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My June VHF Contest operation was at the cabin DM78av, operating in the new 3-band single-op category this year. Usually, I have been a two-band guy just focusing on 2M and 6M. I drug along my 432 MHz antenna and drove it with 50W from my FT-847, picking up a few more QSOs that way.

My score is down from the previous two years, which I think relates to the 50 MHz propagation. I subscribe to the theory that any June contest that has any sporadic-e is a success, so I am not going to complain. However, it did seem like I spend more time digging weak signals out of the noise on 6 Meters this year. It was often just barely open and the QSO rate was slow.

Best DX was XE2WK in EL03 on 50 MHz.

73, Bob K0NR

2013 ARRL June QSO Party K0NR DM78

Band QSOs X pt = QSO pts. X Grids = Points
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
 50 320 1 320 112 35840
 144 34 1 34 11 374
 432 13 2 26 6 156
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
 TOTALS 367 380 129 49020

Claimed score = 49020

Bob Witte, KØNR, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Colorado, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Happily, I’ve got some “very good news” to pass along. About two months ago, I started having trouble with my back and have been forced into an inactive lifestyle which has been sort of depressing. This isn’t the first time I’ve had this problem. I experienced the same trouble around five years ago but on the left side of my body instead of the current right side. It involves a disc pressing the sciatic nerve which has left me almost sedentary. It came on gradually in a period of around a week, and it apparently, has left much the same way.

Over the span of about a week now, the pain has finally let up and I’m seeing some real progress in being able to get outside and move around without the wheelchair. Although for only short distances, I’m almost able to move around with the help of a cane. I can walk about a block now. The effect on my attitude is remarkable.

I have an appointment with a physical therapist in about 10 days now and will have a test to determine if there’s been any permanent damage to the nerve. I still have minor cramping in my right leg but hope this will eventually ease up and allow me to get back to a normal life.

My ultimate goal is to be back on my bicycle and enjoy the rest of the summer months.

My radio hobby is always “second” priority when it comes to family and social events.  I missed the “window” on the 15th due a family obligation and therefore didn’t make a DX contact on that day. That’s a little bad news; but last night after a monthly game of bridge; I easily worked ES3AX in Estonia.

The band is still there, and I’ve no doubt that DX can be worked “every day” with a modest QRP station and a modest antenna. My list of daily DX contacts has been briefly interrupted at day 146.

Currently in the year 2103, I’ve worked 449 stations, of which 395 have been DX contacts.

Today is Fathers Day here in the United States. I’ll be driving my Dad to dinner with my brother and sister. He’s almost 93 now and still getting around by himself, although moving around a little slowly.

John Smithson, Jr., N8ZYA, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from West Virginia, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Series Six Episode Twelve of the ICQ Podcast has been released. News Stories include :-

• Amateur Radio Club to hold emergency exercise
• UK Amateur Radio Consultations
• Raspberry Eye In The Sky
• Radio Sri Lanka to stop using 7190 kHz
• Awareness drive to revive ham radio
• VHF Radio Hams missing
• Fridge knocks out cell-phone network
• Dutch ham radio trio on Jersey

Martin Butler (M1MRB & W9ICQ) discusses Antenna Analyzers and Ed Durrant (VK2JI) reports from the WIA 2013 AGM in Australia.

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

Series Six Episode Twelve of the ICQ Podcast has been released. News Stories include :-

• Amateur Radio Club to hold emergency exercise
• UK Amateur Radio Consultations
• Raspberry Eye In The Sky
• Radio Sri Lanka to stop using 7190 kHz
• Awareness drive to revive ham radio
• VHF Radio Hams missing
• Fridge knocks out cell-phone network
• Dutch ham radio trio on Jersey

Martin Butler (M1MRB & W9ICQ) discusses Antenna Analyzers and Ed Durrant (VK2JI) reports from the WIA 2013 AGM in Australia.

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

Series Six Episode Twelve of the ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast has been released. The latest news, Martin Butler (M1MRB & W9ICQ) discusses Antenna Analyzers and Ed Durrant (VK2JI) reports from the WIA 2013 AGM in Australia.

• Amateur Radio Club to hold emergency exercise
• UK Amateur Radio Consultations
• Raspberry Eye In The Sky
• Radio Sri Lanka to stop using 7190 kHz
• Awareness drive to revive ham radio
• VHF Radio Hams missing
• Fridge knocks out cell-phone network
• Dutch ham radio trio on Jersey

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

As mentioned previously, today was the Raritan Valley Radio Club (of which I am a member) Hamfest.  I got up bright and early at 4:00 AM to be on site by 5:30 AM, in order to help direct vendors and sellers to their spots in the Piscataway High School parking lot.

Providence was with us, and after a few days of soaking rain, when the sun rose this morning there was absolutely not a cloud in the sky.  In fact, for the duration of the hamfest, the sky was that deep, clear crystal blue that you see maybe only 4 or 5 times a year.

Things started off really slow but in the end, we ended up (again) having more sellers show up than last year and more buyers, too, which is a good thing!

Sadly, I really did not get a chance to browse and peruse the tables much.  In addition to my parking duties, I was asked to serve as one of the VEs for the test session that we held.

Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

My portable mobile by the river.

It was another great day  here and I wanted to get all the house chores done and get on to some radio stuff! I wanted to get out and about with my KX3 so today I decided to operate from the car with my 20m whip antenna. Not sure how charged up the KX3 battery was I took along with me my new external battery just in case a low battery issue came about. The All Asia contest is on so the bands could be busy with DX and I wanted to be there to make some contacts. I found a nice place in town along the river were I was able to stay in the car as the bugs are very bad at this time of year. The bands were alive with DX, the first station that was booming in was JH4UYB from Japan then came RN3F from Russia, OH2BV from Finland, LY6A from Lithuania and finally UP2L who was 17 years old by the way from Kazakhstan. All GREAT DX but none of which could hear my 5 watts from the portable setup. I then moved on to just

A view down the river

calling CQ at the 20m watering hole. I did get a response from W5ESE from Texas but conditions changed very fast and he was still trying to pull out my call form the mud. The 2 hours went by very fast without really one confirmed contact! It was now time to pack up and head for home and try to make some contacts on the Elecraft K3  this evening.
On a side note.......last night I did make contact with a new DXCC 7Z1HL from Saudi Arabia! 
Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].