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I was listening around the bands this afternoon, looking for juicy DX, when I heard something that I’m not quite sure I’ve ever heard before.

Ivan 5N7M in Nigeria was on 17 Meters and he had QRS’ed to a very nominal speed. My estimate was somewhere around 18 WPM, maybe? Far slower than I was accustomed to hearing him, and he was calling CQ, but for new stations only.

I thought that was pretty FB. There are a lot of budding DXers out there, new to the game who are probably intimidated by this aspect of the hobby.

We’ve all been there. Do you remember what it was like? You’re pretty proud of your code speed, only to find yourself in the middle of a pile of Hams who seem to be calling one station all at the same time.

“What was his call? 5NZM? No, that can’t be right!”

“HN7M?  Oh, no, I think it’s 5N7M. Man, that sounds like 40 WPM!”

To the beginning Dxer, it is all so confusing and it all must sound like being caught in the middle of a buzz saw factory. For Ivan to take the time to slow it down, and seek out new stations that have never worked him before is commendable.

I wonder how many new DXers might have been born today.

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

This is my 35th year as an Amateur Radio operator, and my 10th year as a dedicated QRPer. I think the best thing about this hobby is that it just doesn’t get old. Maybe I’m the exception, rather than the rule, but my latest QSOs give me as much enjoyment and fill me with as much wonder as that very first one.

Tonight, I worked EW8DJ, Alex in Belarus on 30 Meters. Listening on 20 Meters for a bit, I heard RW6FS and LZ1QI and I hesitated to work them, as we QSOed so very recently. Sometimes I feel like they’d hear W2LJ and think, “Didn’t I just work that guy?”

But thinking about the QSO that I did have makes me pause.

New Jersey to Belarus with just 5 Watts from my radio, out my Butternut antenna, travelling a quarter way around the world to another Ham.

Think of the distances! If I got in a commercial airliner, and left right now, in about 9 or 10 hours (or more), I would arrive where my radio signal traveled practically instantaneously.

Many take this technology so much for granted, but I still find it amazing. Can you imagine what the early radio pioneers would think? Imagine Marconi, who strung miles of wire, high in the sky, just to strain to hear a whisper of a signal from Europe. Can you imagine him sitting down behind a KX3? What do you think his reaction would be at working a station in “White Russia” using a piece of aluminum 26 feet tall, using less power than an average nightlight?

I’m pretty sure that he’d be smiling from ear to ear.

The world may look at us, watch us play with our radios, and think we’re quaint, doddering old fools for bothering with antiquated technology that’s over 100 years old. I sit down and consider what’s actually happening, the distances covered considering the power used, and I am still able to appreciate the miracle that radio continues to be.

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

The bands are improving, the geomagnetic effects of the Coronal Mass Ejection seem to be fading. I was able to get on the air after dinner and work a few DX stations to add to my Club 72 QRP Marathon totals.

Many, many thanks to Peter HA5MK in Hungary on 40 Meters, Rolf SE6Y in Sweden on 30 Meters, and Vlad RW6FS in European Russia on 20 Meters.

The final totals for the 2012/2013 QRP Fox hunts were posted today. While I placed nowhere near the top finishers, I did “OK” for living in the Northeast without gain antennas. In the 40 Meter hunts, I nabbed 21 out of 40 possible pelts for a .525 batting average. I did even slightly better in the 80 Meter hunts. There I snared 26 out of 40 pelts for a batting average of .650 – good numbers if I were a slugger in the Major Leagues.

The “Major Leagues” as far as Fox hunts go, are folks like Doc K0EVZ, Dick W0NTA, Dave AB9CA, Dale WC7S, Dave N1IX, Jerry N9AW, Rick NK9G, John N2RK, Todd N9NE and many others. These guys are the heavy hitters, and I am nowhere in their league.

The “portable ops QRPer” in me really appreciated and enjoyed an article by Padraig Lysandrou KC9UUS in the May issue of QST. Read it if you get the chance. Padraig is a relatively newly licensed Ham, as well as a high school student. He and his family (Mom, Dad and two sisters are also licensed) took the opportunity to combine a vacation to Cyprus with Ham Radio. Not QRP, but very much portable. It was a good read, and Padraig is an excellent writer.

Lastly, before closing, for the night, I’d like to send prayers and thoughts to all the folks in Boston who suffered in the bombings today. May the injured heal completely and quickly. May the families of the deceased receive consolation and healing, also.

We are all Bostonians tonight – as a Nation, we gather together and become one.

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

As great as conditions were on Friday night, that’s how fast they went downhill over the weekend. Not sure how things went for the state QSO parties, but for casual DXing, things were the pits.

Personally, I would reckon this was all the side effects from the geomagnetic disturbance that resulted from the CME that recently occurred. As a result, most of the DX stations that I were able to hear were very weak, and the QSB was fast and deep.  For instance, I was listening to EA2DD today on 17 Meters. One second, he was as high as 569 – the next he was ESP.

Even though the SSN & SFI numbers remained favorable, the A & K indices rose high enough to be troublesome. The good news is that things should change for the better rather quickly. Maybe when I get home from work tomorrow evening, things will be better.

One consolation this weekend was hooking up fellow blogger, John N8ZYA. We had a decent rag chew type QSO on Saturday evening, and that made up for the otherwise lackluster Saturday and Sunday.

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

And if I wasn’t so tired, I’d probably stay on the air for a little longer; but alas, I am just about ready to call it a day. As soon as I finish this post, I will turn in.

I have read and heard reports of the big flare that occurred, and how we’re supposed to get hit tomorrow with potentially huge geomagnetic disruptions.. Main stream media news outlets are saying that we might see aurora tomorrow night, even here in NJ.  If that  is true, then tomorrow’s HF conditions will probably be, how shall we say, less than optimal?

But tonight was a good night.  20 and 30 Meters were exceptional.  On 20 Meters, I worked E74UB in Bosnia-Herzegovina, LZ1QI in Bulgaria, TF3JB in Iceland (with 2.5 Watts!), and the topper – the prize for the night A71CM in Qatar.  I have never worked Qatar before, ever  -and to get him in the log with 5 Watts had me doing the happy dance.

On 30 Meters, I actually had two honest-to-goodness QSOs with Lin G4DZE in England and Viorel YO6LV in Romania.  When you can have a civil QSO with more details that RST and TU, it’s always special.  Special thanks to Lin and Viorel for that.  I also worked SP6EIY in Poland and UY5BA in the Ukraine.

40 Meters was a little tougher, but I managed to work H70ORO, a special event station down in Nicaraguan to finish out the evening.

For the record, all tonight’s QSOs were completed with the KX3, using the HF9V on 20 Meters and the 88′ EDZ on 30 and 40 Meters.

I am making so many typos here that it’s ridiculous – thank God for spell check!

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

So another QRP ARCI Spring QSO Party has come and gone.  It was definitely fun.  As strictly a “Giver of Points”, I had set a personal goal to make more than 50 contacts between chores and other commitments (you can tell I’m not a big time contester, eh?)  I beat that!  I got a chance to sit in the chair for just a little bit more time today and I finished up with 62 QSOs in the log.

The highlights today were:

1) Working EA4CWN on both 15 and 20 Meters.  Alfonso was operating at the 2 Watt level, so that was way cool.  He was 559 on 15 Meters; but with the same power was 599 on 20 Meters.  I tried real hard to work DL2BZG (I think that was his call) on 15 Meters, but he just wasn’t hearing me.  EA2LU, EA4CWN, HB9DAX and almost this DL2 station – I’m not used to hearing this much DX in a QRP ARCI contest!

2) Working my good bud, Bob W3BBO on 40 Meters.  I think this might have been our first KX3 to K3 QSO.  Last time I worked him with my KX3, I think Bob still had his Yaesu.

3) Working Lloyd K3ESE on 40 Meters. Lloyd has gotten away from the hobby. He used to be a steady standby in the QRP Fox hunts. I haven’t heard him in years, so it was good to hear his CW again.

Oh, and Hans W1JSB did a video of our QSO last night.  Here’s how I sounded in New Hampshire (neat radio he has there!)

Thanks for the QSO and the video, Hans!  It’s always cool to hear what you sound like from the other end. And I didn’t flub the exchange, either (whew!).

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

It was a good day to be a “Giver of Points”.

I worked 44 stations in the QRP ARCI Spring QSO Party in various little spurts of operating time today.  I also handed out a few points to Polish stations in the Polish DX Contest.  And I grabbed a few other DX QSOs in order to keep up with the Club 72 QRP Marathon.

Regarding the QRP Marathon, in a field of about 33 stations, I am currently sitting in 9th place.  How long do you think that’s going to last?  But here’s a thought – to qualify, the two stations have to be separated by 500 kM.  So, if I get back into the QRP ARCI QSO Party again tomorrow using 1 Watt or perhaps QRPp, maybe I can score some good QRP Marathon points!

The high points today – working Jorge EA2LU on both 15 and 20 Meters, working HB9DAX on 20 Meters – both of these were QRP ARCI QSOs, so they were all 2X QRP.  And this evening, I worked W1JSB on 80 Meters.  You might know W1JSB better as Hans, Jim W1PID’s hiking buddy.  Hans was running 1.5 Watts and had a killer signal.  I also worked Ann K1QO up in New Hampshire – Ann is one of my Fox hunting buddies.  She is a superb op with a great fist and a great signal – it’s always great to hear her on the air.

I also scored two QSOs on 160 Meters – the W3EDP is still doing great in that regard.  Even though it’s only April, 160M seems to be in full Summer time mode – static crashes galore!

I’m beat – going to hit the hay for now!

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