AmateurRadio.com

Or so it would seem.

I didn’t revisit the mountain top today, just stayed near the cabin and slapped the Buddistick atop the Jeep.  I garnered a QSO with Sam K9GHD on 20 Meters this afternoon.  There was a lot of QSB, but we were still able to manage a QSO.

Sam was using his IC-746 at 5 Watts to a dipole and he was a good 549.  We chatted for a bit and then I went QRT to enjoy the lake for our last day here at Lake George.

This week went buy way too fast. I love it up here and am going to miss it until we come back up here next summer.

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

My trip to the top of Mount Prospect was a semi-bust.  Band conditions were not to be. Steve NU7T sent me this on the Polar Bear e-mail reflector:

Sorry Larry Bear,

ALERT: X-Ray Flux exceeded M5
Threshold Reached: 2012 Jul 12 1626 UTC
NOAA Scale: R2 – Moderate
Potential Impacts: Area of impact centered on sub-solar point on the sunlit side of Earth. Extent of blackout of HF (high frequency) radio communication dependent upon current X-ray Flux intensity. For real-time information on affected area and expected duration ( 1800 z ).Grrrrrr
15m – 6dB attenuation Grrrrrr
20m – 3 dB attenuation Grrr
40m – 17 dB attentuation Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Steve, NU7T PB #300

And Steve was 10000000% correct – the entire time I was at the summit, I heard one, watery and warbly signal on 20 Meters.  All my CQing went for naught.  I was heard on the Reverse Beacon Network, however (by at least one skimmer):

WZ7I	W2LJ	14061.0	CQ [LoTW]	7 dB	20 wpm	1629z 12 Jul

  
Oh well, Maybe things will pick up for tomorrow.  In any event, I’ll post some of the photos I took, later tonight.

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

This QRP thing is just like fishing. Yesterday, it was like I had magic bait. Every time I cast my call out upon the waters, I had a hit.  Every time I called a station, I had a hit.

Today was the antithesis of yesterday.  No one answered my CQs and also wasn’t able to raise anyone that I called.  Reverse Beacon Network said I was getting out just fine …. no strikes, though.  The difference between yesterday on today?  Nothing except that yesterday was Sunday and today is Monday.

As much as we would like it to be, this Amateur Radio thing is not an exact science.  I think tomorrow I will head out somewhere nature like and will try the EFHW.  I had good luck with that “fishing pole” last year.

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

I got confirmation from Elecraft on Monday that my K3 was shipping UPS 3 Day Select. So you have to figure – Tuesday, Wednesday, and delivery on Thursday.  In fact, that’s what the official UPS Tracking Website confirmed for me – delivery by the end of the day on June 28th.  So imagine my surprise when I got home to find a big brown box waiting for me.  Inside was:

Serial number 6625 – just waiting to be built!

Also included inside are the K3 ATU, the 400Hz, 8 Pole Roofing Filter, and the handheld microphone. I also ordered a microphone for the KX3 while I was at it.  And no, before anyone gets all excited, I am not renouncing CW!  I got the microphone(s) for two basic reasons.

1) Doing Ham Radio demos.  I have found that demos go best when you show folks CW and SSB.  There’s nothing like putting a mic into the hands of someone and allowing them to speak with someone halfway around the country, or the globe for that matter.  It’s something that THEY can relate to.  Morse Code is “cool” as I have been told by a lot of kids – but letting them talk to someone in far off Uzbekafgonalakistan is the ultimate “Wow”.  (A note to my lawyer – yes, that is a made up country name).

2) Special Event stations – I really used to like to hunt them.  A lot are not on CW at all these days, a lot are phone only.  Hence, my decision to buy some microphones.  Take for instance the “13 Colonies” Special Event that is held each year around Independence Day.  Last year I was able to find exactly ONE state (MA) on CW.  Maybe I won’t work many; but at least now I can try.

I really have to tip my hat to you SSB QRP guys.  You guys have supernatural patience!  Except for the rare instance, I will stick with CW for a 99% majority of my operating time.  I don’t have your kind of patience.

Tonight was preoccupied with other matters. Tomorrow night, God willing and the creek don’t rise, I will begin by doing a complete inventory.  I don’t expect anything to be missing as K3s are not rushing out the door as the same rate as KX3s.

Oh, and by the way, in case I didn’t mention it ….. the K2 is going NOWHERE!  I am NEVER giving that radio up!

Even though the sunspot number is a paltry 28, I had a good night on 20 and 30 Meters.  Germany, Lithuania, Ecuador and The Ukraine were all easily reached with 5 Watts. I even managed to bust a mini-pileup to work the Lithuanian on 30 Meters.  That felt really good!

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

I looked at the weather forecast for the next two days – 96F tomorrow (35C) and 102F on Thursday (39C). Wow! I guess it is no coincidence that tomorrow is the first day of summer.

And wouldn’t you know it ?!?  Band conditions seem to be headed right into the toilet as Field Day weekend approaches.  The Sunspot number is 66 and declining. We’ll get to see of Amateurs create their “own” propagation this weekend.  Maybe with that much RF heating up the ionosphere, we won’t need so many Sunspots.

The past few nights have been very good on the bands.  Tonight, the noise floor seemed to be higher and it sounded like there was less activity.  FG5FR was booming into NJ from Guadeloupe; but I worked Frantz about a week ago, so it’s time to let other stations have at him.

Looks like some reading tonight and then sack time.

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

we are celebrating Father’s Day tomorrow.  So from W2LJ to all my Ham friends around the world who are dads – Happy Father’s Day!

Being a dad has come a long way from what it was when I was a kid.  Not to say that my Dad wasn’t involved, he was.  But back in the day, Dad’s primary role was “The Provider”.  He put in his time at work and when he came home, Mom made sure we didn’t bug him too much!  He did his share of chores (yardwork and such) but Mom always made sure he got a chance to unwind and relax at the end of the day.

Today, I find myself way more involved with my kids, than my Dad was ever involved with me.  This IS NOT a complaint, as I wouldn’t have it any other way – but it can be exhausting, especially when a school project or a game or whatever comes up after a long, hard day at work.

But you know what? This is exactly what I signed up for when I said, “I do”.  My kids are the apples of my eye and I don’t ever want to go back to the life I had before they came.  Not to say that it was bad, as it wasn’t; but the two of them have made life so much better.

Getting back to radio, that double CME that was foretold by Spaceweather.com didn’t seem to really put any damper on the bands.  After a multitude of chores were completed, I got to relax at the end of the day down in the shack.  I worked David MI0VKO in Northern Ireland on 17 Meters and on 30 Meters,  had a very nice rag chew with Jeff, K8CQ who lives down on St. Simons Island, GA.  The KX3 continues to impress, especially its ability to really dig super weak signals out of the background.

I did something the other day with it that really surprised me.  And it was something very simple.  I plugged in ear buds instead of using the internal speaker.  Wow!  The difference was amazing.  I can only liken it to listening to a broadcast radio in the “old days” and switching from AM to FM. The change in fidelity and richness of the audio is remarkable.  I’ve never experienced this with any other rig, including my K1 and K2.  Eric and Wayne HAVE hit a home run here, and I’m tempted to say it was a Grand Slam.

Again, to all of you who are dads out there – Happy Father’s Day!  And of course, my prayers go out to all the Dads who have gone before us and can’t be with us tomorrow.

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

tonight, because according to Ron WB3AAL and a post he made to the Polar Bear reflector, band conditions might turn into a mess this weekend:

Space Weather News for June 14, 2012
 http://spaceweather.com 

DOUBLE CME: Active sunspot AR1504 is facing Earth and hurling coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in our direction. A fast-moving CME that left the sun on June 14th is expected to scoop up another CME already en route and deliver a double-blow to Earth’s magnetic field on June 16th. Weak-to-moderate geomagnetic storms are possible when the clouds arrive. Check http://spaceweather.com for images and updates.

Tonight, band conditions are nice and I am having a blast.  I had a very brief QSO with TJ W0EA and this ended up being my first KX3 to KX3 QSO.  I am also hearing a lot of European stations and am able to work quite a few.  But this just goes to show you ………..

My QSO with TJ was very brief because my signal to him was exceptionally crappy.  I looked down and realized that I was still on the EDZ for our QSO.  After signing with him, I switched over to the Butternut, called CQ again and got a 559 from OM7DX in the Slovak Republic.

The other night was a first for me.  I heard my very first VU station – ever!  For whatever reason, I have never even heard a station from India before.  Hearing one the other night was an exciting first for me.

Ah, yes …. it’s Friday night, the work week is done, the weather is nice and I get to go on the radio.  Great way to start Father’s Day weekend!

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