Posts Tagged ‘special events’
Some things
April 25th, 2014 | 
Author: Got an answer from Terry G4POP regarding my Log4OM issue regarding the distances being shown in kilometers, rather than miles (even though I chose the miles option):
“Distance in miles is only for display, when the record is saved to your log it has to conform with the ADIF (Amateur Data Interchange Format) format which requires Km.”
Since I’m not the software or ADIF expert, I’ll accept that answer, although HRD and other logging programs I have played with seem to work around it. In light of how good the program seems to me so far, it’s a minor inconvenience, and in the scheme of things I can live with that. What’s more important to me is that the CAT (Computer Aided Tuning) works well. The KX3 seems to obey whenever I point and click on a frequency.
The DX Cluster and the loading and downloading to and from eQSL and LotW work especially well. Callsign lookup is lightning fast. In short, Log4OM is easy to use (it has a very short learning curve), it makes sense, works well and is aesthetically pleasing too. It’s easy on the eyes and to many, that may be superfluous, but to me it is important.
Another big plus is that the Website offers for download a comprehensive User Manual that is complete, but is still a manageably sized document that I can keep on my tablet for easy reference.
The evaluation of logging software is very subjective. What works for one person is useless to another. Log4OM works very well for me, and if you’re looking for something new, or a nice package, be sure to check it out. It might not be your cup of tea; but then again it might.
Here’s a VERY COOL special event that is going on tomorrow. I want to help spread the word:
“A Special Event honoring 20 years of the AZ ScQRPions QRP Club will be held April 26, 1400-2330 UTC at the unique relic of the cold war nuclear deterrent: the TITAN MISSILE MUSEUM in Green Valley AZ dedicated by Ronald Reagan to creating an ongoing awareness of the Armagedon that would result from a nuclear exchange. Everyone should be guided through the silo andcontrol rooms to get a sense of the reality of it all.
The CLUB will use the site’s primary antenna — a broadband 90′ DISCONE with a fairly flat SWR from 1.8-30 Mhz, with low nodes in most of the ham bands. We will operate with QRP rigs such as the KX3, K3, QRP+, ICOM-703, ATS-4, Wilderness Sierra and who knows what else. QRP frequencies will be used to the extent they produce steady contacts. Otherwise take note of the following operating Fregs: SSB — 14270Mhz, 18130Mhz, 21280Mhz, & 28370Mhz, +/-20Khz; c.w. –14020, 18072, 21030, 28015, +/-10Khz. We will call ” CQ TITAN de K7T”.
Details and photos of the DISCONE monster can be viewed at the following links:
http://www.wa0itp.com/titandiscone.html
http://www.wa0itp.com/ttm%202010.htm
Special QSL on receipt of your QSL to:
Ade Weiss W0RSP, 810 N. Placita la Canoa, Green Valley, AZ 85614
QRO stations certainly invited to let us know we’re getting out — and to practice copying weak DX signals and local QRP signals! Win-win!
Check http://www.QRPSPOTS.com for most current frequency info.
Simultaneous operation of three stations on the Discone is planned using a triplexer and bandpass filters. An in-band SSB 20m – 10M experiment will be attempted with additional antennas separated from the Discone. Note that 12M, 17M CW/SSB and 30M may also be used as this is not a contest, but an outdoor operating event on a nice 90F+ spring day!
Drop by for a QSO! Make our day! CU de TITAN!
Also …… tomorrow, Saturday April 26th is International Marconi Day. You may hear a lot of stations on the air around the world using an “IMD” suffix. That’s what that is all about. You can read more about it on the ARRL Letter, if you get that, or by going here: http://g4usb.net/IMD/the-award/award-classes/
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!
Great way to kick off Holy Week.
First off, please allow me to wish all my friends of the Jewish faith a very Happy Passover, which begins tonight. May your Holy Days be blessed and enjoyable, surrounded by good food, friends and family.
Holy Week began yesterday for those of us who are Roman Catholic, or those who are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church as well as most Protestant denominations. So what better way to kick off the week (Amateur Radio wise) than by working 3Z14EASTER?
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!
Today only!
W4P is on the air, as a Special Event station, commemorating the Battle of Lake Erie.
You need a scorecard (or QRZ or somesuch …….)
I had another good day out at the car today during lunch time. Both 17 and 20 Meters were active and I nabbed three QSOs during my lunch break.
“What’s that got to do with your post title, W2LJ?” you might be asking yourself.
One of the stations I worked at lunch was HF80LOT. You hear a call sign like that and your first impression is undoubtedly, “Huh? Where’s THAT?” If you’re like me you prescribe to the “work ’em first, worry about the location later” theory, so that’s what I did. It turns out that HF80LOT is a special event station in Poland that is commemorating the 80th anniversary of a trans-Atlantic flight by two Lithuanian pilots. I sure wouldn’t have known that without the aid of QRZ or HamQTH, or one of the other fine call book services out there. From the HF prefix, Poland was probably my last or next to last guess. In fact, I wasn’t sure at first whether I was hearing 5F80LOT – at first I was guessing Serbia or somewhere around there. Listening for a few times confirmed that it was HF80LOT, but I still had to look it up. Exciting!
But lately, it seems like there’s been a smattering of special event call signs that either boggle your mind or tickle your ear in an effort to copy them correctly. For example, here are some out of the ordinary ones that I have worked recently and you may have, too: LZ1722SN, H70ORO, 9A282EU, LZ110RF, LZ1876SMB, and the prize winner SV2013ATGM. Wow! That’s a lot of letters and numbers and what’s up with you Hams in Bulgaria? It’s almost like every one of you is running a special event this year!
Speaking of special events, I worked three more Colonies tonight, bringing my total to eleven. Connecticut, Georgia and Pennsylvania are now in the log, and I also had a QSO with the bonus station, WM3PEN in Philadelphia, PA – Chaz behind the key. I only need two more, New Hampshire and Maryland for the sweep. If I can’t nab those two by the time this ends, I am going to be severely disappointed! I’ve gotten a taste of the quarry and now I’m hungry for a clean sweep.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!
13 Colonies time!
Yessiree! If it’s close to the 4th of July, then it’s time for the 13 Colonies Special Event!
The 13 states, which were the original 13 colonies (Can you name them? How’s your history?) will be on the air until 12 Midnight on Saturday evening/Sunday morning of this coming weekend. They will have special call signs from K2A to K2M.
If you participate, a very special certificate (suitable for framing) can be yours. Work all 13 colonies and your certificate specially will be marked to denote the Clean Sweep.
Log summaries can be submitted via snail mail with the suggested donation to obtain the certificate.
Just this evening, I was able to work the following eight states/colonies on 40 Meters – NY, SC, DE, RI, NJ, MA, VA, NC. I also heard the NH station, but his pileup was something akin to the crowd trying to work Spratly. I also heard the GA station, but he was very weak. GA is usually super loud here in NJ, maybe he had his beam turned away from the NorthEast and I was hearing him off the side.
NY and NC were worked via CW – the rest were worked using that SSB mode. I got a kick out of working K2I, the NJ station. The operator was Mike KA2FIR, who I’ve worked before. When I finally broke the pileup, he came back to me with “W2LJ, we’ve run into each other before. Aren’t you that QRP guy?”
My reputation precedes me!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!
Museum Ships Weekend
I am a big fan of the men and women who make up our Armed Forces. They’ve gone above and beyond for our country so many times – from 1776 right up to the present day. This weekend a really cool super special event is taking place to honor the men and women who have served in the respective navies of all of our countries and the ships that they have served on.
Thanks to the Battleship New Jersey Amateur Radio Station, this weekend has been organized and dedicated as Museum Ships Weekend. 106 restored military ships from around the world, which now serve as museums will be on the air this weekend.
72 de Larry W2LJ
Addendum – I got on the air for a bit tonight and worked seven stations commemorating various ships, some of which are sunk and some of which are museums. Unfortunately, the minority were found to be operating CW, so I had to resort to picking up that little black thingy – I think it’s called a microphone? Anyway, the ships I worked tonight were:
I also worked K1USN, but they’re not on the list of participating ships. So I am just under the halfway point towards earning a certificate.
USS Slater
At the beginning of the month, I posted about a Special Event Station – K2N, that was going to be operating from NY State aboard the USS Slater.
As luck would have it, my schedule did not permit me to get on the air that day “to give a shot” at working them. This was a disappointment as I love working Special Event Stations, especially those that in anyway commemorate our Military or our Veterans.
Fortunately, Stan WB2LQF announced on the e-mail reflectors about a video posted to YouTube showing the day’s activities. Here it is:
On a different note, I spent the evening printing out certificates for the 2012 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt. The top five finishers, as well as the high scorers from each state or province that entered should be seeing something in their mailboxes within the next week or two.
Again – thanks to all for making this inaugural 2012 event a big success!
Lastly – ATTENTION KIT BUILDERS !!!!!!
The ARRL wants your input, as they are looking for recommendations for “easy to build” kits for first time or Newbie kit builders. The link to the page is: http://www.arrl.org/news/attention-kit-builders-the-arrl-wants-to-hear-from-you.
I recommended the ACME QRP GC100 Gel Cell Charger Kit. It was easy to build and is highly functional and usable. What more could you ask for?
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP – When you care to send the very least!
