Archive for the ‘qrp’ Category
Cool 12m SOTA contact
October 1st, 2013 | 
Author: The past Saturday I had a rare weekend with not much on the schedule so I was chasing SOTA summits among other things. It was a fun day on the radio and I worked several Europeans on 12m. Currently the SOTA program has a 12m challenge in place which encourages activity on this band and when open, provides some fairly long haul DX for these QRP summit operations. I wasn't operating QRP, I was using my FT5000 and my Log Periodic Antenna up about 50 ft, however there are always several summit to summit QSO's among the activators that are QRP both ways across the pond. However this wasn't the most fun of the day.
Around 0130z on Saturday evening a SOTA spot came up for VK3ZPF, Peter, on a Mt. St. Phillack in Victoria, Australia on 12m SSB. I swung the beam around, not expecting to hear a peep. I wouldn't be writing the article if that is how it ended;-) I could hear the CQ faintly, but there was deep QSB. Finally on the peak I called and he came right back. We exchanged reports I had him in the log. A few minutes later, Glenn, VK3YY, who was with Peter was calling and I worked him as well. Glenn sent me an email saying that he was using a 40m EFHW antenna through an Elecraft T1 tuner and an FT817. Pretty cool and on SSB as well.
This radio stuff is fun.
A Mobile Station, QRPper and Two Frenchmen!
Wow! I can’t believe it has has been over a week since I have played radio. On this, the last day of September, I just had to get out. The weather here in Kansas was awesome – 75 deg, sunny and a light wind.
After getting setup, I heard a very faint CQ on 20 meters….
AK4JA (the QRPper) – Bob was calling CQ and was very faint, but readable. He was in Georgia. After reading his QRZ profile, he is a dedicated QRP addict, just like me. I had a bit of trouble copying him, but I believe he said he was running 200 MW! Thanks for the nice contact Bob!
Still on 20 meters….
N7IV/M (the mobile station) – Joe was calling CQ and was nice and strong here. He was calling from Minot, ND (which might be a new state for me) – he was running 200 watts from a TS 480 into a Hustler vertical antenna on rear fender. I believe he said he was on a long bike ride (but my CW skills were having a hard time keeping up 🙂 ). He thought my lunch time activities sounded amazing – and I agree! However, I think bicycle mobile sounds even better!
Now it was time to hit my favorite band for DX – 17 meters…
F8EMH (the first Frenchman) – Flo was calling CQ and after a couple of calls I was finally able to work him. He gave me a 229 – so he has good ears. He was 579 here and sounded great. Looking at the map, he looks to live in the northern part of France, really close to the border.
F8AAN (the second Frenchman) – David was also calling CQ at the bottom of 17 meters. It took a few calls for him to hear me, but we finally connected. He also had great ears giving me a 419 – he was 599 in here. He lives in the western part of France, almost on the coast it appears.
So after a week away, things were still just as fun! Today brought some interesting contacts, and some fun DX to boot.
The Rock Mite and It Did
Italy & QRPer with a Mag Loop
I thought I might get skunked today! The bands seemed pretty dead – and the wind was blowing 20-25 mph!
I finally did have two QSO’s….
IK2CIO – Vini was calling CQ from Italy. Tried several times and got a 599 report from him – which I suspect was more of a contest style report – but still fun none the less! I worked Vini on 17 meters.
I didn’t hear any other action, so I called CQ on 20 meters at 14.061. A very weak station replied….
AJ8P – Jeff returned my CQ from Sherrodsville, OH. He was very weak, and then someone started calling CQ really close to us. If I cranked up the filter, I would lose him – so just had to suffer through it. Jeff said he was running 2 watts.
After I got back to work, I had an email from Jeff. He sent me this picture and said he was using the Mag Loop inside! This just makes me want to get one of my loops working so I can start having some radio fun from the comfort of my home.
From checking out Jeff’s QRZ page, he has a couple nice QRP rigs on his page – worth a visit.
Working Ireland on a special day…
Today I went to my usual spot in the local park. I didn’t hear a bunch of activity, but I kept tuning up and down the band on 17 meters primarily.
I heard a station calling and working guys contest style. It took me about 5 times to get the call right, since it was so long and he was sending pretty fast.
The call was EI13CLAN – a special event station in Ireland! What made this really special is because of this…
My father-in-law passed away suddenly in June – exactly 3 months ago today. Mike was a very proud Irish Catholic. He had a trip to Ireland planned for August – which he was never able to take. Mike had been on my mind all day, and then to work a station in Ireland – WOW! Mike would have loved hearing this story. I
It kindof made me wonder if he had a hand in helping my signals fly through the air to Ireland! 🙂
If you work EI13CLAN enough, you get this special certificate – I will be happy with a QSL card as soon as they update the Clublog so I can order one.
Some very big changes at VE3WDM
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| Goodbye crazy driving |
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| The new temp antenna |
So how does this affect radio for me.....well my Attic DX EE has been sold and already is taken down! Not to worry I still have my Alexloop that I can set up in my radio room until we sell and move. I have some gear for sale and it is slow but sure selling. I have sold the Sub receiver in my Elecraft K3 as I will be very limited with antennas in the new place. I don't have any room for an antenna for a sub receiver. So I have been going over antenna options in a condo. There are far and few BUT one main advantage I will have that I don't have now is height! In the condo we are looking at the 11th floor and
up. I am thinking of using at first my Alexloop and then going to the MFJ loop antenna. This will be a new adventure in my QRP ham radio challenge.
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| Changes are coming |
Cuba! CO8LY…
Man is it ever hot here in Kansas! Today it was 93 when I exited the car to setup the antenna. Can’t wait for those cool fall days to arrive!
Once I turned the radio on I opened SOTA Goat on my iPhone to see where the SOTA activators were. I noticed one of them was calling CQ on 12 meters. I had never even listened on 12 meters, so I thought I would give it a go.
I couldn’t hear the SOTA activator, but I did here…
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| CO8LY – map from QRZ |
CO8LY: I heard Eduardo calling CQ with no takers and he was LOUD. So I gave him a shot and he came back with a 599 report. From the map on QRZ it looks like Eduardo was near the “infamous” Guantanamo Bay.
The bands were slightly strange today, a little up and down by there just not too many stations on.
I called CQ on 20 meters near the QRP watering hole…..
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| WB3GCK – from QRZ |
WB3GCK/P: Craig was working portable from Duck, NC. Duck, NC is on the eastern most part of NC – and looks to be a popular resort area. He was VERY quiet – and judging from his picture on QRZ he was probably QRP. He gave me a 559 and I gave him a 339. We kept it short since he was so quiet. Craig has a nice page with lots of operating stories and other projects. You should really check it out here: http://www.qsl.net/wb3gck/ He is definitely a QRPer!
Called CQ some more and…
N3RSD: Frank came back with 559 reports both ways. He was in Wilmington, DE. We exchanged SKCC numbers and called it day. I always feel bad exchanging SKCC numbers when I am using the keyer – should I?
One other interesting thing… I was tuning around at 18.100 and heard W4BVH/BCN Tampa FL – I will have to check this out and let him know I heard it!
Another fun and successful QRP lunch time portable outing!
