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I got up this morning for my daily walk – well, actually, I don’t do a daily walk, anymore.  Saturday and Sunday, I get up early and go for a walk. Monday through Friday, I spend a half hour on my elliptical machine in the basement – but I digress.

I woke up this morning to the beginnings of a beautiful day!  Yesterday was positively tropical, hot and humid, with the threat of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes all day. One minute it would be sunny, the next it was dark and threatening. While other areas in the North East were not so lucky, I praise God, that in South Plainfield, all we got was some really heavy rain from about 5:00 to 6:00 PM yesterday evening.  After that, the temperatures dropped, dry air moved in and you can honestly say that today is one of the “Ten Best of the Year”.

Weather issues aside, the object of this post is to relate that I did something yesterday that I have not done in a very long time – about 9 years to be exact.

I made a contact using SSB.

Yes, I know – totally out of character; but I did it and surprised myself in the process.  After mowing the lawn yesterday, I had a little bit of down time, so I went down to the shack to spend a little bit of quality time behind the rig.  Alas, 12 Meters, 15 Meters and 17 Meters were a vast wasteland.  20 Meters was not bad; but had very little activity in the CW portion of the band.  So I decided to switch the K3 over to USB, and went “up” the bad to see if perhaps there were any special event stations doing their thing.

Didn’t hear any of those, either.  But I was hearing a lot of loud European stations working the WAE contest. So I thought to myself, “I wonder if one might hear me …….. hmmmmm”.  I twiddled the dial looking for a particularly loud one – there were a good number of them.  Then I heard a call sign that sounded interesting – 3Z2X.  AC log informed me that it was Poland.  All the better, the country that my ancestors came from!

Using my noodle, I pumped the K3 up to 10 Watts – still QRP by definition (I may be a little crazy; but I’m not insane – SSB and QRO? No way!). Then, I picked up that funny looking little box that you speak into – I think it’s called a microphone and pressed the button thingy on the side.  Announced my call sign and actually heard him call me back!  I gave the contest exchange, got his and then sat there kind of amazed.  10 Watts via SSB all the way to Poland – and he heard me!  We spoke to each other, exchanged information and said good-bye. It worked. I was amazed.

I made a few more and it was fun but it wasn’t enough to convert me from being a dyed-in-the-wool CW op.  But it did hold out hope for me that, in the future, I may be able to work Special Event stations that choose not to have CW as one of the modes that they employ.  It also encouraged me to maybe dip a toe into the pool when the QRP-ARCI holds their annual QRP SSB Sprint.  I never participated in one of those before.  This year just might be different.

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

If you are a QRPer and are serious about it, especially when it comes to working DX or participating in the QRP Fox hunts (or any radio contest, for that matter) then the following IS A MUST READ.

http://www.ae5x.com/blog/2012/09/07/from-sardine-sender-to-dxcc-honor-roll-in-10-years-qrp/

This post on John AE5X’s blog, is an absolute gem.  I have rarely read posts that are more pragmatic, to the point, that are dead on and hit the ball over the wall.

Pay particular attention to the passage that begins with, “There is a common misconception that the heavy lifting in a QSO containing a QRPer is done by the non-QRP station” and then ends with, “rather than using a strategy, are simply calling on unproven frequencies within the split range, thereby eliminating themselves as valid competitors.”

This part is what I consider to be the “meat and potatoes” of this post, and I can think of no better words of wisdom to impart upon ANY Ham, let alone a budding QRPer.

John, thanks so much for writing this and sharing it with the radio and QRP community.  Words to live by!

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

A tip o’ the cap and a smart salute to NS8R for making me aware of The American Legion Amateur Radio Club.

http://www.legion.org/hamradio

If you’re a US Armed Forces veteran and belong to the American Legion – please be sure to check it out.  It looks really, really nice.

Oh, and if you’re a veteran and a Legion member or VFW member, or not a member of any organization at all – thanks for your service!

On another note, QRP DXing can be a mixed bag.  Some days, when the band conditions are right, it can be like shooting fish in a barrel. Other days, when the bands and the sun are not very cooperative, it can be akin to having a root canal.  But either way, it’s fun. Hey, even trying for “the one that got away” is more fun than being at work!

But I really have to give credit to my brother and sister QRPers who go about it using SSB.  They have just that smidge more of patience and endurance than most of us. Sometimes, it seems like it just can’t be done – but here’s proof that it can.

Thanks, John K7HV for posting to YouTube.

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

Worked a new one for me.

I heard 5N7M from Nigeria on 30 Meters and it took a little doing; but I got an answer for my efforts. Nigeria is a new one for me – never worked ’em before – via QRP.

This brings me up to (I believe) 112 DXCC entities worked via QRP and somewhere in the neighborhood of 138 DXCC entities worked over all.  I really have to do a serious recap accounting one of these days.

As hot as 12 Meters was on Saturday, the bands seemed pretty crummy yesterday and today. And that was matched by the weather here in Central NJ.  I participated, along with my CERT Team, in providing communications for the South Plainfield Annual Labor Day Parade and got downpoured on twice. And like the Ham that I am, I was more concerned about the radios getting wet than me! Fortunately, that was quite early in the morning; and by the time the parade kicked off, it was only overcast, with no precipitation.

Our annual fireworks display should kick off in about an hour and a half, really signalling the end of summer.  While it’s been a pretty crummy year so far, personally, I still hate to see summer come to an end.  It’s my most favorite season of all.  But the nights are getting longer; and the maple in the back yard is already starting to shed its first leaves.

Time stands still for no man.

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

From the KX3 e-mail reflector (posted today). And this sounds very interesting:

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Just a note to advertise a Special Event Station scheduled for 1600 UTC to 2400 UTC on 19 September 2012 – a hairbrained scheme launched too late to meet the printed matter deadlines.

Further details at www.qrz.com under call sign K2N. Bottom line: An eight (8) hour QRP CW-only special event aboard the only floating American WW II destroyer escort in the world that has been restored to its original 1945 wartime condition. We will operate two – possibly three – barefoot Elecraft KX3 transceivers and our antennas will consist of the authentically restored maritime verticals and horizontal wires. That means 70 and 80 foot wire verticals on the port and starboard sides; 100 and 190 foot long wires running amidships toward the fantail. We’ve already run a test and the KX3 internal ATU loads to 1:1 with no complaints whatsover on 40 through 6 meters inclusive. Our counterpoise is to die for — a 1200 ton navy warship floating in the Hudson River at the Port of Albany, New York.

If everything goes according to plan, we also expect to have pre-production versions of the new Begali “Adventure” paddle to field test. Two iambic paddles and one non-iambic mono version. The “Adventure” is designed to mate directly with the KX3 – or – sit in its base for use with any other transceiver.

So, if you are interested in working an historic ship then please mark your calendar as per www.qrz.com. We will QSL as per www.qrz.com with a nice postcard of the USS Slater (DE-766). 

73, Stan WB2LQF www.wb2lqf.com

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That’s the middle of the week – on a Wednesday.  But they will run until 8:00 PM that evening, so I stand a chance after getting home from work.  I would like to nab this one!

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

I was playing around on 30 Meters and 40 Meters tonight, listening, tuning, calling CQ.  I had a very FB QSO with Rudi W8DJ on 30 Meters, where the signals were plentiful and loud.

After our QSO, I hopped on over to 40 Meters and heard a weak; but perfectly copyable CQ from VA3IED/QRP near 7.030 MHz.  So I decided to throw out my call, and sure enough, I got an answer.

The op’s name was Scott, and he told me that he was on a camping trip to a remote island in Canada. Alarm bells immediately went off in my head!  I remembered seeing a video on YouTube about something like this!  I asked Scott if that was him and sure enough, it was!

Scott is back to the same island – canoeing out there and having a grand old time camping and playing radio, QRP style that is.  Last year’s video told the tale of his PFR3A. This year it is Scott’s new KX3 that has accompanied him.

During our QSO, he was about 539 and I got a 529 in return.  Not the strongest of signals; but very easily readable nonetheless.  As I sit hear typing this, Scott is in conversation with another Ham after taking a short break after our QSO.  I don’t know if it’s changing band conditions; or if he re-oriented his antenna, because he is an honest 579/589 into NJ now.

This is last year’s video; so you can see where he is camping.  It sure is beautiful, that’s for sure. I didn’t ask Scott; but sure hope he’s shooting more video this year, showing off his KX3!

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

Arghhhh!

With 16 Fox hunts completed, I was 10 for 16.   If I was in the major leagues, that would be a .625 batting average and I’d have mansions, yachts, and sports cars.

But alas, it’s JUST the QRP Fox hunts; and in the last two weeks, I have been shut out!

To make matters worse, tonight’s hunts are the last of the Summer 2012 season, so I will be going out on a really lousy note. I’m doing about as well as Mr. Fox shown above, who got stuck in the fence that surrounds my cousin’s house in Pennsylvania.

A revoltin’ sitchyashun!

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