Rare second post

I try to make only one post per day, but since tomorrow is a travel day, I'm going to let my self-imposed rule slide for today.

Final POTA activation today:

I started the activation on 20 Meters with the Buddistick mag-mounted to the roof of the Jeep. I haven't used it in a long time, so I just kind of tried to remember how I used to configure it to the best of my recollection. I must have been not far off as you can see by the RBN map. I worked Sweden and Italy. I didn't bring the Nano VNA along. I think that will help me get it configured even closer to ideal.

I didn't bring the camping chair along and standing behind the Jeep's open back hatch was setting off the bursitis in my hip, so I opted to switch to the AlexLoop and sit on the cabin porch for the rest of the activation.

16 Hunters worked including Sweden, Italy, Quebec, MO (for a Park to Park with NU7J), ME, MA, VA, WI, PA, FL, NC and I think that's everyone.

I am by no means a hard core or even semi-hard core or even a semi-semi-hard core POTA activator. I just like to have fun and get to play radio - even if it's just for a little while. I also like to remind myself every now and then how far I can get with 5 Watts. Sometimes I take that for granted.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Busy morning!

 QRP Image(s) of the Day:

These images were posted to the "14.060 MHz" Facebook page by Fabio Binotto. This is a homebrew QRP SSB transceiver by Alexey Martyncov, U1YF. What craftsmanship! If I had one one hundredth's percent of Alexey's talent, I'd be a happy man!  These images are a sight to behold!

Anyway, its a busy morning as Marianne and I will be leaving for Alexandria Bay later this afternoon. I've a few chores (grocery shopping, get the oil changed, etc.) to accomplish before we go - so this will be short.

I AM taking the KX3 with me and I hope to activate that park later this week. Hopes are just that ... hopes - we'll see what actually happens! However, this time, I've already placed the Buddistick whips in the car along with the rest of the Buddistick components, so this won't be a repeat of Lake George, when I left them at home. So if I don't get a chance to get on the air, it won't be because I left something behind.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least1

Faraday Cloth

 First, the QRP Image of the Day

Courtesy of I5NOC (on Facebook) - reminded me of the Four State QRP Group Bayou Jumper, of which I have one in the basement, needing to be built. Ahhhhh .... retirement can't come quickly enough!

So the latest rage amongst POTA activators and other portable ops QRPers, who use compact verticals, is to place a piece of aluminum window screen under the antenna, instead of laying out conventional radials. You still have to run a wire from the screen to the ground connection of the antenna system, but altogether this sounds like a convenient workaround compared to laying out radials. And from some testimonials that I have read on the various QRP e-mail reflectors and from some of the QRP groups on Facebook, it seems like it gets "a thumbs up".

Back in the day when I used to use a homebrewed PAC-12 antenna, I did lay out radials, which in itself was not a big deal. The inconvenience arose when you were in a setting like a park or some other public place where people could trip over the wires. It was even worse if you elevated the radials. 

Now the latest, latest rage seems to be substituting Faraday cloth (cloth imbedded with or made from copper and nickel) for the groundplane. It seems that folding up this cloth and storing it is an easier deal than aluminum screening. The cloth is very flexible and can be folded up into a neat little size which can be stowed away in your go-kit. The aluminum window screen, on the other hand, really should be rolled up.  I don't think it would take to well to repeated folding and unfolding - metal fatigue can be a nasty thing.

When I use my Buddistick, my modus operandi has been to use the roof of my Jeep as the groundplane, planting the antenna on the metal with a magmount.  That setup has worked very, very well for me. But this Faraday cloth setup is intriguing to me. It would allow me to use the Buddistick away from the car, which might come in handy when there are no trees for a wire, or the use of trees (like in a park) is prohibited. That's when I would normally resort to the magloop.

I may have to try this. I see that on Amazon, you can purchase a piece that is 44" X 36" (112cm X  92cm) for only $23. That should be big enough to provide a decent groundplane.

And it just so happens that a great illustrative photo appeared on Facebook today. This was taken by Dan Hones KD9MSP on a recent POTA activation that he made.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

POTA possibility?

 First, the QRP Image of the Day:

I found this image on Facebook, on the SOTA page. This is Rene Lutz HB9NBG sitting on top of an Alp (I guess) in Switzerland. You'll notice he's handholding a KX2 like it's an HT and he's making contacts on 40 Meters! Wow! THIS is SOTA!

I've been to Switzerland twice for business and actually was not too far from where Rene lives, which, according to QRZ, is near Basel. Basel is where Bron Elektronik is based, the makers of the studio strobes I used to repair, and factory training was my purpose for being there. I also had to visit the FOBA AG headquarters in Zurich (makers of studio stands and studio equipment) , and the SINAR AG headquarters in Allschwill (makers of large format cameras and medium format digital backs). Both times I was there, I never made it to the Alps. On my first visit which lasted two weeks, I spent the weekend in between at Luzerne and from there you could see them off in the distance. That's as close as I got. I think I have a photo sitting somewhere. I'll have to search for it, and if I do, I'll scan it and post it here one day.

My days of being able to climb peaks like that are over (indeed, if I ever HAD days like that where I could climb a mountain!) and the mountains we have in New Jersey are just glorified hills compared to the Alps, or even the Rockies, so my outdoor adventures will rely on POTA. Speaking of which ...........

Next week, Marianne and I are headed up to Alexandria Bay in upstate NY - WAY upstate NY - like Canada is right there! It's our 25th wedding anniversary and Alexandria Bay is where her family vacationed when she was younger. Her Dad and Grandfather were fishing fanatics, so her Dad would gather the family, their boat and they'd rent a cabin and spend three weeks up there every August. She wanted to see it again - so that's where we're going.

And guess what's there?

Keewaydin State Park, also known as K-2088. Will I get a chance to do an activation while I'm there? You're guess is as good as mine. First and foremost this is time to be spent with my lovely bride celebrating 25 years of wedded bliss. She will always come first. But on the chance she might want to sleep in one morning while we're there,?  I'll be packing the KX3 and the Buddistick and magmount ............just in case!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Blast from the past

An article that I authored which CQ Magazine saw fit to publish in their February 2014 issue. It's pertinent to my discussion of the Buddistick on top of the Jeep in yesterday's post.

I've posted these on the "Portable QRP Ops" page for future reference.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Things have changed!

Things have changed since I acquired my Buddistick! Improvements have been made and one of the most important pieces that I use, this "old school" Buddistick mounting plate, seems to be no longer made, or available as a part.

Glad I still have mine!

What I do need to do is to acquire one of these:

I have an adapter which is basically two PL-259's back to back. I will attach the mounting plate to the magmount using that, which will once again allow me to use the Buddistick mounted at the top of my Jeep. The Buddistick really sang for me when I used it that way before and I expect the same result again.  This will be useful when a wire is not allowed in a tree; or when a tree is not available. It's also a quick and dirty setup when time is an issue. My best DX using a similar configuration was from NJ to a far part of European Russia (almost Asiatic Russia) at about 8,000 some miles with 5 Watts CW.

I wish I had all this with me last week at the lake, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Taking with

I've decided that this year, instead of taking my entire backpack up to Lake George, I'll just be bringing a daypack (the KISS principle). The contents will be:

1) KX3

2) Small blue lithium battery / charger

3) AlexLoop and PAR ENDFEDZ (I might include my Buddistick package as it's as small as the AlexLoop package)

4) Earbuds and bulldog clip paddle

5) 25' length of RG-8X (for the PAR)

6) Arborist's throw back which always resides in the Jeep, anyway.

And that's it. But with that, I hope to activate K-2001 Adirondack State Park while I am there. In addition, there's also the QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint this Sunday from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. While my KX3 doesn't count as homebrew (even though it was built from a kit) it's still fun making contacts and handing out points. I hope there's a decent amount of activity.

Oh, and of course the laptop. I'll want to upload my log to POTA before we leave for home. For actual logging while operating I use HamLog NG on my phone. There's probably better software available now as this one's been around for a while, but I am comfortable with it and used to it. I don't think it's even available at the Google PlayStore anymore! 

I could really use a tablet for this. I gave my tablet to Marianne when hers broke. I never purchased a replacement for myself.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

This stuff still works!

I doubt anyone gets like me, but ............

Last week was pretty dismal as far as lunchtime QSOs go. Looking back in HamLog, the only QSO that I had all week was the one with Special Event Station K2CAM last Wednesday.  Add to that, the fact that the bands were not the greatest over the weekend (at least for me) and even at the home station, the pickings were slim.  I get to wondering if perhaps it's just me ..... did I break something?  Did my antennas all choose to fail at the same time?

Silly, right?  Yeah, I know.

Then comes a day like I had today.  I went out at lunch time, and threw the 40 Meter Hamstick on the Jeep to see if I could hear any NPOTA stations. I saw one listed on the Cluster for 40 Meters, but I wasn't hearing anything. So I switched on over to 20 Meters and heard WD7I at MN25 on the frequency the VFO just happened to be on.  Dave was calling CQ without a lot of takers, so even though I have MN25 confirmed, I worked him so that he could reach the minimum goal of 10 QSOs.  Afterward, I spotted him on DX Summit and lets just say I don't think he had any trouble reaching the minimum and beyond!

After working Dave, I went down to the QRP Watering Hole of 14.060 MHz and "QRL?'ed" a couple of times. Not hearing anything, I cast out a CQ to be answered by Marty W4LYH, operating QRP Portable out of New Market, VA.  Marty was visiting relatives, and decided to bring the QRP gear along. Much to my benefit, we had a rag chew just shy of a half hour.  Had the Rag Chewer's Club still existed, another few minutes would have qualified both of us for a certificate.

Marty was only running 5 Watts to a half wave end fed; but he had a VERY solid 579 signal. The times when QSB kicked in, Marty was at worst a 559. So the next time some "expert" tells you that QRP signals are always weak, go tell him/her to go take a flying leap.

After I signed with Marty (I had to make it back inside the office!) I got a quick call from Terry WA0ITP.  Terry is a good friend, a QRPer of reknown, and a main stay of the 4SQRP Group. How could I not at least say "Hi!" to Terry?  Lo and behold, that's about all it was - a quick Hi and Good-Bye and then it was take everything apart and hustle back inside.

All in all, a very delightful lunch time QRP session ........ for a change! My faith in my equipment is restored ...... for now. LOL!

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

Saratoga National Historical Park - a success!

My outing to Saratoga National Historical Park was an all around success.  I didn't make anywhere near the nunber of QSOs that I wanted to, but it was still a successful day.

The park wasn't as close to our Lake George location as I had thought.  Yes, it was a 1/2 hour down Interstate 87, but once you get off the highway, it's roughly another 1/2 hour to the park.  It was nice to drive through the scenery of upstate New York, seeing farms, horse breeding farms, small towns, etc.  You never get to see the "good stuff" from the major highway.

I arrived at the park a bit later than I had intended, and went to the Visitor's Center, which was very busy.  The Park Rangers were occupied, talking with the many visitors.  When I walked through the doors with my ARRL NPOTA shirt on, I was greeted with a big smile and a "Are you activating today?"  I answered in the affirmative, that I would situate myself in the picnic area by the Visitor's Center and I got a quick nod of approval.

I started out just operating from the Jeep using the Hamstick on 40 Meters and the Buddistick on 20 Meters.  After a while (and a bathroom break) I decided to deploy the PAR END FEDZ using my drive on mast support and the Jackite pole. There were tall trees that would have served the purpose, but that's really a no-no unless you ask for permission ahead of time.  The PAR seemed to perform just as well as the sticks on the Jeep.  I didn't notice any increase in activity after switching over.

I worked up and down the East Coast and into the Midwest. There was one QSO with W6MYN in California.  I tried listening for other NPOTA stations that I saw spotted on the Cluster, but had no luck there.

At the end, before packing up, I even tried 17 Meters for a bit - no joy there, either.

In hindsight, yesterday would have been the better day to go, as solar conditions were much, much better - but it is what it is.

Thanks to all the chasers who stuck with me and allowed me to activate HP42.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Conditions slightly better today

I heard more stations and more activity.

I worked N8BC who was at the James Garfield National Historical Site - NS39 on 40 Meters.  Then, hopping on over to 20 Meters, I may have worked Bob N4CD who was at Bryce Canyon National Park (which it turns out, I have worked before).  Bob was a very readable 559, but he gave me only a 229.  I'm not sure he got my call right. I think he was sending my call as W2DJ instead of LJ. QSB was bad - very bad. When Bob was in the clear, he was very copyable - which was most of the time.  The only time he became difficult to hear was when he was sending my call ........ of course.

The hitch about working NPOTA stations during lunch is that I don't have access to my NPOTA spreadsheet.  I suppose I could load it to my phone, but looking at spreadsheets on a cell phone is painful.

So, if I can hear them, I'll work them and take the chance that it's an ATNO.

Weather for this coming Field Day is looking very nice:

Sunny and warm/hot with pleasant overnight temperatures and NO chance of rain.  This will be a very welcome change from last year, which was soggy, chilly pneumonia generating weather. I'm still amazed that I didn't come down with something after last year's Field Day.

All we need is for the Sun to get on the ball, so that the solar weather will be as agreeable as the terrestrial weather!

If you're operating Field Day, listen for NJ2SP.  We'll be operating "3A NNJ" (actually 3A battery - so we'll be strictly QRP) from Spring Lake Park in South Plainfield, NJ.

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

Conditions are marginal

I went out to the Jeep at lunch time to hear what I could hear.

It wasn't much of anything.

The cell phone and DX Cluster showed a few NPOTA stations on the air at the time. I couldn't hear any of them.  I listened for a bit on both 17 and 20 Meters and the signals that I did hear were few and far between. So I began to call CQ.  After about 5 minutes worth on 17 Meters, I moved back to 20 Meters and called there.

In between calls on 14.061 MHz, I heard someone else start to call CQ below me.  It was RA1M/MM.  I moved down to 14.060 MHz, called and got an answer.

It was Stepan who was off the coast of Newfoundland.

Not only was he Maritme Mobile, but he was also using a KX3 at 5 Watts, so it ended up being a 2X QRP KX3 QSO. 

Cool!

Stepan was my only catch for the day as it was time to come back into the office after we finished.

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

A Tip o' the Hat

I really have to extend a hearty "tip o' the hat" to all you QRP SSB guys out there.  Not being used to SSB operations, not being used to QRP SSB operations has provided me with a learning experience. In your writer's most humble opinion, QRP SSB has a difficulty factor of 10X compared to QRP CW.

Today during lunch time, I was hunting around for NPOTA stations on 20 Meters.  Not hearing anything on the CW bands, I moved on up to the realm of voice - foreign territory, indeed!.  There I heard two stations. K0USA on 14.260 MHz and K0RP on 14.340 MHz.  K0RP was very weak, with QSB making it worse. K0USA was a good 5X5 into NJ and even 5X7 when QSB would let up. I decided to  concentrate on Mary, who was the op behind the mic.  It took the better of 15 minutes, but I got in the log - and it was a new one for me, MN46, the Homestead National Historical Monument in Nebraska.

For her part, Mary did a superb job dealing with my weak signal.  Only 5 Watts to the Buddistick has gotten me decent results on SSB in the past, but today, with the monstrous QSB, it was their beam (which was pointed south, by the way - I was off the side) and her great ears that made the difference. I owe her a ton of gratitude for sticking with me and granting me the ATNO.

Getting back to the topic of SSB vs CW ..... I'm pretty confident in my CW skills. From past practise, it's pretty easy for me to gauge who is workable and who isn't. I still get surprised from time to time; but I've gotten pretty good at figuring out who I am able work and who I am not..

QRP SSB is still a crap shoot for me. Like I stated, it's foreign territory.  To make things even worse, shall we say that patience is a "hard won virtue" for me?  Living in New Jersey all my life, I'm used to the fast pace of the Northeast. Things, especially at work, are wanted yesterday.  I'm used to dealing with that, and delivering those kind of fast results.  The downside is, that I've come to expect that, in return.  Waiting is still a battle for me.  Not in all situations, but in many - especially when I am dealing with myself.

QRP SSB is an extra hard challenge for me and will be for quite a while. The upside is hopefully, I'll become more skilled at it; and I'll also gain more patience, because of it..

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

Lunchtime conditions

were meh.

I heard NC8N running an NPOTA entity on 40 Meters while listening on the Buddistick. Since the Buddistick doesn't load up well on 40 Meters, I quickly switched over to the Hamstick. By the time I got the Hamstick on the magnmount, NC8N went south in the QSB and I couldn't hear him any longer. Typical for W2LJ.

I switched back to the Buddistick and 20 Meters and worked good friend and fellow QRPer John N8ZYA.  After a very short contact, I worked KP4/W2PK.  Not that Puerto Rico is rare, but there was bit of a pileup. Not being able to resist trying to break a pileup with QRP, I jumped in. After figuring out the QRG frequency, it only took a few calls and the pileup was busted with 5 Watts.

Conditions weren't terrible, but they weren't great, either. At least Ol' Sol had 39 freckles today where last week, he had none. Hopefully, things will improve as we inch ever closer to Field Day.

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

KX3 - Buddistick Mojo is back

Now, for a limited time ....... considering how the sunspot cycle is dropping like a lead balloon through a pool of hot, melted butter.

But today was relatively decent.  I set up the Buddistick on the Jeep during lunchtime, hoping to hear or work a few NPOTAs. No dice, nothing heard, even though DX Summit said they were there. I did hear a few chasers on both 40 and 20 Meters. Not hearing the activators, I decided not to be a QRM generator to those who stood a decent shot.

So I went on up to 17 Meters where I heard MJ0KUC , the DXpedition to Jersey Island by the Charente DX Group.  Even though I have worked Jersey several times, I always try to honor the Jersey / New Jersey connection by making contact. The CW op behind the key was superb, handling the pileup deftly and expertly.  He was loud to me - 589/599 depending on the QSB so I decided to give it a shot.  I put out my call a few times and finally heard "W2LJ HI LARRY".

Talk about being surprised - no one else's name was being used!  Coming back to my desk, while I still had a few minutes of lunchtime left, I decided to Google "MJ0KUC" and when the page came up, the surprise vanished.  My expert CW op was none other than Bert F6HKA - it just had to be!  We have QSOed before multiple times, so when we hear each other's call on the air, we both exactly know who is behind the key.

That was so very cool!  Thanks, Bert, for the highlight of the day!

The other DX QSO of the day was with 9Y/K2HVN, Bill in Tobago.  QSB was tougher on this one, but we got the exchange completed, and I'm in the log.  From there, I spent another 20 minutes or so unsuccessfully trying to bust the 7Z1JA pileup for Saudi Arabia.  Again, the station was decently loud to me, but no such luck.  The Buddistick didn't have THAT much mojo in it today!

Truly, band conditions are becoming tougher and tougher.  The ease with which I was able to work DX for the past few seasons is rapidly disappearing. But, it's encouraging to know that all things related to Amateur Radio propagation runs in cycles, so the day will come again (someday) when DX with 5 Watts will become easier.

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

I had hoped for better results

As planned, I went and activated Morristown National Historical Park (HP28) for NPOTA. Things didn't turn out as well as I had hoped; but it was still a good time nonetheless.

I got to the park on time, right before Noon (1600 UTC).  I allowed my TomTom GPS unit to bring me up to Jockey Hollow via a new route which I had never taken before. This brought me up through the Great Dismal Swamp, which is designated as a National Wildlife Refuge.  It is truly a beautiful area and as I was driving through, I could see herons and egrets and all sorts of birds in the marshes. Seeing that the Great Dismal Swamp is designated as a National Wildlife Refuge, I was wondering why it's not listed as one of the NPOTA WR entities.  A little Googling revealed that the Swamp is administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and not the National Parks Service. That's a shame because that would be a really beautiful area to set up a portable operation from.

Anyway, I got to the Park and got set up, which by now, only takes me a few minutes. After so many lunch time QRP sessions, I could do this in my sleep, or with my eyes shut.

Since I was planning on operating some SSB in case there was a lack of activity, I brought along my big, heavy Werker deep cycle battery. I figured that this way, I could operate for an extended period of time at the 10 Watt SSB level if I needed to. And boy, did it turn out that I needed to!

The first thing I did after setting up was tune to around 14.061 MHz - the neighborhood of the QRP Watering Hole. I was shocked by what I heard - wall to wall CW signals! There was literally nowhere to sit where there wasn't a station calling "CQ TEST".  I didn't realize that today was the RUDX, the Russian DX Contest - and boy, it filled the band!

I went on up to 17 Meters and heard some Europeans that were very loud. Knowing that meant the band was wide open, I easily found a clear spot at 18.082 MHz and proceeded to call "CQ NPOTA". The band was wide open, but as it turned out, there wasn't much if any activity. I worked K0IG right off the bat and then ...... nothing.

Not wanting to waste too much time, I got out of the Jeep and switched from the Buddistick to my 40 Meter Hamstick.  I went down to 7.037 MHz, called CQ and was greeted by the normal NPOTA pileup. I was stoked and began to work station after station. The only bad thing was that the initial pileup lasted for only a few minutes, and then I began the monotonous routine of calling "CQ NPOTA" and waiting minutes in between answers.

Getting bored, I decided to give 20 Meters another try. Off came the Hamstick and up went the Buddistick.  I called CQ for a bit and got a couple of QSO completed on 14.060 MHz, but it was tough.  The stations calling me were loud, but their calls were being blanketed by even louder DX stations. Those guys had to be using mondo power.  How much do they allow over in Europe, anyway?

Sitting there, disappointed as heck, I was ready to pack it in and head home a bit early. Then an inspiration occurred that maybe I should give 20 Meter SSB a whirl. Even though I'm not an avid fan of SSB, I decided to give it a shot. I was rewarded with a small run of about a dozen stations before that too, ended up petering out.

I had gone up to HP28 with a spiral notebook, thinking I would fill pages with call signs. After all, my outing to TR23 in January netted me over 80 QSOs. For some reason. I was thinking I would break that record easily. Just the opposite happened!  I ended up with only 27 QSOs - but you know what?  I discovered that a bad day of Amateur Radio is STILL better than a good day at work. So I'm a happy camper, anyway.

This only gives me more incentive to go back up to HP28 later this year, but this time throw a wire into a tree.  I know that's kind of verboten, and on Facebook, someone actually related how they were asked to leave a park the other day for doing that. With that in mind, just before I left, I went to the visitor center and explained that I was an Amateur Radio operator and what NPOTA was (she knew what it was, by the way) and asked if there was any prohibition about wires in trees. She said as long as it was temporary, and would cause no damage and would not interfere with anyone else's visit, that they were OK with it.

So when I got back to the car, just for the heck of it, I attempted to launch a line over a limb just to see how it would go.  30 plus feet on the first try.

I'll be back, Jockey Hollow!

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

Delightful lunchtime QSO

The bands seemed to be in decent shape this lunchtime, with low background noise levels.  According to SOTA Watch, there were a few activations that I wasn't able to hear, and Ed WA3WSJ was out and about, but he was on 20 Meters. A pathway on 20 Meters from NJ to PA is a very rare occurrence.

While twiddling the dial, I heard Bob K9OSC calling CQ in the 20 Meter QRP neighborhood.  Bob lives in Fridley, MN and had an excellent signal in NJ.  QSB varied his RST between 599 and 559, but even so, with the low background noise, Bob was "Q5" copy the whole time.

Bob was using his K3 to a homebrewed rotary dipole.  His aerial enabled us to have a very enjoyable 20 minute 2X QRP QSO. If you get the chance, look up K9OSC on QRZ.com.  I think you'll be blown away like I was.  A very good operator, a very good station, a very good rag chew.

Thanks, Bob and I sure hope I hook up with you again!

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

How fast it can go downhill.

I went out to the Jeep today during lunch.  The parking lots are clear, but there is snow, snow everywhere! Big heaping mounds of it.

Anyway, I had my cell phone on, and lo and behold, both K5P and VP8STI were spotted all over the place.  A lot of good it did me. I couldn't hear either DXpedition well, on ANY band they were spotted. And sadly, that's the way it's been for me for the entirety of the K5P DXpedition.  Today on 15 Meters - the reports were "Booming In!" and "Loud", and I got all stoked - only to hear them at about 0.5,0.5,9.  They were so weak as to be unworkable. VP8STI?  I heard them decently well for the first time on 20 Meters yesterday afternoon at home. They were all of about 559 to me.  With the pileup wide, wild and wacky, I didn't even see the point of throwing my hat in the ring. I was too tired after all the snow shoveling anyway, so if that removes me from the ranks of avid DXers, so be it.

I decided to go to 20 Meters and call CQ near the QRP watering hole. I was answered by Will K9FO who was a solid 599. I got the same report in return. Just as I was ready to settle in for a nice lunchtime QSO, the Propagation Princess threw a hissy fit and destroyed what could have been a really nice 2X QRP conversation. On the next go round, I had QSB'ed so badly that Will had flipped on the afterburners (all the way to 100 Watts) so that I could hear him come back to me. And I did, but just barely. I had gone nil to him. And thus ended another potentially nice QSO.

Stupid Propagation Princess. What do I have to do, ply her with flowers and chocolates?

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

NPOTA - Brrrrrrrrr!

Of course, W2LJ picks one of the coldest, windiest days of the Winter season (so far) to do an NPOTA activation. Of course!  But it was a blast (of cold air) nonetheless - even if I still haven't warmed up some hours later.

We got a light dusting of snow yesterday, which was a prelude to today. It was sunny and clear, but the winds were blustery and our high temperature for the day was reached last night at Midnight. Ever since then, the temperatures have been dropping. As I type this, it's currently 16F (-9C) outside. While I activated NPOTA, it was 24F (-4C).

I headed out at 11:40 AM to the Washington-Rochambeau National Historical Trail TR23, which we know as Old Raritan Road in Scotch Plains, NJ.  I wanted to set up at the historic  Frazee House, but that part of Old Raritan Road is currently blocked off for repaving.  I settled for operating at the entrance to the Ashbrook Country Club golf course in steady.  It's right on the trail, as you can see from the photo above. At the entrance to the golf course is the remnants of a cannon that was used in the Battle of Short Hills in June 1777, as seen in the photo below.

Set up was easy, I've done it so many times at lunchtime at work that I could do it in my sleep. The cold made things a tad more difficult, though; but I was ready to get on the air at Noon (1700 UTC), just as I had planned.

I started out on 20 Meters, using the Buddistick.  It really helps to bring a cell phone along on these kind of outings. Having a smart phone enabled me to go onto the DX Summit Website and self spot. Within a few seconds of sending the spot, I was busy handling QSOs.  There was never a really deep pileup, but there weren't many lulls either.  When a lull hit, I used the opportunity to either change bands, or turn on the car to warm it up a bit.  As an experienced QRPer, and being used to working weak signals, you get into the mindset to avoid as much background noise as possible. While I was operating, the engine was off. I would rather be a bit cold than miss another QRPer because of engine noise.

After 20 Meters, I operated on 17 Meters for a while. I had wanted to use 18.086 MHz, but I could tell that was pileup territory for one of the DXpeditions.  So I "QRL"ed on 18.072 MHz, and not hearing any answer, I camped out there for a while.

When the Jeep interior cooled down as to start becoming uncomfortable (I'm ALL about comfort!), I took the opportunity to warm the interior up, and to switch from the Buddistick to the 40 Meter Hamstick.  I get a better match with the Hamstick, only 1.3:1, which is lower that the 1.8:1 that I get with the Buddistick.  I still have to work on finding the ideal combination of arms and whip length for 40 Meters on the Buddistick. 40 Meters was as productive as 20 Meters.  Most of the QSOs were made on those two bands, although 17 Meters was not a slouch by any means.

I called it a day at 3:00 PM (2000 UTC) just as I had planned.  In the end, I made 88 QSOs, which is actually way better that any Bumblebee or Skeeter outing that I have had, and is not bad for 5 Watts to less than full sized antennas. My best DX was California, Arizona, Puerto Rico and two stations from Belgium.  I worked a few of you readers that I know from here, and I thank you heartily for those Qs. I also worked my best friend and Ham Radio mentor, Bob W3BBO. I worked QRP notables Steve WG0AT, Guy N7UN, fellow QRP Fox hunter Chris KQ2RP, and I also worked Kay Craigie N3KN, outgoing President of the ARRL.

But the best QSO of the day was when I worked Dave KD2FSI, who I logged for at Jockey Hollow on Saturday.  This was perhaps Dave's second or third CW QSO, maybe?  It was a blast to be there and to hear his fist on the air!

All the QSOs have been uploaded to LoTW. I can't wait to activate another NPOTA entity. The bug has really bit now. As the seasons change, and the weather gets warmer, the strategy will change from antennas mounted on the Jeep, to perhaps wires tossed in the trees.  The best is definitely yet to come!  Thank you Sean KX9X and the ARRL for sponsoring this great program!

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

So what will it be?

This Winter has been very, very odd in New Jersey.  We've had the warmest December on record, courtesy of the Super El Nino that's occupying the Pacific Ocean.  Christmas felt more like Easter around here. Now, the El Nino and the Polar Vortices are doing battle with one another, each treating the Jet Stream like some kind of atmospheric Ping-Pong ball.  One day it feels like Spring, and then 24 hours later we plunge into the single digits.  Then we start a cycle of warming up until the next blast of Arctic and Siberian air takes hold of us.

So what will it be for FYBO 2016?  The contest announcement was made yesterday, and the rules for the 2016 edition can be found here - http://www.azscqrpions.org/FYBO2016_Rules.htm

I wonder what the weather will be like on February 6th? Will I get a X1 or X2 multiplier or will I get a X5 or X6 multiplier? It will be interesting to find out! This could very well be a day where the high temperature for the day occurs early in the morning, only to get colder, and colder as the day progresses. I think it will be super important to keep a thermometer at the operating position this year.

UPDATE:

I had a great lunchtime QRP session today. It's cloudy and cold with the threat of snow showers, but I didn't let that deter me. As and added incentive, last night I re-lubricated my Buddistick whip with WD40, as it had been getting rough sliding when deploying and storing. Last time I did that, I had a great session the next day. WD40 must be the much maligned "antenna grease", because today I got the same result.

I had a nice little QSO on 20 Meters with Woody WZ4L in Smyrna, TN. Last time we QSO'ed, we were both barely audible to each other. Today Wood was 589 into NJ using 3 Watts to a loop! I got a 559 in return.  After hanging it up with Woody, I worked Ted HI3TEJ on 17 Meters.  Then, for the coup de gras, I worked Mauro HC2IMP in Guayaquil, Ecuador on 15 Meters.  5 Watts from NJ to Ecuador!  Yes, I know he's in the Andes and yes, I know he probably has a monster antenna which made this QSO possible - but 5 Watts from here to there - wow, just wow!

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

Another decent lunchtime

and not all what I expected, actually.  I had been seeing notices on the e-mail reflectors and Facebook, about how there was supposed to be another CME headed right for Earth, possibly causing HF disruptions and all that.

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

It turned out to be a productive session with QSOs on 20, 17 and 15 Meters.

I worked Tom K3Y/7 (WB7EUX) in Oregon, for a 17 Meter trans-Continental QSO.  Then, on 20 Meters,  I worked Dennis WA2USA who was activating NPOTA HP13, the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park.  That was followed by another brief 20 Meter QSO with Dave N9ZXL, who did not have a good copy on me.  I ended by going on up to 15 Meters, where I had another K3Y QSO, but this time with K3Y/KP4 - Pablo (KP4SJ) in Puerto Rico.

The weather was warmer at lunchtime, also. The outside temperature was somewhere around 30F (-1C), and the interior of the Jeep is black. With the windows closed and the interior absorbing the sunlight that was prevalent today, it was actually comfortable in the Jeep today.

On a different note, I saw where Ramsey Electronics has abandoned the hobby kit market.  I've put together a few of their kits over the years.  I suppose with "thru-hole" components becoming more and more scarce, they felt it just wasn't a viable concern for them anymore. Still, it's sad to see another kit outlet go by the wayside.

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