CO2NB
I worked CO2NB in Cuba on 7002.11 with 15w. He heard me at 5W, copied most of my call at 10W, and got it at 15W. The SteppIR was pointed at about 260/80 degrees instead of the 100/290 that it ought to be. Conditions were difficult and the A index was 22.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 03:18 z 0 comments

 
VR2BG
I tried to work Uruguay but it was just too weak, though CX1JJ heard me. I can't swing my SteppIR that way. I heard VR2BG in Hong Kong on 14.007 and got an answer the first time and an 559 and sent 579. The band was very quiet. My beam heading was 255 degrees, about as close as I can get to 310 or 47 degrees. 15W, K2.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 01:32 z 0 comments

 
LW6HAR
I just worked Peter LW6HAR in Cordoba, Argentina (FF78rp) on 14.071.30 PSK31. Peter gave me a 599 and he was initially 599 but went down to 479 QSB...the signal was still strong but the phase lock was poor. Unfortunately, I couldn't aim by SteppIR at 134/314 and had to settle for 75 degrees.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 00:25 z 0 comments

 
CQ 160 meter contest (K2, 15 watts, 550' loop)

I hooked my 550' loop, which is sagging a bit these days, and set my K2 to 15w for the CQ 160M CW Contest and tried to see how far I could work. I heard VE5UF, VA5DX, N8EA (Michigan), K5GO (Arkansas), W0BH (Kansas) and even an Ohio station too weak to even try call, but they didn't hear me. Here's what I managed, starting at 1806.83 and moving up:

K7TJR	OR	599	0402Z	1806.83
KF6T	CA	599	0406Z
K7NJ	UT	599	0409
K6XT	CO	599	0411Z	eQSL
K0RF	CO	599	0415Z
W7CT	UT	599	0417Z	eQSL
K6NR	CA	599	0429Z	1849.95
K6RB	CA	599	0431Z	1855.32
K7NV	NV	599	0431Z	1858.30
K7OX	WA	599	0436Z

Labels: Contest, QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 05:06 z 0 comments

 
W9C
I worked W9C commemmorating 90th Anniversary of the first transcontinental passing of a formal message via radio on 14.040. I was about the 5th station worked. I believe the op was N0SS Tom, because he recognized my call. 15W K2 to SteppIR at 35'.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 20:03 z 0 comments

 
N0GRA (MFSK)
I heard N0GRA Grant near Denver, Colorado with MFSK on 7073. Grant was running about 50W to a 150' longwire from an ICOM 746 Pro. Grant was thinking about trying Olivia and was interested in the FEC aspects, but found MFSK to be an interesting step as well. Grant said I was S7, which was about the noise level, and the signal switched between 100% and 50% copy. Grant was 579 to 599 with occasional peaks at S9+20. I was using my SteppIR on 40m pointed West.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 04:00 z 0 comments

 
August 29, National Toroid Day Special Event

In the book Eyewitness DK Electricity, there's a photo of a page from Michael Faraday's notebook dated August 29, 1831, showing a sketch of his "induction ring apparatus," and a photo of what appears to be the very first transformer, which was a toroid. In fact, this photo graces the frontispiece of the book.

In the drawing, the A winding occupies the left half and the B winding the right half. Faraday wrapped two layers of windings around a 6" soft iron ring, with the windings insulated with calico cloth. He dragged the A wire over a battery and noticed a spike of induced current in the B wire.

Sadly, as Faraday lacked AC, he was unable to much more with the first transformer.

I hereby proclaim August 29 as National Toroid Day, and suggest that FPQRP obtain a special-event callsign for that day. I volunteer to operate the /6.

- posted by Leigh @ 20:26 z 0 comments

 
6I2HUM
I heard 6I2HUM op Oscar, a special event station in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico on 21.290 with my K2 at 15W to the SteppIR.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 21:16 z 0 comments

 
WB6MLC and K6ACJ
I turned on the K2 and heard WB6MLC and K6ACJ on 3555 and heard they QSO to 3580 CW so I sent a QSY as well and then copied the mail on PSK for a while and joined in at the end.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 07:10 z 0 comments

 
K1Y/KH6 Max
I set up my KX1 and Buddipole vertical at the park and worked K1Y/KH6 Max (probably KH6ZM) with my KX1 in straight-key mode, 2.5W and got him on the first try; maybe he liked my fist, hi hi. Max sent a 559 and I sent 599. Max sent SKCC# 00X, which didn't make sense to me, but I guess it's a special event number.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 22:02 z 0 comments

 
W4RM RTTY ROUNDUP
I heard W4RM on 7046.60 599+ and gave him a call on RTTY with 5W and he came right back with "WA5ZNU 599 VA" so I sent "TU 599 CA CA." 0628Z

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 06:29 z 0 comments

 
N3GAD
I cranked up the SteppIR and F12 mast to about 30' now that the wind has died down, and decided to load up the Drake TR-4C for the first time on it. I put a fan behind it, and loaded it up to about 150W, which seemed to be about as high as it would go. That was about 350mA, so 210W dissipation. The RTTY contest had taken over just about everything but the Extra band, which was hopping with a big pileup for 1A4A, but I heard N3GAD calling CQ on 7027.1. Chris was runing 25W into a dipole up 20ft from High Rollins, New Mexico. Chris recognized my QTH as a Xerox location, and said he also worked for Xerox. QSB set it, and I lost of some of the details about his new rig, but he said he was getting back on the air after a long hiatus. He also told me about his 40/17M 5/8 wave antenna made from pipe, and said his QRZ.com page had a picture.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 02:38 z 0 comments

 
WN1Z
I heard WN1Z Orrin in Susanville, CA call CQ on 3555 around 0600Z and we had a QSO for about half an hour. Orrin was running 100W and I gave him 559 and sent me 539 for my 15W. Orrin said it was 24F and a bit snowy at his tent, and he's using a propane heater, at least until he goes to sleep.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 06:25 z 0 comments

 
WB6MLC and K6DBG
I tried to meet some HFPackers on 80m but heard nobody so I tried 160m as well. Then I heard K6DBG Chris on 3558 or so so I said a quick hi, and then back to 3555 where I heard Ken WB6MLC. Nobody else showed up so we tried 1996 and Ken said I was 579 down to 1 Watt!

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 06:32 z 0 comments

 
NH6P
I got a 559 from NH6P in Hilo, HI on 21.027.16 and 5W to the SteppIR up about 30' on the Force-12 mast. I sent 599 with my straight key, but the OM was using a keyer. Op was Fred, W6YM.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 19:21 z 0 comments