I took my KX1 and Cabelas pole outside in the valley at work today and used two 24ft wires to make a dipole, with thw 2 wires running up to the center. It tuned up ok on 20m but was dead. 30m I ran it as a Marconi, and it got some county hunter net and another OM whose call I could not copy. There was a bad match on 40m, and just one signal. I think I need to find a comfortable operating position out of the valley, perhaps back in the EmComm truck, once they get the tower motor repaired.
- posted by Leigh @ 20:03 z 0 comments

 
AA5AE

On the way to work I used my KX1 and short 20M Hamstick with Alan's Balun and copied the mail. When I parked I heard AA5AE calling CQ on about 14.010. Fred came right back to my 3W and gave me a 559/449 QSB. Fred was running an ICOM 756 Pro 2 to an Ameritron amp putting 500W into a Gap vertical with a lot of radials. Not bad for a 22dB difference in power and probably 10dB more for my antenna. The 756 must have a good RX! Fred was in Las Cruces, NM.

It wasn't as good as N6KR's KX1 QSO with AA5AE with his 4ft Maldol whip, because I was using my 12v NiMH pack and had the roof of the car as a ground plane, but the antenna itself was shorter.

- posted by Leigh @ 16:53 z 0 comments

 
ARRL Field Day 2005
I scored 21st out of 53 in category 1B1 in FD 2005, and 82 out of 156 in 1B1* (which includes 1B1B = strict 5W QRP and 1B1 without power limit). I ran 10W SSB so that put me in 1B1 instead of 1B1B, and moved the QSO bonus to 2 from 5 pts. Nationally in all categories, I scored 1687 out of 2205. In SCV section I scored #1 out of 1 in 1B1!
- posted by Leigh @ 04:47 z 0 comments

 
QRV San Ramon
10m was open but 5W SSB didn't do it to V73RY in Kwajelein. I got a quick call from Don Wb6cmx in Pensacola, FL with a 5el Yagi pointes at me and his 80w from a TS440 but he never got my call right.
- posted by Leigh @ 21:13 z 0 comments

 
Pacificon : HF SuperPacker

Virgil K5OOR presented the HF Superpacker and HF Superpacker Pro in collaboration with WA3WDK Andy and WA3LTJ Joathan. From Maryland, and the article will be out in QST next month. Details on the SuperPacker. The HF Superpacker is 100W, and the prototype used the Motorola CCI PA boards and Toshiba 2SC2290 transistors, FARA LPF, and the AA4FB PIC SWR meter. /

The new design is the HF SuperPacker Pro, streamlined for building and operation. It offers an LCD and rotary pushbutton optical interface with automatic relay bandswitching. It has over-drive protection and gain control. It is 5.5"x7"x2.8" and 3lbs, covering 160-10. The copper heat sink is internally mounted and has a computer-controlled fan.

The control software for the HF Superpacker Pro amp is open source. It offers input power, output, reflected, and gain, plus additional operations. Sign up by sending mailto info@hfprojects.com. They are also considering a cost-reduced version with 100W for ~$200 with no computer control.

This is a home construction project, not a kit. See here for HF SuperPacker Pro signup and also for the HFPacker classic 50W sign up.

- posted by Leigh @ 23:57 z 0 comments

 
Pacificon: SuperAntennas
Vern W6MMA showed his YM2 e-el Yagi, aluminum push-up pole, and also a package containing his MP1 and FT817. Vern also talked about the coming 3el version, covering 6 bands and his new MP1 to be available soon, all polished, under $100. A pair as a rotatable dipole also under $200.
- posted by Leigh @ 23:44 z 0 comments

 
Pacificon: Do-it-yourself DXPedition
At Pacificon Harry W6DXO taled about do-it-yourself DXpeditions, Bill K6ACJ presented RV and Desert HFPacking. Bill and Ken presented airline travel and hotel operation. I mentioned the Airspeed Press battery label. Budd W3FF showed his 8ft shock-corded support pole as part of the new Buddipole kit prototype. Also included int their plans is a 22" telescoping whip that grows to 8ft or so.
- posted by Leigh @ 23:36 z 0 comments

 
Battery Labels
This is the Airspeed Press Battery Label for use when packing SLA batteries in air checked luggage. They have a similar label for NiMH/Alkaline/NiCD (not Lithium) cells.
- posted by Leigh @ 23:14 z 0 comments

 
IZ5EKV
I talked to IZ5EKV on 18.086 just now. It took about 10 tries to get my call by OM was very nice. He was callign CQ NA.
- posted by Leigh @ 16:09 z 0 comments

 
W0UE
I switched to 30m and heard W0UE calling CQ on 10.120.20 at 0014Z and pressed tune while he was calling CQ and he sent ? immediately so I called him and he answered right away. Hank gave me a 559 from Marhsfield, MO where it was a cool 57F. I gave Hank 579 and we called it quits. KX1 and ant-climb-tree in PARC parking lot. QRT and time to go home.
- posted by Leigh @ 00:14 z 0 comments

 
KB5KPD
At the car parked at PARC I had a brief QSO with Fred KB5KPD in Texas who gave me a 449 from his Kenwood TS530 and dipole. I gave Fred a 559 but then QSB set in and didn't hear from him after the weather.14.039.20.
- posted by Leigh @ 00:09 z 0 comments

 
KC0SHU
At lunch, I sat on a patio at work in a valley surrounded by hills 100ft higher and a metal frame building, and tied a 24ft wire from my KX1 to a treetop about straight even with me. I tuned about and all I could hear was the building badge reader on 14.030, but then I heard KC0SHU from Denver calling CQ on 14.040. Carl gave me a 559 and we had a nice QSO for most of my lunch hour. Carl was running 80W from his Drake TR4.
- posted by Leigh @ 17:30 z 0 comments

 
At the FARS AmTech Day I worked from 2:00-3:15 as N6T. - N5KD Pete, Dallas, TX - W6LFD Jim, TX - W6JRY Jerry Chico, CA The bands were poor with lots of "frying egg" noise and most of the QSOs ongoing were the PA QSO Party or FISTS, but I didn't join them. The rig was K6WX's Icom 756 Pro II and a Kent paddle.
- posted by Leigh @ 00:18 z 0 comments

 
I worked K6VO Steve as N6T on 7.237 at 1852Z and got 5x9. Steve said Kristen was on 20M CW.
- posted by Leigh @ 18:54 z 0 comments

 
I turned on the KX1 at home and worked K6RIM in CQP 14.051.60 his NR 1312, Marin, my Nr 7. 1655z.
- posted by Leigh @ 16:58 z 0 comments

 
CQP 2005
CQP results KX1 at the park:

#1,WA3HAE,14.038,2005-10-01,2242,172,PA
#2,N6NF,14.044.8,2005-10-01,2245,568,SMAT
#3,K6TR,14.049.30,2005-10-01,2248,380,SF
#4,W6YI,7.093.91,2005-10-01,2307,392,SDCO
#5,K6AM,7.038.28,2005-10-01,2311,485,SDCO

KX1 at home

#6,W6YX,14.044,2005-10-02,0159,899,SCLA

- posted by Leigh @ 06:39 z 0 comments