WA5TCZ
WA5TCZ heard me but was in QSO with a KM5. He called me afterwards and we had a nice chat until it got dark and the mosquitoes bothered me. Darron gave me a 449. He was 579 but faded way down right at the end. Darron was a novice at the same time as my father N5LK when he was WN5UBQ, and I heard from Darron after a posting on one of the ham sites about taking the code test in New Orleans, which we all three had done. I've talked to Darron by chance on 80m (quite a stretech for my low antenna) and again tonight QRP on 20m, and a third time as well.
- posted by Leigh @ 02:12 z 0 comments

 
UN7QZ SWL

QRV portable with the KX1 from the tennis court at the local park.

un7qx on 14.010 but couldn't break the pileup.

Then WA5TCZ Darron on 14.033, but he didn't hear me.

- posted by Leigh @ 02:11 z 0 comments

 
From a park near Embarcadero Rd with my KX1 I worked QRZFN5DO 5NN Brew 2245Z Texas QRP Contest.
- posted by Leigh @ 23:53 z 0 comments

 
My SoftRock-40 works! I used a piece of RGB monitor cable with a BNC I already had, since I don't have an appropriate crimp tool for the RG-174 and BNC they gave me, and used Virgil K5OOR's technique of looping a wire around to make a shield refief connection. I ran SDRadio as it is an easy install, and although it came up under WINE, it produced no audio out. On Windows it worked FB. And I was able to copy a couple of CW QSOS on 40m right away, using a piece of speaker cable that runs outside the house as an antenna (no ground). There wss plenty of junk at the center frequency but below that (I swapped IQ in the program) it was OK.
- posted by Leigh @ 01:41 z 0 comments

 
SoftRock 40
I finished my SoftRock 40 SDR from AMQRP, but haven't put on the audio and RF cables yet. I want to go over it with a magnifying glass and look for solder bridges. The space between the pads and the ground plane is really small.
- posted by Leigh @ 17:11 z 0 comments

 
Siberia
I heard UA9MA in Omsk, Asiatic Russia on 14.026.50 but didn't get through. The signal was strong but fluttery.
- posted by Leigh @ 03:14 z 0 comments

 
WA7ND
I turned on the K2 and heard WA7ND call CQ on 3535. We had a brief QSO. Rick is near Bend, OR and used to be a captain in Hawaii, but now is a scuba instructor (with his own gear) but leaves the boating the pilot. Rick misses the warm waters of Hawaii, but seemed to be enjoying his G5RV up 40ft in some pine trees and his Yaesu FT1000MP. I mis-wrote his call as WA7N and Rick was nice enough to point it out on the final. Rick has been a ham for 28 years. He gave me a 569 for my 10W and I gave him a 599 for his 100W.
- posted by Leigh @ 05:56 z 0 comments

 
Washing Machine RFI
I have an article on eham.net.
- posted by Leigh @ 04:12 z 0 comments

 
K6CSL
K6CSL but he sed it didn't count because I wasn't in WA. Oh well. Bert gave me a 339 from Riberbank, CA on 7.042 from Foothill Park. The park is down in a hollow, and my antenna was a 24ft wire up about 15ft in a tree, and a couple of wires on the ground. One of the other party guests was an active ham, and two others with expired calls came by and talked quite a bit, listening to 40 and 20, and talking about HF vs VHF for emergency communications.
- posted by Leigh @ 23:23 z 0 comments

 
KD7GTI
KD7GTI 14.037.50 2301z from Foothill Park KX1. I got 599, gave 599.
- posted by Leigh @ 23:01 z 0 comments

 
W7QC
W7QC 0349Z 3539Khz gave me 599 King County. I gave him 599 CA.
- posted by Leigh @ 03:51 z 0 comments

 
AmTech Day

Me at AmTech day at SLAC with my K2, photo by KD6WYK. Everybody asked about my solar panel. It's a 1A one I got it at Weird Stuff Warehouse just before Field Day 2005, but they're sold out now. I found some similarly-priced ones on EBay for $65 or so, 750ma, but without a charge controller, so you might need to get one from Don Brown.
- posted by Leigh @ 00:50 z 0 comments

 
N8RO
Salmon Run at Fars Amtech Day site: N8RO 599 WHATCOM ~2200Z 5W 14.061 I sent 599 CA.
- posted by Leigh @ 22:00 z 0 comments

 
W7NNN (Salmon Run)
Salmon Run at Fars Amtech Day site: W7NNN 5NN 5NN PIE 14.056.13 2142z. I sent 599 CA 5W.
- posted by Leigh @ 21:42 z 0 comments

 
W7WMO (Salmon Run)
W7WMO 14.049.30 599 PEND Salmon Run CW. I sent 599 CA.
- posted by Leigh @ 18:50 z 0 comments

 
N7YRT (Salmon Run)
N7YRT 1828z 14.060 CW "599 STE" in SR
- posted by Leigh @ 18:28 z 0 comments

 
K7RE (QRP Afield)
I worked K7RE on 14.060 in QRP Afield 2005, in WY, from soccer field with KX1. I sent 459 3W CA. He sent NR was 498?, 14.062. I didn't write it down, so it might have been 496 or 497..
- posted by Leigh @ 18:08 z 0 comments

 
N0SXX
Salmon Run / QRP Afield at Fars Amtech Day site: N0SXX 55n CO ~2200Z 5W 14.061 I sent 579 CA 100mW. I had let a few people play with my K2 and somehow the power control got turned all the way down. I didn't notice it until N0SXX asked for my PWR! Update: See pictures from N0SXX.
- posted by Leigh @ 10:00 z 1 comments

 
GlowBug 40 Switch

I cut the panel for the GlowBug-40 switch.
- posted by Leigh @ 03:17 z 0 comments

 
W6H
I worked W6H on 7.033, op Bill. K2. Got a 559, in the Route 66 special event.
- posted by Leigh @ 02:03 z 0 comments

 
Random Ham
I seem to be a random ham.おかしいな。。。
- posted by Leigh @ 17:33 z 0 comments

 
Bad computer
My computer crashed today and either took the circuit breaker with it, or vice versa. I put in a new power supply and it works now. It's a trifle louder, but it still works. There's a switching power supply raspy warble on 7.040 now but it's not from the computer, which was off and unplugged. I spent about 20 minutes with an HT chasing it around but couldn't find it.
- posted by Leigh @ 05:06 z 0 comments

 
W6E (Chino, CA)
I heard W6E on 7.035.50 op Becky K6EY in Chino, CA calling CQ at S9+40. Becky answered me the first call:

WA5ZNU DE ... W6E GE TU UR 5NN 5NN = OP BECKY/6 ... K6EY MUST BE GETTING TIRED 
CUZ SO MANY MISTAKES HEE SRI HW? WA5ZNU DE W6E K

W6E DE WA5ZNU = TU BECKY = UR 5NN PLUS HR IN PALO ALTO CA = XYL IS BECKY 

TOO HIHI = GUD LUCK W EVENT = NAME LEE = HW BK

HEE = LEE, DOES UR BECKY WANT W6E ALSO? BK

BK NOT A HAM BUT DAD ES SIS IS ES KIDS STUDDYING HIHI BK

OK TNX LEE ES QSL VIA W6JBT W6JBT = GL TO UR XYL HPE SHE GETS TICKET = 

ES GL IN RT 66 TOUR 73 GN WA5ZNU DE W6E

- posted by Leigh @ 04:53 z 0 comments

 
GlowBug-40

We worked on the GlowBug 40. The PC board is done. I've had it a while but not started it. The kit needs some zip cord, a toggle switch, and 4 wood screws to screw to the base. I already had bought the base, Plexiglas, and aluminum cover. I intend to buy *VHT-SP201 black crinkle paint for the aluminum. I suspect it has to be baked, but I don't know, so I may have to use matte black for the base.

I also haven't fashioned the tongue that holds up the switch, but I do have spare aluminum.

Also, I've been corresponding with K3MD who posted on EHam.net that he used a voltage doubler to raise the B+ to 270V. I asked if he upped the value or the power rating of the bleeder resistor, and he said no, but he did change the tuning capacitor to an air-spaced one for his 4W operation.

- posted by Leigh @ 03:11 z 0 comments

 
K7T (Invention of TV)
I worked K7T Wesley (W7WES) in Utah, commemorating the invention of TV by Philo T. Farnsworth. Wesley knows Mrs. Farnsworth, who was the first person on TV. Wes gave me a 5x9. K2, 13W, at home, 14.244.
- posted by Leigh @ 19:21 z 0 comments

 
W6N (Joplin, MO)
I just worked W6N Jay in Joplin, MO as part of thr Route 66 project. Jay gave me a 559 and copied me on 14.240 CW crossmode. I gave him a 5x9. Jay said, Kthe CW sure is good - I don't think we could have copied you sideband." KX1 at 4W.
- posted by Leigh @ 18:41 z 0 comments

 
K5XK (AR QSO Party)
I just worked K5XK in Craighead, Arkansas on 14.059.50 at 1818z. He gave me a 559, I gave him 579. He is in thr AR QSO Party. KX1 and wire in tree, Terman Middle School.
- posted by Leigh @ 18:22 z 0 comments

 
I heard NB6M Wayne on 7.040 answering someone, but they didn't have a QSO. Later I heard Wayne talking to someone else, but missed my chance because I had gone down to 80m for a while. I also heard W7QQQ who had quite a chirp. I looked him up and I bet he was using something like this rig, hi hi. No QSOs. I found that my KAT100 measures its RF out and the K2 uses that to meet the power setting from the front panel, so even with my K5OOR HFpacker amplifier in place, I can't get more than about 15 watts, becuase the K2 turns the drive down to match its maximum setting. I've asked Elecraft if there is a solution to this closed-loop problem.
- posted by Leigh @ 14:49 z 0 comments

 
W6DVO

I had a nice ragchew on 3530 with Mark W6DVO in Kneeland, CA. Mark has 15 acres that he took from a broken-down house to a comfortable home at 2200ft for him and his wife, his 160M Windom antenna, and a host of outdoor critters. He's going to put up a 40ft mast and then maybe a quad or a beam he's researching.

This was my first QSO with the KAT100, 10W from the K2.

- posted by Leigh @ 05:00 z 0 comments

 
KAT100

I finished my KAT100, which I bought because I noticed my Z100 wouldn't match my antenna on 30M, but the K2's internal KAT2 would. I think I fried one of the components in the HFPacker amp TR switch, as I can hear a relay switch even when it's turned off and I transmit through it. I thought the Z100 had found a match. The UI for it is a little too spartan... I wish there were a way to get the K2 to use the internal tuner or the KAT100 without power cycling it without the DB9 connected. The KAT100 is noisier, but it's good to know I can switch the amplifeir on or off at will without having to go through a retune dance.
- posted by Leigh @ 04:00 z 0 comments