AmateurRadio.com

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

After a couple of private e-mail inquiries, I’ve decided to address this here.

To be honest with you all, the fate of FOBB 2012 is unclear at best.

I sent an e-mail off to Rich Fisher KI6SN asking if he wanted me to manage it again this year.  So far, I have received no response.  Also the ARS Wiki and the pages containing last years’ results and those of prior years seem to have vanished.

Maybe Rich has decided to do something different with FOBB for 2012 – not sure what is going on.

If I hear anything, you all will be the first to know. 

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

No e-mail from Elecraft today.  My brain knows that it will be a week or two before kits start rolling out the door.  My heart , however, tells me, “Go home NOW!  Check your e-mail NOW! Now, now , now, NOW!”

This is going to be a long couple of weeks.  Honestly, I can’t remember being this anxious about a package since being a kid around Christmas time.  And the closer it gets, the harder it gets.  I didn’t even really think much about this a couple of weeks ago – now my brain in zoning in on it way more often.

It’s a good thing I have distractions, like reading more of Jim W1PID’s reports of portable QRP operations from up in New Hampshire.  Here’s another goody:

http://www.w1pid.com/jackson/jackson.html

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

PS: To all my Christian friends out there, wishes for a blessed Holy Week!

The weather has been phenomenal this winter, as you all know.  Due to Arctic air staying way up north, we’ve had one of the warmer Winters that we’ve had in a while.  Who would’ve thought last Halloween, when we had that early snow, that Winter was going to turn out the way it did?

The early warmth and early blooming and budding is playing havoc with my head, though.  My nose is all stopped up and my eyes are itchy and watery.  Allergies are no fun; but this too shall pass.

So when my friend Rem K6BBQ posted about another video from last year, it’s gotten me all torqued up for portable operating for this coming Spring and Summer outdoor operating season.  Shorts and T-shirt weather may not be immediately imminent; but I dare say it’s closer than father away!

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

through Jim W1PID and another lovely sunny day in New Hampshire.

http://www.w1pid.com/eagle/eagle.html

The weather was lovely here too; but time constraints at work have prevented me from getting to the car at lunchtime.  As the warm weather is supposed to last for a bit, maybe I’ll be able to over the next few days. The PFR3A, Buddistick/magmount combo patiently await me.

Tonight is the final 80 Meter QRP Foxhunt for the 2011/2012 season.  It’s hard to believe that it has gone by so fast.  Before you know it, the 20 Meter Summer season will begin.  Maybe I’ll have my KX3 by then!

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

Jim W1PID was at it again today:

Prepare yourself for some beautiful photos as well as a good story.


http://www.w1pid.com/spring/spring.html

On a side note, some of you may have noticed that I removed the “Capcha Code” from the blog comments area.  I did that in response to a couple of you out there that were having difficulties posting comments.  It’s a good thing that comments are on moderation and that Blogger has a good spam detection process.  Since removing the Code, I have been averaging about 15 – 20 spam comments a day!  Don’t people have better things to do?

Today was more like the end of April than the beginning of March.  Around lunchtime, the high was 68F (20C).  We really shouldn’t be seeing temps like this for another 4 to 6 weeks; but you know what?  I’ll take it any day.  Unfortunately, tomorrow is supposed to be more seasonable with highs only in the upper 40s (8C or so).

Tonight is the 40 Meters QRP Foxhunt.  I managed to get both Foxes Tuesday night in the 80 Meter hunt.  I worked Lee AA4GA quite easily; but was having a devil of a time with Ray KX9E in Illinois.  Turns out I had the K2 set to 1 Watt. When I bumped it up to 5, Ray was able to hear me a bit more easily.  I had forgotten that I had set it to 1 Watt over last weekend, and forgot to reset it.  That means I worked AA4GA in Georgia with only 1 Watt as it turns out. Cool!

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

You can meet up with a whole bunch of buds and combine to form one of those multi-multi teams.  Or you can go solo and operate from your shack in a variety of categories.  You can even go and BE the DX, like some friends that I know – Bob N4BP and John K4BAI come to mind.

OR, you can take a portable rig, a hunk o’ wire, a battery and a tuner and head out to the great outdoors to enjoy some sunshine and some plain ol’ fashioned fun.

Any ideas who that might be, showing us the way?

Sure enough – Jim W1PID – enjoying the DX Contest from the banks of the Winnipesaukee River.

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