Review time

I try to avoid making two posts in one day, but the QRP Foxhunts are starting up tonight for the 2023-2024 Winter Season and I'm seriously considering participating again.  That being said, this needs to be read AND posted in every shack (mine included - it's a good reminder!):

And it's not just for when a DX station or a DXpedition pops up on the airwaves. It applies to the QRP Foxhunts, POTA, SOTA, 13 Colonies, Route 66 or whatever popular Special Event Station comes on the air. This should more appropriately be re-titled "The Amateur Radio Code of Conduct".

You need to listen and be courteous. If you can't hear the target station you are trying to work clearly enough to know that he's coming back to YOU - don't call in the blind! "I'll send my call over and over and maybe I'll hear them come back to me!" NO - THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!

If you hear the target station call "W4X???" and your call is W7XYZ, he's NOT calling you! He didn't confuse "7" for "4" ...... wait your turn! It may take multiple times for the target station to hear the W4X station. Be patient, you wouldn't like it if they called "W7X???" and W9XBA jumped all over you.

Please listen to determine if the target station is working split. If they are, DO NOT send your call sign on the frequency that the target station is transmitting on! Nothing defines "LID" more than that! Accidents can happen though, so make sure your split button has been turned on!

And please don't be a "Frequency Cop" and keep continuously send "UP UP".  That's as bad as the station that's calling on the listening frequency. If someone already sent "UP", there's no need for you to repeat it umpteen times.

Please let the target station FINISH their exchange with the station they're working before you throw out your callsign. You'll usually hear a "73", or a "Thanks" or a "TU" or perhaps a "dit dit" in CW to indicate that they are through.

If you're in the pileup, listen! Determine if the target station is listening to one frequency or is moving around - try to anticipate where he's going to be listening next. That's why some transceivers have dual receivers.

And if you get frustrated that you're calling and not being heard, turn off the radio and go have a cup of coffee or a cold soda or a cold 807 or go take your dog for a walk or something. There's no need to be a jerk and start QRM'ing the frequency because you're mad or frustrated that you're not being heard. I know this sounds silly, but I've heard it happen - the rest of us in the pileup aren't dummies! I've been in the QRP Foxhunts where it was nearing the end of a Hunt, only to hear a certain Hound sending his call like 20 times in a row without a break, in desperate attempts to be heard before the closing bell. Sorry, but you're not earning the respect of your peers by doing that.

As I stated before, accidents happen. We're all human and we all make errors. But there's a difference between making an honest mistake and pushing the PTT Button or hitting the paddles without using common sense or having a "me ....me....me.....ME!" attitude.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

HomeBoo

 

This appeared on Facebook on the Radio Aficionados page posted by Pedro Sanchez Carcelen. 

Speaking of "Boo!", please remember tomorrow night is the Zombie Shuffle. I will not be able to participate as I have to go to a club meeting (I'm secretary so I kinda HAVE to be there - durn!), which always falls on the last Friday evening of the month. I have not been able to Shuffle for about a decade now, and I wish I could be there with all you ghouls, ghosties and beasties. This is by far one of the most fun events of the QRP year. Let me post the notice that comes from the Head Zombie, Paul NA5N:

Hark, fellow Zombies.

Just a reminder that the 2023 Zombie Shuffle will be this Friday, October 27th, starting at 3pm your local time.

Rules at: http://www.zianet.com/qrp/ZOMBIE/pg.html

The sun seems to be taking a slight siesta, cooling down from a solar flux  160+ a couple weeks ago to 121 today.  Still, 20M remains open until a bit after sundown and I have had some nice 15M QRP QSOs mid-afternoon.  Far better than the solar flux of 60 a couple years ago.

The Zombie Shuffle attracts lots of hams who are rusty, and many who have their first CW QSOs and QRP experience.  So thanks to all who QRS and accommodate these ops.  It brings new ops into the "dark side" every year.

So think up a nice ghoul-ish name to share with your fellow Zombies and have some goofy, silly on-the-air fun.(emphasis by W2LJ)

72, Paul NA5N

Zombie #004

PS - The propane truck filling our tank accidentally backed into one of my guy wires, bringing down my south mast on my 133 ft. long terminated folded dipole (TFD). With no support, the north mast came down the next day, so I have dipole wire all over the back yard.  So I'll be on (and limited) to my  trusty 5BTV vertical with 36 radials.  I got fully Zombie-ized, but wouldn't miss the Shuffle for anything.

And lest you think that we Hams are into fun and games and contests and nothing else, let me share with you a post on Facebook, by our very own Goat whisperer, Steve WG0AT:

Way to go, Steve! Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Can you imagine how many acres of woodland might have been destroyed if it weren't for Steve? How many animals could have been killed or forced out of their territory? You don't always have to wear a reflective vest or sit behind a microphone directing a net to be a public servant.  And if Steve's actions don't exemplify this part of the Amateur Radio Code, I don't know what does.

"PATRIOTIC...His/[Her] station and skills are always ready for service to country and community."

Thanks again, WG0AT! You always show what being a superb Amateur Radio Op is all about!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Caveat Emptor!

 Some guy on Facebook was complaining about the quality of this.

First quick glance, you'd think it was a QRPGuys product, eh?

1) The gent who made the post complained that he ordered a kit, but received it fully assembled. QRPGuys does not sell them fully assembled. He claims he knew this was a knock-off.

2) "No Tune Eed Half Wave" ? Seriously?  You know it's bad enough that you're selling counterfeit products, you've ripped off a design - you can't, at the very least, get the spelling right? And you can't sell them without taking the QRPGuys name off of them?

In this case, if you're the purchaser, you should have done a little more research, you got what you paid for - no refunds, no complaining.

All that said, I've purchased my fair share of Chinese manufactured Amateur Radio equipment. I knew what I was buying and didn't expect the sun, moon and stars. And I certainly wasn't buying anything with a counterfeit Kenwood, Yaesu or Icom label on it. There's a difference between knowingly buying something and being fooled into buying something.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Broke the 100 confirmations mark today!

NPOTA, that is:

I actually have about 1/2 a dozen more that haven't been confirmed yet. According to LotW, those stations have not uploaded logs since their activations.  A few were a while ago, so I guess it's possible that maybe they won't.

While working a few today, it was extremely embarrassing and saddening to see so may out there have no clue on how to handle themselves in a pileup.  Guys ..... YOU HAVE TO LISTEN!

Throwing out your call sign ad nauseum without taking a moment to listen is the number one earmark of lid-dome. Seriously, if you send out your call ten times without taking a breath, how are you going to know if the activator is calling you back? By the time you've stopped sending your call, the activator has worked someone else and is calling QRZ again (and everyone else in the pileup has taken note of your call sign - you can count on it!). DON'T BE AN ALLIGATOR!  You know, all mouth and no ears! Throw out your call once - maybe twice max, and then open up those ear holes and listen!

Which leads to a second and related problem.  If you can't hear the station you are trying to work, you have NO business sending out your call, in the first place.  If you can't hear the station well enough to know that he's answering someone else - or worse, is in QSO with someone else; but you keep sending your call anyway ..... bad scene, man, bad scene.  You've marked yourself as a QRM generator and no one likes those. Don't rely on the Cluster. Just because DX Summit says Joe Ham is on 7.034 MHz at NPOTA NP256 ..... if you can't hear him, then don't even try.  It's a waste of your time and everyone else in the pileup is going to think you're an idiot.

Now everyone makes an honest mistake now and then, and that's OK,  But you can tell when someone has no clue as to what they're doing. And frighteningly, it seems to be becoming more and more common.

It's OK to be excited and enthusiastic. It's not OK to be reckless or use poor operating practises. Use common sense, read the DX Code of Conduct and you'll be OK.

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

The Radio Amateur's Code

The Radio Amateur's Code

CONSIDERATE...He/[She] never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.

LOYAL...He/[She] offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs, the IARU Radio Society in his/[her] country, through which Amateur Radio in his/[her] country is represented nationally and internationally.

PROGRESSIVE...He/[She] keeps his/[her] station up to date.  It is well-built and efficient.  His/[Her] operating practice is above reproach.

FRIENDLY...He/[She] operates slowly and patiently when requested; offers friendly advice and counsel to beginners; kind assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the marks of the amateur spirit.

BALANCED...Radio is a hobby, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.

PATRIOTIC...His/[Her] station and skills are always ready for service to country and community.

The original version of this was written in 1928, by Paul M Segal W9EEA, and it's been modified over the years as things change with the times. The core message remains the same though, as it's pretty much timeless.

The one trait that I want to touch upon today, is the "Balanced" one.

The Radio Amateur is:

BALANCED...Radio is a hobby, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.

Sometimes, I think we forget this one the most, and the evidence is not that hard to find. Take a wander on over to Facebook, or listen to a repeater and it's pretty obvious that some of us become seriously preoccupied or obsessed with such activities as NPOTA, contesting, DXing, county hunting, SOTA, etc.

Amateur Radio, on the whole, and these activities in particular are good and wholesome things. For instance, I'm certain that a lot of our wives, husbands and significant others would rather have us in the shack, yakking away on our radios than spending the month's mortgage money in bars,saloons, casinos or race tracks.

But it's easy to lose focus and become obsessed.  Radio sport that involves chasing that elusive country, county, SOTA peak, NPOTA entity or whatever should never become the focus of our lives, or our reason for being.  Just as purchasing that new rig, antenna, or piece of test equipment should never result in being unable to pay the mortgage, rent or put food on the table. It should also never result in the kid's college fund being raided.

Do you enter the shack on a Friday night for a contest, only to emerge late Sunday evening or early Monday morning?  That's not good, my friends.

Even an essential thing can become bad, if you're not careful. Are you that someone who HAS to be at every civic function or training class?  Even public service, as worthy and noble a cause as it is, should never become between you and your family.  Before going out to respond to any disaster or emergency, the health and welfare of your loved ones should always be your top priority. If they're not taken care of, you don't go.

The bottom line is that there's more to life than Amateur Radio. In our quest to satisfy our passion, sometimes we forget that. Family, friends, loved ones and those relationships are way more important, and should always come before getting that high score, or working that 300th country or buying that newest, latest and greatest radio.

Always keep in the back of your mind that the greatest gift you can give your family is your time. If you're doing OK with that, then you're doing a good job with the "Balanced" part of The Radio Amateur's Code.

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

A rant about working pileups - from both ends.

I was trying to work one of the NPOTA guys yesterday and wasn't having much success, which is OK. Sometimes that's just how it goes, a lesson learned the hard way from the QRP Fox hunts.  I'll not name names or call signs or the location of this particular activation, as I would like to keep with the old "Dragnet" thing of "changing the names to protect the innocent."

The pile up was pretty hot and heavy - it's amazing, in a way, how popular this NPOTA program has become!  I guess most Hams are kind of competitive by nature, and I suppose there's a little "pile up breaker" in a lot of us.

To get on with the story (and my rant), the Amateur Radio op decided to make sense of the pile up by resorting to working call sign areas, which is a good strategy. It thins out the herd a bit, albeit making for littler herds, but it DOES calm things down a bit.

The op worked about four stations from call area 1, then only a couple from call area 2, then about three from call area 3 - and then commenced to work about 30 or 40 from call area 4. And no, the NPOTA entity was not in call area 4 - so it wasn't a case of favoritism there.

My point is, if you're going to work by call areas, which is a recognized method of culling down the herd of a pile up - then be FAIR about it.  It's definitely NOT fair, if you're going to spend five minutes on some call areas and then a half hour on others.  Yes, propagation may determine that it works that way, but it's still not the right thing to do.  If you're going to work call areas, then give everyone a fair chance.  Work a set number (maybe 10 or less) and then move on to the next area.  If an area seems to be in the skip zone, at least give those guys a decent chance. Heck, you can even say (for instance), "I'm not hearing anyone from call area 8. Last chance, anyone from 8 land before I move on?"

And guys, it's a nice practice to call for DX and QRPers between working call area 0 and then going back to call area 1.

By the same token ...... chasers - clean the wax out of your ears!

If the NPOTA activator is calling for call area 4 - we should NOT hear call signs with 2s, 5s, or 7s in them.  If he's working call area 4 and you live in Tennessee, but your call sign is W7ABC, then you wait until he gets to the 7s. Either that, or apply for a call sign with a 4 in it.

More importantly, if you can't even hear the NPOTA station clearly enough to tell that he's working by call areas in the first place, then what are you doing throwing out your call sign?  Throwing out your call sign on a frequency just because the DX Cluster that you use is telling you there's an NPOTA station on frequency is NOT the thing to do. What if by some wild chance he hears you and answers you and you can't hear him well enough to know that he just answered you? I'll tell you what's going to happen - everyone else on frequency is going to make note of your call sign and associate it with the word "Lid" - and I don't think you want that to happen.

Others in the pileup - when you hear a Lid being a Lid - don't comment.  We all know he/she's a Lid by their actions. Your emphasizing the point just makes it worse.

Bottom line  -  Activators ...... use Common Sense.

Chasers ..... mind your manners and adhere to the DX Code of Conduct.

As Stan Lee would say, "'Nuff said!"

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

These QRP Fox hunts are humbling

Just when you think you have it figured out, you realize you don't.

The 80 Meter QRP Fox hunt, featured two fine Foxes, Tom Jennings KV2X in upstate NY and Tim Groat KR0U in Colorado.

OK, so say you're me. You're on 80 Meters alternately using a wire and a vertical.  You find Tim KR0U and he's about 559 with heavy QSB.  The you twiddle the dial and you find Tom KV2X who's 20 over 9 with a strong, steady signal.

Who do you think you'd work quickest?

KV2X - right?  After all, he's the next state over, it's 80 Meters, it's winter, and he's louder than all get out.  You have to be decently loud to him in return ........ right? Anybody who's been on HF for more than five minutes knows this ... right?

It took me exactly 45 minutes to work Tom. And I have to tell you, there were many times that I was tempted to throw my Oak Hills Research Wattmeter in line.  I thought something had broken, or something was wrong with my coax or the antennas themselves.  It shouldn't take 45 minutes to work a signal THAT loud ..... should it? Conventional wisdom would seem to dictate otherwise.

Well it did.  At this point, I figured the snow ball had a better chance surviving Hell than I had working Tim.  But what the heck, in for a penny - in for a pound.  I figured out the split and started putting out my call.

Knock W2LJ over with a feather, folks. The KR0U pelt was secured within 5 minutes of trying! I'm still kind of shocked and puzzled as to how that went.  It took 3/4 of an hour to work a guy that I should have been able to work with two tin cans and wire, while the "tough one" ended up being a veritable piece o' cake.  It makes no sense to me at all, but it is what it is, I guess.

Amateur Radio surpasses my feeble understanding and leaves me slack jawed, mouth agape and humbled once again!

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

Some friendly NPOTA (and portable ops, in general) advice

If you've never done any type of portable operating and you're intrigued by NPOTA, and are thinking of activating a park or entity, there are several things that you need to do. To a lot of QRPers, this will all be "Elementary, my dear Watson", as so may of us are used to taking our radios to all kinds of off-the-beaten-path locations.  But if you've never left the friendly confines of your Home shack before, here are some things to consider:

1) Scope out the entity or park before "Game Day". Know where you're going to operate from. Is there an out of the way place where you can set up, or will you be right in the thick of things?  Are there any prohibitions/releases/permissions needed?  You want to know about these things and get them out of the way and taken care of before Activation Day. There's nothing as disheartening as showing up and having a Park Ranger come up to you and say, "You can't do this, because (insert any number of reasons) .........". And, while we're on the subject of Park Rangers ......... I know this is so basic as to almost be insulting, but I'm going to mention it anyway. No matter what else happens during your activation, PLEASE ..... at all times be  cooperative, courteous and respectful to NPS employees. They're just there doing their job. It's important that we present Amateur Radio operators and Amateur Radio operations through the best lens possible. Don't ruin things for your future brother and sister Hams by being rude, pushy, or by having an attitude.

2) Know your equipment, know your antennas.  Know what works, what doesn't. Take what you need (with backups), but leave the fluff at home. If you've never done a portable operations gig outside of Field Day, then you need some practice.  Portable operations are not quite the same as Field Day. Close, but not quite the same.  First off, your activation more than likely won't be for 24 hours, so you're going to have to consider power.  Power is the most important thing.  4, 5 or 6 hours at the 100 Watt level?  You're going to need to bring heavy, fully charged deep cycle batteries with you. 4, 5 or 6 hours at QRP levels? Life gets much easier. Smaller, lighter SLAs or better yet, feather-weight lithium ion batteries will serve you well.

Second, you may very well be "it".  Solo ... a party of one.  So that means all the work will be performed by you. Make sure your setup will be manageable by you, alone without any outside help. Don't be overly ambitious. There's nothing wrong with just tossing a wire into a tree and going "au natural". If you can manage elaborate that's all well and good, but this is supposed to be enjoyable for you, too. The KISS* principle is a good one to remember and it applies to NPOTA and portable ops in general, very, very well.

Antennas.  Unfortunately, there is no "one size fits all" solution, but the idea is to make a lot of contacts. You don't want to spend all your precious time setting up aerials to get on the air, so go with antennas that are relatively easy to set up quickly. Operating stationary mobile from the car?  Hamsticks, Buddisticks, Buddipoles, screwdriver antennas are all good choices.  Operating away from the car?  End fed wires, Buddipoles, Buddisticks, dipole antennas, and the Alex Loop are all good choices, but again, your environment (presence of trees or not?) and/or park rules will be a big factor in deciding what you can or cannot use.

Logging. Logging is one of the most important aspects of NPOTA, and you really can't be casual about it.  So far, in the early moments of NPOTA, it appears as though this program is quite the huge hit. It's not unusual to tune across the HF bands and hear pileups taking place. All these NPOTA chasers want credit for their time and effort. It's your duty as an Activator, to do your best to record the QSOs as reasonably accurately as you can. Bring an accurate watch with you, preferably one that can be set up to display UTC time.  For the actual task of logging, whether you bring along your laptop, or log on your cellphone (Hamlog is excellent for this!), or even log using plain ol'  paper and pencil, you need to perform this task efficiently and well. Keep in mind that you will need to upload your logs to the ARRL's Logbook of the World.  This is how Activators and Chasers get credit.  If you're not already on LotW,  then you need to send in for a password and set up an account. If you're already an LotW user, you will need to download and install the latest version of Trusted QSL. This will allow you to set up locations for your account other than "Home" using the NPOTA entity designators as location names. THIS IS IMPORTANT! If you do not upload your log using the NPOTA entity designator as your location, neither you or your chasers will get credit for all your effort.  Believe me, you do not want hundreds of e-mails from angry NPOTA chasers asking you why they didn't get credit for working you. Not that that would ever, ever happen!  ;-)

If your NPOTA activation will be your first solo portable experience, go to a local park away from home and try your setup there. Some people would recommend setting up in the backyard, but it's way too convenient to just walk back into the house if you've forgotten something. When you're away from home, even if it's a short distance, and you discover you have forgotten something vital, you are way more than likely to never, ever forget it again. Don't feel bad about making a checklist for yourself. Checklists are very, very good things.

3) Know yourself. Know your limits. Everyone would like to go hiking and activate that trail, or activate that park in the middle of the beauty and solitude of Nature .....but if you can't walk to the corner mailbox without getting winded - you're not going to activate a SOTA peak or a mountain trail.  If you need to, find a place with a parking lot (gives you the option to operate from the car if you're not the outdoors type or if the weather is bad), picnic tables (if you're only somewhat the outdoors type) and "facilities" so your activation can be an enjoyable, exhilarating experience that you will want to repeat, and not look back upon with dread. You're most likely to enjoy your outing if you're comfortable, so dress appropriately, bring along water (and snacks if you need to), bring along some type of folding chair if you think it will be required.

4) Bring your cell phone and one of whatever VHF. UHF, VHF/UHF handheld(s) you may own. God forbid you sprain an ankle and need help, it just a call way, via telephone call or a repeater contact. The cell phone has an added benefit. If you are lucky enough to have cell service at your chosen location, you can log onto DX Summit or DX Heat and you can self spot your activation. You can quite literally go from calling CQ to pile up conditions within seconds. If you do self spot, please make sure to put "NPOTA" and your entity designator in the comments portion of the spot.

I really hope the above doesn't scare you off or deter you. It wasn't meant to, it was meant to bring some common sense ideas to be considered by new, or less experienced portable operators. Once you've left the shack and have gotten into the Great Outdoors, with your radio providing you with fun and companionship, I guarantee that you will be smitten and will want to go out and do it again, and again, and again, and again.

One last caveat. I am by no means an expert on portable ops. I'm not a SOTA Mountain Goat, nor a W1PID nor a WG0AT nor a N7UN, nor a K0JQZ for that matter.  I'm just offering basic advice based upon my own limited experience. The comment box is always open, so please feel free to add to what I have written here; or correct me on anything I may have gotten wrong. We all learn when we share.

I've posted this video before, but to see how simple, easy and fun and successful this can be, here's the YouTube video that Sean Kutzko KX9X posted about his activation of Pigeon Key in Florida.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

*KISS = Keep It Simple, Stupid!

A shock to the system!

After an abnormally warm November and December (December was the warmest since records have been kept), Ol' Man Winter had decided to kick New Jersey right in the kisser!  It was downright frigid for my lunchtime QRP session this afternoon.  Ok, so it wasn't as frosty as the Winter of 2014/2015, but today's 30F (-1C) felt like a slap in the face after the balmy Autumn/beginning of Winter that we enjoyed.

Thank the Lord that the Buddistick takes less than a minute to set up.  After I plopped it on the Jeep roof, I was able to quickly take refuge in the unheated, but wind-less confines of the Jeep interior. When the weather turns colder, all of a sudden coax and paddle cables and ear bud cables become a lot less pliable, and tasks that take even a few seconds feel like they take longer!

I was on the air in a matter of just a few minutes.  Both 15 and 17 Meters seemed "meh" after a quick dial twiddle, so I resorted to calling CQ on 14.062 MHz after a "QRL?" brought no responses. My first contact was a 2X QRP QSO with Tim KD8GZ, who sent a most gracious e-mail to me immediately after. Thanks, Tim!

The second QSO was with Jim W9JDH.  Both QSOs were short, as QSB and QRM were not our friends today - but any contact is golden as far as I'm concerned. Just knowing that my 5 Watts of RF is travelling and that the possibilities are open and endless is what this is all about.

However, the weather did bring to mind some words for NPOTA activators in the colder parts of the United States- especially those who are not used to doing portable/outdoor activations. These words are not mine, but are the words of the Arizona ScQRPions who sponsor the Freeze Your Buns Off event.

"NOTE: This is a fun contest, NOT an episode of Survivor. Be aware of the temperature and the possibility of cold injury! PLEASE be careful."

And these words are sound advice.  If you're not used to doing this kind of portable work, use common sense. Stay out of the cold - seek shelter if you can. Hey, for a lot of these NPOTA locations, as long as you're on the property, it counts. There's nothing wrong with working the event from the inside of your car on the site's parking lot. For the colder climates - above all - stay warm and stay dry!

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

Ham Radio to the rescue!

After kind of causing the problem, in the first place.

http://kdvr.com/2015/05/17/littleton-snowshoer-rescued-after-falling-off-icy-ledge/

Thanks to Drew W2OU for pointing this one out.

But in all seriousness folks, portable ops can seem harmless, but they come with their own hazards and some can be life threatening.

Just a few basic things to keep in mind:

Don't go hiking alone if you're unfamiliar with the trail. It's too easy to get lost. I speak of this one from personal experience. Once I was out on a hike in the Adirondacks on an unfamiliar trail for the first time, and I took a turn I shouldn't have and found myself off the trail. Fortunately, I kept calm, retraced my steps and found my way back quickly and easily. However, if you panic, all bets may be off. Moral of the story - two or more sets of eyes are better than one when looking for trail markers.

Always take along extra water, food and appropriate clothing. While it may be hot and sunny when you start out, weather can and often does change in a heart beat, so keep weather conditions in mind. For good measure, always bring along your VHF/UHF handheld, it could literally save your life.

Let someone know where you're going and approximately how long you'll be gone.

This is an obvious one, but people sometimes forget. If you can hear thunder, shut the station down! A storm does not have to be right on top of you to be a lightning threat. Lightning bolts can touch down more than 10 miles away from a thunderstorm's leading edge.

Portable operating is about the most fun you can have in Amateur Radio, but you have to approach it in a common sense fashion.

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

Now, THIS would have been

the weekend to have held FYBO! The weather people are saying that along with the polar vortex that will be visiting this weekend, we'll be getting (probably) the coldest weather of the season. We had a high temperature of 41F (5C) here today around lunchtime. Ever since then, the degrees have been dropping like an elevator coming down from the top floor a skyscraper. It's currently 27F (-2C) and there are some pretty fierce snow squalls at the moment. Oh, and if the dropping temperatures weren't enough, the same forecasters are broaching the possibility of significant snow, perhaps on Saturday.

 I'm sitting in the shack, waiting for the 80 Meter QRP Fox hunt to begin. I have a big mug of hot chocolate to keep me warm. I am listening to the K1N pileup on 30 Meters. I think the K1N ops are exhausted by now. They're not whittling away the pileups like they were - long pauses before answers. These guys are just fantastic in my book. It's been hot as heck on that island - I saw the one photo where their digital thermometer was reading 112F (44C), and supposedly the island is home to rats the size of cats and there are also supposedly a lot of black widow spiders. Not exactly like home. And through it all, they've handed out somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000 QSOs. I can't wait to see the video of this DXpedition.

That being said, I'm not terribly sad they're going QRT this coming Sunday morning. It will be nice for a while to get back to normal, where trying to work a DX station means only going up 1 or 2 or perhaps 3 kHz - not 20 to 30! Even on CW, the pile up behavior has been atrocious, and I've never heard so many curse words spelled out in Morse before. I think this DXpedition was a triumph for the K1N team, but a lot of our brethren in the pile ups have a lot to be ashamed about.

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

FYBO 2015 - this Saturday!

Freeze Your B____ Off 2015 is this coming Saturday - the opening event of the 2015 Outdoor QRP Operating season!  If the weathermen are correct, and these days, who knows? Anyway, if the weathermen are correct, Saturday will be the last day before a significant three day snow event here in Central New Jersey. As of right this second, the forecasted high temperature for Saturday is expected to be 39F (4C), with overcast skies. That would be a 4X multiplier at the very least.

So I have several options. I can operate from outdoors - probably the picnic table in the back yard, but that's still covered with ice from last Monday's ice storm - it's never gotten above freezing since that nasty little clipper came through here. I can also operate from inside the Jeep. The advantage there is that all I have to do is plop the Buddistick on the roof - after I chip away the ice that's still on the top of it! But, with the heat off, the temperature inside the Jeep will be the same as the outdoors. Operating in this manner wouldn't qualify for the Mobile category, but it would be much dryer than the picnic table. I have time to decide - there's no hurry, and it will depend how adventurous I feel and how clogged up my head is on Saturday. Don't want this slight head cold that I am dealing with to develop into bronchitis or something worse.

FYBO rules haven't changed much, with the exception that this year, teams are being allowed. Here's the URL for the page with the latest rules posting: http://www.azscqrpions.org/FYBO2015_Rules.htm

I guess I should make sure all my batteries are charged up for this weekend!

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

Peoples is crazy!

When I was a kid, I vaguely remember a comedian on TV, who would say in a thick, mock German accent, "Peoples is crazy!" or something very similar to that.  That line kept running through my mind tonight as I volunteered as a CERT member for South Plainfield Emergency Management at the South Plainfield High School graduation ceremony, held at the football field.

Jost Field - the South Plainfield High School Football Field and Track facility.

We provided a whole bunch of services. We directed people to parking spots, and as it was a hot day - we handed out cold bottled water to anyone who desired it, we provided "a presence" and kept our eyes peeled for anyone who looked like they might get ill or faint, or might otherwise need assistance.

By the end of the ceremony, 260 high school grads received their diplomas after many speeches, much cheering and screaming and hoopla.

The best came at the end of the night, though, as dusk was falling and the near full moon started to rise.  On three separate occasions, I kept spectators from jumping over the chain link fence and running onto the football field to greet their graduates.  In each case, I'm not talking about kids here. I am referring to older "Dad types" who should have known better than to attempt such a stunt.  On each occasion, as the improbable was about to be tried, I simply but firmly stated, "Please go around to the gate and don't jump over the fence."  The first two guys said nothing - and just complied.

The third guy?  Oh, he was a good one. A rather snarky "And why should I listen to you?" was what I got for my request.  Rather than argue, I just very politely asked, "Sir, do you really want your son or daughter to remember their high school graduation night as the time that Dad had to go to the Emergency Room to get stitches in his leg after he cut it while trying to jump the football field fence?" He looked at me, thought about it for half a second and went around to the gate.

Peoples is crazy!

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

Follow up - Saw my fence jumper today at the A&P - yep, the third guy.  While I was shopping, he tapped me on the shoulder, shook my hand, and thanked me for preventing him from doing something "potentially very stupid", as he put it.  Sometimes it's all worth it.

Another new one; but not QRP.

I got another new DXCC entity into the log tonight; but it was not QRP, and even at 85 Watts it was a bit of a chore.

The station was A61Q and the entity was the United Arab Emirates. The band was 17 Meters. For whatever reason the DX op decided not to work split; but to stay simplex.  That made for pandemonium.  I found him by tuning around, and when I saw/heard the pileup, I checked the cluster, and sure enough, he had already been spotted multiple times. It's no exaggeration to say that a melee ensued.

At the beginning, he was as loud as A45XR was from Oman the past couple of nights.  I thought I stood a good chance with QRP and started there.  The pileup was a zoo and I threw out my call many times with no luck.  I sensed a pattern - A61Q would call "CQ DX" and the ensuing cacophony of chasing stations followed his "K".  It turned out that he was working stations that he could pick out as the calling died down, and everyone started listening (funny how that works, eh?).

As I sensed his pattern, I thought I stood an even better chance. But then the inevitable started happening - the band began to change.  He went from 599+++++ to 599++, then eventually 599+, and then eventually just 599.  At that point, he looked like he might fade fast; so I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and turned the K3 up to 85 Watts.  It took about a half dozen calls or so (waiting for the avalanche of calls to die before throwing mine out), but I finally heard my call coming back to me.  We completed the exchange (stations were actually calling him while he was still working me!!!) and I listened for a while as I put the QSO information into my log.  Within the next ten minutes A61Q was becoming covered by the background noise.

I heard plenty of other DX; but for some reason QRP just wasn't working for me tonight.  I didn't hear any more new entities; so after A61Q I kept it to 4.8 Watts (I always stay just a bit below 5 Watts - call it a quirk).  I did end up working N4FOC on 20 Meters and then John N8ZYA on 30 Meters before pulling the plug for the night.

Getting back to the pileup situation, though. Folks - the most formidable DX weapon you have is your ears. Use them!  You have two ears and one key (or microphone) - that should tell you something. Listening is more important than transmitting.

It seems like when "exotic" DX comes on the band, people just snap and go crazy or something.  Here we have a station working simplex, which is bad enough - but we also have a gazillion or so chasing stations that just aren't listening!  When the DX calls "WB4?" - why are W7 or N6 or AA5 stations throwing out their calls?  Isn't it deathly obvious that he's trying to work the WB4 station?  And please don't tell me you thought the was calling for something else.  You know, if you couldn't hear him well enough to know that he called "WB4?" then you shouldn't be trying to work him in the first place.  Just because a DX station is listed on the cluster doesn't mean that you should click your mouse and immediately start throwing out your call. See if you can actually hear him first, OK?  If you can't hear him, how are you going to know that he's calling you back?  Common sense, right?

If A61Q had worked split, the situation might have been better, but that assumption is not a lock, either.  But if everyone had been listening and not sending out their calls needlessly while simultaneously foaming at the mouth, then the DX station could have worked a whole bunch more stations than he had.  The pandemonium slowed things down exponentially.

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

My name is Larry ..... and I am a Lid.

There! That sounds like the beginning of an Alcoholics Anonymous story, doesn't it? I'll explain my confession about being a Lid in just a little while.

Actually, the evening started well. After dinner, I was able to get on the radio for a bit and found some activity. My first goal was to work some QRP DX. Now that I have entered the Club 72 DX Marathon, I don't want to be the only US station entered and show up dead last. To that end, I was successful and worked PP1CZ from Brazil on 17 Meters. To my delight, I found activity on 10 Meters also, and I was fortunate enough to get 6Y5KF from Jamaica and LU1FAM from Argentina into my log. I entered the PP1CZ and LU1FAM as official QSOs for the day.

Now, onto the 80 Meter QRP Foxhunts and my liddiness issues.  The first Fox was easy. I was easily able to find Jim K4AXF. Since Jim is located in Virginia, that's a real easy shot from New Jersey on 80 Meters. Using the KX3's Dual Watch feature, I had Jim's pelt within 16 minutes from the beginning of the hunt.

The second Fox was Jerry N9AW. Normally, Jerry is an easy catch for me. Most Wisconsin and Minnesota Foxes are. Sometimes I think I have a pipeline to that part of the country. But this time his signal was weak, so I waited for a while before calling. Sure as anything, Jerry's signal started improving. Again, using Dual Watch, I was able to figure out rather easily where he was listening. I began calling, but for some reason, I just wasn't making it.

That's when I discovered my error! I looked down and noticed that after I had worked K4AXF, I had turned the split function off. Horror of horrors! I had forgotten to turn the split function back on and I was calling N9AW on his calling frequency!  The "Prime No-No" of Foxhunting! If I could have dug a hole, I would have jumped in and closed it up after myself. I had probably angered a whole bunch of my brother and sister Hounds. Imaginary mutterings of "Lid" stung my ears. My deepest and sincerest apologies, my fellow Foxhunters. I have violated the sacred Foxhunters Code of Conduct. I will accept the 40 lashes with a wet noodle that I am entitled to.

After rectifying my mistake, though, I got Jerry in the log in very short order. In fact, it only took one call. Amazing how well things can go when you use the equipment properly.

My fellow Fox hunters are a kind and magnanimous group, so I doubt anyone will give me grief. But that won't be necessary, as I will give myself plenty, and will do my best to make sure I don't make the same mistake a second time.

Being a Lid is no fun.

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

One Mo' Time !

Fox Hunter’s Code of Conduct

I will listen, and listen, and then listen again before calling.

I will only call if I can copy the Fox station properly (so that I will know for certain that he is calling me and no one else).

I will not interfere with the Fox station nor anyone calling and will never tune up on the Fox frequency or in the QSX slot.

I will double check to make sure I am operating split, if necessary.

I will use full break-in if at all possible.

I will wait for the Fox station to end a contact before I call.

I will always send my full call sign.

I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will not call continuously.

I will not transmit when the Fox station calls another call sign, not mine.

I will not transmit when the Fox station queries a call sign not like mine.

When the Fox station calls me, I will send only the required exchange of RST – S/P/C – Name – Power out

I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact.

I will resort to attempting duplicate contacts only if I am very certain that I was not heard the first time.

I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Enough to drive you batty!

I wasn't going to post about this; but I'm sitting here and have a few moments while I wait for my daughter to call. She's on a Girl Scout field trip to the NJ State Police Training Academy.  The girls should be back at the troop leader's house in about an hour to 90 minutes, so I have some time to kill before going to pick her up. And I'm too tired to go downstairs and turn the rig on. Just got back from our Church's Friday Lenten Fish Fry. I'm part of the clean up crew and there were only four of us this week, to clean up after 400 fish dinners were served. To say I am beat is an understatement.

Last night I participated in the 80 Meter QRP-L Fox hunt. The Foxes were Paul AA4XX in North Carolina and TJ WØEA in Iowa.  I was able to hear them both well, and work them both - Paul was pretty much 599 the entire evening.  TJ started out ESP but was also 599 before the night wore on too long.

They both started at 0100 UTC and were doing quite well, running the packs of baying hounds in an orderly manner.  But I felt really bad for Paul as he had to QSY a couple of times during the 90 minute session.  Why?  Because someone would start calling up a net right on top of him.  

OK, OK ...... I understand that Paul was a QRP station running 5 Watts and the Net Control Station may not have heard him. But no "QRL?" - not even one?  I was there when this started, and yes, the frequency might have sounded empty to the NCS - but that is never, never, never, NEVER an excuse for ANY station to start transmitting without double checking to see if the frequency is in use.

It's good operating practice and it's good manners.

I was on Facebook with some of the other Hounds after the hunt and brought this up.  TJ WØEA asked me, "You're going to blog about this, aren't you?"  (My friends know me so well.)

My answer to him was that I didn't plan on it as I have beaten this dead horse over and over again. But it bears repeating, even though I might be reported for harming this poor horsie.

Good operating practice and manners will only rule the day if we make it a point to make them rule the day.

There's no excuse for being a Lid - NCS or not.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

DX Code of Conduct

This post will deal with a phenomena that is occurring more and more frequently, I believe.  But it hasn’t been noticed by me alone, it was also noticed by Jim K9JV, who posted about it on QRP-L this morning.  I touched upon this  in my recent post about pile up behavior; however,  this is a very important topic, so here we go again.

Jim was trying to work both P29NO and 9M4SLL.  The pileups were big and unruly.  While it is the domain of the DX to try and control the pileups, it remains the responsibility of those trying to work the DX to do so in as “professional” a manner as possible.  Jim pointed out that several stations continued to throw out their calls, even though the quarry was clearly calling for a station whose call was in no way similar to those of the perpetrators.

This is maddening!  K9JV was furious (and justifiably so) that when  P29NO was calling “K9?V”, a KØ, a VE and a W2 kept plaguing the aether with their calls.  I had a similar experience a few years ago when I was trying to work an Iraqi station.  I was one of those competing in the pileup, and the Iraqi station suddenly began sending “W2L?”   He meant yours truly of course, yet I was obliterated by a W4 station, and no, it wasn’t a W4Lsomething (I could have accepted that) – the station didn’t even have an “L” in their call at all!  Jim was lucky as he ended up working P29NO. In my case, the Iraqi station subsequently went QRT and I never got him in the log.

What causes this kind of behavior?  Are people truly that stupid and discourteous?  I don’t know the answer to that, although I am tempted to offer an unfounded and uncharitable guess.

But I think part of the problem may lay in the way that I think DX is encountered today.  At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, in the days of old, we used to find DX by twiddling the dial and listening for it.  You spun the dial knob, up and down – back and forth, straining your ears to find that foreign amateur radio op.  If you were lucky, you were able to hear him, you worked him and you were good to go.  Or you listened for a pileup, and you located the station they were all calling, determined if you needed him, and then you joined the fray.  But in essence, YOU had to locate the DX station yourself, either by dial twiddling or by locating the goal of a pileup.

Today, things have gotten immensely easier; but at the same time, we have invoked “The Law of Unintended Consequences”.  Allow me to explain with this scenario:

A station twiddles the dial – he finds and hears (for example, we’ll use a DXpedition that just concluded) TX5K.  He works him.  Then, proud of his accomplishment, he posts TX5K to the Internet (in the days of old, the PacketCluster), wishing to share the bounty. Immediately, on the screens of Amateur Ops the world over, it appears that TX5K has appeared on 18.073 MHz (for example).

Nowadays, with the myriad of the logging programs and rig control programs available, an Amateur Op can just point and click with his mouse and “Viola!” there they are, on TX5K’s frequency.

I think the problem is, that many (but by nowhere near all) ops don’t pause to listen to hear if they can actually hear TX5K.  Or may be they can, but they hear him only marginally at best.  In fact, they hear him so marginally that if they were tuning across the band on their own, they wouldn’t have been able to tell that it was TX5K in the first place – but hey, their computers tell them that he’s there, right?  So what do they do?  They start throwing out their calls in the hopes that somehow he’ll magically get louder and that they’ll be heard in return.  Heck, in many cases they can’t even tell that he’s working split!  So they call right on the listening frequency, which then invokes the ensuing cacophony of “UP”s and “LID”s being sent.

It gets to be one, big frustrating mess.  And this doesn’t even take into account the zoo that can occur if some quack, who literally enjoys jamming DX operations, gets involved.

So what should be done about this?  Closely and completely adhere to the “DX Code of Conduct” – that’s what!

The DX Code of Conduct was formulated by Randy Johnson W6SJ.  You can read about it here.

I will listen, and listen, and then listen again before calling.
I will only call if I can copy the DX station properly.
I will not trust the DX cluster and will be sure of the DX station's call sign before calling.
I will not interfere with the DX station nor anyone calling and will never tune up on the DX frequency or in the QSX slot.
I will wait for the DX station to end a contact before I call.
I will always send my full call sign.
I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will not call continuously.
I will not transmit when the DX operator calls another call sign, not mine.
I will not transmit when the DX operator queries a call sign not like mine.
I will not transmit when the DX station requests geographic areas other than mine.
When the DX operator calls me, I will not repeat my call sign unless I think he has copied it incorrectly.
I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact.
I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.

Having wonderful tools at your disposal does not abrogate your responsibility to operate in an unselfish manner. You must still be courteous to your fellow Hams.

I am so taken by this credo, that I am posting the DX Code of Conduct badge on the side of this blog, to be a reminder to myself and others.

Oh, and QRP Fox hunters …… your situation is a bit different, so let’s adapt these:

Fox Hunter’s Code of Conduct

I will listen, and listen, and then listen again before calling.
I will only call if I can copy the Fox station properly.
I will not interfere with the Fox station nor anyone calling and will never tune up on the Fox frequency or in the QSX slot.
I will use full break-in if at all possible.
I will wait for the Fox station to end a contact before I call.
I will always send my full call sign.
I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will not call continuously.
I will not transmit when the Fox station calls another call sign, not mine.
I will not transmit when the Fox station queries a call sign not like mine.
When the Fox station calls me, I will send ONLY the required exchange of RST – S/P/C – Name – Power out
I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact.
I will resort to attempting duplicate contacts only if I am very certain that I was not heard the first time.
I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.

If we all do these things, life on the bands can be much more pleasant.

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

Pile up behavior

I was in the basement, cutting up some cardboard boxes for the recycling pickup tomorrow.  To dispel the quiet and to have something to listen to, I turned the radio on.

I worked K6K/MM on 17 Meters.  My friend Bob W3BBO worked them last night on 20 Meters and let me know that these folks are the DXpedition that is heading to Clipperton.  I worked Clipperton back in 2000; but that was with 75 Watts (QRO).  I will try again; but QRP this time (of course).

From there, I tuned up into the SSB portion of 20 Meters.  I figured I would listen to either some guys chewing the rag, or some guys working DX.  I ended up listening to guys try and work some DX.  To be honest with you, I don't even know who or where the station was.  He was working simplex and the pile up was not huge; but he wasn't calling CQ, either.  He had enough stations to handle.

Why do people insist on calling a DX station when they can't adequately hear him?  I ask this, because there were guys throwing out their calls, while the DX station was still in QSO with the previous station!

It seems to me, that if you can't hear the DX station well enough to know that he's still talking and hasn't finished ...... what makes you think that you'll hear him come back to you?  Do these folks think that propagation is going to magically improve so that a 2X contact can be made?

I'm not getting just on the SSB guys.  It's no better on the CW side - heck, it's no better in the QRP Fox Hunts!  I can't tell you how many times guys just keep throwing out their call signs over, and over and over until you want to tear your hair out.  Call signs being spewed out when the Fox is in the middle of making a contact with someone else.

If you can't hear THAT, why even bother to try to work them? Unless you can hear him well enough to respond to you, it seems to me that you're just setting yourself up to be thought of as a Lid by your peers.

That old saying holds true - "You can't work 'em if you can't hear 'em."  But maybe we should also add, "You shouldn't try to work 'em if you can't hear 'em!"

Just sayin'

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

Wow!

Trying to work K6JSS/7 - Jed (AD7KG) in Utah on 20 Meters and did not have any success, even though he was 599 and loud into NJ.  Guess reciprocal propagation is not always a sure thing.  Just as the herd was thinning out a bit, Jed's signal went from 599 to about 229 in a heartbeat.  Oh, well!

I tried again on 40 Meters a little later and came oh, so close!  A bunch of us were calling and he sent a "W2??" - so can you please tell me, for the love of Pete - why do W4 stations start sending their call at that point?  I could see a W3 sending his call at that point as 2 and 3 are so close in Morse.  But sending WU4"XX" over and over and over when he's stated that he's looking for a W2?  Oy vey! - the difference is obvious!  But the squeaky wheel got the grease and the "WU4" station, who was louder than me, I guess, got heard and beat me out for the QSO.  And then a little later, when he sends a "K4B??" - why does a K4 with a suffix that starts with an "F" feel he has to start sending his call?  Oh yeah,  "-..." and ".._." - they're so close as to be twins!  Well, at least he had the call district right.

Pileup discipline is not very good these days, I guess.  Rather than get frustrated (too late), I'll just try working him another night.

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