First…
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Last week I had a spur of the moment field day. It was an autumnally beauteous day.
I figured that we weren’t going to have more like that.
Today.
As you can see, BLAM!,winter has arrived at the Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue.
I haven’t had my rig set up since last Sunday’s field day, having been pretty busy. But it is set up now.
As far as news is concerned… I met with a local elmer and showed him the Morse Code key that I bought in Tokyo. Having been a collector of keys, he regarded it with a measure of cool skepticism, pronounced it in need of work, and took it home. Since then, I’ve been alerted that it is now in better order.
There ensued a brief conversation about the particularity of keys and individuals. I can only imagine that to be true, since I haven’t yet gotten into CW.
In other news, recent conversations I have had with interested parties suggests that we will a) be able to move forward with a Ham Radio Club (name to be determined – one wag suggested a classic organization from Spanky And Our Gang) and b) the room we need will be made available.
Alas, we did not get antennas up before the snow hit. It’ll happen.
I have now studied a bit the process for getting a Club recognized and approved (e.g., paperwork, submit to whom, etc). I think we can get the formalities finished after a Sunday Mass soon.
In other news, I have lost the use of Echolink on my desktop and laptop because of closed port issues. I’m working on that. The problem is, I can’t update my call sign with Echolink until I get online with the Echolink software. So… hmmm… I may have to go to an internet hotspot with my laptop and, in the meantime, work with the IT guy here to get those ports open (the server was recently changed around).
None of this means that YOU can’t make contacts with each other at the “café” set up by our own WB0YLE for our use! Search WB0YLE-R
UPDATE:
That was fast… the IT guy did his server/port jiu jitsu remotely and opened the proper ports. I went through the process and, BLAM, just as suddenly as the strike of winter, I have been validated:
The ECHOLINK node number for W9FRZ is now 225022.
Then I had a struggle with the microphone, which had decided all on its own to reset in the recording level to nearly zero.
Having tested … I’m good to go on the desktop and the phone. Laptop later.
Wow! Quite a change in the Wx. Here, it is significantly colder, rain and snow mix expected later tonight and tomorrow. Will likely be on 40 meters tonight, after Mass and dinner. Hopefully around 8 PM EST (00:00 UTC) Will see.
It was major crazy on 15m, 12m, 10m the past few days late in the afternoon on into the early evening for DX’ing. I was hitting South Africa, Namibia, Ascension Island on one side and Japan, Alaska, New Zealand and Indonesia on the other. 10m was especially gratifying with Japan hitting hard Saturday morning. I have a hex beam up at 32 feet with 100w. With the domestic CQ stuff going on right now its real hard to do DX.
I’ll try to get on later this afternoon, if anyone is still watching. I have to go outside with the gear (the downside of the SOTA setup I’ve built), so I’m going to wait for a wee bit more warmth.
Mojoron – Have you been on 6m recently? I’ve got a new 6m antenna I’d like to try out, but every time I’ve had a chance the band has been worse than dead.
Mark
KT5WX
Going to be on 10m for about 45 minutes. If I see anyone check-in here I’ll switch to wherever.