Ahhh...The Taste of FOX

It's been awhile since I've "bagged" a "pelt" on the "Fox Hunts". There are two every week. (One on 40 meters and one on 80 meters). Last night I bagged the 80 meter (N4DD) fox near the end of the contest when he quit using the "split" to transmit and recieve.

I'd been listening to him most of the night (0200-0330z) but couldn't pull him out of brush. There were lot's of barking from many hounds....three of us in WV caught him!

Ahhh......taste of roasting fox on an open fire is REALLY fine!

Thursday evening, Dennis (N4DD) will be running through the woods again but this time... 40 meters. My gut feeling is that he will be a little too close on 40....maybe the other fox will be at the right distance.

There's a permanent link to the "FOX HUNTERS" on the right hand side of my web page. ----->

This is a GREAT contest to work a few QRP stations!

Canadian Cold WX QSO

I've worked several stations in Canada recently, and this morning, I added another to my log book. (Number 14 to be specific).

I've been listening on the QRP frequencies, the last few days, with the hopes of working a few more "low power stations". The North American QRP CW Club (NAQCC) is sponsoring a QRPp (less than 1 watt) event this month. I probably won't work many (just don't have the antenna for it and there's a lot of noise here in the city) but it's always fun to listen and hope....(I've worked a few)

This morning, I heard W5VYN near Dallas Texas (900 miles) but he couldn't hear me well enough to continue the QSO. (we exchanged name and QTH before the band shifted) and then I caught VE3HEQ in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada.

The band was shifting a little, but all in all, we copied each other at the 559 level and talked for a quite awhile about the weather. Clive (VE3HEQ) said it was VERY cold up there, and he was expecting a lot MORE snow, and a lot MORE cold weather this week. As a matter of fact, it's supposed to be below freezing (and in the single digits) very soon.

I get into Canada very well for a QRP station with an indoor antenna. This last year, I kidded several guys about my signal getting some kind of weird bounce off the "gold dome" of the Capitol building, which is just up the street from me. I get an odd "spike" into the Northeast for some reason.

I've worked a QRP station in Canada at the 1000 mile range (VE1IBA in Kinston, Nova Scotia ).

But the most interesting contact I've ever made in Canada (and the ONLY contact like this I've ever made) was a station conducting a "Maritime Net" on the far side of Lake Erie. The net control officer (VE3GGO) was checking in ships sailing on the Great Lakes (Canadian stations can operate in the CW section of the 40 meter band) when he asked for "anyone, any mode (CW)" for a "check in"....I jumped at the opportunity for this unique QSO.

He returned my call and QTH (which he responded with in SSB) and we exchanged a few pleasantries. I've worked several ships on the Great Lakes but this contact was the most interesting of them all.

I'll be keeping my ears on for the "NAQCC QRPp" stations this month...with a little luck, I might even work a few. The NAQCC contest ends on the last day of January.

Clive (VE3HEO) is member # 2976

Peanut and Rooster Video About Straight Keys

If you haven't seen Steve's (NoTU) new web video....you owe it to yourself to take a gander at this one. The recent "ARRL Straight Key Night" was just for "communicating with character" and Steve (and his goats Peanut and Rooster) put together a shining example of how much fun can be had with old vintage CW gear.

You can see it by clicking here: Peanut & Rooster Adventures

I'm familiar with some of these rigs and the first I had on the air was a Viking Adventurer that was loaned to me by a friend. I've also used some Heathkit and Drake equipment with surprising results but I didn't have the technical knowledge to maintain them. I traded them in for "solid state" light weight gear that I can easily use in the field.

Steve's video shows a wide selection of "Straight Keys" used in the contest and he did an excellent job producing this film. I always look forward to reading about his hiking and camping adventures in the Colorado mountains. He's a great radioman with outstanding survival skills.

I've never worked Steve (N0TU) in the Colorado mountains but have worked several others in this area who were backpacking and camping with QRP gear. It just can't seem to catch him in the right place at the right time.

I've also worked two of the stations on his video... (VE3CGC and WA8REI) One was driving his Winnebago in Michigan and the other was at his home in Canada. Both were operating QRP and using straight keys when I talked to them.

One of these days I'll catch Steve while he is camping and hiking with the goats....until then I'll have to be content watching those great videos. I keep a permanent link on the right hand side of this page that makes it easy to keep up with his hiking trips.

You gotta keep a close eye on those goats...they're ornery!

Another Reason to Learn Code

There are QSO's and then there are QSO's...That might sound confusing, so I'll try to explain in a little more detail....

The majority of code exchanges follow a "universal format" with the first item being how well you're hearing the other station. (RST) and then the Name and QTH being the second.... Then the Rig and Antenna, the Weather, etc. There's nothing wrong with that. (90% of CW exchanges follow this road.

But it gets a little mundane at times....

This morning, on the 40 meter QRP frequency, I had a "nice" chat with a station in Memphis Tennessee (W4VAC) . Chuck was very weak because he was only using 15 watts into an inverted "V" with the apex at about 35 feet. (Memphis is about 500 miles from me)

Although he had other rigs, this morning he was using a Tentec Century "just for fun".

And it was "fun" to chat with each other because of the challenging QSB and QRM. (yea, I know, this isn't for everyone) but this was one of the most enjoyable QSO's I've had in awhile. (or any other time)

We both missed each others "names" on the first exchange but we both realized the band conditions, and continued on for at least 30 minutes. Chuck had a "great" fist (using a straight key) and the spacing was excellent. It was a pleasure to listen, copy (90%+) and ask each other a few questions.

That's what I mean by "There are QSO's and then there are QSO's" .

And then there's "another reason for learning code"....

I'm retired now, after 10 years of working on heavy equipment, and 20 years in retail sales. It's a blessing to have time to spend on the radio now. But as a person gets older, the mind usually get a little "lax". (I've know some people that can't remember what they did at noon some days)

It would be real easy just sit down and not do "anything"......

Morse Code is an excellent "work the mind" activity (if you don't use it, you'll loose it) and it's a challenge to keep the mind active and to keep life enjoyable now.

Morse Code is one of the best activities in the world to prevent memory loss....and a good example of this, is Chuck (W4VAC) in Memphis this morning!

I really admired the guy, more and more, as we "rag-chewed". We repeated the info we couldn't copy due to conditions, we understood each other, and it was a joy to communicate.

Chuck was born in 1924....that makes him 85 years old!

He is also FISTS member # 11068

A Quiet 2020 Mile QSO

Earlier tonight, I had attempted a "fox hunt" on the 80 meter band, and was discouraged, because I couldn't hear either the "foxes or the hounds". My friend Gari (K8KFJ) at the other end of the valley, caught the "Georgia Fox" after over an hour of listening. He skinned the pelt on the "high null" of a very faint signal. I could tell a fox was in the brush, but that was about it....The 80 meter band seemed VERY long!

It was about midnight, and I couldn't sleep, so I decided to get up and fix myself a cup of tea. I shouldn't have, but I again turned on the radio and plugged in the headphones.

I tuned the rig to the 40 meter FISTS frequency.

It's now 3 AM, but when I worked WB6HGJ in San Diego, California, it was 1:45 AM here in WV. (10:45 PM in California) Marilyn slept through it all because the sound was in my headphones and the only noise in the house was the clicking of the telegraph key.)

One of the GREAT things about CW is the ability to communicate without disturbing those around you.

I thought GUY was running a home brew rig because of the CW tone, but (if I heard correctly) he was using an old Collins rig. It was a difficult copy (229 with QSB) but I imagine that was his receiver. The old "Collins Rigs" are famous for their selectivity and filtering.

(It would have taken a receiver like this to hear a 5 watt signal from West Virginia)

I couldn't find an e-mail address for GUY (WB6HGJ) but it will be interesting to see the details on his QSL card. I'll put mine in the mail this morning at daylight....

It was a short contact, because of the QSB on both sides, but one I will always remember. The "Coast to Coast" distance between us is 2,020 miles and it's also my "first" "Coast to Coast" contact on 40 meters. Until tonight, I've only worked distances like this on 20 meters.

This is RARE with the QRP power of 5 watts!

Needless to say, I can't sleep now!

We exchanged signal strength, name, location, "FISTS" numbers, and a brief comment on the rig, power, and antenna. It was VERY difficult to hear but we exchanged the basics on both sides of the conversation.

Guy's membership number is # 9909.

I'd say 40 meters is a bit long too!

My First 2009 QSO

I've been in New York again (for a few weeks), to visit friends and relatives, during the Christmas Season. But I didn't take the radio with me because of time restrictions....

The first thing I did (when I sat down for a few minutes) was to total my "log book" and look over the past year. (The previous entry was a summation of my 2008 radio events etc).

My "first" contact in 2009 was K0LUW (2245z) on the 7055 SKCC frequency. Russ was in Omaha, Nebraska. (825 miles from me) We both heard each other at about the same level (569) but when he returned my call.....QRM ate him alive.

Come to find out....as I was sending my stats, other stations (that couldn't hear me) assumed the frequency was open and started their CQ's. This made for a very difficult contact......

Russ realized the situation and kicked in his Heathkit amp (which boosted his signal significantly)He was now pushing 600 watts into a "Vertical Dipole" (an antenna I rarely hear on the air). The frequency immediately became tolerable again.

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In addition to being my first 2009 contact this year, this was also my "first contact" I've made with my (new) "100 year old Straight Key". (Only a "straight key" operator will appreciate this key). It was made between the years of 1880 and 1910 by a company in New York City. I'm very fortunate to have acquired it and will pass it along to another Ham in my very senior years.

I found Russ on the QRZ date base and discovered he used a "homemade key"

Russ is member number 1702 T of the "Straight Key Century Club" (SKCC).

"It's a Beauty"

My 2008 QSO's

Well Folks.....I'm sure some will chuckle with my summary of last years contacts. But I've had a "whale of a time" with the radio and an Indoor Antenna in 2008. I'm not a big competitor ....I spend time on the air working a few "Special Event Stations".... but mostly (90% +) QRP on the 40 meter band.

I play with the radio for one specific reason. It's FUN to me... and it's a magical thing to bounce radio waves off the Ionosphere.

It's rare to work much DX (very long range) on 40 meters but most of my contacts were on this band because "there's usually someone on this part of the band ALL the time".

In the year 2008, I've worked 144 stations. (don't laugh) Of those 144 stations, 37 of them were QRP (3 were QRPp) and 19 of those stations were DX on 20 meters!

I haven't wrote much about "skipping over the pond" a few times, but last year (with QRP power and an Indoor Antenna) I haven't done bad.

This year I've "skipped over the pond" to Jamaica, Croatia, Cuba, Portugal, Germany (twice), Spain, Hungary, Italy, Puerto Rico, the Isle of Man, and Finland. I've also worked Canadian Stations (from coast to coast) 11 times.

Some people get a real kick out of working those "distant stations" but my most enjoyment is working the QRP and QRPp rigs with simple antenna's. To each their own....but working DX "mega stations" isn't as much of a challenge to me.

Working a guy "sitting in a tent" at 2,000 miles is unique!