A whole lot of shakin' going on this weekend!

The bands will probably be jumping this weekend - I hope Ol' Sol cooperates!

Contests:

ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest - https://www.arrl.org/10-ghz-up

Scandinavian Activity Contest, CW - https://www.sactest.net/blog/rules/

New Jersey QSO Party - http://www.k2td-bcrc.org/njqp/rules.html

Texas QSO Party - https://www.txqp.net/

QRP Afield - https://www.newenglandqrp.org/qrp-afield-2018/

Wisconsin Parks on the Air - http://wipota.com/files/WIPOTA_contest_rules.pdf

New Hampshire QSO Party - http://www.w1wqm.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/NHQP_Rules.pdf

Washington State Salmon Run - http://salmonrun.wwdxc.org/

Iowa QSO Party - http://www.w0yl.com/IAQP

And next Tuesday evening - SKCC Sprint -https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/weekday_sprint/

Special Event Stations:

09/21/2024 | Cumberland Amateur Radio Club 60th

Sep 21, 0000Z-2359Z, K3IEC, Mechanicsburg, PA. Cumberland Amateur Radio Club. 7.250 14.300 21.300 28.400. QSL. Frank Mellott, 1010 Good Hope Rd, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050. https://www.radioclub-carc.com

09/21/2024 | Liberty Ship Remembrance

Sep 21-Sep 22, 1400Z-1400Z, K8JWB, Baltimore, MD. SS JOHN W BROWN Radio Club. 7.250 14.250 21.250. QSL. Scott Corsano, 108 Old Landing Ct, Fredericksburg, VA 22405. The SS JOHN W BROWN Radio Club (K8JWB) will be operating in remembrance of the day the ship was delivered to the World War II war effort (19 Sep 1942) and Liberty Fleet Day (27 Sep). More than 2,400 Liberty Ships were built over a 4-year span during World War II to supply the war effort in Europe. Questions: scott.corsano@gmail.com www.ssjohnwbrown.org

09/21/2024 | Villa Rica Gold Rush Special Event

Sep 21, 1230Z-1930Z, W4G, Villa Rica, GA. West Georgia Amateur Radio Society. 15, 20, 40, 80 meters; CW SSB digital. Certificate. Will be available, for download from, our website. www.wgars.com

09/21/2024 | W7Y Come and Get Wyoming

Sep 21-Sep 30, 0000Z-2359Z, W7Y, Cheyenne, WY. ShyWy Amatuer Radio Club. All Bands All Modes. Certificate & QSL. Shy-Wy ARC, P.O. Box 22483, Cheyenne, WY 82003. See website for more information. All logs will be uploaded to LOTW and QRZ at the conclusion of the event. https://shywyarc.net/wp/comeandgetwyoming

09/22/2024 | 22nd Annual Padre Pio Festival

Sep 22, 0000Z-2359Z, NJ2KC, Vineland, NJ. New Jersey Knights of Columbus Amateur Radio Club . 14.250 7.250 18.140 21.350. Certificate & QSL. Thomas M. Perrotti, N2JIE, 785 Vineland Ave, Bridgeton, NJ 08302-4822. NJ2KC.org

QRP Afield is this weekend and there have been no announcements on any of the QRP e-mail reflectors that I belong to. I know it's held every September, but it crept up on me and I had forgotten about it until I saw it on the WA7BNM Contest Calendar.

I hate to be critical or harsh, but if you hold an event or contest and you want lots of participation, YOU HAVE TO ADVERTISE AND PROMOTE! You can't rely on folks remembering and coming back automatically. It doesn't work that way!

I wanted to play around more with the QMX from the patio table this weekend; and I plan to do that. How much QRP Afield activity will I hear? I'm betting very, very little, and I hope to Heaven that I am dead wrong!

For that matter, no one has been yakking up the NJ State QSO Party, either. I know State QSO Parties are different than niche QRP Sprints - but still. You'd think SOMEONE would talk it up a bit.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Another one

I've decided to make the 4States QRP Group 4S-Tuner the official tuner of the W2LJ QMX Portable Ops bag. So I ordered another one for the shack for when I use the HW-8.  This way, I don't have to keep transferring the one I have back and forth between car and shack.

I really, really like the function of the two LEDs.  Great design feature by David Wayne Cripe NM0S!

When the red one is bright and the green one is out, the SWR is too high. When the two LEDs are of equal brightness, you have a 2:1 SWR. When the green LED is at max brightness, and the red LED is at minimum brightness or out altogether, your SWR is around 1:1.

This is a T-Match Tuner and I find it a bit easier to use, having the inductor in the circuit. Nothing against the ZM-2 as it is a wonderful little unit and will stay in the KX3 bag, should the autotuner fail for whatever reason. But sometimes, I just have a bit of trouble getting that single red LED to dim. I guess it's range is just a little narrower than the 4S-Tuner.

I already know it works well with my KM4CFT EFRW antenna. This weekend, time and weather permitting, I'd like to see how it handles the AX1 from our patio tabletop - a simulated POTA activation. Have to practice, just like the astronauts did! HI HI !

Onto another subject, with all the CMEs and solar flares that have been occurring the past few weeks, I saw this photo on Facebook, taken just yesterday, from the 1,000 Islands region in Upstate NY.

Marianne and I are heading up there soon for some away time for our Anniversary - I know I've mentioned that before. Will this finally be a good chance for me to see the Northern Lights? I hope so! If I'm lucky enough, I'll try to get some photos.

While I'm on the subject of photos - here's a neat one I came across the other day, for the QRP Image of the Day. This was posted on Facebook by  Chris Farnham W1YTQ.  He was camping with his son's scout troop in Boston Harbor Island up in Massachusetts and one of the licensed Scouts actually accomplished his first POTA activation. Later, after the hustle and bustle of the day was over, Chris decided to stroll on down to the beach to activate - Boston Islands Park - US-2421, himself.

Isn't that a beauty of a shot? The moon and it's reflection on the water, the KH1 with the antenna sticking up, and that cube-ish  lantern. What a great mood shot! And once again, it shows that you don't have to tote around a whole mess of equipment to have a good time!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

A Prequel

In yesterday's video we saw Alan W2AEW activate Washington Rock State Park with the CFT1 QRP Transceiver. Dummy me! I didn't realize that this is the newest offering from KM4CFT, who also sells the 9:1 UNUN kit that I recently built and put through a test run on Sunday.

Alan also has a YouTube video on the actual build of the kit. I am posting it here as a companion video - a prequel, if you will. It's a little long - close to 40 minutes, but is very interesting.

By the way, if you haven't subscribed to Alan's YouTube channel, you're missing out on a lot of great stuff.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

POTAing on!

Good friend, Alan W2AEW does a POTA activation with a new QRP rig. 

Boy howdy! These new QRP rigs are popping up so fast, it's hard to keep up with them - what's new, what's what ....... WOW! Going to sound like an oldster, but I can remember when you could count available QRP rigs with the fingers on both hands. Pickin's were slim ...... no more!

Alan was at my favorite spot - Washington Rock State Park, in Greenbrook, NJ.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Productive weekend

It was busy, but at the same time productive. Saturday started off with the monthly ETS of NJ VE Session. We had three candidates and only three VEs. I can't tell you the last time that happened as the number of VEs that show up usually way outnumbers the candidates! In fact, I was sweating it out for a while worrying that I would have to tell the candidates that for lack of VEs, they'd have to go home.. Fortunately, a third showed up and we were fine.

We brought one new Tech into the fold and another Tech upgraded to General. The third candidate walked away with nothing, which was extremely disappointing to both him and us. He was a Tech who let his license lapse in 2012. He took the exam and I don't know if it was a case of overconfidence or if he just hurried too fast through the last 10 - 15 questions. He was going great guns, but in that last set of questions, he got enough wrong to put him two over.

I hate when that happens! I offered him the chance to take another version, but he declined. Hopefully, we'll see him again next month after a bit more study. He was so close, I'd hate to see him give up in disgust!

The rest of Saturday was spent doing house chores as on Sunday morning, we had a guest arrive for a visit for this week:

My sister and brother-in-law went down to the Jersey Shore for the week and the AirBnB they are staying at does not allow pets, so Jessie (Harold's "cousin", and also a rescue) has come to stay with us for the week. She took an immediate liking to our son, Joseph as you can see in the photo. She's a good girl, very quiet and very friendly - she loves to be held. A real Momma's girl. She's a demon with her food, though! I put the kibble she eats in her bowl and all I did was blink and it was gone! LOL! Maybe my sister should have named her Hoover!

That reminds me of a story. When I was young, one of the first "real" jobs I had (not working at my Dad's store) was working at a camera store. If you've ever worked retail, you know that when it comes to lunch and eating - you eat fast; or you don't eat at all. It got to be such a bad habit, that when I was eating a meal at home, my Mom would always say, "Larry, take human bites!"

Anyway, getting back on track, in between grocery shopping and cleaning, I did manage to get down to the shack to sneak in a few POTA stations. Geomagnetic activity was quite high on Saturday with the K index getting up to 5 for a bit, but I still managed to work a couple, even though signals were down in the mud.

On Sunday, I finally managed to do something that I've been wanting to do the past few weekends. I finally got the chance to try out my KM4CFT EFRW antenna. I wanted to give it a workout before I put the heat shrink over the UNUN circuit board. Again, due to a prior obligation in the afternoon, I only got a few hours in, but I have to say that I am pleased with its performance.

For starters I called CQ on both 40 and 20 Meters - about maybe a 1/2 dozen times on each band, just to see where the Reverse Beacon Network would pick me up:

Not too shabby! Not the greatest signal strengths on 20 Meters, but I was having a hard time getting the Emtech ZM-2's red LED to go out. So later in the afternoon, I switched it out for my 4 States NM0S tuner.

This little guy worked like a champ! I was able to get the red LED to go out completely and the green LED to glow like there was no tomorrow. I promptly worked several POTA stations, including Dan KB6NU - fellow blogger, who you see on the blog roll to the right so often.

I think I'm going to have to open and inspect the connections inside the ZM-2. as it has always worked reliably for me in the past. Even so, this was the tuner I keep in the shack for when I fire up my HW-8. I may purchase another of these to keep in the QMX bag. And speaking of the QMX, I'm getting to the point where it's becoming more routine to operate without having to pause to think what do I have to press in order to............... It's slowly becoming second nature but I still have a ways to go.

I was happy with the KM4CFT, and I was happy with the 4 States tuner and the QMX. Like I said, it was a productive weekend.

Last thing - something I saw on Facebook on the EFHW Antenna page that was posted by K4IVN. I am guessing he fabricated this via his 3D printer:

This will hold his UNUN and at the same time it has a spool for the wire of his EFHW or EFRW. How neat is this? I don't know if he fabricated a cover to keep the UNUN safe from the elements, but I'm guessing he either has, or will do do.  

Another project for me - to make one of those daisy wire spools like the ones Dave KD2FSI made for me so I can better store the KM4CFT EFRW.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Weekend doings - Sept 14th & 15th

 Contests:

WAE DX Contest, SSB - https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/referat-conteste/worked-all-europe-dx-contest/en/

FOC QSO Party - http://g4foc.org/qsoparty/

SKCC Weekend Sprintathon - https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/weekend_sprintathon/

North American Sprint, RTTY - https://ncjweb.com/Sprint-Rules.pdf

Run for the Bacon QRP Contest - http://qrpcontest.com/pigrun/

Special Event Stations:

09/14/2024 | Baltimore Defenders Day

Sep 14, 1300Z-2100Z, K3S, Baltimore, MD. Nuclear Ship Savannah ARC. 7.1 14.1 21.1 28.1. QSL. K3LU, 980 PATUXENT ROAD, Odenton, MD 21113. Single transmitter SSB and CW aboard N/S Savannah. Please check spotting networks for frequencies. Info on QRZ.com www.qrz.com/db/k3s

09/14/2024 | Celebrating Arthur Collins' Birthday

Sep 14, 1400Z-1800Z, W0CXX, Cedar Rapids, IA. Collins Amateur Radio Club. 14.263 MHz. QSL. Brice AntonJensen, 1110 Lyndhurst Dr, Hiawatha, IA 52233. https://www.qrz.com/db/W0CXX

09/14/2024 | Coast Guard Anniversary

Sep 14-Sep 15, 0900Z-0500Z, W1H, Elkins, NH. KB1QXJ. 7.250 14.285 21.300 18.150. QSL. Bill Hopwood, P.O. Box 272, Elkins, NH 03233.

09/14/2024 | Commemorate 85th birthday of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary

Sep 14-Sep 15, 0000Z-2359Z, N1A, East Freetown, MA. US Coast Guard Auxiliary. 28.493 14.300 7.190. QSL. Paul G. Sadeck, 90 Doctor Braley Road, East Freetown, MA 02717.

09/14/2024 | Commemorating the 85th birthday of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Sep 14-Sep 15, 1415Z-1515Z, N2S, Cape May, NJ. United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. 14.310 7.250 18.200. Certificate. Mike Slepian, 12 Continental Lane, Marlton, NJ 08053. The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is the volunteer component of the US Coast Guard. We work directly with the Coast Guard in support of an amazing array of missions including search and rescue, on water patrols, communications, public education, watch standing, training and much more. This station will be operating from the historic "shack" originally a Coast Guard station built in 1890, now the meeting place for the Auxiliary Cape May Flotilla. www.cgaux.org

09/14/2024 | Commemorating the 85th birthday of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Sep 14-Sep 15, 1600Z-2359Z, N6A, Los Angeles, CA. United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. 14330 14065 18160 18075. QSL. Edward Little, 19816 Ridge Manor Way, Yorba Linda, CA 92886. www.cgaux.org

09/14/2024 | Commemorating the 85th birthday of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Sep 14-Sep 15, 0000Z-2359Z, K4D, Homosassa, FL. US Coast Guard Auxiliary District 7 Division 15. 7.074 14.074 14.080 21.074. Certificate. Melissa Frank, 6854 W. Holiday St, Homosassa, FL 34446. melissa.frank09@yahoo.com

09/14/2024 | Commemorating the USS Midway’s commissioning on 9/10/45

Sep 14, 1600Z-2300Z, NI6IW, San Diego, CA. USS Midway Museum Ship. 7.250 14.320 14.070 PSK31 DSTAR on Papa system repeaters. QSL. USS Midway Museum Ship COMEDTRA, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. www.qrz.com/db/ni6iw

09/14/2024 | Depot Days - Lisle, Illinois

Sep 14-Sep 15, 1500Z-1900Z, W9DUP, Lisle, IL. DuPage Amateur Radio Club. 3.885 14.070 14.045 14.274. Certificate. DuPage Amateur Radio Club - Brian Eder, P.O. Box 71, Clarendon Hills , IL 60514-0071. Annual Depot Days Festival held at Lisle Station Park, celebrating life as it was over 100 years ago. Radio operations will be in the historic 1874 CB&Q train depot. w9dup.org

09/14/2024 | Fred Harvey House Museum on the Air

Sep 14, 1400Z-2000Z, KS0LV, Leavenworth, KS. Pilot Knob Amateur Radio Club. 14.303 21.361 28.355 Also on FT8, JS8Call. QSL. Steve Rice, 6850 Deer Ridge Dr, Shawnee, KS 66226. https://pkarc.org

09/14/2024 | Highest Point in Arkansas

Sep 14-Sep 15, 1400Z-1700Z, W5NX, Springdale, AR. Bella Vista Radio Club. 14.040 14.260 7.040 7.260. QSL. Don Banta, 3407 Diana Street, Springdale, AR 72764. Portable operation from Mount Magazine, highest point in Arkansas. See https://www.qrz.com/db/W5NX for QSL information. https://bellavistaradioclub.org

09/14/2024 | Route 66 On the Air

Sep 14-Sep 22, 0000Z-2359Z, W6H, Rio Rancho, NM. Albuquerque DX Association. 3.866 7.266 14.266 14.033. QSL. Bill Mader, 4701 Sombrerete Rd SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124. Part of the annual Route 66 On-the-Air event. https://adxa.groups.io/g/main

09/14/2024 | State Line Radio Club Annual Picnic

Sep 14, 1400Z-2000Z, W3A, Holtwood, PA. State Line Radio Club. 7.240 14.240 21.280. QSL. Ted Reichenbach, 108 Park Circle, Elkton, MD 21921. Club's annual picnic at Muddy Run Park. Open to the public. Several operating radio stations. Scout groups welcome. www.statelineradioclub.com

09/14/2024 | US Coast Guard Auxiliary 85th Anniversary

Sep 14-Sep 15, 1400Z-2300Z, N4A, Crystal River, FL. US Coast Guard Auxiliary Division 15 District 07. 14.250 21.350 28.350 7.250. QSL. D Thomas, 4515 N Loquat Pt, Crystal River, FL 34428-5946. solutionsdebra@gmail.com

09/14/2024 | US Coast Guard Auxiliary Anniversary

Sep 14-Sep 15, 1422Z-1412Z, W4CQF, Inglis, FL. Citrus County ARC. 14.280 mhz 21.280 mhz. QSL. John Bescher, POB 947, Inglis, FL 34449. Citrus County ARC with call W4CQF and US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla will be celebrating anniversary of US Coast Guard Auxiliary. QSL to N4DXI, POB 947, Inglis Fl 34449 on Sep 14-15, 2024 n4dxi@aol.com

09/15/2024 | Battle of Inchon/Operation Operation Chromite

Sep 15, 1500Z-2300Z, NI6BB, Los Angeles, CA. Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio Association. See website for frequencies. QSL. QSL per , instructions on , our website. biara.org

Doesn't anybody put Special Event Stations on the CW portion of the bands anymore?

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP  - When you care to send the very least!

Modest?

 On Facebook, ON7RF provided a picture of his "modest" station.

Modest? Maybe in terms of $$$$$, but there's plenty enough there to work the world! Rene definitely has the right idea here - "Do more with less." You don't need an uber station or a kilowatt to work the world, and this is much more fun, IMHO.

Only thing I would change here is to use a paddle.  My wrist gets tired from using a straight key after a while.  Undoubtedly, it's probably just poor technique on my part, but I blame arthritis! LOL!

I saw this on a POTA FB page and saved the image for a closer look. Then I went to the webpage.

Portableflagpoles.com - they sell their drive on mast holder with two diameters. The larger one will accept masts up to 2.25" (about 6 cm) wide. The bottom cap of the Jackite is just a smidge over 2", so it will fit in there nicely. The mast holder is only $39 - the question is ...... do I really need it? I have to decide whether or not my homebrew mockup is worth keeping. It does the job all right, but it's nowhere as elegant a solution as this one. The other thing is that this one is metal, while mine is wooden. In the long run, I have to believe that this one would undoubtedly hold up better to being driven upon. And whatever I decide, I have to do it sooner, rather than later. Marianne and I are heading back up to Alexandria Bay soon and there are two parks up there that I'd like to activate.

When I worked at Sinar Bron, my boss who was a Swiss engineer, would always want the "most elegant" solution to a problem. Not necessarily the most elegant in appearance, but the best solution in terms of functionality, ability, dependability and sleek design (if possible, but not as necessary). I guess that's where that got ingrained in me.

He had a knack for bringing me down to Earth. When I would solve a problem that seemed to elude everyone else (even the factories who manufactured the equipment that we sold) he would say (in his thick Swiss accent), "Doo, Larry, even the blind pig finds an acorn every once in a while." Real confidence booster, right? Even so, I sorely miss those days. Working at Sinar Bron was probably the best 22 years I've ever spent at a job.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

I have to chuckle

The Elecraft KH1 isn't even a year old yet. So what am I seeing on the Elecraft KX/KH e-mail reflector?  "Speculation on the KH2" !

Wow! And it that wasn't enough, someone started expounding on what he'd like to see in a KX4!

I must be weird as my KX3 is now over a decade old and I'm still as happy with it as the day I got it. Now I know some of you may be thinking, "But Larry, you just purchased and are playing around with that QMX!" And you would be correct. But I purchased that to keep in the car for impromptu bouts of "radio activity". The price point was such that if my car ever got broken into, and the radio should become attached to someone's sticky fingers, it would not cause me to go jumping off a cliff like a lemming. i would be devastated if my KX3 ever got lifted, especially knowing whomever stole it would have no idea what it was and the radio would probably end up in a dumpster somewhere as they would probably not be able to fence it.

And in turn, the purchase of the QMX has deepened my appreciation for my KX3 even more. I wasn't even sure that was possible!

I've noticed throughout my Ham Radio career, from experiences gleaned by being members of various clubs and organizations that, in one sense, there are basically two types of Hams. And these two types are similar to car owners. "Type 1" will buy a car (or a radio) and will drive it until the wheels fall off (or the finals give out). "Type 2" has to trade in their car every couple of years for the flashiest new design with all the newest bells and whistles (same with radios). They are forever looking for that "penultimate".

Mind you, this is just an observation, Not meant to be disparaging to one type or the other. The second type that I mentioned surely spears on the economy, that's for sure. And I guess they also supply the market for those who are interested in a "pre-owned: model, perhaps looking for a bargain.

I guess it all goes back to "whatever floats your boat". And perhaps without the "Type 2s"  the radio manufacturers would never be motivated to come up with new designs. So "Thank You!" Type 2's for keeping the innovations coming. If it was just us "Type 1s" out here, we'd probably still be using radios that weigh a ton and have tubes in them.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Mixed day

Yesterday was a mixed day. I was happy because I did get to the car at lunchtime and made a POTA contact on 20 Meters with WS4Y at US-1873 in Florida. That was nice. Then, up the band a ways, I heard NV4H in New Mexico. re-tuned the ZM-2 until the red LED went out, as per the instructions, but for some reason, I still got a high SWR warning on the QMX and it went into self-protection mode and would not transmit. I still have a lot of "getting used to" with the QMX ahead of me. I guess I've been spoiled by how easy the KX3 is to use..

When I got home, I was saddened to learn of the passing of two people:

Ed Kranepool was my hero Met when I was a kid. He is the only player who played for the team for his entire career. He was very good first baseman and later in his career, a pinch hitter par exelance. He was a National League All Star in 1965 and was a member of the 1969 World Championship team. To me, he was Mr. Met. I got to meet him in the 90's at a baseball card show and got his autograph on a Major League baseball. He was quite the gentleman.

The other person whose passing away touched me is James Earl Jones.

This clip, from Field of Dreams, is one of my absolute favorites. The world will remember him as the voice of Darth Vader and the voice of CNN, but to me, James Earl Jones will always be Terence Mann, delivering perhaps the finest soliloquy about baseball that I've ever heard.

RIP Eddie and James - I hope you get to meet each other on the Field of Dreams.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

QRP in South Korea

I have to admit, unless I'm really interested in a video on YouTube, my short attention span usually zones me out after a few minutes of watching. For some reason, I found this one fascinating. I love to see how QRP is approached on other countries.

Enjoy the video!

This video reminds me of my time during Piscataway Amateur Radio Club Field Days .......sometimes we spent more time focused on food than operating! But I found this video very enjoyable. I hope you do, as well.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Weekend - Sept. 7th & 8th 2024

Contests - so you know what's going on while you're trying to find space to call CQ this weekend. "#$&^@ Contesters!"

All Asian DX Contest, Phone  -https://www.jarl.org/English/4_Library/A-4-3_Contests/2024AA_rule.htm

CWOps CW Open - https://cwops.org/cwops-tests/cw-open/

Wake-Up! QRP Sprint -  http://qrp.ru/contest/wakeup/333-wakeup-eng

IARU Region 1 Field Day, SSB -  https://www.darc.de/der-club/referate/conteste/iaru-region-1-fieldday/en/

AGCW Straight Key Party - https://www.agcw.de/contest/htp/htp-en/

PODXS 070 Club Jay Hudak Memorial 80m Sprint - http://www.podxs070.com/o7o-club-sponsored-contests/jay-hudak-memorial-80m-sprint (for those of you who will ask, "What are these digital signals doing on 80?")

North American Sprint, CW - https://ncjweb.com/Sprint-Rules.pdf

4 States QRP Group Second Sunday Sprint - http://www.4sqrp.com/SSS/sss_rules.pdf

Special Event Stations:

08/31/2024 | Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival Special Event Station

Aug 31-Sep 7, 1323Z-1323Z, K9A, Auburn, IN. Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association. 40 Meters : 7.180MHz 20 Meters : 14.250MHz 10 Meters: 28.350 MHz. Certificate & QSL. Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association, P.O. Box 145, Auburn, IN 46706-0145. www.w9ou.org

09/07/2024 | Commemorating the Danbury Railway Museum's 30th Anniversary and First Responders Day

Sep 7, 1400Z-2000Z, W2MNR/W1QI, Danbury, CT. Metro-North Railroad Amateur Radio Association (W2MNR) and Candlewood Amateur Radio Association (W1QI). 7.235 14.235; other frequencies as conditions permit. Certificate. PDF certificate, available on , request. www.cararadioclub.org

09/07/2024 | Route 66 On The Air

Sep 7-Sep 15, 0700Z-1559Z, W6Q, Brookfield, IL. Citrus Belt Amateur Radio. 28.366 14.266 146.970 443.300. QSL. Mike Huedepohl, 3532 Raymond Ave., Brookfield, IL 60513. We will be operating HF, CW. SSB,FT8 and FM. w6jbt.org

09/07/2024 | Route 66 on the Air

Sep 7-Sep 15, 0000Z-2359Z, K9ONA, Brookfield, IL. Six Meter Club of Chicago. 28.366. QSL. Mike Huedepohl, 3532 Raymond Ave., Brookfield, IL 60513. https://www.k9ona.com

09/08/2024 | 9-11 Remembering Our Heroes

Sep 8-Sep 12, 0000Z-0000Z, K4A, Cordova, AL. Alabama Contest Group/WA1FCN. 7040 14040 21040 28040 . Certificate & QSL. Robert Sarnecki NF7D, 591 Deer Run RD, Alabaster 35007, OT. Certificate for 3 QSOs on 3 bands any mode/band combination. wa1fcn@charter.net or https://alabamacontestgroup.org

09/08/2024 | Blue Ridge Bonanza

Sep 8, 1300Z-2100Z, W4CA, Roanoke, VA. Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club. 7.265 14.265. QSL. Roanoke Valley ARC, P.O. Box 2002, Roanoke, VA 24009. Multiple stations and frequencies, 20 and 40 meters, along the Blue Ridge Parkway. See website for frequencies and QSL card information. https://blueridgebonanza.info

Today would have been a good day to play hooky from work and head down to Sandy Hook. The newest addition to the US Navy, the attack submarine USS New Jersey (SSN-796) was scheduled to sail within 100 yards of the shoreline as she makes her way to Naval Weapons Station Earle for her commissioning. She was christened back in 2021, but has been undergoing sea trials since. Today will be her official call to report to duty,

Photo courtesy of Mario KD2HPF - You can see NYC in the background and the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge all the way to the left, which connects Staten Island to Brooklyn.

Of course, Ham Alert was chirping on my phone all morning as NJ2BB, the battleship USS New Jersey was on the air to mark the occasion. As you can see on the official insignia, the SSN-796 pays homage to BB-62, as well as to General Washington as he crossed the Delaware into NJ to take on the Hessians at Trenton.  (Don't mess with New Jersey, my friends!) NJ2BB was on 15 and 10 Meters - 10 Meter groundwave just might have been possible! W2LJ was stuck at work when he really didn't want to be. LOL!

Anyway, as a result of missing out and with the prognosticators predicting a gorgeous week next week, I will be bringing the QMX with me to work next week. I will park in the outside lot and will spend lunch hours with the QMX hooked up to the Buddistick mag-mounted to the Jeep's roof. I need to get more comfortable in setting it up and tearing it down, as well as operating it.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Everybody likes a freebie

and it's even better when that freebie isn't a piece of junk or something worthless that you'll end up just tossing aside, only to be forgotten and never seen or used again.

So I hope you know about The K9YA Telegraph. It's a high quality, free e-zine devoted to Amateur Radio that can be downloaded each month. For the details, go to https://www.k9ya.org/index.php 

After you sign up, you'll receive an e-mail each month with the link where you can download the latest issue.

The e-zine was founded in 2002 and I signed up for it right about then. The articles are always interesting and if I remember correctly, they even published a piece of mine in one of their issues. I'm thinking of writing another about the original W2LJ and submitting it to them for publication.

In addition to the fine writing, good friend and artist exemplar Jeff Murray K1NSS always has an illustration included in each issue. 

I'm not affiliated with the publication in any way other than as an appreciative reader. The fact that it's free is icing on the cake! In Senior year of high school, I had a History teacher whose favorite throwaway line was "There's no such thing as a free lunch". And while most of the time that's true, every rule has an exception. In this case, The K9YA Telegraph is that exception.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

You can always tell an AI generated image

Just for the halibut, I asked "Canva" an AI image generator to capture the spirit of POTA. I asked it to generate an image of "A young Ham Radio operator, sitting at a picnic table in a park, sending Morse Code on his radio".

This is what I got:

Not bad, actually, right? But for some reason, AI always seems to get human hands wrong, and I labeled them in the image. In this case, this poor guy seems to have three! Two at the radio, one on the table.  I've noticed this on a lot of AI generated images where people are part of the scene. Weird, very weird. If it wasn't for the third hand, which I guess some of wish we had sometimes, it wouldn't be a bad image. Kind of nostalgic in a way. I like the guy's hat!

Speaking of the spirit of POTA, someone was complaining on the Facebook POTA page that the admins don't keep track of who first activates an entity. They don't - you can look up how many times a park has been activated,  and who has activated it, how many times a person has activated a particular park etc. but not who first activated it. (EDIT - actually as one of the commenters below pointed out, they DO keep track of who first activated a park - but there's no award or certificate for it. That's a more accurate description of what triggered the complainer - mea culpa for getting that wrong! And thank you Mark AI4BJ for pointing that out)

That seemed to crumble the cookies of the poster. "If my friend takes a day off from work and drives 1/2 way across the state to be the first one to activate a new park, he doesn't get recognition for it? Why do we do POTA then?"

"Maybe just to have fun and and enjoy doing radio in the great outdoors?", I answered. 

Does everything need to be a competition? Does everyone need to have a trophy? Has the concept of doing something just for the fun of it become a relic? Sadly, I guess it has.

Heavy sigh.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Cheated weekend

Saturday was a CERT day. No complaints there. The local Elks Lodge had their annual summer picnic and they didn't have enough parking in their lot. There's a church across the street which donated the use of their lot for the day - but it's a busy street, a very busy street. The CERT team was dispatched to help these folks cross safely and not get squooshed,

The weather prognosticators got Sunday totally wrong! Severe thunderstorms were forecast all day and into the night. We never got a boom, flash, or drop of rain but with the forecast in mind, I didn't want to undertake any serious outdoor activity only to have to rush bringing equipment back inside. I was hoping to spend some time on the air in the backyard with my KM4CFT EFRW, checking it out for proper operation before I put the heatshrink over the connector end.

Then on Sunday night, I awoke in the middle of the night with with what turned out to be a stomach bug. Cara, my daughter, had it last week and it must have germinated in me. Sunday night and Monday were miserable. I don't need to go into detail. I'm sure you've all experienced the same. It's no fun at all, and that precluded me from participating in the CERT activities for the South Plainfield Labor Day parade and the fireworks display at night. And it was a good thing that I decided to post the Skeeter Hunt results early Sunday evening instead of Monday, as I was a bit "indisposed".

But if there's a silver lining, while I was taking it easy and surfing the net, I came across this photo on the Facebook POTA page, from Bert Schmitz - he didn't give his call sign:

Something that never entered my mind! Make legs for my Jackite holder to stabilize it better. I'd still use the CamJams and tent stakes, because a sudden gust of wind could spell disaster, especially if all the PVC pieces are not cemented into place. The beauty part of it is that it would be standing upright on its own without me having to go through a balancing act while pounding in the stakes and tightening the ropes on the CamJams.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Results for 2024 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt posted

 Congratulations to the top 5 Finishers!

N0SS - 1st Place

NK9G - 2nd Place

AB9CA - 3rd Place

K0KLB - 4th Place

N5GW - 5th Place

The official 2024 Scoreboard can be seen here.

Out of 220 people who had applied for Skeeter Numbers, 119 sent in log summaries for 54% participation.

As always, thanks so much for all your enthusiasm and participation. The NJQRP Skeeter Hunt is nothing without all of you. It warms my heart to see that so many of you enjoy and have fun - because that's what the Hunt is all about - having fun!

All the photos and Soapbox comments can be seen on the Facebook page.

Mark your calendars for 2025 - the Skeeters will fly again on Sunday, August 17th, 2025.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Weekend doings

First ....... an old image for QRP Image of the Day ....... of me!

I found this in the SPARC Facebook page from way back in April of 2015 (almost 10 years ago!). I went up to Washington Rock State Park for QRP to the Field ....... before POTA was even an idea in anyone's mind!  The photo was taken by Drew W2OU (SK) when he and Marv K2VHW came for a visit.

Coming up this (long Labor Day holiday) weekend:

Contests

Colorado QSO Party -  http://ppraa.org/coqp

Tennessee QSO Party - https://tnqp.org/rules/

MI QRP Labor Day CW Sprint -  https://www.miqrp.net/contest-challenge

ARS Spartan Sprint -  http://ars-qrp.com/Spartan_Sprint/Spartan_Sprint.html

Special Event Stations

08/01/2024 | San Max Celebration

Aug 1-Aug 31, 0000Z-2359Z, 4A2MAX, Neosho, MEXICO. San Max Operators . 14175 21320 28420 7170. QSL. San Max Special Callsign 4A2MAX, MAXIMILIANO THOUS 16-24, Valencia E-46009, SPAIN. Special event where we celebrate the patron saint of radio amateurs, Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe SP3RN SK, we invite you to contact us and be part of the celebration. https://www.qrz.com/db/4A2MAX

08/24/2024 | 2024 Buhl Day

Aug 24-Sep 2, 0000Z-0000Z, W3B, Sharon, PA. Mercer County Amateur Radio Club. 7.074 14.074 7.240 14.245. QSL. Mercer County Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 673 , 32 Shenango Ave, Sharon, PA 16146. We will be on the air during Buhl Day in Hermitage, PA. This year is the 109th anniversary of Buhl Farm Park, which covers 300 acres and was given to the community by Frank Buhl (local industrialist) for use and recreation purposes of the community. Labor Day and occasionally the week before. www.w3lif.org

08/31/2024 | 33rd Annual Fly-In/Cruise-In Festival

Aug 31, 1200Z-1800Z, W9EBN, Marion, IN. Grant County Amateur Radio Club. 7.260 14.250 21.350 DMR TG 3100 / DMR TG 31656 . Certificate & QSL. L B Nickerson - K9NQW, P O Box 1786, Marion, IN 46952. Also DStar Ref #24B. Send QSL card in a large SASE www.Grantarc.net

08/31/2024 | Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival Special Event Station

Aug 31-Sep 7, 1323Z-1323Z, K9A, Auburn, IN. Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association. 40 Meters : 7.180MHz 20 Meters : 14.250MHz 10 Meters: 28.350 MHz. Certificate & QSL. Northeastern Indiana Amateur Radio Association, P.O. Box 145, Auburn, IN 46706-0145. www.w9ou.org

08/31/2024 | Ellensburg Rodeo and Kittitas County Fair 2024

Aug 31-Sep 2, 1600Z-2200Z, K7R, Ellensburg, WA. Kittitas County Amateur Radio Club. 14.275 MHz 21.335 MHz 14.055 MHz 21.055 MHZ. Certificate. KCARC, 110 West Sixth Avenue, Ellensburg, WA 98926. https://www.qsl.net/kcarcs/rodeo.html

08/31/2024 | Return to Paradise - 46TH ANNIVERSARY

Aug 31-Sep 2, 1700Z-1700Z, K7RDG, Sierra Vista, AZ. Cochise Amateur Radio Association. 7.225 14.074 14.285 21.225. Certificate. Cochise ARA, PO Box 1855, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650-9340. WWW.K7RDG.ORG

09/01/2024 | 100th Anniversary of the Ontario Provincial Air Service

Sep 1-Sep 30, 0000Z-2359Z, CG3CBHC, Sault Ste Marie, ON. Algoma Amateur Radio Club. 14.074 7.074. Certificate. Dave Rowlinson, 315 Old Garden River Rd., Sault Ste Marie, ON P6B 5A7, CANADA. Event will run the month of September, but the most activity will be September 21 and 22 during Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre (bushplane.com) - Bushplane Days Commemorative Certificates will be sent to all contacts during the event. www.aarclub.ca

Last night was the finale of the 20 Meter Summer Fox Hunt season for 2024. I have not participated all Summer, but last night was special. To honor our recently departed friend, Jerry N9AW, the Hounds who wanted to, were given permission to give their name as either Jerry or "AW" for their part of the exchange. I heard Jim N0UR in Minnesota (good ol' Minnesota-Wisconsin pipeline) at a good 599 and worked him at 0108 UTC.  I went looking for Earl N8SS in Michigan, and I found some of his Hounds, but no Earl.  So I went back to listen to Jim for a bit and he was still very loud. Jim was calling CQ with no takers, so I gave into temptation and worked him again, but this time with the power turned down to 1 Watt. Both times I gave my name as "AW". A small gesture, but one to honor the memory of a friend I never got to meet in person. Requiescat in pace, Jerry.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP _ When you care to send the very least!

"Sad Hams"

Oh, I hate that term! But it's become prevalent among certain Hams who get annoyed and exasperated with certain older Hams. I guess it's better than the previously used term - "Old Fart".

It's the typical generational thing. The newer Hams don't understand the older Hams and the older Hams don't understand the newer Hams. It's like when you were a kid and you got tired of hearing from your parents or grandparents, "When I was your age, I had to walk to school 5 miles in the snow ..... up hill both ways!"

The fact is that if you were licensed before 1980, you had no resource but to study the license manuals that were available at the time. You read and learned the theory and the rules. There were no question and answer books where you could memorize the answers that were on the exams without really understanding the why and wherefore.

That all changed in 1979 / 1980 when Dick Bash came out with his "Final Exam" books. I never had one of those, but as I understand it, these books consisted the questions and answers from the actual license exams. The story goes that the author had people questioned who had just left from taking their FCC proctored tests as to what questions they saw on the exams they just took.

True or not? I don't know. But whether it was true or not, the appearance of the Bash books seemed to trigger or hasten the demise of FCC testing and promulgated the evolution of the VEC system. Maybe it was just the governmental budgetary constraints of the time, but whatever the real reason, the system changed.

The VECs published the questions and answers that would be on the exams in their license manuals. Sure, there were a bajillion questions from which only a relatively few would be picked, but it changed the game. Of course there were still potential Hams who studied the "old school" way (sorry, couldn't resist the pun), but now there were candidates with good enough memories who just memorized what they needed to know in order to pass the exams. It still holds true to this day. I'm a VE and I see both types of candidate preparation all the time. Oh the angst when a question pool is about to change!  As the VE Liaison who arranges our VE Exam sessions, I can't tell you how many times that I hear "Do you have room for me on your session on the XXth? I want to take my exam before the question pool changes!" And in my head I'm thinking ......"The questions aren't changing that much. If you know THE MATERIAL, you'll be fine." But I hold my tongue, as I don't want to ruffle any feathers.

The problem is that. as a result, you have a lot of new Hams out there who really don't know what they're doing. And this may get me in hot water, but we haven't helped the situation by conducting "Ham Crams". Those are another thing that I just abhor. Trying to cram about 8 weeks worth of non-stressful conventional learning into one or two days is just chasing rainbows as far as I'm concerned. I'd love to find some way to find license retention figures of Amateur Radio ops who went that route. I'm willing to lay down money that there is a large percentage of these Hams who are most likely not to renew, or have not renewed their licenses.

As a result, and I have experienced this personally, you have some Extra Class Hams who don't have the foggiest notion as to how to build a dipole or program an HT. To make matters worse, they either don't know where to go to look up the information they need, or sometimes they seem to even lack the desire to do so They just depend on people who know what they're doing to spoon feed the information to them. They absolutely detest when they are told to open a book or "RTFM". I'm not going to spell it out, you know what that means.

And that frustrates the older Hams who either studied the traditional way, or those who have gone the newer route, but graduated from the "School of Hard Knocks" by taking the time to do a little research on their own before asking for help. So when someone asks a basic, simple question that every Ham worth his/her salt should know the answer to, and they get told where to go to get the answer (without actually being given the answer they are looking for) they are label that person as a "Sad Ham".

Sadly, this is the way things are. To somehow mitigate it, older Hams need to be more inclined to do a little more friendly and non-confrontational and patient Elmering. In turn,  newer Hams need to be more willing to show some respect to the veterans who have been in the trenches for a longer period of time, and not chafe when they aren't treated with the kid gloves they seem to expect and demand. If we don't learn to live with each other, it's going to be a lose-lose situation.

Enough of my kvetching - let's end this post on a high note with a really cool photograph. Brian Foltz WQ0A posted this to Facebook after completing his first CW QSO! Congratulations, Brian and thanks for posting the awesome photo!

Who doesn't love a nice set of paddles? And the lighting and composition are superb!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

I've got to put some more effort into the AX1

After reading Craig WB3GCK's blog post, and reading comments from Brian KB9BVN on Facebook and his blog, I've decided I've got to spend more time getting used to (I was going to say "playing around with") my Elecraft AX1 antenna.

My results with it so far, the few times I've used it, have been 50/50. Sometimes it seems to work great, and other times I just end up with a whole bag of frustration.

Tom K4SWL had a great blog post and video of using the AX1 with the Emtech ZM-2 tuner. I'll have to give that a shot. I don't know .......I mentioned to Craig that I seem to have an innate "wire ... the higher, the better" antenna bias. I think the times the AX1 has disappointed me has caused me to consider it more of a last resort kind of thing. 

I think this calls for a few evenings of operating from the patio table in the backyard. Actual QSOs and perhaps a few sessions of calling CQ and seeing where the Reverse Beacon Network picks me up. I can kill two birds with one stone and use the time to also get even more familiar with the QMX. I have not even attempted programming the keyer messages yet. It took me long enough how to figure out changing bands and setting up the display and the VFO! I guess I just need to take baby steps.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Haven't done this in a while

 QRP Image of the Day, by Hans Terlouw PA1ALV: - as found on the POTA page in Facebook:

This is a very personal opinion, and I know a lot of people would disagree, but to me this is the heart and soul of POTA. Going out to a park with equipment that you can carry in a small case or backpack, setting up and operating and having fun. In no way am I knocking those who go out with very elaborate setups and with 100 Watt rigs (or higher) - if that's your thing, then by all means, keep on doing what you're doing. Whatever gives you joy.

In that vein, I started populating my LowePro backpack last night. So far, I have the QMX, two battery packs (very much akin to what Hans has in the photo), the charger, my Emtech ZM-2 tuner, and a couple of 3 foot coax jumpers packed away.

I still have to decide which paddle I am going to include, and I'll probably pick up a new set of earbuds. I plan to store those in a small plastic Hefty food storage container with a a few other miscellaneous necessities - a few BNC to PL-259 adapters, some wire ties and a multi-purpose tool.  From eBay, I ordered another small digital travel alarm ($4), so I don't have to keep raiding the KX3 backpack. I wish Radio Shack was still around so I could buy another like the one I have in the KX3 backpack, but if wishes were nickels, I'd be a rich man!

This is pretty much life-size. It's very small.

In another inside pocket, which is meant for carrying a laptop or tablet, I put a 25' length of RG-8X and I attached the 41' radiator and the 17' counterpoise to the KM4CFT 9:1 UNUN kit that I assembled. I want to try out that antenna some time this coming weekend, just to make sure I assembled the UNUN correctly. The last thing to go in there will be a notepad and a pen for logging.

This is what I plan to take when Marianne and I head back up to Alexandria Bay later this year. There are two state parks that I would like to try and activate while we are there.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Older things repurposed

When I got my KX3 so many moons ago, I needed something to store it in for taking it along on portable ops. At the time TJ W0EA had posted a YouTube video extolling the virtues of the LowePro 150 Traveler camera backpack. From the beginning it worked very well, but I soon accumulated enough "stuff" to outgrow its usefulness. Thus, it sat languishing in my computer room. It was too good to dispose, but I also had no use for it ........until now

This bag/backpack will be the prefect solution to carry the QMX, two battery packs and their charger, the Emtech ZM-2 tuner, a couple of coax jumpers, a set of earbuds, a paddle and the KM4CFT EFRW and a 25' roll of coax. Those dividers are configurable to any way that suits my need the best. An added bonus is that it will hardly take up any space in the car.  I'm glad I didn't get rid of it.

The photo above is just a random internet photo of the pack. I'll take a photo of mine when I have it configured the way I want and  have it filled. 

And now, for something completely different. (Shades of Monty Python) Yesterday was the annual ETS of NJ picnic:

It was a beautiful day, you could not ask for better weather for an event like this. Turnout was a little bit lower than expected due to a couple members coming down with COVID. Of course, at this point, COVID has mutated to where it's just another variant of the common cold, but it was gracious of those infected to be thinking enough about the rest of us so as to not spread it around. We're going to be coming upon some really hot weather again this week and having a cold in the summer heat is just miserable.

As I stated, the weather was gorgeous, the food was outstanding and the company most enjoyable. Eric WA2EGE at the far right set up the club's Kenwood TS-2000 and was running FT8. Our President, Vic K2NBC (small hidden guy, back row, center) , brought along his Yeasu FT-891 and a Chameleon antenna (I think it might have been the MPAS) and was running 20 Meter SSB.

I stuck the QMX in my pants pocket and brought it along for "Show and Tell". It would have been nice to have had everything in the LowePro to "set up shop" as it were, but I didn't even think of that until after we got back home.

Another case of W2LJ being slow on the uptake! Hi Hi!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

It is alive!

The little QMX is alive!

I hooked it up to the W3EDP yesterday (I did not switch out antennas like I planned - kinda long story that I won't go into here) through both my Emtech ZM-2 Z-match tuner and my 4 States QRP Tuner and I worked five POTA activations.

K9DXA - Harry, who hasn't competed in the Skeeter Hunt in a few years, he used to be a regular.

WT2P

N3T

K9RDO

WG8X - a two-fer!

It was pretty easy to get into the habit of using a manual tuner again. The only thing I had to look up was the "In/Out" switch on the 4 States tuner. Last time I used it was with my HW-8 and I forgot that "In" meant tune and "Out" meant operate. Common sense, really, but at the moment I wanted to be sure. I didn't want to kill a brand new rig over my forgetfulness/stupidity.

In any case, I had no trouble being heard and I worked all but one station without any repeats. Even there I got a decent RST, there just must have been a pileup on his end.

It's going to be neat having this little guy. I have a couple ideas for putting together a dedicated go-bag and keeping this bad boy in the car for possible spur-of-the-moment operating sessions. I may even start parking in the outside parking lot at work again!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Jerry N9AW, Silent Key

N9AW Jerry Scherkenbach an avid QRP’er passed away August 22,2024. Jerry since the 80’s has been active in QRP contesting and operating events. He was also active in the QRP Foxhunts as a FOX and a Hound . He has served on the Fox Hunts Committee for a few years.  Jerry was a member of the Greater Milwaukee DX Association, W/K Amateur Radio Club of Greater Milwaukee, QRP Cheeseheads A.R.C.. He was cofounder of the W/K Amateur Radio Club and the QRP Cheeseheads Amateur Radio Club. Jerry will be remembered for being a kind and soft spoken gentleman and a mentor for so many hams from all walks of life. He traveled to St. Lucia withe Buddipole DX Team and made some 5K CW QSO’s in a week of operating. The Amateur Radio Community has lost a great mentor and contributor to promote the absolute best in Amateur Radio.

Jerry is survived by his wife Joyce, sons Patrick Randy, stepson Ryan and Daughter Jill.

Please remember Jerry and his family in your prayers

Submitted by NK9G  Rick

I did not know Jerry from the 80s. I first met him on the air in 2004. It was probably in some QRP Sprint, or perhaps even the QRP Fox Hunts. Jerry's signal was always loud to New Jersey and I knew that if I heard a super loud QRPer in my shack it was either him, Rick NK9G, or Todd N9NE - my "Minnesota / Wisconsin Pipeline".

We served together on the QRP Foxhunt Committee for a couple of years. He was easy and fun to work with, a true gentleman in every sense of the word.. It's not a lie or exaggeration to say that Jerry was one of the pillars of the QRP community. He will be very sorely missed.

Rest in Peace, my friend.

72 de Larry W2LJ 

QRP  - When you care to send the very least!

Clueless

 So Yaesu introduced a new radio at the Tokyo Ham Fair:

It is the FTX-1, an all mode HF, 6M, 2M, 70cm radio - with an output of 10 Watts. Just what fans of the Yaesu  FT-817 have been anxiously waiting for ....... right? It will be available for purchasing early in 2025. It is probably Yaesu's hope to knock ICOM's IC-705 off the top seller pedestal. I'll not go into the details on the specs of the radio as certainly you'll be able to not help but see them in the coming days and weeks.

But to my post title ..... "Clueless".  Is Yaesu clueless? Certainly not! But as a QRP'er, I have to belly laugh at some of the reactions from Hams who either don't know any better, or worse ....... lack any skill, patience or determination. Those are who I am referring to as "clueless". For example, some reactions from Facebook (no names or call signs will be posted here).

"Joke 10 watts 😩, Unreal"

"QRP. Zzzz. Make an FT-857D replacement Yaesu!"

"I can't imagine putting out that much money for something that weak. Two screens. Cool, I guess. But just okay otherwise."

"On top of that with only 6 Watts on battery power it's not going to be very useful for people chasing DX let alone Dxpeditions.. breaking a pile up with 100 w and a wire antenna is hard enough as it is.."

"But then again that's not what this radio appears to be designed for, it seems like they're targeting the Doomsday Preppers ( aka bunker diggers ) and qrp guys."

I guess these guys just don't understand QRP, or never tried it, or tried it and didn't have what it takes to make it work. Yeah, sometimes breaking through the pileups for DXpeditions can be tough, but I've done it and I know tons of you out there have done it too. And DXCC via QRP isn't all that difficult. Heck, I've heard of guys doing it in one weekend when the ARRL DX or CQWW DX contests are on.

I guess it's kind of like FT-8 in a certain way. I've never tried it, and I don't quite understand how to make it work, or even have the desire to, but I'm certainly not going to knock the people who do. Although, in all honesty, I have chuckled at a few good natured jokes I've seen about it - but no disrespect is intended for anyone who loves the digital modes. It's just not my cup of tea - so why disparage the people who love it?

Amateur Radio is a big tent. Everyone should be welcome.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Weekend happenings?

For those of you who are going to get on the air and ask, "What contest is THIS?"

Contests

Hawaii QSO Party - http://www.hawaiiqsoparty.org/

ALARA Contest -  http://www.alara.org.au/contests/

World Wide Digi DX Contest - https://ww-digi.com/ - (I'm sure this one won't come down into the CW portions at all!)

 U.S. Islands QSO Party - http://usislands.org/qso-party-rules/

YO DX HF Contest -  http://www.yodx.ro

Kansas QSO Party - https://ksqsoparty.org/rules/KSQPRules2024.pdf?1

Ohio QSO Party - http://www.ohqp.org/index.php/rules/

SARL HF CW Contest - http://www.sarl.org.za/public/contests/contestrules.asp

FISTS Ladder  (Operating Activity) - https://www.fists.co.uk/activitiescalendar.html#fistsladder2024

Special Event Stations:

08/10/2024 | 247th Anniversary of the Battle of Bennington

Aug 10-Aug 24, 1200Z-2359Z, K1B, Bennington, VT. K2HX. 18.100 21.070 24.915 28.074; all modes in General band. QSL. Ed Landry, N2HX, 50 Jayne Ln., Bennington, VT 05201.

08/24/2024 | 2024 Buhl Day

Aug 24-Sep 2, 0000Z-0000Z, W3B, Sharon, PA. Mercer County Amateur Radio Club. 7.074 14.074 7.240 14.245. QSL. Mercer County Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 673 , 32 Shenango Ave, Sharon, PA 16146. We will be on the air during Buhl Day in Hermitage, PA. This year is the 109th anniversary of Buhl Farm Park, which covers 300 acres and was given to the community by Frank Buhl (local industrialist) for use and recreation purposes of the community. Labor Day and occasionally the week before. www.w3lif.org

08/24/2024 | Radio & National Railway Historical Soc

Aug 24, 0000Z-2359Z, K3IEC, Mechanicsburg, PA. Cumberland Amateur Radio Club. 7.250 14.250 21.300 28.400. QSL. Frank Mellott, 1010 Good Hope RD, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050. Cumberland Amateur radio Club celebrating the 2024 National Railway Historical Society convention in Harrisburg, PA. Modes expected to be CW/SSB and digital. see https://www.radioclub-carc.com/ for more details and QSL info. https://www.radioclub-carc.com

Myself? This Sunday is our annual ETS of NJ Picnic. That should be a good time with lots of good food. And, if the weather cooperates tomorrow and I have enough time, I might just attempt to take down the W3EDP and replace it with the MFJ-1982HP. If not this weekend, then perhaps over the long Labor Day Weekend next weekend. Time is going to be the bigger factor as I'm still slogging through getting the Skeeter Hunt Results entered into the Scoreboard and the Soapbox comments and photos into the Skeeter Hunt Facebook page. If I put in a long session tonight, I might have enough time for antenna work tomorrow.

Oh, and of course ........ in between all that I want to try and get the QMX on the air and make a maiden QSO. Not too much planned, eh? And then on Monday mornings I wonder why the weekend whizzed by!

Labor Day? Already? Where has the Summer gone?

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to sebd the very least!

Last night

I spent some more time with Skeeter Hunt results, and then it occurred to me. Instead of sending acknowledgements as I post results to  the Scoreboard spreadsheet one by one, I should go through all the e-mails NOW and send acknowledgements. This takes the guess work out of the equation for the Skeeters. So now I can truly say, if you didn't get an acknowledging e-mail from me, I didn't get your log summary.

Thirteen years of doing this, you would have thought this would have occurred to me sooner! Some times I can be so perceptive and on top of things and other times I can be as thick as a brick! Sometimes I get so used to doing what I've been doing that I block out other possibilities for doing things better. Last night I became my own "auto-acknowledgement" tool!

After that, I went down to the shack and opened up the package that I received yesterday from QRP Labs.

When I was down in the shack the other day, I stumbled upon the lithium batteries and holders that I used to use with my PFR-3A. I had them stored away in a few plastic containers. So I took them out and charged up the batteries and changed the connector from the size that the PFR-3A and the KX3 use, to the smaller diameter connector that the QMX uses. Three of the batteries give me 12.1 Volts fully charged, which then drops to just under 12 Volts under load. Perfect for the QMX. I have more batteries and another holder, so I can have two battery packs ready to go whenever I need them. That dummy battery that you see in the 4th position is a wooden dowel with a thumb tack on each end, with a wire going from tack to tack to provide connectivity. Four batteries would produce too high a voltage.

One thing I noticed about the batteries. Of course, just like about everything else, these were manufactured in China. They work fine, but the brand name - "UltraFire". For a lithium battery, I think a better name could have been chosen.

Before I get to the subject of the QMX, you also see a paddle that I just recently purchased. It's a single lever paddle made by CW Morse LLC. 

I found it on eBay after a search on "morse code paddles" that I do from time to time, just to see what's out there. It was $39, and I love single lever paddles and didn't have one for portable ops, so I indulged. It arrived on Monday, but I had to dig up a cable for it, as it didn't come with one. I connected it to the KX3 last night, which I took out of VOX mode so I could use it as a code practice oscillator. I have to tell you, this little guy has a very good feel to it! I was able to adjust the spacing very close, as that's how I like it, and I was able to send code nice and easy! If you're looking for paddles for portable ops, I would recommend that you at least take a look at https://cwmorse.us/. I think you'd be as pleased as I am.

Getting to the QMX. There's going to be a learning curve here. I can tell you I love this little radio already, but it's not quite what I'm used to. After I turned it no, I found out that it was set for 80 Meters. It took me a while to figure out how to change bands. Once I figured out how to get to 40 Meters, I hooked it up to my W3EDP and started tuning around. 

At first, i thought I broke the radio somehow. I could only get it to tune in 10 kHz steps. 7.000 to 7.010 to 7.020 to 7.030 MHz, etc. I couldn't figure out how to get to tune in smaller steps. Then I discovered that you have to go into the menu, go to "VFO Settings" and you have to enable the smaller steps. Wow! Never had to do that on a radio before! I also had to go into the settings to enable the S-Meter, SWR Meter and the Battery Level icon to be displayed. Whew!

It's going to take this fossil a bit of time to master this radio, but once I am there, this is going to be grand! The batteries, the radio, my Emtech ZM-2 tuner and an EFRW will fit into a daypack so easily! I just may start going out at lunchtime to start operating from the Jeep with the Buddisitck again!

I printed out the manual - it's over 100 pages long and I also downloaded the pdf file to my phone. Like I said, I've got a lot of learning to do, but the fun is in the journey as well as the destination. I just hope I don't do anything stupid to accidentally damage it. That would kill me!

72 de Larry W2LLJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Skeeter Hunt Results

Just a word about Skeeter Hunt log summaries.

I did receive about 90 on Sunday and  more Monday and Tuesday. I am working on transferring data to my Scoreboard spreadsheet (a different spreadsheet from the roster which you can all still see) as quickly as I can. I do send out confirmation e-mails to all of you who have submitted summaries. I'm sure a lot of you have gotten that e-mail from me, already.

I plan to be all caught up with this by the weekend. So if you've submitted a log and are wondering why you haven't heard from me ......... I'm working on it. This event started off very small in 2012. It has grown by leaps and bounds since then and I could not be a happier Ham. I'm hoping that by this time next year, I will have retired and that I will be able to devote more time to responding to all of you  more quickly after the Hunt.

I want you all to know, that this is not a complaint on my part! I am thrilled and ecstatic that so many of you participated! I just want you to know what the delay is and not to worry that I haven't gotten your entries. 

This is a 3 step process. 

1) I transfer your scores to the Scoreboard,  

2) I post your Soapbox comments to the Skeeter Hunt Facebook page, that is taking a bit more time. 

3) I send the confirming e-mail. 

So ......... if you don't receive anything from me by Sunday 8/25 - that's when I would start thinking about re-sending entries.

I will post the final Scoreboard on Monday, September 2nd. I will be sending out e-mails to the various iO Groups and e-mail reflectors on Sunday with a reminder that log summaries are due.

Thanks for your patience!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

A couple of thoughts

post Skeeter Hunt. Here's a map of my QSOs, courtesy of K2DSL's mapping site.

Nothing to write home about, no Herculean effort, but fun just the same - and really, that is what the Skeeter Hunt is all about. As someone much wiser than me has said, "The fun is in the journey, not the destination."

I was starting to process summary results last night. I only got about a dozen done as I had several other things on the agenda last night. What struck me though, is I'm already almost to the point of receiving the same amount of summaries from non-Skeeter numbered ops as last year. If this trend continues, it may well surpass that. That tells me that word is getting out there, maybe late or whatever, but the Hunt seems to be growing in participation, which is a good thing.

I'll continue to slog through the slew of Skeeter summaries tonight, after dinner. This is almost as enjoyable as the Hunt itself, because I get to hear from you guys. I'm also copying any soapbox comments I get to the Skeeter Hunt Facebook page, along with photos.

Update on the QMX - according to FedEx, it arrived in Belgium from Turkey late last evening. I guess it will be loaded onto a plane headed for the US either today or tomorrow. UPDATE: Heard from FedEx, delivery is tomorrow. Yay!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Put 'er in the books!

What a surprise! I woke up to a Sunday morning miracle! The weather prognosticators were off by a bit. It was sunny and very humid, and a quick gander on the weather radar showed no signs of imminent storms, so it looked like a "portable" Skeeter Hunt operation was going to be a distinct possibility.

Over the next few hours, the sun and clouds would alternate, so I decided to "86" going to Cotton Street Park and would work backyard portable instead. I figured that if it did start to downpour, I wouldn't get that drenched moving equipment into the house from the backyard, and I could move it quickly, if needed. I started setting up at Noon - a whole entire hour ahead of time. Overkill ...... right? Wrong, W2LJ, DEAD wrong!

Once again the Jackite mast was giving me fits. The ground was way wet from Saturday night's rain and my new tent pegs were too short to get a good grip of some dry soil beneath the surface and kept pulling out. The mast fell over twice and I could feel my BP rising due to the frustration. Time was passing quickly, and I couldn't remember where I had tossed my longer tent pegs, so I decided to use my drive on mast holder, instead. Using an empty grill propane tank and a 20 lb bag of birdseed for ballast, it worked perfectly, albeit later than I had anticipated. I had stubbornly futzed around with the short tent pegs entirely too long. 

The only challenge using the drive on mast holder here was making sure it was as level as possible on grassy ground.

But in the process, I learned a valuable lesson which I can store away in the memory banks. If the ground is hard and dry, the shorties will work better as they are easier to remove from rock hard soil. If the ground is wet and soft, the longer tent pegs are a must. This was the view of the set up mast, looking east towards the back border of the yard. It stayed rock solid for the entirety of the Skeeter Hunt,. Satisfied that there would be no more antenna mishaps, I eventually turned around and sat with my back to it, so I could keep my eyes laser focused for any dark clouds coming in from the west.

I ended up getting started about 15 minutes late, which in the grand scheme of things was no big deal. I had my normal set up going with some twists. I used my 12 Volt LiFe PO battery for the first time, and I went with the American Morse DCP paddle mounted on the Velamints container which I had talked about a few posts earlier. it proved to work well. The only time my code got sloppy was when I made a few mistakes towards the end of the Hunt from being tired. No mistakes because I held it incorrectly and sent extraneous dits or dahs. And of course, my mistakes were made when trading exchanges with John K4BAI. Nothing like getting all flustered like a school boy who confronts his favorite MLB baseball player!

Dinosaur that I am, I still paper log. No way that I can manage a computer and paddles simultaneously!

It wasn't very hot, only in the mid 80s, but it was very humid. That stainless steel insulated water bottle was a lifesaver. I didn't have to go running into the house for a cool hydration break when one was needed.

Propagation wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. I was hearing a lot more stations than I did during FOBB. 20 Meters seemed to be the go to band for the day, and I'm pretty sure most of my QSOs happened there. I did make two contacts on 15 Meters, Gene N5GW in MS and Perry N5PJ in OK. 15 Meters gets the ribbon for the farthest QSOs. I wish there had been more activity there. I tried calling CQ for a while on 10 Meters with no joy, and that's a shame. A look at the Reverse Beacon Network after the event showed that my signal was getting out to Germany at a pretty decent dB level - double figures, so I would have been heard if anyone had been listening.

40 Meters proved once again to be the band for close in Skeeters and I worked NJ, PA, NY and MD all on 40 Meters. The signals were much more robust on 40 than they were on either 20 or 15. I really like 40 Meters, it's probably my favorite band. The shame is that during events such as the Skeeter Hunt or the Flight of the Bumblebees, 40 Meters is often ignored until late in the event after 20 Meters seems to have dried up.

My strategy is to change bands often. When I've worked 20 Meters for a bit I'll go to another band to see what's up there. Propagation changes and when I go back to 20 Meters after a while, I'll hear stations that I hadn't heard before. Maybe they started late, or maybe the skip zone moved. Whatever, it's a strategy that works for me.

With about 15 minutes to go to the end of the Hunt, I started tearing down and packing up as the skies were starting to look ominous. I could have stayed until 5:00 as it turned out. The deluge, and I mean THE DELUGE didn't start until 6:20 PM local time. In about a 1/2 hour to 40 minutes we got over 3/4 of an inch of rain. I'm so glad it held off! I left my house at about 6:15 to drive up to the filling station to get gas in the car for the week, and the streets were bone dry, Halfway to the gas station, about a 1/2 mile from home, I ran into a wall of rain that was coming down so hard that I had to put my windshield wipers onto "fast" mode. It was creepy because I saw the wall of rain heading towards me. It was moving faster toward me than I was heading toward it! I hate to think of how badly my Ham gear would have gotten soaked if that had happened during the Hunt. I don't think being under the patio umbrella would have helped much.

The obligatory selfie for the bonus points - had to get the Skeeter Hunt logo in there! 

When all was said and done, I had finished the day with 37 QSOs. 31 Skeeters and 6 - 5 Watt stations. I don't remember off the top of my head, but last night I had counted somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 to 20 different States. I had set a goal to make 40 QSOs for the day and fell three short - not bad. For the heck of it, I had decided to take voltage measurements on this new battery pre and post Hunt. I started the day at 13.4 Volts and ended the day at 13.4 Volts! There was a lot of calling "CQ BZZ" yesterday, so for the voltage to remain rock solid leaves me impressed.  I have a gut feeling that this battery, fully charged, will get me and the KX3 through all of Field Day by itself next year.

Once again, thanks to all who participated in the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt. This event is nothing without all of you - you all are the wind that lifts the Skeeter's wings. My part in this is miniscule compared to all you getting on the air and making it the success that it is. THANK YOU and the results will become available on Monday, September 2nd, so you have a couple of weeks to get your log summaries in. My inbox is already flooded and I''ll get to them in due course. PLEASE REMEMBER, if you don't get a confirmation e-mail from me (within a couple of days) that means I didn't get your results, so please try again. For those of you who already sent in your summaries and there are a lot, please give me three or four days to get them on the spreadsheet. For the time being, I'm still part of the everyday workforce so my time for this is limited.

See you all again next year - so save the date - Sunday, August 17th, 2025!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!