Wow! 20 Years!

I have a routine that I adhere to every day when I get to work. When I get to my dungeon/store room/bunker office, I turn on my company laptop and log in for the day. The next thing I do is to go get a cup of water for coffee. Even though there is free coffee in the cafeteria, I don't partake, It's Starbucks coffee, which to me, always tastes burnt. Back during the pandemic, when the cafeteria was closed, I brought in a one cup coffee maker which I still use. So as I was walking over to the water dispenser, I ran into Tracy (who runs the cafeteria) and she told me that today is "Take Your Kids to Work Day".

Then it hit me like a Mack truck! It was "Take Your Kids to Work Day" back in 2005 which caused the birth of this blog! Twenty years - wow! WOW! That's a lot of typing and words! In honor of the occasion, here's a re-post of that very first one:

Take Your Kids to Work Day

This is a new experience for me. My own blog - devoted to, but not limited to Amateur Radio. This should be fun, interesting; and will hopefully also be a learning experience.

Last Thursday (4/29/05) was national "Take Your Kids to Work Day". You might be asking yourself how is this related to Amateur Radio. I'll tell you.

I belong to the Piscataway Amateur Radio Club in Piscataway, NJ. Right across the street from our meeting place is the IEEE. The IEEE is the professional association for electrical engineers. This is THE place if you are affiliated with any of the electronic fields. The wife of one of our member's works there; and approached him about the possibility of our club giving a presentation on Amateur Radio for that morning. The reasoning was, that since Amateur Radio is at least related to what the institution stands for, it just might be a good time.

We were wondering how much interest we would garner. A lot of folks out there think Amateur Radio is a dying endeavor. Maybe from the experience we had, I'm thinking the reports of our demise might be highly exaggerated.

In the weeks leading up to the event; we were told that twenty children signed up for the presentation. We were enthused. Then twenty became fifty; and then fifty became eighty and then eighty became one hundred and twenty. When the demo actually took place, a head count was taken and one hundred and seven kids attended. We were overjoyed!

There were six of us from the radio club. We started the presentation by showing the ARRL's DVD presentation of "Amateur Radio Today". This was followed by a talk by Bob Hopkins WB2UDC which included a QSO over a local 2 meter repeater and then another video. This was followed up by the kids being allowed to play with and be shown smaller presentations on Morse Code, a SSB HF station, a PSK-31 setup, and the kids even got to play with and twiddle the dials of some old Hammarlund and Hallicrafter boat anchors.

The surprise for us though, was that the hit of the day was the Morse Code displays. We had two laptops set up with Morse Midi on them; so the children could type something in and then listen to what they had typed. And we also had Morse Code practise oscillators going. We could not tear the kids away! I knew we had them hooked when one little girl had typed into the Morse Midi box; ready for translation - "This is so cool".

At the end, each participant was given either an Icom comic book; or a CQ magazine publication. We gave each a Morse Code sheet as well as a sheet we had made up listing some Websites pertaining to Marconi, crystal radios and, of course, Amateur Radio. Each kid got a QSL card with contact information to the club with an offer for tutoring, if desired. On each QSL card was a number; and for the coup de grace, we gave away a hombrewed plaque which had a Speed-X straight key to commemorate the event.

Is Amateur Radio dying; and are kids so spoiled by the Internet that our hobby is considered geeky and anachronistic? Ask any of these 107 kids and you might get a very surprising and pleasant answer!

That was a good day, and one that I will never forget! I was accompanied by Rich Pasquale W2PQ, whose wife, Peg, worked at IEEE at the time and it was she who came up with the idea. Also there was Drew Moore W2OU (SK), Bob Hopkins WB2UDC, Vic  Pennetta K2NBC and Rich Moseson W2VU of CQ Magazine fame. When we get together, we still talk about the day and how much fun it was.

The actual "birthday" of this blog is April 30th. I'll have to think of something special in order to celebrate.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

A question was asked.

I received an e-mail with a question from a reader. "Why don't you do videos like so many others seem to be doing?"

I have delved into making a few videos in the past. Unlike the really good videos you find on YouTube, mine have been done with my phone. To make a video properly, and one that is worth watching and is actually enjoyable to watch, you need more equipment than I can muster. One or more cameras of decent quality are required, a decent tripod, and good editing software and a decent computer to run it all on. The most important ingredient, though, is time.

Between work, home responsibilities and some other commitments that I have, I barely find enough time to get on the air and play radio! Making videos at this point would just eat up precious time that I do not have right now. I am hoping, hoping, hoping to retire next May on the occasion of my 68th birthday. If I can do that, maybe I can begin to think about creating a video or two.

However, maybe this weekend during FOBB, I will take some footage with my phone and cobble something together with the free editing software that I have on my laptop to see if I can make something worth watching. It will be rudimentary at best. And believe me, if I think it turns out like a piece of .........., I will not irritate your eyes and ears with something terrible.

In the meantime, W2LJ will just keep on plain ol' vanilla blogging.

The extended weather out look for South Plainfield. Looks like Sunday may be the beginning of yet another heatwave. I hope that personal neck fan arrives in time!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

For those of you who may be looking

for Jeff KE9V's blog posts. He changed his format a bit and if you clicked on the link I had provided,  you got the dreaded "404 error message". I changed the link a little bit, but he is now positioned all the way down at the bottom of the blog roll. 

His new format is a lot like John K3WWPs. Good reading there so please make sure to check it out.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Dead bands?

I saw on various e-mail reflectors (and FB) that we were on the receiving end of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) and that the bands were dead. Last evening as our side of the globe began to face away from the Sun, the bands seemed to be starting to come back to life. 

I was in the shack working on Skeeter Hunt certificates, and when I finished for the evening, I turned on the KX3 and twiddled the dial, looking for POTA stations to work. Signals on 20 Meters were way down. I found a couple activations thanks to the POTA spotting page, but I could barely hear them. 40 Meters was much better and I worked two, including Dave AB9CA - 2nd Place winner in this year's Skeeter Hunt.

Speaking of the Hunt, I received an e-mail from Kevin N2TO, another Skeeter. Kevin was announcing a new-to-me Sprint that his club, the Brooklyn QRP Club will be holding the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It may have been held before, but I think it's a new one.

Brooklyn QRP Doghouse Operation Sprint 2023

Here is a sprint you can work and stay out of the doghouse on the Saturday afternoon prior to Thanksgiving. Play radio, and have plenty of time to mow the lawn, shovel snow, clean the guest room; do whatever it takes to get ready for Thanksgiving.

 Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023

Time: 1700-2100 UTC

Suggested QRP Frequencies: 7.030, 14.060, 21.060, 28.060 MHz.

Exchange: RST, home telephone area code, first name

72 Kevin N2TO

Their webpage is here: https://www.qsl.net/bklynqrp/, and they also have a blog, which I will be adding to the blogroll on the side: https://brooklynqrp.blogspot.com/

I like this idea, because after the Leaf Peeper Sprint (of which I haven't heard anything this year) and the NoGA Peanut Power Sprint - which WILL be taking place this year, there really are not many events of this type as we head into Fall.

Yes, there's always the Zombie Shuffle, which is popular as all get out, and there are the monthly Spartan Sprints and NAQCC Sprints - but "special" QRP Sprints like these are always welcome to see. I hope word gets out about this and that there's lots of participation. I'll be talking this one up from time to time, because there are too many QRP events that are starting to fall by the wayside, and publicity is one of the keys to a successful event. The QSOs aren't going to make themselves and they definitely won't get made if there's no one there to make them!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Cleaning up the Blogroll

I spent a little time cleaning up the blogroll. I've a few more to move, but basically ..... anything that's been dormant for a year or more gets moved to the bottom list of "Dormant, But Not Forgotten" blogs.

The active ones still outnumber the dormant ones, but it's getting close.

What saddens me as I go through these are the number of friends who are now Silent Keys. I'll keep their blogs listed as long as they are still available on the Web, in part to honor their memory; but also to be able to share their words and wisdom to the next generation of Hams.

Some of the others are from Hams who have either lost interest in blogging; or have lost interest in Amateur Radio in general. While that concept is foreign to me, I understand that it happens. People move on.

It takes a certain amount of dedication to do this for a prolonged basis. It also a challenge to try and keep the ideas somewhat fresh and not a rehash of the same ol', same ol'.  I am probably guilty of that to the nth degree, myself.

Currently, we're in the middle of a heat wave here in Central NJ, as are many other parts of the country. The coolest space in the house is the basement. While it's remarkably chilly down there in the winter time, it's a refreshing oasis right now. If things go well and no unexpected events turn up, I hope to start melting solder on that virgin QCX printed circuit board tonight. I may not get a lot done each night, but like the turtle in that famous fable, "Slow and steady wins the race".

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Moderation is "ON"

For the time being, for comments.

Mr. "Do you know your hidden name meaning ?" has made it a personal goal to post the most spam comments. So until he goes away or learns to play nice, all comments will have to be approved before publishing.

I don't, never have and never intended to make a profit off of this blog - I don't intend anyone else to do that, either.

Thanks for your understanding.

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

It was 15 years ago today

that all this blogging got started. My very first blog post was about the presentation we did on Amateur Radio for "Take Your Kid to Work" Day at the IEEE.

http://w2lj.blogspot.com/2005/04/take-your-kids-to-work-day.html

That was a lot of fun and it's actually hard to believe that was so long ago. The whole adventure evolved into an article by Rich Moseson in CQ magazine later that year.

I've learned a lot in 15 years of blogging - I'm not the same person that started this, so many years ago. I've gotten older, grayer and hopefully wiser (I almost misspelled that "wider" and that would be true, too!).

I've hopefully learned that my opinion really doesn't count for as much as I used to think it did, and I've learned to respect opinions that do not mesh with mine. I like to think I've become more respectful, thoughtful and kinder towards others over the years. I've definitely developed a taste for crow because of some of the things I have posted from time to time. 

All that said, this blog isn't about me. It's about you, us and Amateur Radio. I really appreciate all of you out there who take the time to read my words. If it weren't for you, this would really amount to nothing more than trying to shovel sand against the tide. My one wish is that I could meet all of you in person, give a handshake ....... er, fist bump and spend some time chatting face to face. That would be so cool!

Now ...... onto the winner of the hat giveaway. Twenty three of you took the time to enter. I thank you for that. And the winner is (drum roll, please!) ................

Entry #8 - Steve AA9VJ

Steve, I trust your QRZ address is good, I'll get the hat out to you this weekend.

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

Holy decade and a half, Batman!

Ten days from today is the 15th anniversary of the first posting of this blog. Yep, April 30th 2005 is when this all started.

So, in order to celebrate, I'm going to do another give-away. Who doesn't like getting something for free, right?

I had a hat made from Astrid's Embroidery - with the the signature line - "QRP ....When you care to send the very least!" That hat, which is in the photo above can be yours. Just send an e-mail to w2ljqrp@gmail.com with your name and your call sign. I will compile a spreadsheet, assigning each entry a number, in the order received.  Then, on April 30th, I will have a random number generator program pick a number between 1 and last entry, and whoever that number is assigned to will win the hat.

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

KX9X

Many have probably wondering what happened to Sean KX9X since he left the ARRL. For one thing, he moved back to Illinois. He's also operating the satellites and is actively pursuing portable ops. And he's blogging on the DX Engeneering site - "On All Bands". To read his latest follow this link:

https://www.onallbands.com/backpack-qrp-basics-creating-a-backpack-qrp-station/

Sean is one of the best and engaging bloggers in our hobby. His writing really gets one enthused and "raring to go" about some of the neater aspects of our hobby. I'll be adding "On All Bands" to the blog roll so you can all keep track of it from this page.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRO - When you care to send the very least!

Sad change to the blogroll

Sadly, I got the following message from Jeff KE9V this morning:

I'm not sure what's behind this, but I hope that this is temporary and/or that Jeff reconsiders. We may not always share the same opinion on things; but he is one of the finest writers among the ranks of Amateur Radio operators that I know. His absence would be a loss for us all.

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

Doing some housekeeping

You may have noticed (or not) that the blogroll to the right has shrunken a bit.  I removed a couple of blogs that no longer have valid links (can no longer be reached). I also moved a few blogs that have been inactive for a year or more down to the dormant blogroll.  Anytime that these become active again, I move them back to the top list. I also removed a couple links that no longer had valid URLs; and edited some where the URLs changed.

If you  know of any blogs focusing on QRP, CW or portable ops that are worth following and that I don't have listed, either send an e-mail to w2lj@arrl.net, or leave a comment in the commbox. I'll give them the once over and will add them if they seem like a good fit.

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

Fattening the blogroll even more

A tip o' the hat and thanks to George K2WO for pointing out a new one - and it looks like a good one!

http://n4pbq.blogspot.com/p/n4pbq.html?view=magazine

Is that a cool title, or what? "Lower your power and raise your expectations."

Love it!

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

New addition to the blog roll.

I got an e-mail from a QRP friend, Craig LaBarge WB3GCK. Craig is a very active outdoor QRPer, a man after my own heart, He's in the process of moving a lot of QRP info from a static webpage to one that has a blog type of format.  You can see it here

Craig has impecable taste in QRP portable outerwear, as you can see!

In addition to mentioning it here, I am going to add his blog to the blog roll to the right. It's worth your time to read what he has to say. Craig not only goes out operating portable whenever he gets the chance, but he's also a dedicated Skeeter Hunter. Hey, that ranks him "right up there" in my book!.

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

Giving back to Amateur Radio

Amateur Radio, without a doubt, is the world's greatest hobby. It allows you to talk to like minded radio operators around the world, for free (once you've paid for the equipment!), anytime, anywhere. It provides hours of relaxing fun (ragchews), exciting fun (contesting, DX), frustrating fun (contesting, DX), exhilarating fun (SOTA, IOTA, DXpeditions) and even gratifying fun (public service communications).

And one of the unique things about Amateur Radio is that the participants who recognize this are particularly selfless. They go out of their way to "spread the wealth" and entice others into the hobby - perpetuating it for years to come. There are many examples of this, and I think it's something a lot of Hams don't even notice or perhaps take for granted. And it's a lot more common than many of us realize - when you really take the time to think about it.

The Internet, once thought of as "The End" of Amateur Radio, has actually become its best friend. It has given Amateur Radio a renewed breath of fresh air and has given Amateur Radio ops around the world an international "clubhouse" where they can meet, greet and share "war stories" with each other in a way never possible before. Think of all the things that are available to us now that we never had before:

Blogs -  Have an niche interest in Amateur Radio? Look it up on Google. Undoubtedly, some Ham somewhere has started a blog about it, where they are willing to share information about their special passion, in depth.

Podcasts - Podcasts provide hours of listening entertainment.  Podcasts such as QSO Today by Eric Guth 4Z1UG, or 100 Watts and a Wire by Christian Cudnik K0STH and Kair Allen WY7YL are not only fun to listen to, but you'll undoubtedly learn a thing or two in the process.

Videocasts - Ham Radio video series such as Ham Nation, the various live streams brought to us by W5UKB and the plethora of videos on YouTube are like having Ham Radio TV available to us 24/7, 365 days a year.

E-zines and E-books - There are many out there. But the ones that stick out in my mind are the K9YA Telegraph, which is an excellent magazine type publication by any standard.  Also out there are E-books, such as "Solder Smoke" which is available through Amazon.com, as well as a particularly entertaining book, "Worlds Best Hobby" by Dave Bell W6AQ, also available through Amazon.com.

Training materials - The "No Nonsense" instructions manuals by Dan Roamnchik KB6NU, which are available online have helped many a new Ham earn their very first license or upgrade to a higher class license.

E-mail reflectors - This is where the average "Joe Ham" can post his ideas and thoughts. I can't tell you how many invaluable tips and ideas I have received from e-mail reflectors. Yes, there's also a lot of garbage to wade through, but if you think about it, e-mail reflectors are like having "Hints and Kinks" with you all the time.

The opportunities to give back to the hobby are limitless. It enriches the hobby and helps to perpetuate it, and the beauty of it is that a lot of Hams give back without even realizing it. Many people consider "The Golden Age" of Amateur Radio to be in the 50s and 60s. Years in the future, when we have had the opportunity to look back, I think the "Golden Age of Amateur Radio" will be what we are experiencing right now.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Touchy subjects

In my almost 40 years as an Amateur Radio op, I have found there are certain "hot button" topics that should be avoided, if you can. And I ain't talking politics or religion, either. In no special order, here are five that I can think of, right off the bat:

1) Old "Took my license test at the FCC" examination system vs. new VE examination system

2) Code vs. No Code

3) QRP vs. QRO

4) Windows vs. any other OS

5) What constitutes being "A Real Ham".

I am sure there are many more that generate emotional and vociferous debate.  When I see one of these topics brought up on an e-mail reflector, my initial reaction is "Uh-oh, this is going to get bad." And sadly, usually it does. When emotions override reason, things can get ugly and feelings can get hurt. Somehow, keyboards seem to bring out the snarkiness in people.  It has become easier to type things and hit the "send" button, when you would never dare utter those same things to someone in a face to face conversation.

Mea culpa, I have been guilty of that myself.  However, authoring a blog (and the comments you receive) teaches you a few things along the way. You come to realize that words do indeed have consequences and that kindness, humility and gentleness are always good virtues to practice - especially when you want to leave them by the roadside and vent with a vengeance.

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

Some great news

I received an e-mail from John AE5X this morning. John is one of the best Ham Radio/QRP bloggers out there, IMHO, and it was great to hear from him.  He informed me that he has undertaken authoring a specialized niche blog - about off road motorcycling and QRP.

My initial reactions were thus:

1) Wow! It's great to hear from John.
2) John's writing again - fantastic!
3) I know diddly squat about motorcycling.
4) This ties into QRP, so how can this be a bad thing?
5) Even though #3 is true, #4 is also true, so maybe I can learn something here.
6) Boy, it's good to have John back again.

So even if you're like me (and don't know squat about motorcycling), you do know about QRP and you do like the way John writes - it's still a win/win situation. AND if you DO know about motorcycling, then you've really hit pay dirt! (Win/win/win).

I have added John's new blog to the blog roll on the right, and the hyperlink above will take you right there.  Please take the time to read his work, and if you like what you're reading - let him know. We bloggers appreciate the feedback and love hearing from you, good, bad or indifferent. Just do ME a favor and tell him W2LJ sent you.

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

Nice shack!

Ed N3CW was kind enough to grace me with a photo of his shack - with the latest addition hanging on his wall.

Thanks for the e-mail, Ed. I am amazed the stamps got to Ed's house so quickly. I mailed them, via Priority Mail, on Saturday afternoon. He had them on Monday. That's way better (and cheaper) than UPS or FedEx - and the glass didn't get broken - icing on the cake!

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

And the winner is ..........

Congratulations to Ed N3CW !!!

 

 

He is the winner of this blog's 10th Anniversary celebration, a full sheet of the 1964 Amateur Radio Stamp. It is known as Scott #1260 by stamp collectors and here's the official press release given by the USPS in a Postal Bulletin issued in 1964.

 

"This 5-cent stamp honoring the nation's 250,000 amateur radio operators was first placed on sale through the Anchorage, Alaska, post office on December 15, 1964.

Designed by Emil J. Willett, the stamp portrays a radio broadcast wave and a portion of a radio dial. It was in Alaska that "hams" wrote another chapter in a long public service record by maintaining communications following an earthquake. It was issued on the 50th anniversary of the American Radio Relay League.

This stamp was printed by the rotary process and issued in panes of fifty stamps each. An initial printing of 120 million stamps was authorized."

How fitting, seeing that Amateur Radio operators are keeping that tradition of public service alive today.  Whether it be earthquakes like in Nepal, flooding on the plains, hurricanes like Katrina and Sandy, typhoons in SE Asia, or the result of any other natural or man made disaster, Hams are there in the forefront, offering their time, talent and skills, freely.

Thanks to all of you who entered, and thanks to all of you who read this blog. It's been a fun first 10 years. I've learned a lot from you and hope to continue this for a good while into the future, God willing and the creek don't rise.

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



Just a few days left!

I will do the drawing for this on Friday, May 1st - so you have through Thursday to e-mail me your entry. To date, 56 Amateur Ops have sent me their names, calls and addresses - so everyone's odds are not shabby,

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

Going to do something special

On April 30th, it will be ten years since the "W2LJ - QRP - Do More With Less" blog was born. Since then, I have penned over 2,200 posts and have had close to 800,000 pages read. There have been ups and downs (with some hard lessons learned along the way), dry periods as well as creative periods. Through it all, I have made a ton of friends through this blog.  I hope that I have been able to disseminate some knowledge, perhaps inspired some folks on towards new and different things, and maybe even made some of you smile or laugh from time to time.

All of this because of a long held passion for Amateur Radio, Morse Code, CW and QRP.

So - in honor of this momentous personal occasion and in appreciation for all who read this blog, I am going to give something away to one lucky reader. I have a new, mint condition, unused, complete sheet of fifty United States Amateur Radio stamps, issued in 1964 on the 50th Anniversary of the ARRL - Scott #1260.

I am going to have the sheet matted and framed - ready for display on some deserving shack wall. All I ask is that you send an e-mail to w2lj@arrl.net - entitled "Blog Anniversary Giveaway".  Include your name, call sign and mailing address.

Any Amateur Radio op worldwide can enter. I will package and ship the framed stamps to any destination that the United States Post Office will accept.

The names and call signs will be loaded into a software program such as RandomPicker on April 30th and a winner will be determined.  The winner will be announced here, and then the framed stamps will be posted.

Good luck, and thank you for reading!

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