'm in the back yard, I can break down real fast and have everything in the house before anything can get soaked.

Speaking of the park, I am going to go there in the morning, though.  I am going to bring my newly constructed PAL (pneumatic air launcher) that I bought in kit form from the Joplin Amateur Radio Club earlier this year. It went together in a breeze!  The only downside is that I was really messy with the PVC cement primer and I now have a big purple streak going down the outside of the air chamber. I know it doesn't affect the unit's operation in the least, but it looks "messy".  I am going to have to pick up some steel wool so that I can just buff that out. Picky, I know; but I'm "just" fussy enough to want the thing not only working well, but looking good, too.  Last night, I pumped up the PAL with 25 psi of air pressure and checked for leaks in our big basement laundry sink.  There were none.  There was also a big gratifying "whoosh" of air when I finally turned the valve to the release position.  I think I will be able to get antenna support lines over trees with minimal effort now. Gonna throw that sling shot away - as I don't want to get in trouble, here in the People's Republic of New Jersey.

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

Today ...... I WAS the ball.

But maybe this has something to do with it:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-18/science/42182028_1_sunspots-maunder-minimum-solar-cycle

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

A Louisville Slugger kind of day

As the lyrics in Mary Chapin Carpenter's song, "The Bug", go .... "Sometimes you're the Louisville Slugger, sometimes you're the ball". Today, I was NOT the ball.

My lunchtime QRP session was a rousing success, if I do say so myself - almost on par with a W1PID session (minus the gorgeous scenery, of course).  17 Meters was hot, and in rapid succession, I worked ON8VP - Peter in Belgium, and then UY5VA - Vic in the Ukraine, and then HK1ANP, Fred in Colombia.

The best QSO of the session was on 20 Meters, though.  After working the DX on 17 Meters, I QSYed down to 20 Meters and called CQ on 14.061 MHz.  I was answered by Jim ND9M, from Panama City Beach, Florida, who was running his Yaesu FT-817 at a  QRPp power level - 500mW.  Copy was solid both ways, although there were bouts of severe QSB.  Even at peanut whistle power, Jim was putting out a 559 signal at worst, and when the QSB would let up, he would peak at 579.  I received a 579 (with QSB) report in return. Oh, and Jim's fist? A delight to my ears!

Jim was using his FT-817 to feed an off center fed dipole at a height of about 25 feet. I would imagine that his close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico did not harm his signal's propagation in the least.. The QSO ended up being a very enjoyable 25 minute long rag chew.  I sure hope that I can meet up with Jim again soon, and that we can pick up where we left off.  He was beginning to tell me that he used to be located in Lakewood, New Jersey  when the clock started running out on me. That's the only problem with these lunchtime QRP sessions - time restraints!  Many are the times that I wish I didn't have to break down and head back into the salt mine, especially on a day like today.

Before I turn in for the night, I got to thinking (which in my case, is sometimes a dangerous thing). I sure hope that when I post about these successful lunchtime QRP sessions, that folks don't get it into their heads that, "There he goes, patting himself on the back again!"

That's not purpose of these posts. I sure as heck don't consider myself to be anywhere near the top caliber of QRPers. Like I've stated many times before, I'm just a ham and egger, nothing special at all. I just want to share the idea that if I can have some success at this, then you can, too. Don't let any anybody discourage you from giving QRP a shot, and from joining in on the fun. If I can do this, then you can too, and you'll probably be more successful at it than me!

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

Upcoming events

There are two upcoming outdoor QRP events being held over the next two weekends.  For many part of the Northern Hemisphere, the weather at this time of year can be unpredictable, to say the least. And as we head closer and closer to October, the weather can become even more unpredictable, so now is a good opportunity to take advantage of outdoor QRP conditions as we inch closer and closer to Freeze Your Buns Off weather!

This coming weekend is QRP Afield, which is sponsored by the New England QRP Club.  "Da Rulz" can be found here.   http://newenglandqrp.org/afield

This is pretty much an all day event - from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM EDT this coming Saturday (21 SEP 1500Z - 22 SEP 0300Z ).  If you operate QRP and portable, each QSO is worth 10 points.  So even if you can only get out for a little while, you can potentially rack up a decent score

The event the following weekend is the Peanut Power Sprint that is being sponsored by the North Georgia QRP Club.  This is a shorty, 2 hour afternoon Sprint and here are the rules for this one (courtesy of Jim W4QO):

Sponsored by the North GA QRP Club (NoGaQrP), this sprint will be held on Sept. 29, 2013 from 4PM to 6PM EDT (Sept. 29 - 2000z to 2200z). Full rules are on the NoGaQrP website - nogaqrp.org Click on NoGaNuT PeTe!

The club is making this one different from most other QRP contests.

1. It is open to all amateurs at any power level. This is to attract some new folks to QRP while running their comfortable power - QRO (<100 watts pls) is welcome and there is a category for that. This is a FUN event. Not cut-throat!

2. It is a short sprint lasting only two hours; not tying up the entire afternoon. Although brief, run reasonable CW speeds for all to copy.

3. It starts late in the day (right after close of TX QSO party!) which will mean those on the west coast will begin at 1PM PDT, later than most contests.

4. There are categories for all situations - the prestigious category is the Peanut Power category - 1w CW or less, 2W PEP SSB or less - operating from the field! This is the GOOBER CLASS!  SOTA anyone?

5. Plaques will be award for each of 5 category winners (minimum 3 entries).

6. Sprint will encourage SSB as well as CW contacts.

7. Multipliers count each band/each mode. Work GA ( or any SPC) on 3 bands and 2 modes each = 6 multiplier.   Puts emphasis on switching bands and modes during the event.  Check SSB on the quarter hour.

8. This will encourage activity on the 3 permitted bands - 40, 20, and 15M. There are suggested frequencies for each band/mode. Notice we are encouraging the now almost dead portion of 40M - 7060 khz and up.

9. Logs are not required - simply a score - however, category winners may be asked to submit their logs for verification.  Watch website for results.

10. Work stations holding a Peanut Power Number (PPN) for 7 points. Stations worked who do not hold a PPN yield 3 points. Yes, QRO stations can request and receive a PPN. You do not declare your category until you send in your entry.

To request a PPN, send an email to NoGaNuT JiM at w4qo@qrparci.org  Requests for special numbers are no longer accommodated. See the current list via the website. Include the word PEANUT POWER NUMBER in the title please.

Jim W4QO

Speaking of outdoor events, this weekend was the Brutus Bash which is held each year by the 4 States QRP Group.  Terry WA0ITP posted this video of last year's event:

Sure looks like all the 4 States guys know how to have a GREAT time, doesn't it? I can't wait to see what Terry puts together for this year's event!

Lunchtime was good today. I worked Rudy IK4VFD in Parma, Italy, but the prize was working 5Q7Y, the Langeland DX-pedition in Denmark on 17 Meters.  The pileup was crazy, but the key was figuring out that they were listening only 1 KHz up. Most of the pileup was calling way higher than that. I get a kick when 5 Watts finds a way to sneak in!

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

New radio

Yesterday morning, I joined the other VEs from the ETS of NJ Club, as Amateur Radio exams began again after the annual summer hiatus.  Exams are given monthly at the Union County College Campus in Cranford, NJ.  Here's a photo that was taken of the VE Team by one of the new Technicians after the exam session had ended.

That's me sitting on the right, and next to my cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee is the new radio, a Baofeng UV-3R+ from Amazon.com for $29.  It's a tiny pocket sized VHF/UHF radio, and once again, I bought it not so much to transmit, as to listen.  I take it with me on my daily walks with Harold - it makes them less tedious. Length and width-wise, it's not much bigger than an Altoids tin. It is thicker, though. It fits in any pants pocket quite easily, so I can pretty much have it with me just about all the time I am not at work.

It's not the greatest radio, but not the worst, either.  For $29, I can't complain.  If it was a receive only scanner, it would still be the cheapest "new" scanner that I have ever purchased.  For what I intend to use it for, it was a good deal.  When I came into this hobby back in 1978, I never thought I would see the day of "disposable" HTs!

The few times that I have spoken with it, I have received good audio reports.  I have read some reviews where replacing the stock "rubber duck" has markedly improved the radio's performance, so I picked up a compatible Diamond model off of eBay yesterday.

I've stated many times that I'm not really a big VHF/UHF guy, but I do like to listen.  There are some interesting conversations that take place, and listening helps pass the time.

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

Many. many thanks!

Whew!  The 2013 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt Soapbox page is 99% done and published!  Hallelujah!  I still have to post Andy WN0I's photos.  He sent me hard copies through the mail and my scanner is acting up; but I should have them up tomorrow Andy - please bear with me!

To see all the comments and photos published so far - please click here.  And to see the scores and where you placed in the standings, click here.

Many thanks to all of you who participated this year, and thanks for all the photos and comments.  If you sent me something and don't see it - please resend! The big black hole that is the cyber world probably swallowed your e-mail on me!

Also, a very special thanks to Ward Silver N0AX, who included some nice words about the Skeeter Hunt in this week's e-mail of  "The ARRL Contest Update for September 11, 2013".  Muchas Gracias, Ward!

And once again, a very big special word of thanks to the NJQRP Club and it's members for lending their name and for giving the Skeeter Hunt the credibility that it has.

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

Almost done!

I have about 2/3rds of the 2013 Skeeter Hunt Soapbox comments Webpage composed.  Hopefully, I will finish tomorrow night and will then publish them (I'll post the link here, of course!).  Thanks to all who submitted soapbox comments and especially for all the photos.  I only wish I was a better Web artist, so that I could give them the layout they truly deserve. Once the soapbox comments are published, I will begin printing and mailing certificates.

It is being said that we are now at the peak of sunspot Cycle 24.  Several articles have pointed to that fact. We may, or we may be not.  I am not an astronomer/astrophysicist, so I wouldn't be able to tell you that from my own authority.

But I do know that 15 Meters has been good lately, and today's lunch time QRP session was decent again.

In my limited amount of operating time, I worked the following stations:

HA3FTA
9A287R
DK3GI

The first two contacts were pretty much your average "bang bang" DX QSO exchanges of RSTs. The last QSO with Roland DK3GI was a little bit more in depth.  Roland who lives near Nuremberg, was pushing 200 Watts to a beam.  I also found out that it was rainy and cool where he was - it was only 15C (59F). Typical Autumn type weather.

On the other hand, we're having a brief re-visit from Summer here in NJ. After some cool days and some downright chilly evenings the past few days, the heat and humidity have come back with a vengeance!  It was a sticky 85F (29C) here today, and it expected to go into the low 90s (32C) tomorrow.  But then clouds will come in Thursday and by the weekend, the temperature is supposed to struggle to reach 70F (21C) on Saturday and Sunday.

As Mark Twain once said this about the weather in New England:

"If you don't like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes."

The same holds true for New Jersey!

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

Today only!

W4P is on the air, as a Special Event station, commemorating the Battle of Lake Erie.

A nice certificate is available and you can find them operating near the QRP Watering Holes.  I just nabbed them!  For more info, go see: http://kmarc.net/

Sorry for the late notice, but they are on the air today, Saturday 9/7/2013 until 2100 UTC.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Such is the life of a QRPer

My lunchtime QRP session looked promising, right from the start. First off. the weather was, gorgeous ...... simply gorgeous! It was sunny with a deep blue sky, and about 72F (22C) with a slight breeze, and the humidity was way, way low. It was one of those days where you go out for lunch and seriously consider the possibility of not going back inside to the office. One of the 10 best weather days of the year .... absolutely!

The 15 Meter band was hopping again.  I had a quick QSO with RO70PR and then a bit bit of a longer one with Lars SM5CAK, who was running serious power. I don't know what Lars was using for a rig, but he told me that he was pumping 800 Watts into the aether via a beam atop a 75 foot tower. That QSO done, I was hunting for more.  This was the kind of day where I thought I might be able to get 5 or 6 good DX QSOs in rapid succession, just like Jim W1PID on one of his outings.

Then it happened.  TA7I appeared on the very low end of the band, at 15.003 MHz.  He was loud and the pile up was brisk, but not something (in my estimation) that could not be conquered. If you're a fan of David Baldacci's series of "King and Maxwell' books, it was the moment where Edgar Roy would say, "Hot Damn!"

My estimation was wrong.  I could not make myself heard.  This was one of those instances that happens many times in the life of a QRPer.  The DX is loud, the crowd is small, you just know in your heart of hearts, that you will be successful and will get that DX station in your log.

But you don't.  And to make it worse, it leaves you scratching your head, because you don't know why. Everything seems perfect, but it's not.  Band conditions seem good, you've worked weaker DX stations just a few minutes earlier. It all looks like "a go for liftoff", except that the rocket never ignites.

I could be disappointed that I wasted almost a good half hour on a futile mission. But I'm not. You learn quickly in the QRP game that sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.  But tomorrow is another day, and someday ...... someday I will get Turkey in the log using QRP.  I'm certain of it.

Besides, if this was like shooting fish in a barrel, what would be the fun in that?

As I close, I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome a newcomer to the ranks of Amateur Radio (even though he's not even aware of this blog as far as I know).  But this newcomer is special to me, because he's a Catholic priest - a very, very cool Catholic priest.  I read his blog, every single day.  So a big "Welcome to the hobby" goes out to Fr. John Zuhlsdorf,  KC9ZJN.  Fr. Z got his Tech license and he's studying for his General.  Besides covering religious topics in his blog, he'll also cover topics such as art, travel, food, target shooting, various technology related items and now .... Amateur Radio.  Like I said ....... cool, very cool!

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

15 Meters seems to be decent lately

First, before a brief discussion of 15 Meters, I'd like to share a video on QRP - actually it's HamRadioNow Episode 93 - "QRP (Life's Long Enough .......).  This was pointed out by Norm WA4ZXV on the nogaqrp e-mail reflector.

The episode is about an hour long, though, so before starting it, you might want to pop some popcorn and open up a cold one and get comfortable for a bit.  (It's instances like this where tablets and other hand held devices really soar!)

Now on to 15 Meters.  The past few days during lunch, I have been noticing some very loud signals on 15 Meters, even though various propagation tables have been calling for only "fair" conditions on the band. There were a few loud Europeans and South Americans on the band, but I was being beat out in the pileups by stronger signals (Them's the breaks).  Rather than give up on the band totally, I decided to go on up to venerable ol' 21.060 MHz and put out the CQ call for a lil' bit.

I was rewarded with a call from Bert F6HKA who is very well known on the CW portions of the bands. Bert and I have QSO'ed before, but always in a contest situation.  It was nice to be able to spend a few minutes with him today, actually chatting for a bit.

Bert was operating from Limoges, France.  It was a 2X QRP QSO, which made my day.  Bert had the advantage with a beam up at 75 feet.  It really helped to pull my KX3 and Buddistick out of the noise.  Bert was 569 in New Jersey and I received a 539 in return.  But fortunately, even with a little QSB, solid copy was achieved at both ends.

So even when the propagation gurus say a band isn't in the best of shape, it never hurts to put out a CQ.  You might get skunked, but then again, you might be rewarded with a gem of a QSO like the one I had with Bert.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Slow it down

I worked a station at lunch time today, and it was a frustrating experience. He was sending way too fast ...... not for me, but for him.

He was 599 Plus and should have been easy copy, and he would have been if he had been able to send his own call correctly more than once in a row. But it took a while to figure his call out, as he sent it differently each time, tripping over himself the whole way.

You know, when you turn up the code speed to that point, you're not doing anyone any favors - yourself or the stations you're trying to work. What's the point of sending so fast that repeats become necessary or you turn off potential contacts? No one really wants to listen to gobbledygook.

It makes more sense to slow it down. You might not break any land speed records, and your ego may be a bit deflated, but you will also not send people away going, "Huh?!?".

As they say in the FISTS club, "Accuracy transcends speed."

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