 |
To quote John Lennon
13 October 2012 | by “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans”.
Yes. The original plan today was for self indulgence – to spend all afternoon playing in the QRP ARCI Fall QSO Party. Needless to say, it didn’t happen. Not by a long shot.
There was grocery shopping to get done, lawn mowing and leaf clean up to get done, baking to be done for the Sacred Heart Music Ministry bake sale tomorrow. All things that had to get done, which left me not much time on the radio.
After dinner, I have gotten on the air and have made some contacts on 20 and 80 Meters. 40 Meters would be nice but the RTTY’ers are once again swallowing up the band all the way from 7.040 to 7.100 MHz. Wow, I remember in my RTTY contesting days in the 90’s we didn’t dare come below 7.060 MHz. Times have changed.
I will go back down to the shack in a bit; but wanted to share something I found in the basement while calling “CQ QRP’ looking for contacts.
I found some old licenses. These three each have one of the call signs that I have held.
The top one is a KA2DOH one, and this is the license I received after upgrading to General in the Summer of 1979. The N2ELW one is from when I applied for a General Class call in 1983. Got this one in August of 1983 and shortly thereafter upgraded to Advanced on October 18th, 1983. The reason I remember that date so well is that’s the date of my parent’s Wedding Anniversary. If they were both alive, they’d be celebrating their 60th this year. Both of these licenses were from back in the days when the license term was only five years.
The W2LJ one is the license that I carried before I renewed two years ago. I found the CSCE’s (for you non-US Hams, those are Certificates of Successful Completion of Exams) from when I upgraded to Extra all the way back on March 1st, 1993. Next year will be 20 years as an Extra and this year will mark my 34th as a Ham – sure doesn’t feel that long!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!
Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].
Cracking the Whip…
The Miracle Whip, that is.
I only acquired my fantastic Yaesu FT-817 to give me 5W of SSB on V/UHF from windswept Welsh hilltops. I couldn’t resist a second-hand bargain of a Miracle Whip to see what I could achieve with QRP on the HF bands.
The ‘817 and Miracle Whip
It’s a classic Fred-and-Ginger combination that has been blogged, reviewed and You-Tubed extensively along with other rig/telescopic antenna double-acts. Yes, it’s only 57” of radiating metal with a rather good tuner at the base, but thanks to the current propagation conditions it at least enables you to experience the miraculous. Its advantage lies also in its simplicity. It means you’ll use it because it connects, extends and tunes in seconds. I like that! Connect. Extend. Tune.
I’ve been having fun with the ‘817 on my lap, indoors, running off its own batteries (=2.5W max) and chatting to stations on the higher bands in places such as St. Petersburg and the Ukraine with 5/9 reports. You simply can’t get this thrill with a big station. It’s reconnecting to the magic of radio – which is a real miracle every time a contact comes out of the ether. I’m even moved to ‘Tweet’ a new QSO with excitement! (@MW0DNK).
I’ve started at 10m, sliding my way down the bands as the challenge rises. Using 5W (external battery) I managed a QSO with Algeria yesterday on 15m, 4/3. I finally cracked 20m with a shorter, brief contact to Spain. I had a 5m counterpoise wire connected this time.
On 40m I’m simply not heard, at least not yet. This is where I need to start learning some CW skills. This will open up the lower bands for me. Until then, living on the Isle of Anglesey, I might head to a beach and try getting some salt water under my portable station to see if I can crack the ‘40m SSB phono challenge.’ Listen out for me.
Connect. Extend. Tune.
On 2m the antenna is a ¾ wave. I’ve no idea what the radiation pattern is for this length, but it seems to work very well. Unfortunately the antenna is just short of a ¼ wavelength at 6m, so perhaps a wire clip-on extension is the answer.
Rob Law, MW0DNK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Anglesey, Wales. Contact him at [email protected].
Cracking the Whip….
 |
| The '817 and Miracle Whip |
 |
| Connect. Extend. Tune. |
Rob Law, MW0DNK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Anglesey, Wales. Contact him at [email protected].
10m WSPR spots 13 Oct 2012
 |
| 10m WSPR spots @ G4ILO 13 October 2012 |
A day of poor propagation, enlivened in early afternoon by an opening to Argentina (LU8ENU). I was taking a walk at the time so could not take advantage of it.
Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [email protected].
Digital Dinner
I see that Pacificon has organized a Digital Dinner this evening.
I suppose it will be a bit of this and a byte of that.
I’ll get my coat…
Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [email protected].
10m WSPR spots 12 Oct 2012
 |
| 10m WSPR spots @ G4ILO 12 October 2012 |
Not a very lively day’s catch but some good propagation in evidence. Two-way spots with EA8FF and 4X1RF seem to be a regular occurrence. More noteworthy are two-way spots with PY2SDR and K1UTI.
Just a reminder that G4ILO is using 2W to an attic dipole.
Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [email protected].
10m WSPR spots 11 Oct 2012
 |
| 10m WSPR spots @ G4ILO 11 October 2012 |
Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [email protected].
 Ham Radio Deluxe |
 W5SWL Electronics |
 Ham Radio Prep |
 KB3IFH QSL Cards  Hip Ham Shirts  HamRadioAuctions Reliance Antennas Enigma Shop |  morseDX  Ni4L Antennas  R&L Electronics antennas.us QRV |
- Matt W1MST, Managing Editor
