“When all else fails”—in 2003, the Amateur Radio Relay League used this as the motto for Field Day, the annual demonstration of its capabilities to the public. It rapidly became the touch phrase for the Amateur Radio Emergency Service—probably the most public of all aspects of Amateur Radio and the operators that are usually first to respond in an emergency.
Conditions were terrible today, sometimes I thought there was something wrong with my RX. I tried to make a CW QSO on 30 and 20 meter but the few stations I heard didn't hear me. Maybe tonight...
I love Ten Tec transceivers, but the new generation transceivers are too expensive for me. Icom is a good second, with better prices. Unfortunately they stopped the production of the IC-703. Why? OK, now I will buy a IC-718 with a power adjustable between 5 and 100 watts. QRO... got the devil in me? Icom is seducing me. I know what kind of problems I can expect with 100 watt, trouble. And to have more power and more gain is very relative. When I have 5 watt and wanted to be heard twice as loud than I need 50 watt. Again than I need 500 watt. So the difference between 100 and 200 watt is hardly audible. The difference between 5 and 100 watt is 2 S-points. So what is the big deal?
So this morning I heard calling SV2MAP in the noise on 20 meter and my S-meter stays flat. I call him with my 5 watts USB, and he almost could pick me up from the noise. No QSO... Conditions are poor again, I heard on 20 meter with USB only 2 Russian stations and EA7/G1WUU. With JT65A I heard RA3ICK.
What about the Ten Tec transceiver on the Youtube film: is has a CW decode feature on board. Thats really nice, to bring CW to hams which are not able to copy CW with their ears. I came across two stations who participate in the CQWW CW contest using decoding software. And why not. Purist among us will reject it, but it is a way to bring CW in the spotlights. They could be encouraged to learn it the old way. I use decoding software in combination with my ears. They are perfect partners.
When I started again with Ham Radio in August 2008 I wiped out the early period, working the whole earth with QRO, I wanted to start all over again. With QRP I worked in the first half year a lot of DXCC countries. Now its takes its time to make more DXCC. For months I couldn't work more than 68 DXCC. But today I was lucky. I tuned up on 30 meters and heard one station with CW what happens to be C31CT (see photo). I am looking for months to work Andorra. And yes, today Andorra is my 69 DXCC country. It was a short QSO, exchanging reports only, but never mind, I did it. I wonder if I can make it to 70 before the end of the year. On my wish list: Cyprus and Gibraltar, which could be possible for me. Yesterday I heard Cyprus but he didn't hear me.
Last night I participate for the last two hours of the CQWW CW Contest. First I started on 40 meter with my 5 watts QRP. I worked 24 stations and 15 DXCC countries in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Best DX was 4XØG Burt from Dor Beach, Israel (Photo) 3330 km. Then I went to 80 meters to see if I am lucky to work some stations there. Normally I can hardly work stations on 80 meters because of my insufficient antenna for that band. But I tried anyway. But... or conditions are splendid, or operators listen better to get some points, I don't know, but I worked for the last 45 minutes 7 stations, and 6 new DXCC countries: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, France, Italy and Lithuania LY7A (best DX 1284 km) So I was pretty amazed, because I can't work Dutch stations on 80 meter. I had worked England, Germany and Denmark before. Now I have 9 DXCC countries on 80 meters! (View my log)
The CQ WW contest CW is going on. I don't feel like participating. Too crowded too fast. So I went SWL-ing. Since March this year no broadcast stations are allowed to broadcast below 7200 KHz. The section between 7100 and 7200 KHz belong to radio amateurs. But... still there are broadcast stations on our 40 meter band. I could receive the following broadcast stations:
China Radio International on 7110, 7165, and 7190 KHz.
Radio Byelirussia, Belarus on 7105 KHz, and
Emirates Media, United Arab Emirates on 7175 KHz.
This weekend is very busy with social activities... Monday morning I'll be on air again. I wish you all a nice weekend. 73 Paul
I was exited to make preparations for my first JT65A contact. After reading some info by Andy K3UK I tuned for JT65A frequency on 20 meter (14.076) I heard RK6BN/6 calling CQ. So I replied and we made a basic standard QSO. Yes! Though I was a bit nervous so I did the wrong procedure, sorry Alexander. After all we finished the QSO with a confirmation and 73. Other useful information: http://hflink.com/jt65/ And making skeds: http://www.chris.org/cgi-bin/jt65talk
On this movie, made by WA3LTB, you can watch how things work with JT65A, part of the WSJT software by K1JT. It's a way to make QSO's on HF using JT65A mode. In most of the cases you have to make a sked for making a QSO. You can use Hamspot.net for this purpose. A new manner for working QRP. With WSPR I was reported by W3GXT (6109 km) and W3HH (7285 km) on 30 meter.
You can download the entire Space Hackers movie (see sidebar on the right).
November 24, 2009
This afternoon I worked F8CHM Jean from Tours, France; with SSB on an very quiet 40 meter band. He was 59 and I get also a 59 report. With PSK31 on 40 meter I worked HA5KN Janos from Budapest, Hungary and OK4RM Jindra from Praha, Czech Replublic. Tonight on 40 meter CW: RW4PL Andrey from Tatarstan, Russia (2966 km) and EA6/EA3AIR Julio from BALEARIC ISLANDS Spain.
This morning I worked IK5DVT Mario from Pontassieve, Italy on 20 meter CW. Also F6HFX Jean from Labouheyre, France. With PSK31 I worked ISØYHV Antonio from Uta, Sardinia Island.
The Intriguing Documentary I talk about is Space Hackers. Maybe you are familiar with it. If not, you can watch the movie here. >>> Space Hackers <<< I cut the film in pieces because of the length of the original movie. There is a change when they discover the movie on Youtube, it has to be removed because of violation of copyright infringement. The film is about: Two young Italian amateur radio enthusiasts eaves-dropped on top secret space transmissions and in doing so lifted the lid on the race to space. The brothers Achille and Giovanbattista Judica-Cordiglia had their passions ignited by tuning into Sputnik 1 in 1957. They were also keen home movie buffs and captured their exploits on film. With home built equipment they monitored both the Soviets and the Americans as they explored space. Their activities did anger authorities behind the Iron Curtain. At one time Radio Moscow branded the pair as ‘space gangsters’ after they exposed failures of early space flights.
I read a nice article at LinuxJournal.com:
