the traffic on the e-mail reflectors goes down to practically nil.
But the advent of social media, especially Twitter means that we get news and views of new equipment all that much faster.
Jeff KE9V and others have been tweeting great photos of various things all day. TJ, W0EA has been putting video log reports on YouTube.
If you can't be there, this is almost as good, thanks to the efforts of these fine gentlemen.
So far, I've seen great photos of TenTec's new Rebel, which is a dual band rig featuring open source firmware for experimentation. For comprehensive details, visit "The QRPer" - the link is to the right.
Jeff KE9V also posted images of TenTec's new auto tuner and some images of the new CrankIR portable antennas. Jeff also tweeted a mouthwatering photo of a lineup of Bengali keys.
With all the goodies available, maybe it's a good thing that I didn't make it out to Dayton. I probably would have come home a much poorer man.
I am going to get up early and take a ride to the OMARC hamfest in Wall Township, NJ tomorrow morning. It's definitely not Hamvention, but it will be fun, anyway. There's not anything that I have a real pressing need for, but it's always good to stock up on PL-259s, power connectors, and things like that. Who knows? There's always the chance to find a hidden treasure.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Friday, May 17, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Hello Dayton !!!!
Are any of my readers at FDIM and/or Hamvention?
Do you have anything you'd like to share? Comments, stories, news items?
Anybody not at Dayton that wants to relate a favorite memory or anything else?
Just for this weekend, I've taken off some of the restrictions on commenting, including allowing anonymous comments - but please, give your name and call sign! (I will delete offensive or spam comments.)
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Do you have anything you'd like to share? Comments, stories, news items?
Anybody not at Dayton that wants to relate a favorite memory or anything else?
Just for this weekend, I've taken off some of the restrictions on commenting, including allowing anonymous comments - but please, give your name and call sign! (I will delete offensive or spam comments.)
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
A nice surprise
was in the mail when I got home from work - an envelope from the ARRL. I had recently updated my LOTW log and sent in an application for a bunch of DXCC entities that I had worked. That application put me over the 150 DXCC entities worked mark, so the League sent me a little "DXCC 150" sticker for my basic certificate. I am surmising that you can get an endorsement stickers for multiples of 50 DXCC entities worked, ie 150, 200, 250, 300 and finally 320 and then Honor Roll, I guess.
This submission brought me up to 151 confirmed. I actually have 3 or 4 more in the log with stations that do not use LOTW, so I will have to get their confirmations the old fashioned way.
In addition to those 3 or 4 I just mentioned, you can add another, as I worked SX5KL in the Dodecanese Islands for another new DXCC entity worked. I actually worked him twice (yes, I know I'm a hog) once QRO and then about 90 minutes later QRP. The first time, he was about a 579 here - 90 minutes later, he was blasting through at 599+ and the pileup wasn't very fierce. So I took the chance and got through the second time with 5 Watts and thanked him for listening to my QRP signal.
On an entirely different note, I'd like to take this opportunity to extend my best wishes for a very safe journey to all of you out there who are traveling toward FDIM and Hamvention. I hope the weather is great for you and that you all have a great time. I wish that I could be with you guys at FDIM, and finally meet face to face with so many of you that I have come to consider to be good friends.
To paraphrase W.C. Fields - "All things considered, I'd rather be in Dayton".
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
This submission brought me up to 151 confirmed. I actually have 3 or 4 more in the log with stations that do not use LOTW, so I will have to get their confirmations the old fashioned way.
In addition to those 3 or 4 I just mentioned, you can add another, as I worked SX5KL in the Dodecanese Islands for another new DXCC entity worked. I actually worked him twice (yes, I know I'm a hog) once QRO and then about 90 minutes later QRP. The first time, he was about a 579 here - 90 minutes later, he was blasting through at 599+ and the pileup wasn't very fierce. So I took the chance and got through the second time with 5 Watts and thanked him for listening to my QRP signal.
On an entirely different note, I'd like to take this opportunity to extend my best wishes for a very safe journey to all of you out there who are traveling toward FDIM and Hamvention. I hope the weather is great for you and that you all have a great time. I wish that I could be with you guys at FDIM, and finally meet face to face with so many of you that I have come to consider to be good friends.
To paraphrase W.C. Fields - "All things considered, I'd rather be in Dayton".
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Do you want a treat? Some "eye candy"? Some really beautiful workmanship and craftsmanship? Do you want to see what really excellent home brewing looks like?
http://aa7ee.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/the-na5n-desert-ratt-2-regen/
All I can say is "Wow, I wish I could build stuff that looks this good!"
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
http://aa7ee.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/the-na5n-desert-ratt-2-regen/
All I can say is "Wow, I wish I could build stuff that looks this good!"
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
As seen on TV
Well, actually, as seen on eBay. These are a few things I've seen on eBay that made me look twice (OK, maybe more than twice) :
This looks familiar, no? Upon first glance I though someone was auctioning off a Kent Twin paddle. Nope, it's the latest and greatest from China. Price is about the same as a Kent - have no idea about the quality.
This one had me scratching my head. No it's not an auction for a KX3 - it's a "Buy It Now" for a KX3 brochure and button. Yep - a brochure and button for $9.95. Go figure.
Now this one REALLY had me shaking my head!
Ham Radio Deluxe software on a CD for the "Buy It Now" price of $12.95. Supposedly the disc comes with a lot of Ham Radio software besides HRD. It had better, because you can still download the versions of HRD that are on this disc for free by going to the HRD Website. Really.
The next thing I noticed was there are two outfits on eBay that are selling weighted spinner knob sets for the K3. Two weighted, spinny knobs for VFO A and VFO B. Supposedly makes QSYing a breeze. I have the normal, factory knobs and I'm quite content, but hey, whatever floats your boat.
The American company out of Ohio is selling these weighted knob sets for $180.00. Yes, you read that right, $180.00. His look pretty nice:
But there's also a guy in Bulgaria selling weighted K3 knobs and his look fantastic!
This guy only charges $87.00 and if you don't like these with the globe on them, you can get a set with your call sign engraved on it. Personally, I ain't spending a plugged nickel for different knobs for my K3 ....... but if I were? I think I'd go with the guy from Bulgaria.
There's a lot more crazy stuff that you can get on eBay - this stuff caught my eye today.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Looking at other blogs
Two blogs that I would like to point out, just in case you haven’t visited them.
The first is the post by Tom K4SWL on the “QRPer” entitled “VA3OOG covers Bowie like no other”. After reading Tom’s account, I have seen this covered on some of the Internet news services. This is a really cool video and the fact that Commander Hadfield is a fellow Amateur Radio op is just over the top. Thanks, Tom, for picking up on that. This should put to rest the notion that we Hams are all just geeky nerds without an artistic bone in our bodies.
The second post appeared in John “K3WWP’s Diary”. Just as I got all pumped up for having successfully worked Z81X on Saturday, I read in John’s diary how he did it quite “easily” (a term he uses more than once) with QRP. For having succumbed to “the Dark Side” and for having used 85 Watts, I bow humbly before the QRP Master. I think I had better send in my QRP credentials to the QRP-ARCI, as I obviously lost the faith and did not fully give QRP the chance it deserved. ;)
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
The first is the post by Tom K4SWL on the “QRPer” entitled “VA3OOG covers Bowie like no other”. After reading Tom’s account, I have seen this covered on some of the Internet news services. This is a really cool video and the fact that Commander Hadfield is a fellow Amateur Radio op is just over the top. Thanks, Tom, for picking up on that. This should put to rest the notion that we Hams are all just geeky nerds without an artistic bone in our bodies.
The second post appeared in John “K3WWP’s Diary”. Just as I got all pumped up for having successfully worked Z81X on Saturday, I read in John’s diary how he did it quite “easily” (a term he uses more than once) with QRP. For having succumbed to “the Dark Side” and for having used 85 Watts, I bow humbly before the QRP Master. I think I had better send in my QRP credentials to the QRP-ARCI, as I obviously lost the faith and did not fully give QRP the chance it deserved. ;)
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
The weekend
The weekend was busy, with lots of stuff to do in order to get ready for Mother's Day, as well as actually celebrate it. Even though I did not have much radio time, I did manage to get some time in behind the K3 and some good things happened.
The first good thing to happen this weekend was a package that arrived through the mail on Saturday:
Yes - my JARC Antenna Launcher Kit arrived through the mail. Thanks you Joplin Amateur Radio Club! This is going to be a tremendous help with portable operations this summer.
Late Saturday afternoon / early evening, shortly after my weekly Echolink ragchew with W3BBO, Bob sent me an e-mail, letting me know that 15 Meters was wide open and that he had worked Z81X in the Republic of South Sudan. I had just finished washing the floors, so I put down mop and bucket and ran down (literally) to the shack. Sure enough, there was Z81X on 21.030 MHz, working split and sounding louder than all get out. The pile up was tremendous! So following my tenet of when the pile up is fierce and it's a new one, to "Work 'em first, get 'em QRP later", I turned the K3 up to 85 Watts. After a half hour of chasing, I landed them in my logbook. Z81X was like one of our wiley Foxes in the QRP Fox hunts in that he kept moving his listening frequency. Once I established the pattern, and inserted myself in his path, it just became a matter of time. Bob worked Z81X at 23:08 UTC and I got him a mere half hour later at 23:38 UTC. Bob checked the on-line log this morning; and yep, we're both in there. Sweet - a new DXCC entity for both of us!
Then today, I got some time this afternoon behind the dial and got two more new DXCC entities, and these I worked at QRP power. 15 Meters was hopping and netted me UN3M in Kazakhstan, as well as RI1FJ in Franz Josef Land. The pile ups in these two instances were very small, so I tried QRP from the get-go here and was richly rewarded in both instances. When the competition is not so fierce, you can afford to "be a purist".
There was another station that I worked on 15 Meters that caught my ear, as it was a long and strange call sign - LZ1876SMB. I have worked Bulgaria many times with QRP, but this was a Special Event Station to commemorate the Bulgarian Saint Martyrs of Batak. A little Googling revealed that these were 700 members of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church who were martyred for their faith in an uprising against Ottomans in 1876.
If you go on QRZ, you'll find out that LZ1876SMB is just one of many stations that will be on the air commemorating the Bulgarian Saints. For us Stateside ops, if we work five of these different LZ Saints Stations, a very beautiful diploma can be earned.
One down - four to go. I am going to keep my ears open for these stations. Bulgaria is usually (although not always) a fairly easy trip from NJ via QRP.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
The first good thing to happen this weekend was a package that arrived through the mail on Saturday:
Yes - my JARC Antenna Launcher Kit arrived through the mail. Thanks you Joplin Amateur Radio Club! This is going to be a tremendous help with portable operations this summer.
Late Saturday afternoon / early evening, shortly after my weekly Echolink ragchew with W3BBO, Bob sent me an e-mail, letting me know that 15 Meters was wide open and that he had worked Z81X in the Republic of South Sudan. I had just finished washing the floors, so I put down mop and bucket and ran down (literally) to the shack. Sure enough, there was Z81X on 21.030 MHz, working split and sounding louder than all get out. The pile up was tremendous! So following my tenet of when the pile up is fierce and it's a new one, to "Work 'em first, get 'em QRP later", I turned the K3 up to 85 Watts. After a half hour of chasing, I landed them in my logbook. Z81X was like one of our wiley Foxes in the QRP Fox hunts in that he kept moving his listening frequency. Once I established the pattern, and inserted myself in his path, it just became a matter of time. Bob worked Z81X at 23:08 UTC and I got him a mere half hour later at 23:38 UTC. Bob checked the on-line log this morning; and yep, we're both in there. Sweet - a new DXCC entity for both of us!
Then today, I got some time this afternoon behind the dial and got two more new DXCC entities, and these I worked at QRP power. 15 Meters was hopping and netted me UN3M in Kazakhstan, as well as RI1FJ in Franz Josef Land. The pile ups in these two instances were very small, so I tried QRP from the get-go here and was richly rewarded in both instances. When the competition is not so fierce, you can afford to "be a purist".
There was another station that I worked on 15 Meters that caught my ear, as it was a long and strange call sign - LZ1876SMB. I have worked Bulgaria many times with QRP, but this was a Special Event Station to commemorate the Bulgarian Saint Martyrs of Batak. A little Googling revealed that these were 700 members of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church who were martyred for their faith in an uprising against Ottomans in 1876.
If you go on QRZ, you'll find out that LZ1876SMB is just one of many stations that will be on the air commemorating the Bulgarian Saints. For us Stateside ops, if we work five of these different LZ Saints Stations, a very beautiful diploma can be earned.
One down - four to go. I am going to keep my ears open for these stations. Bulgaria is usually (although not always) a fairly easy trip from NJ via QRP.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Back handed compliment
The weather today in Central NJ was a very sunny 72F (22C) when I headed out the door from work at lunchtime. I wanted to accomplish two things. I wanted to try the 18 MHz wire that I cut for the PAR ENDFEDZ, and I also wanted to set up the Jackite pole again using my drive on mast holder.
I went to the same park that I went to last week; but I went to the other side. This was away from the tree-filled picnic area and towards the soccer fields and some other baseball fields. I set up right in the parking area:
Set up went very fast, and since the 17 Meter wire is much shorter than the regularly supplied 10/20/40 MKII radiator, I needed to use a piece of coax that I normally carry for when I use the Buddistick. I called CQ and was answered by Mike K8NS who lives in Florida, in the Daytona Beach area.
Mike was 589 here, and he gave me a 569 in return. Copy was solid in both directions. Mike was using an Icom IC-725 to a vertical antenna. My PAR ENDFEDZ was more or less a vertical, although it did slope somewhat.
It was just turning 90F (32C) for the day at Mike's QTH; but he informed me that there was a nice off shore breeze that was keeping things bearable. I couldn't stay too long as I had to get back to work; but it was a rewarding effort. I made a QSO, the wire worked well and the drive on mast support continued to work like a charm. A very productive lunchtime, indeed.
What's that about the blog post title, you ask? Well, off to the right of me, about 75 yards or so was a very big, open field. There were some older gentlemen there flying RC model planes. I was watching them while I was operating; and I guess they were watching me. One of them came over, of course, to ask what I was doing and I started explaining about Amateur Radio (you would think model RC pilots would know something about radio). He asked me if I was actually working anyone, so I took the earbud jack out of the KX3, so he could hear me as I worked Mike K8NS.
"Morse Code ....wow! People still use that?"
"Yes", I replied. "It's still very popular".
"Isn't that nice. It's good to know there are folks out there using older technology than what I use."
I started explaining about SDR, microprocessors, SMD technology and all that; but I was getting a glassy-eyed stare (and you could almost hear the crickets chirping), so I ended up just letting it go at that.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
I went to the same park that I went to last week; but I went to the other side. This was away from the tree-filled picnic area and towards the soccer fields and some other baseball fields. I set up right in the parking area:
Set up went very fast, and since the 17 Meter wire is much shorter than the regularly supplied 10/20/40 MKII radiator, I needed to use a piece of coax that I normally carry for when I use the Buddistick. I called CQ and was answered by Mike K8NS who lives in Florida, in the Daytona Beach area.
Mike was 589 here, and he gave me a 569 in return. Copy was solid in both directions. Mike was using an Icom IC-725 to a vertical antenna. My PAR ENDFEDZ was more or less a vertical, although it did slope somewhat.
It was just turning 90F (32C) for the day at Mike's QTH; but he informed me that there was a nice off shore breeze that was keeping things bearable. I couldn't stay too long as I had to get back to work; but it was a rewarding effort. I made a QSO, the wire worked well and the drive on mast support continued to work like a charm. A very productive lunchtime, indeed.
What's that about the blog post title, you ask? Well, off to the right of me, about 75 yards or so was a very big, open field. There were some older gentlemen there flying RC model planes. I was watching them while I was operating; and I guess they were watching me. One of them came over, of course, to ask what I was doing and I started explaining about Amateur Radio (you would think model RC pilots would know something about radio). He asked me if I was actually working anyone, so I took the earbud jack out of the KX3, so he could hear me as I worked Mike K8NS.
"Morse Code ....wow! People still use that?"
"Yes", I replied. "It's still very popular".
"Isn't that nice. It's good to know there are folks out there using older technology than what I use."
I started explaining about SDR, microprocessors, SMD technology and all that; but I was getting a glassy-eyed stare (and you could almost hear the crickets chirping), so I ended up just letting it go at that.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
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