Author Archive
Antenna line launcher
September 9th, 2010 | 
Author:
So here's the deal ..... pictures of the "new" homebrewed W2LJ antenna line launcher. No new idea, no new technology, no new radical concepts. Based on the same concept as that well known brand that is seen in all the popular Ham radio publications at a fraction of the price. THAT is the only advantage! Plus, if I can do this, YOU can do this. When it comes to stuff like this, sometimes I am all ten thumbs and all of them left thumbs to boot!
The materials are: 1) Cheapie slingshot acquired from eBay 2) A 99 cent tent peg from Target or Wal-Mart, can't remember exactly which one 3) Fishing reel that used to belong to my father-in-law 4) Two hose clamps 5) Some 1/4 X 3/4" long screws, nuts and star lock washers.
As you can see from the photo, I made about a 3/4" notch into the tent peg. Directly above the notch, I drilled a 1/4" diameter hole through the plastic. I also drilled a 1/4" hole in the bottom of the slingshot; and then opened it up and inserted one of the screws and secured it with a star washer.
I reassembled the slingshot and then placed the screw through the hole that I had previously drilled through the tent peg. I secured the slingshot in place with another star washer and a nut. After tightening the nut with a wrench, it became apparent that the lock washers are really holding everything in place as I can't easily rotate the slingshot on the tent peg platform. It is there to stay unless I disassemble everything.
The fishing reel is held in place with two hose clamps. I have attached a 1 ounce fishing sinker to the monofilament line; but I really have to buy some fluorescent paint and do up a bunch of sinkers. If they are brilliant orange or yellow or even pink, they will be easier to spot in the tree; or in the grass where they would land in the field.
I took this contraption out to my backyard, to the tree which supports the center portion of my G5RV. With only about 50% tension on the slingshot, I easily (and I mean EASILY) cleared my 40 foot tall maple tree. I can see where full pull back on the slingshot elastic will allow an easy 50 - 60 foot shot. Plenty high for one of my doublets or the wire for the Fuchs tuner. I didn't want to go full throttle in my backyard as I didn't need the fishing weight making a rude entrance through a neighbor's window.
So what was the cost?
Slingshot from eBay - $5.00 (with shipping)
Tent peg - $0.99
Hardware (screws, nuts, lock washers) - $2.00 as I had to buy packets
Hose clamps - $3.00 (for two)
Fishing reel and sinkers - in my case free, as they were my father-in-law's. I can imagine that you can find a suitable reel, line and sinkers at Wal-Mart or someplace like that without breaking the bank.
I'm sure I will need some practice with this, to get a good feel for it; and to get the hang of placing the line just so. But I do know this is going to make the job of getting a doublet or end fed wire elevated all that much easier. It's small enough to fit into my antenna knapsack; and I look forward to having even more outdoor QRP fun in the future.
This weekend, I am definitely going to tackle some of those 60 foot trees in the local park that eluded my antenna line efforts last weekend.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
The materials are: 1) Cheapie slingshot acquired from eBay 2) A 99 cent tent peg from Target or Wal-Mart, can't remember exactly which one 3) Fishing reel that used to belong to my father-in-law 4) Two hose clamps 5) Some 1/4 X 3/4" long screws, nuts and star lock washers.
As you can see from the photo, I made about a 3/4" notch into the tent peg. Directly above the notch, I drilled a 1/4" diameter hole through the plastic. I also drilled a 1/4" hole in the bottom of the slingshot; and then opened it up and inserted one of the screws and secured it with a star washer.
I reassembled the slingshot and then placed the screw through the hole that I had previously drilled through the tent peg. I secured the slingshot in place with another star washer and a nut. After tightening the nut with a wrench, it became apparent that the lock washers are really holding everything in place as I can't easily rotate the slingshot on the tent peg platform. It is there to stay unless I disassemble everything.
The fishing reel is held in place with two hose clamps. I have attached a 1 ounce fishing sinker to the monofilament line; but I really have to buy some fluorescent paint and do up a bunch of sinkers. If they are brilliant orange or yellow or even pink, they will be easier to spot in the tree; or in the grass where they would land in the field.
I took this contraption out to my backyard, to the tree which supports the center portion of my G5RV. With only about 50% tension on the slingshot, I easily (and I mean EASILY) cleared my 40 foot tall maple tree. I can see where full pull back on the slingshot elastic will allow an easy 50 - 60 foot shot. Plenty high for one of my doublets or the wire for the Fuchs tuner. I didn't want to go full throttle in my backyard as I didn't need the fishing weight making a rude entrance through a neighbor's window.
So what was the cost?
Slingshot from eBay - $5.00 (with shipping)
Tent peg - $0.99
Hardware (screws, nuts, lock washers) - $2.00 as I had to buy packets
Hose clamps - $3.00 (for two)
Fishing reel and sinkers - in my case free, as they were my father-in-law's. I can imagine that you can find a suitable reel, line and sinkers at Wal-Mart or someplace like that without breaking the bank.
I'm sure I will need some practice with this, to get a good feel for it; and to get the hang of placing the line just so. But I do know this is going to make the job of getting a doublet or end fed wire elevated all that much easier. It's small enough to fit into my antenna knapsack; and I look forward to having even more outdoor QRP fun in the future.
This weekend, I am definitely going to tackle some of those 60 foot trees in the local park that eluded my antenna line efforts last weekend.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
First Day Cover #2
As promised ........
Again, you can click on the image to make it bigger and see more detail.
This cover features an illustration of a Ham actively working his station. And from the caption, it seems like things have not changed much. Back then, as now, we are constantly reminding the general public that we are there when "stuff" hits the fan. Not merely a bunch of odd looking geeks involved in an esoteric hobby that no one quite understands.
I would imagine that back then, in 1964, our predecessors were also engaged in a constant PR battle to make the general public aware that "we" were not always the source of their TVI problems. With satellite and cable, we have the advantage today, although problems do still crop up from time to time.
On another note, I have finished my homebrew antenna launcher. Not anything brilliantly new or innovative - just my version. I will try to post some pictures later tonight after I get home from the Raritan Valley Radio Club meeting.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Again, you can click on the image to make it bigger and see more detail.
This cover features an illustration of a Ham actively working his station. And from the caption, it seems like things have not changed much. Back then, as now, we are constantly reminding the general public that we are there when "stuff" hits the fan. Not merely a bunch of odd looking geeks involved in an esoteric hobby that no one quite understands.
I would imagine that back then, in 1964, our predecessors were also engaged in a constant PR battle to make the general public aware that "we" were not always the source of their TVI problems. With satellite and cable, we have the advantage today, although problems do still crop up from time to time.
On another note, I have finished my homebrew antenna launcher. Not anything brilliantly new or innovative - just my version. I will try to post some pictures later tonight after I get home from the Raritan Valley Radio Club meeting.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Amateur Radio Stamp – First Day Covers
Those of you who use my blog as a jumping off point for other Ham Radio blogs may have seen Dave K2DSL's post yesterday about the First Day cover of the 1964 postage stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the ARRL. The stamp was commissioned by the Post Office not only to celebrate the the League's milestone anniversary, but to also honor all the volunteer man hours unselfishly rendered by brave Amateur Radio ops who provided communications (sometimes the only communications) for many areas after "The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964" - hence the cancellation mark of Anchorage, Alaska.
Over the years, I have found and acquired nine different versions of that First Day cover. I owe that in large part to my Dad and my maternal grandfather who were both into stamp collecting. They passed on to me not only parts of their collections; but a passing interest in philately as well. I don't currently collect stamps with any great fervor; but I do like to look at what I have; and I'm always on the lookout for stamps related to the space program or Amateur Radio.
I am not going to post all nine First Day covers that I own all at once; but will space them out and will post one every night or so for the next week or so. You've seen the one Dave posted with the two young Hams and their Elmer. I have that one also; and will post that last.
This first one features Hiram Percy Maxim, the co-founder of the League; and its first president. This First Day cover also features an engraving of the then new ARRL headquarters building.
I do believe that there may be one or two more versions of this First Day cover out there. I haven't been successful in finding them - so far. I have always had it in the back of my mind to have these mounted and framed in one big display for the shack wall. Yet another project for someday!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Over the years, I have found and acquired nine different versions of that First Day cover. I owe that in large part to my Dad and my maternal grandfather who were both into stamp collecting. They passed on to me not only parts of their collections; but a passing interest in philately as well. I don't currently collect stamps with any great fervor; but I do like to look at what I have; and I'm always on the lookout for stamps related to the space program or Amateur Radio.
I am not going to post all nine First Day covers that I own all at once; but will space them out and will post one every night or so for the next week or so. You've seen the one Dave posted with the two young Hams and their Elmer. I have that one also; and will post that last.
You can click on the image for a closer view.
This first one features Hiram Percy Maxim, the co-founder of the League; and its first president. This First Day cover also features an engraving of the then new ARRL headquarters building.
I do believe that there may be one or two more versions of this First Day cover out there. I haven't been successful in finding them - so far. I have always had it in the back of my mind to have these mounted and framed in one big display for the shack wall. Yet another project for someday!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Labor Day Parade
I managed to get up at what is sometimes referred to as "Oh Dark Thirty" or Half Past Dark (actually 5:00 AM local time) to get ready to head over to the Emergency Management Office to help with this year's Labor Day parade. A shocking foretaste of Autumn was in the air as it was only 49F (9C) when I left home. A quick stop at the local coffee establishment helped to wake me up and keep me warm! When I got to my assigned spot, which was near the Community Pool, it was cool enough that a mist was rising off the water's surface!
There were quite a few CERT members who showed up and quite a few of those CERT members were Amateur Radio ops, which proved to be a fortunate thing. We had things quite under control providing communications between the parade organizers and the town's emergency services. It was a good practice excersize. Not only did we pass routine traffic containing standard parade information; but we were also able to help to quickly reunite a child who became separated from his parents.
We used a 440 MHz simplex frequency and I was happy to see that this was quite ample for us. South Plainfield is not a huge town, by any stretch of the imagination; but using UHF frequencies without going through a repeater can be tricky at times. No problems whatsoever. Not only was each radio op able to communicate with the command station; but if necessary, we could have communicated with each other directly. We were all using various brand handhelds with rubber ducks at 5 Watts.
For all intent and purpose, this was my first practical "in the field" test for my Wouxun. We chose a frequency that was not in my unit's memory; and I was quickly able to program it in and add it in seconds. This is one of the reasons that I chose to program the radio NOT using the computer software when I first got it. By doing it manually, the programming procedure became second nature. This is a good thing to know in the event of an emergency, when the situation is fluid and you have to adapt at a moment's notice.
I was at the starting point of the parade and had to relay various points of information to the command center. I did a lot of communicating and the battery held up well. In the past years with the Alinco, I would have to swap out battery packs at least once during the event. That didn't occur this morning, as the battery held up just fine. Needless to say, I had a fully charged spare on my belt, ready if needed. With the handheld also securely fastened to my belt, I used a Kenwood speakermike which I attached to the lapel area of my CERT vest; and there was more than adequate volume coming from the speaker. All my communications were done using Amateur frequencies and I pretty much ignored the municipal radio that I had been issued. It seemed our radios worked better than the town's anyway, as there were often requests for repeats of information between the people using the town's radios.
Tonight there will be a fireworks display and CERT members will be needed once again. However, my wife Marianne had to go to work today, so Joey and Cara and I will head over to their school which has a good view; and we will watch them from there.
For those of you thinking of a new handheld, as a spare, or even perhaps as your main unit, I would definitely recommend the Wouxun. So far it has performed well and the price is definitely right. It may not have all the fancy bells and whistles offered on the handhelds from "The Big 3"; but it sure did a great job for me today.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
There were quite a few CERT members who showed up and quite a few of those CERT members were Amateur Radio ops, which proved to be a fortunate thing. We had things quite under control providing communications between the parade organizers and the town's emergency services. It was a good practice excersize. Not only did we pass routine traffic containing standard parade information; but we were also able to help to quickly reunite a child who became separated from his parents.
We used a 440 MHz simplex frequency and I was happy to see that this was quite ample for us. South Plainfield is not a huge town, by any stretch of the imagination; but using UHF frequencies without going through a repeater can be tricky at times. No problems whatsoever. Not only was each radio op able to communicate with the command station; but if necessary, we could have communicated with each other directly. We were all using various brand handhelds with rubber ducks at 5 Watts.
For all intent and purpose, this was my first practical "in the field" test for my Wouxun. We chose a frequency that was not in my unit's memory; and I was quickly able to program it in and add it in seconds. This is one of the reasons that I chose to program the radio NOT using the computer software when I first got it. By doing it manually, the programming procedure became second nature. This is a good thing to know in the event of an emergency, when the situation is fluid and you have to adapt at a moment's notice.
I was at the starting point of the parade and had to relay various points of information to the command center. I did a lot of communicating and the battery held up well. In the past years with the Alinco, I would have to swap out battery packs at least once during the event. That didn't occur this morning, as the battery held up just fine. Needless to say, I had a fully charged spare on my belt, ready if needed. With the handheld also securely fastened to my belt, I used a Kenwood speakermike which I attached to the lapel area of my CERT vest; and there was more than adequate volume coming from the speaker. All my communications were done using Amateur frequencies and I pretty much ignored the municipal radio that I had been issued. It seemed our radios worked better than the town's anyway, as there were often requests for repeats of information between the people using the town's radios.
Tonight there will be a fireworks display and CERT members will be needed once again. However, my wife Marianne had to go to work today, so Joey and Cara and I will head over to their school which has a good view; and we will watch them from there.
For those of you thinking of a new handheld, as a spare, or even perhaps as your main unit, I would definitely recommend the Wouxun. So far it has performed well and the price is definitely right. It may not have all the fancy bells and whistles offered on the handhelds from "The Big 3"; but it sure did a great job for me today.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Got an idea today
while attending the ETS of NJ picnic. Before the idea; a bit on the picnic. It was gorgeous day for the event! It was sunny and the temperature was in the mid 70s (24C) with very low humidity. For the most part, the breeziness that we has yesterday had diminished. The food was good and the fellowship was great too. Not a huge amount of members showed up; but the ones that did had a great time. I think even Marianne and Joey and Cara had a decent time.
After everyone had something to eat, Victor KB2NBC used his WristRocket to launch some line into the trees and before you even realized, an off center fed dipole had been erected about 35 feet in the air. Someone had brought along a Kenwood TS-2000 and a power supply and a few of the members were working 20 Meter SSB. I witnessed one QSO with a station on the west coast of Wales. The band seemed to be in pretty good shape. Not exactly my idea of a portable station; but fun was had, nonetheless.
I went back to take a closer look at the WristRocket, where Victor had laid it down. It's definitely not an overly complicated device. A sling shot, some metal and a fishing reel. Victor bought it earlier this year at the Timonium, MD Hamfest. When he shot the line up into the tree, I was amazed at how far and how easily it traveled.
When we got home, I went to our local park here and had intended to set up the wire and Fuchs tuner with the PFR3A. However, the lowest branches of the trees were even higher than I remembered and I couldn't manage to successfully get a water bottle over one, ala' W1PID. Roger Clemens I am not - and that's a good thing considering all the trouble he's finding himself in lately - but I could have used his throwing arm.
This got me thinking about Vic's antenna launcher again; and how relatively easy it would be to homebrew one. I have a slingshot and I have an old fishing reel that had belonged to my father-in-law. All I need is a steady platform to mount the two of them on. And I think I have the answer for that, too - a 99 cent tent stake from Wal-Mart.
Rather than try to explain it verbally, I will post pictures and further details as it comes about. Hopefully, this thing will be able to get a 1 ounce fishing weight about 40 or 50 feet high, up and over some good branches. QRP Afield is in two weeks, on September 18th. This might be just what I need.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
After everyone had something to eat, Victor KB2NBC used his WristRocket to launch some line into the trees and before you even realized, an off center fed dipole had been erected about 35 feet in the air. Someone had brought along a Kenwood TS-2000 and a power supply and a few of the members were working 20 Meter SSB. I witnessed one QSO with a station on the west coast of Wales. The band seemed to be in pretty good shape. Not exactly my idea of a portable station; but fun was had, nonetheless.
I went back to take a closer look at the WristRocket, where Victor had laid it down. It's definitely not an overly complicated device. A sling shot, some metal and a fishing reel. Victor bought it earlier this year at the Timonium, MD Hamfest. When he shot the line up into the tree, I was amazed at how far and how easily it traveled.
When we got home, I went to our local park here and had intended to set up the wire and Fuchs tuner with the PFR3A. However, the lowest branches of the trees were even higher than I remembered and I couldn't manage to successfully get a water bottle over one, ala' W1PID. Roger Clemens I am not - and that's a good thing considering all the trouble he's finding himself in lately - but I could have used his throwing arm.
This got me thinking about Vic's antenna launcher again; and how relatively easy it would be to homebrew one. I have a slingshot and I have an old fishing reel that had belonged to my father-in-law. All I need is a steady platform to mount the two of them on. And I think I have the answer for that, too - a 99 cent tent stake from Wal-Mart.
Rather than try to explain it verbally, I will post pictures and further details as it comes about. Hopefully, this thing will be able to get a 1 ounce fishing weight about 40 or 50 feet high, up and over some good branches. QRP Afield is in two weeks, on September 18th. This might be just what I need.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
You young whipper snappers
and your little radios that fit into mint tins that let you work all over the world! Why, back in my day, radios were radios! They dad gum weighed a ton and they had tubes that would glow in the dark and warm up the entire shack! And when we didn't use 'em to warm up the shack, we'd toss 'em into our beds on a cold winter's night to keep the sheets warm! And Glorioski , our Watts were Watts ..... we didn't have tiny circuit boards ...... we used to warm our soldering irons in the fire and heck, how do you think the term "bread board" came to be, anyway? We used to build our radios on REAL bread boards and lookie at what we considered to be QRP !!!!!!
That's right, Boy-o, back in the day, QRP was a manly 100 Watts, not the puny 5 Watts that you spoiled young'uns use to talk around the world today! And our signals used to travel around the world ..... uphill both ways!
All kidding aside, I knew I had this somewhere! I was looking through some of my old special event certificates when I came across my original QRP-ARCI membership certificate, complete with my original call sign. In fact, except for QSL cards, this is one of the few certificates that I have that has my original call, KA2DOH, on it. And back then, "QRP Quarterly" was a distant dream, off in the future. The QRP-ARCI newsletter was a mimeographed (remember mimeographs?) thing that you would get via the regular mail.
It was only a few years later that QRP was changed to be the 5 Watts we have come to know and love. Sometimes, when I tell newer Hams that QRP used to mean 100 Watts or less, I get "that look". Well, here's the proof!
The weather has changed along the east coast. We are getting our first taste of Autumn. It was sunny today and very breezy, and for the most part, temperatures stayed in the 70s for most of the day, although it did go into the low 80s for a brief period this afternoon. As a result, 40 Meters was quite nice tonight. It was very quiet with hardly and summer type static crashes; and signals were loud, too. I had a nice chat with Hal KD8AC out of Youngstown, Ohio. Hal was using his K3 at 50 Watts to a centerfed Zepp at 35 feet. We gave each other 599 signal reports and it was armchair copy throughout the whole QSO.
Boy, Hal's K3 sure sounded good! What's that Super Jackpot Lotto up to now, anyway?
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
That's right, Boy-o, back in the day, QRP was a manly 100 Watts, not the puny 5 Watts that you spoiled young'uns use to talk around the world today! And our signals used to travel around the world ..... uphill both ways!
All kidding aside, I knew I had this somewhere! I was looking through some of my old special event certificates when I came across my original QRP-ARCI membership certificate, complete with my original call sign. In fact, except for QSL cards, this is one of the few certificates that I have that has my original call, KA2DOH, on it. And back then, "QRP Quarterly" was a distant dream, off in the future. The QRP-ARCI newsletter was a mimeographed (remember mimeographs?) thing that you would get via the regular mail.
It was only a few years later that QRP was changed to be the 5 Watts we have come to know and love. Sometimes, when I tell newer Hams that QRP used to mean 100 Watts or less, I get "that look". Well, here's the proof!
The weather has changed along the east coast. We are getting our first taste of Autumn. It was sunny today and very breezy, and for the most part, temperatures stayed in the 70s for most of the day, although it did go into the low 80s for a brief period this afternoon. As a result, 40 Meters was quite nice tonight. It was very quiet with hardly and summer type static crashes; and signals were loud, too. I had a nice chat with Hal KD8AC out of Youngstown, Ohio. Hal was using his K3 at 50 Watts to a centerfed Zepp at 35 feet. We gave each other 599 signal reports and it was armchair copy throughout the whole QSO.
Boy, Hal's K3 sure sounded good! What's that Super Jackpot Lotto up to now, anyway?72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Do not miss this blog post !
From W1PNS's blog -
This is a good one and will work for the PFR3A also. A perfect solution for a vexing problem. I don't own a KX1; but I do know this happens with a PFR3A - when the radio is laying flat on a table top, it is hard to tell if the RIT is on unless you are looking right down onto the LED display. More than once I have used the PFR3A on the shack table and since the angle wasn't right, I came to realize that I wasn't listening where I thought I was. I had inadvertently left the RIT on and didn't see the illuminated decimal point in the display. This homebrew tilt stand will get the angles just right so that won't happen again.
I am going to have to construct one of these. Thanks, Pete for sharing the great post, plans and idea!
Are QRPers neat, or what ?!?
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
“Lean-to” homebrew stand for Elecraft’s KX1
This is a good one and will work for the PFR3A also. A perfect solution for a vexing problem. I don't own a KX1; but I do know this happens with a PFR3A - when the radio is laying flat on a table top, it is hard to tell if the RIT is on unless you are looking right down onto the LED display. More than once I have used the PFR3A on the shack table and since the angle wasn't right, I came to realize that I wasn't listening where I thought I was. I had inadvertently left the RIT on and didn't see the illuminated decimal point in the display. This homebrew tilt stand will get the angles just right so that won't happen again.
I am going to have to construct one of these. Thanks, Pete for sharing the great post, plans and idea!
Are QRPers neat, or what ?!?
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
He took aim
Courtesy of the NY Post
and he missed! Thank the Lord, Earl was a non-event in New Jersey, at least the central part of the state. As I was driving home, headed directly Eastbound, you could see the clouds that formed Earl's outer rim, all the way up, high into the sky. Impressive indeed!
But so far, we have had none of the rains or wind that was predicted. Earlier today, Earl had been downgraded from a Category 4 to a Category 1 hurricane, which is the lowest a hurricane can go before being downgraded even farther back to Tropical Storm status. That happens once the sustained winds fall below 75 MPH.
So once these clouds clear out of here tonight, we are looking towards a very pleasant Labor Day weekend around these parts. Sunny for tomorrow, Sunday and Monday with highs in the 70's (23C) the first two days and then back into the 80's (28C) for Monday.
The ETS of NJ (local 2 Meter repeater group) annual picnic is on Sunday;' and the whole family is planning on attending. The ETS club has always shared the passion of the PARC Club in knowing how to put out a good spread. We are looking forward to it.
Monday, which is Labor Day, will bring the annual South Plainfield Labor Day parade. I will be there bright and early (6:00 AM) with other CERT and RACES volunteers who will help provide communications and logistical backup to the parade organizers. At night, we will have a fireworks display and the CERT and RACES folks will be there again, volunteering their hours to make sure all goes well and without incident.
In between all the activity; I am still hoping to sneak away to one of the local parks for an hour or two sometime this weekend, in order to play around with the PFR3A, Fuchs tuner and wire antenna. Also, if time permits, I will spend some time with the ATS-3B to see if I can make any progress on that front.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Earl and New Jersey
As of this moment, it's looking like Hurricane Earl might only give coastal NJ a glancing blow. Current computer models are showing the Cat. 4 hurricane remaining well off shore, with only tropical storm warning posted for the immediate coast.
In fact, as of right now, the three different weather sites that I keep tabs on (TWC, AccuWeather, Weather Underground) are only calling for a 50% of showers on Friday, the day that Earl is supposed to be in the vicinity. But hurricanes are fickle beasts with minds of their own, and anything can happen between now and then. In any event, the "go bag" is prepped and ready to go should the worst happen and should our CERT team be activated.
On a personal note, I had to go get a parathyroid scan today. Some recent routine bloodwork has shown that I am trending towards hypercalcemia, that is, too much calcium in my blood. Which was probably the cause of my kidney stone attack back in 2009, or so my doctor thinks. If the scan reveals benign adenomas on my parathyroid, then I might have to get it removed. I should know more next week. It's always something, isn't it?
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
I am one of the 20 Meter Foxes tonight!
I know this is short (very short) notice in blog land; but I am the 20 Meter Fox tonight in the QRP-L Foxhunt. If you have NEVER given this a shot ..... it's entertaining and fun!
Here's the deal. Tonight, between 0100 and 0230 UTC, I will be hiding somewhere between 14.050 and 14.070 MHZ. I will be calling "CQ FOX DE W2LJ UP". This will be to indicate that I will be listening up from my transmit frequency. Exactly how far up is for you to figure out.
If I hear you, I will answer (for example):
KB9BVN DE W2LJ TU 559 NJ LARRY 5W BK (RST/State/Name/Output Power)
You would answer (if you were KB9BVN):
TU 559 IN BRIAN 5W BK (Same exchange)
Then I would answer:
TU DE W2LJ CQ FOX DE W2LJ UP
If any fills are needed I would ask you for them. Getting involved in these hunts is not only fun; but it's good CW practice and it's good pile-up practice. If you can get the hang of how to consistently nab Fox pelts, then you're going to increase your odds of getting through (eventually) in the big DX pile-ups. Listening well and figuring out when and where to call are half the battle.
So if you have some time tonight; and want to have some fun, try and grab my pelt. Or perhaps you might want to listen. By the way, there are always two Foxes. Rene K5JX will be my partner in crime tonight. Give a listen for him, too!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
It may get wet
later this week - a lot wet!
Lastly, the next project will be to return back to my ATS3B and figure out why it's not working. I'm not sure I even remember from when I last worked on it so many months ago. I hear the "ATS-2" message in the headphones when I power it up. I also managed to calibrate the Reference Frequency Oscillator tonight to exactly 10.000.000 MHz. If I remember correctly, I had problems when I got to the Local Oscillator frequency trim step.
It's too early to tell yet; and hurricanes are notoriously unpredictable, but it looks like Hurricane Earl might hug the Eastern Seaboard as it treks north this week.
Courtesy of AccuWeather.com
For more on Earl, you can go to AccuWeather.com.
On a lighter note, my bag of 12 fiberglass mast sections, which I got through eBay, arrived in the mail today. I haven't given them a good examination yet; but I can only wonder what the letter carrier must have thought. The olive drab bag is labeled, in official military lettering: "CAMOUFLAGE SCREENING SUPPORT SYSTEM WOODLAND/DESERT" with all kinds of official serial numbers and stuff. He probably thinks he's delivering to a survivalist or something. Next thing you know, I'll be put on some kind of watch list !!!! (Just joking!) Actually from when I served with Middlesex County Emergency Management back in the 1980's, I already have State Police and FBI dossiers opened on me from background investigations- so this would be nothing new.
On a lighter note, my bag of 12 fiberglass mast sections, which I got through eBay, arrived in the mail today. I haven't given them a good examination yet; but I can only wonder what the letter carrier must have thought. The olive drab bag is labeled, in official military lettering: "CAMOUFLAGE SCREENING SUPPORT SYSTEM WOODLAND/DESERT" with all kinds of official serial numbers and stuff. He probably thinks he's delivering to a survivalist or something. Next thing you know, I'll be put on some kind of watch list !!!! (Just joking!) Actually from when I served with Middlesex County Emergency Management back in the 1980's, I already have State Police and FBI dossiers opened on me from background investigations- so this would be nothing new.
Secondly, Jim W1PID posted another New Hampshire QRP outdoors story. You can read it here. These are always worth reading and really get the "Outdoors QRP" juices flowing! Truly, I think Jim has the outdoors "concept" nailed - his success rate proves this. A small transceiver and a wire, battery and key. I know for a fact that from time to time, I get too caught up in the trappings, worrying too much about the equipment and what to bring. The simpler, the better. KISS holds true to form here; and I think that's a lesson that I personally need to pay better attention to.
Last week, I got around to replacing the AAA battery holder in my AA0ZZ keyer that I got from the Four States QRP Group. The original that came with the kit kind of fell apart; or maybe I applied too much heat when originally installing it. The replacement that I ordered from Jameco arrived last week. I got it all re-wired and finally applied the decal that I made. By they way, that Inkjet decal paper works wonderfully! I highly recommend it.
Lastly, the next project will be to return back to my ATS3B and figure out why it's not working. I'm not sure I even remember from when I last worked on it so many months ago. I hear the "ATS-2" message in the headphones when I power it up. I also managed to calibrate the Reference Frequency Oscillator tonight to exactly 10.000.000 MHz. If I remember correctly, I had problems when I got to the Local Oscillator frequency trim step.
In any event, I am buoyed by the success I eventually had in getting the PFR3A to work. Even though I had a lot of help, I eventually got that to work; so I can probably get this to work - given enough time and research. I always have the ATS Yahoo Group archives to search for clues.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
2X QRP DX QSO
As things turned out, I did not get the opportunity to head out to the local park with my PFR3A, Fuchs tuner and 69 foot hunk o' wire. I wanted to get the wire up in the tall trees and see how the QRP Project Fuchs tuner behaves. Maybe one day this week or over the long Labor Day weekend.
But I did get some on air time this afternoon, listening for John K3WWP and Mike KC2EGL who were doing a portable outing from a park in Kitanning, PA. As it turned out, I never heard them. But I did go on 20 Meters for a bit and called CQ near the QRP watering hole.
Nyaregyhaza, Hungary
My effort was greeted by a call from Laci HA7UG in . Laci was a solid 579 into New Jersey and I received a 569 report back. Laci and I were both at the 5 Watt level. We exchanged the basics and then the QSB started bothering us, of course!
The only thing better than a DX QSO is when it's a two way QRP DX QSO! It's amazing to think of 5 Watts travelling over all that water and land. It works out to be only 881 miles per Watt; but it's still quite a feat in my book.
Other than the QSO with Laci, it was very quiet on the bands today. There were no major CW contests going on; or at least I didn't hear much in the way of activity. 40, 30 and 20 Meters all seemed very quiet today - almost dead.
So I shut down the station, and Marianne and I took Joey and Cara to the community pool for a few hours. It reached 93F (34C) here today; and they really enjoyed it. Then when we got home, I got a surprise when I checked my e-mail and saw one from my good friend, Bob W3BBO in my In Box. He wrote to tell me that he saw that I was on 20 Meters working DX stations. I was taken aback as to how he could have possibly have known that; when I further read that he was checking out the DX Clusters this afternoon and saw that Laci had spotted ME! First time I've ever been the DX!
Cool beans!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
It has often been said
that when one door closes; another opens.
So - I have added to the blogroll and introduce to many of you, a new one. New at least, in the sense that it's new to me and may be new to you as well.
The blog is entitled "KIX-Online" authored by Johnathan KB1KIX. It is full of good and practical and useful stuff.
Enjoy!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
So - I have added to the blogroll and introduce to many of you, a new one. New at least, in the sense that it's new to me and may be new to you as well.
The blog is entitled "KIX-Online" authored by Johnathan KB1KIX. It is full of good and practical and useful stuff.
Enjoy!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Oh, man !!!!
I note the "passing" of three Amateur Radio blogs on the blogroll.
For some time now, Jeff Davis KE9V has not posted any new entries to his blog; but he has kept up with new entries of his "Cornbread Road" audio series. And although I very much enjoy "Cornbread Road", I also miss Jeff's written posts. From his writing, I can tell that Jeff and I are on opposite poles of the political spectrum; but he is a very talented writer; and I respect his opinions - no matter how much they differ from mine.
And now today, Dick N2UGB and Paul PA0PSY have announced they will no longer commit pen to paper; or fingers to keyboard, whichever you prefer. While I regret their decision; I respect their reasoning and feelings. There are days when this isn't the easiest thing to do. It requires motivation and inspiration to keep it from becoming stale. You want to write about what interests you; and at the same time you don't want to bore the people who are visiting your blog. There are days when you definitely feel that you have "said it all" and it begins to feel pointless. But then there are other days when all you want to do is share your experience about that new mode you tried, that new kit you bought or built, that new country you worked, that great ragchew you just had ........
I look at it this way, if I ever feel this is becoming old, I will probably just post less with more breaks in between. I think sometimes bloggers fall into the trap of "quantity vs. quality". I know I fall into that trap myself, too. But I am still passionate about Amateur Radio and I hope that I can somehow share that with other folks - especially "the newbies". If you haven't tried doing this - give it a shot for a while! Blogger and WordPress are free. You don't have to be Shakespeare or Hemingway. All you have to have is some enthusiasm and a desire to share.
I will keep all three blogs listed on the blogroll for the foreseeable future. Hopefully, Jeff, Dick and Paul might get a burst of inspiration to write about something from time to time. Here's hoping to see more posts from these gentlemen - even if they don't come as often as they used to!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
160 Meter capable
My K2 is now 160 Meter capable - but not without a few heart stopping moments along the way - all caused by myself, of course.
I've posted previously about my phobia with opening up the K2. My philosophy is, "If it ain't broke don't fix it" or put another way, "Why jump out of a perfectly good airplane?". But, if you want to add options to a K2, you have to open it. I guess another way of putting it is, "If you want to make mayonnaise, you have to break some eggs". So I took a deep breath and proceeded to crack a few eggs.
In whole, the procedure wasn't as bad as I had feared. I installed the 160 board without any difficulty. As it turned out, all I had to do was remove one jumper from the K2's RF board, add three capacitors and do the actual physical installation of the board. I was lucky enough that my K2 is of recent enough vintage that I did not have to swap out two designated capacitors on the RF board. The existing ones were of the right value. I don't enjoy replacing components. Too much chance to do damage to the circuit board - and that's with 22 years of electronics repairs under my belt. I've seen "simple procedures" turn into deep doo-doo.
The alignment, such as it was, was a piece of cake. Using my OHR Wattmeter, I was able to peak L3 and L4 for maximum power output on both 80 and 160 Meters. If I so desire, I can go past 10 Watts out on both bands without breaking a sweat.
The bad things started happening when I started buttoning things back up. The first piece to be put back together was what Elecraft calls the heat sink. The K2's two PA transistors attach to this sheet o' metal (which also acts as part of the housing) in order to transfer heat away from themselves. However, there are two fiber spacers that go between the transistors and the circuit board in order to insure that the transistor bodies A) stay away from the circuit board and B) stay close to the heat sink. Of course, in the process of putting things back together, one of the two fiber spacers went into orbit.
I got out the heavy duty flashlight and checked the basement floor for what seemed like an eternity. I checked my pockets, I checked my socks, I checked my sneakers, I checked everywhere, to no avail. Then I did what some "Old School" Catholics do when they lose something. I said a short prayer to St. Anthony, to ask for his aid in helping find this minuscule piece of insulating collar. In a short while, I was hit with an inspiration. What if the darned thing had never hit the floor? I decided to check the pockets of my antistatic mat. Sure enough that's where the little bugger landed! No need to call Elecraft and wait for a week while new ones were delivered. Thanks, St. Anthony!
Having everything put back together - heat sink, bottom cover, top cover - I connected the antennas, plugged in the key and external power supply. I turned the unit on and ....... no receive audio! What the ........ ??????? (Break out the defibrillator, Honey!) Plugging in headphones ensured me that I was still able to hear received signals; but ...... ????? I disconnected the top cover completely and ran a 9 Volt battery across the speaker terminals. I heard the satisfying crackle which indicated that I had not somehow damaged the speaker. But that probably couldn't be anyway, as I was not getting anything from either the internal or my external speaker.
Slow down, take a deep breath and figure out what's wrong. The thing was working a half hour ago - what stupid thing did I do? It had to be something stupid that I had done.
Sure enough, it was.
When plugging in the wires for the speaker, I had placed the connector on the two pins where you would hook up the internal battery - if I had one! I removed the connector and placed it where it was supposed to go and viola' - sweet audio came racing out of the speaker(s) both internal and external depending on which I had chosen. (You can take the defibrillator back to the hospital, Honey!) I was listening to N1ZZ call "CQ DX" via CW for a few minutes and then went up the band a ways and went into LSB mode to listen to some ragchewing. Everything sounds great! I can even get the K2's internal ATU to get the G5RV down to about a 1.3:1 SWR. But I'm not kidding myself into thinking that that's a long term working solution. Gotta get that 160 Meter vertical built before winter sets in - but I'm sure that will be another story.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
I've posted previously about my phobia with opening up the K2. My philosophy is, "If it ain't broke don't fix it" or put another way, "Why jump out of a perfectly good airplane?". But, if you want to add options to a K2, you have to open it. I guess another way of putting it is, "If you want to make mayonnaise, you have to break some eggs". So I took a deep breath and proceeded to crack a few eggs.
In whole, the procedure wasn't as bad as I had feared. I installed the 160 board without any difficulty. As it turned out, all I had to do was remove one jumper from the K2's RF board, add three capacitors and do the actual physical installation of the board. I was lucky enough that my K2 is of recent enough vintage that I did not have to swap out two designated capacitors on the RF board. The existing ones were of the right value. I don't enjoy replacing components. Too much chance to do damage to the circuit board - and that's with 22 years of electronics repairs under my belt. I've seen "simple procedures" turn into deep doo-doo.
The alignment, such as it was, was a piece of cake. Using my OHR Wattmeter, I was able to peak L3 and L4 for maximum power output on both 80 and 160 Meters. If I so desire, I can go past 10 Watts out on both bands without breaking a sweat.
The bad things started happening when I started buttoning things back up. The first piece to be put back together was what Elecraft calls the heat sink. The K2's two PA transistors attach to this sheet o' metal (which also acts as part of the housing) in order to transfer heat away from themselves. However, there are two fiber spacers that go between the transistors and the circuit board in order to insure that the transistor bodies A) stay away from the circuit board and B) stay close to the heat sink. Of course, in the process of putting things back together, one of the two fiber spacers went into orbit.
I got out the heavy duty flashlight and checked the basement floor for what seemed like an eternity. I checked my pockets, I checked my socks, I checked my sneakers, I checked everywhere, to no avail. Then I did what some "Old School" Catholics do when they lose something. I said a short prayer to St. Anthony, to ask for his aid in helping find this minuscule piece of insulating collar. In a short while, I was hit with an inspiration. What if the darned thing had never hit the floor? I decided to check the pockets of my antistatic mat. Sure enough that's where the little bugger landed! No need to call Elecraft and wait for a week while new ones were delivered. Thanks, St. Anthony!
Having everything put back together - heat sink, bottom cover, top cover - I connected the antennas, plugged in the key and external power supply. I turned the unit on and ....... no receive audio! What the ........ ??????? (Break out the defibrillator, Honey!) Plugging in headphones ensured me that I was still able to hear received signals; but ...... ????? I disconnected the top cover completely and ran a 9 Volt battery across the speaker terminals. I heard the satisfying crackle which indicated that I had not somehow damaged the speaker. But that probably couldn't be anyway, as I was not getting anything from either the internal or my external speaker.
Slow down, take a deep breath and figure out what's wrong. The thing was working a half hour ago - what stupid thing did I do? It had to be something stupid that I had done.
Sure enough, it was.
When plugging in the wires for the speaker, I had placed the connector on the two pins where you would hook up the internal battery - if I had one! I removed the connector and placed it where it was supposed to go and viola' - sweet audio came racing out of the speaker(s) both internal and external depending on which I had chosen. (You can take the defibrillator back to the hospital, Honey!) I was listening to N1ZZ call "CQ DX" via CW for a few minutes and then went up the band a ways and went into LSB mode to listen to some ragchewing. Everything sounds great! I can even get the K2's internal ATU to get the G5RV down to about a 1.3:1 SWR. But I'm not kidding myself into thinking that that's a long term working solution. Gotta get that 160 Meter vertical built before winter sets in - but I'm sure that will be another story.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
