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It’s beginning to look as if my shack PC monitor is on the blink. Recently I have noticed that when the system comes back to life after going into standby the picture flashes repeatedly – flash, blank screen, flash, blank screen and so on. Nothing I do seems to bring this cycle to a halt, I just have to wait until the picture eventually stabilizes on its own.

This morning for the first time this occurred upon powering up the system from cold. So it looks as if the problem is getting worse. One day soon I expect the picture may not stabilize at all.

It is a 19 inch (48cm) monitor and must be about 8 years old, bought at a time when 19 inch monitors were quite a pricey item. So I can’t complain that I haven’t had good use out of it. I must have had three different system units in all that time. I should take this as an opportunity to replace it with a newer, larger screen. Except for the fact that I don’t really have the room for a larger monitor as my shack is so small.

I do have a laptop that I could use. It is a nice wide-screen Dell running Windows 7, purchased for work about 3 years ago but now little used as I have given up most of the things I used to do. The trouble with that idea is that the laptop doesn’t have the 4 real serial ports and 6 USB ports that the shack PC has, all of which are used.

So I guess I’ll be shopping for a new PC monitor some time soon. The thing that always puts me off buying new computer hardware is the fear that it will be RF-noisy and add to the already high noise levels I experience here. This old monitor actually causes some hash on the 2m band, which went unnoticed when it was new as I didn’t use VHF at the time. I think I’ll ignore cheap Chinese products for once and stick with one of the well-known European brands that have actually passed emissions tests instead of just sporting a CE sticker like I suspect many imports do.

This weekend was a bit out of the ordinary for me. I actually got to spend some time behind the radio, Friday, Saturday and Sunday! This was probably due to the fact that I got our weekly grocery shopping done Thursday night in anticipation of the Nor’Easter that visited us on Friday. Plus the fact that I pretty much stayed put and did not venture out much.

In addition to working just a tiny bit of DX, I also engaged in several nice rag chews this weekend, of which a couple were 2X QRP. I didn’t work any new countries, but did get Senegal, Nicaragua, and Providencia Island among others in the log.

15 Meters seemed to be open on Saturday and a for a little bit on Sunday. I really didn’t hear much of anything on 12 Meters and didn’t hear anything on 10 Meters, either. 17 and 20 Meters were their normal selves.

I also played with both rigs this weekend, the K3 and the KX3.  I am noticing that I am running into more K3s on the air than I have in the past.

I have so many things that I want to accomplish. I need to finish that last 10% of organizing the shack. I would like to hook up the K3 and do some experimenting with WSPR. I’d also like to get started on building my Pig Rig.

So much to do, so little time!

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

One of my favorite events is the Orlando Hamcation. This year I didn’t really have a “get list” so could enjoy more time with fellow QRP ops. Our Central FL QRP Group regular Jim Diggs K4AHO helped us get a QRP Forum and Jim Stafford W4QO came in from Georgia to help bring a good session about working DXCC with QRP. Wow! Jim also did a lot of recruiting of QRP ops as he manned the QRP ARCI booth and allowed us to hang out and assist. We had quite a good turnout of QRP Ops from FL and all over the US and a few overseas members too!

  Carl AA2JZ brought some of his homebrew masterpieces and along with some QRP rigs W4QO displayed we got a lot if interests and questions on what was in the Altoids tins.

After the QRP Forum, Greg N4KGL gave us a demo of his Alex Loop and KX-3 at a nearby picnic table. The weather and bands were both cooperative and we were all impressed with the way the antenna and rig set up and operated!

Thanks to all who joined in the fun. Check out our Central FL QRP Group blog for details on our outings.

Time was when I used to attend many of the radio rallies. These days, I generally attend one a year – and it’s usually the Harwell Rally – located about 20 minutes drive from home.

Today was the day! And enjoyable it was. No major purchases – just a bit of aerial wire and some back issues of magazines. I did enjoy chatting with Francis, G7CND of GEO – Group for Earth Observation I could easily be tempted to have a go at some of the imaging that the group are doing!

I had a happy hour or two on the Practical Wireless / RadioUser stand, with Rob G3XFD and Tex, G1TEX – chatting to visitors and selling the odd back issue magazine and archive CD.

It was good to see many friends including Graham G4FUJ (who first taught me morse a very long time ago!), Pete 2E0SQL, Rob M0VFC, Paul M3JFM, Mike M0RBD as well of course the Harwell team who put the rally on – great to see Ann G8NVI, Mike G8CUL, Malcolm G8NRP, Bob G0ADH, Mike G0MJW, John G3VPW, Des G3NNG – lots of other smiling faces too.

A great time inspite of some inclement weather!

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

• Tasmanian Bush Fires operation
• WICEN involvement in flooding
• Uganda DXpedition
• Arnhem Zoo special event
• United Nations Radio - World Radio Day Stamps
• FCC to modernize Ham Radio rules
• Australia’s first amateur satellite
• VK Mini Contest University ready to go
• Global Amateur Radio Emergency Conference - 2013
• OZ7IGY - 4m beacon now on Next Generation Beacons platform
• Italian Radio Hams on 70 MHz
• Ham Radio Satellite Explorer App

Martin Butler (M1MRB & W9ICQ) discuss Coax Myths

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

• Tasmanian Bush Fires operation
• WICEN involvement in flooding
• Uganda DXpedition
• Arnhem Zoo special event
• United Nations Radio - World Radio Day Stamps
• FCC to modernize Ham Radio rules
• Australia’s first amateur satellite
• VK Mini Contest University ready to go
• Global Amateur Radio Emergency Conference - 2013
• OZ7IGY - 4m beacon now on Next Generation Beacons platform
• Italian Radio Hams on 70 MHz
• Ham Radio Satellite Explorer App

Martin Butler (M1MRB & W9ICQ) discuss Coax Myths

Sunday morning I was a bit late getting up. I felt like a change from listening to silence while waiting for someone to come up in DV mode so I decided to try some QRP CW using the KX3 to remove the temptation to turn the power up.

It was clear there was a contest on – the PACC contest – and I worked out that the PA stations were sending a city or county code and the rest were sending a serial number, so I decided to give away a few points.

I set the KX3 to 5 watts to keep in the spirit of QRP and started making some contacts. I thought 40m would be the best band to work Dutch stations from here. In 20 minutes I made 4 QSOs. All came back to my first call, and I was reminded that it really isn’t that difficult to make contacts on the 40m band with an attic antenna and low power.

I reached the bottom of the band and started tuning up the other way but the band seemed to have gone quiet. After a few minutes a light bulb flickered on dimly in my head and I looked at the clock: 1205. I dashed downstairs to get the February RadCom and looked in the contest news. Sure enough, the PACC contest ran from 1200 Saturday to 1200 Sunday. It had finished five minutes ago!

I really should get up earlier on Sundays!