RS232 Atmel 12-8 inductance meter. ED Online #10458. Uses a Colpitts oscillator.
- posted by Leigh @ 20:43 z 0 comments

 
Field Day Soapbox
I submitted my Soapbox comments on FD 2005 to the ARRL, with pictures and a call for at least 10W SSB, 5W CW/Digital for next year. I scored 589, but would have scored 745 and been in 1B1B instead of just 1B. Last year, I scored second in SCV section and Pacific Divsion in 1B1B, with one QSO! 5W on SSB is just painful.
- posted by Leigh @ 23:24 z 0 comments

 
QRT Field day

Taking the antenna down.

XDIF log at WA5ZNU-FD2005.xml.

- posted by Leigh @ 01:53 z 0 comments

 
TI8CBT
TI8CBT Carlos in Costa Rica gave me a 5x9 on 21.290. Portable K2.
- posted by Leigh @ 00:13 z 0 comments

 
QRV Field Day

Field Day at Palo Verde school. A passing civil engineer helped me raise one end of my 44ft doublet, which I made this morning. The center is a flagpole. Operating 1B, SCV.

I wanted to operate 1B1B like last year, but with the addition of SSB I was causing too much pain to the RX operators and went up to 10 watts. When I talked to N6KR about the SSB mod for the K1, he said something like, "We don't want to offer a 5W SSB rig because we don't want to cause such disappointment."

Looking back, I probably should have gotten my K5OOR HFPacker Amplifier and run 35W on all modes, since those 10W SSB contacts pushed me out of the 1B1B category.

- posted by Leigh @ 20:08 z 0 comments

 
PAARA digital network for field-day
PARA digi 145.01 temp7-7
- posted by Leigh @ 16:05 z 0 comments

 
XE2GAG
I heard XE2GAG Hector in Ensenada calling CQ 40 and working a gentle pileup. Hector was S9+20 into my K2 with the low 20ft G5RV. Hector gave me 5x8 but said I had a bit of QSB. I was running 15W from my K2.
- posted by Leigh @ 03:43 z 0 comments

 

I got this solar panel a Weird Stuff Warehouse. It is 1A. The open voltage was 19.85v in full sunlight. It came with a charge controller. The battery is a 12v 7ah SLA that was a bit run down.
- posted by Leigh @ 01:14 z 0 comments

 
KQ6XA

KQ6XA by sked on HFNow gave me a 559. I was using 2 24ft wires on a Cabelas pole clipped to 300ohm twinlead from the wireman and an Elecraft balun, and the MacNally PodWave speaker. Ling from PacketDesign stopped by and said he used to build Heathkit TVs.

I would like more audio gain on the podwave.

- posted by Leigh @ 20:13 z 0 comments

 
VE7AXU
I called N5LK because I saw signals from Talladiga, AL and Minden, LA. He said he heard AA5XV in Mountain View but we didn't happen to be on at the same time, despite our efforts to coordinate. Maybe the opening will be tehre tomorrow, on Father's Day. VE7AXU John answered me from Delta, BC, Canada (CN89nc) and gave me a strong report on 14.070 PSK31. I was using the K2 and my HFPacker amplifier at about 35W, trying to get to Mississippi. John said he needs a card from Mississippi so I told him to give my father a call sometime.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 03:28 z 0 comments

 

Coming in to work today with the K1, I listened on 40m and it was a whole different kettle of fish. I heard some S9++ sogs and a few other QSOs but then it quieted down, so I just listened on 7040 and heard kA9UDA send a few VVV's, a QRL, then CQ so I answered. I went under an underpass just as he gave his name and copied Ron but it is Roger, and Roger was running QRP with a Heathkit to a loop (!) antenna. I have to get my lop up! Roger is 62? 63? and moved from MI to Barstow in the 1980's. He ran off at 9:30J to get breakfast.. Roger was 569 to 589 by the time I parked.
- posted by Leigh @ 16:42 z 0 comments

 
K6TLL

I heard K6TLL Jim near Tule Lake, CA on 7040.2 call CQ on my way home. First signal I heard all day, just about..Jim eas 589-599 and gave me a 599. He is using a 250ft loop fed with heavy coax and a 4:1 balun. I want to try a loop now that I have room for a few months. Jim is a retired farmer, and has been a ham for 34? years, and is concerned about the drought. The wx there was 50's and wet today, just like here.
- posted by Leigh @ 03:53 z 0 comments

 
XE2VVR
I heard XE2VVR Vic in Baja, California somewhere calling CQ on while listening with the K1 I'm testing, on 7031 mobile with the short 40m hamstick. Vic tried valiently and got my call, but QSB (mostly due to driving around) was bad and my signal just wasn't making it. At Amtech day someone (maybe WB6MLC Ken suggested that I run a loop around the inside of the frame of the car, and dispence with trying to put in straps. Probably I just need to put a better ground strap from the magmount to the roof first! I just have a short piece of zipcord right now.
- posted by Leigh @ 17:50 z 0 comments

 
W7WEL
W7WEL Bill in St Marie, ID on the K1 hamstick mobile on 7.041. Ruff 229, he was 579 QSB. Bill was running 15W, on a K2 I later found out. I think I need a better ground on my car for 40m.
- posted by Leigh @ 00:23 z 0 comments

 
VE7DEH

I took our my KX1 and a 14ft and 24ft wire at lunch and put the short wire on thr ground and the long one in a tree down a hillside at work. There is a clear shot to the north and east. I called CQ on 14.060 but heard nothing. I heard a CQ on 14.007 and listened to a QSO there. When it ended I answered the next, and talked to VE7DEH Ron near Victoria, who was using an Icom 730 and SB201 amp at 400W to a 50ft/leg inverted vee up 40ft. I replied that I was using 3 watts to a 24 foot wire up 5ft, so I was happy with the 439 QSB. Ron was 599 here. Ron is 59 and has been a ham since 1974, and wished me a good lunch.
- posted by Leigh @ 20:19 z 0 comments

 
K0RDW

K0RDW 14.034 Ron in St Paul, MN mobile from the KX1 in the car with the short hamstick.
- posted by Leigh @ 01:57 z 0 comments

 
FG5FR
Kristen K6WX spotted FG5FR on 18.076 and I gave him a few calls but just got QRZ. I moved the antenna around a bit and let AA6XV try the K2 to give him a call. He answered, calling WA5ZNU again, so we completed the QSO under my call.
- posted by Leigh @ 23:54 z 0 comments

 
ZL2BSJ
I set up an OCF doublet on top of my Cabelas pole and a couple trees, and and heard ZL2BSJ on 28.012. There was no other signal on the band. I heard a couple of QSOs and the after one, gave a call. Bert gave me a 569 QSB. He was 579-599, with my K2 at AmTech day at SLAC.
- posted by Leigh @ 23:46 z 0 comments

 
W6DXO (Garage Sale Portable)
I worked Harry W6DXO/6 at SLAC from my front yard, with the K2 and a Pac-12 antenna.
- posted by Leigh @ 18:21 z 0 comments

 
Garage Sale Portable: K6ERO WV9I KQ6XA W0RW

At our garage sale, I set up and worked K6ERO/Kayak WV9I/Kayak KQ6XA/PP W0RW 14342.50 K2 10W PAC12 Also a ham from San Jose stopped by to see the K2; W6VV?. He said he worked QRP DXCC with an HW8 and was one of the first.
- posted by Leigh @ 18:09 z 0 comments

 
K6OTT/KH6
I heard K6OTT/KH6 in the noise of a RTTY station on 14.060. Andreas had just sent mail to HFNow saying he would be on at 0600z and I called him but then the RTTY started up. I don't have my shack put back together so I couldn't call the RTTY station. I just got the antenna up a few hours earlier, in fact. Andreas sent mail saying he had heard me though...
- posted by Leigh @ 20:07 z 0 comments