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I worked Wayne K1CF this morning on 40 meters with JT9. I worked him before on 80 and 20 meters with JT9. On 160 meter I was spotted by F6DSV with JT9, that's 1021 km. No other activity on 160 meter so far. I called a few times CQ without results. On 20 meter I heard OD5PY calling CQ. He didn't answer my return. Also I wasn't spotted on 20 meter. Bad propagation at that moment for me. Normally is 20m the best band for me and my end fed long wire.

There are two upcoming outdoor QRP events being held over the next two weekends.  For many part of the Northern Hemisphere, the weather at this time of year can be unpredictable, to say the least. And as we head closer and closer to October, the weather can become even more unpredictable, so now is a good opportunity to take advantage of outdoor QRP conditions as we inch closer and closer to Freeze Your Buns Off weather!

This coming weekend is QRP Afield, which is sponsored by the New England QRP Club.  “Da Rulz” can be found here.   http://newenglandqrp.org/afield

This is pretty much an all day event – from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM EDT this coming Saturday (21 SEP 1500Z – 22 SEP 0300Z ).  If you operate QRP and portable, each QSO is worth 10 points.  So even if you can only get out for a little while, you can potentially rack up a decent score

The event the following weekend is the Peanut Power Sprint that is being sponsored by the North Georgia QRP Club.  This is a shorty, 2 hour afternoon Sprint and here are the rules for this one (courtesy of Jim W4QO):

Sponsored by the North GA QRP Club (NoGaQrP), this sprint will be held on Sept. 29, 2013 from 4PM to 6PM EDT (Sept. 29 – 2000z to 2200z). Full rules are on the NoGaQrP website – nogaqrp.org Click on NoGaNuT PeTe!

The club is making this one different from most other QRP contests.

1. It is open to all amateurs at any power level. This is to attract some new folks to QRP while running their comfortable power – QRO (<100 watts pls) is welcome and there is a category for that. This is a FUN event. Not cut-throat!

2. It is a short sprint lasting only two hours; not tying up the entire afternoon. Although brief, run reasonable CW speeds for all to copy.

3. It starts late in the day (right after close of TX QSO party!) which will mean those on the west coast will begin at 1PM PDT, later than most contests.

4. There are categories for all situations – the prestigious category is the Peanut Power category – 1w CW or less, 2W PEP SSB or less – operating from the field! This is the GOOBER CLASS!  SOTA anyone?

5. Plaques will be award for each of 5 category winners (minimum 3 entries).

6. Sprint will encourage SSB as well as CW contacts.

7. Multipliers count each band/each mode. Work GA ( or any SPC) on 3 bands and 2 modes each = 6 multiplier.   Puts emphasis on switching bands and modes during the event.  Check SSB on the quarter hour.

8. This will encourage activity on the 3 permitted bands – 40, 20, and 15M. There are suggested frequencies for each band/mode. Notice we are encouraging the now almost dead portion of 40M – 7060 khz and up.

9. Logs are not required – simply a score – however, category winners may be asked to submit their logs for verification.  Watch website for results.

10. Work stations holding a Peanut Power Number (PPN) for 7 points. Stations worked who do not hold a PPN yield 3 points. Yes, QRO stations can request and receive a PPN. You do not declare your category until you send in your entry.

To request a PPN, send an email to NoGaNuT JiM at [email protected]  Requests for special numbers are no longer accommodated. See the current list via the website. Include the word PEANUT POWER NUMBER in the title please.

Jim W4QO

Speaking of outdoor events, this weekend was the Brutus Bash which is held each year by the 4 States QRP Group.  Terry WA0ITP posted this video of last year’s event:

Sure looks like all the 4 States guys know how to have a GREAT time, doesn’t it? I can’t wait to see what Terry puts together for this year’s event!

Lunchtime was good today. I worked Rudy IK4VFD in Parma, Italy, but the prize was working 5Q7Y, the Langeland DX-pedition in Denmark on 17 Meters.  The pileup was crazy, but the key was figuring out that they were listening only 1 KHz up. Most of the pileup was calling way higher than that. I get a kick when 5 Watts finds a way to sneak in!

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

Lots of you have been asking about it and it’s finally here. The AmateurLogic.TV T-Shirt and Swag Store. You’ll find designs featuring our new logo and be able to support the show and look smart at the same time.

Currently it’s just shirts, but we will be adding more products as time goes on.
www.amateurlogic.spreadshirt.com

Wayne Green, W2NSD, died Friday, September 13th at the age of 91.

This from his blog:

Wayne Green passed away this morning in a peaceful, painless transition from this life on Earth. An eternal optimist, and one who loved to share his neverending zest for life, he was a friend to many and will be missed greatly. Wayne was not afraid of dying and was very much ready to embark on his next great adventure to the afterlife.
73,
W2NSD

Wayne’s contributions to Amateur Radio simply cannot be overstated. As a former editor of CQ Magazine and founder of 73, he helped to inform the views of an entire generation of ham radio operators in the United States and beyond.

Rest in peace, my friend.

Although I’ve operated a number of VHF contests from the summit of Mount Herman, I had not yet activated it as a Summits On The Air (SOTA) peak. Mount Herman is a 9063 foot mountain just to the west of Monument, Colorado, pretty much in ”my back yard.” Steve WG0AT did the first SOTA activation of Mount Herman, back in May 2010, chronicled here in one of his famous videos.  There is a sometimes rough Forest Service Road 320 that leads to the trailhead, then it’s a little more than a one mile hike to the top with 1000 feet of elevation gain. I call it a tourist hike, since it has just enough challenge to make it feel like a climb and there’s a great view at the top. At least on most days.

I was not expecting much of a view today since low rain clouds were dominating the sky. I was just hoping I would not get completely drenched by rain. The weather was definitely marginal but from my house I saw the clouds lift a bit, so I thought it was worth a try. The ARRL September VHF Contest is also this weekend, so it was a great combo opportunity: SOTA + VHF Contest.

I hopped in the Jeep and quickly made the drive to the trailhead. Then I scooted on up the trail, making it to the summit in about 30 minutes. Just as I reached the summit, the rain really kicked in. I set my gear down under a tree, got out my HT, attached the 1/2-wave antenna and started calling on 147.42 MHz. I wanted to bag my four SOTA qualifying contacts in case the weather turned worse. I quickly worked Frank K0JQZ and Steve WG0AT. Then George AB0YM, operating as a rover in the VHF contest called me from grid DM78, so I worked him as well.

I had my trusty Arrow Yagi antenna with me but I didn’t want to bother with assembling it in the rain. I got out the FT-817, put a vertical antenna on it and called on 144.200 USB. I found stations working the VHF contest and completed QSOs with them: WB0RRU and K3ILC.

The rain intensified so I abandoned the summit and headed back down. All in all, it was not a great hike but I was successful in activating Mount Herman.

73, Bob K0NR

This afternoon Judy and I rode our bikes a couple of miles to Old Hill Village. I worked Greece, Poland, Venezuela, Ukraine and Steve WG0AT in Colorado.

It was a cool afternoon, but warm enough in the sun. I set up alongside a field with the KX3 and a 33 foot wire. I won’t detail each QSO; here’s the log:

15 Sep-13 1956 18.085 YV5YMA CW 599 599 Venezuela
15 Sep-13 2000 18.078 SV2CQB CW 569 599 Greece
15 Sep-13 2007 18.076 UY2UQ CW 599 599 Ukraine
15 Sep-13 2009 14.004 SV2CQB CW 599 599 Greece
15 Sep-13 2012 14.060 WG0AT CW 559 559 CO
15 Sep-13 2022 14.024 SP2EFU CW 599 599 Poland

I actually worked SV2CQB twice… once on 17M and again on 20 meters. He was strong both times. The real surprise was working Steve WG0AT. I had just looked up his QTH this morning to see if he was in the flood zone. I don’t think he is. He sent, “CAN’T STAY X JUST WANTED TO SAY HI.” I told him I was operating /P in the field. Judy got a quick snapshot of me right after I worked Steve.

The clouds seemed to take over the sky at about the time I decided to pack up and head back. As always, it’s great to get out and operate a little.

I believe that all radio amateurs should buy a new radio once every few years. New toy renews interest and enriches learning process.
— Nigel Booth (@m0cvo) September 14, 2013

Last night I saw a tweet from Nigel M0CVO saying that he thought that every ham should buy (or build) a new rig every few years. When questioned, he said that he thought that it provided a fresh injection of enthusiasm and perhaps ‘freshened’ up interest in the hobby.

In an ideal world, I’m sure we’d all like to have the latest rig every year or so, but for all but the lucky few, that’s simply not realistic. However, I can see what Nigel means and I think there is something in what he says.

Happily though, it doesn’t take a new rig to keep it fresh! I found that it might be as simple as a new piece of software (possibly free!), a new aerial, trying a mode you’ve not experimented with before. The hobby is so broad, there are always new things to look at.

I found when I didn’t read an amateur radio magazine regularly, my interest was diminished – simply because I wasn’t reading articles about what other people were doing and thinking, ‘Hey, I could do that – that sounds interesting’.

So whilst I couldn’t agree that you need an expensive new rig every year or so, keeping trying new things and experimenting – that, after all, is the whole point!