Poor Conditions

Last nights NAQCC mw sprint produced NO results for me. Surprisingly, I could hear VE2ZAZ in Canada, K2ZC in New York, and AF4LB in Virginia but I couldn't make ANY contacts with less than 1 watt. Sometimes, the band just isn't there and last night was one of them.

As for DX....today seems to be another one, which I'm hearing very little activity on any band. Is this the beginning of the end? I'm about ready to rely on the phone lines for any long distance calls.

NAQCC 40 Meter CW Net

The North American QRP CW Club has started their 40 meter nets for the summer season. Tonight I joined in on the fun. The net control operator was AF4LB near Yorktown, Va. It was especially interesting for me,  since I once lived near Yorktown and worked at the Newport News shipyards.  One of the many hats I've worn over the years was as a  "turret lathe" operator making precision bolts and parts for ships and submarines.

I'll be checking into this net more often now. I enjoyed the format and listening to the other members on the net. Dan (AF4LB) did an excellent job and was able to copy and work all the stations. I received a 559 report with my 10 watts and indoor antenna. A Canadian station checked in (VE3FUJ) and another in Maine (K1IEE). Also on board was KA9VSF and AC8AP. There were several others but I didn't jot down the call signs. However, It was really interesting to look at the Bio's on the web as they talked with net control.
My little net book worked perfectly.

The reason I haven't been checking into the net before now is that I no longer have the 80 meter antenna. I don't care for 80 meters so I sold it last year. I've also sold off nearly all my old MFJ gear, a portable antenna and a TNC that I used to contact the Russian Space Station many years ago. I have some old 2 meter gear that is going soon also. I just don't use it anymore except for a little MW handi-talkie.

DX was totally dismal tonight....nothing on 20 meters at all. The worst I've heard in several days now. I mean...not even a peep anywhere....bummer.

I spent the earlier part of the day visiting with my son, at my daughter in laws parents home. Of course, the excuse was "fathers day" but I was surprised to find another musician there with two guitars. I don't have any pictures but it was a very nice time for both of us as we exchanged tunes with each other. He was a very good lead guitar player.

West Virginia is an amazing place for music...it's almost a state pastime where everyone seems to pick and grin.

EG8LP Canary Islands

"The Amateur Radio Union of Las Palmas has the honor to provide assistance to the City of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the promotion to radio amateurs around the world. This is why this partnership works with the spread of the Application for European Cultural City 2016 with the special callsign EG8LP."

EG8LP is a special event station in the Canary Islands and the only station I heard on the entire band this evening.  (other than W1AW) ...but I was able to work him!  There's a very interesting "video" (captions in English) explaining the celebration of this European City Cultural Event via their website.  You should take the time to view it by "cutting and pasting" the call sign (EG8LP)  into the search engine of the QRZ.com website. It's very interesting, and hopefully,  a vision of the future for us.

I did something rare for me this evening. I confirmed the call sign through a DX Cluster, and somehow, I don't feel the sense of accomplishment, which I normally have when making a DX contact. Although I coped the call correctly (he was sending very fast), and I returned my call at better than 20 wpm, I find the excitement of chasing DX diminished when watching "DX" scroll down the long list on the cluster. Seeing the calls and the spotters, for me at least, takes the challenge out of working DX.

I have a fear of the bands "going to pot" since reading about the latest sunspot forecasts. (pretty dismal) Tonight's contact makes number 93 for me and the thought of a dismal ending of DX'ing (without making my goal of 100 contacts) is a bit too much to bear.

Still, the DX Cluster makes it almost "to easy" and I don't plan to rely on it anymore. 

OK1KW CZECH REPUBLIC

Wow....speaking of drooling.

I hear Milan (OK1KW) just about every evening on 14.058. He's always  calling CQ Fists. Earlier today (mentioned in previous entry)  I heard him, but never thought I'd get another shot at him until the band changes.

Spent the early evening having dinner with my Son and Daughter in law, took a nice walk afterwards, returned home, turned the radio back to the fists frequency, and what did I hear?

He was 599 into good old West Virginia! The best I've ever heard him!

I was ecstatic with a 449 report with my 4 watts into the Czech Republic! ---4,488 miles.

We all know what that means.....

GM0UDL SCOTLAND

I liked this picture so much that I decided to show it for my contact today. But you can be sure that Andrew (GM0UDL) wasn't in the field. My QRP station was a difficult contact for him today from Northern Scotland. He has a magnificent array of antennas showing on the QRZ.com site.

He was my only shot across the Atlantic for several days now. The band is just terrible....

I almost drool when I hear OK1KW (Czech Republic) calling CQ every evening, but know he will never hear me under these conditions. I had a copy also on DJ9IE in Germany with the same results.

Because of the poor band conditions, I was overjoyed to make this QSO. I really needed it. Psychologically ....these last few DX contacts have me really keyed up.

Solar Cycle Bad News

There's unbelievable bad news circulating the web about the upcoming (or not upcoming) next solar cycle. I first saw it on W2LJ's blog, and since, several others now.

You can read it here: What's down with the Sun? Major drop in solar activity predicted

To say the least, it's depressing!

I got into the hobby at the end of the last solar cycle. I've never experienced really GOOD DX, but I'm very close to my 100th QRP DX contact. I've noticed that last week, the bands just seemed to stop. In short, they've been terrible the last few days. I'm still hearing the occasional "big stations" on 20 meters, but they're too weak for me to work.

You can be sure I'll pull out all the plugs to get my next 10 DX contacts.

My normal operating procedures don't include a computer,  but now (with this current "bad news" about the solar cycle) I plan to have a DX Cluster available at a moments notice. I'll have it right beside me with the hopes of increasing my chances for successfully completing my quest.

This new "bad news" is really depressing.

F6HKA FRANCE

There was a horrendous storm brewing in the valley, but I wasn't overly concerned since my antenna is mounted on a painters pole, which is bungee corded to a bed post, in a spare room. (my station is VERY simple) Hihi  The chances of me being struck by lightening in this situation isn't very likely. Maybe that's why I wasn't hearing a lot of stations on the air?

For that reason, I was very surprised to hear Bert (F6HKA) calling CQ WES from France.

I've previously worked Bert twice. (both with 5 watts) but today (I'm happy to say)  the rig was set at 4 watts! Bert (F6HKA) is my 9th "1000 mile per watt" contact since his distance is 4,086 miles!

The difference in signal strength? My previous two contacts brought me 559 reports. Today Bert sent me 549! That's one "S" unit difference.... but what a thrill it is for my 90 DX contact!

We exchanged SKCC Numbers. He is # 6069 T

Just 10 more DX contacts until that magic #100 (which I've been looking  for about 2 years now) .