I hooked it up to the W3EDP yesterday (I did not switch out antennas like I planned - kinda long story that I won't go into here) through both my Emtech ZM-2 Z-match tuner and my 4 States QRP Tuner and I worked five POTA activations.
K9DXA - Harry, who hasn't competed in the Skeeter Hunt in a few years, he used to be a regular.
WT2P
N3T
K9RDO
WG8X - a two-fer!
It was pretty easy to get into the habit of using a manual tuner again. The only thing I had to look up was the "In/Out" switch on the 4 States tuner. Last time I used it was with my HW-8 and I forgot that "In" meant tune and "Out" meant operate. Common sense, really, but at the moment I wanted to be sure. I didn't want to kill a brand new rig over my forgetfulness/stupidity.
In any case, I had no trouble being heard and I worked all but one station without any repeats. Even there I got a decent RST, there just must have been a pileup on his end.
It's going to be neat having this little guy. I have a couple ideas for putting together a dedicated go-bag and keeping this bad boy in the car for possible spur-of-the-moment operating sessions. I may even start parking in the outside parking lot at work again!
I spent some more time with Skeeter Hunt results, and then it occurred to me. Instead of sending acknowledgements as I post results to the Scoreboard spreadsheet one by one, I should go through all the e-mails NOW and send acknowledgements. This takes the guess work out of the equation for the Skeeters. So now I can truly say, if you didn't get an acknowledging e-mail from me, I didn't get your log summary.
Thirteen years of doing this, you would have thought this would have occurred to me sooner! Some times I can be so perceptive and on top of things and other times I can be as thick as a brick! Sometimes I get so used to doing what I've been doing that I block out other possibilities for doing things better. Last night I became my own "auto-acknowledgement" tool!
After that, I went down to the shack and opened up the package that I received yesterday from QRP Labs.
When I was down in the shack the other day, I stumbled upon the lithium batteries and holders that I used to use with my PFR-3A. I had them stored away in a few plastic containers. So I took them out and charged up the batteries and changed the connector from the size that the PFR-3A and the KX3 use, to the smaller diameter connector that the QMX uses. Three of the batteries give me 12.1 Volts fully charged, which then drops to just under 12 Volts under load. Perfect for the QMX. I have more batteries and another holder, so I can have two battery packs ready to go whenever I need them. That dummy battery that you see in the 4th position is a wooden dowel with a thumb tack on each end, with a wire going from tack to tack to provide connectivity. Four batteries would produce too high a voltage.
One thing I noticed about the batteries. Of course, just like about everything else, these were manufactured in China. They work fine, but the brand name - "UltraFire". For a lithium battery, I think a better name could have been chosen.
Before I get to the subject of the QMX, you also see a paddle that I just recently purchased. It's a single lever paddle made by CW Morse LLC.
I found it on eBay after a search on "morse code paddles" that I do from time to time, just to see what's out there. It was $39, and I love single lever paddles and didn't have one for portable ops, so I indulged. It arrived on Monday, but I had to dig up a cable for it, as it didn't come with one. I connected it to the KX3 last night, which I took out of VOX mode so I could use it as a code practice oscillator. I have to tell you, this little guy has a very good feel to it! I was able to adjust the spacing very close, as that's how I like it, and I was able to send code nice and easy! If you're looking for paddles for portable ops, I would recommend that you at least take a look at https://cwmorse.us/. I think you'd be as pleased as I am.
Getting to the QMX. There's going to be a learning curve here. I can tell you I love this little radio already, but it's not quite what I'm used to. After I turned it no, I found out that it was set for 80 Meters. It took me a while to figure out how to change bands. Once I figured out how to get to 40 Meters, I hooked it up to my W3EDP and started tuning around.
At first, i thought I broke the radio somehow. I could only get it to tune in 10 kHz steps. 7.000 to 7.010 to 7.020 to 7.030 MHz, etc. I couldn't figure out how to get to tune in smaller steps. Then I discovered that you have to go into the menu, go to "VFO Settings" and you have to enable the smaller steps. Wow! Never had to do that on a radio before! I also had to go into the settings to enable the S-Meter, SWR Meter and the Battery Level icon to be displayed. Whew!
It's going to take this fossil a bit of time to master this radio, but once I am there, this is going to be grand! The batteries, the radio, my Emtech ZM-2 tuner and an EFRW will fit into a daypack so easily! I just may start going out at lunchtime to start operating from the Jeep with the Buddisitck again!
I printed out the manual - it's over 100 pages long and I also downloaded the pdf file to my phone. Like I said, I've got a lot of learning to do, but the fun is in the journey as well as the destination. I just hope I don't do anything stupid to accidentally damage it. That would kill me!
"You have to grow with the times or the times will outgrow you."
That is how my Music Director would sign off from his afternoon radio show back in the early 70's when I was Program Director at an AM radio station.
I never would have imagined in 1956 when I was introduced to Amateur Radio that one day as I left a doctor's appointment in 2024, I could carry a Ham Radio station in a small backpack and ride my bicycle less than a mile to a Parks on the Air site and communicate to other operators around the world. The only way I would have believed that back in 1956; is if I were sitting with Marty McFly in a Delorean and a plutonium-powered nuclear fission reactor with a Flex Capacitor traveling ay 88 MPH and set the date for March 14, 2024.
March 14, 2024
You might wonder as why I mentioned my introduction to Ham Radio in 1956 and FT8 today. Well, in the early 1950's I remember Ice Boxes, not refrigerators. Ice Boxes. Several times a week The Ice Man riding in his mule drawn cart would stop by my neighbor and drop off a large cube of ice for their Ice Box to keep their perishables fresh. It wasn't too long in the mid 1950's my neighbor purchased a refrigerator made at GE's Louisville's Appliance Park.
In the 1950's this "OLD FART" remembers when telephones looked like this.
I even remember my phone number fro m the 50's, SPring7-8292. There was no such time as an AREA CODE. You had to dial "0" in order to make a Long Distance Call. There was such a time as a "Collect Call" and Person-to-Person Call". Also you could have a lowered monthly phone bill if you SHARED a phone line with another customer. These were know as PARTY LINES. Sometimes you might pick up the phone to place a cold and the other customer would be using it and you could listen to their conversation (NO PRIVACY). You had to wait until they finished to make you call. It wasn't until the early 60's, my parents changed over the more modern rotary phone, the mid 60's for the Princess and Trimline phones, mid 70's for the Push Button style phone and in the 1980's I found out my parents were sill leasing phones from AT&T. They were not pleased, I re-wired the three story home and installed cordless phone system throughout their house and cancelled their phone lease agreement with AT&T.
And finally I remember in early July of 1962 while spending my usual summer at my grandparents; my cousin and I sat in front of a Black and White TV and watched the launch of Telstar 1 Communications Satellite and a couple of weeks later watch the first international satellite TV "LIVE" broadcast between the U.S. and Europe with Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley and Howard Smith U.S. newscasters.
I do understand how some have a LOVE / HATE relationship with NEW technology and how it might infringe on them personally and individually. I guess you could blame a lot of this NEW technology on the Industrial Revolution. Maybe that's something to look at in a future blog. However when it comes to Amateur Radio I think I read somewhere about CONTINUATION and EXTENSION of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the ADVENCEMENT of the radio art. Oh Yes, that's from FCC Rules and Regulations:
PART 97—AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE
Subpart A—General Provisions
§97.1 Basis and purpose.
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:
(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art.
(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.
My fellow FT8, CW, SSB, POTA colleague Robbie W1RCP goes a little more in depth in his YouTube Video: "Why the HATE for FT8?"
I remember the years I would lug my Ten Tec Omni along with a manual tuner along with a heavy marine battery and throw a wire into a tree for some portable operating in a park. Today in 2024, I'm unwilling to go back in time on Marty McFLy's Delorean and operate in that manner
NOW, I can pack my entire digital station (QRP Labs QDX, Tufteln Linked EFHW antenna, battery, SotaBeams 10m Travel Mast, Bluetooth Keyboard, GPS Dongle USB cable and Panasonic FZ-G1 Toughpad into a standard school backpack and off I go to a POTA site which is less than a mile from my doctor's office.
For me the successful launch and operation of Telestar 1 in 1962 was an event more far reaching than Sputnik. As a pre-teen, I felt I understood the role satellites would have on communications in the future. I now can say my understanding was minuscule. I could never imagine in 1956 or 1962 the HUGE role technology plays in our everyday lives.
I can see how some may depict FT8 as pictured in the image below.
If you're one of those who operated WSJT-x in auto-sequence, then I will agree it is like "Watching Paint Dry". There are times when I feel like Luke Skywalker telling R2D2 I'm taking over control of my X-wing Starfighter. I'll move out of Auto-sequence often to complete a QSO especially since I operate a lot of QRP. I try to use the same sense of operating like I SSB and CW. I'll move slightly off frequency to bee better heard, I'll move away for a few minutes to let the pileup subside, definitely find a clear frequency to transmit and move if necessary, send an occasional personal 73, tune up on an open frequency and send QRT when finished.
Living in an apartment has its limitations as far as what type of antenna I can use along with high local noise levels.. Because of that, (and before I discovered POTA) FT8 was my primary mode of operation. In 2019 when band conditions were not all that GREAT as compared to now, I was able to enjoy our hobby immensely. Was it a mode I had been accustomed to? No! But it did allow me to operate.
For me, FT8 open the door to another avenue of Amateur Radio. As a result I've delved a little deeper in Weak Signal Propagation. I'm amazed how far a WSPR signal can reach with only 200 mW.
So HATE FT8 if you like. Like Telstar of 1962 , You never know what path FT8 (WSPR) may launch humans to in the next century. Here's an example of what might be in store for WSPR. Read on .....
In May 2021, aerospace engineer Richard Godfrey suggested examining historical WSPR data as a way to define the flight path of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on 8 March 2014.[7] In November 2021, Godfrey stated his belief that his analysis indicates the aircraft flew in circles for around 22 minutes in an area 150 nautical miles (280 km; 170 mi) from the coast of Sumatra before vanishing, later proposing a search area centered around 33.177°S 95.3°E.[8][9][10][11]
As of March 2024, the validity of Godfrey's claim is yet to be established.[12] On 6 March 2024 the BBC documentary Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370 examined Godfrey's claim and reported that scientists at the University of Liverpool were undertaking an analytical study of the possibility of using WSPR technology to locate the missing aircraft. The University stated they would release their results within 6 months
For all the details. please go to 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!
Although, I just saw this posted by a NJ meteorologist on Facebook. "I'll post a full weekend outlook tonight but as of now rain arrives Saturday afternoon and ends late Sunday morning. On and off showers, not continuous. Thunderstorms possible within. Be safe! JC"
Maybe there's hope for Sunday afternoon?
Oh wait! There are "other" contests this weekend? I guess so. LOL!
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 estación estará activando el Faro de Carapashibey al sur de la Isla de la Juventud, Cuba, con número 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.
I have been paying close attention to the QMX Assembled Kits Status page for weeks now. On July 29th, i was 167th place in line. As of yesterday, i am in 33rd place in line. They've really been pumping assembled units out, and I'm anticipating getting an e-mail notice about mine any day now.
I've also been paying close attention to the QRP Labs iO group e-mail reflector and have been noticing that it's critical that the input voltage to the QMX does not exceed 12 Volts in order to not fry the finals. The problem is, of course, that any fully charged battery is going to have a voltage of 13.8 or 13.4 Volts on it. I know, that voltage is not under load, and will drop some as soon as you do put a load on it - but still, after waiting since April, I don't want to take any chances of frying this guy the first time I power it up. That would be just my luck!
So I ordered a 12V Voltage Regulator from DigiKey. This one is manufactured by SparkFun Electronics - I have a few of their kits and come to think of it, I didn't check to see if they have these in kit form - (I have since checked, they don't)
The cost was nominal - only $15.00 and since I don't have any LM7812's laying around, by the time I ordered the individual components and parts I would need to cobble something together of my own manufacture, with shipping costs it would probably exceed this. This little guy will bring any DC source as high as 36 Volts, down to a regulated 12 Volts.
Easy peasy, the input leads will get connected to alligator clips and the output leads will go to the required 2.1mm power plug needed by the QMX. I already ordered and received a few of these in the meantime. So I will be ready for some QMX fun if this arrives at my QTH in the next 2- 3 - 4 weeks. And conceivably, this will accompany me up to Alexandria Bay when Marianne and I head up there in late September, early October for our Anniversary. There are two state parks close by that can be POTA activations.
Fingers crossed!
Fingers crossed for Sunday, too. Both WeatherBug and WeatherUnderground are calling for cloudy skies with a 50% to 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Best case scenario might end up with me setting up in the backyard with the EFRW to the Jackite. Worst case scenario might mean operating from the shack. Well, heck ........ I never come close to the top, anyway, so I really shouldn't care as long as I get o participate.
Boo! Hiss!
To end this post, some photos from last night's NorthStar training:
One of my goals for 2024 was an electronics “Wildcard” where I would finish my QDX transceiver kit or some other ham related project. Today I will mark this one complete, as I finally got my QRPLabs QMX Multimode Transceiver on the air and completed a couple of FT8 contacts.
I did have a few glitches trying to get the rig on the air using WSJT-X (version 2.70 rc6). The first had to do with the short USB-C cable that came with the kit. When I tried using that, I received a pop-up message saying the USB device was unrecognized and had failed. Several folks said they had issues until they changed the USB cable, which I did, and that appeared to work just fine – COM 6 came alive.
The next issue had to do with setting the rig in WSJT-X. The manual suggested “TS-440”, which was a choice that appeared as “TS-440S”. However that did not work, and returned a pretty long failure message when I tried to the Test CAT function. The manual also suggested “TS-480”, which did appear as exactly that (no “S” at the end). That fixed the issues and WSJT-X was now in control of the QMX.
A few minutes later at 1842 UTC I responded to CQ POTA N0WHA EM91 who was -04, and received a -15 in return. At 18:48 UTC I responded to CQ POTA N4NR EM64, who was +04. I did receive a -14 report and a 73 in return. Both stations confirmed the contacts in their POTA Activator logs. So the QMX is working.
In the photo below, you can see the QMX attached to an Elecraft T1 QRP Antenna Tuner, and if you look closely you can see a 3dB attenuator installed in line with the QMX. The QMX lacks a tuner, and if it detects a high SWR, will immediately shut down the transmitter. This quick response prevents the T1 from being able to do its job. By inserting a 3dB attenuator, that guarantees no matter what the antenna load, the worst case SWR seen by the QMX is less than 3:1 – a value that no longer cuts out the transmitter. When the T1 is tuned correctly, the 3dB attenuator can be removed. If you leave it in, the 5 watt output of the QMX is reduced to 2.5 watts. 3dB of RX attenuation really doesn’t matter on the receive side.
In the photo below, you will see the exchanges with N4NR as well as the waterfall.
As some of you know I do some QRPp Parks on the Air activations using the QRP Labs QCX Mini. For the past couple of years I've had GREAT results using my 40 and 20 meter QCX Mini with what I call, "My Smoke Detector Battery" setup
This spring and so far this summer I've used both 40 and 20 meter QCX minis with a 9 volt/200mW battery for WSPR operations. And most recently I've used the 9 volt/200mW battery with my 40 meter QCX Mini for for early morning CW Parks on the Air activations.
While using my YouKits HB-1B during a POTA activation on April 29th, 2024, I set up another vertical antenna with my 20 meter QCX Mini to use as a WSPR station with a 9 volt/200mW battery. I ran this setup for almost an hour and was amazed with the distance and how many beacons picked up my less than a watt signal from Kentucky, USA.
QRP Labs QCXX Mini 20 Meters
A few days later on May 1, 2024; I decided to give it another try but this time on 40 meters when conditions were not quite optimal. And again, I was amazed with the number of stations picking up my signal with "My Smoke Detector Battery"
QRP Labs QCX Mini 40 Meters
As most of you may know, during the month of June 2024, the sun has presented several Earth facing regions which have been quite active with solar storms, solar flares, large sunspot regions, CME's and HF radio blackouts. These conditions have not been favorable for QRPp communications. Living in Kentucky, USA this time of year also represents days and weeks of hot, humid weather with potential for almost daily thunderstorms. So far in June 2024; we've seen record low morning temperatures of 82 degrees and several days of temperatures exceeding 95 degrees with heat indices well over 100 degrees.
Finally the Solar Space Weather forecast for the first few days of July 2024 looked like an excellent opportunity to try some Parks on the Air CW activations using QRPp. However, terrestrial weather was another issue. Heat advisories were forecasted for the last few days of June 2024 and first few days of July 2024. It was time to take advantage of this brief window to do some QRPp operating.
QRPp Equipment Set Up
The antenna I was going to use was the Tufteln 40 / 20 Linked EFHW. I made this antenna specifically for my QRP Labs 40 & 20 Meter QCX Minis.
Tufteln 40 / 20 Meter Linked EFHW
As for a keyer, I was going to use the American Morse Equipment Ultra Porta Paddle.
American Morse Equipment Ultra Porta Paddle
Upon awaking before daybreak, I checked the NOAA Space Weather Predication Center's website for Space Weather conditions. It all looked favorable. Terrestrial weather had a Heat Advisory forecasted for July 2, 2024, so I decided to head out for a near sunrise Parks on the Air activation at Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve US-7956 which is less than 4 miles from my QTH.
Not knowing who would be hunting at 1130 UTC, I arrived on site; throw up my arborist line about 45 feet into a tree and pulled up my antenna in a sloper configuration, set up my 40 meter QCX Mini and was ready to go.
At 1142 I started sending CQ and 'BEHOLD" within a minute or two the hunters responded top my calls and kept me busy for the next 50 minutes. Below are the results of what a QRPp CW Parks on the Air activation yielded me.
The highlight of this day's activation was a QSO with Greg / VE3GSS Port Carling, ON, Canada. A little over 920 km from my Kentucky POTA site with less than 1 WATT.
At 1235 UTC the temperature had risen to 84 degrees. It made no sense in pushing it as I had already achieved more than I expected. To say I walked away with a HUGE grin on my face is an understatement. It was a GREAT Parks on the Air activation.
On July 3, 2024 my internal clock woke me at 0900 UTC with basically the same Space and Terrestrial conditions that were in play as the day before. So why not make this "Ground Hog Day in July. Same time, same set up on July 3, 2024. One difference; today I would try 20 meters.
Within less than a minute after my CQ on 40 meters at 1143 UTC, my activation began with hunters eagerly wanting to be acknowledged. I didn't disappoint and neither did they. QSOs were rapid fire for almost an hour.
At 1240, I switched over to my 20 meter QCX Mini to see what I could garner, knowing that at time time of morning in the U.S., the likelihood of getting any action on 20 meters was suspect. I did manage one 20 meter QSO. Here was my catch for a July "Ground Hog Day"
The highlight of this day was as try for a Park-to-Park QSO with a station in Japan. I tirelessly tried for several minutes to make a 40 meter contact with a Parks on the Air station JJVAS at JP- 0128. The QSB was pronounced and the strongest I could get was a 229. The operator was kind enough to send AGN? a few times but I was just trilled for that reply with less than 1 WATT.
This day like many others brought greetings from people who have become familiar with my operations as they get in their daily walks, runs and cycling before the heat sets in. Today though I met Dr. Tamekka Cornelius, Ph. D, who was out on her daily walk. She, like others are inquisitive about seeing a man sitting in a mostly open field connected to some wires, a bicycle close by and some weird equipment strapped to his legs. Dr. Cornelius and I had a nice chat about Amateur Radio, brief history of my broadcast career and my bicycling activities.
Operating QRPp reminds me of the country music singer Kenny Rogers' song:
"The Gambler"
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
Once in your ham radio journey, try operating QRPp.
What a day! A once in a lifetime experience. Although the Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve POTA site in Louisville, KY. USA is about 40 miles south of a totally region, I was able to experience 99.3 % of totality. Health concerns prevented me from traveling those 40 miles to an area of complete totality but what I did experience was equally awe striking.
For months I had planned to operate at a Parks on the Air site during the eclipse. My plan was to operate QRP with my Yaesu FT-817 C, SSB and FT8 using my Signalink and Panasonic FZ-G1 Toughpad and my Buddipole Deluxe Antenna System. I wanted to see if the eclipse would have any effect operating QRP. The FT-817 gave me several band options and the Buddipole Antenna in dipole configuration would be easily tunable on all bands 40 - 10 meters. I've compiled enough data and spent enough time with my Buddipole Antenna System all I need is a tape measure to tune it on all bands. With a tape measure I can usually get it resonant to 1:15:1 by adjusting the whips as I have pre-set the coils taps for 40 - 10 meters.
However, when I woke up on Eclipse day, Monday April 8, 2024, I had an epiphany. Why limit myself to the FT817. Why not operate three stations simultaneously. I had the rigs, had the power (batteries) and the antennas. What a neat plan!
So here's was the setup:
Yaesu FT-817 QRP for SSB, CW optional 2 meters
12V 3Ah Bioenno Battery
Buddipole Deluxe Antenna in Dipole Configuration
QRP Labs 20 meter QRP QCX mini for WSPR
9v 200mAh Battery
Tufteln 20 Meter vertical
QRP Labs 80 - 20 Meter QDX Digital for FT8
12V 3Ah TalentCell Battery
QRP 40 - 10 Meter EFHW
Panasonic FZ-G1 Toughpad with GPS Dongle
I loaded up my Touring bike and headed to my usual POTA site Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve US-7956 Louisville, KY, USA to setup and start my Solar Eclipse 2024 experience.
SURLY Long Haul Trucker Bicycle
I quickly setup my Buddipole in a diople configuration with the other antennas attached to the top of my Buddipolle mast in an area where I wouldn't be an obstacle to others who would take advantage of the beautiful weather to observe the 99.3% of the eclipse totality over the Louisville, KY. USA area. The setup was very quick as you can view below.
After the raising the Buddipole in a diploe configuration with the Tufteln vertical and QRP EFHW attached o the top of te mast, I checked the SWR with my Nano VNA and found it to be 1.15:1 for the entire CW portion of 20 meters.
Because everything was within arms reach, even though they were on the ground, for a short time I was able to operate all stations simultaneously. The QCX Mini was automatically running in WSPR mode, the QDX was running by itself. All I needed to do was make a quick click to log a QSO and with the attachedpilot kneeboard and using my CW Morse SP4 paddle, Morse Code operation was Eezy Peezy.
I had all of my antennas set up in an orientation along the U.S. path of the eclipse., I wanted to see if the eclipse was going to have any effects with transmitting and / or receiving.
My 20 meter QCX Mini WSPR using 9V 200 mW received well all along the U.S. path of the eclipse with receptions reports in the U.S., eastern Canada, Central America and Europe.
The BIG surprise for me came with the operation of the QDX on 20 meters with 5 watts. I was amazed at the WSJT-X waterfall. It was lite up like a Christmas tree. I knew my little QRP signal did not stand a chance as it was difficult to find an area to squeeze into to transmit. There were countless stations calling "CQ POTA" and "CQ SEQP" (CQ Solar Eclipse QSO Party) However, I was able to sneak in a couple of FT8 QSOs (N0RC/KS) & W9NG/MS) Plus, I had one incomplete QSO with VU3EFG/India. It was nice to see all of the FT8 activity.
There was lots of activity for SSB on 20, 17 and 15 meters. Lots of QRO stations. Called "CQ" for several minutes but again my QRP signal could not break through crowded band conditions. Additionally, I work SSB so little, some may have thought someone else was using my callsign. "hi hi"
Most of my operating was CW. Most of my time was spent on 20 meters with a few 15 meter contacts and several "CQ" calls on 17, 12, 10 meters. There was plenty of hunters taking advantage of modest 20 meter band conditions. I was appreciative of the amount of new to me HUNTERS like a DX from F4ILH- Jean Baptiste and equally thankful for some of my familiar Hunters. W2AEQ - Alan / K9IS - Steve / VE1CNS-Bryne / AA0IW - David and1st time hunter for me AE6Z - C.W.
The highlight of this day's Parks on the Air activation was a CW QSO with N5KT - Gerald as the eclipse passed over him in Texas and 8 minutes later with W0YEM - Nick, as the eclipse passed over me in Kentucky. USA. EPIC!
There was enough activity to keep me busy for many hours but I spent a lot of time communing with others around me and partaking of this epoch celestial moment in time.
April 8, 2024 will be one of those Parks on the Air activations I'll never forget
Today, I finally got my QRP Labs QMX transceiver on the air, making my first contact with AB9CA, Dave, at park US-2259 in Indiana.
The QMX is a five-band QRP transceiver. It supports CW, or single-tone digital modes (like FT8). When running off a 10.8 volt battery pack, it produced 4.3 watts out on the 20 meter band.
The kit is priced at $95 for the 80/60/40/30/20 version (what I have), or $105 for the 20/17/15/12/10 version. A very nice metal case sells for $20.
For those of you that dislike winding toroids (like me), be aware that this kit has a bunch since it is 5-bands. There are 7 toroids to be wound, as well as two binocular cores. Some of them are multi-tapped. Plus this is a pretty tight assembly. The good news is most of the components are surface mount and already installed.
The QMX is about the size of a pack of playing cards. It is hooked up to a dummy load and one of my paddles for testing.
Be aware that it does not have an internal tuner. SWR protection has been added to recent versions to avoid blowing out the finals. Because of this, I was unable to tune my Elecraft T1 Automatic Antenna Tuner, until I inserted a 6 dB attenuator in the output of the rig. With that attenuator in place, the rig sees a SWR of less than 1.5:1 no matter what the load is.
Hey everyone- been a busy few months lately. Between bad health, travelling, and then working hard just take care of Live Stuff, I’ve hardly had time for the Ye Olde Blog! I’ll try to write more regularly. A lot of my attention has been going to YouTube and in this series, starting with the video …
The QRP Labs QDX is an incredible piece of radio engineering, but the first revision had a flaw that ultimately destroyed a some of the Revision 1 radios. To be clear: Unless you bought out of the first batch of 500, this does not apply to you. The second and upcoming third batches do not …
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