Field Day - a mixed bag!

(Editor's Note - This post has been edited and supplemented. I have it on good authority that the author was half asleep while writing on Sunday afternoon. LOL!) 

Wow!

I am starting to write this as I take a brief respite from Field Day. I've come home from our Field Day site to take a shower and go to 9:00 AM Mass this morning. I will head back after to finish out the day.

Yesterday was definitely a mixed bag. We fought the bands, but we also fought the elements. There was supposedly only a 20% chance of rain for yesterday, but I guess that 20% headed to the front of the line. We had intermittent downpours several times during the day. We had four 10 X 10 pop up canopies placed in a row to form a huge 10 X 40 foot tent, so gladly, the operators and equipment stayed dry. However, we lined the open sides of the pop ups with a huge tarp to form sides ..... which quickly became sails. Yesterday turned out to be one of the breeziest days in memory! So we alternated between radio duty and tarp management.  I have to say, now I think I know what Major League Baseball Groundskeepers feel like as they rush to get the tarp on the baseball diamond during inclement weather!

And of course, we had our share of computer problems, too. During a re-fill, the generator that powered our "logging network" was turned off and when it came back on, all the logging computers came back on line except for mine, of course! We discovered a disconnected Ethernet cable a little later and that resolved the problem.

After that, everything went rather smoothly, and when Field Day ended, most everyone was happy with our effort. Our antennas were two MFJ-1928s - one a high power model and one a low power model. We operated 3A Battery, so we were confined to running at 5 Watts. Both antennas performed like a charm, and basically we were able to work everyone that we tried. We ran the two end feds at right angles to each other. The CW antenna ran pretty much North-South, while the SSB antenna ran East-West. Interference was kept to a minimum by carefully making sure that we did not operate on the same band at the same time. There was no need for band pass filters this year.

Our new location was good, maybe a little less traffic than we were accustomed to, but in all we had plenty of visitors. We had a couple families come by with kids in tow - they loved seeing the radios and watching us in action. In fact, a few visitors early on Saturday returned later in the day, specifically bringing their children to show them what we were doing. We had some local Hams come and visit for a while and two in particular - Pete KD2ARB and Len WB2HKK came early on Saturday to help with set up. On Saturday evening, two members of the South Plainfield Town Council came by to visit, bearing gifts - pizza! We have a really good relationship with our Town Council and South Plainfield's Office of Emergency Management. It was nice of them to come by and visit - we really appreciate that! We also were visited by a member of the local Elks club, who asked us if we'd put on an Amateur Radio demo at the town wide block party celebration that is held after our annual Labor Day parade.

Nigh time crew

Marty WB2BEW on SSB, Bill W2AOF on CW

Marty reacquainting himself with a KX3

Dave KD2FSI and Hillary KC2HLA doing some digital.

SPARC with some South Plainfield Town Council members

The CW MFJ-1982LP center support - my 31 foot Jackite. The orange cones prevented people from driving where they shouldn't.

The CW station, pre-Field Day start.

The tarp covering for the pop up canopies

Added yellow caution tape so no one would walk into wire.

Dave KD2FSI's 20 Meter vertical.

The almost constant breeze made the tarp covering "puffy" and act like a sail at times.

KD2FSI's Spider-beam mast is off in the distance. It supported his end fed in the middle.

Marv K2VHW setting up one of our solar panels, to keep batteries charged.

Our banner faced a very busy street, hoping to pique curiosity.

The PVC and CamJam mechanism that KD2FSI fashioned for holding up antenna masts worked very, very well. My End Fed supported by my Jackite pole required a few tweaks of the anchor ropes once or twice to eliminate some leaning induced by the hefty breezes. The whole arrangement was very stable after those were made and there was never a second thought given to the antenna system. I'll have to say again, just for emphasis, that in all the Field Days that we have done as a club since 2014 - this was by far the breeziest!.  According to my weather station at home, we were experiencing sustained gusts in the 11 to 15 MPH range, I know that doesn't sound like a much, but it sure kept that tarp flapping around! While we had a few downpours on Saturday, Field Day 2015 still takes 1st Prize for the "Wettest, Chilliest and Most Miserable" Field Day.

The rigs lived up to their expectations and we had a good productive Field Day.  Band conditions varied. 40 Meters was hopping through the entire event. 80 Meters was busy Saturday evening. I did not get a chance to check out 20 Meters on Saturday, as that was the province of the SSB station. When I had the chance to check it out on Sunday, it was disappointing. Signals were down in the mud and it seemed sparsely populated, considering that 20 Meters is usually "The Band". 15 Meters on Sunday morning was very nicely QUITE busy. I love 15 meters when the band is open and active! In all, we made close to 300 CW contacts, about 60 or so SSB contacts and a couple dozen digital contacts. Our best DX was the North American west coast, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. I never heard a peep from Hawaii this year. Something in the vicinity was creating 20 over 9 hash on 160 Meters - all across the band. This was one of the few years that we did not make at least one contact on 160 Meters.

This year, we intentionally decided to keep the antenna system simpler than in past Field Day efforts. Just wires and simple verticals. No Yagis with makeshift extension tower ladders, no Hex beams. The result was that in after 24 plus some hours of set up and operating, this weary bunch of Hams was able to tear down in 90+ degree weather in little over an hour. Only one man was needed to take apart and pack up each wire antenna. I don't know that it affected our QSO total, but when you're bone tired that is a very nice thing, indeed! 

Speaking of the wire antennas, Dave KD2FSI once again came up with an handy device for storing those. He gave me two and I'll take some pictures for a "Show and Tell" post for another day.

To any of you who worked NJ2SP, the membership of SPARC thanks you! We're already looking forward to Field Day 2022!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ..............................

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

First Day of Summer!

 This coming Sunday, June 20th will officially be the First Day of Summer, and that means it's time to sign up for your official 2021 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt number. Join in on Sunday, August 15th for fun in one of the more popular QRP Operating Events of the Summer.

All you have to do is send an e-mail to w2ljqrp@gmail.com, and you'll receive an answer back with your very own Skeeter number. No, it's not necessary to have one to participate, but it sure adds to the fun! PLEASE NOTE THAT NUMBER REQUESTS WILL NOT BE HONORED BEFORE JUNE 20TH!

For all the details about the Sprint - please visit https://www.qsl.net/w2lj/

And to see the Roster for those who have signed up so far, please visit https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p12ygiXqoQuv0-akSSoPSSeMrzuGzVzG/view?usp=sharing

I'm sure you'll recognize a lot of the names and calls there. This year's bonus qualifier - there are two! Either post a photo OF your setup to social media on the day of the Hunt OR spell out the word "SKEETER" using letters from the call signs of people you have worked. You can claim one bonus or the other; but not both. See the Skeeter Hunt Webpage for full details.

See you all on the air on Sunday, August 15th!

72 de Larry W2LJ - Skeeter # 13

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Impossible? Or am I hearing what I want to hear?

 Maybe this should be part of "The Things I Never Noticed Before" department.

Someone posted about this on Facebook the other day and I had to take a listen. Lalo Schifrin was tasked back in the 1960's with coming up for the opening theme song for the TV show "Mission Impossible". So the story goes that given the premise of the show, he thought it would be good spycraft to incorporate some Morse Code. So... if you listen to that opening beat ......dah dah, di dit ........  dah dah, di dit ....... dah dah, di dit.

You get "M" and "I" for "Mission Impossible".  The timing is not perfect, but the discerning ear should be able to make it out. How many times I have heard that theme song and never noticed it before!

There you go. Tell me what you hear. Is it just me, could it possibly just another example of "urban myth"? Am I just hearing what I want to hear or is it there?

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Getting ready for Field Day

 I took a little time today to test out my Jackite support for Field Day. The plan is to use the MFJ-1982LP, which will work all bands 80 through 10 Meters. It will be installed in the recommended Inverted Vee configuration with the Jackite used as the apex support. There will be nothing in the field to actually lash the Jackite to, so I'll e using the field support as recommended by Dave KD2FSI. I set things up in the back yard, just to get a feel for ease of set up and to test stability.

With the Jackite fully collapsed, I slid the PVC pipe over the top of it. Using heavy duty aluminum tent spikes and the CamJams, I was able to get the Jackite off the horizontal plane. Once vertical, I extended a few sections in order to get everything as truly vertical as I was able to - relying on judgment by eye. That was accomplished by tensioning the CamJams until all looked good. Once satisfied, I extended the Jackite to full height.

It's kind of breezy here today and it was nice to see that the CamJams, ropes and tent spikes provided enough tension and support where the was no sway due to the (at times) stiff breeze. I think this will be a very viable alternative for deploying the MFJ-1982LP in a situation where there are no trees available for apex support.

And as I promised a few days ago - here are the details for the Flying Pigs 20 Meter Walk For The Bacon, as supplied by Brian KB9BVN:

The inaugural "20m Walk for the Bacon" event will be held every month, on the third Wednesday and Thursday of the month, beginning June 16th.

This is a slow speed CW sprint event that lasts one hour.

Part 1 is Wednesday EVENING from 8PM to 9PM Eastern Daylight Time (00:00z to 02:00z) and operating frequency range is 14.061-14.065 with 14.063 being the hotspot. Speed limit is 13 wpm.

Part 2 is Thursday EVENING from 10PM to 11PM Eastern Daylight Time (02:00z to 03:00z) and operating frequency range is also 14.061 to 14.065 with 14.063 being the hotspot.

All logs are submitted on https://qrpcontest.com

1. Work only CW stations

2. Keep speed at a max of 13 WPM

3. Work same stations both nights for double points.

4. Exchange: RST, SPC, NAME, FP#

 Get an FP# at https://fpqrp.org - they're free but only take one.

Just a reminder, as this Sunday marks one week away from the official start of Summer 2021. Requests for 2021 Skeeter Hunt numbers will be honored as of Midnight Sunday June 20th and NOT before! Please wait until then to send your requests for Skeeter numbers to w2ljqrp@gmail.com. Please include with your requests your name and the state you intend to operate from. All requests for numbers will be answered via an e-mail with your number. If you do not get a confirming e-mail, that means I did not receive you request. Please try again. Hopefully, all requests will be answered within 24 hours from when you sent your e-mail.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

The bands were not the greatest today

 I set up for the Cookie Crumble Contest in the backyard this afternoon. I lashed the Jackite pole to a support and used the PAR ENDFEDZ 10-20-40. I set the KX3, battery and Bulldog key on the patio table under the umbrella.

After filling a stainless steel travel tumbler with ice cold water, I got down to business.

The bands I chose to operate on, 40 and 20 Meters, were less than stellar. I called CQ to no effect, so the stations I did work were gotten via "hunt and pounce". In all, I worked four Cookie stations and four POTA stations. I spent a little under 4 hours behind the key with frequent indoor breaks to cool off. The loudest station I heard all day was Rick NK9G on 20 Meters. When I first heard him and worked him, he was 559. But wouldn't you know it? ...... about an hour later, he was 599 +++++ !

The bright side of the day was that I found out there's a POTA Spotter app for Android phones. I downloaded it and sure enough, it led me to the four POTA station that I worked. I also discovered that I can set up CW POTA stations as a trigger on the HamAlert app as well. So any time a CW POTA station is spotted on the DX Clusters, it will trigger an SMS message and let me know the Call and Frequency. Neat!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

A Couple of Things

 First - a reminder that the Cookie Crumble Contest is this Sunday and I am looking forward to it. Supposed to be a heat wave in process here in Central NJ. Sunny and in the 90s - perfect for sitting at the patio table with the umbrella up, the Jackite post in the backyard and the KX3 connected to the PAR ENDFEDZ.

Secondly, the Flying Pigs have started a new event. You're probably familiar with the Run For The Bacon, which occurs on the 3rd Sunday of every month. The new event is the Walk For The Bacon, which is designed with the newbie and slow speed CW Op in mind. The maximum code speed allowed is 13 WPM and even slower speeds are encouraged. The idea is to introduce the fun world of QRP Sprints to folks who are not comfortable with higher speed code.

It takes place each month on two separate nights. This month, it took place on the first Wednesday and Thursday of June. Wednesday evening was the "early" session, which started at 8 PM EDT and lasted an hour. The activity took place from 7.050 to 7.065 MHz with 7.060 MHz being the hot spot. Code speeds from 10-13 WPM and slower were encouraged.

The second "later" session was on Thursday night at 10:00 PM EDT. The frequency range was from 7.110 to 7.125 MHz with 7.123 MHz being the hot spot. Again, 10-13 WPM and slower speeds are encouraged.

There is talk of a 20 Meter session being added. I'll announce here when the July session will be announced. The inaugural session had over 30 participants and logs submitted. Hopefully. this will increase in the future. Stay tuned for news and details about upcoming Walks For The Bacon.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Cookie are crumbling

In these United States of America, this coming weekend is Memorial Day Weekend. This day is meant for the solemn remembrance of the men and women in uniform who paid the ultimate price in defending our freedom and Constitution.

Over the years, this three day weekend has also come to mark the "unofficial start of Summer". Of course the REAL first day of Summer this year is June 22nd, and we all know what happens that say .... right?

But before that, another big QRP operating event will occur on Sunday, June 6th. That is the Cookie Crumble Contest sponsored by Tim W3ATB and Emily WC3R.  The event got its name from Emily's famous chocolate chip cookies that became a mainstay and a frequent topic of conversation during National Parks On The Air in 2016.

It's a fun event and is always a good time ..... AND it's a good excuse to dust the winter cobwebs off your portable gear (if you haven't already by now) and get your fanny outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air - although that's not a requirement (being outdoors)for participating.

All the details can ne found at https://w3atb.com/cookie-crumble/

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Things have been strange

 My apologies for the lack of posts. It's been a topsy-turvy month. I got laid off from work a week ago, the company that I was contracted to lost their contract. The good news is I might be back to the same job with the new contractor in a week or two, so it's not all that dire a situation. Right now it's just wait and see. In the meantime, I've been keeping myself busy and out of trouble by doing things around the house that I put off for lack of time.  

I did attend bits of Virtual FDIM yesterday and kudos to QRP-ARCI for the fine job they did. I especially enjoyed a two hour Q&A session that they held last night with the presenters of the programs. Very enjoyable and educational. I am sure that in 2022 that things will be back to normal enough to gather in person. I hope they continue to offer a virtual session for those of us who cannot attend in person for reason or another.

This afternoon, I made a few more "bullets" or projectiles for my pneumatic antenna line launcher. I repaired the one that broke at W2AOF's house a few weeks back and then made two new ones. 3/4 inch PVC and end caps and some cotter pins did the trick.

I got on the air this afternoon and worked a couple of POTA stations. One being Sean KX9X and the other WW5C. I went to the POTA spotting page and saw that the overwhelming majority of activations were either SSB or FT8. I'm going to have to do something this summer about swaying that balance back to CW if I can. The weather this week is supposed to be decent, so maybe this Thursday I can head up to Washington Rock Park again and put K-1635 on the air for a while.

I'll close with a reminder. Tonight is the QRP-ARCI Hootowl Sprint. It's been trimmed down to an hour.. from 8:00 to 9:00 PM EDT. Hopefully, I'll hear some of you on the air tonight.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Giving a helping hand

First off, I don't know if I have any YL readers who are also Moms; but if I do - Happy Mother's Day to you! Enjoy your day - I don't know what we'd do without you.

Secondly, sometimes the best Amateur Radio activities are not performed on the air. Yesterday, I had the chance to help a Ham get back on the air. Our SPARC Club President, Bill W2AOF, has been a Ham for a long time, as you can tell by his call. He recently got back into the hobby a few years ago after a long hiatus.

He had put up an economy vertical on the roof for his HF rig, which is an Elecraft KX3. Unfortunately, he wasn't hearing much. At our get-together for World Amateur Radio Day, Bill was impressed by the 40M End Fed Halfwave that was being used by one of the stations. He was able to hear signals on his radio that he hadn't been able to at home.

As a result, Bill ordered a G5RV which arrived on Friday. He texted me yesterday, asking if I would bring my antenna launcher over to his house The weather wasn't the greatest, heavy over cast with bouts of drizzle, but as they say ...... perfect antenna weather!

Bill has very tall pine tree on one edge of his property. On the first try, we did not charge up the air tank with enough pressure and only got the line up about 30 feet or so, nowhere near satisfactory. On the second try, I was able to get a line into the branches at about the 50 foot level. The tricky part of course, is getting the projectile, or "bullet" as I call it, to come down to street level. Many times, it will get caught up in branches on the way down, necessitating another try. Luck was with us this time.

One end of the G5RV went into the tree and then we shot another line from the back of the house to the front of the house, so we could pull the rest of the antenna into the backyard. Bill had the remnants of a clothes line pole in the corner with the rope pulley still on it. This was to be the other anchor end. In effect the antenna would become a sloper.

Much to our dismay, while pulling the antenna into the backyard, the wire got hung up on the corner of Bill's chimney. As a result, he had to get up on the roof to free the wire. Luckily, Bill owns a one story ranch, and it was not a chore that he was unaccustomed to. While he was up there, Bill took the coax from the vertical and hooked it up to the feedline for the G5RV. With the antenna now free, we got the other end into the backyard for the final part of the installation

At this point, Bill thanked me and I headed home. A little while later, I got texts letting me know that successful QSOs had been made with Serbia, Spain and Croatia - all with 5 Watts!.  Bill is on his way to DXCC and I had the satisfaction of knowing that I had helped someone get back on the air. How cool is that?

73 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

I can hear the buzzing already!

 Great news! If you don't subscribe to any of the various QRP e-mail reflectors, you might have missed this great piece of news, which I am re-posting here:

"In concert with today's National Arbor Day, The Adventure Radio Society is announcing the return of the Flight of the Bumble Bees on the last Sunday of July. This year it is July 25.

Applications for field stations' Bumble Bee number requests will be opened on Friday, June 25 - one month before this year's BB event. Full details about 2021's FOBB will be posted at that time on the ARS homepage at: http://www.ARSqrp.blogspot.com. There have been no changes to the rules used in previous years.

This event is open to all radio amateurs running 5-watts RF power output or less. Both home and field stations are encouraged to participate.

It's never too early to plan!

73 and  TNX for your ongoing support of ARS,

Richard Fisher, KI6SN

Co-founder, the Adventure Radio Society"

73RadioRow@gmail.com

I know you all dearly missed FOBB in 2020. It's a good sign that things may be finally returning back to normal. Thank you so much, Rich for hosting this event and for all the work you do behind the scenes.

Two QRP-ARCI things

QRP-ARCI is conducting a survey about their contests. This survey is NOT JUST FOR QRP-ARCI MEMBERS. They would like all QRPers input. Please got to:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/V5C2YMK

It only takes a few minutes out of your time; and it will help them plan events to maximize participation - and that benefits all of us.

Secondly, they have made an announcement about one of their sprints that is near and dear to my heart, the  2021 QRP-ARCI Hoot Owl Sprint. I've been a participant for years when family events allow. It was from the Hoot Owl Sprint that I got my first ever certificate for participating and being the high scorer for New Jersey. The certificate was unexpected, but was delightful all the same. In any event, that experience led me to form my policy about certificates for the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt.

The details for this year can be found here: http://qrparci.org/contest/hoot-owl-sprint

This is a fun, easy paced contest. One of those that you can have fun in whether you're a veteran sprinter, or a dyed-in-the-wool newb. Join us - if propagation is halfway decent, I guarantee you'll have a good time!

In other Ham Radio news, much of New Jersey has a high wind warning today from about Noon to 6:00 PM local time. Last night before dinner, I installed the hose clamps, securing my W3EDP support mast to the chain link fence post.  I am hoping that with that said and done, I will not have a repeat of the incident from last March. Knowing my luck, the whole darn fence post will come down!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

QRPTTF this Saturday!

 A reminder from Paul NA5N:

A reminder that QRP TO THE FIELD (QRPTTF) will be held this SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2021 from 0800-1800 your local time.

Rules are virtually the same as last year: OUTBACK Part 2

Operate from:

OUTBACK in your home shack

OUTBACK in your back yard

OUTBACK in the field or a SOTA summit

Since covid is still a moving target with varying health orders from state to state, operate from your home, backyard or "in the field" as you feel comfortable with and to conform with local health and travel restrictions.

*** JUST GET ON THE AIR, MAKE SOME QRP QSOs, AND HAVE SOME FUN. ***

RULES: http://www.zianet.com/qrp/qrpttf/pg.html

CONTEST CALENDAR:

https://www.contestcalendar.com/weeklycont.php?mode=custom&week=current

My weather calls for temps in the upper 70s with 15-20mph winds, so will be operating from a nearby field if not too windy.  I'll be putting some old gear on the air ... my old Ten Tec Argo (5W Scout) and an SGC-2020 with a 1938 McElroy bug for the nostalgia.  I used 20M and 40M MFJ QRP rigs on my very first QRPTTF, the Argo on the 2nd, and the SG-2020 on the third, so time to get a couple of them back on QRPTTF.  Have made several QSOs with them past couple of weeks for the NMQP and SKCC WES, so the old analog radios still work and sounds great.

72 and CU Saturday,

Paul NA5N

Socorro, NM

In W2LJ land, it's supposed to be mostly cloudy with a high in the upper 60s. Lots to do (as always) on Saturday, so if I get out in the back yard at all, it would be for a short time. I hope to be able to get some operating time in, even if it's just an hour. Why does it seem that the older I get, the busier I get?

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

World Amateur Radio Day 2021

 The South Plainfield Amateur Radio Club met at Putnam Park and had a good time.  There were tow good set ups going before I was able to get there, so I did not bother setting up my QRP station. As always, Dave KD2FSI took the lead - getting there early:

Dave arrived shortly after sunrise and was working 80 Meters before the sun took full effect and shortened the band for the day. He worked North Carolina with a 14/wave vertical with counterpoise. I visited for a few minutes before returning home in order to go to Sunday morning Mass.

When I returned at 11:00 AM, Marty W2BEW had a 100 Watt station running to a home brewed 40 Meter EFHW antenna.

His set up was doing quite the job, working into Texas, Manitoba, Ontario, North Dakota and Oklahoma among others.

Here's Marv K2VHW at Marty's station. And here's a little video of a contact he made:

So all in all, it was a good day. A lot of contacts were made, we had a lot of visitors, and we were able to see each other after a long pandemic hiatus - all the while maintaining face masks and proper COVID protocols.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.

 That quote from John Lennon has always stuck in my noggin.

As is so painfully obvious, I have not been doing much in the way of blogging lately. That is because of the title of this post. Life has gotten in the way of Amateur Radio.  Nothing bad, like injury or illness, thanks be to God - just ....... life.  Things to do, like projects at home and work. 

Work has been ....... work. While I am thankful and grateful for employment, I come home exhausted most nights. I have not participated in the entire 2020/2021 Winter QRP Fox Hunt season because I am usually out like a light by the time the 9:00 PM starting bell rings. While the Hounds are gleefully chasing the Foxes around the radio frequencies, I'm sawing wood. I'm hoping that as we slowly crawl out of this pandemic that my work life will return to the way it used to be, pre-pandemic. To use another familiar phrase, "I'm getting too old for this."

As a result, not much Amateur Radio activity to write about and I certainly don't want to bore you all with my tedium.

This Sunday, however, the South Plainfield Amateur Radio Club will be getting together for the first time in over a year to celebrate World Amateur Radio Day. We are going to meet outdoors in Putnam Park, in our town and we hope to put NJ2SP back on the air.  We will respect all COVID safety protocols and will mask up and remain socially distant, but we will be together again ... at last! It will be good to see each other again in a way other than Zoom, even if we can't shake hands or share hugs. We plan to be on the air from 12:00 to 3:00 EDT - 16:00 to 19:00 UTC. Please listen for us. If you work us, you can get one of our great QSL cards, designed by none other than that Ham Radio art genius himself, Jell K1NSS.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Two heads are better than one!

 A good part of the Eastern part of the US experienced some high winds this past Thursday and Friday. My weather station recorded some gusts in excess of 30 MPH on Friday. I didn't give it a second thought, but when I let Harold out yesterday morning to do his business, I saw my W3EDP antenna laying on the ground. The mast that I had holding the center run had fallen to the ground. It was attached to a chain link fence post by a bunch of cable ties and the wind proved to be too much for them. It was not a big deal to re-do. It was sunny, warm day yesterday and I out everything back in order rather quickly.

Later in the afternoon, I had my weekly Skype call with Bob W3BBO, where we discuss all kinds of things, including Amateur Radio, of course! I mentioned to him about the antenna mast falling down and my repairs. That's when he told me how he attached his mast to a fence support at his house:

Hose clamps!

I hadn't even thought about hose clamps! Two heads are better than one - thanks, Bob!

It's raining today with a threat of thunderstorms. I may have some hose clamps down in the basement, and I'll have to check if they are long enough to do the job. If not, it will mean a trip to Home Depot, which is not a big deal. Once they are in place, I won't have to worry about them breaking, like the nylon cable ties did.

Those nylon cable ties lasted all winter long - through a couple of bad storms and some pretty windy days, even windier than what we experienced on Friday. Perhaps they degraded in the UV from the sunlight. That's another variable that will be eliminated with the use of metal hose clamps. I'll have to make sure I get stainless steel ones, though - so they won't rust and I can remove them if I ever need to.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Another virtual! FDIM

This time it's for Four Days in May - to be held (virtually) on Saturday, May 22nd. I'm sorry to say that  this will be my very first FDIM. My last trip to Dayton was the very last year before FDIM began. Talk about "so close and yet so far!".  Marriage and helping to raise two little kids followed closely and those duties along with work kept me from making the trips to Ohio.

But I digress.

For all the details, you can go to the QRP-ARCI Website

This year some of the topics are:

Jerry Wolczanski KI4IO - Making an Antenna Coupler

Dr. Jack Purdum W8TEE - How to Select a Microcontroller for a QRP Project

Dave Benson K1SWL - Anatomy of a Transceiver; Building a Better Mousetrap

Han Summers G0UPL - Reach for the Skies: Extreme QRP at 35,000 Feet

Dino Papas KL0S - Bench Setup Using Inexpensive Test Equipment

Tim Snodgrass KC0DN - Breaking Free of the Sunspot Cycle

Ashhar Farhan VU2ESE - sBITX - An Open Source SDR that YOU can hack!

I am so looking forward to this!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo

 is this coming weekend, March 13th and 14th.

https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/?fbclid=IwAR3tChz4f9f1iTS3kDgPGn_RkQSafx2woPP5ryBCUdSa_VuTPMtH2oyNCcM

This Virtual Ham Expo ....... Hamfest ...... Convention ....... whatever you want to call it is being run by Eric Guth, the founder of the now pretty well known "QSO Today" podcast.  I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by Eric back in the earlier days, probably when he was less well known and was having trouble finding good people to interview. Sometimes you have to scrape the bottom of the barrel.

If you haven't registered, you may want to consider it. There is an "admission fee" of ten dollars, but I think it will be well worth it. There are a veritable slew of interesting speakers and presenters. Everything from SDR to building to antennas to POTA to, well .... whatever.

And manufacturers and sellers such as Begali and Quicksilver Radio and many more will be there to present the wares. all in all, I think it's an experience not to be missed.

If you're busy this coming weekend and can't make it for the live presentations, everything is to be archived for 30 days for later viewing. You'll have ample time to catch everything you wanted to see.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

So that's done!

The NJQRP Skeeter Hunt certificates for 2020 were mailed last Monday. Since then, I've already received reports that some of you have gotten yours, which is a relief. The mail can be tricky here in South Plainfield.

With that done, even though it's still cold and snowy for a lot of us, we are anxiously dreaming about Summer and warmer temps. It's time for you to start thinking about this year's Hunt!

The 2021 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt will be held on Sunday, August 15th. This is the 10th running of the event, and you will have two options to choose from to earn the 100 point bonus.  Note - you will be able to claim ONE bonus - not both. Although if you choose to accomplish both, I'm not about to stop you!

You can view all the details at https://www.qsl.net/w2lj/

For many, a fun part of the Hunt is in getting a low Skeeter number (Skeeter numbers do not remain the same from year to year), so number requests will be honored beginning the First Day of Summer - June 20th, 2021. PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST A NUMBER BEFORE JUNE 20th.

Lastly, a reminder that all log summaries must be submitted by an e-mail to w2lj@arrl.net. Submission e-mails will be answered with an acknowledging e-mail. If you don't get a "Thank You" e-mail from me, I didn't receive your summary - for whatever reason.

Hope to hear you on August 15th!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Thank you for your patience!

 Skeeter Hunters!

The certificates from the 2020 Hunt have been printed. I hope to get them mailed later this week, upcoming snow events notwithstanding.

Thank you for your patience!

And for the record, I'd much rather have a hot and humid Skeeter Hunt day over this stuff that we have now, hands down!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Hmmmmmm ........

 

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

My feelings about now

 

I went down to the shack last night to retrieve my laptop, which was sitting in its dock. I looked at the thermometer on the wall and it read 58F (14C). Needless to say, I didn't stay long.

We got another two inches of snow over night with more forecasted for the weekend and next Tuesday. Seems we are stuck in a weather pattern that I'd rather not be stuck in.  The temperatures are not supposed to go much above freezing for a while. While December and January were relatively mild and dry, February has decided to tell those two months, "Hold my  beer."

And speaking of wondering how low the temperatures can go, I wonder how low the RTTY signals will go on the bands this coming weekend? It's the CQ WW RTTY Contest this weekend and I'm willing to bet we'll hear RTTY signals all the way down to the ".25" part of all the bands.

I guess it won't matter too much to me as it's too dang cold to sit down there comfortably for any extended length of time, anyway.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

If you were hoping that Field Day would return to "normal" ...

 ARRL to Extend Field Day Rule Waivers from 2020, Add Class D and E Power Limit

02/10/2021

The COVID-19 pandemic-modified ARRL Field Day rules from 2020 will continue this June with the addition of a power limit imposed on Class D (Home Stations) and Class E (Home Stations-Emergency Power) participants. The news from the ARRL Board’s Programs and Services Committee comes as many clubs and groups are starting preparations for Field Day in earnest. Field Day 2021 will take place June 26 – 27.

“This early decision should alleviate any hesitancy that radio clubs and individual Field Day participants may have with their planning for the event,” said ARRL Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE.

For Field Day 2021:

Class D stations may work all other Field Day stations, including other Class D stations, for points. This year, however, Class D and Class E stations will be limited to 150 W PEP output.

An aggregate club score will be published — just as it was done last year. The aggregate score will be a sum of all individual entries that attributed their score to that of a specific club.

ARRL Field Day is one of the biggest events on the amateur radio calendar. Last summer, a record 10,213 entries were received.

“With the greater flexibility afforded by the rules waivers, individuals and groups will still be able to participate in Field Day, while still staying within any public health recommendations and/or requirements,” Bourque said.

The preferred method of submitting entries after Field Day is via the web applet. The ARRL Field Day rules include instructions on how to submit entries, which must be submitted or postmarked by Tuesday, July 27, 2021.

The ARRL Field Day web page contains for complete rules and entry forms, as well as any updated information as it becomes available. Join the ARRL Field Day Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Meh

 I'm not about to do a K3WWP and start calling it S#*&^, but I, like John, am growing a distinct distaste for snow.  Last weekend into last Tuesday, we got 19.5 inches (50 cm) of the stuff. Yesterday, we got another 7 inches (18 cm).

And it looks like the weather people are forecasting another 5 inches of snow to come during the middle of this week and even more over the coming weekend. And the temperatures are going to plummet with an accompanying blast of Arctic air. It's "seasonably" cold outside now and my shack temperature is 58F - I can't wait to see what it's going to be later this week!

This is more snow than we've seen in this part of Central New Jersey in about 5 or 6 years. For you folks who get a ton each winter - God bless you! I don't like dealing with it - and my hat is off to you for dealing with yours.

On a side note, my son Joseph is getting tired of helping me deal with it and this is what he wants me to buy.

As appealing as the thought was to me, my answer was "NO!".

On the Ham Radio side of the coin, I did work my good friend Dave KD2FSI as he ran his Heathkit special event station yesterday. I had to hook up the KXPA100 and turn up that wattage. Even then, he could barely hear me - we just live too close to each other for the band conditions that were what they were yesterday. But he did earn his "Veteran's Ears" for pulling my 2X2 SSB signal out of the mud. Thanks, Dave!

He was using an EFHW, so I made the contact using the W3EDP. He wasn't even audible on the Butternut vertical.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Virtual FDIM

Speakers announced by NM0S this morning. FDIM will be held on Saturday, May 22nd.

FDIM 2021 will be held Saturday, May 22, 2021.  This will be a remote, video streamed event.

We have an outstanding roster of speakers lined up, and the presentations will be among our best ever!

Jerry Wolczanski	KI4IO	"Making an antenna coupler"
Jack Purdum	W8TEE	"How to Select a Microcontroller for a QRP Project"
Dave Benson	K1SWL	"The Phaser: FT8 and other tricks"
Hans Summers	G0UPL	"Reach for the skies: extreme QRP at 35,000 ft"
Dino Pappas	KL0S	"Bench set up with inexpensive test equipment"
Tim Snodgrass	KC0DN	"Breaking Free of the Sun Spot Cycle"
Ashher Farhan	VU2ESE	"sBITX - An open source SDR that YOU can hack"

 

Details regarding reservations and links to the streamed event are still being finalized.  They will be released as soon as they are known.

 

I hope to see you all at this event!

Thanks, Dave and all at QRP-ARCI who are making this happen!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

This Saturday - FYBO!

 The 2021 QRP Outdoor Contest Season kicks off with FYBO, sponsored by the Arizona ScQRPions - whom I am willing to bet will not be freezing, at all.

For all the rules, please check out http://azscqrpions.org/FYBO

The forecast for my QTH for Saturday is mostly sunny with a high temp of 39F.  Maybe some of the snow that we got (19 & 1/2 inches) Sunday through Tuesday will have melted by then. It would be nice to get a few minutes operating in - I think I might have to confine myself to operating from the Jeep in the driveway using the Buddistick on the rooftop magmount. I don't think any of the parks around here are going to be much fun to operate from. And I certainly wouldn't have the grandiose view to enjoy as pictured above!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP _ When you care to send the very least!

I'm sure you've all seen this

This image has been all over the internet in various places for a while now. And of course, anyone who has used a soldering iron gets a good chuckle out of this.

But actually, this violates one of the prime rules of professional commercial photography (my first line of work many years ago). When you're going to photograph something in a commercial setting like this, if you yourself are not familiar with the product and/or what's going on, then you'd better as all heck have someone from the company on set. They will act as your consultant and would immediately correct errors like this.

This has to be a throw away shot, that someone thought would be funny to circulate, as I highly doubt the client would have approved and used this in any publication or advertising.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

 

Another kit for your consideration

 I came across this one on Facebook in a post from ON6UU on the Amateur QRP Radio page. It's a kit offered by QRPHAMRADIOKITS by EA3GCY from Spain. I'm always on the hunt for some news to share with insatiable kit builders out there.

This is the EGV+ three band (40, 30, 20 Meter) CW transceiver. Here's an overview of the specs:

General:

Frequency coverage:  40 - 30 - 20m  (6 to 16MHz continuous tuning)

KB-2 Keyer built in. 

Tuning steps on two ranges: 10Hz-100Hz-1kHz and 10kHz-100kHz-1MHz.

Mode: CW

RIT function: without frequency limit

Power requirements: 12–14VDC  1-2A transmit, 0.14 – 0.25A receive.

Antenna impedance: 50 ohms.

Controls: Tuning-pushbutton. Band adjust. Volume. RF attenuator.

Board dimensions: 180 x 140 mm.

Weight: (no enclosure) 0.3 kg.

TRANSMITTER:

Emissión: CW.

RF output: 8W - 5W  40 to 20m.

Output TX Amp:  AB class amplifier. High Quality output Spectrum.

Harmonics output: -45dBc or better below the fundamental frequency.

Other spurious signals: -50dBc or better below the fundamental frequency. 

RECEIVER:

Type: Superheterodyne. Balanced mixer.

Sensitivity: 0.2uV minimum discernible signal.

Selectivity: crystal ladder filter, 800Hz nominal bandwidth.

IF frequency: 4.915MHz.

AGC: on the receive path according to the received audio.

Audio output: 250mW, 4-8 ohms.

The price is 120 Euros, which translates to about $146.00 here in the States. Shipping is extra of course. It appears to be a "thru-hole" kit without any user end surface mount devices involved. I may be wrong, but I'm willing to bet that small SMD circuit board behind the LCD display probably comes pre-assembled (but don't quote me on that!) Here are a few more photos:

Looks interesting to me. Maybe not as fully featured as the QCX kits, but roughly the same price as if you were to buy three of them - one for each band.

The manual is downloadable off the website and orders can be placed right from there, also. If I had a spare $150 kicking around, I'd be seriously attempted to purchase one.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Well ...... duh......Captain Obvious!

 This came down from the FCC - over the weekend - which is kind of unusual in itself.

Amateur & Personal Radio Users Reminded Not to Use Radios in Crimes

Full Title: Warning: Amateur and Personal Radio Services Licensees and Operators May Not Use Radio Equipment to Commit or Facilitate Criminal Acts

Document Type(s): Public Notice

Bureau(s): Enforcement

Description:

The FCC Enforcement Bureau issued today an advisory to remind licensees and operators in the Amateur and Personal Radio Services that they may not use radio equipment to commit or facilitate crimes.

DA/FCC #: DA-21-73

I understand that this came out as a result of the events which took place at the Capital last week. And I have read that various media sources had reported that "Ham radio" was used to coordinate the events that took place. While I fully agree with the statement from the FCC, I have several concerns.

1) I doubt the media even knows what "Ham Radio" is. They see a person using a radio and it's a toss up as to whether it's going to be reported as "Ham radio", "CB" or whatever else they can think of. Remember the old Olympus camera commercial? "I can't tell an f-stop from a bus stop!"

2) I know we have our share of whack jobs, as the Amateur Radio community is a microcosm of society at large, and I have to accept there may be members of our community using our resources for illegal activities, but something about this doesn't pass the smell test with me.

3) Don't assume that just because radios such as the Baofengs may have been used, that these were Hams. We all know the problems and headaches that the proliferation of these handhelds have caused by unlicensed users intruding on our frequencies. And you can buy these thing from Amazon, for crying out loud.

Look, I'm just Joe Ham in the peanut seats, but I think this would have been better worded and would have had more impact if the FCC had penned something like:

"The use of the Amateur Radio Service or any of the other personal radio services to facilitate a crime is a federal offense and will be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law."

In my humble opinion, this not only reminds persons already using these services but is also fair warning to outsiders that "pirating" our frequencies is not a matter to be taken lightly.

I'm probably wrong, but to me it just feels like we're having the finger pointed at us. And unless it can be proven that Amateur Radio ops were indeed a driving force behind those unfortunate events, it's a finger pointing that is unwarranted.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Another good friend becomes an SK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

FDIM 2021

As seen on the QRPARCI  groups.io e-mail reflector:

Well, I'm sure we have all heard the news that the Dayton Hamvention has been canceled for 2021.  The unavoidable consequence of this is that QRPARCI will also cancel the _physical_ FDIM convention.  

That said, the hard work of lining up speakers and topics for our convention has already been performed.  We will have a VIRTUAL FDIM, with a host of interesting and informative topics.  We will be ironing out the details of this over the next month, and updating the membership as we go.

I look forward to this event, and then gathering again in 2022.  Until then, stay healthy, optimistic, and radio-active!

72

David Cripe NM0S

President, QRPARCI

Thanks, Dave!  I will definitely be "attending" my first FDIM!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Hamvention 2021 ....... Cancelled!

 Snip taken from Facebook:

Meanwhile, David Wayne Cripe NM0S, the President of QRP - ARCI had announced about a week ago that FDIM - Four Days in May, will be virtual this year.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Virtual Hamfests

 While COVID is still a concern, some Hamfests are going virtual. Here are two that have come to my attention.

Saratoga County Amateur Radio Association - January 23rd.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saratoga-county-amateur-radio-association-virtual-hamfest-2021-tickets-134281191659?utm_campaign=new_attendee&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=event_name

This one is free and has some interesting presentations planned

.

Registration is limited to 300 attendees, so if you're interested ............

The other is the QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo - https://www.qsotodayhamexpo.com/

This one is not free - "tickets" are $10, but if this one is like the last one that Eric Guth organized, then the admission is worth it. Click on the link to the speakers page - there's something for just about everyone's interest. And if by chance, you are not available to attend the weekend of March 13th and 14th - the Expo will be available for viewing "On Demand" until April 12th.

Both of these look like a good time!

Hopefully, with vaccines becoming available, we'll be through this once and for all some time this year. It would be nice to see "normal" Hamfests, swapmeets and Amateur Radio club meetings again!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP -When you care to send the very least!

Two friends of mine ......

 are planning some operating events. One on Sunday, the other in February. I'd appreciate if you'd keep an ear open for both of them.

Tomorrow - Mark NK8Q in his own words:

Due to the NAQP CW contest on Saturday from 1800Z through 0600Z on Sunday I've decided that Sunday would be a better day for me to get out for some SOTAdventure.  I think I want to try to hit a series of three or four summits that may have difficult access later when we get more snow/ice.  There is still some residual snow from piles from the 16 - 18" that we received on December 17th but I do not anticipate there to be access issues due to that.

Last year on a snowy (and later sleet) day I did these three which I'm planning for this Sunday again as well (order may change, we'll see):

W3/SV-026 (Shade Mtn) - Snyder County

W3/SV-024 (Spectacle Gap Mtn) Juniata County

W3/SV-030 (Raccoon Valley Mtn)  Juniata/Perry County Line

In the summer of 2019 when there were longer days I also did the same three but also added W3/SV-020 (Butler Knob) in Huntingdon County.  If I were to attempt a four summit winter activation I think instead I would add W3/SV-018 (Broad Mtn) in Huntingdon County.

Frequencies I would plan to operate would be the following (+/- for QRM), all CW:

5.332 MHz (5.348 as a backup)

7.032 MHz

10.117 MHz

14.062 MHz

3.535 MHz if needed

I've found that for in-state and near-state QSOs during the daytime 60m is pretty good and getting closer to sunset and later in the day that 80m may be required.

I'll put up my alerts on SOTAWatch once I figure out a schedule.  As there is presently no snow on the roads and the temperatures for daytime highs are in the upper 30s today through Sunday, I expect easy travel and in general short hikes away from the vehicle to the operating positions.  

I have another series of summits for another future weekend as well, so stay tuned!

Time to start collecting some winter bonus points!  Six pointers become worth nine and eight pointers are worth eleven!

As always, feel free to text message me if I have phone access (I think most of those sites did have good phone coverage) at 484-894-6948 and I'll see if I can accommodate.  Each activation will be brief in order to attempt to hit three and possibly four.  I'll be spending more time driving than operating, but so it goes!

72/73 & HNY,

Mark, NK8Q

February - Dave KD2FSI in his own words:

I am very pleased to announce that on February 7, 2021 from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm local time, that I’ll be operating a special event station using a variety of vintage Heathkits to commemorating the life and legacy of Howard E. Anthony; the person responsible for starting the Heathkit brand. There is some additional information in QST and on the ARRL website under special event stations.  I will also post the actual operating frequencies and modes in real time the day off. I hope all amateur radio operators with any type of equipment (new or old) will join me as we commemorate Mr. Anthony two days before what would be his 108th birthday. 

Planned Special Event QSL

Background:

The Heath Company was founded in 1911 by Edward Bayard Heath as an aircraft company and sold a kit airplane. Sadly, Heath would die in 1931 during a test flight. The company would change hands, but, fell into bankruptcy. It was in 1935, that Howard E. Anthony purchased what was left with the intentions of selling accessories for small aircraft. However, after WWII he bought a large stock of surplus wartime electronic parts and in 1947 introduced a kit built oscilloscope under the brand name Heathkit. The OL-1 oscilloscope was a huge success and Heathkit would grow to be the premier supplier of electronics in kit form. Tragically, fate would repeat itself and Anthony would also die in an airplane crash in 1954. But, Mr. Anthony’s legacy continues today with the millions who learned electronics from his kits and the Heathkit amateur radio stations that are still on the air.

73, Dave KD2FSI

Both of these fellows are great guys and good friends - I would be pleased if you would grace them with your RF. Nothing makes the operator of a Special Event or a SOTAteer happier than a wall of call signs coming at them.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

As if I don't have enough kits to build

 

I went and purchased a Pixie.  Just to play around with and maybe experiment a little with. It was under $10, so if I FUBAR it while experimenting, I won't shed a tear. I also procured some crystals for 7.040 MHz. 

I need to get back into the swing of kit building again. So many to build, so little free time. I figured maybe if I start out small and work my way up to bigger projects. - maybe this will keep me out of the sack by 9:00 PM.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

SWL clones available as kits

 Not through Dave Benson, but through an outfit called Midway Electronics.

The kits are claimed to be EXACT duplicates of the SW40+, SW30+, SW20+, and SW80+.- Dave Benson K1SWL's excellent design!

For all the details you can go to: https://www.midwayelectronics.us/qrp/?fbclid=IwAR3rGsY5H2l9EV1y5O9Iv5sVZp4y1f2nd4-gQkhvH0_ETfs_RwqwN317hUs

The most interesting part of this offer is the "No B.S. Warranty". Check out the bottom of the page!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!