FOBB after action report

The weather held off! For the duration of the Flight of the Bumblebees, I was not bothered by rain, lighting, or thunder. In fact, one really couldn't ask for better weather! Throughout it was warm, in the upper 80s (32C), but where I was located there was a light breeze, and I was in a shady spot.

I went up to Washington Rock State Park, a favorite QRP operating haunt of mine. The trees are tall, there are plenty of picnic tables and not too many people to classify as "crowded". I arrived at about 12:20 PM EDT and promptly launched the antenna line. Once again, the Joplin MO ARC pneumatic launcher did not dissapoint. I easily shot a line over a tree at what I would estimate to be was the 60-65 foot level.

You can see the gray jacket of the coax running up to the PAR END FEDZ which was the antenna of choice for the day. I didn't put up the NorCal, but I think I will for the Skeeter Hunt.

As with any of these QRP Sprints, the activity level was low from the beginning. Before it got busy, I was joined by good friend and fellow SPARC member Dave Hackett KD2FSI who brought me a cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee and a cinnamon roll.  After finishing off his coffee, Dave asked if I would mind if he set up his portable station. I was estatic to have the company!

Dave set up his gear for for 6 Meters and also tried for some JT65 contacts while I played Bumblebee. It was great to have the company, as four hours can be a long time when you're alone. Dave and I are hoping to make a trip to High Point before Summer ends for a SOTA activation.

Of the 35 QSOs that I ended up making, all but seven were on 20 Meters. I don't know if there was a severe lack of activity on 40 Meters; or if I just couldn't hear what activity may have been there. I had almost an S7 background noise level on 40 Meters, which astounded me. I was in the middle of a state park on battery power and the RF hash was worse than at my house in my suburban neighborhood!

When I took this photo of my KX3, there was no signal present on frequency, at least none that I could hear!

20 Meters, was the "money band" but was full of QSB. At times, various stations, such as NK9G, K4BAI, AB9CA, KX0R and NM4T would qualify as "the loudest station on the band" only to totally disappear from ear shot within a very few short minutes, only to come back strong again at a later time.

Despite that, it was a good time.  And as Dave KD2FSI said, "If it was easy, it wouldn't be fun." and he hit the nail on the head with that one. My disappointments were not making 40 QSOs, a personal goal I had set, and not being able to work Kelly K4UPG, fellow QRP Polar Bear. I heard him several times on 20 Meters, but couldn't make myself heard. Maybe next time I'll try a flare gun.

We're now 2/3rds of the way through the Summer Trifecta. SYBO and FOBB are in the books. On to the Skeeter Hunt!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

FOBB 2009 - Redeux for 2015?

I just noticed that FOBB this year falls on the same date as it did in 2009 - July 26th. The weather forecast for this year is almost the same as 2009, as far as I remember  - starting out clear with a chance of a thunderstorm towards the end.

And that FOBB was memorable as I headed home 15 minutes early with the sounds of thunder rolling in - quickly.  Shortly after getting home, the storm worsened and the skies opened up. Our neighbor's tree took a direct lightning hit. Here's a photo I took that day:

As you can guess, that tree is no more. The Fire Department successfully put out the fire, which isn't the easiest thing to do, as pine sap is pretty flammable, and the flames were pretty high up. The tree lasted another year or so before dying off completely and eventually had to be cut down.

I just hope that weather for FOBB 2015 (unlike the date) isn't a repeat of 2009. Typical Summer day around here - sunny to start, with a 50/50 shot of a boomer near the end. Hopefully the bad weather will wait until after the entire four hours are done, and I'm safely home. I can deal with the temps of near or just over 90F (32C) - but truly, lightning is no Ham's friend.

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

Comprehensive kit provider listing

as compiled by Neal W2NDG:

http://radiokitguide.com

I'm also adding it as a permanent link in the links section.

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

More wallpaper

These came in the mail while we were away. When I finally have all 14 QSL cards (each Colony plus WM3PEN) I have in mind an idea for a nice framed display.

Thanks to Ken KU2US and ALL the 13 Colony ops, plus WM3PEN for putting on a super fun event. Kudos to GB13COL too, even though I didn't work them. Heck, I never even heard them!

I did the clean sweep in 2013 but never sent away for the certificate. I wasn't about to let that happen again!

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

Decisions, decisions

Today during lunch time, the bands once again seemed to be crappy.  I wasn't hearing very many signals on 20 Meters and only one loud one on 17 Meters, an Italian station whose call escapes me at the moment. It was another day of being handed skunk pelt.

So I spent most of the time calling CQ, and not being answered. Oh, and shift the red dot from MO to NJ.

My mind was drifting as the KX3 was keying. I began thinking about FOBB and antennas this weekend. I need to get to the park early, at least an hour ahead of time. I think that in addition to the EARCHI, that I am going to also sling the NorCal Doublet between a couple of trees.  I haven't used the doublet in a couple of years now and in fact, I think the last time I used it was when I was using the K1 as my portable ops rig. If there's not much activity - which I am hoping won't be the case - then maybe I can do some "doublet vs. end fed wire" comparisons, even if it's just reception comparisons.

My NorCal Doublet was built following the building instructions found on the NorCal website, with the exception that I have used light gauge speaker wire instead of ribbon cable.  In the past, I fed mine to my Emtech ZM2 tuner and then coax to the radio. I could also possibly just feed it directly to the KX3 using one of those binding post to BNC adapters to see how the KX3 autotuner will handle it. The KXAT3 is a very wide range tuner that I swear would match up to a strand of wet spaghetti, and it should handle the NorCal easily.  But you always have to keep in mind that just because an antenna is matched doesn't necessarily mean that it's efficient, and that's another discussion for another time.

Or, I could also possibly run it to an 4:1 LDG Balun that I have and then run some coax to the KX3.

Hopefully, however, the bands will be so good and the activity level will be so high that I won't have to entertain myself by doing antenna experimentation.

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

I'm going out on a limb

and creating more work for a QRP friend, Steve Fletcher G4GXL, over at QRP-ARCI (as if he doesn't have enough to do already - sorry, Steve!).

But did you know that if you're a paid up member of QRP-ARCI, that you can get QRP Quarterly as a .pdf file, sent to you?  Yes. you can! And it's real easy to do - here's the actual snippet from the QRP-ARCI Website:

Personally, I think this is fantastic and I offer kudos to Steve and QRP-ARCI.  I already get QST, CQ and the K9YA Telegraph in digital format, and now I can get the "Best of the Best" in digital format, too.

I know a lot of you prefer to have actual paper in your hands, but I like being able to have all four publications easily with me on my tablet. It takes up a lot less physical space, and I don't have to store back issues after the fact. And I've read so many books on my kindle and via the kindle app on other devices that swiping, enlarging, and dragging motions are almost like second nature to me now.

I suppose the fact that we save some trees in the process is a bonus too. Although, selfishly, I'm all in for the convenience! As far as storage goes, I have a dedicated USB memory stick where I already store back issues of the K9YA Telegraph. There's plenty of space on there for issues of QRP Quarterly.

Yes, I know there are downsides to digital formats of magazines. Of course, you need "juice" for the device's battery, and it's not as easy (or possible) to share or donate old issues to libraries or friends. But again, IMHO, these "cons" are minor compared to the "pros".  Whether we like it or not, it's more economical for the providers not to have to purchase paper, ink, binding, postage, etc. I would never say that actual paper publications will disappear forever, but this is (to use an overused phrase) "the wave of the future". And besides, if you're as old as I am (or older) who can forget the astronauts in "2001: A Space Odyssey" reading their news on a tablet like device.  Back in the 60s, when the movie came out, we all thought that would be so neat. That time is now, baby!

On another topic, remember how I mentioned in yesterday's post about FOBB that the weather forecast for Sunday would probably change between yesterday and then? It already has! Now it's looking like only clouds with no rain forecasted until well after FOBB 2015 is in the books. Looking better and better for heading out to Washington Rock State Park.

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

FOBB - Change of plans?

This Sunday is the 2015 Flight of the Bumblebees, the summer outdoor QRP sprint sponsored by Rich Fisher KI6SN and the Adventure Radio Society. My original intention was to operate from Washington Rock State Park, in Greenbrook, NJ. However, as of a few minutes ago, this is what the weather forecast for Sunday is looking like (according to WeatherUndergound):

Of course, the best chance for thunderstorms almost directly coincides with the FOBB. Just my luck!   But the chances are at best 50/50 - so I guess it will depend on what the skies look like around Noon.

If the skies are dark and foreboding, I will probably go to Cotton Street park, which is just a few blocks from home. That way if it starts thundering, I can get home rather quickly.  If the skies are bright, I'll probably take a chance and head over to Washington Rock.  Since the park is on the first ridge of the Watchung Mountains, there's a height elevation that I don't mind taking advantage of.

Weather is always volatile and ever changing in New Jersey this time of year. I need to caution myself that this forecast will probably change about a half dozen times between now and Sunday. Unless it turns out to be a very bright, sunny and cloudless day (which could happen), I'll probably end up making one of those last minute "gut feeling" decisions.

The last time I went to "The Rock" was last Autumn for QRP To The Field. I didn't make a lot of QRPTTF contacts, but I made a lot of contacts, some decent DX included. I really would like to do both FOBB and the Skeeter Hunt from there.

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

Sometimes you just want to scratch your head

I went out to the Jeep today during lunchtime. Could it be that because it's 94F (34C) outside that 20 Meters was hopping? It felt like there was more activity on the air today than there was all of last week at Lake George. 

In about 20 minutes I snared the following - all on 20 Meters:

KB9ILT who was operating from SOTA peak W8V/PH-007. Google revealed to me that that's Red Spruce Knob in West Virginia.

Next I worked Bill ZF2EZ on the Cayman Islands for a 2X QRP QSO. Signals were pretty darn nice. Bill was a good 579 here in NJ when QSB stopped trying to spoil all the fun.

I finished up by working Gary KT0A who was on SOTA peak W0D/BB-094, which is a summit in the Badlands Region of South Dakota. Gary. whom I have worked from numerous peaks was 449 and I am pretty sure that's what I got in return. QSB wasn't as kind to me during this QSO as it was with the others.

The elevation here in Warren, NJ is nowhere near what it was up in the Adirondacks. And considering I was using the PAR END FEDZ, which as been a trooper of a performer for me in the past, I would have thought that I would have heard much more than I did. I am guessing it was just the flukiness of band conditions and propagation. But then, nobody ever said this stuff was logical.

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

We're back from Lake George

and now it's time to settle into the mundane routine of worklife, I guess.

This came just before we left, but we were so busy, I didn't have time to scan and post:

Some 7 months after my application, but at least it came in one piece, undamaged and without a crease or fold mark. I have the 400 prefix endorsement somewhere down in the shack.  I'll attach it before I frame it.

And now that we're back, that's going to be my next project, or order of business - clean out the shack. Currently, it looks like a bomb hit it. It's hodgepodge of mess piled upon mess. I want to get everything back into order again so that it no longer looks like one of those places you see on those "I'm a hoarder." TV shows.

My Amateur Radio success at Lake George was pretty "so-so". I made few contacts, but they were generally pretty good rag chews. Only one piece of DX during the week and that was with OH2XX from Finland on 20 Meters towards the end of the week.  The PAR END FEDZ worked well in the tree. Next year, I think I'll switch to the EARCHI instead. It tunes up easily on more bands.

You can tell we're definitely on the downside of the solar cycle.  Good days with lots of activity and lots of DX heard are becoming fewer and more far in between. I think the days are coming when a good QRP DX contact will be to the opposite coast!

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

Success with the EZ-Hang

Rather than constantly going to parks nearby our Lake George cabin in order to operate, I decided to try something new this year. I decided that I would hoist the PAR END FEDZ into a tree behind our cabin. However, since the Jeep was pretty much packed to the brim coming here, I didn't want to bring along the pneumatic launcher. So I decided to resurrect my home brew EZ-Hang. I put a new (but very inexpensive) Shimano closed faced spinning reel on it, and I put new latex bands on the launcher part.

The pine is at least 50 ft (16 meters) tall. It would be a good support. I never had much success with the EZ-HANG before, but figured I had nothing to lose in giving it another shot. Much to my surprise, I had pretty good luck with it today. I got a line up in the tree right about the 35 foot (12 meters) level, after a bit of practice. I use a 1 Oz lead fishing weight as the projectile. The weight is tear drop shaped and I always used to place the weight in the pouch with the blunt end facing me and the end with the eyelet facing forward. Today I changed that so that the weight in the launching pouch was pretty much straight up and down. This lead to truer flights, and better control.

The PAR is now up there, and will remain there until I have to take it down later this week. I got on 20 and 40 Meters for a bit this afternoon, but band conditions seemed pretty crummy. A look at my solar weather box afterward confirmed "that it wasn't me" which is always the first thing I think when my luck is bad. Funny how I always give credit to conditions when the bands are good, but tend to blame myself when they're bad.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day. When I get on, I will be self spotting myself on QRPSpots, so check it out from time to time.

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

SYBO ..... not so hot.

Once again, we have made our annual trek up to Lake George. But for Scorch Your Butt Off, I decided to head up to the summit of Mt. Prospect to operate. Mt. Prospect is about 6 miles from where we stay, on the opposite side of Lake George Village.

My initial set up was at the picnic grounds at the summit. I had launched a line into a pine and was about to hoist the PAR END FEDZ, when a swarm of angry black flies decided that I had too much blood and proceeded to initiate an involuntary contribution.

Not wanting to spend the next couple of hours in Nature's Blood Bank, I retreated to the parking lot. I set up the PAR with my newly repaired Jackite pole, using my home brew mast mount to keep it upright and straight.

It was a trade off. I ditched the flies with their demonic taste for blood by taking refuge on a mountaintop parking lot. Picture this ..... a black, tarred surface at a high elevation, with the hot sun bearing down out of a cloudless sky. I might as well have operated out of a toaster oven. According to WeatherUnderground, the temperature was 87F, but factoring in the humidity, it felt like 91F. Actually, it felt much hotter than that, but the "official" 91F is what I used for my exchange.

So then, why the post title " SYBO ..... not so hot"? There was no lack of heat  and humidity, but there was a dearth of activity. Mind you, there were plenty of SKCCers overrunning the QRP "watering holes" for their Week End Sprint, but not many QRPERS taking part in SYBO. At least not that I heard. I ended up working three. Marc W4MPS  in North Carolina (SPARC's Field Day guest), the ever present Jim W4QO in Georgia, and Randy K7TQ in Idaho.

Other than those three, it was pretty much "CQ WES" all over the place. And since I don't carry a straight key in my portable ops pack, I really couldn't participate. I sure hope there's more activity for FOBB and the Skeeter Hunt.

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

Scorch Your Butt Off

Coming this Sunday - Scorch Your Butt Off!

What FYBO is to February and the colder states, SYBO is to July and the hotter states.  For some of us, who live in "temperate climates" (4th Grade Geography kicking in) we do well in both sprints.

For all the rules and regulations, please go to http://www.qsl.net/sybo/Scorch_Your_Butt_Off/SYBO.html

The forecast for Central NJ is for a high of close to 90F, so maybe I'll get an X2 multiplier. Who knows? But wherever you are, I encourage you to participate, have fun and be safe. Stay hydrated!

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

You know that saying?

"Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good."

That sure describes me with the luck I've been having lately with customer service. First, it was Elecraft supplying the knobs I needed for my KX3 at no charge. The second stroke of great customer service came today (actually the other day), but I'll explain.

You may remember that I mentioned that I broke my 31' Jackite pole on Field Day, trying to free the W3EDP when it got caught up in a scrub pine during setup. I broke the very top section that supports the tip piece. Drew W2OU mentioned to me that replacement sections were available through the Jackite Website. I kind of knew that, in the back of my mind, but had forgotten. Drew jogged those bits and bytes in my gray matter, so I placed an order last week.

I got the customary affirming e-mail, informing me that my shipment would arrive on 8-12 days, as I had opted for the lowball, economy shipping. What can I say? I'm cheap AND on a budget here! Actually, if you count only business days, the shipping tube arrived on Monday, only about three days after I had placed the order.

I had a CERT meeting tonight, and after I got home, I decided to retrieve the Jackite from the back of the Jeep, where it lives, in order to install the replacement piece. Much to my surprise, not only did I receive the piece I ordered, but a new tip piece was also included. And, bonus, bonus, bonus, bonus, the new tip piece is longer than my original tip piece by about 6 inches! So my Jackite pole is not only in working condition again, but it's also about 1/2 foot longer than it used to be. Wow - great customer service from Jackite - faster shipping than expected and a free piece to boot.

Maybe I ought to go out and buy some lottery tickets!

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

Conditions sucked yesterday

Apologies for my bluntness, but it is what it is.

After completing a bunch of yard work, I got set up for the QRP-ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint. All I heard was a bunch of nothing.  I ended up working K4BAI and N4BP and that was it. Discouraged, and thinking that it might be my portable antennas (which performed just fine for Field Day last weekend), I left the park early and came home. The HF9V and the W3EDP antennas connected to the shack KX3 weren't hearing any more or any better, so I guess it was just a bad propagation day.

So this morning, I noticed a post from another Ham in the Facebook Field Radio group. He didn't have any luck either in his own personal portable ops trip yesterday. He was wondering whether it might be his antennas or a case of an unacceptable SWR ........

So of course, someone had to pipe up with "Try a 100 Watt radio next time. Life is too short for QRP."

That just burns my biscuits. So I fired back with, "Propagation sucked yesterday, and can we do without the "Life's too short for QRP" line? Not only is it untrue, but it's really overused."

A bit later, I got a pang of conscience, feeling that I might have been a bit harsh with that line, so I added, "I've got nothing against QRO (use it myself sometimes). I have been at this Ham Radio thing since 1978 and have been 99 and 44/100ths % QRP since 2003. I'm not trying to make it a "religion" or force anyone into it, but I still get amazed and shake my head sometimes as what 5 Watts will accomplish. But still ...... whatever peels your potato. If you like QRO, fine - QRP, fine - CW, fine - SSB, fine - digital, fine - there's room for all of us. The more the merrier."

Really, there's no reason to ever demean or diminish what someone likes about Amateur Radio. Even if for the life of you, you can't understand why someone would like to spend hours chasing after some little island in the middle of nowhere, or why someone chases signals that you can't even hear with your own ears, or why someone just won't give up on an old, antiquated form of transmission that was invented over 100 years ago and has been dumped by just about everyone else in the world, or why some people seem to get together for hours just to kibbitz about old times or enumerate their aches and pains, or even why someone would "waste" their entire weekend working a contest while simultaneously "clogging up the bands".

If it's what you like, then that's all that's important - and don't let anyone tell you different.

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

Happy Independence Day!

'Nuff said!

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

Bonus!

I just went to the QRP-ARCI Webpage and saw that this Sunday is the Summer Homebrew Sprint. This usually falls on the Sunday we're at Lake George - but this year it's early.  Looks like a good excuse to head out to the park this Sunday (2000 to 2400 UTC) and put a few hours in behind the key. Also, a nice way to finish celebrating the Independence Day holiday weekend.

The KX3 doesn't qualify for the homebrew bonus, and that's perfectly fine. I'm never in these things to win, anyway. The idea is to go out and have some fun. Here's our forecast for Sunday:

Looks like a partly cloudy day with temps in the mid 80s (29C) with about a 0% chance of rain. A delightful day for outdoor radio! Looks like the KX3 and either the EARCHI or the PAR END FEDZ and I have an event this weekend.

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

It was a VERY good night on the radio

Tonight was the kickoff to the 20 Meter QRP Foxhunt season. K2ZN in NY and NK6A in CA were the Foxes.  So if you were me, what would YOU think?  NJ to CA on 20 Meters - pretty easy right? NJ to Upstate NY on 20 Meters - tough row to hoe, right (too close)?

WRONG!

Al in Upstate NY was screaming in, anywhere from 559 to 599 depending on the QSB. It was like he was down the street.  Don in CA was anywhere from 339 to 559 at peaks. It was a little on the rough side, but I made it into his log. Good way to start off the season - it should be that way every week!

Before, during and after the Foxhunt, I completed the 13 Colonies Special Event.

For me it was an odd mixture of QRP, QRO, CW and SSB. Not all the K2 stations seem to be on CW, so for once I had to dig out the microphone, take a deep breath and go for it.  I even made a CW contact with WM3PEN for one of the bonus stations.

I completed a clean sweep back in 2013 (I think that was the last time I used phone!), but I never applied for the certificate. For the life of me, I don't know why, but I didn't. This year will be different. Not only will I apply for the certificate, but I'll also try and get the 13 individual Colony QSL cards. I am already envisioning a very nice framed display for the shack wall.

The Revolutionary War Era is my favorite period of US History. I guess that's because where I live in New Jersey. Everywhere around me is Revolutionary War history.  Just about 3 miles southeast of me is Oak Tree Pond in Edison, where there was a skirmish between Colonial and British troops as part of the Battle of the Short Hills. About 5 miles or so north of me is the Frazee House in Scotch Plains. After the Battle of the Short Hills, General Lord Cornwallis was marching his troops back to fortifications in the Watchung Mountains. As he was passing by the Frazee house, he smelled bread that was baking in Betty Frazee's oven. Legend has it that Cornwallis demanded Betty Frazee hand over "the next loaf that comes from the oven", for him and then others for his hungry troops. Supposedly, Betty answered, "Sir, I give you this bread through fear, not love". Cornwallis was so impressed by her honesty and courage that he supposedly replied, "Then not a single man in my command shall touch a single loaf."

The Frazee House is currently undergoing renovation to restore it exactly to the way it was during the revolution, complete with all its ancillary buildings and structures. Once it's done, I think it would be a good place to hold a Special Event Station - or maybe I should volunteer to be one of the QRP CW Ops from NJ?

South Plainfield itself was known as Brooklyn during the Revolution. We were basically a milling town back then as we have numerous brooks and creeks that run through the area and they were harnessed for water power. If you go to the old Hillside Cemetery on Samptown Avenue (the oldest part of town), you can see many grave markers and tombstones from the 1600s and 1700s.

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

Jackite mishap

One of the things I failed to mention in my Field Day report ..... I managed to break my Jackite pole. It happened when I was trying to raise the W3EDP antenna.  The window line portion got stuck in a scrub pine. It was too high to reach from the ground, so (stupidly) I thought I'd get my Jackite out of the trunk, extend it just enough to "lift" the window line out of the offending branch.

CRRRRRAAAAACKKKKKKK !!!

It splintered. Argh. But fortunately, you can order replacement parts from Jackite.  I just did that a few minutes ago and the replacement section should be here in 2-5 working days. $12.99 with shipping. Way better than dishing out close to $80 for a total replacement.

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

Field Day 2015 - Comprehensive Report

Most of the South Plainfield Amateur Radio Club showed up at Spring Lake Park at 10:00 AM or a little beforehand. There was enough pre-Field Day organization that we all pretty much knew what had to be done and what our roles were. Set up went well:

First - set up the antennas, and organize the tent - our "home" for the next 24+ hours.

South Plainfield Amateur Radio Club - NJ2SP - 3A - NNJ

Battery - all power provided was from solar charged batteries. No generators were used or fossil fuels burned to generate RF for the weekend.

Ron N2LCZ helping with the "tower" guys.

In addition to helping up with setting up antennas, Ron devised and built a network so that we could link the logging computers together. No small feat under the conditions we were operating under. N2LCZ is truly SPARC's resident Computer Expert (in addition to his yeoman's work as Club Secretary).

Notice the ominous looking sky - it was a harbinger of what was to come.

Dave KD2SFI (black t-shirt) putting together antennas for GOTA and VHF/UHF.

Dave Hackett KD2FSI, was our Field Day Committee Chairman this year. Dave was the "gasoline" in our Field Day "engine". Dave may be recently licensed, but he's already built up a good knowledge of what will work and what won't. He's got an enthusiasm for Amateur Radio and Field Day that is positively infectious. Dave is the kind of guy that makes you can't wait for the next operating event. If I was putting together a DXpedition to a very rare and exotic locale, Dave would be #1 on my short list of Hams who absolutely had to be part of the crew.

We had the tri-band beam set up on an extension ladder tower affair designed and constructed by our own Philip DeFort, KD2HPG.  Phil is a graduate of our Technician class from last Autumn. In addition to his mechanical contributions, he also added to our score by making some of his first on-the-air contacts as a Ham. He brought along his teen-aged son (also named Philip) who is now serious about getting his own ticket.

Here's a photo of Phil making some of his first contacts.

In addition to the tri-band beam, we brought back the EARCHI for another year. We had a ten meter dipole for GOTA and some VHF/UHF antennas built by Dave KD2DSI. We also had a W3EDP antenna up, which was built for the SSB station in anticipation that 20 Meters would probably close for the evening at some point.

We got through set up high and dry and were on the air promptly for the 2:00 PM EDT Field Day start. And that's when things started to go wrong. First, the winds kicked in and then it started raining buckets. It ended up being the soggiest Field Day that I can remember. In addition, it was pretty chilly all day. I was wearing a t-shirt with a sweat shirt on top, and resorted to adding a jacket as temperatures fell and humidity increased to 100%.  There were several times during the night when some of us went to our cars and just sat for about a half hour or so with the heaters on in order to get warm and dry out for a little bit.

Soon after the start, it became apparent that something was drastically wrong with the beam. The KX3 took a long time to find a match and even when it did, the antenna was not performing as expected. My Autek antenna analyzer showed the driven element was somehow resonant way out of band, so we switched the SSB transceiver over to the W3EDP and limped along for the weekend with that. Unfortunately, the W3EDP didn't perform much better, as I think there may have been a balun problem there. We would have been better off using Marv K2VHW's G5RV as we did last year, but it was already raining buckets and I wasn't about to risk pneumonia just to get another antenna up into the trees.

But even with the antenna mishaps, there were bright spots. Marc Sullivan W4MPS, who is a good QRP friend from North Carolina was in town to visit his daughter. He came by the Field Day site with his wife for a quick visit to say "Hello" before heading to his daughter's house. He came back by himself shortly after the starting gun sounded for a longer visit. And Marc's presence was truly a God-send because right around that time, the digital station was having some RFI problems which was causing their laptop to freeze. They needed some clamp on ferrites, which I had at home. Marc volunteered to keep our CW station busy while I was off fetching the ferrites and doing some other things.

Thank you,  Marc W4MPS for helping out!

 

In the photo of Marc W4MPS, the guy in background in the rain poncho is SPARC's own Mario KD2HPF. Undoubtedly due to his experience in Scouting, Mario was about the only one with proper foresight to come properly attired for the weekend.  Mario was also a graduate of our last Technician class held in Autumn, along with Phil KD2HPG. Mario was active in the Rookie Roundup and he was active again for Field Day. In addition to being a valuable part of the set up and tear down teams, Mario put in a lot of chair time at the 6 Meter station. He was our mainstay in keeping an eye open for any openings that may have occurred on that band. Mario had a Go Pro with him, and I think there's a video of him calling CQ on 6 Meters kicking around somewhere on the Web.

It was a long chilly night, but it was made bearable by visits from friends from our two neighboring clubs, the Electronic Testing Society of NJ, and the Raritan Valley Radio Club. So many showed up, that it's hard to remember them all and I beg pardon if I forget to mention any - but special thanks to:

Pete KD2ARB for the pizzas, Dave W2OIL and Dan KC2YRC for the home made brownies, the hot coffee and the help with tear down at the end. Marty WB2BEW donated the use of his pop up canopy, kept us company when it got lonely, and was just an all around morale boost. Marty is good people and it was good to have him with us. Same goes for Craig AC2FE, who came in the evening to keep us company for a while.  And Hank N2MU who was not only a friendly visitor, but also a critical thinker who helped us iron out some technical glitches. Again, if I left out any K2ETS or W2QW members, or any other visitors who showed up, I apologize, but my brain is still a little addled from the weekend.

On Sunday, around Noon, Mayor Matt Anesh and councilman Rob Bengivenga showed up at the site. We gave them the nickel tour and explained the operation and its purpose to them. The mayor was by last year, so he was familiar with Field Day, but Councilman Bengivenga was not. 

Yours truly talking antennas with Councilman Bengivenga. 

Marv K2VHW, SPARC President, explaining Field Day and the equipment with the Mayor and Councilman.

And wouldn't you know it, when the dignitaries appeared, the skies brightened up and the sun came out! I was joking around with Mayor Anesh that had we known that he was bringing better weather with him, we would have invited him over on Saturday!

And once again, South Plainfield's Finest parked one of their cruisers by our tent to serve as a little bit of an extra added deterrent against any possible mischief during our overnight stay. Police Chief Parker has been very accommodating towards SPARC, and as the SPPD takes on the role of OEM, we look forward to working with him. I didn't notice it, but fellow SPARC member, Tim Halloran AB2ZK pointed out to me the cruiser's official designation number. 

Car 73 - how appropriate!

So even though it was cold, wet and miserable, and we had antenna problems, and band conditions for Field Day weren't as good as they were in 2014, I think it's safe to say we all had a blast, and that SPARC is eagerly looking forward to Field Day 2016. We're going to remedy our problems and we'll be back, ready to once again take on whatever Mother Nature and Old Man Murphy dish out to us.

Drew W2OU working the digital station.

Drew Moore W2OU is our AC Log expert, fellow CERT member from Piscataway and a very valued member of SPARC.  Drew is a "Ham's Ham" and is a fun guy to be around and to just sit around and shoot the breeze with. Drew is also an ARRL official, so it's nice to have a little bit of the League with us all the time.

Tim AB2ZK and John AB2VE sharing a laugh during a lighter moment.

Tim AB2ZK was our "food guy" this year. Tim ran out Saturday night at 10:30 PM in the chill and pouring rain to bring us some hot sandwiches. He's always got a joke or quip up his sleeve exactly when one is needed. He was in South Plainfield's first CERT class and was a graduate of our first Technician licensing class back in 1995.  John AB2VE helped me set up the W3EDP and the EARCHI antenna. When I was getting a bit frustrated with the way the wind was blowing around the antenna lines I was launching, John kept me focused and on target. John is a veteran member of the South Plainfield Rescue Squad and is a very good friend to have.

W2LJ explaining the KX3 and the CW station to some visitors.

 

Lastly, two more SPARC members that I want to mention. Wayne Grennier N2LRE is our Vice-President. He's also our publicity guru who gets and keeps SPARC in the town's local publications. There are so many times that friends come up and say, "Hey Lar, I saw your picture in the Observer about that Amateur Radio thing you're involved with." Word of SPARC gets out because of Wayne. I wanted to snap a Field Day photo of him, but he was too busy flitting around with his camera, getting photos of the rest of us!

 

And our President, Marv K2VHW. Marv saw the need for a new Amateur Radio club in South Plainfield and did something about it. He's our navigator as we sail through uncharted waters. He has a good sense for what's good for the club and he's not afraid to try new things or to listen to a new opinion. SPARC is what it is because of Marv's leadership. We will forever be indebted to him. He keeps us engaged and active - and if a club is going to succeed, that's exactly what you need.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Field Day 2015 - Preliminary report

It was perhaps the soggiest Field Day I have ever endured. Full report will come tonight after I download the photos from the camera. For now, let's just say that Field Day 2015, while it was soggy, wet, damp, chilly and whatever, was still fun, had some great surprises, some valuable lessons learned and I am glad I didn't miss it!

72 de Larry W2LJ

Getting ready for Field Day

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the radio is so delightful .... And since we have nowhere to go .... let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!"

 

That may very well be the tune we'll be singing this Field Day 2015. And we're supposed to be luckier than a lot of our fellow Hams in NY, CT, MA and PA. Our little patch of Central New Jersey should see just under an inch of rain, while some of those other spots are supposed to see a lot more. And it will all be a matter of timing. Looking at WeatherUnderground, we just may luck out with the heaviest rain falling AFTER set up and ending BEFORE tear down. 

 

So the intrepid Hams from the South Plainfield Radio Club will do our best to stay high and dry as we put NJ2SP on the air for a second year.  This year, we will be 3A Battery with a GOTA station in the mix.  The Mayor and Town Council have already declared this week to be Amateur Radio Week in our town. The Proclamation was presented last Monday evening.

 

 

I wasn't there for the presentation - I was picking up Marianne from the hospital, but my buds were there!

 

In addition, the Office of Emergency Management procured a tent for us, so we should remain dry and comfortable despite whatever Mother Nature may dish out.

 

 

SPARC in the Park - Field Day 2015

 

Listen for us! We will have a KX3 for SSB, a KX3 for CW and FT-817 for Digital and I think a FT-897 for the GOTA station, which will use call sign KD2FSI. Our antennas will be the EARCHI EFHW for CW, a Tri-band Yagi (using a 20' extension ladder as a tower), and a W3EDP for the lower bands for SSB.  The GOTA station will have a 10 Meter beam for its use.

 

We will be operating totally from battery again this year. No generator, except for a short while that will power a TV monitor that we will be using for an "educational event". We have local Boy and Girl Scout troops heading over for a lesson on radio. We also have ARRL and Town dignitaries scheduled to visit, so it will be an eventful weekend.

 

I really should have taken Monday off from work - hindsight is 20/20.

 

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!



105 and counting

Currently, we're standing at 105 intrepid QRPers who have signed up for Skeeter duty this coming August 9th.  The record stands at 160.

I am hoping we can approach 200 and really buzz up the airwaves with QRP that Sunday.

If you've never tried QRP outdoors, you are missing a treat! Even if it's just from your backyard, playing radio in the sunshine is something that's hard to beat. At a local park, field, hill or mountaintop the experience is multiplied by a factor of FUN!

Solo or with a bunch of friends, what can be better?  Set up the BBQ, set up an antenna, have a blast! Any excuse for a party - right?

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

Last few days have been a blur

and here it is Tuesday, and I am getting my first chance to take a breath.

I awoke Sunday morning at 5:00 AM as is my usual time. My wife Marianne got up at the same time, which is unusual for a Sunday. She didn't look well and she admitted she didn't feel well.  About eight years ago, she first suffered an attack of cardiac arrhythmia.  It comes back from time to time, but generally goes away on its own after only a few minutes. Sunday morning, it came back with a vengeance. It was bad, and it wasn't going away. Adrenaline starts to kick in when you see that look of panic in your spouse's eyes.

Without objection, I whisked her off to the hospital, which probably wasn't the smartest idea. Calling 911 would have been the wiser course, but then you have to wait for the police and ambulance to arrive. It seemed quicker to just drive her there. At 5:00 AM, I was one of very few cars on the road, and we were at the hospital in less than 10 minutes. Once there, she was immediately taken care of by the Emergency Room doctors, nurses and technicians. They did an outstanding job! Her heart rate was brought down from 165 to around 110 within minutes, and a few hours later she was back in normal sinus rhythm and had a heart rate in the low 80s.

There was a little worrying going on, on my part, as a stress test was ordered for yesterday morning. Positive results of blockages would have resulted in a cardiac catheterization. Fortunately, by the grace of God, the results proved negative and I was able to bring my lovely wife home last night. She is feeling much better and is back where she belongs - with her family.

Marianne is on some new meds, in addition to what she had been taking. A blood thinner and an anti-arrhythmic are new. Hopefully, it will be a long time, or perhaps never before we have a return episode.  I guess it's human nature for very dark thoughts to enter your mind when stuff like this happens. That's when faith kicks in and you just have to put things in the Hands of the God when you feel like there's nothing else you can do.

So here it is, Tuesday, and while I have been off the air, I see that the ionosphere has gone kablooey. Severe geomagnetic disturbances have been rendering the HF bands nil, from reports that I have been reading. Supposedly, there will be a good chance to see aurora tonight, even this far south - but of course, we're looking at clouds, rain and thunderstorms tonight - so I guess not.

Hopefully, ol' Sol will get his act together for this coming weekend. It's Field Day and we need some good propagation. The terrestrial weather is not looking great either, with rain being forecasted for the entire weekend. But we'll have tents, so I would rather have good solar weather than terrestrial weather. I can deal with rain - geomagnetic storms or no propagation would be a disaster.

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

Band conditions were as lousy as expected. No signals heard on 6, 10, 12, 15, or 17 Meters. I did have a brief QSO with Rob, W8BUJ on 14.061 MHz. At the beginning, he was 599 and I received a 579 in return. The QSB monster put a quick end to our QSO. The bands are nothing or volatile.

T-minus 60 days and counting

Maybe only children of the 60s Space Race will understand that blog post title, but we're now less than 60 days from the 2015 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt. So as promised, here's the link to the roster.

I know, I know, it's not June 21st like I had insisted it would be, but it's June 21st as by my UTC clock, so that's close enough for me.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v3Du5kAzBLlizSlVscMR448mRVxhO9K0Yz7ySOzV4TU/edit#gid=84389755

As of this moment, we have 83 Skeeters signed up and there's room for plenty more. In 2014 we were just shy of 160.  This is a really fun event and it's also a very friendly event. If your code speed is on the slow side, heck, jump in with both feet. Most QRPers if not all, will slow down for you. You say CW's not your cup of tea? The Skeeter Hunt is SSB friendly - so there's no excuse not to join in on the fun.

Really - can you imagine a better way to spend your day than by QRPing in the great outdoors?

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

Outstanding!

One of the knobs on one of my KX3s broke. Actually, it broke a while ago - it cracked, fell apart and disintegrated.

In the photograph, it would be the one on the left.  Personally, I have been just "dealing with it". I turn the encoder shaft when I need to - no big deal, really.

However, my KX3s will be pressed into service for SPARC's Field Day effort (don't want the guys thinking that I keep a shoddy shack!), so this morning, I thought I'd fire off an e-mail to Elecraft, inquiring about a part number and price. I figured I would order two, one for the radio and one as a spare.

Within an hour of sending off my inquiry, I get a reply back that four are being sent at no charge. Wow. At the risk of being labeled an "Elecraft Fanboy", I think that's pretty darn neat, and that's all I'm going to say. I think Elecraft's actions speak more loudly than anything I can add.

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

Every Ham's favorite? He is mine!

Gil Gildersleeve, W1CJD - the cartoonist whose work appeared for so many years in QST. When I was a young spud, it was Gil's cartoons that always caught my eye in the ARRL's license manuals and QST. They made me chuckle, they made me want to be a Ham. Gill Gildersleeve's cartoons were part and parcel of Amateur Radio to me!

 

 

So it was nice to see N2EST, Jim Massara post a new article about Gil on Facebook (for those Hams who avoid Facebook, calling it a waste ......... we'll go into THAT some other time!). You can read Jim's interesting article here.

 

 



While there will never be another Gil, it's comforting to know that we have excellent talent in our ranks, still today. Jim N2EST, and Jeff K1NSS are without a doubt, our generation's premier Amateur Radio illustrators. We're lucky to have them.

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

Are you ready?

Skeeter Hunt numbers will be issued starting this coming Sunday - which is not only Father's Day here in the US, but also the First Day of Summer for all of us in the Northern Hemisphere.

Have you sent in your e-mail?  I've gotten only a few, so far. You don't have to wait until Sunday to request a number - but that is the day when I will start posting them to the roster.

A word to all those who have already requested a Skeeter number - In addition to having your name and call posted on the Skeeter Hunt roster, you WILL receive a confirming e-mail from me with your number, some time on Sunday. If you have already applied and do not have your number by Monday morning, let me know! In fact, throughout this process, ALL applicants will receive a confirming e-mail which will include their Skeeter number.

Now.....here's my pledge to all of you who participate in the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt.

You go out of your way to join in on the fun. Some of you travel some distance to find the right spot - some of you operate from home or your back yards. But no matter where you operate from, you are the ones on the air, making the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt a success.

I will always do my level best to get your scores (and soapbox comments) posted in a timely manner. I can tell you right off the bat, that since log summaries are due two weeks after the event, you won't see anything for at least those first two weeks. But after that, I will get all that good stuff posted as fast as I can without sacrificing accuracy and completeness.

You, the participants, deserve as much. And if for some reason, I can't make this self imposed deadline, I'll communicate that to you and will let you all know so that you're not left in the dark, scratching your heads, wondering what's going on. You make the effort, you want to see how you did and how you stacked up amongst your peers. You want to see how that new rig or new antenna performed for you - I get that, and will do my best to let you see how it all panned out.

Certificates and plaques take a bit longer. But again, I will do my best to get those out within a couple months following the event. Just so you all know, Skeeter Hunt swag is available through CafePress. All proceeds go to help pay for paper, envelopes, ink, and postage.

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

Strange day

To say it's been a strange day would be putting it mildly.

I was gently wakened by my wife Marianne this morning at 4:00 AM. She was getting ready for work and she came upstairs and was tapping me on the shoulder. Groggily, I heard words to the effect that, "There's something wrong with the refrigerator."

I went downstairs to the kitchen and there was indeed something wrong with the refrigerator. The compressor motor sounded quite labored and there was an awful smell in the kitchen.  It was my guess that the refrigerator leaked some refrigerant/lubricant and that it dripped onto to the warm motor, causing the smell. I unplugged the fridge, and emptied the freezer into our chest freezer in the basement, and the refrigerator contents into two coolers. I opened all the windows to rid the house of the odor, and then it was off to the A&P at 6:00 AM for ice. I shouldn't complain, I guess, as the unit is only a few months from 17 years old.

At lunchtime, I headed out to the Jeep for some QRP, even though the solar weather forecast thing looked pretty grim. Heck, it looked very grim. QSB was bad - very bad. Propagation was like this:

I either heard you, or I didn't. Didn't matter whether you were 559 or 599++++. Your signal was either there, or it was gone.

Even with that, I made three contacts while I was out. One with KT0A who was SOTAing on W0D/BB-049, according to SOTAwatch. Another with N7G on 18 Meters - Special Event Station from the US Open Golf Championship. It took me a bunch of repeats to get a 599 (go figure). And finally a brief QSO with KG9HV, John in Indiana who answered my CQ. I would have really enjoyed chewing the rag with John, but I'm not a big roller coaster fan.

Finally, Joe W2OZO (a local Ham Radio friend) posted this on Facebook yesterday. I spent about 10 minutes or so trying to decipher this. I'll admit it - I couldn't. Just goes to show you that sending Morse Code is an art that requires practice. I'll say it for the thousandth time - spacing matters .... it's the difference between having a conversation or just sending gibberish. Anyone of you out there able to copy this?  If you can, you're a much better CW op then I will ever claim to be.

 

So the question is ..... did they mean this to be copyable - or is it just a gimmick? If they meant it to be copyable, I'll offer Dodge a no charge piece of advice.  "Next time, get an experienced Ham Radio op to send your Morse Code for you."  Plenty of them out there.

 

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

WA6ITF - Bill Pasternak - SK

It was announced last night / early this morning on Facebook that Bill Pasternak WA6ITF has become a Silent Key, after a long illness.

Bill was the founder and producer of Amateur Radio Newsline and founder and administrator of the Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award (co-sponsored by CQ Magazine). Bill was the author of many columns for many Amateur Radio publications over the years.

Bill was an outspoken advocate for all thing Amateur Radio. His achievements in Amateur Radio and in the promotion of it are too numerous to mention. I met him a long time ago (on-line) back in the good ol' days of Prodigy. Bill was always friendly, outgoing and willing to help anyone in any way he could. He will be sorely missed, and he has left us with a very large pair of shoes to fill.

My condolences to his wife Sharon KD6EPW and the rest of his family.

73, OM.

Larry W2LJ

When all else fails

We bandy this about. When all else fails, Amateur Radio will still be a method of communication. A nice thought, and very true, but I sincerely hope to God we never get to that point - where we're needed to fill that void.

A case in point.  This morning, along with my coffee, I went to go check e-mail, as has become my routine.  No e-mail, no Internet, no nothing.  I went over to the modem/router and the indicator LED for the Internet was amber.  Tried cycling the router power on and off - no joy.  Hit the router "reset" button - still no joy.  Finally, I unhooked the cable and power from the router, waited 60 seconds, and then re-connected everything. Still no joy. That was when I noticed that my tablet, as well as Cara and Joey's wireless devices were connected to the router - just no Internet. 

When I got into work, I got online and had a "chat" with Verizon. Turns out that it's an area-wide outage and they expect service to be restored sometime this afternoon. Life without the Internet. How quickly we've become dependent on it! Imagine - if I was lucky enough to be home today, there'd be no checking that callsign on QRZ, not looking at RBN to see where my signal was going, no checking DX Summit to confirm the callsign of that LZ station who was sending at 60 WPM.

How quickly I forget!  Later this year, it will be three years since Hurricane Sandy came to call. We were lucky, as we were without power for only five days. That was tough enough - although I did have Amateur Radio, because I always keep my batteries ready to go. But no e-mail, no TV, no telephone, no anything else really - I wouldn't like to experience that again, if I didn't have to.

"When ALL else fails" ....... if Amateur Radio ever becomes THE method of communicating around the region, the country, the world - that means everything - EVERY single way of communicating that we're accustomed to, has gone the way of the Dodo. That's a scenario I hate to imagine, because at that point, there'd be no telephones, possibly no electricity, along with inevitable disruptions of the delivery of all kinds of goods and services that we've grown accustomed to. It's enough to make you shudder.

The chaos that would ensue would be mind boggling. Not a happy thought.

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

CRUD !!!!

I just realized that I missed the QRP-ARCI Hoot owl Sprint, which was LAST Sunday.

Nuts!

That is one of my favorite sprints. Usually it coincides with Memorial Day weekend here in the States. This year, it was the following weekend, and I missed it. Durn.

Did any of you see any reminder announcements on any of the QRP e-mail reflectors? Am I that blind?

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

Lest we forget

This past Memorial Day, we had a wreath laying ceremony at our local Parish cemetery. Two active duty Marines came is dress uniform to pay honor to those men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

Walking through the cemetery afterwards, I noticed numerous grave markers for Veterans of WWII who have passed away. There were so many!  The "Greatest Generation" is disappearing before our eyes!

This coming Saturday is June 6th - the 71st Anniversary of D-Day and the beginning of the liberation of Europe from Nazi tyranny. I found this video on YouTube and wanted to share it. The young man in this video was obviously brought up by two loving and caring parents who passed on some pretty good values.

May we never forget, because if we forget our history, we will be doomed into repeating it - and may we always value and defend our God given rights to freedom and liberty, everywhere.

 

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Breaking news - FOBB 2015 is on!

From QRP-L this morning:

Today at 9:38 AM

The Adventure Radio Society 2015 Flight of the Bumblebees is scheduled for July 26 - the last Sunday of July. Please save the date! For complete information, rules and information on how field stations apply for a 2015 FOBB number, visit the ARS website: http://www.arsqrp.blogspot.com/

 

Thanks and 73,Richard Fisher, KI6SN / NE6SW The Adventure Radio Society

 

Thank you so much, Rich, for keeping FOBB alive and well for another year! This is hands down, no dispute, without-a-doubt the most popular and anticipated Summer time outdoor QRP operating event.  Yay!

 

It's a lot of work (I know), so thanks so much for doing this!

 

72 de Larry W2LJ (Bee #13)

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Listening to code practice

I like to listen to W1AW code practice.  Not only because it helps me in my never ending battle to improve my code speed; but also it helps me with sending at the code speed I am at right now.

"Whoa! What's that now? How can listening to code practice help improve sending?" you might be asking yourself (and me).

By listening to the timing gents (and ladies) ...... it's all in the timing - and the spaces.

Too many times I get carried away and ignore my spacing. Spacing between individual characters and spacing between words and even spacing between sentences is critical.  Ignore spacing and I'll bet you dollars to donuts that you leave others scratching their heads trying to figure out what you're sending. You probably run into a lot of "Gotta QRT now" scenarios, too.

By paying attention to your timing and spaces, and you'll be that guy that everyone wants to QSO with - you'll be that guy with the "good fist". Run on sentences and run on words are not only hard to read - they're also hard to hear.

So I listen to W1AW to remind myself from time to time what perfect code sounds like. The more often I hear perfect code, the better I am equipped to emulate it. Oh, and this doesn't apply only to the QRQ guys, although I suspects it's more important for them. Proper spacing applies to the QRS guys as well - no one is exempt.

Do yourself a favor and tune into W1AW every now and then - especially if you feel you don't need to.

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

New NJQRP Skeeter Hunt logo

The NJQRP Skeeter Hunt now has it's own custom designed logo!

Many thanks to designer and artist extraordinaire Jeff Murray K1NSS, owner of Dashtoons for yet another brilliant effort!  You'll see Skeeter on the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt Webpage, on my NJQRP Skeeter Hunt page here on the blog, in the Yahoo Group and soon to come - a Facebook page.

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