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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So I suggested a trade.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

High noise level

I was fighting a high ambient noise level tonight, while participating in the monthly NAQCC Sprint. Not as terrible as it was a few years ago, when 40 Meters was so bad that I had to abandon the 40 Meter Fox Hunts, but bad enough to be annoying.

With the goofy damp weather we have been having, I think the local QRN was due more to atmospherics, than anything else. I'll have to see how the band conditions are over the next few days.

In any event, I racked up 22 QSOs during the during the Sprint, almost evenly divided between 40 and 20 Meters. It ended up being 10 QSOs on 20 Meters and 12 on 40 Meters. Not my best effort, by any means, but not abysmal, either.

I was happy to work Jim W1PID at the very end, but was disappointed that I was not able to get a QSO in with my two NJ buddies, Don W2JEK, or Charles W2SH. They were both sitting on frequencies, running mini pileups, and I could just not break through.

Just goes to show you ..... sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you.

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

I don't think so

In my e-mail box was a special announcement from Elecraft. Today they announced they were taking orders for the KXPA100 amplifier for the KX3, and the KXAT100, the auto tuner for the amp.

The amp is $700 and the tuner is another $300.

At this point, I don't think these are in the cards for me, for a couple of reasons.

1) Price - I just don't have an extra thousand bucks laying around. Of course, I could always part ways with something, like my K3, but I'm not too crazy with that idea.  I bought it soon after my Mom passed, so it holds a lot of sentimental value.

2) Practicality - I like the idea of having two rigs. My K3 and my KX3 are mutual backups. If something were to happen to one, I still have the other. If I were to sell the K3 in order purchase the KXPA100 and the KXAT100, I would no longer have a backup. I also like having a main station rig and a dedicated portable rig.

3) Personal - I need to be happy with what I have and not always be on the lookout for "more". I am very fortunate to have what I already own, and while it may be less than some, it's still a lot more than even others. I need to enjoy what I have and get off the "consumer hamster wheel" of always wanting more.

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

Antenna switch

I played in the 80 Meter QRP Foxhunt tonight and was quite successful. I ended up bagging both pelts, but it was a close call.

Jim N0UR in MN was first in the bag and was pretty easy. He was using the "standard" 1 kHz "up" split and it was just a matter of working him.

Ray K9XE in IL was another matter. Ray was loud, but was buried under some even louder local QRN. I wasn't getting a feel for hearing Ray, no matter how I adjusted the K3. With time running out, I decided to switch on over to the KX3. Both radios are new to me, but over the past few months I have acquainted myself with the KX3 just a bit more.

In a matter of minutes, using the Dual Watch feature, and by adjusting the passband tuning, I was able to isolate Ray's signal. I was also able to determine his split via Dual Watch, as mentioned before, and nabbed his fur with six minutes to go.

There are various reasons that I prefer the K3 as my main station rig. One of the best features, for me, is the built in antenna switch. I can switch between the vertical and the wires in an instant, and use whichever antenna is best suited for the job.

The KX3 only has the single antenna input. To switch between all my antennas, I will have to acquire a better antenna switch than what I currently have. I am thinking of perhaps a Daiwa or a Diamond. In the past, I had been using a no name, bargain brand switch with my K2. Quite by accident, I had found out that when I removed my Butternut from the antenna switch, and connected the vertical directly, the difference was like night and day. Due to the poor quality of that particular switch, it was as if I had an attenuator in line. Needless to say, that switch got tossed. The remaining one that I am using now, is better quality but only has two positions - I need at least three.

I think a Diamond or Daiwa will do a better job and will allow me to use the KX3 more often from the shack. It's a great rig for Fox hunting!

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

Taking stock

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ……”

Mr. Dickens could not have written more appropriate words to describe my 2012.  I have never been a big reveler of the New Year holiday; but this year, I am quite eager and pleased to see the ushering in of a new year and with it, new beginnings and new possibilities.

2012 was not all depression, sadness and tears, however.  It did have highlights, particularly with regard to Amateur Radio.  The KX3, which I had so diligently saved up for, and ordered on the first night of availability in December of 2011, arrived at the end of May.  For me, it has lived up to and has exceeded my expectations.  I am quite happy with it and am so glad that it is an available part of the W2LJ “radio stable”.  Quite unexpectedly, a K3/10 joined the ranks as well.  I hadn’t dreamed of or intended purchasing one – but consider this to be my dear Mom’s last gift to me.  It is an amazing radio; and I am so lucky and fortunate to have use of both of these fine pieces of gear.

The inaugural 2012 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt was an integral part of my year.  Once again, so many thanks to George N2APB and Joe N2CX and the entire NJQRP Club for agreeing to sponsor this new operating event.  Also thanks to Bob W3BBO who helped me ruminate and come up with some of the details  for this new outdoor QRP sprint.  I had such an enjoyable time assigning Skeeter numbers, actually operating in the event and then collecting and tabulating and posting the results.  I am so happy that my fellow QRPers seemed to have as good a time as I did, and I eagerly look forward to the 2013 edition of the Skeeter Hunt.

I got two new antennas up in the air this year.  My venerable G5RV finally made way, after a dozen or so years, for the 88’ EDZ antenna.  Later in the year, post-Sandy, the W3EDP went up to join it in the W2LJ antenna garden.  Too small to be a “farm”, the antenna garden consists of the Butternut HF9V and the two aforementioned wires.  I pray these wires will last as long as the G5RV did.  There were plenty of hurricanes and nasty winters and wind storms that the G5RV made it through – may these two new wires be as resilient.

I have to include as one of this year’s highlights, my decision to purchase the PAR END-FEDZ 10/20/40 antenna.  This simple wire is a delight for portable QRP ops. It’s super easy to deploy as a sloper or inverted “L”.  It tunes up with nary a problem and is neatly and easily storable in my “Go Bag”.  I can’t think of any downsides to this antenna. It’s well worth the price and comes along with instructions on wire lengths to cut so that you can use it for other bands, if you so desire.  This antenna, as well as my Buddistick have become my aerials of choice for portable QRP ops.

Due to all the unfortunate events which took place this year, and their aftermath, I was not able to actually get on the air nearly as much as I had intended.  I actually had “a QSO a Day” going until the middle of February, when events started taking unexpected turns. From that point forward, “unexpected” became  the norm for 2012, and as a result, severely curtailed my on-the-air time  My major 2012 New Year’s Resolution, to complete the ARRL’s Diamond DXCC Challenge, didn’t even come close to happening.  So as 2013 arrives, I am going to tempt fate once more, and will try for a QSO a Day in 2013.  I am not so foolhardy as to think I will be able to pull it off, but I will do my best – hence my ever present New Year’s Resolution “To get on the air more”!

In addition to day-to-day operating,  managing the Skeeter Hunt and sending out notices for The Run For The Bacon each month, this blog (which will be entering its 9th year in 2013) has become a huge part of my Amateur Radio experience.  It is a most enjoyable part of Ham Radio for me, and I want to extend my deepest and most sincere thanks to all of you out there who take time out of your busy day to read this and share the Amateur Radio world with me.  You are the best friends a Ham could ask for. You all have helped me to deal with what would have otherwise been a most sorrowful year.  A very Happy, Blessed, Joyous and Prosperous New Year to all of you!

Lastly, I hope you all enjoy Straight Key Night tonight and tomorrow. W2LJ will be hanging out near and at the various QRP “Watering Holes” (I will spot myself on QRPSPOTS, so be sure to look out for me). I will be using my Vibroplex Original as my aging wrists just can’t stand up to a classic straight key any longer. If we have the good fortune to work each other, please excuse my less than stellar “Bug fist”.  I haven’t had much practice lately!

W2LJ 2012 QSO Map

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

A beautiful day!

I got up this morning for my daily walk - well, actually, I don't do a daily walk, anymore.  Saturday and Sunday, I get up early and go for a walk. Monday through Friday, I spend a half hour on my elliptical machine in the basement - but I digress.

I woke up this morning to the beginnings of a beautiful day!  Yesterday was positively tropical, hot and humid, with the threat of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes all day. One minute it would be sunny, the next it was dark and threatening. While other areas in the North East were not so lucky, I praise God, that in South Plainfield, all we got was some really heavy rain from about 5:00 to 6:00 PM yesterday evening.  After that, the temperatures dropped, dry air moved in and you can honestly say that today is one of the "Ten Best of the Year".

Weather issues aside, the object of this post is to relate that I did something yesterday that I have not done in a very long time - about 9 years to be exact.

I made a contact using SSB.

Yes, I know - totally out of character; but I did it and surprised myself in the process.  After mowing the lawn yesterday, I had a little bit of down time, so I went down to the shack to spend a little bit of quality time behind the rig.  Alas, 12 Meters, 15 Meters and 17 Meters were a vast wasteland.  20 Meters was not bad; but had very little activity in the CW portion of the band.  So I decided to switch the K3 over to USB, and went "up" the bad to see if perhaps there were any special event stations doing their thing.

Didn't hear any of those, either.  But I was hearing a lot of loud European stations working the WAE contest. So I thought to myself, "I wonder if one might hear me ........ hmmmmm".  I twiddled the dial looking for a particularly loud one - there were a good number of them.  Then I heard a call sign that sounded interesting - 3Z2X.  AC log informed me that it was Poland.  All the better, the country that my ancestors came from!

Using my noodle, I pumped the K3 up to 10 Watts - still QRP by definition (I may be a little crazy; but I'm not insane - SSB and QRO? No way!). Then, I picked up that funny looking little box that you speak into - I think it's called a microphone and pressed the button thingy on the side.  Announced my call sign and actually heard him call me back!  I gave the contest exchange, got his and then sat there kind of amazed.  10 Watts via SSB all the way to Poland - and he heard me!  We spoke to each other, exchanged information and said good-bye. It worked. I was amazed.

I made a few more and it was fun but it wasn't enough to convert me from being a dyed-in-the-wool CW op.  But it did hold out hope for me that, in the future, I may be able to work Special Event stations that choose not to have CW as one of the modes that they employ.  It also encouraged me to maybe dip a toe into the pool when the QRP-ARCI holds their annual QRP SSB Sprint.  I never participated in one of those before.  This year just might be different.

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

Today was a very good day

Amateur Radio-wise, that is!

At the VE session this morning, we were able to welcome three new Hams into the fold. Well, make that two and one revert.  One of the candidates was a Ham years ago; but let his license lapse. So maybe it would be more accurate to say that we welcomed three potentially active Hams into the fold.

I guess I am from another era; as I get frustrated (a bit) when the first question out of a new Ham's mouth is something to the effect of, "So where can I get a good price on a dual band handheld?"  Man, when I was studying for my Novice ticket, the LAST thing I wanted was an HT. All I had my sights on was HF and working the bands.  In fact, I didn't get my first VHF radio until nearly a year after I was licensed.

I got my ticket in December of 1978.  Spent November and December and part of January assembling my station, which was a "pre-owned" Drake 2-NT transmitter (which was my Christmas gift from my parents that year) and a Heathkit HR-1680 receiver which I saved up for and built all by myself. That receiver was the very first of many Heathkits that I was to build.  Between buying, building and making an antenna, I had my first QSO on January 29th, 1979.  And it was an HF QSO.  I still have that QSL card, framed in my basement.  Can't recall the entire call of the poor victim that I plied my nasty fist on, but I do remember his name was Adam and he was KA9something.

My first VHF radio was a Tempo1 handheld, the very first to have a synthesized VFO, not relying on crystal control.  I bought it a year later, after I had upgraded to General, specifically to assist in the 1980 Winter Olympics Torch Run.  Those were the Lake Placid "Do you believe in miracles?" Olympics and the torch run  traveled right through Central NJ on its way to Lake Placid.  I was with a local club providing communications in an ARRL led effort.  I still have the Public Service Commendation hanging on the shack wall that commemorated that event.

But for me, VHF and UHF were never a Number One favorite. Don't get me wrong, I have spent A LOT of time on UHF and VHF repeaters - making friends, doing public service and all kinds of stuff.  But in W2LJ's mind, when Ham Radio pops up in a little thought balloon, it's always a picture of an HF radio, making worlwide contacts.  Just me, I guess.

I had another treat this afternoon, working my good friend, Bob W3BBO, who also took the plunge and just very recently got a K3.  He finished building his this past week and this was our very first K3 to K3 QSO.

It wasn't a long rag chew, just enough of a QSO to see how we each sounded to one another. Good signals both ways.  It was a hoot!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

APF made all the difference

in the 20 Meter Fox hunt tonight.

I worked Dave AB9CA first.  His signal strength was a bit different tonight as he is not home in Alabama, but is vacationing in Wisconsin.  Completing Fox duty while on vacation - now THAT'S dedication!

Paul AA4XX was another matter.  I could barely hear him when I did finally find him.  The K3's APF (Audio Peak Filter) made all the difference in the world.  At ESP levels when I first heard him, turning on the APF feature insured that when I finally worked him, I was able to hear him answer me back!  It took a barely audible signal and boosted it to a 449 to my poor old ears.

Thanks Elecraft, for a real neat (and usable) feature!

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

Happy Dance Time!

Turned on the radio to around 14.060 MHz, hoping to hear some QRPers, only to hear "CQ NA".  I didn't remember that the North American QSO Party was this weekend.  Regular readers of this blog know that except for short QRP Sprints, W2LJ is not big into contests.  I have nothing against them; just can't force my butt into a chair for a long enough period of time to make it interesting for myself.

So instead of kvetching, I pushed the band button on the K3 and took 'er up the road to 17 Meters.  I love 17 Meters! When the band is open there is usually all kinds of good DX.  Tonight was no different - and since 17 Meters is a WARC band - no contesting!

So, as is my usual routine, I started at the bottom of the band at 18.068 MHz and slowly twiddled the VFO dial upward.  I came to a stop at around 18.074 MHz. D3AA calling "CQ UP" - not too many takers, a small pile up building, but still not bad yet.

Where the heck is D3AA?  I quickly plop D3AA in to AC Log.  Angola.  Hot dog - Angola is a new one!  Never worked Angola - QRP or QRO (100 Watts) before.

I throw my call out a couple of times; but no dice.  D3AA is up and down. One time he calls, he's 599 - next time, 569. So I'm thinking to myself that he's going to fade and that I missed the best propagation (as usual).  But no!  As time goes along, he's actually getting louder; but the pile up is also growing, commensurately.  The K3 makes it pretty easy to figure out where he's listening as he stated he was listening up.  So I go to where I heard the last few stations he worked and figured out that for the time being, he was staying put and not drifting up after each contact.

Patience and persistence are a big part of QRP and this time was no different.  I stayed at it for about 15 minutes and finally, I interjected "W2LJ" at just the right moment and was rewarded with "W2LJ 599 TU", to which I responded in return, of course.

Coolest of the cool beans!  A new African country - a new country via QRP (or ANY power level for that matter).  I opened up Chrome on my netbook and figured I would post this to QRPSPOTS. Most of the time I figure that if I was able to work a station with my simple antennas, then a lot of other QRPers should be able to, also.  I posted anyway, but saw that I was beat to the punch by my good bud, John AE5X - Amateur Radio op, DXer and QRPer and photographer extraordinaire

Anyway, that's the reason for "The Happy Dance" tonight.

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

The "other" side of the pile up!

Daunting, isn't it?  Just goes to show that there were some superb ops up there on CY9M!

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

20 Meter Skunk

The 20 Meter QRP Fox hunt did not pan out tonight.

I heard Arn K0ZK fine for the first half hour; but could not break the pile up. Then his signal faded into oblivion, even with the K3's APF feature going full bore.

TJ W0EA was just the opposite.  He came up into hearing range in the last half hour; but I couldn't break the pileup there, either.

Sometimes you're lucky and sometimes you're not. Tonight was not a lucky night.

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

Fox hunt fun.

Wowsers!

Both 20 Meter foxes worked within the first 10 minutes of the hunt.  That doesn't occur very often, but when it does it's gratifying.  The K3 (and the KX3) really makes it easy with those dual VFO knobs.  Hit split, listen on VFO A, dial up the transmit frequency with the VFO B knob and got to town.  No more hitting the A/B button and trying to deal with tuning two separate VFOs with one knob.  Probably a minor thing when you consider it, but oh so convenient!

The Maxpedition padded pouch arrived today and it is perfect!  Fits the KX3 just fine and will protect it from anything else that's in the knapsack.  Not that there's really that much in there, but I still worry about something jouncing around and doing damage.  I had the K1 in a "Tupperware" container all those years and it stayed looking mint.  I am sure this padded pouch will do the same for the KX3.

KX3
Antenna wire
Small SLA battery (and small gel cel charger - going to charge off the grid this year)
Lithium Ion battery
Paddles
Earbuds
Autek antenna analyzer (to make setting up the Buddistick easier).
Pad and misc supplies
Wrist rocket

Still, that's enough to carry along when we go to Lake George later this summer - and for the Flight of the Bumblebees and the Skeeter Hunt as well.

The SLA battery is being taken as a back up only.  If the Lithium Ion performs admirably and gives me a decent amount of radio time between charges, the SLA will stay home in the future.  That would certainly lighten things up.

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

Can't stay away

A new rig is a thing of beauty. Whether it be Elecraft, Kenwood, Yaesu, Icom or kit built or homebrewed, once you get it on the air, it's definitely fun! And before the novelty wears off, quite addictive.

After watching some TV with Cara and Joey, I headed down to the shack for about another 1/2 hour of operating time before heading off to the sack.  Most of that time was spent becoming familiar with knobs, functions and controls; but I also did manage to work OZ1HDF and RK3ER on 30 Meters.

Even though I now have microphones for the K3 and KX3, I doubt that I will be spending much of any time with any mode other than CW.  Sending and receiving Morse is still what Amateur Radio is all about for me.

July 15th is the Sussex Hamfest up in Sussex County, NJ - which is the extreme Northwest corner of the state. The Sussex Hamfest is one of the best in the state; and normally I can't go as we're usually in Lake George that weekend.  This year I can go and am planning on it.  Some things I will need - 1/4" to mini jack stereo adapter so that I can use my earbuds on the K3.

With the K2, I had a single, amplified speaker.  I think I will have to get a set of amplified stereo speakers so that I can take advantage of the stereo sound the K3 can provide.  An inexpensive set of computer speakers should do the trick and those can usually be found quite easily (and cheaply!) at hamfests.

Off to bed now, tomorrow is a work day, and unfortunately,  I am anticipating tomorrow and Friday to be as bad as yesterday was.

By the way, it's 11:30 PM and it's still 84F (29C) - ugh!  In a few of the QSOs that I had today, the ops on the other end told me that it was well over 100F (38C) at their locations, so I guess I should be grateful it wasn't that bad here!

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

Done and on the air!

It was hot here again today with highs in the mid 90's - I believe the high for the day was 95F (35C); so I stayed inside where it was cool.

That gave me the chance to play radio and get the K3 completed.  Between spurts of kit building, I managed to work my good friend Bob W3BBO on 40 Meters this afternoon.  We had a nice 30 minute rag chew and he was using the 44' EDZ that he recently put up at his new house.  It worked well.  He started out at 559, but when the QSB kicked out, he was a solid 599 from Erie, PA to South Plainfield, NJ.  We had some QRM come in towards the end of our QSO; but the KX3's silky smooth filtering knocked the interference right out.

I managed to get the front panel mounted and got to the stage of doing the smoke test.  No smoke!

Another hour or so and I was able to finish everything, do the calibrations and get the radio set in its place on the shack table.

The first QSO was Neal N4HAF on 40 Meters.  We had a nice little rag chew going and it was an enjoyable QSO. I worked John K4BAI on 20 Meters and started gabbing with him - only to realize that he was partaking of the MIQRP 4th of July Sprint. Doh!  I quickly apologized to John and let him get on with this business of making more QSOs.  I also worked AC8W in the same contest on 40 Meters and then switched back to 20 Meters for a short chat with Mike N0ZH, who will be Skeeter #55 in the Hunt in August, by the way.  It was good to hear Mike, it had been a while since we has last QSOed.

Anyway, after becoming acquainted with the KX3, it was nice to see the K3 is just about the same with a few minor differences.  It will still take a while before I feel "at home" behind it like I do with the K2; but that will come.  Some of the things that are a surprise are 1/4" sockets for phones and paddles.  I am so used to the smaller miniature jacks that are used on the K1, K2 and KX3.  But it was nice to be able to hook both antennas up without having to use PL259 to BNC adapters.

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

What a day!

'Twas one of those days at work where I felt like I was beaten with a pool cue, run over by a bus and then dragged in by the cat.

No kit building tonight as I am in recovery mode.  Tomorrow is a much needed day off. If the weather cooperates (scattered thunderstorms predicted all day), I will try to get some yard work done.

If it doesn't cooperate, well then, I guess I'll just have to spend time down the basement, working towards the finish line of the K3 build! Oh dear, how will I ever deal with that! The horror of not being able to do yard work in 90F+ weather is just too horrible to imagine!

The other day, I purchased on Amazon a 6X9 padded case for the KX3.

It ended up being about $10 dollars less than buying directly from the manufacturer.  The idea is to have a padded case to protect the KX3 when I use my CQ knapsack for hiking, rather than the Lowepro 150.  The CQ knapsack is less padded than the Lowepro, but will provide a little more room for accessories and antennas.

When we go up to Lake George later this summer, in addition to taking the EFHWs, I will also take the Buddistick and the magmount.  That combo has proven to be super in the past; but for that, I will need to take my Autek analyzer along, as that makes setting up the Buddisick easier.  No painter's pole like last year.  If I set up near the cabin, it will be the Buddistick - on the hiking trail it will be the EFHW tossed up a tree.  Obviously, I will be bringing my homebrewed wrist rocket with me, also.

Vacation can't come soon enough!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Front panel work

Tonight I spent getting the front panel assembly done.  I haven't attached it to the main chassis yet.  I stopped after completing the panel itself as I'm a bit tired.

Two things that caused beads of sweat to pop out on my forehead.

1) The four screws that hold down the LCD cover bezel.  The first step, before even thinking of securing the bezel is a step that Elecraft calls, "removing the paint from the screw threads in the holes".  I think that's Elecraft just being nice and faking us out.  I don't think there were any threads to get gunked up with paint, to begin with.  You're cutting these threads by inserting these screws!

Elecraft recommends wetting the screw's threads with "a drop of water" (oil can leave marks that can be difficult to clean up).  I didn't feel like getting up to get a cup of water, so I did the next best thing.  I stuck the screws in my mouth.  Not the most sanitary, I suppose, but oddly effective.  Only one screw hole gave me trouble where I was worried about rounding off the screw; but firm pressure while very slowly torquing the screw did the trick in the end.

2) Mounting the mated Front Panel circuit and DSP circuit to the front chassis panel.  In the manual, Elecraft states that it's a tight fit for the phones socket through the hole in the front panel.  Wow! I'll say!  I finally got it through with some firm pressure but when the socket hit the back of the front panel, I got a loud "snap" from metal hitting metal.  For a second I thought I broke the circuit board, but a careful inspection revealed that all was well.

Other than those two panic moments, all went well.  Tomorrow, I will continue mounting the front panel to the chassis, and I may even get to the point where I get to do an initial power up.

Six man hours into this, so far.

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

Getting going

I started the afternoon by working K2I, the 13 Colonies Special Event station for New Jersey, who turned out to be located in Greenbrook, New Jersey - all of about two towns over. Go figure!

The I turned the radio off and concentrated on the K3 build.  Not known for my prowess in being able to walk and chew gum at the same time, I figured it was better if I avoided any HF distractions.

The KX3 and K3 builds are amazingly similar in some ways.  The manuals are well thought out as always - this has become an Elecraft "standard".  The build starts off by attaching 2D fasteners to the main or RF Circuit Board.  The chassis and housing are literally built up around this all important circuit.

From there, things get added, like the filters.  I have the standard 2.7Khz 5 pole filter and the 8 pole 400 Hz roofing filter.

These just go onto their edge connectors and then are secured by a screw and lock washer.  For the various modes and bands, there's space for up to five filters. I only have the two installed.

Next came the low power Power Amplifier board.  This occupies the big hole you see in the upper center of the first photo.

As far as this K3 goes, that's it.  This will be a QRP version, so whatever I get out of this circuit is what I will be sending out to the world.

The next step is to start adding sides, and now this is beginning to look more like what you'd expect a radio to look like.

Installing the Auto Tuner came next.  That in itself was easy. it just plugs into the main RF Circuit and is secured by hardware.

The hard part was getting the SO239 connectors plugged in.  As you can see in the close up below, there are wires that get plugged into two brass sockets on the auto tuner board.  The one wire slid into the socket on the left as smooth as butter.  The one on the right was way more picky. I had to make sure the alignment of pin with socket was perfect.  Then, and only then, did it go in - and even that took some effort.

Adding the rear panel came next.

If you notice, on the right side, there are two holes.  The top is for the I/O circuitry, which got added next.  The bottom right hole had a blanking panel installed, as that's the space for an option that I did not purchase.

It is looking more and more like a real radio.  And at this point, this is where I chose to stop for the night. I have put in about four hours worth of work so far.  Tomorrow night, if I am not exhausted after work, I will begin work on the front panel.

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

And the heat goes on ......

but definitely not quite as bad as yesterday.  The high for today was only around 94F - about 5 degrees cooler than yesterday.

Looks like we might get some thunderstorms tonight - I've got some chicken, potatoes and corn-on-th-cob on the grill.  Hope it waits until AFTER dinner is cooked!

Tonight's plan is to start working on the K3.  I'm really torn between using the KX3 and having some operating fun and the build of the new radio.  Another determining factor is that I am beginning to pack away the KX3 in preparation for vacation soon.  I need to finalize the logistics of my new Lowepro "portable ops" pack.  I'll try and shoot some photos or perhaps a video once I get the final configuration down.

Radio, key, battery and accessories aren't the problem.  The problem is figuring out which antennas to bring along.  This year the Buddistick and the magmount will ride along in the Jeep. But for hiking purposes, I think I will end up taking only the EFHW wires that I have pre-cut.  They take the least amount of space and are quick to set up - AND, they are proven, I have gotten decent results with them before, including some European DX last year.

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

Hot, hot, hot!

Years ago, that was the title of a song by Buster Poindexter.  That title is very apropos for this coming weekend.  Just to give you a little of our flavor - here it is 10:20 PM and it's still 82F (28C) outside.  When I got to my car to come home from work, the Jeep's thermometer read 101F (38C). I thought to myself, "Yeah, that's because the car was sitting in the sun, it will cool down as I move and I'll get the real reading in a few minutes".  Ten minutes later, the temperature did indeed drop, all the way down to 100F. One degree!

This weekend is going to be brutal as this is supposed to last right through Monday. It's a good thing we had the air conditioning fixed last week. At least we'll be able to sleep in relative comfort. No matter how bad it gets, though, in my mind this is better than 6 inches of snow and 22F outside.  I'll deal with this any day of the week!

Two cool (pardon the pun) events took place tonight.  First, yours truly, one of the most inept people on the face of the Earth when it comes to figuring out COM ports and such stuff, managed to download the KX3 utility from Elecraft. Not only that; but I got it to work!  I downloaded from the Elecraft server and then uploaded into my KX3, the latest version of firmware. And I discovered that using the KX3 utility, that you can enter a start up banner. So now, when I turn the rig on, where the secondary VFO display normally is, you see "W2LJ's KX3" for a few seconds before that changes over to the normal VFO display.

Second cool event:

I completed the K3 inventory. Everything was there! Well, just about everything - I am missing three #6 split ring washers.  But I can pick those up (or an equivalent) at a local hardware store. None of the screws were missing.  In fact, there was OVER the amount needed and that does NOT include the extras that can be found in the Elecraft spare hardware bag. The picture above does not do the situation any justice.  When I opened up that big cardboard box, it was jam packed with bags, envelopes, static bags and other things.  By the time I was done, the entire table was covered with Elecraft goodies - you couldn't even see the table cloth.

I am hoping to start the build tomorrow night after all Saturday's chores are done.  I am also hoping for a chance to run over to the park on Sunday with the KX3 a battery and some wire,  If I get the opportunity, I will post myself on QRPSPOTS and maybe we'll run into each other on the air!

By the way, we're up to 75 Skeeter numbers given out for the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt to be held on Sunday, August 12th,  I'll be handing out numbers right up to the day before; but don't be part of the last minute rush! Get yours today by sending an email to w2lj@arrl.net 

And no, to answer all of you out there who are concerned about FOBB - I have not heard anything new. I have no inside information; and in fact, there may be more of you out there who have better info than I do!

72 de Larry W2J
QRP - When you care to send the very least!