AmateurRadio.com

that “Men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon, July 1969 A.D.  We came in peace for all mankind.”

I was 12 years old and was obsessed with anything that had to do with the manned spaceflight program. Some of the earliest TV memories that I have included the launches of Alan Shepard and John Glenn during the Project Mercury days. As young as I was, I don’t think I missed a second of any live television coverage of Project Gemini (that didn’t occur while school was in session, that is!). My sister and I dutifully wrote to NASA requesting any free “NASA Facts” literature that they would send us. And they sent us plenty! I think I built every Revell model that there was that had anything to do with manned spaceflight,

On July 20th, 1969 my family and I were glued to the TV the entire day.  I believe it was just around 4:00 PM when we heard those famous words, “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”  Walter Cronkite and Wally Schirra were the commentators. I had watched them so much that they felt like part of the family. I remember Walter removing his glasses and uttering “Wow!” when those famous words were relayed, finally announcing that men had successfully landed on the lunar surface.

Fast forward to that evening.

After a sufficient amount of pleading. my parents let me stay up past my bedtime in order to watch the first live TV from the moon.  When Neil Armstrong pulled the cord that lowered the panel from the side of the LM, revealing the TV camera, we witnessed grainy, ghost like and upside down images from the moon. Someone at NASA quickly inverted the picture and we were able to clearly see the first human being take a fledgling step on celestial body that was not the Earth.  For the next couple of hours, we sat before the TV and we didn’t go to sleep until Neil and Buzz had climbed back up into Eagle and had safely closed the hatch.

That was a wondrous time to be alive. To watch history being made – good history being made, is a wonderful thing.  The national will to explore space may have died somewhat with the conclusion of Project Apollo, but countless youngsters learned that it really IS possible to dream big dreams, and to do great and wondrous things.  All you have to do is have the will and ambition to get them done.

Earlier this afternoon I worked WA3NAN , the Goddard Spaceflight Amateur Radio Club station in Greenbelt MD, on 40 Meters Sideband (I know, I know!), in order to work one of the few Apollo 11 Special Event Stations that was on the air this weekend. I tried working N4A and N4R in Alabama, but it seemed like neither 20 or 40 Meters were allowing my signal the hop it needed to get the job done.

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

SICK
After coming back from a tour of eastern Taiwan my leg felt very strange, I started to have a fever and began to vomit. In the hospital they diagnosed it as cellulitis and they kept me on an IV-drip for a week. Back home now and feeling a bit better, but I still need a lots of rest and take quite some meds to make sure it doesn’t resurface again.

OLD FRIEND
On our trip to eastern Taiwan I visited BX8AAD – Gene – in Taitung. I hadn’t seen him in over 17 years, so it was a happy reunion. Back in the 90s we were both avid shortwave DXers, now we’re both hams. Funny how things turned out the same for both of us.

DXCC
Opening my post office box I found 30 QSL cards, which brings my total confirmed DXCC entities to 100. Not that I want to apply for a certificate, because I don’t need another piece of wallpaper; but it is nice to know that I have reached this milestone.

OSTRICH
Now for some sad news. The curious, radial loving ostrich is no longer. He died of unknown causes, but most probably due to something that shouldn’t have been eaten by him. Despite him messing up my gear I did like the big bird and he will be missed.

ILLW
And lastly, on August 16 and 17 I will activate the Baishajia lighthouse here in Taoyuan for the International Lighthouse and Lightship weekend. This is the first time I will do something like this, so it will be fun to see how it works out. I just hope the sun cooperates and sparkles us with some spots.

That concludes the news brief for today. I hope to be back soon with more adventurous adventures. 73

See http://www.solen.info/solar/ .

Looking at the data on this excellent page, it now looks pretty certain that we have started on the downwards part of the current cycle. This does NOT mean an end to decent HF conditions. For several years to come there will be good days and 15,12 and 10m will still support DX but far less easily than around the sunspot maximum years.

Even in the depths of the last minimum N-S DX was still there to be worked on QRP SSB, so expect some decent openings. This is really where regular WSPR operation will help, by seeing just how often 10m opens up.  As I have said before, operating on the weaker parts of the solar cycle are, in many ways, more challenging and interesting. When 10m is wide open it becomes too easy.

Also, don’t forget Es (sporadic-E) which can produce some spectacular DX at the right time of the year – in the northern hemisphere this is usually May, Jun, July and August but Es can occur (more fleetingly) at other times times of the year. This is why regular WSPR operation will help.

My thoughts are starting to turn towards amateur radio this autumn.

Unlike in previous years, I cannot imagine being fully fit by then. So, I shall be on the lookout for some new challenges that don’t involve driving, don’t involve building and probably don’t require much, if any, antenna work. Also, it would be helpful if actual talking is kept to a minimum as I find talking very tiring.

I suspect JT65 and JT9-1 will be on the list as I can use (some of) these modes on 630m, 40m, 20m, 10m, 6m, 2m and 70cm with existing antennas.  I may ask for some help to improve my earth electrode antenna for 630m. With luck I may be able to drive again later this year. This means I might be able to restart some field work again.

If you have any suggestions let me know.

Maybe I should try for QRP DXCC on JT65/JT9-1? No talking, use existing antennas and rigs, and a new challenge.

I made a quick trip to Cannon Mountain in Franconia Notch with the family today. I only operated for 10 minutes, but worked two German stations. The view was extraordinary.

We took the tramway to the top with my daughter who is visiting from Hawaii. Judy made a picnic lunch for us and we sat on the east side of the mountain. I put up a 14 foot crappie pole that supported 15 feet of wire. I ran the KX3 at five watts.

DL2DX, Joe was calling CQ on 17M and I answered him. He was 599 and gave me a 569. I told him I was QRP and he sent, “FB with 5W.” We signed, and I was thrilled.

Next I switched to 15 meters and I heard another strong German station. DL5ANT, Ben was just finishing up a QSO and I called him. My signal wasn’t quite as strong to him, but he gave me a 559 and he was 579.

A large black cloud appeared, and we were sure it was about to rain. We packed up and got ready to leave, but the cloud passed to our north. We had a leisurely walk back to the cable car. I’m definitely coming back this summer. It’s a gorgeous spot to operate.

Seems the general public is beginning to learn about stuff we have been observing and talking about for the past few years.

http://thesiweather.com/2014/07/16/1045-am-the-sun-has-gone-quiet-solar-cycle-24-continues-to-rank-as-one-of-the-weakest-cycles-more-than-a-century/

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

Just realised that I had my FT817ND set to USB and not DIG, so I was not sending any modulation on WSPR TX! This has now been corrected, so I am hopeful of some spots this evening. This is the second time I have made this mistake. It remains to be seen if this was the reason for no spots earlier.

UPDATE 1820z:  Still no 10m spots!  Must be conditions. Will leave the rig on 10m this evening to see if things improve.