AmateurRadio.com

After being stuck inside during lunchtime last week, due to workload and/or weather, I was finally able to get out today.  This was the first opportunity (if you don’t count the weekend) that I had to try out the tri-magmount with the Buddistick since changing out the coax. Well, it was the coax that was giving me fits.  With the new coax, the KX3 tuned the antenna in mere seconds and once it tuned, it stayed tuned. No phantom jumping SWR values, everything behaved nicely.

For my efforts, I was able to work W1AW/5 in Arkansas on a different band, Don K2DSV who is a fellow K2ETS Club member, as well as XE2ST, Fernando in Nogales, Mexico.  So I am considering the surgery that I performed on the antenna base to be an unqualified success.

I also spent a lot of time thinking about a posting on KB6NU’s blog about how “New Hams are Different” and the responses that Dan has received.  I think that times have greatly changed, or maybe that’s just my perception.  When I was a Novice back in the late 70s, and joined a local club (which is no longer in existence – and this may be the reason why) there was a kind of a “keep your mouth shut if you’re a Newbie” mentality going on.  New callsigns appearing at meetings or on the repeaters weren’t welcomed all that enthusiastically (as a result, that may be why I’m not real big into VHF/UHF to this very day).  I guess there was kind of a “pay your dues” mentality, back then.  For better or worse, that was the way it was. But guess what? I survived, more or less.  😉

I really believe that I saw that change in the mid 90s, though.  I joined a couple new clubs and was welcomed.  Even though I was licensed for quite a while by then, I was still a neophyte compared to the established “Old Timers” who were a large part of the membership, and I was a comparative stranger, to boot. But in both cases, I was welcomed warmly – I was not shunned, I was not looked down upon, I was accepted into the groups without question.

And that’s the way it should be.  I currently belong to three active local clubs – the K2ETS Electronic Testing Society of NJ, the W2QW Raritan Valley Radio Club as well as the NJ2SP South Plainfield Amateur Radio Club (which I helped to establish).  Since SPARC is so new, I am going to leave it out of the mix for this discussion, but the same philosophy holds there, as well.  In both K2ETS and W2QW, newcomers are welcomed enthusiastically and with open arms.  There’s no “we vs. they” mentality when it comes to new members. Everyone is encouraged to participate, and everyone is listened to. Your age, your gender, your level of experience is really of no matter.

I really don’t see any wide gulfs when it comes to “new” vs. “old” technologies, either.  Those who primarily operate HF only seem to peacefully co-exist with those who like to experiment and build and toy around with Arduinos, Raspeberry Pi’s and the digital voice and data modes.  In fact, I see a lot of the groups co-mingling and getting pointers, answers to questions and operating tips from each other.  Just the way it should be.

Newcomers are welcomed for their new ideas and enthusiasm while “Old Timers” are respected for their experience and built up wealth of tribal knowledge – again, just as it should be.  Guess I’ve been very fortunate to not be involved with “cliquey” organizations. Hopefully, that is becoming everyone else’s experience as well.

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

Summer 2014 starts this coming Saturday at 6:51 EDT.  After this dreadfully long Winter that seems to have lasted into Spring, I just can’t wait! At that bleary eyed time of the morning, I will be busy, helping out at the annual Raritan Valley Radio Club W2QW Hamfest.

But Saturday, being the first day of Summer, is also the day that I will entertain requests for Skeeter Hunt numbers for 2014.  So please feel free to send e-mails to [email protected], and as soon as I can, I will get back to you with your official NJQRP Skeeter Hunt number!

And I can tell you one thing that is 100% certain.  With the Winter of 2013/2014 still vividly fresh in the ol’ memory banks of W2LJ ….. no matter how hot or how humid it might be for this year’s Skeeter Hunt, I for one, will not complain!

72 de Larry W2LJ

I decided that I wanted to try something new paddle-wise for my lunchtime QRP portable operations. The main criteria was that it had to be on the inexpensive side. That seems to be my main criteria these days where a lot of things are concerned. Besides working well, it would also be nice if  the paddle was light in weight.

Palm paddles would probably be the ultimate, but are way too expensive and would not fit within my meager budget right now. I needed to keep it under $50 if at all  possible.  That really narrows down the possibilities, let me tell you. I have a Whiterook MK-33 single lever paddle.  It works well and it also fits the bill, but it tends to get a bit sloppy around the 22-23 WPM mark.

I had a Bulldog paddle back when I had my K1 and I liked it. However, I included it as part of the K1 package when I sold that radio to raise money for my KX3. So, relying on my memory, I decided to give another Bulldog a try.  I went to the Website: http://www.amateurradioproducts.com/, only to find out that they no longer manufacture the model I had.  Mine was the one on a small triangular wooden base that had three tiny suction cups.

They have several different models now, and I decided to go with the BD6, the Mini-Iambic.  It arrived on Saturday through the mail, and tonight was the first chance I had to try it out.

I have to admit that I was skeptical when I opened up the package that it came in.  It is indeed ‘mini” – in fact, it gets lost in the middle of the 1.5 inch fender washer that serves as a base! But as usual, it turns out that looks are quite deceiving. This little paddle is smooth and is great to use just as it is, no adjustments were required, although  the accompanying instruction sheet tells you how to go about that, if needed.  I worked both W1AW/5 and W1AW/0 tonight at about the 21 WPM range. The paddles acquitted themselves nicely there. Then I turned up the speed a notch to work EV1R and LZ1WR and C6ATT. Even at the speed where the Whiterook goes kaflooey on me, the Bulldog stays sharp, smooth and flawless and had great feel to it. The fact that it was only $35 was icing on the cake. I will definitely bring these along for Field Day. They may be too small for some of our guest operators, but they work great for me!

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

I attended the Town Council meeting in South Plainfield, NJ. Our mayor issued a proclamation declaring June 23rd through June 29th as Amateur Radio Week in South Plainfield. Most of the members of the South Plainfield Amateur Radio Club were on hand, and we had our picture taken with the mayor.

One of our members, Wayne N2LRE has the actual printed proclamation, and he is going to scan it, and when I get an image, I will post it here. (Got it! You can see it below ……)

Here is an aerial view of the park:

even when it seems like there’s nothing out there.  You never know what might come up!

It’s a beautiful sunny day here in Central NJ, so as per my custom, I headed out to the Jeep, the KX3 and the Buddistick at lunchtime.  From the get go, it seemed very disappointing.  There wasn’t a whole heckuva a lot of DX activity. What I was hearing were stations I have worked before and you don’t want to keep pestering guys on the same bands, just to get a contact in the log.

I started calling CQ at the 20, 17 and 15 Meter QRP watering holes with no takers.  I was slightly discouraged (Momma said there’d be days like this), and was ready to pack it in and head on back to my desk, slightly early.  That’s when I decided to give 17 Meters just one extra twiddle before coming in.

Bam!  There was TM70UTAH loud as all get out!  This is a Special Event station, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Allied landing at Utah Beach on D-Day in 1944.  First call and they were in the books!  I have to admit, I was so excited when I heard them that I had to send my call a few extra times as I fumbled it in my eagerness to work them.  I did hear a confirmation of W2LJ come back to me and I was smiling ear to ear. Next,  just a few KHz down, I heard SP3DOF calling “CQ DX”.  One call and I was in Jerzy’s logbook.

 

Wow! A WWII Special Event station and a Polish DX station worked within a few minutes of each other – a red letter day as far as I’m concerned.  And all this was after I was tempted to throw in the towel for the day. So it’s a good reminder (to myself included) to keep throwing that fishing line back into the water.  You never know what’s going to land on the hook.

The funny thing is, that TM70UTAH wasn’t even mentioned in that ARRL article on D-Day Special Event stations that I posted from the ARRL just a few days ago.  So in addition to TM70JUN, keep an ear open for TM70UTAH. I would like to work both of them!

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

Marv K2VHW and I met this afternoon to scope out the two parks we have in mind for Field Day. As I had mentioned before, our first choice is Spring Lake Park, which is the property of Middlesex County. That gazebo is huge! It can easily accommodate two large tables for operating, as well as supply space for observers and guests. In addition, there are trees that are close enough to support a full sized G5RV and another to support the EARCHI end fed (more about that later).

The other venue possibility, Putnam Street Park, is another excellent site. There is plenty of space, it has high visibility and plenty of traffic. Trees are plentiful and there are restroom facilities on hand. There’s only one drawback – a lack of shelter. We would have to borrow or rent a multi-person tent, to have a place to operate in the case of inclement weather.

After I got home from our scouting trip, I decided to play for a bit, and try out that 53 foot radiator for the EARCHI antenna. I was hoping that if all worked out, this would be our CW Field Day antenna, as well as what I would use for FOBB and the Skeeter Hunt.

My experience today shows that that chart published by Balun Designs was spot on! I quickly got excellent matches with the KX3’s auotuner on all the bands almost instantly. 17 Meters was the hardest band to match and that only took about two seconds to accomplish.

I made contact with Josh 6Y5WJ and CO0SS on 15 Meters and a PY2 station on 10 Meters. These were made with the antenna at a less than optimal height too, as I used my Jackite pole as the support. Once I get this baby up properly in a tree, it should perform even better.

After that, I worked on a design for a banner that we will use on Field Day. This is what I have come up with so far:

This is an 8 X 3 foot banner made from heavy outdoor vinyl, with grommets and wind slits. If I get approval from the rest of the Field Day Committee, I will place the order tomorrow evening.

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

Courtesy of the ARRL:

Several special event stations will be on the air to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day — the Allied invasion of the Normandy Coast of France in World War II.

In France, TM70JUN will be on the air from June 6 — the actual anniversary date — until June 20. Modes will be SSB, CW, PSK, RTTY, and JT65 on HF and 6 meters. Special event station TM70BMC will operate from Mont Canisy June 5-8.

W9D will be active on SSB, CW, and AM on HF through 6 meters June 6-8 from the First Division War Museum in Winfield, Illinois.

VC3JUNO from Canada will be on the air from June 6 until July 31 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day; “Juno” was the code name for the beach where Canadian forces landed.

The Riverway Amateur Radio Society will sponsor special event station GB70DDL from June 1 until June 28 from the Sea Cadet headquarters in Stafford, England.

On June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the Normandy beaches. The attack was a major turning point in the war. More than 5000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the invasion, in which more than 9000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded.

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