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Convention Chat video β RSGB representatives
Ofcom licence revalidation video
This Sunday is the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt!
For all the details. please go toΒ https://www.qsl.net/w2lj/ - Skeeter numbers will be handed out right up until Midnight Saturday/Sunday EDT. After that, the roster is closed. Thanks to all of you who have signed up so far. As of this morning, as I type this, we have 209 Skeeters waiting to take wing.
W2LJ will most likely be working from the shack this year. The weather outlook for Sunday in NJ is still terrible. Rain showers all day with possible thunderstorms in the afternoon. I was going to set up in the backyard, but unless a weather miracle occurs, that's not going to happen. I do enough stuff that merits God hitting me with a lightning bolt. No sense in making it easier for Him. LOL!
Oh wait! There are "other" contests this weekend? I guess so. LOL!
SARTG WW RTTY Contest -Β http://www.sartg.com/contest/wwrules.htm
ARRL 10 GHz and Up Contest -Β https://www.arrl.org/10-ghz-up
Keyman's Club of Japan Contest -Β https://kcj-cw.com/contest/rule/2024_45_kcj_dx_.pdf
North American QSO Party, SSB -Β https://www.ncjweb.com/NAQP-Rules.pdf
CVA DX Contest, CW -Β https://cvadx.org/
Run for the Bacon QRP Contest -Β http://qrpcontest.com/pigrun/
Special Event Stations:
Don't forget! This weekend is International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. I'm sure there will be plenty on the air. Here's a list of entrants for 2024 -Β https://illw.net/index.php/entrants-list-2024
08/16/2024 | Field of Dreams
Aug 16-Aug 17, 1020Z-0920Z, W0DBQ, Dubuque, IA. The Great River Amateur Radio Club. 7.282 14.282 17 meters 15 meters. QSL. GRARC, POB 12384, Dubuque, IA 52004. Come and have a pick-up game with us on the air. w9upk@arrl.net or https://www.w0dbq.org
08/17/2024 | Celebrating Gene Senti's Birthday
Aug 17, 1400Z-1800Z, W0CXX, Cedar Rapids, IA. Collins Amateur Radio Club. 14.263 MHz. QSL. Brice AntonJensen, 1110 Lyndhurst Dr, Hiawatha, IA 52233. https://www.qrz.com/db/W0CXX
08/17/2024 | International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend
Aug 17-Aug 19, 0001Z-0000Z, T44IJ, Isla de la Juventud, CUBA. Radioclub Isla de la Juventud (CO9DAA), Cuba. 7.091 10.131 14.090 21.091. QSL. Vasiliy, P.O. Caja "8" , g. Novopavlovsk, distrito de Stavropol, RUSIA 357300, CUBA. La estaciΓ³n estarΓ‘ activando el Faro de Carapashibey al sur de la Isla de la Juventud, Cuba, con nΓΊmero de Isla NA-056 https://www.qrz.com/db/T44IJ
08/17/2024 | International Lighthouse Weekend 2024
Aug 17-Aug 18, 0001Z-2324Z, W7FLO, Florence, OR. Oregon Coast Emergency Repeater Inc.. 14.265.000. QSL. COCARC, PO BOX 254, Florence, OR 97439. info@w7flo.com
08/17/2024 | International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend
Aug 17-Aug 18, 1700Z-1500Z, N6L, La Honda, CA. SC4ARC. 7.030 CW, 7.270 SSB 14.030 CW, 14.270 SSB 21.030 CW, 21.370 SSB. QSL. SC4ARC, P.O. Box 237, La Honda, CA 94020. Please do not send QSL card. Logged contacts will be sent QSL after event. www.SC4ARC.org/events/lighthouse
08/17/2024 | Nuclear Ship Savannah Maiden Voyage Anniversary
Aug 17, 1300Z-2100Z, K3S, Baltimore, MD. Nuclear Ship Savannah ARC. 7.1 14.1 21.1 28.1. QSL. K3LU, 980 PATUXENT ROAD, Odenton, MD 21113. Single transmitter SSB and CW aboard N/S Savannah. Please check spotting networks for frequencies. Info on QRZ.com www.qrz.com/db/k3s
08/17/2024 | Port Clinton, OH Lighthouse activation on Saturday, August 17th, 2024
Aug 17, 1500Z-2100Z, W8GNM/8, Port Clinton, OH. Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservency. 14.335 21.440 28.615 7.235. QSL. Geoff Mendenhall, 4720 E. Terrace Cir, 4720 E. Terrace Cir, Port Clinton, OH 43452. W8GNM/8 will be QRV from the Port Clinton Lighthouse during the Port Clinton Lighthouse Festival at Port Clinton, OH (ARLHS USA-922). Grid Square: EN81mm (http://arlhs.com/events/) International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend Aug 17, 2024 at Port Clinton, OH. (US 0228) (https://wllw.org/index.php/list-3) Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy (http://portclintonlighthouse.org/) Check web clusters for specific frequencies. Typical 40m frequencies 7.200 or 7.235 Typical 20m frequencies 14.285 or 14.335 Typical 15m frequencies 21.350 or 21.440 Typical 10m frequencies 28.600 or 28.615 QSL via LoTW only to W8GNM/8. Operators: Geoff - W8GNM, Jay - K8CJY, Tom - KZ8ZZ, and Jon - KB8SRQ https://portclintonlighthouse.org
08/17/2024 | Shiremanstown Sesquicentennial
Aug 17-Aug 18, 1500Z-0300Z, K3K, Camp Hill, PA. South Mountain Radio Amateurs. 7.290 21.290 14.290 28.390. QSL. See K3K , on QRZ, Shiremanstown. Electronic QSL card provided through email and/or eQSL.cc. Fill out form on N3TWT.org to get email with Electronic QSL card. Additional information available on QRZ under K3K special events call sign n3twt.org
08/17/2024 | Thunder on the Plains
Aug 17, 1400Z-2100Z, WB5EMR, Levelland, TX. Hockley County Amateur Radio Club. 7.260 14.260. QSL. Whitney Owens, N5QNS, 332 Pecan, Levelland, TX 79336. See website for details. www.wb5emr.org
And lastly ...... overnight I got an e-mail from QRP Labs that my QMX has been shipped! Another e-mail from FedEx shows the probable delivery date? You guessed it! Monday ..... the day AFTER the Skeeter Hunt! Oh well, I'd want to take the time to go through the manual quite thoroughly anyway, so I don't destroy the radio the first time I turn it on.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
10m QRP FT8 (Friday)
Stations spotting my 10m QRP this morning |
UPDATE 1153z:Β Spotted VK0DS (14844km) in Antarctica. 314 stations spotted here and I have been spotted by 216 stations.
Tunwell Court, Cambridge - NOT amateur radio
Doing Some Logging Math
News for England Midlands β 18 August 2024
News for England North β 18 August 2024
News for Northern Ireland β 18 August 2024
News for Scotland β 18 August 2024
News for England South-East β 18 August 2024
Blast from the Past β WordStar 7.0 Archive
A35GC Tonga. From DXNews.com
Rallies this Sunday
Β The following have been notified to me. The usual caveats apply: always check before going any distance.
- Sunday August 18th - Rugby Amateur Transmitting Society Annual Radio Rally, Rugby, CV23 9PY. Contact rally@rugbyats.co.uk .
- Sunday August 18th - West Manchester Radio Club Red Rose Summer Rally, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. Contact rally@wmrc.co.uk .
Climbing an old hill and struggling to get ten in the logs!
- This Week in Amateur Radio
- Amateur radio operators to contact 65 countries from Loop Head Lighthouse in anniversary event (Ireland)
Amateur radio operators to contact 65 countries from Loop Head Lighthouse in anniversary event (Ireland)
Australian treats - NOT amateur radio
Antennas and amateur radio
My latest RadCom arrived yesterday.
One major dealer is advertising widely (the RSGB must really value this income) and I could not help noticing a major antenna manufacturer selling antennas (on the centre pages) via this dealer for Β£3899.99 and Β£4199.99!
If this major UK dealer decided to "hang up his boots" and leave the amateur market then RadCom would have toΒ radicallyΒ change. It would probably have to shrink and come out less often.Β The only amateur radio magazine remaining on newsagent's stands would really struggle.
Now, I am not able, nor wish, to say how you spend your money. However, for me, these antennas areΒ notΒ amateur radio. A fan dipole covering all the higher HF bands could probably be made for the cost of a few coffees out. So you might be a few dBs down on a big tower with one of these antennas on the top, but you will probably save a 4 figure sum in the process.
In the end, we have to understand what our hobby is really about.Β To me, there are 2 major sorts of radio amateur: (a) those who just get out their credit card and (b) those that experiment. I prefer the latter.
In my view, the writing is already on the wall. I personally see a battle looming between the credit card operators and experimenters.Β In my view credit card operators will merge with CB. Experimenters?