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This post is a two-fer, I didn’t get a chance to write up #11 portable operations, so I just decided to combine them.

Do you ever have one of those QSO’s where everything seems to go wrong??  I did when I worked WB3GCK.  Right now I don’t have a true straight key, so I use one lever of the paddles on my KX3 set to HAND mode.  Sometimes the contacts don’t make great connection and they dits and dahs sound funny.  Well during this QSO this was happening a bunch!  On top of that my KX3 started complaining about the voltage level of the battery.  So mid QSO I had to attached my external battery which required me to change where the KX was sitting – it was just a mess!

But Craig WB3GCK seemed very gracious and we just carried on.

So who did I work??

3/29/13 – I just had about 30 minutes to play between meetings….so just two contacts…

KG7VTO (14714) – Bob had a great signal from Oregon on 20 meters, plus a great sounding fist.

KK6GLP – I have worked Mike before and his signal sounded great as usual from California.

3/30/13 – Had a ton of fun this day!  These were all from me calling CQ on 18.080…

N1WPU (1312) – Ted answered my CQ from Maine!  He was running 75 watts into a G5RV and had a really nice signal and fist.

WB3GCK (15052T) – Craig came back to my CQ and he was also QRP at 5 watts.  Craig is also a fellow blogger, and a blog I frequent!  He has just recently obtained Tribune status in the SKCC.  From reading his blog it looks like he was bitten by the same SKCC bug I have been bitten by!  You can read his blog here http://wb3gck.craiglabarge.com/.  This is actually the second time I have worked Craig.  The last time was back in 2013 when he was vacationing in North Carolina!

WB1AJX (12872T) – The last contact for the day was with Howard running his KX3 at 5 watts.  We had a nice exchange from Rhode Island to Kansas for another nice 2xQRP contact.

So for this day it looks like there was a pipeline from Kansas to the far Northeast of the USA.  I had never worked Maine or Rhode Island before – so that is awesome.  Plus to have two 2xQRP contacts was a real kick as well!

The main reason I moved to 17 meters was because there was at least one VERY LARGE pileup going on 20 meters – it ran from about 14.035 to 14.057 – completely spread out!  I never did figure out the DX everyone was trying to work – but the pileup was destroying the band.

Wow, today was the most fun I have had in a while on the radio – the bands seemed decent today.  So with my freshly charged KX3, and beautiful spring weather I set about to make some contacts from the local park.

N8XI (15024T) – Rick was calling CQ on 20 meters looking for SKCC members.  I gave him a call and we had a quick exchange from KS to MI.

Then I started calling CQ….

KF8DA – Roger gave me a call from Ohio and QSB was really bad on his end, but we got the contact done.

NX3Z/QRP – Jim answered my CQ and was right down there in the noise most of the time.  He was QRP from Arizona using a KX1 – it took many repeats but we finally were able to finish the QSO.  Jim emailed me and said that even though he is an SKCC member he was using the keyer on the KX1 so this won’t count for an SKCC contact – but I always love 2xQRP contacts!  Thanks Jim!

K7EP (1683T) – Art answered my call from Washington state with a nice signal and a nice fist.

WH6LE (13533S) – Last up for the day was Pete from North Carolina for a nice quick contact.

It was a fun day today – much better band conditions than last week.  Thanks to everyone the found me!  I did go up to 15 meters right at the end and called CQ a couple times with no takers.

I also made some SKCC contacts over the weekend, so right now I am sitting at 27 SKCC contacts as I work towards 100 for the Centurion award.

Wow, today was the most fun I have had in a while on the radio – the bands seemed decent today.  So with my freshly charged KX3, and beautiful spring weather I set about to make some contacts from the local park.

N8XI (15024T) – Rick was calling CQ on 20 meters looking for SKCC members.  I gave him a call and we had a quick exchange from KS to MI.

Then I started calling CQ….

KF8DA – Roger gave me a call from Ohio and QSB was really bad on his end, but we got the contact done.

NX3Z/QRP – Jim answered my CQ and was right down there in the noise most of the time.  He was QRP from Arizona using a KX1 – it took many repeats but we finally were able to finish the QSO.  Jim emailed me and said that even though he is an SKCC member he was using the keyer on the KX1 so this won’t count for an SKCC contact – but I always love 2xQRP contacts!  Thanks Jim!

K7EP (1683T) – Art answered my call from Washington state with a nice signal and a nice fist.

WH6LE (13533S) – Last up for the day was Pete from North Carolina for a nice quick contact.

It was a fun day today – much better band conditions than last week.  Thanks to everyone the found me!  I did go up to 15 meters right at the end and called CQ a couple times with no takers.

I also made some SKCC contacts over the weekend, so right now I am sitting at 27 SKCC contacts as I work towards 100 for the Centurion award.

Friday was a bit frustrating – the bands seemed really weird, and not much if any activity was heard here in Kansas.

I did manage one and a half contacts!

N5NAA – On 30 meters I worked Steve down in TX for a 2xQRP contact.  Steve was running 3 watts and even mentioned that he reads my blog!  Hi Steve!

VE4CWF (10492T) – I replied to Chris calling CQ.  He came back to me and gave me all his specifics, and then just as I completed sending our call signs back, my battery died in the KX3!  I admit it, I had operated probably 3 portable sessions without charging the internal pack – my fault.  So….sorry Chris for dropping you like a hot potato!  Hopefully we can connect down the line.

Thats all for today, I hope to have some time this weekend for a bit of SKCC CW!

Friday was a bit frustrating – the bands seemed really weird, and not much if any activity was heard here in Kansas.

I did manage one and a half contacts!

N5NAA – On 30 meters I worked Steve down in TX for a 2xQRP contact.  Steve was running 3 watts and even mentioned that he reads my blog!  Hi Steve!

VE4CWF (10492T) – I replied to Chris calling CQ.  He came back to me and gave me all his specifics, and then just as I completed sending our call signs back, my battery died in the KX3!  I admit it, I had operated probably 3 portable sessions without charging the internal pack – my fault.  So….sorry Chris for dropping you like a hot potato!  Hopefully we can connect down the line.

Thats all for today, I hope to have some time this weekend for a bit of SKCC CW!

It was another windy, windy day here in Kansas!  Once again the Jackite dropped a couple sections right during a QSO.  When I took it down at the end of the session the tip section is stuck and won’t release to slide down inside the next section – will have to work on that.

Today was pretty slow, 20 meters was a weird band for me today.  I was spotted all over the far east coast, but really nothing in between.

Tuning around I heard a strong station on 14.064, but for the life of me I could not copy the call sign.  I asked him to QRS (slow down) and he did and I finally got his call!

KA4RRU – Mike was activating NPOTA HP06 – this is my first NPOTA station other than when I was an activator.

AH6AX (11165S) – Larry answered my CQ, we had worked each other before.  He had a great signal from Maryland today, and it was nice to know I was getting out.  I had been calling CQ for some time with no takers!

KG4LLQ (5883T) – Ken answered my CQ from North Carolina.  Looking at his QRZ page he has some interesting rigs – I hope he was using one of the cool ones for our QSO today!

So in my quest for SKCC Centurion, I am now sitting at 18 unique contacts on my way to 100!

It was another windy, windy day here in Kansas!  Once again the Jackite dropped a couple sections right during a QSO.  When I took it down at the end of the session the tip section is stuck and won’t release to slide down inside the next section – will have to work on that.

Today was pretty slow, 20 meters was a weird band for me today.  I was spotted all over the far east coast, but really nothing in between.

Tuning around I heard a strong station on 14.064, but for the life of me I could not copy the call sign.  I asked him to QRS (slow down) and he did and I finally got his call!

KA4RRU – Mike was activating NPOTA HP06 – this is my first NPOTA station other than when I was an activator.

AH6AX (11165S) – Larry answered my CQ, we had worked each other before.  He had a great signal from Maryland today, and it was nice to know I was getting out.  I had been calling CQ for some time with no takers!

KG4LLQ (5883T) – Ken answered my CQ from North Carolina.  Looking at his QRZ page he has some interesting rigs – I hope he was using one of the cool ones for our QSO today!

So in my quest for SKCC Centurion, I am now sitting at 18 unique contacts on my way to 100!