Special QSL Card to Florida Station

As I've mentioned in earlier posts...while out in the field, I've started sending "special" QSL Cards to those I've worked with my new 30 meter dipole . I've sent a copy of this one to the Pensacola Florida station that I worked from the rental home near Duck North Carolina.

They aren't hard to do and it's a visual memory of the contact for the both of us. This one is created with the "paint program" that comes with the basic Microsoft software.

They can print it or save it to their hard drive.

I prefer to save them on a "memory stick".

The other Florida station didn't have a current e-mail address.

Slim Pickings Last Week

Last week, while at the beach in North Carolina, I couldn't find time (or a good location) for the radio.

It's a two day drive to the coast, and there was a "strong geomagnetic storm" brewing on the bands . To make matters worse, there were a few thunderstorms in the area (lightening and wires don't work well together) and I had a "poor" location to to place a dipole antenna.

During the next week, I was only able to operate once, for a few hours, when I strung the 30 meter dipole from the top balcony railing of a rental home and into a small pine tree. (I hate pine trees because of the sap that seems to cover everything they touch). The antenna was "sloped" significantly towards the South.

But I was able to work two stations in Florida. (N4ZMP and WA2PAY). One was in Pensacola and the other in Saint Augustine.

I usually take my Isotrons but didn't bring them because of the expectations of working more stations on 30 meters with the new dipole. Looking backward now, for portable operations and simplicity, the Isotrons are VERY hard to beat.

I had a good time while at the Outer Banks of North Carolina but it wasn't a good year for radio. It was great to be around family and we enjoyed the long walks along the shore in the morning and evening hours. We also rode our bikes into the little town of Duck several times.

On our first day here, we watched a "humpback whale" for nearly 20 minutes as it slapped its tail and fins on the water. I never expected to see that on the east coast.

For radio next year, it will be back to the Isotrons.

Another 30 Meter Field Day

Another wonderful day in the woods at the city park near my home. The band wasn't "up" but I listened to a station in Lumberton, Texas and another in "The Village" in central Florida.

Near the same 30 meter frequency, I heard AA5KV in Shreveport Louisiana and decided to see if my 5 watt QRP signal would reach him at about 800 miles. (my RST 449)

We had a delightful talk about his TenTec Argosy and his QRP excursions in the summertime with his K1. Sunny and pleasant at both locations. Both of us retired and enjoying the nice day.

It's always worth the effort to string up the antenna, orient it east and west, and spend a little time using the "dot's and dashes". My neighbor was interested in the radio, so was along as an interested party. Perhaps one day he will get the bug and work on a license.

I absolutely love the 30 meter band. Made up this card after returning home and will send it to my Louisiana friend via e-mail as a memory of the QSO.

I'll be at the Outer Banks of North Carolina next week and will be taking along the radio. With a little luck, I'll make some contacts from one of the "lighthouses" . No activation.......just fun with the QRP rig.

I'll be taking some pictures and will be making up some new cards for the contacts.

A Nice Inverted Vee Solution in the Mountains

I got a nice card from Pierre (VE2PID) from my contact while on the "Scenic Highway" a few weeks ago. He was one of my first 30 meter contacts and was also QRP from Sherbrooke, Canada. He was about 700 miles from my Richwood QTH at 4,000 feet. (I hope the snow has melted up there and they have the trees off the road by now).

I've always been concerned about getting a "dipole" in the air when you're up above the "tree line". This seems to be the answer when you choose to use your dipole as an inverted Vee. Pierre's signal was 599 at about 700 miles with 5 watts of power. He uses a collapsible pole and attaches it to the bike mount on his car.

I'll be experimenting with this configuration on the next "elevation" location. Although the maximum elevation is only a little over 4500 feet here in WV, finding two good tall trees can sometimes be a problem.

My 30 Meter QSL CARDS

As I noted in my previous entry, I've started sending QSL cards that are "specially designed" for my "portable contacts" and I've received nice comments from those I've sent while operating on 30 meters while out in the field.

They're pretty simple, and in this digital age, easily created by using a simple picture and then "editing" it with the "paint program" included in all Microsoft software. It's a simple matter of adding text with the proper font, size and colors.

You'll see these pictures in some of my previous entries while operating at North Bend State Park, the Scenic Highway near Richwood WV, and my latest excursion to a local park near Charleston.

This isn't a new idea.

I received a "nice" card from K2RFP in Long Island NY just a few days ago that I thought was "unique". In addition, he created a re-usable SASE "return envelope" for one of my cards. You can download the free application from his site. I still enjoy receiving "paper cards" but think they're unnecessary because of postage fees. (especially those DX contacts)

But I think this is a nice way to show my contacts the exact location where I transmit and it seems to go over well. It's a nice memory for both of us. I don't mind the extra work it takes to make up one of these cards since I'm not into "short 30 second contacts". I usually chat for awhile....

Many of these people also have accounts with E-QSL (and I send them a confirmation from that site also). My "E-QSL" card is a generic kind of thing that shows me sitting on the front porch of a cabin with my guitar. I always respond to those requests.

I take the extra step to make sure they have a current e-mail account and send them along as an attachment to the e-mail so they can either "save it" or (if they choose to use it as "wallpaper") print it out on their home computer.

I always enjoy a more "personal" card from my contacts. I think those that receive these cards feel the same way.

In the future, those with a current e-mail account, can expect to have one of these cards sent to them as confirmation for the contact.

More Fun on 30 Meters

I've been working as much "portable" as at home the last few weeks. Today I was able to get out for a few hours, and arrange the 30 meter antenna as an inverted Vee by hanging it from a convenient tree limb. It seemed to work fine. I drove to nearby "Little Creek Park" in South Charleston.

Several years ago, a major "shopping complex" was built in South Charleston and this park is the result of all those business taxes. It's quite a mecca for softball and soccer fans here in the valley. There's also some really nice hiking trails here in Trace Fork Canyon. Hiking in the canyon along this stream is very quiet. Something you would not think being this close to town.

I was a little disappointed in the band today but still made two nice contacts at about 600 miles.

The first was another QRP station in Sandersville, Mississippi who was also using an Icom 703 @ 5 watts. K5RZK is also a fellow NAQCC member. But I was operating in the early afternoon so didn't expect to hear much. Most local people are still at work now.

I seem to be on a run with NAQCC QRP operators on 30 meters.

The other station was N2DCP near Ocala Florida. He surprised me with his QTH and the #2 call. We have relatives in this area of Florida.

I've started taking a few pictures on my portable operations. (today was the first with me in the view). I took it by setting the timer in a little camera and attaching it to a roll of string that I use to hang the antenna.

I've started sending them as QSL cards with a "personal note" and have got nice comments from them. I'm sending them as attachments to e-mails. Sort of like the cards I use on E-QSL.

I'll post a copy of a few of them on the next entry.

30 Meters @ North Bend State Park

North Bend State Park is near a little town called Cairo in West Virginia. It's on the Hughes River and the site of a new lake. The dam was created just a few years ago.

We traveled here this weekend to spend time with a hiking group we've been members of for many years. (Marilyn and I actually met while hiking with this group). I took the QRP station and my 30 meter antenna with the hopes of spending a few hours on the air.

I set it up near "base" of the dam (elevation about 900 ft) along a stream and was fortunate to arrange the antenna as a "sloper" that was slightly oriented towards the west. Here's a picture of the lake seen from a trail as we hiked above it.

This is the second time I've been able to experiment with my new 30 meter antenna and I like this band more every time I use it. I desperately attempted to work AE5KA in Spain because he was the "strongest" station I heard on the band. He was calling DX and working a slew of stations using a split. I must have spent 15 minutes trying to get his attention and transmitting on the frequency I was hearing others working him.

I had a nice QSO with KD5RSS in Haskell, Oklahoma, at about 800 miles, with a decent report. It was raining there and he was using a G5RV antenna. Butch was concerned that I might find myself in a rain when I explained my station sitting next to the base of the dam.

I like this band and have found some unusual characteristics while operating here in the field. I hear a lot of weak signals and I hear a LOT of them. I hear some REALLY good DX stations that I know are only running 200 watts. Before I took down the antenna and broke down the station I was able to hear VK6AU in Western Australia. He wasn't very loud but he was readable. I emailed him about hearing him and got a nice e-mail back this afternoon.

He was a little over 10,000 miles from me and was the first Australian station I've heard on the bands.

I'll be setting up and operating on this band a lot more now. I brought along a compass to help me orient the antenna this time, and will try to arrange it as an inverted Vee this next time. I copied this sign near an old "railroad tunnel" as we hiking along a "rail trail" near the edge of the park. I rode my bike through 6 of these old tunnels the last time I was here. I hope to spend more time at this park this summer and will bring along the radio to operate more on 30 meters.

The "North Bend Rail Trail" is about 80 miles in West Virginia and is incorporated into the "American Discovery Trail". The American Discovery trail is a "coast to coast"
trail of about 3,000 miles.