Don Younger W2JEK - SK

I just saw on the Fairlawn Amateur Radio Club Facebook page that Don Younger W2JEK passed away yesterday.

I've worked Don many, many times over the years in various QRP Sprints and QRP ARCI events. as well as NAQCC events and others.

Don was a great QRPer and will be missed.

RIP, Don.

72 de Larry W2LJ

Such is the way of life

Nothing is permanent. I discovered, quite by accident, that Drew W2OU, a close friend who became a Silent Key in 2021 has had his call sign re-assigned.

I know, firsthand, that this is the way of the FCC, that call signs are not permanent markers and can be re-assigned, but n my heart of hearts, there will never be another W2OU quite like Drew. I wish new W2OU, Dr. Thomas Pallan much success with the call sign. 

I do hope that some day he takes the time to do a little research on the "original" W2OU just as I have done for the original W2LJ. There's a rich legacy of mentorship and volunteering behind that call sign, and I hope he discovers it. If he wanted to, just by doing a search here on "W2OU" would provide him with a lot of background. Since I began that journey, my call sign has become more precious and meaningful to me now that I know more about the Ham who proudly bore it with such distinction, and his family who supported him, before it was granted to me, .

Call signs are so much more than just a random jumble of letters and numbers. They take on a life of their own and we come to associate the call sign with the person, as if it were an integral part of their name ....... and part of their personality, being and soul.

Thinking of you, Drew, on this hot summery day. RIP, my friend.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Odds and ends

I managed to get outside for just a few minutes yesterday as the moon was approaching maximum coverage of of the sun (90%) at 3:24 PM local time.  I took a small shipping box and punched a hole in the side with a thumbtack. It projected a very tiny, but totally sharp image of the moon covering the sun revealing only a small crescent of sunlight. Of course, this is New Jersey after all, and clouds came in for the actual moment of maximum eclipse. But I can say I saw it. This reminded me of the eclipse of 1972, when I had my 3" refractor telescope set up in the backyard, projecting a magnified image onto a white piece of cardboard.

A co-worker managed to snap this with his iPhone.

BTW, Sean Kutzko KX9X was doing some AM Broadcast Band DXing during the eclipse. He observed that during the maximum period of darkening at his QTH, he was able to hear AM stations from over 500 miles away, that he normally can only hear at night. The D Layer was definitely affected! He recorded the AM Band during the eclipse from start to finish and will go over it in detail over the next few weeks, in order to get a better feel as to how propagation was affected.

I saw on Facebook yesterday, where Alex PY1AHD of AlexLoop fame has become a Silent Key:

It is with extreme sadness and sorrow that I share the passing of our friend and colleague Alex Grimberg (PY1AHD), AlexLoop, due to his renowned work with magnetic loop antennas. Inestimable loss for Brazilian amateur radio, an enterprising and visionary colleague - We are all saddened.

I got word from my friend that he was encouraged by your comments regarding using a local WebSDR as a receiver. He was able to hear stations on 20 Meters via the Web that he was not able to hear on his K3, due to the solar panel noise. He made three successful QSOs on 20 Meters and will most likely use WebSDR for making contacts on 14 MHz and above. Thanks for your encouragement! I'm very happy for him - he had been disappointed (that's putting it mildly) with his situation. It's good to know he can be on the air again.

My KM4CMT EFRW UNUN kit was delivered yesterday. I hope to have it built and ready to go for "Amateur Radio Day At The Library" on April 20th. If I don't have it ready, I'll probably employ the PAR ENDFEDZ or perhaps the EARCHI EFRW that I already have in the backpack. It's not that the kit is a complicated build - far from it. It's a matter of finding time. The next few weekends are really filled up now that lawn mowing season has started up again.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

The latest thing

Amateur Radio is a hobby of niches. Not all facets of the hobby are popular with everyone. That being said, it seems to me, in my most humble opinion, that there are periods where a certain "thing" becomes all the rage.

A few years ago, it seemed like you couldn't swing a dead cat in the Amateur Radio community without coming across something about magnetic loop antennas. More recently the rage has been end fed half wave antennas. These trends of prominence didn't last too long. If you want to look at trends with long standing time (years) in the limelight, I would suggest FT-8 and POTA fit the bill.

I'm not a participant in the digital modes, so I can't realistically comment much about the popularity and proliferation of FT-8, but I can comment on the same about POTA - Parks On The Air - why is it the rage? Again, this is simply my opinion, please take it with the proverbial grain of salt.

1) The spectacular success of NPOTA, National Parks On The Air. When you look back on it, this operating event organized by the ARRL to celebrate the Centennial Anniversary of the National Parks System was a much more huge success than anyone anticipated. In fact, if and when they celebrate the second Centennial of the ARRL in the distant future, I am certain that NOPTA will remain one of the historical highlights of the organization. 

I remember when it was announced toward the end of 2015 and all I saw on the e-mail reflectors that I am a member of were ambitious plans for activations right off the bat on January 1st. NPOTA resonated with the Amateur Radio community quite unlike anything I have ever seen in my 45 years as a Ham. Everyone could participate - no matter what your favorite operating mode happened to be. It was easy to participate in and you had an entire year to partake as much or as little as you desired. If you couldn't activate a park or entity- no problem! There were a plethora of hunters willing to fill up your logbook.

The program was so successful (over 1,000,000 QSOs were made during the event) that it became quite apparent that come January 1st, 2017, when NPOTA had officially ended, that something was going to have to fill the vacuum.  A non-profit organization, Parks On The Air was formed in 2018 to give structure to carry on after NPOTA ended.

2) The proliferation of smaller radios has drastically improved the ease whereby Amateur Radio operations can be taken portable. All mode 100 Watt rigs are smaller, lighter and more energy efficient than ever before. Add to that fact that the latest development of lighter and longer lasting lithium batteries have made it even easier to power them and leave the indoor shack without having to break your back carrying gear around.

In the QRP world, you can find multi band, multi mode rigs that are as small or smaller than a pack of cigarettes (remember those?) With sunspot Cycle 25 coming to a peak some time in 2025 - effective worldwide communication is possible with just a few Watts. You can put an entire portable station - radio, battery, antenna, mic or key and accessories into a daypack and come in at under 10 pounds.

3) HOA's. This is one that a lot of people don't consider, but I think played a major part in the success of POTA  More and more Hams live in communities that fall under the jurisdiction of Home Owner's Associations. Some are quite liberal and Amateur Radio friendly, but others are not. They frown on anything that disrupts their idea of a "perfect community". Things like Amateur Radio antennas are strictly verboten. So what's a Ham stuck in one of these communities to do? They can either find a stealthy antenna solution - or they can take the show on the road - and POTA is perfect for that. Put as little or as much time into it, when and as you want, and you can satisfy that Amateur Radio craving that you can't receive at your residence.

I'm sure there are other factors that I haven't even considered - but these seem to be the main factors to me. I wonder what the "next big thing" will be?

On a sad note, I saw on QRP-L last night that Diz Gentzow, W8DIZ passed away on Sunday after a long illness. Diz was the proprietor of Kits and Parts and was one of the founders of the Flying Pigs QRP Club International. He passed away peacefully at home with his loving wife Nancy and other family members at his side.

I never met Diz in person, but had corresponded with him on several occasions regarding parts orders, Flying Pig matters and the few times he participated in the Skeeter Hunt. He was a kind gentleman with a good sense of humor - one of the good guys, who was respected and admired by those of us in the QRP community.

My friend Brian KB8BVN summed it all quite appropriately ........ "It's a sad day in Hamville."

RIP, Diz, you will be sorely missed. Farewell and "oo".

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

5 years already?

 My thanks to KC Kerchner for posting this on Facebook:

Hank Greeb, N8XX passed away on  February 26, 2019. Licensed as WN∅FVD in 1951, he wrote about his TX for CQ in 1952. An active QRP operator, he enjoyed NPOTA. Hank will be missed far and (world) wide.

Hank was most definitely a dedicated QRPer and he was in just about every QRP Sprint or operating event that there was. If you didn't work N8XX, it was like you didn't participate in the event.

What I especially enjoyed were his postings to e-mail reflectors and the like. He would always use - what would be the correct term? ......... malaprops?  He would write things like "lettuce pray" and that sort of thing. His ability to use words to create a chuckle were always welcome and just added to his unpretentious, down home feel.

If Hank were alive today, I'm willing to bet that he'd be one of the leaders in just about every category of POTA. And KC was definitely correct - Hank, you are sorely missed.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

K7JA SK

Chip Margelli K7JA was one of the "celebrity" Hams. He was quite well known in the Amateur Radio Universe and perhaps his most "famous moment" came during this appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno back in 2005.  Chip is the Ham you see in the opening:

Chip died from cancer on May 29th. To read more about him, you can go here.

BTW, this coming Sunday, June 4th is Cancer Survivor's Day. If you know someone who has survived cancer, this is a good time to help them celebrate their victory. For those in the heat of battle and for those who have lost the battle, this is a good day to remember them in prayer.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Straight Key Night

This coming Friday night (here in the USA) is Straight Key Night. Here's the official announcement from the ARRL webpage:

Straight Key Night is January 1, 2022 (UTC)

12/27/2021

The annual ARRL Straight Key Night (SKN) returns on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, January 1st, 0000 – 2359 UTC.

Many hams look forward to SKN as one of the highlights of their operating year. It’s not a contest, so there’s no need for quick exchanges. All you need is your favorite straight key or bug. Many participants dust off vintage radios and keys and put them back into service each year, just for SKN. However, all hand keys, regardless of age, are welcome.

The number of contacts you make is not important. The reward is meeting many new friends as you get together on the air. Send a list of stations contacted and any SKN stories and photos, along with your votes for Best Fist and Most Interesting QSO, before January 31, 2022. ~

This year as a special tribute to my friend Bill Koeth W2WK, who I mentioned in yesterday's post, I will use the straight key that he made for me.

I'm sure my straight key fist (I'm a single lever paddle devotee) will be a terror on the ears of whomever has the misfortune to work me, but it seems fitting to get it on the air this SKN. As straight keys go, Bill's creation is a gem to use.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

What the heck is going on?

 A few weeks ago, I lost a really good friend. Bill Koeth W2WK passed away after suffering from cancer. I first met Bill through the Piscataway Amateur Radio Club back in the early 90s. I was honored to serve as his vice-president for two terms before going on to take that office, myself.

Bill could best be described as a "gentle giant" and he was as good as they come. He was a master machinist and after he retired he fabricated some dang good straight keys.  I'm glad to have one. He was a true CW Ham and he was always getting me to get on the air with him so that he could "practice".

We attended so many events together. Dayton, various Hamfests, special events, parties, meetings - we were good friends. In addition to being his friend, I truly respected him. He was the kind of person that people aspire to be.

I will miss Bill greatly and was truly heartbroken when I learned that he had passed. He is survived by his wife Janet K2MOM and is son Tim K0ETH. 

I received another shock this morning when an e-mail was copied to the NOGA reflector. It mentioned that Jim Stafford W4QO had passed away. Jim is a member of the QRP Hall of Fame, was a stalwart of the NOGA QRP Group and was truly a general all around great guy.  

I have two special memories of Jim which I will always treasure. One of the first times I QSOed with Jim, I had technical difficulties (I don't remember exactly what went wrong) that caused me to "disappear".  Jim actually looked up my e-mail from QRZ and sent me an e-mail asking me if I was okay!  That's the kind of guy Jim was. I e-mailed him back to explain what had happened, and he was glad that nothing serious had happened.

Jim was also one of the two Hams who actually took to the air after Hurricane Sandy to see if I was safe and all right. Jim W4QO and another Jim, W1PID, both called me on the HF bands in the days after the chaos here, just asking if me and my family were okay.  I will never, ever forget either one of them for that.

I had the opportunity to engage in conversation with Jim many times. He was always friendly, kind and courteous, Cancer took both of them - way, way, way too soon. There are just so many people who make a deep impression on you. The two gentlemen did that to me.

Rest in peace, Bill and Jim. We're all poorer for your absence, but richer for having you as friends.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Another good friend becomes an SK

 Drew Moore W2OU, who I have known for close to 30 years became a Silent Key this morning.

I first met Drew when I became a member of the Piscataway Amateur Radio Club back in the day. He was always a fixture there as well as in the Electronic Testing Society of NJ (ETS of NJ) of which I am also a member.

Drew was involved in everything; and if you're an Amateur Radio operator in Central NJ, it would be hard for me to believe that you didn't cross his path, somewhere. Drew was always active in our various club activities - he was a mainstay at Field Day, both PARC and SPARC. Drew was also active in public service, ARES, RACES and CERT, both in Piscataway where he lived, as well as South Plainfield. Drew was the Emergency Coordinator for Piscataway. He was at drills, civic events and was always learning and training. Drew became involved in Auxcomm with Marv K2VHW and Tim AB2ZK and myself.

Drew's passion (besides operating) was ushering new Hams into the hobby. If there was a VE Session going on somewhere in central New Jersey, Drew was either running it or assisting at it. He had well over 300+ VE Sessions under his belt. Drew was in his element when he was mentoring some newer Ham in some area of the hobby. 

Drew's mentoring skills were the driving force that got SPARC involved in Maker Day. We've had two successful sessions at the JFK Library in Piscataway, and if it wasn't for Drew's initial input and guidance (and the hard work of a lot of SPARC members) we would not have had the success we had.  

It was also Drew along with Rich W2PQ  who got the "Dunellen Hamfest", which has been held at Piscataway High School for the last few years, on the map after it had to move out of Dunellen. If it wasn't for the two of them, one of Central NJ's more popular Hamfests would have gone by the wayside. W2OU and W2PQ made sure it didn't. 

As you can see, Drew was involved in just about every asset of our hobby - and in a good and positive way. That's how I'll always remember Drew. He was always busy doing something for someone.

Rest easy, Drew .....until we meet again,

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

A good friend - now an SK.

I found out from my good friend Bob W3BBO that a mutual friend of ours, Rich Alderiso AA2KS had become a Silent Key this past July.

I first met Rich when I became a member of the Piscataway Amateur Radio Club. His call sign was AA2KS, he lived in North Edison and he ran (with his brother) a wholesale produce business out of Newark.

The love of his life was his wife Patty. When our group of friends decided to make the trip to Dayton in 1994, we concocted our plans over an amazing Italian dinner at Richie's house. Patty was an awesome cook and we enjoyed our planning sessions as much as we enjoyed the trip to Dayton itself.

Through PARC, we embarked on several special events together. Rich was a participant in trips to the Edison Memorial, the Twin Lighthouses at the Atlantic Highlands and to Long Valley, NJ to activate a special Halloween event for "The Ghost of Long Valley".

Our trip to Dayton in 1994 was taken in Richie's brand new Cadillac; and we'll never forget how he made us wipe our shoes off with a towel before we were allowed to get in.

Field Days were not complete without Richie' presence. He always arrived early with something from his business in his trunk. Whether it was a load of fresh peaches, or fresh watermelons, he always helped to make PARC Field Days extra special.

Richie was multi-talented and Amateur Radio was not his only hobby. He was also a builder of musical instruments (cellos) and he was also into clock making. Eventually, Richie and Pat moved from Edison down to the Jersey Shore to be closer to his daughters - and that's where we lost touch.

It saddens me that another Ham Radio acquaintance has passed on. I'll always remember Richie for his quick smile, the way he could crack a joke, for his friendship and his hospitality.

God bless you, Richard - may you have nothing but good propagation up there in the Big Ham Shack in the sky. You will be missed - it was a pleasure and honor to have known you.

72 de Larry W2LLJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Marshall Emm N1FN, SK

Many of you may have had dealings with Marshall Emm N1FN who was the owner of Morse Express, Marshall was also the owner of the Oak Hills Research and AMECO lines of products. Many of us purchased keys from him over the years; as well as Oak Hills QRP rigs and accessories.

Marshall was also one of the leaders of the QRP Fox hunts. This appeared on our e-mail reflector this morning:

We are sad to announce that Marshall Emm, N1FN - long time QRP advocate, owner of Morse Express, Oak Hills Research and Ameco – is a Silent Key. Marshall passed away peacefully Monday morning, February 17, 2020, at Aurora CO Medical Center with his daughters and wife surrounding him. When more details are available, we will post a more comprehensive announcement. Our thoughts and prayers are with Marshall’s family. Messages, thoughts, stories can be sent to COLORADOQRPCLUB@GMAIL.COM.

 Dick AB0CD.

Rest in Peace, Marshall.

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

W5LFL SK - Owen Garriot

The original "Ham Radio Operator in Space" - Owen Garriot W5LFL has passed away at the age of 88.

Owen's historic flight took place in 1983 on the Space Shuttle Columbia's STS-9 mission. I can still remember sitting in my car, tuned to the appropriate frequency as the Shuttle flew over NJ, several times during the mission.  As soon as Owen announced his call and mentioned that he would be listening for call signs, the frequency became maybe the worst pileup in history! Of course, I never made it through, but it was still a thrill to listen. When W5LFL came on the air with his uber line of sight signal, it was like he was sitting in a chair right next to me.  Some of the more famous Hams of the age DID make contact with W5LFL, notably King Hussein of Jordan JY1 and Barry Goldwater K7UGA.

Interestingly enough, years later, his son Richard W5KWQ, became a private space traveler. Launched to the ISS via a Russian launch vehicle, he also made contacts from space, following in his father's footsteps.

I think this mission whetted the appetites of many Hams for making satellite QSOs. I know it did for me; and some years later, I was very active on RS-10/11 and RS-12/13. Back then you could make contacts on satellites using your "everyday" shack HF equipment. It was a thrill to hear your own signal come back from space on the downlink - especially for this "kid" who cut his teeth on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.  I worked many states through those two LEOs - but alas, not all 50. I did, however, work across the pond into England on a rare mutually visible pass.

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

G3RJV

During one of my last few Skype sessions with Bob W3BBO, he commented on how this blog has gotten depressing as of late., with all the SK notices.

Sorry to say that I have one more, and I would be very remiss if I didn't post it. One of the QRP Giants is no longer with us.  The Rev. George Dobbs G3RJV, Founder of G-QRP has passed away, early this morning.

I never met the good Reverend, or had the chance to speak with him and shake his hand. I've read many of his articles and it was obvious that here was a man "who knew his stuff".

This was the e-mail, posted to QRP-L by Ken Evans, Past President of QRP-ARCI. It was sent to him by Graham Firth G3MFJ:

"I’m sorry to have to tell you, but George Dobbs, G3RJV died early this morning. He was taken to hospital a few days ago with pneumonia, and an infection, but he didn’t respond to the antibiotics. He was 75. His wife JoAnna was with him when he died. He had suffered from dementia for some time, but was still taking as much interest in the running of the G-QRP Club until recently."

RIP, Reverend Dobbs.

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

Hank Greeb N8XX - SK

I don't like posting these; but Hank was a fixture in the QRP world.

It was reported recently that Hank had suffered a heart attack and then a stroke somewhere around the February 16th time frame. At that time, he must have expected a full, but slow recovery, as he thought he would be off the air for about a year. Sadly, it was announced that he passed away yesterday.

Hank was a stalwart QRPer and participated in just about every QRP Sprint that you can think of. The only one that he didn't partake of much was the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt; but that was always because his annual family reunion occurred the same weekend. Every year he sent me an e-mail with his regrets.

Hank was also a fixture in NPOTA and POTA.

Hank was outspoken and I will miss his e-mails to the various QRP and CW reflectors, complete with his "Shucky durn" and "Corn Whiskey" lingo. Hank was a chemist by trade, I believe - and a true gentleman by nature.

73 Hank, we will miss you. Say "Hi" to Ken WA8REI for us.

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

Ken Louks WA8REI (SK)

I was shocked last night, when I saw a post to the Flying Pigs Facebook page by Brian KB9BVN, that Ken WA8REI had become a Silent Key.

Ken, being the avid QRPer, had contacted me many times over the years in QRP Sprints and just plain old QSOs.  I particularly enjoyed when we would rag chew when Ken took his RV to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan and he would tell me how cold it was; or how much snow was on the ground, or how beautiful the foliage was in the Autumn.

Ken introduced me to; and got me involved in the QRP Polar Bears, where another SK, Ron  WB3AAL was also quite active.

It was always a treat to run into Ken over the years and his call sign appears in my log many, many times. I will miss the cheeriness and friendliness that he was able to pass on - even through his dits and dahs. Ken was good people.

Kenneth Alan Louks (Obituary)

Kenneth A. Louks of Freeland, Michigan passed away February 10, 2019 at the age of 71.

Ken was a life-long resident of the Saginaw area. After graduating from Buena Vista High School in 1965, he entered Western Michigan University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Ken served in the US Army from 1970-72 and was stationed in Stuttgart, West Germany where he was assistant to the Chaplain. Upon his honorable discharge, he was employed by the US Postal Service from 1972 to 2002, reaching the level of Mail Processing Manager at the Saginaw USPS facility.

Ken had a strong Christian faith and was past member of Sheridan Avenue United Methodist Church, Auburn UMC, and presently was a member of Hopevale Church. He enjoyed the Christian fellowship of all members at these houses of worship.

Ken was a gifted keyboardist from his youth and throughout his life. Ken was organist at Auburn UMC and part-time organist at Sheridan Avenue and Swan Valley UMC over the years. Ken also taught piano from his home. Even after a stroke at age 60 rendered his left hand paralyzed, Ken still played his electronic keyboard, recording and sharing his music, which were often arrangements of favorite hymns. Ken also played the dulcimer.

Ken loved his Lord and his country and was proud of his service in the Army. He enjoyed traveling our scenic country, either in his RV or Tahoe, often stopping at the homes of relatives or his ham radio buddies. He loved nature, and loved visiting relatives whether they were in Saginaw, Mayville or Florida.

Ken’s favorite hobby was amateur radio. Licensed in 1965 as WA8REI, he was very active on the air until his death. Ken loved to operate his radio, using Morse code, from wilderness areas as well as from his home. He made loyal friends on the air all over the world.

Ken was predeceased by his parents, Ferris and Donna Louks. He is survived by his brothers David (Kathryn) Louks, Paul (Vicky) Louks, a dear aunt G. Elaine Fox, and many treasured nieces, nephews and cousins.

Honoring Ken’s wishes, there will be no formal funeral service. His wish was for his friends and relatives to remember him in their hearts and give all thanks and praise to God for our time of grace. Also per Ken’s wishes, he will be cremated, and his remains interred at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan at a later date. Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider Hopevale Church of Saginaw

73, Ken!  May you always have good DX and great propagation - RIP, my friend.

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

Special Net tonight

The local Repeater Club, for which I am Secretary, is having a special net tonight, and I will be the NCS. Maybe a little back story is in order, first.

We used to have a weekly "Wednesday Night Information Net" for many years. The last iteration was run by our club President at the time, Jeff N2VHV. Jeff had COPD and when it became difficult for him to run the net, at times, either Rodolfo N2HRG, Pete KD2ARB or myself would pick up the slack.

When Jeff finally passed on, the net kind of went into "hiatus" mode, as no one really was able to make a weekly commitment. At a recent club meeting, we decided to try to revive the net, and I volunteered to serve as Net Control. However, I have SPARC and ARES commitments on three out of four Wednesdays a month, so the club agreed it would be a monthly, instead of weekly, net.

So far, in September and October, we've had decent, but not stellar participation. I am hoping that tonight will be different. Borrowing from the Catholic custom of November being the month in which we remember those who have gone on before, I decided that tonight's net will be a "Silent Key Net". Members who participate will be invited to share a special memory or story of one of our club members who have gone on to "The Shack in the Sky". For those who are newer to the club and are not familiar with any past members, they will be asked to share a memory or story about someone who may have played an important part in their time as an Amateur Radio op.

I am hoping that this will make the net a bit more personal and meaningful, instead of something that's perhaps a bit too routine and dry. I try to present a topic for discussion for each session, and I am hoping one that "hits home" will draw more into participating. I have sent out club e-mail notices for the past couple of weeks in order to let every member know what will be happening tonight. We'll see it it generates a bigger turnout.

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

Our friend, Vinnie

Seems like I'm writing about Silent Keys these days.

Vinnie Lobosco KC2IZK was a member of the South Plainfield Amateur Radio Club, among others. One day this past January, the club received an e-mail from his niece. Sadly, she informed us that Vinnie had suffered a heart attack, and that the prognosis was not good. A few days later, Vinnie was taken off life support and passed away.

Vinnie was a confirmed bachelor, having no wife or children. He lived in his parent's house and he became what could be called (charitably) "an extreme collector" of antique radios and audio equipment. There was so much equipment left behind that his niece opened the house Friday and Saturday to anyone who might be interested in obtaining some of Vinnie's collected treasures.

Marv K2VHW and I made the trip yesterday. When we entered the house, the first thing you noticed was the smell of old paper and dusty, old equipment. Was met our eyes was this - antique radios and phonographs and test equipment from floor to ceiling.

The garage had even more equipment, including TVs - including this extremely rare Hallicrafters TV.

Marv found a gold plated Astatic D104 microphone, a Golden Eagle. It was in excellent shape.  I found this old Hallicraftes S-53A, with all the tubes in place, including an instruction sheet on the inside. I've always wanted a piece of either Hammarlund or Hallicrafters gear in my shack ever since I was licensed in 1978. Thanks to KC2IZK, that dream has come true.

I think it's in good condition. The power cord has been switched out to a current type and everything on the inside looks clean. In a few days, I'll plug it in and will flip the big switch. I'm going to see if anyone in SPARC has a variac that I can borrow so that I can "ease" it back to life. As long as I have this receiver, KC2IZK will always be around.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

WB3AAL - Silent Key

This morning, I was shocked to read a post to QRP-L by Ed Breneiser WA3WSJ, that Ron Polityka WB3AAL became a Silent Key last Friday.

Not to say that Ron and I were close friends - mere acquaintances would be a better description of our relationship. But Ron's name and call were a steady show in the major QRP Outdoor events and sprints.  His website was a good resource on all things QRP Portable, especially antennas.

His presence in the QRP community will be missed, as he was so well known and so highly regarded. In addition to his operating exploits from the Appalachian Trail, he was also a presenter at Atlanticon when that was an annual event in the early 2000's.

RIP, Ron - Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him.

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

The weekend

Saturday was a normal, busy Saturday and it was cool with on and off rain. As such, that forced me to operate indoors for QRPTTF - and in a way that was a blessing. As it turned out, the bands were so dismal, that had I went out and traveled to a river and gone through the whole outdoor setup procedure, I would have been bitterly disappointed.  Somehow, making only four contacts isn't as disappointing when you don't have to brave the elements and the added work of setting up a portable station in the rain.

I could not believe the conditions on 20 Meters!  I heard stations, but only to the degree that I knew they that someone was there. Signals were so weak and into the ESP realm, that I was not able to copy any call signs.  I knew Morse Code was being sent; but that was about it.

40 Meters yielded my four QSOs.  I worked North Carolina, Ontario and Maine. There was one station (call sign withheld as I can't remember it! LOL!) that was frustratingly loud that I called and called and called ....... only to get "CQ TTF" as an answer for my effort. I finally gave up, figuring that he was either in a high ambient noise location, or that once again, propagation was not reciprocal.

The bad thing (or maybe it's a good thing?) about being a home station is that when the bands are dismal you can trot off and do other things, like chores and stuff. If I were a field station, I would have stuck it out longer because of the effort of putting a portable station on the air. I think the frustration level would have been markedly higher, though, as you look for a return on your expended effort.

In other things, I would be remiss if I did not mention the passing of Jerry Haigwood W5JH on April 21st.  I read of Jerry's passing via an e-mail to 4 States QRP Group (of which I am a member) by Terry WA0ITP.  While I did not know Jerry very well on a personal basis, I have worked him numerous times on the air.  In addition, Jerry was the driving force behind the AZ ScQRpions Black Widow and Mini Black Widow paddles.  I still have my Black Widow paddles and at one time I did own a set of the Mini Black Widow paddles attached to my PFR3A.  Both were/are excellent paddles and are a testament to Jerry's machining skills.

RIP, Jerry - you will be missed.

Lastly, I finally had the opportunity to sit down and play with something that was sent to me by Richard, G3CWI, owner of SOTABEAMS.  A few months ago, Rich graciously sent me a WSPRLITE, to play with and evaluate. The WSPRLITE is a small WSPR transmitter beacon, if you will, that you can use to test your antennas.

I hadn't the time, up until now, to give it the attention it deserves. Mind you, it's very easy to use - as easy as falling off a log - but as John Lennon wrote in a song, "Life is what happens while your busy making other plans."  I don't want to give the impression that I put off getting this little beauty on the air due to it being a difficult process. Nothing could be farther from the truth!  It's just that things (obligations, chores, colds) always seemed to get in the way each time I had planned to get it up and running.

Well, last night I got it up and running within a few minutes and got results almost immediately!  This lil' guy is way cool and I want to play with it for a few more evenings this week and then I want to let it run for a few hours in the daytime before I let you know what my impressions are.  But so far, it's a very neat tool to have, especially if you have more than one HF antenna and you want to see how they stack up against each other.

I hate to keep you hanging; but that's all I'm going to say about it for now.  The WSPRLITE will deserve it's own post to properly give it the evaluation it deserves - and you can look for that either next Saturday night or Sunday.

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

Dave Bell W6AQ - SK

From the ARRL Website:

Award-winning Hollywood producer and ARRL benefactor Dave Bell, W6AQ, of Encinitas, California, died on May 13. He was 84 and had been a radio amateur for 65 years. Bell had been suffering from cancer and was in hospice care. An ARRL Life Member and a former chair of the ARRL Public Relations Committee, Bell directed Amateur Radio Today and produced several other ham radio-related promotional videos and films, starting with The Ham’s Wide World, a TV documentary filmed in black and white.

“If I have a claim to fame in Amateur Radio, it’s probably that I produced the first television documentary about ham radio that got worldwide distribution, and then I made several others before I ‘retired’ from the ham radio film/video hobby-within-a-hobby and got busy making a living producing TV movies, specials, and documentaries for all of the networks including HBO and Showtime, and made a couple of theatrical feature films — Nadia and The Long Walk Home,” Bell recounted on his QRZ.com profile. He started TV’s Unsolved Mysteries, and he received an Emmy Award in 1985 for Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special, Do You Remember Love. Bell chronicled his filmmaking and his Amateur Radio and professional lives in a memoir, World’s Best Hobby.

Last year, Bell and his wife Sam, W6QLT (she’s a quilter), donated a signed Andy Warhol print to the ARRL. The artwork — “Myths: Superman 1981” —sold at auction last fall for $150,000. The proceeds are being used to create “The Dave Bell, W6AQ, Endowment Fund” to benefit the League.

Bell also produced The World of Amateur Radio, This is Ham Radio, and Moving Up to Amateur Radio. He directed the Amateur Radio Today video in 2002. The short presentation about emergency preparedness was narrated by former CBS Evening News anchor Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD (SK), written by Alan Kaul, W6RCL, and produced by Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF (SK) and Bill Baker, W1BKR. Bell and Pasternak also created The DIY Magic of Amateur Radio in 2011, and he co-produced The ARRL Goes to Washington, also voiced by Cronkite. Working on his own, Bell filmed videos for the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) events in 2000 in Slovenia (The Ham Radio Olympics) and in 2002 in Finland.

A DXer, casual contester, and a past president of the Southern California DX Club, Bell was a frequent speaker at Amateur Radio gatherings. He was named the 1984 Ham of the Year at Dayton Hamvention®, and, in 2003, the ARRL presented Bell with its first Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on films and videos about Amateur Radio. In 2011 he was named to the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame.

Heil Sound Ltd’s Bob Heil, K9EID, called Bell “one of the great ones.” Heil said Bell’s “great smile and laughter” and his “generosity to the hobby” would be missed, “but most of all, we will miss his spirit.” — Thanks to The Daily DX for some information

I've mentioned Dave's e-book "World's Best Hobby" several times before on this blog.  It used to be free, but i think now it can be downloaded from Amazon for a couple of bucks. It's worth substantially more than that, it's a good and entertaining read.

I hope W6AQ is up there with K2ORS, kicking back, quaffing a few and sharing some good stories.

Farewell, W6AQ, thanks for all you did for Amateur Radio.

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