The weekend of May 17th and 18th

Kind of quiet here in the US, as you might expect. After all, it IS Hamvention weekend in Xenia, Ohio. With all the hullabaloo going on there, there's not much in the way of on the air activity going on. Too many souls searching the gigantic flea market there for that "Holy Grail" bargain.

I believe the last Hamvention that I attended was in 1995. The last one before Four Days In May started. Great timing for a QRP'er .........right?  As I've stated before, if God lets me live that long 2026 will see retirement and a return to Hamvention AND my first Four Days In May. I don't have many things in my bucket list, but FDIM is one of them.

I miss the times in the 90s when a gaggle of members of the Piscataway Amateur Radio Club would make the trip to Dayton together. Those were great times! In fact, Dayton Hamvention was where I first met Marv K2VHW.

Anyway, enough chasing ghosts. Here's what's going on this weekend.

Digital you might hear on the bands - EU PSK DX Contest: and the Feld Hell Sprint

Contests:

His Maj. King of Spain Contest, CW: - https://concursos.ure.es/en/s-m-el-rey-de-espana-cw/bases/

Arkansas QSO Party - http://www.arkqp.com/

Baltic Contest - http://www.lrsf.lt/en/

FISTS Sunday Sprint - https://fistsna.org/operating.html#sprints

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

Wednesday evening:

NAQCC CW Sprint - http://naqcc.info/sprint_rules.html

Special Event Stations:

05/10/2025 | 129th Annual New Jersey State Knights of Columbus Convention

May 10-May 17, 0000Z-2359Z, NJ2KC, Bridgeton, NJ. New Jersey Knights of Columbus Amateur Radio Club. 14.2500 28.4500 7.2500 21.3500. Certificate & QSL. Thomas M. Perrotti, N2JIE, 785 Vineland Avenue, Bridgeton, NJ 08302. NJ2KC.org

05/10/2025 | National Police Appreciation Week

May 10-May 17, 0000Z-0000Z, N4P, Gainesville, FL. W.T. Loften High School ARC K4WTL. 14.325 MHz. QSL. W.T. Loften High School ARC K4WTL, 3000 East University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32646. Let's show some appreciation for the work our Police do for us!

05/15/2025 | 73rd Convention CNH District-LCMS

May 15-May 17, 2200Z-1800Z, N6H, Sacramento, CA. Glen Amateur Radio Society and Lutheran Emergency Disaster Response. 7.178 14.240 144.950 440.750. QSL. Philip W. Zabell, 881 Brennan Pl, Willows, CA 95988. During the 73rd Convention of the California, Nevada, Hawaii District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, a disaster response trailer with communications capabilities will be set up on the hotel grounds in Sacramento, CA. Operators will use multiple modes on 40, 20, 2m, & 70cm. The objectives are to demonstrate the ability to have communications even when all else fails and to encourage visitors to get their ham radio license. www.garshamradio.org

05/17/2025 | Air power Museum Honoring all veterans

May 17, 1300Z-2000Z, W2GSB, West Bablyon, NY. GREAT SOUTH BAY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB . 28.340 21.250 14.246 7.245. Certificate. GREAT SOUTH BAY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, PO BOX 1356 , West Babylon, NY 11704. Operating inside the historic hangar from World War Two is where Rosie the Riveter became famous. This special event honors all who have served and done their part to defend our country and democracy. Please join us on the air for this special event station certificates. Look us up on qrz WWW.GSBARC.ORG

05/17/2025 | National Maritime Day

May 17, 1330Z-2100Z, K3S, Baltimore, MD. 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

05/17/2025 | New Providence ARC 60th Anniversary Special Event

May 17-May 31, 0000Z-2359Z, N2J, New Providence, NJ. The New Providence Amateur Radio Club. 160-10 meters all modes including digital. QSL. NPARC, PO Box 813, New Providence, NJ 07974. May 17 – May 31 0000z – 2359z N2J. The New Providence Amateur Radio Club, located in the Watchung Hills of North Jersey, is hosting an on-air Special Event in commemoration of its 60th Anniversary. 160-10 meters on all modes including digital. Exchange: Signal Report and State. A few N2J stations will be POTA. Contacts >>>> uploaded to LoTW. Commemorative QSL card sent via SASE on request >>>> and via the bureau for DX stations. QSL via NPARC New Providence ARC NPARC.org

05/17/2025 | W6SFM Bug Roundup

May 17-May 19, 0000Z-0000Z, W6SFM, Fair Oaks, CA. Samuel F. Morse Amateur Radio Club. 3.533 7.033 14.033 28.033. QSL. Samuel F. Morse Amateur Radio Club, 4901 Minnesota Avenue, Fair Oaks, CA 95628. The Samuel F. Morse Amateur Radio Club (W6SFM), a Sacramento, California based CW enthusiast club wanted a special time to bring bug operators together on the air. In the same spirit as ARRL's Straight Key Night, participants are encouraged to make simple, conversational, "rag chew" QSO's using their bug type key. This is an opportunity to exercise, share and exhibit your personalized fist. Call "CQ BR" so folks know you are a Bug Roundup Participant. https://w6sfm.org/bug-roundup

05/18/2025 | National Maritime Day 2

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

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Who's Zooming who?

The countdown clock says 352 days until W2LJ punches the timeclock from this job for the last time. I have decided that my retirement gift to myself will be to attend FDIM in 2026, if God is willing. I've already contacted Brian KB9BVN about meeting up with him there. I also let Rick NK9G know that I plan to be there.

I wanted to go this year, but the job precludes it. I did sign up to watch the proceedings on Zoom, and while I'm working the tablet is going. Currently, the topic is the T-41 transceiver. This stuff is lightyears above my paygrade. I am listening, knowing that I will never have the technical expertise to even follow what these guys are talking about, much less designing and building anything like this on my own.

I've always been and always will be a "Ham & Egger" Amateur Radio Operator.. I'm hoping there will be some presentations later on the day that will not be Greek to me. I kind of doubt it though. I'm nowhere near the league that most QRP'er and FDIM'ers are in.

They're taking questions on the T-41 and I don't even understand those! And after watching the morning session I have to say .........these guys are geniuses ........I'm an appliance operator. My purpose for attending FDIM in person would be for the social aspect of it - the chance to finally meet other QRP'ers face to face that I have only known via the airwaves.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Cruddy conditions

When I checked into the St. Max Net last night on 40 Meters SSB, band conditions were abysmal. I could hardly hear anyone besides Net Control Station, Lloyd K3QNT. Hamclock informed me that the k Index was approaching 5 and we had had numerous flares throughout the day. Halfway through the net conditions had gotten better and I was hearing just about everyone.

Buoyed by that, I decided to give the 4SQRP Second Sunday Sprint a whirl. I only heard one very weak station around 14.060 MHz and could not make them out clearly. Conversations this morning in the io.group lead me to believe that was more than likely Mark WB9HFK, based on reports from other participants. I certainly couldn't make him out. I called "CQ 4S" for about 10 minutes or so with no takers. The RBN map for last night is way more impressive than reality. I was being heard, but was not being answered.  That happens some times.

Thinking that 40 Meters would be the better choice, I went back there. Wall to wall SST stations! I did not hear a single 4 States station. I sent an e-mail to the group this morning and found out that most of them hang out around 7.0122 MHz. Had I known that, I might have made a few QSOs. Better luck next month. What's that saying? "Forewarned is forearmed"?

This coming weekend is Hamvention. I am not going, as I had hoped, but next year, I should (no........WILL) be retired by then. A goal for 2026 - I desperately want to make a Four Days In May. I will be attending by Zoom this year, but it's not the same.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

That's it! I'm going!

To Hamvention and FDIM next year! God willing and the creek don't rise and I'm in good health and there are no family emergencies. I mentioned to Marianne that I'd like to go and that attending FDIM is on my bucket list and she had no problems.

May is always a busy month for us as both out birthdays are in May, Mother's Day is in May, but there are no more graduations to worry about missing ...........so hopefully it's a go for next year. I've been wanting to go for so long to actually meet some of the people I've talked to on the radio for years. So I will start saving my shekels now.

I got on the air for the Run For The Bacon last night. The K index was 2, and the solar flux was 200. According to the solar weather sites, that meant decent conditions, but I thought they were "meh" at best. Signals were so low on 20 Meters as to be deep in the noise and pretty much unintelligible. 40 Meters wasn't much better. I made three or four contacts and pulled the big switch. Maybe June will ne better.

The rest of the weekend was jam packed with house chores, so other than hunting a few POTA stations, there wasn't much on the air time. I spent a little time on Facebook, hoping to catch some big news from Hamvention, but it appears there wasn't any. Icom rolled out some circuit boards to keep everyone guessing about their next big deal, while Kenwood and Yaesu were silent.  Elecraft is still rolling in the wake of the KH1 introduction, so nothing new was expected from them.

I guess from a QRP standpoint the biggest news was QRP Labs QMX+. Attendance seemed to be good and the weather cooperated on Saturday, so I guess everyone is happy.

Outside, the weather was decent this weekend. That afforded me the chance to put the Hustler 2 Meter/440 antenna on the car that Joseph and Marianne gifted to me for my birthday. Wow! What a difference from the piece of (be nice, W2LJ!) that I had on there. The only drawback is that the radiator is 36" tall, so no more parking in the deck at work. I started parking in the regular lot this morning. Not a big deal when the weather is nice, right? But when the weather is nasty, it goes to show what Hams are willing to put up with for the sake of Amateur Radio.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Hamvention Weekend

Even though the big shebang is taking place in Xenia this weekend, there will still be happenings on the bands this weekend:

Contests:

NZART Sangster Shield Contest - https://www.nzart.org.nz/activities/contests/sangster-shield

His Maj. King of Spain Contest, CW - https://concursos.ure.es/en/s-m-el-rey-de-espana-cw/bases/

Arkansas QSO Party - http://www.arkqp.com/

Baltic Contest - http://www.lrsf.lt/en/

Run for the Bacon QRP Contest/W8DIZ Memorial Sprint - http://qrpcontest.com/pigrun/

Special Events:

05/04/2024 | NJ Knights of Columbus 128th State Convention

May 4-May 18, 0000Z-2359Z, K0C, Brick, NJ. NJKCARC (N2AJO). 7.225 14.240 21.350 28.340. Certificate & QSL. Art Olson, 339 18th Ave, Brick, NJ 08724. For domestic contacts: QSL card, send SASE; for QSL card and certificate, send two dollars. For DX contacts: QSL card, send two dollars; for QSL card and certificate, send five dollars. For more information, visit K0C on QRZ.com or Email: olson339@comcast.net www.qrz.com/db/K0C

05/12/2024 | National Police Week - To Honor Our Fallen Heros

May 12-May 18, 0001Z-2359Z, K3FBI/0-9, Fredericksburg, VA. FBI Amateur Radio Association. 14.275 7.060. Certificate. Jay Chamberlain - NS4J, 27 Fox Run Ln, Fredericksburg, VA 22405-3303. To honor all Law Enforcement members who have died in the line of duty. All bands and all modes. Multiple stations from around the U.S. Downloadable PDF certificate by the end of June at QRZ, https://www.qrz.com/db/K3FBI k3fbi@arrl.net

05/12/2024 | Police Services Week

May 12-May 18, 0000Z-0000Z, N4P, Gainesville, FL. W. Travis Loften High School Amateur Radio Club - K4WTL. 14.335. Certificate. Robert Lightner, 3435 NW 34th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32605. www.qrz.com/db/k4wtl

05/18/2024 | National Maritime Day

May 18, 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

05/18/2024 | South Orange Amateur Radio Assoc., 50th Anniversary

May 18-May 19, 1700Z-0100Z, K6SOA, Mission Viejo, CA. South Orange Amateur Radio Assoc.-SOARA. 28.375 21.350 14.250 7.200. QSL. SOARA Special Event, P.O. Box 2545, Mission Viejo, CA 92690. To receive the QSL, send a SASE, or accept eQSL. soara.org

05/18/2024 | W6SFM Bug Roundup

May 18-May 20, 0000Z-0000Z, W6SFM, Fair Oaks, CA. Samuel F. Morse Amateur Radio Club. 3.533 7.033 14.033 28.033. QSL. Samuel F. Morse Amateur Radio Club, 4901 Minnesota Avenue, Fair Oaks, CA 95628. https://w6sfm.org/bug-roundup

05/19/2024 | National EMS Week

May 19-May 25, 0000Z-0000Z, N4E, Gainesville, FL. W.T. Loften High School Amateur Radio Club. 14.335. QSL. W.T. Loften High School ARC, 3000 East University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32641. www.qrz.com/db/k4wtl

On a humorous note - I came across this video during one of my meanderings across the vast prairies of YouTube:

For a humorous parody type of video - I think it was produced quite well. And make sure to watch it to the very end! And while this video is meant to be taken as humorous satire, I personally know of two instances where this happened in real life. These persons got interested in Amateur Radio, got licensed and got into DX hunting quite heavily. They had the means to be able to afford deluxe stations and very credible antenna farms. Once they earned DXCC Honor Roll, they both basically said "What's left?" and sold all their equipment and allowed their licenses to lapse. What a shame!

Today marks the last "in house production day" at MFJ - interesting that they chose the first day of Hamvention for that. And speaking of Hamvention, I along with the rest of you, wonder what new goodies will be introduced this year - not that I'll be able to afford any of them!

Have a great weekend!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least1

Hamvention this weekend!

Hamvention and more importantly, Four Days in May will be happening this weekend!

Oh how I wish that I could attend! I'm in a situation where I do not receive PTO - that is, if I'm not at work, I don't get paid.

Maybe, just maybe, next year, if God is willing and I can retire next May, I will finally be able to make it back to Hamvention after a 20 some year absence. In any case, to all of you who are going - safe travels, be well, have a good time and enjoy yourselves!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Congratulations!

 Congratulations are in order to John Shannon K3WWP and Tom Witherspoon K4SWL for being inducted into the QRP Hall of Fame at this year's Four Days in May event at Hamvention.

It's nice to see some of "the guys in the trenches" being recognized for their contributions.  John for his streak, super informative blog and his daily "diary" and for all his efforts to show how QRP, CW and simple antennas really and truly can get the job done.

Tom for his excellent blog and all his inspiring videos to show the way "to do it". How to go about portable ops the right way and the way he shows how equipment works and how to use it.

QRP-ARCI Leadership - thanks so much for inducting these two into the HOF. I can't think of any two more deserving!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Hamvention 2021 ....... Cancelled!

 Snip taken from Facebook:

Meanwhile, David Wayne Cripe NM0S, the President of QRP - ARCI had announced about a week ago that FDIM - Four Days in May, will be virtual this year.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Hamvention Weekend

This is the weekend that thousands of Amateur Radio enthusiasts normally descend upon the great state of Ohio for Hamvention.

Thank you Covid-19 for totally screwing that up this year.

However, from 8AM to 8PM EDT tomorrow (Saturday), you can vicariously attend Hamvention by participating in the Hamvention QSO Party.

The exchange is super easy - a signal report and the first year you attended Hamvention.  In my case that would be 1984. If you've never been to Hamvention, you would use "2020".

Hopefully the bands will be alive,  propagation will be decent and we'll hear lots of stations on the air.

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

FDIM Speakers

Preston Douglas WJ2V posted the potential speakers list for FDIM 2020. Of course this is tentative considering that FDIM is a few months away and that things can change. But for those of you who are lucky enough to be going - this is the scheduled lineup as of this moment:

Holiday Inn Fairborn, Ohio --Thursday May14

9:15 - Jerry Wolczanski "Making an antenna coupler" 
10:00 - Dave Benson "The Phaser: FT8 and other tricks" 
10:45-11:15  - Break 
11:15 - Dennis Anderson (Kanga UK): "Why SMD?" 
12:00-1:30 Lunch 
1:30 - Jack Purdum "Using Microcontrollers in you ham radio projects" 
2:15 - Dino Papas. "Bench set up with inexpensive test equipment" 
3:00 - Hans Summers ""Reach for the skies: extreme QRP at 35,000 ft"

3:45 End

Sure makes me wish I was going!  For those of you who may still be thinking about it, you can go to the QRP -ARCI Website to register and make reservations for the hotel.

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

FDIM Registration open

http://qrparci.org/fdim

I was planning to attend this year. However, I was informed a couple days ago that this is the weekend I have to move my daughter back home from college for the summer.

Sigh. But on the bright side, I guess I'm still needed.

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

I guess

Nature did some of the demolition company's work for them.


A tornado blew the roof off the Hara Arena in Dayton last night. Taking a stroll down Memory Lane, the very first time I went to Hamvention in 1985, I remember that, after the long drive, we got to the hotel to freshen up. I put the TV on in my room and the news anchor was announcing that the local are was under a tornado watch.
Nothing came of it, but on my trips to Dayton I have seen thunder and lightning, heavy downpours, fog and even snow flurries one year. And of course, scorching sun and heat, heat, heat!
72 de Larry W2LJ QRP - when you care to send the very least!

FDIM 2020?

The kids are in college and don't need Dad to chauffeur them, anymore.

For the next 52 weeks, $20 a week into an envelope to pay for hotel, gas and food come next May.

Possible? I certainly hope so! Maybe I can finally meet a lot of you, face to face for once.

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

K4 photos

In an interest to keep up with the latest Amateur Radio news, here are some more photos of the K4, courtesy of the "The SWLing Post" blog:

I believe when all is said and done, you'll be looking at a minimum of around $4000.00 (US).

I guess that's what you pay for the newest, best and brightest top-of-the-line rig from a top-of-the-line company. As for me and my household, I don't think so.  I'm quite happy with my KX3 and besides, I have two kids in college.

What I am interested in, though, is that Jeff Davis KE9V stated that Hans Summers from QRP Labs said that the QSX radio should be on the market in a few months. A new QRP kit that I can build for under $200? Now that's something I can sink my teeth into!

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

Not fake news....just a leak.

No doubt, more details will be coming from Hamvention tomorrow. (A hat tip to Jeff Davis KE9V, my on site Hamvention source).

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

Safe travels!

Safe travels to all my friends and readers who may be travelling to Hamvention and FDIM this week.

May the weather be good, the traffic be light and may your experience be a fun and joyous one - and may the return home trip to your loved ones be safe and uneventful.

Godspeed!

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

Just renewed

I sent in my $25.00 renewal to QRP-ARCI this morning. And I got to thinking how QRP has changed over the years.

When I originally joined back in the late 70s - the stated goal of the organization was to keep output power under 100 Watts, in order to mitigate QRM and needless interference. 100 Watts! Wow! We've come a long way from 100 Watts. It makes me wonder what the original founders would have said if someone had asked, "Hey ....... why not make that 5 Watts?" I can only imagine that stares that question would have received, at the time.

In a time when a lot of organizations seem to be raising their dues, QRP-ARCI has been pretty consistent. $25.00 is not a bad price to pay for "QRP Quarterly", the organization's magazine. It's full of tips and technical stuff - I'm always learning something new. There's also more "human interest" non-technical articles in there, from time to time, that just extol the fun of running QRP.

And even though I have never been, QRP ARCI does a bang up job of running "Four Days in May" every year at Hamvention.  I would dearly like to make it there one of these years in order to meet, face to face, the many QRP friends that I have made over the years. That would be grand, and is definitely on my "bucket list".

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
QRP-ARCI # 4488

On the mend

This blog has been silent for the past few weeks - quite frankly because I was kind of out of the loop as far as Amateur Radio was concerned. About a month ago the dreaded tendinitis flared up in my right foot again (old dog walking injury).  In order to keep pressure off the toes, I over compensated when I would walk, which unintentionally caused undue stress to my calf and hamstring muscles.  Needless to say, the tendinitis went away a lot quicker than the injuries I caused to my leg muscles.

The pain got so bad that I briefly considered a trip to the Emergency Room at the hospital; but opted for a regular office visit to my primary care physician.  A prescription of muscle relaxers seems to have done the trick and after about a week on them, I am almost walking normally again.

If any of you have never experienced a hamstring injury, let me tell ya - it's NOT fun! The muscles were so tight that every time I tried to bend my knee I felt like the muscle in the back of my thigh was either going to snap or tear.  When my doctor examined my leg, he told me the hamstring felt like it had a knot in it.

So what does this all have to do with Amateur radio?  A lot.

It was too painful to go downstairs to the basement shack, so I avoided the shack like the plague. And to be honest, walking around for the most part was such a pain that I didn't even feel like setting up the KX3 and magloop in the living room.  I was just so pre-occupied with discomfort that I literally had the air let out of my balloon for close to a month.  The routine became go to work, hobble on home, eat dinner, and then go to bed early to elevate my leg for as long as possible.

But now that things are starting to resemble some kind of normalcy, I hope to start bringing the KX3 to work with me for lunchtime QRP sessions as soon as next week.

It's amazing how you can lose interest in even your most favorite things in life when your brain is busy dealing with the nerves in your body telling it that something is wrong.

The only bright side that I can think of is that I didn't purchase Hamvention tickets for this past weekend.  I would have never been able to deal with all the necessary walking, and it would have been massively depressing to have the tickets in hand and then not be able to go.

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

Saving up!

As Hamvention weekend was coming to a close, I have decided that I am going to make my best effort to attend FDIM and Hamvention in 2018. If I put a little $$$ aside each week, I should have ample funds come the beginning of the year.

Now that my two kids are older, I really want to attend FDIM to meet as many of you as I can; as well as all the great folks I've worked over the years in the various Sprints, etc.

So, to you FDIM veterans out there - I take it that the event is still taking place at the Holiday Inn in Fairborn?  When's the best time to reserve a room?

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