micro-blog
about
micro-signals
Post with 4 notes
kQ2RP Mid-Year Report Card
Already well into June. Time to measure myself against my New Year goal list for 2013:
- Complete 10-20m Top Loaded Vertical (before the cycle fades) — Soon… really...
- Experiment with weak signal modes WSPR, QRSS etc — Indeed. Having fun!!
- Operate more digital modes — A little bit. Some PSK and RTTY, but not as much as I’d hoped. CW man at heart….
- Build QRP-O-Meter (Xmas gift!) — DONE!
- Get my main HF antenna - G0FAH multiband dipole - back up where it should be (Thanks a lot Sandy!) — YUP!!
- Build portable 6m Moxon — Yessir! Morning of the June VHF Contest. Just in time for crappy conditions that weekend.
- Set up shack computer (properly) with rig interface(s), live digi-logging, clusters, etc. — zzzzz….. not yet. Lame.
- Commit to on ONE logging program. — Insert sad smiley
- Play around with some SDR ( Chinese dongle & Softrock) and software — half n half. Played with dongle <did i just say that?> and software, but Softrock still in its bag.
- Do more SOTA activations & chases — Did my second activation and achieved Shack Sloth chaser status. Huzzah!!
- Continued portable ops. — Always looking to get out. No prob.
- Build a HF Mag Loop — Seems like a good early winter project.
- More kits/more homebrewing — Built some antennas and three kits. Not bad.
- Fix my QRO rigs (Swan 350 suddenly squealing) — Who has time for QRO???
- Help local CW newbies with live QSO practice (NVIS antenna? internet?…) — Mostly their fault. Have to push more.
And I bought a KX3…. that must count for something……
Photoset with 4 notes
My new portable 6m Moxon. Assembled in the basement Saturday morning and tested on the deck prior to the June VHF contest.
- Spreaders - 4 Fiberglass driveway markers (48”)
- 16 gauge wire - 20’ or so
- Two pieces of 1/2” copper pipe for hub- flattened in center, ends bent out 20 deg from centerline.
- U-bolt - attaches two copper pipe pieces back to back and holds antenna to mast
- Gap Spacers - Two pieces roughly 4.5” each, wire zip tied along top
- Paracord - four small loops to thread wire through, zip tied to ends of spreaders
- Zip ties - many, as needed
- Coax - RG8X
Aside from the coax, mast and hub, entire antenna collapses down into about 2” x 48”. Hub is about 12” x 5” x 1/2”.
Post with 9 notes
They’re Baaaaack…..
Apparently the Heathkit company still stirs, as they now have this on their webpage, and have released a survey to gather potential customer information to move forward and give it another go. I’d encourage all to take part. Would be nice to see them succeed and offer some amateur products again.
Photoset with 6 notes
QRP To The Field and SOTA operation photos from Saturday 4/27 on High Point Mountain W2/NJ-001 (highest point in NJ - 1803 ft.) also along Appalachian Trail. Click on photos to enlarge & see captions.
Video with 5 notes
Ham Radio Life’s Been Good To WB6ACU So Far… Ham Nation 1: Joe Walsh, WB6ACU (by twit)
Source: youtube.com
Photo with 2 notes
For QRP Flying Pigs members - find this little glass piggie at your local Pier 1 Imports for $3.
Post with 1 note
This is the end…My only friend, The End
Your Final Instructions from Prepper Paul, NA5N:
Zombies and Maya Kings,
Gosh. Where has the time gone? Seems it was just summer, then
Thanksgiving, Christmas next week … oh yeah, and the end of the world
thing this Friday. Hate it when doomsday sneaks up on you like that! :-)
So a reminder that our special 2012 “End of the World” Zombie Shuffle will
be THIS FRIDAY, famous December 21, from local sundown (considered 5pm
local) to midnight. Just as the Maya calendar runs out of rock. Early
enough to get a little 20M in there before resorting to 40M. Solar flux is
115-120, quiet geomagnetic field, and no big competing contests which should
provide fairly decent evening bands.
Rules and other ramblings at:
http://www.zianet.com/qrp/ZOMBIE/zombie.htm
NEW TO QRP OR CONTESTING? This is for you. A contest that serves no
purpose whatsoever except get on the air and have fun no matter what your
code speed or how rusty your fist may be. We all know Zombies can’t crack
out 35 wpm in those old blood soaked rags, right? Scoring is based more on
serendipity (recording those Zombie numbers) than operating skill. Over the
years, we’ve had quite a few new QRPers who accomplished their first real CW
QSOs during the Zombie Shuffle. That’s what it’s all about … to give
everyone a chance to get on the air and pound some brass.
ZOMBIE NUMBERS can be obtained from Jan <n0qt@arrl.net> if you don’t have
one. Zombie numbers are good for life. Or, send your 3-digit telephone
area code if you wish. We’re pretty close to hitting 1,000 Zombie numbers
assigned (like 35-40 to go).
ZOMBIE BADGE: It was reported by several that the Zombie badge link wasn’t
working on the above Zombie page. I have repaired the link for those who
wish to print out their own Zombie/Area 51 badge.
MAYA KINGS: We have 13 Maya Kings willing to serve you this year fairly
evenly scattered across the empire. Plenty of chances to work some bonus
points.
For their name, they will be sending MAYA KING, MAYA, KING, or even KING JOE
or KING RON (or whatever their name is) as they decide. We even have a
special KING ELVIS. Each Maya King worked is worth an additional 666
points.
I’m sure between sending CQ BOO and KING ELVIS, we’ll drive the QRO folks
nuts trying to figure this thing out!
Whether you get on for 2-3 QSOs, or work several hours, you’ll have fun.
And, thanks for participating. After all, the end of the world only comes
along every so often. I think the last one was Y2K.
I was listening to Coast to Coast AM radio show this weekend, and one
doomsday believer claimed that “every major observatory is tracking the
collision course of planet Nibiru with Earth on Dec. 21 - and all
observatory employees have been sworn to secrecy.” At the VLA (merely the
world’s largest radio telescope), I must have missed that inter-office
email! With the internet, Twitter, and Facebook, how on Earth could you
keep something like that secret these days?
However, I do feel there’s a chance of a minor earthquake or a volcano might
blow its top. Not because the Mayan Calendar says so … but just to prove
God has a sense of humor. He can’t wait to drive those doomsdayers nuts!
:-)
72, Paul NA5N
It's Aliiiive!...Well, kinda... (2012 Zombie Shuffle) →
It’s official - the 2012 Zombie Shuffle will coincide with the end of the world (Friday night, 12/21/12). Rise up undead!
Post with 1 note
The Nightmare Before Christmas
With this year’s QRP Zombie Shuffle falling just before Xmas, I thought this would be appropriate. Sure, you can find it on Amazon, but it would be in the giving spirit to order it here and support this important museum.
Page 1 of 13
