Elecraft K3
The long-rumored Elecraft K3 is out. Want to order one but can't wait? Try interactive price sheet.
- posted by Leigh @ 23:01 z 0 comments

 
ZS6WAB JT65a
I gave up on trying to recompile WSJT and just wrote a command-line utility to key the K2 via the serial command. It seemed to work, so I answered the next CQ I heard, which was ZS6WAB for my first JT65a QSO; I received his KG67 and a report of -15DB. I didn't know you could send anything otehr than 73 shorthand so that's all I sent but I wrote -7dB on the QSL card.

045100  2   6/24                   CQ ZS6WAB KG46            1   0
045201  Transmitting: JT65A   ZS6WAB WA5ZNU CM87 OOO
045300 10  -14         1  2   RO  ?
045300  2   6/25                   CQ ZS6WAB KG46            1   0
045359  Transmitting: JT65A   RO                            (Shorthand)
045500 10  -14         1  3   RRR ?
045500  2   6/26                   CQ ZS6WAB KG46            1   0
045600  Transmitting: JT65A   RRR                           (Shorthand)
045700  5   -7  0.1    0  1 *      -15DB TU 73               1   0
045700  2   7/27                   WA5ZNU ZS6WAB KG46        1   0
045800  Transmitting: JT65A   73                            (Shorthand)
045900  6   -5  0.4    0  3 *      CQ ZS6WAB KG46            1   0

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 04:54 z 0 comments

 
AC4BB
I answered AC4BB Bryan in Talldegga, AL on 14.070 PSK31 and we had a short QSO but the band dropped out when Bryan was sending and I never heard anymore. Funny thing, last time we talked was Nascar race day, and this was too!

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 03:40 z 0 comments

 
TG9AKH
TG9AKH Guatamela gave me 569 on MFSK16 on 20m.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 01:36 z 0 comments

 
VE7AXU
I worked VE7AXU John in Delta, BC, Canada on 20M PSK-31 with PSK-20 rig at 2.5W to a 66' OCF doublet up 20'. I was testing the PSK-20 I am about to send to my father N5LK and in fact had worked John before when he was looking for MS for WAS.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 22:13 z 0 comments

 
W5ZHI
I built a new PSK-20 for my father N5LK as I couldn't figure out what was causing the VOX oscillation in the old one. It appears to have been a couple of problems, one of them being a broken resistor on the base of the final PA, and the other a MOSFet in the Mic mute that kept going bad (perhaps related). I jumpered over the FET and it seems to work fine. Nevertheless, I'm going to go send him the new one. I tested it out today on 20m 14.072 with my SteppIR at 35ft and answered W5ZHI Dick in Albuquerque, NM. Dick was running about 50W, from his IC-746 Pro at 5W to a small amplifier, which he says gives him good linearity (30dB or so). He did have quite a nice signal. Originally, he reported me as weak but then I noticed I was beaming West instead of East! We had a nice long chat about his ham radio repair work that he does in retirement, and about reminiscences from time in the Bay Area, when he met Prof. F. E. Terman.

Labels: QSO

- posted by Leigh @ 20:00 z 0 comments