Special Event News

The West Virginia Chapter of the NAQCC club had a delightful day at the Huntington Museum of Radio and Technology. Joining me above is (N8ZYA) on left and Joe (WA8SIE) from Charleston. In the bottom pictures are Bill (KB8QLG) from Sissonsville, WV and Steven (KC4URI) from Mineral Wells, WV

WA8SIE and KB8QLG 

KC4URI 

 This was the first time I've put a nine element Mosley beam behind a five watt QRP radio. The  results were both puzzling and amazing. I rotated the beam 360 degrees several times on 40 meters but only made a few contacts with KD3CA and WB3GMC in Pennsylvania and N4EDE in North Carolina. I heard very little on this band and soon came to the realization that I was shooting right over the heads of anything remotely thought of as "routine" contacts. By days end, I was able to work only six more United States stations WB0PYF, WD4EXI, K5BOT, KA2KGP, K4CQF,  in Missouri, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, and New York.

This nine element beam was a totally different animal to me with it's directional characteristics but specific selectivity and sensitivity. I've mixed feelings about it's effectiveness for multiple short distance QRP contacts. I was forced to spent most of the day on the 15 and 20 meter bands with the hopes of working more stations. Upon the change to those bands:

I immediately worked VE3EDX in Thunder Bay Canada, and soon afterwards, I worked an unfamiliar "RL" call, which I knew was a Russian station, but an unknown new "prefix". I've worked Russia many times (20) but this was the first "RL" call I've heard and there's a good reason for it.

This "special event station" (RL22GM) was commemorating the 2014 Winter Olympic Games now being held in Sochi Russia! As time moved onward, I worked some more DX contacts which were very exciting for me.

I worked Italy twice during the next hour. The first station (I3UKY) was what I would call "normal DX" but the second Italian station was a real prize, not because it was the second contact in Italy, but because this station (I5NOC) was operating QRP at 5 Watts of power! Here's a confirmation e-mail from him:

Hello John,I confirm our qso on 15 meters 8-02 at 16,25 cw.My station is qrp by Elecraft KX3 only 5 wats and antenna 3 elements Hygain.Hope receive ur qsl via k3wwp,my qsl sure via bureau.Tks again for the qso and hope call you again.Best 73 and greetings from Italy...............ciao  I5NOC  Giampiero

The QRP station in Italy ((I5NOC) is the most distant 2 x QRP contact I've ever made at any time. The distance was 4,570 miles. 

We found this station from Poland (SP6JOE) to be an interesting catch. I asked for the name and he responded with, what else?,  "Joe".

Another contact was EA3DD in Spain: 

I'm somewhat disappointed in the number of club stations we worked while at this event but think it had more to do with poor 40 meter band conditions and a "beast" of an antenna in the hands of a new operator. Those two combinations demanded operation on the longer range bands.

I can't say enough about the Museum of Radio and Technology. We plan to operate there again during these cold winter months. They were the perfect hosts for us and we rejoiced in the fellowship of the operating staff which were there during the special event.

There were times when the radio room was actually crowded with those interested in the QRP event. The Tri State Amateur Radio Association held VE testing that morning and added three new ham to the HF portions of the hobby. There were also hams from other states wandering around the museum.

I found my old friend Bernies "refrigerator sized amplifier" in an adjacent room.  

The Museum of Radio and Technology also has dipole antennas. On our next trip, I'll use them to make more club QRP contacts. The beam had good and bad points. It brought us some great DX contacts but when right overhead of most local stations.

50 States

Here's a certificate I'm very proud to add to my NAQCC folder. The majority of my 50 state contacts were made with my indoor mounted Isotron antennas on either 40 meters or 20 meters. Alaska and Hawaii were two states I had doubts of ever working from my city location considering I'm forced to operate with stealth antennas. I worked those last two states with a 50 ft indoor random wire.

I'm also within a very short distance of my DXCC award now with 95 countries showing on the QRZ.com log book. I need to count all those in my "personal" log book since I started that log book a year or so before the QRZ book.

The Huntington Museum of Radio and Technology

The Museum of Radio and Technology will be the operating location for the West Virginia Chapter of the North American QRP CW Club on Feb 8th, 2014. If you look closely, you will notice a nine element beam on the right side of their building. I'll be using it between the hours of 10 am till 2 pm.

The North American QRP CW Club has graciously given me permission to use their club call sign of  N3AQC for this event  .   

I've kept a link to the Museum of Radio and Technology on the right side of this blog since I began writing about ham radio. Its a fantastic organization and only about an hours drive from Charleston. There is no charge for admission but they have a voluntary donation box is located in the hallway. Official membership is an annual fee of $25 dollars.

This museum is one of the biggest (10,000 square feet) and best of it's type in America. This is the site of the Radio and Technology WV8MRT  club station and the club station for the Tri-State Amateur Radio Association . My gratitude goes to both these fine organizations which are allowing me to operate my QRP station from there.

You owe it to yourself to look at the "Ham Radio" sections of the Museum Site

The video at the top portion of the Museums opening page shows a workable "spark gap" transmitter and there are several pages of the web site devoted to hams who have lived in my home town of  Charleston WV.

Al Hicks (W8AH) worked an amazing 362 countries on the 40 meter band. "A feat nobody else anywhere has ever matched". Those QSL cards are on display at the Museum. His call sign is now used by the West Virginia DX Association  .   

A friend of mine, and also a silent key, Bernie Clark (W8PNR) built an amplifier which was so large that he enclosed in an an old refrigerator which is on display at the Museum. I never heard it on the air but I understand he was always 599 on every contact. One of our WV Chapter club members (W8GDP) and I always talked with Bernie on the Kanawha Amateur Radio Club  repeater on our morning commute to work.

We will be transmitting on, on close to, all the standard QRP frequencies from 40 meters to 10 meters. I'm looking forward to this "special event" from the Museum of Radio and Technology. I'll send an "electronic card" to those who request them.

This is primarily a NAQCC event but it's open to everyone. The exchange will be Call, Name, State and either NAQCC number, or if not a club member, your power level.

If I hear you, I'll work you.

72's

Music from Hawaii

I've worked a little over 700 DX stations now but only 10 of them have been on the forty meter band. Moscow (RD3A) was an exceptional 40 meter contact, but most of my 40 meter contacts have been what I consider "close" for bouncing a signal off the Ionosphere. They've landed in Jamaica, Barbados, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and even France, Spain, Italy, Montenegro, and Germany.

Last night I worked another "good one" on the 40 meter band. I was running my customary three watts of power and using my indoor random wire antenna.

KH6ZM

I was astounded to hear the signal of a Straight Key Century Club member in Volcano Hawaii on 7.054 MHz.  Max (KH6ZM) was running the K3Y/KH6 station and at 4,527 miles from Charleston, doing a fine job! In February and May of last year I was able to work another Hawaiian station (KH6LC) on both ten meters and 20 meters, but I never, in a million years, expected to work Hawaii on the forty meter band. This one is a real treat.

I've not been intentionally pursuing the K3Y stations, but now I've worked K3Y/1-2-4-5-8-KH6-KP4- EU and NA. I'll be listening a little more carefully now with the addition of the Hawaiian K3Y station.

I consider both Morse Code and Music to be universal languages. When I think of Hawaii, I often think of this song and this musician. Israel Kamakawi was a gentle giant who had amazing rhythm, a creative mind, and the ability to blend a soft voice along with a very smooth touch on a Ukulele. I think a telegraph key, in the hands of a good operator, can take on the same qualities.

Music is also a constantly evolving medium which changes over time. I've also been a fan of "Slack Key Guitar". It's an alternate tuning method which produces a very pleasing sound and options not heard with a normal guitar. In a way, it's like the difference between a straight key, an Iambic key, a bug, or a sidewinder. It's the same song but with a different voice. 

Marilyn and I have been to Hawaii several times and the video of the slack key guitar brought back good memories for me. The cattle mentioned in the video reminded me of a time we arose very early one morning and drove to the top of the mountain to watch the sunrise. Driving back that evening, I nearly hit a cow standing in the middle of the road hidden in the clouds. It was cold up there with temperatures right at freezing. 

We took a long hike down into into a  "cinder cone" which took most of that day. Dressing for it was a challenge. Dressed warmly at the beginning, I had a bad case of sunburn afterwards. The air was very thin up here at above 10,000 ft. Hiking back up was much harder than hiking down. Hihi 

My First CL Contact in Cuba

I'm working a bunch of local stations with the little Vibroplex Code Mite Key. It's taking some patience to keep my speed down, and keep correct spacing at this speed, but also quite satisfying to hear slow code again and carry on actual conversations with hams.

I've been hanging around the 7.055 MHz SKCC frequency.

I was surprised to work a new station in Cuba last night. I've made at least twenty contacts on this island previously, but this was my first "CL" contact. I was happy to work CL8CF in Baracoa, Guantanamo Cuba.  The previous contacts have always been on 20-17- or 30 meters. I worked this station on 40 meters!

Apparently, this is a new band which is open to a new generation of hams in Cuba and they're limited to 10 watts of power.

I listen to Arnie Coro (CO2KK) on the Short Wave bands and his "DX'ers" program in the winter months. A few years ago, I came close to working him and wrote him about the contact. He mentioned it on his SWL program and I have a recording of it on a cassette tape, but it's a very poor quality. Although I could hear him, he couldn't copy my entire call sign.

I like the percussion rhythms of Cuban music and consider all music to be a "universal language". I chose the above video because of the music.

I can't find much information on the web about Ham Radio in Cuba; but found the above video and wanted to share it with my readers. I no longer find the call signs of the previous Cubans stations I've worked on the normal data bases. I assume those stations are tightly controlled and difficult to retain. The most common call I now hear from there is CO8LY.

The new small "key" is working well. I'll be hanging around the slower portions of the bands and enjoying QSO's until the DX bug returns. I'm glad I found this key. I'll use it in the field because it's so small and lightweight. Despite it's small size, it's functional.

A Small QRP Key

I enjoyed the drive to see the K-3 station of Art Ellis (W8PBO) in Ravenswood WV. I also enjoyed talking to Eric (AC8LJ) as we drove up the Interstate to Arts home. It was a very enjoyable trip and I was pleasantly surprised with the entire days events.

Art uses the latest Elecraft K-3 K Line gear at this home. A brief demonstration had me hooked with the first note coming from the speakers. I'm very impressed with the "graph" feature on this radio. Being able to visually "see" the signal on the band, and automatically "tuning" the radio to this frequency is VERY useful. With the accompanying "signal strength" displayed on the screen, it would be easy to spot "QRP" signals.

We chuckled when hearing "Bens Best Bent Wire" from a station near Chicago. 

I had no idea that Art (W8PBO) was a collector of many fine, and unusual Morse Code Keys. I plan to return here to take a closer look at them when the water situation returns back to normal in Charleston. This trip was a much needed refreshment from the chemical spill here in the valley. 

Although we visited Art to take a look at his fine station, both Eric and I returned to Charleston with one of Arts many keys. I chose the very small Vibroplex Code Mite. Most hams would keep this key just for the collectors value but I had every intention of using it with my QRP station. 

I'm not sure how many of these keys were produced but I have # 490 on the table alongside my Iambic paddle. I'll use it for SKCC and slow speed NAQCC events. 

Every new day I spend on the CW portion of the bands makes me appreciate the development of Morse Code equipment. We've certainly advanced from the original "straight key" days of early radio.

I'm looking forward to another visit to Art's radio shack. I had no idea there was such a fine display of both a good CW station and a collection of great keys in West Virginia. I'm overjoyed to find the small Code Mite key and Eric came home with a "Sideswiper" which has a very distinctive sound.

Art will be at the Dayton Hamfest in March; I'll be looking forward to seeing him there.

Art and his wife were perfect hosts to our visit. His wife served us coffee, tea, and cookies before we left for home. They were both teachers before retirement. You won't find finer folks anywhere in this state. They were both a real joy to meet.

Cold Indoor Radio Days Again

It was another very cold morning when I arose today with the temperature around -17 (C) . It actually dropped down to -20 (C)   last night. I had no desire to get outdoors for anything; so my morning routine was much like yesterday.

My radio contacts this morning were much like yesterday too. The contacts were difficult today but I still managed to work another five DX stations.

Although I've worked 12 stations in Denmark now, OZ1AAR, on 12 meters, was my first "OZ1" Station in that country.

Also like yesterday, I moved along the bands as they drifted, and soon worked KP4ED, in Puerto Rico, on 15 meters. He was searching for SKCC members and we exchanged club numbers. His is # 6589 and mine is #4525.

I found 17 meters open this morning and worked the rest of my stations on this band.

Steve (G3VMW) was in England. He is my 8th G3 station now among 21 contacts into that country. I worked a German station (DL1DGS) who was the 4th "DL1" station of 47 contacts now in that country. Last but not least, I worked the Italian station IK3VUT for the 4th time now. He was the 39th contact I've worked in Italy.

Tomorrow morning our WV Chapter of the NAQCC Club will have breakfast in Charleston at 8:30 am so I will "miss the window" for most DX stations. I'll look forward to working some local radio people.

I made a comment in yesterdays post about being "Back in the Saddle Again" which made me think of a neat QRP station I worked several days ago.
                                   
 This  QRP station in the state of Utah (K7JHM) fit's that description perfectly!