The weekend

I had limited time to work the NJ QSO Party. I gave it about and hour and a half in the afternoon and then another hour and a half in the evening, after dinner. My personal goal was to make at least 50 QSOs - big deal, right? But I did - I ended up making 52 when I decided to pull the plug with about 20 minutes of contest time remaining.

As I've stated so many times before, I'm not big into contesting to win. If I eneter a contest or Sprint, it's just to have fun and fatten up the logbook. All my QSOs were made on 40 and 80 Meters. I didn't even bother with 20 Meters as it was too early in the morning when I got on and too late in the evening when I got my second wind.

After the action ceased, this is the RBN map: - not bad for 5 Watts.

For a rare change of pace, I decided to forego "searching and pouncing" and spent most of my time calling "CQ NJQP". I nearly fell out of my chair when my CW was answered by RG5A in Russia. Granted, we were both 339/449, but we got the exchange done. Alex had to send his call a cou0ple of times as I thought it was a very weak KG5A or perhaps NG5A because of QSB.  When I finally heard that it was Russia, and he confirmed by giving his S/P/C as "DX", I was quite amazed This will be one of those that you remember for a long time.

Yesterday was FOBB Fall Edition, and I wanted to participate, but for some reason or other, I just was not able to get a good night's sleep on Saturday. I kept waking up for what seemed like every few minutes with sciatica discomfort. I ended up napping most of Sunday away. Towards the end of the Sprint, I did head downstairs and made 3 or 4 contacts as "a giver of points". I was too beat to do much else.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to sedn the very least!

Busy weekend - September 20th and 21st.

There's a whole lot of shakin' goin' on this weekend - most noticeably the First Autumn Flight of the Bumblebees! Here's what you may hear on the CW bands this weekend. I'm willing to bet there will be plenty of activity!

Contests:

Scandinavian Activity Contest, CW: - https://www.sactest.net/blog/scandinavian-activity-contest-2025-rules/

New Jersey QSO Party - http://www.k2td-bcrc.org/njqp/rules.html - W2LJ WILL be on the air, participating as a QRP Station - please listen for me!

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

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

Probably not, but listed anyway - QRP Afield - see below - https://www.newenglandqrp.org/qrp-afield-2018/ (NEQRP no longer seems interested in promoting this event)

New Hampshire QSO Party - https://w1wqm.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/NHQP_Rules.pdf

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

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

ARS Flight of the Bumblebees - http://ars-qrp.com/FOBB/FOBB.html

Special Event Stations:

09/20/2025 | Remembering the Freedom Trail - Underground Railroad through Indiana 

Sep 20, 1400Z-2200Z, W9EFU, Madison, IN. Clifty Amateur Radio Society. 28.328 14.314 7.207. Certificate. Jerry Barnes, 601 Spring Street, Madison, IN 47250. Remembering the citizens of Madison Indiana and the surrounding area along with others throughout the state for their efforts in providing safe passage to escaped slaves from the South. Unique eCertificate sent to operators email listed in QRZ. See our QRZ and FB page for frequency and details. www.qrz.com/db/w9efu

09/20/2025 | SENARC 89 Year Anniversary

Sep 20-Sep 21, 1500Z-2000Z, N0N, Lincoln, NE. SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AMATEUR RADIIO CLUB. 7.180 14.230. Certificate & QSL. Charles Bennett, KD0PTK, P.O. Box 67181, Lincoln, NE 68506. SENRC (senarc) WAS FOUNDED IN 1936 BY GAROLD C. BENNETT (W9WKP) SK. "JERRY" WAS THE FIRST ARRL EMERGENCY COORDINATOR FOR NEBRASKA. HIS MOTTO WAS "ALL HAMS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY". senebrradioclub@gmail.com

09/20/2025 | State Line Radio Club Annual Picnic

Sep 20, 1400Z-2000Z, W3A, Holtwood, PA. State Line Radio Club. 14.240 21.280. QSL. Edward Reichenbach, 108 Park Circle, Elkton, MD 21921-5444. Annual State Line Radio Club Picnic held at Muddy Run Park in Holtwood, PA. Public, Scouts and Scout groups are welcome! Free admission. www.statelineradioclub.com

It would appear that QRP Afield has gone the way of the Dodo, the dinosaurs and the carrier pigeon. As I've posted earlier, NEQRP no longer appears to be interested in holding or promoting the event, which is very sad. It was noted that perhaps they didn't want to compete occupying the same weekend as the Inaugural Autumn Flight of the Bumblebees, which should have a huge following.  In a way, that makes sense to a certain degree. 

That being said, the first Day of Autumn here in the Northern Hemisphere is Monday, September 22nd. Why not move QRP Afield a weekend or two into October? The weather is still nice for the most part and there really isn't any "official" QRP activity in October, except perhaps for the Peanut Power Sprint.  Unfortunately, there's been no noise or announcement about that event, either. So October might be silent as far as sponsored QRP events go.

I'm also going to yammer on this one more time. There was a statement made that attendance for QRP Afield had  diminished with only one log received in 2024. This is the direct result of not getting the word out. If you don't advertise/promote, you're NOT going to get participation. You cannot rest on your laurels from previous years and just expect people to turn out for an event on its own merit. People are busy and have other commitments on weekends. You have to give folks ample time to set aside time for your event. You can't whistle at the last moment (or not at all!) and expect people to show up. So yes, it takes some effort and some work to keep events like these going. I guess some just aren't up to the task - and that's very unfortunate.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

RIP Robert Redford

 I don't usually pay much attention to Hollywood celebrities, and I was certainly not in tune with Mr. Reford's pollical views. He has a special place in my heart for one reason - this ......."The Natural", one of the better baseball movies ever made.

If you're a fan of the game, you gotta love Roy Hobbs.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Weekend of September 13th and 14th

Wasn't Labor Day just yesterday? Sheesh! We're halfway through the month already and it just started! 

Here's what you might hear on the bands this weekend as you try to have that rag chew or make that POTA contact (scratching your head, thinking "What the heck is that?!?"):

Contests:

Africa FT4 DX Contest - https://mysarl.org.za/contest-resources/

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

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

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

For QRPers we have on Sunday night:

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

Don't forget -  that next weekend is the first Fall FOBB !  https://ars-qrp.com/

Special Event Stations:

09/13/2025 | Baltimore Defender's Day

Sep 13, 1330Z-2100Z, K3S, Port of Baltimore. Nuclear Ship Savannah Amateur Radio Club. 7,14,18,21,28. QSL. Ulis Fleming, 980 Patuxent Rd, Odenton, MD 21113. Check spotting networks for frequency. See QRZ.com info for Savannah Award qrz.com/db/k3s

09/13/2025 | Celebrating Arthur Collins' Birthday

Sep 13, 1400Z-1700Z, W0CXX, Cedar Rapids, IA. Collins Amateur Radio Club. 14.263 MHz. QSL. Brice AntonJensen, 1110 Lyndhurst Dr, Hiawatha, IA 52233. www.qrz.com/db/W0CXX

09/13/2025 | Commemorating USS Midway Commissioning in 1945.

Sep 13, 1600Z-2300Z, NI6IW, San Diego, CA. USS Midway Museum Ship. 14.320 7.250 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

09/13/2025 | Fred Harvey House Museum on the Air

Sep 13, 1400Z-2000Z, KS0LV, Leavenworth, KS. Pilot Knob Amateur Radio Club. 14.303 21.361 28.355 14.053. Certificate. Steve Rice, 6850 Deer Ridge Dr, Shawnee, KS 66226. Look for us on FT8 on 14 or 17M www.pkarc.org

09/13/2025 | SS John W Brown Sept 13 Living History Cruise

Sep 13, 1500Z-2000Z, K8JWB, Baltimore, MD. SS John W Brown Radio Club. 7210 14230 21300 28320. Certificate. Randall Crenwelge, 2 Laurel Hill Road Unit K, Greenbelt, MD 20770. Join us as we sail on the Chesapeake Bay for a living history cruise honoring those that built and served on the liberty ships during WW2. Please send us full size envelope with postage for a certificate. Dam the Torpedoes! Full speed ahead! www.ssjohnwbrown.org

As I mentioned in an earlier post, tomorrow should have been our monthly ETS of NJ VE Session. No one signed up. I think we're progressing from a dry spell to a drought. Oh well, I guess I'll get the grocery shopping done early this week!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

A couple of things

 First, W2LJ is going to make a prediction.

"In person VE Testing will largely disappear."

With the proliferation of online testing sessions becoming more and more available, it appears that in person sessions are going the way of the dinosaurs. Next Saturday is our monthly VE Session and I've yet to have anyone contact me about registering. That is odd and not the way it used to be. 

If memory serves me, I don't think we've had a session this year with more than 3 candidates. We only had 2 at the W2QW Hamfest in June and that's very unusual. I don't think it's a lack of people wanting to get licensed, I think it's just a preference for taking the exams from the comfort of your own home, and not having to travel or search for a local session.

Personally, I don't want to have anything to do with online exams. As a VE Liaison, with my license on the line, I prefer the control of in person sessions. Members of the team can keep a watchful eye, in person, to make sure no irregularities take place. 

Maybe I'm wrong and on line sessions are just as stringent, if not more so, but I'm not interested in finding out 

Second item, I was able to repair my 4 States Tuner today. I mentioned that I had managed to break one of the BNC connectors. The 4 States Group was kind enough to supply a replacement upon request, but it took a long time to get here -;and not because they did anything wrong.

It made its way to South Plainfield only to be returned to the sender by our illustrious Post Office! 4 States sent it a second time only for it to be delivered to my neighbor across the street! He kindly brought it over yesterday and I installed it today.

In the meantime, I ordered these from Amazon - taking a shot in the dark that they'd be compatible based solely on the photo.

My guesstimate was that it was a match, so I took the plunge and ordered some spares. They arrived yesterday and it turns out that they ARE an exact match! So if anyone out there needs to order, or wants to order a few spare BNC connectors for the 4 States Tuner, here's the link.

https://a.co/d/hydnoGW

72 de Larry W2LJ 

QRP -;When you care to send the very least!

FOBB Part Deux

 Jody K3JZD sent out an email blast:

Only Three Weeks Until the New Fall Flight of the Bumblebees Event.

The new Fall Flight of the Bumblebees is scheduled for Sunday, September 21 2025, during a four-hour daytime window, from 1700 to 2100 UTC.

It is already cooling down here in WPA.  Hopefully it will be dry and more comfortable everywhere on September 21st.  And a little better propagation would be nice also.

This casual QRP CW event consists of 'Bumblebees' who are operating portable stations at outdoor locations, and 'Home Stations' (and other ‘Bumblebees’) who try to work as many of these portable 'Bumblebees' as possible.

Since this is a new impromptu Fall FOBB, the Bumblebee List is not yet quite as full as it was for the Annual Summer FOBB.  However, with still three weeks to go, we already have enough BBs signed up to make it a good QRP CW event.

You can see where all of the Bumblebees are located by checking the reports that are available at https://ars-qrp.com.  (If you have forgotten your BB Number, you can find it there). 

This event is open to all QRP CW operators.  Anywhere.  Operators who want to go out and setup a portable station at some outdoor location, and be a highly sought after 'Bumblebee', need to obtain a "Bumblebee Number". 

 It is very simple to obtain a Bumblebee Number.   There is still plenty of time left for you to get a BB Number. The https://ars-qrp.com web site will explain the whole process.

 I'll be out there as a 'Bumblebee' - hoping to work you during the event.

 72,

Jody - K3JZD

And there, you have the latest!

72 de Larry W2LJ 

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Oooops!

 So I posted the 2025 Skeeter Hunt results yesterday, and it appears I made a few omissions. A couple of folks sent in summaries and I forgot to include them. 

All I can say is "Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa!"

And I am sorry and will make the proper corrections as soon as I can. It just goes to shoow that I'm no Excel genius. I appreciate your patience and graciousness!

I also received a few e-mails from a couple of folks letting me know they had a good time in the Hunt. That warms my heart, as that is my sole reason for managing the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt. It's about giving my fellow QRP'ers a chance to have a good time. If they enjoy it, then as the saying goes, "my work here is done."

Yesterday was a busy day as we had CERT activity at South Plainfield's Annual Labor Day Parade in the morning and then fireworks at night. When I got home at 9:30 last night after the fireworks, "my dogs were barking"! It was so nice to get a chance to get off of my feet. It seems the hardest part of growing older is finding out that things that used to be so easy and done without a second thought, aren't quite so easy anymore.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP -When you care to send the very least!

Skeeter Hunt 2025 Results

 Congratulations to our top five finishers in the 2025 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt"

First Place - AD0YM - Mike with 25.832 Pointa

Second Place - NK9G - Rick with 24,968 Points

Third Place - W4MPS - Marc with 24,880 Points

Fourth Place - N5GW - Gene with 17,224 Points

Fift Place - K0KLB - Kevin with 16.606 Points

The entire Final 2025 Skeeter Hunt Scoreboard can be found at

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_aNsVnye-9wEzbMRU8jkRZScMIaYZoD9M-7lCpTwveE/edit?usp=sharing       

Thank you so much to all who participated. Band conditions may have not been the best; but I would hazard a guess that we all had fun! And that's the point of this event. You all are the wind underneath the Skeeter's wings and for that I am most grateful.

Please be sure to join us for the 15th Annual NJQRP Skeeter Hunt coming your way on Sunday, August 16th, 2026.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to sent the very least!