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Ok. I got the eQSL and LotW procedures figured out and running. The only minor bug is the distance thing. Even though I have the “Show distances in miles” box checked off on the settings page, the distances are still being shown as kilometers. Not a deal breaker, but something I would like to resolve. I posted an update to my query on the Log4OM forum. We’ll see what kind of answers I get, if any.

Other than that, I am very pleased with the software. It is running very smoothly. Everything I need is displayed on one screen, which I like – very much. Actually using the program to record QSOs is very easy and straightforward. Log4OM is missing a few of the bells and whistles that HRD has, but for $00.00, I can live with it.

I was testing the rig control feature out and saw JT1AA/3 spotted. I clicked on the call and the KX3 actually jumped bands to get to the proper 17 Meter frequency. I threw my call out after listening for a few minutes and was actually heard after my first try! Not a new DXCC entity for me, but a new country for 17 Meters for me. And that’s good enough for tonight.

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

Every now and then, my lunch time QRP sessions are cut short by a work crisis. Such was the case today.  Not hearing many strong signals during my initial tune through, I decided to call CQ for a while and then go back to search and pounce.  I managed to call CQ alright, but never got to the search and pounce portion of the plan.  My cell phone buzzed in my pocket and demanded a quick return to my desk to handle “a situation”.

The bright side is that my CQs, although unanswered, were at least heard:

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

I’ve been doing some investigating with my computerized logbook.  In the over 11,000 entries that I have in it, I took the time to tally the numbers for CW QSOs vs. Non-CW (Digital, Phone) QSOs. CW makes up for 98.7% of my operating.

Speaking of computerized logbooks, I am playing around more and more with Log4OM and am taking a liking to it.  It may soon become my full time computer logging software.  I still have a few issues to work out – such as why the distances displayed are in kilometers even though I have the “display distances in miles” checkbox checked. Also, I have to get the program to hook up with LoTW and eQSL.  I think those are minor issues, especially after watching the YouTube videos on the subject by Terry G4POP.

Additionally, Ham Radio Deluxe has developed a glitch which has me puzzled.  When I have the Cluster display open, if I click on a DX station that is on a band other than what I am currently on, the KX3 will go to that station and then immediately back to where I am/was.

Let’s say I just worked W1AW/1 on 7.038 MHz, and I see on the Cluster that EM7XX is on 14.004 MHz.  If I use my mouse to click on EM7XX, the KX3 will go to 14.004 MHz, but then will immediately go back to 7.038 MHz.  It never used to do that.  In the past, it would have gone to 14.004 MHz and would have stayed there.  I have de-installed and re-installed HRD, but for whatever reason, it doesn’t want to behave properly anymore.  And while I’m trying to save up for the PX3, I really don’t want to pop a hundred bucks for the new version of HRD. Log4OM is not behaving that way, it’s acting like it should and it’s free, so …………… I think you can see where I’m headed.

I have played around with the DX Lab Suite and for some reason it would not import about a 1,000 of my QSOs via ADIF import.  The same thing happened with Logger32. Log4OM imported every single QSO that I had in HRD. I was looking at nGenLog and kind of liked it, but for some reason after the initial session, it hangs up and freezes my computer when trying start up the next session. It’s so bad that I have to hit CTRL-ALT-DELETE to access the Task Manager in order to stop the program and get the computer running again.

Maybe it’s also time for a new computing platform in the shack.

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

Band conditions seem to have deteriorated lately. Bob W3BBO and I were discussing this on Saturday. The upper bands, 10, 12, 15 Meters still have signals on them, but they seem to be not as plentiful and nowhere as strong as they were just a month or six weeks ago. Just after the cold weather broke here in NJ and I resumed my QRP sessions, it seemed like each lunchtime from the car netted 3 our 4 or even 5 DX stations per sitting.

Lately, those kind of band conditions seem to have disappeared. Signals are fewer and weaker. But today was a case of the one that got away. I was tuning up and down the bands and heard JY9CF on 12 Meters. He was kind of loud and was calling “CQ USA ONLY”. I tried, and wasn’t being heard. But I did have time, as I heard him early on during lunch hour and he was getting louder. I figured giving just a little bit more time, I just might have nabbed him. However, many non-USA stations began calling, and the operator was getting frustrated as a few times he sent, “PLS LSN USA ONLY”. As his signal strength to me increased, so did his frustration. Finally he announced he was going QRT.

Rats! My gut was telling me that with a just a bit more time …… maybe. I am pretty certain that if I was home and had the shack KX3 fired up to the 75/100 Watt neighborhood, that I would have garnered a new country. It seems that 5 Watts and the Buddistick just didn’t cut it today, even though the JY9 station was the loudest I have ever heard here.

On the bright side, I did have a short QSO with Jim N0UR on 20 Meters. I have worked Jim in many Sprints and many QRP Fox hunts. It was good to hook up with him in an “everyday QSO” situation. Jim was running 4 Watts from his Flex1500 and he was a good, solid 579 here into New Jersey (when QSB wasn’t kicking in).

BTW, Paul NA5N has announced the theme for this year’s QRPTTF – “Tres de Mayo” considering how close this year’s event is to Cinco de Mayo.  I have already decided what I am going to do to be “in theme” – but I am NOT sharing until after the event.  All the rules can be found here: http://www.zianet.com/qrp/qrpttf/2014/ttf.htm

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

As you all know from reading this blog, my main interests in Amateur Radio are QRP, CW, portable ops and DX.  I don’t consider myself a hardcore DXer.  I will look for it, I will work it when I hear it, but I’m not one of those guys that has the Cluster send alerts to his smartphone.  I’m not one of those who will set his alarm clock for 2:00 AM just to work a new one. I will, however, bump up the power and leave QRP land to work a new one if I hear it.  I did that last night.

I consider myself one notch above the “Casual DXer” level.

I was fooling around playing with Logger32 and LOG4OM.  While the computer was doing its thing, I saw Easter Island and Qatar spotted on the Cluster.  These were two new ones that I have never worked before. My first move was to bump up the power to 75 Watts.  I’m enough of a DXer to want them in the log that I’ll try to get them in there using QRO power first and will worry about QRP later. Jumping into each pileup, I was surprised to actually work each on the first call.  Qatar was a nice and clean QSO.  Easter Island took a bunch of repeats, even at higher power, but I did hear my call and a “TU” at the end.

Afterwards, I got curious about how many countries I have worked.  I went to Log of the World to do a bit of research.  I have 165 countries confirmed via LoTW.  The problem is, that I have worked a bunch of countries via Hams who don’t use LoTW.  If I send out QSLs to each of these and get QSLs in return, I will have 185 countries confirmed.  I am a bit “iffy” about being in the logs of one or two of those, so 183 is probably more likely.

I know that with my set up here (antenna situation, in particular) – I am not DXCC Honor Roll material.  The probability that I would ever reach that level is slim and none, and slim left town.  I just don’t have the antennas, or the will power to get me there – as I have said before, I am not a hardcore DXer. But, if someday at the end of my Ham career, I could have 250+ countries confirmed, I’d be a happy camper.

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

to those of you who posted comments, or sent me private e-mails concerning the 9:11 UNUN, and particularly to “Anonymous” who provided the link to: http://www.balundesigns.com/servlet/the-102/QRP-9-cln-1-Unun-1.5/Detail

That was an eye-opener.  If the weather isn’t too chilly or damp this weekend, I think I am going to see what happens when I use the 24.5′ and 36′ wires as the radiator.  As my friend Bob W3BBO says, this is the fun of playing around with homebrew antennas – playing around until you discover something that works for you.  It will help if propagation is decent – it’s never a great day to evaluate an antenna when just about no one is around!

The 24.5′ wire would allow decent SWRs on 40 through 6 Meters (according to the chart, the highest SWR would be on 17 Meters at 2.1:1), while the 36′ wire would allow decent SWRs on 80 through 6 Meters (according to the chart, the highest SWR would be on 20 Meters at 2:1).  In either event, this should work better than what I had previously tried, where I was getting a 3:1 SWR or higher on some bands.

I know there’s no “one size fits all’ kind of solution here. If there was, someone would be either very rich, or very famous.  My concern is to be able to go to the park, toss one manageable wire into a tree and get as much operating time in as possible.  Multi-band doublets might yield better results, but at a cost of increased setup time as well as the need for two supports. Another simultaneous goal is to be able to switch bands as much as possible, without messing around with wires too much after the initial set up.

I know – about as easy as trying to change lead into gold.

I’ll keep you who are like minded posted as to what I discover.

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