Out of 220 people who had applied for Skeeter Numbers, 119 sent in log summaries for 54% participation.
As always, thanks so much for all your enthusiasm and participation. The NJQRP Skeeter Hunt is nothing without all of you. It warms my heart to see that so many of you enjoy and have fun - because that's what the Hunt is all about - having fun!
All the photos and Soapbox comments can be seen on the Facebook page.
Mark your calendars for 2025 - the Skeeters will fly again on Sunday, August 17th, 2025.
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!
I did receive about 90 on Sunday and more Monday and Tuesday. I am working on transferring data to my Scoreboard spreadsheet (a different spreadsheet from the roster which you can all still see) as quickly as I can. I do send out confirmation e-mails to all of you who have submitted summaries. I'm sure a lot of you have gotten that e-mail from me, already.
I plan to be all caught up with this by the weekend. So if you've submitted a log and are wondering why you haven't heard from me ......... I'm working on it. This event started off very small in 2012. It has grown by leaps and bounds since then and I could not be a happier Ham. I'm hoping that by this time next year, I will have retired and that I will be able to devote more time to responding to all of you more quickly after the Hunt.
I want you all to know, that this is not a complaint on my part! I am thrilled and ecstatic that so many of you participated! I just want you to know what the delay is and not to worry that I haven't gotten your entries.
This is a 3 step process.
1) I transfer your scores to the Scoreboard,
2) I post your Soapbox comments to the Skeeter Hunt Facebook page, that is taking a bit more time.
3) I send the confirming e-mail.
So ......... if you don't receive anything from me by Sunday 8/25 - that's when I would start thinking about re-sending entries.
I will post the final Scoreboard on Monday, September 2nd. I will be sending out e-mails to the various iO Groups and e-mail reflectors on Sunday with a reminder that log summaries are due.
post Skeeter Hunt. Here's a map of my QSOs, courtesy of K2DSL's mapping site.
Nothing to write home about, no Herculean effort, but fun just the same - and really, that is what the Skeeter Hunt is all about. As someone much wiser than me has said, "The fun is in the journey, not the destination."
I was starting to process summary results last night. I only got about a dozen done as I had several other things on the agenda last night. What struck me though, is I'm already almost to the point of receiving the same amount of summaries from non-Skeeter numbered ops as last year. If this trend continues, it may well surpass that. That tells me that word is getting out there, maybe late or whatever, but the Hunt seems to be growing in participation, which is a good thing.
I'll continue to slog through the slew of Skeeter summaries tonight, after dinner. This is almost as enjoyable as the Hunt itself, because I get to hear from you guys. I'm also copying any soapbox comments I get to the Skeeter Hunt Facebook page, along with photos.
Update on the QMX - according to FedEx, it arrived in Belgium from Turkey late last evening. I guess it will be loaded onto a plane headed for the US either today or tomorrow. UPDATE: Heard from FedEx, delivery is tomorrow. Yay!
What a surprise! I woke up to a Sunday morning miracle! The weather prognosticators were off by a bit. It was sunny and very humid, and a quick gander on the weather radar showed no signs of imminent storms, so it looked like a "portable" Skeeter Hunt operation was going to be a distinct possibility.
Over the next few hours, the sun and clouds would alternate, so I decided to "86" going to Cotton Street Park and would work backyard portable instead. I figured that if it did start to downpour, I wouldn't get that drenched moving equipment into the house from the backyard, and I could move it quickly, if needed. I started setting up at Noon - a whole entire hour ahead of time. Overkill ...... right? Wrong, W2LJ, DEAD wrong!
Once again the Jackite mast was giving me fits. The ground was way wet from Saturday night's rain and my new tent pegs were too short to get a good grip of some dry soil beneath the surface and kept pulling out. The mast fell over twice and I could feel my BP rising due to the frustration. Time was passing quickly, and I couldn't remember where I had tossed my longer tent pegs, so I decided to use my drive on mast holder, instead. Using an empty grill propane tank and a 20 lb bag of birdseed for ballast, it worked perfectly, albeit later than I had anticipated. I had stubbornly futzed around with the short tent pegs entirely too long.
The only challenge using the drive on mast holder here was making sure it was as level as possible on grassy ground.
But in the process, I learned a valuable lesson which I can store away in the memory banks. If the ground is hard and dry, the shorties will work better as they are easier to remove from rock hard soil. If the ground is wet and soft, the longer tent pegs are a must. This was the view of the set up mast, looking east towards the back border of the yard. It stayed rock solid for the entirety of the Skeeter Hunt,. Satisfied that there would be no more antenna mishaps, I eventually turned around and sat with my back to it, so I could keep my eyes laser focused for any dark clouds coming in from the west.
I ended up getting started about 15 minutes late, which in the grand scheme of things was no big deal. I had my normal set up going with some twists. I used my 12 Volt LiFe PO battery for the first time, and I went with the American Morse DCP paddle mounted on the Velamints container which I had talked about a few posts earlier. it proved to work well. The only time my code got sloppy was when I made a few mistakes towards the end of the Hunt from being tired. No mistakes because I held it incorrectly and sent extraneous dits or dahs. And of course, my mistakes were made when trading exchanges with John K4BAI. Nothing like getting all flustered like a school boy who confronts his favorite MLB baseball player!
Dinosaur that I am, I still paper log. No way that I can manage a computer and paddles simultaneously!
It wasn't very hot, only in the mid 80s, but it was very humid. That stainless steel insulated water bottle was a lifesaver. I didn't have to go running into the house for a cool hydration break when one was needed.
Propagation wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. I was hearing a lot more stations than I did during FOBB. 20 Meters seemed to be the go to band for the day, and I'm pretty sure most of my QSOs happened there. I did make two contacts on 15 Meters, Gene N5GW in MS and Perry N5PJ in OK. 15 Meters gets the ribbon for the farthest QSOs. I wish there had been more activity there. I tried calling CQ for a while on 10 Meters with no joy, and that's a shame. A look at the Reverse Beacon Network after the event showed that my signal was getting out to Germany at a pretty decent dB level - double figures, so I would have been heard if anyone had been listening.
40 Meters proved once again to be the band for close in Skeeters and I worked NJ, PA, NY and MD all on 40 Meters. The signals were much more robust on 40 than they were on either 20 or 15. I really like 40 Meters, it's probably my favorite band. The shame is that during events such as the Skeeter Hunt or the Flight of the Bumblebees, 40 Meters is often ignored until late in the event after 20 Meters seems to have dried up.
My strategy is to change bands often. When I've worked 20 Meters for a bit I'll go to another band to see what's up there. Propagation changes and when I go back to 20 Meters after a while, I'll hear stations that I hadn't heard before. Maybe they started late, or maybe the skip zone moved. Whatever, it's a strategy that works for me.
With about 15 minutes to go to the end of the Hunt, I started tearing down and packing up as the skies were starting to look ominous. I could have stayed until 5:00 as it turned out. The deluge, and I mean THE DELUGE didn't start until 6:20 PM local time. In about a 1/2 hour to 40 minutes we got over 3/4 of an inch of rain. I'm so glad it held off! I left my house at about 6:15 to drive up to the filling station to get gas in the car for the week, and the streets were bone dry, Halfway to the gas station, about a 1/2 mile from home, I ran into a wall of rain that was coming down so hard that I had to put my windshield wipers onto "fast" mode. It was creepy because I saw the wall of rain heading towards me. It was moving faster toward me than I was heading toward it! I hate to think of how badly my Ham gear would have gotten soaked if that had happened during the Hunt. I don't think being under the patio umbrella would have helped much.
The obligatory selfie for the bonus points - had to get the Skeeter Hunt logo in there!
When all was said and done, I had finished the day with 37 QSOs. 31 Skeeters and 6 - 5 Watt stations. I don't remember off the top of my head, but last night I had counted somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 to 20 different States. I had set a goal to make 40 QSOs for the day and fell three short - not bad. For the heck of it, I had decided to take voltage measurements on this new battery pre and post Hunt. I started the day at 13.4 Volts and ended the day at 13.4 Volts! There was a lot of calling "CQ BZZ" yesterday, so for the voltage to remain rock solid leaves me impressed. I have a gut feeling that this battery, fully charged, will get me and the KX3 through all of Field Day by itself next year.
Once again, thanks to all who participated in the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt. This event is nothing without all of you - you all are the wind that lifts the Skeeter's wings. My part in this is miniscule compared to all you getting on the air and making it the success that it is. THANK YOU and the results will become available on Monday, September 2nd, so you have a couple of weeks to get your log summaries in. My inbox is already flooded and I''ll get to them in due course. PLEASE REMEMBER, if you don't get a confirmation e-mail from me (within a couple of days) that means I didn't get your results, so please try again. For those of you who already sent in your summaries and there are a lot, please give me three or four days to get them on the spreadsheet. For the time being, I'm still part of the everyday workforce so my time for this is limited.
See you all again next year - so save the date - Sunday, August 17th, 2025!
I'm not absolutely sure what tomorrow is going to bring, except that I'm pretty certain there will be no park operating for me tomorrow. Weatherbug is calling for a 45% chance of showers tomorrow. If it's dry around Noon time, I just might set up the Jackite and EFRW in the backyard. If it's raining, I'll operate from the shack, and will swallow the better multiplier you get for operating portable.
Today the bands weren't absolute crud. They weren't great either, but I did manage to put 10 POTA stations in the log. All but one were on 20 Meters. After I worked one activation on 40 Meters, I tuned around a bit and there was a guy, nice and loud, calling CQ. I was anticipating the possibility of a nice ragchew, but after I called him, he continued to CQ in my face. I guess another case of propagation not being reciprocal.
I also tried listening for N5J on and off all day. I finally heard them on 15 Meters for all of about 20 to 30 seconds. He then promptly disappeared and I never heard them again on any band.
I got my DC to DC converter wired up. I connected it to my new LiON battery which was holding at 13.4 Volts. The output was a steady 12.1 Volts. I think that should be acceptable to the QMX. I am also charging up some "AA" Lithium batteries that I used to use when I had my PFR3A. Three of them, fully charged, should come up to 11.1 Volts. That might even be the safer way to go. I'm glad I ordered a bunch of 2.1mm power plugs!
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:
Before I go into the goings on for this weekend, a shameless plug first. The NJQRP Skeeter Hunt is a week away from this Sunday. For whatever reason, signups are down this year. The past few years I've had over 200 people ask for Skeeter numbers and this year, I doubt I'm going to hit that mark.
Whatever the reason, the Skeeters have told me that they always have a good time; and that's the most important thing - whatever the numbers. There's still plenty of time to get your own Skeeter number. If you're new to contesting, this is a low-pressure-have-fun kind of event. The CW is not at break-neck speeds and ops will slow down for you. In addition to that, the exchange is really easy and short - S/P/C (your State, Province or Country), RS(T) and Skeeter number or output power. So if you're afraid your code speed isn't up to snuff, join in anyway. I think I can assure you thar by the end of the event, you will have increased your code speed by maybe a couple more words per minute. If you're not the CW type, there's an SSB category as well I try to make this event have something for everyone, and I want everyone to have a good time.
The nitty gritty details can be found at https://www.qsl.net/w2lj or just go up at the top of this page and hit the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt tab. To get a number, just send and e-mail to w2ljqrp@gmail.com with your call, name and the state you'll be operating from. You don't even have to leave the comfort of your home shack to be a Skeeter. The multiplier for scoring is better if you do - but there's no pressure to leave home-sweet-home if you don't want to.
All that being said, I thank you for your patience - here's what's going on this weekend:
08/10/2024 | 247th Anniversary of the Battle of Bennington
Aug 10-Aug 24, 1200Z-2359Z, K1B, Bennington, VT. K2HX. 18.100 21.070 24.915 28.074; all modes in General band. QSL. Ed Landry, N2HX, 50 Jayne Ln., Bennington, VT 05201.
08/10/2024 | Commemorating first deployment of USS Midway with angled flight deck (8/16/58)
Aug 10, 1600Z-2300Z, NI6IW, San Diego, CA. USS Midway Museum Ship. 7.250 14.320 14.070 PSK31 DSTAR on Papa system repeaters. QSL. USS Midway Museum Ship COMEDTRA, 910 N Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. www.qrz.com/db/ni6iw
08/10/2024 | Herbert Hoover 150th Birthday
Aug 10-Aug 11, 1400Z-2300Z, W0JV, West Branch, IA. Iowa City Amateur Radio Club. 7.245 14.325. Certificate. Dennis Boyd, 700 S. Jones Blvd, North Liberty, IA 52317. Event will be held at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Site icarc.org
08/10/2024 | Wiscasset, Waterville, & Farmington Railway Museum Annual Picnic Special Event Station
Aug 10, 1000Z-1700Z, W1W, Alna, ME. Lincoln County Amateur Radio Club. 14.260 21.280. QSL. Jose P Douglas, 254 Elliott Hill Rd, Round Pond, ME 04564. www.qrz.com/db/k1lx or https://www.k1lx.org
08/11/2024 | Jeux Paralympiques de Paris 2024
Aug 11-Sep 8, 0000Z-2359Z, TM2024JPP, Lillers, FRANCE. Union des RadioClubs. 7000 14000. Certificate & QSL. Union des RadioClubs, 3 rue Saint Lugle, Lillers 62190, FRANCE. All bands will be activated https://log-et-qsl.associations-radioamateurs.org/wp
08/11/2024 | Navajo Code Talkers
Aug 11-Aug 16, 0000Z-0000Z, N7HG, Chinle, AZ. N7HG. 14.265 21.265 7.265 18.133. Certificate. Herbert Goodluck N7C, PO Box 06, Chinle, AZ 86503. Celebrate an annual event to promote the legacy of Navajo Code Talkers of WWII n7hgster@gmail.com
Yesterday was a CERT day. Like those bumblebee shirts? I should wear it NEXT Sunday! Hi!
From left to right, Bill Meixner KC2PLO, Sharon Padula (non-Ham), Marv Bornstein K2VHW, W2LJ, Captain Wendell Born, our OEM Director - photo courtesy of Councilwoman Christine Faustini
As I had mentioned earlier, the South Plainfield Business Association put on their annual "Christmas in July" celebration. Santa was there for the kids, but it's mostly an opportunity for businesses, mostly local small businesses to display and offer their wares and to increase their visibility within the community. As CERT members, we were there to hand out literature about hurricane preparedness, flooding preparedness and to possibly. recruit more CERT members.
The event ran from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM in order to beat the peak "hot hours" of the day, but it was still pretty hot. I took out my cellphone around 4:30 to check and see what the temperature was at my weather station located about a mile away, and I was seeing a reading of 93 F (34 C). Captain Born is one smart cookie, though. He set up a fan/mister combo right in front of our canopy which insured many stoppers by. I only wish he had pointed the thing inward instead of outward!
Marv and I both made a mental note to make sure we ask him if we can borrow that for next year's Field Day effort. But sitting there in the heat made me think about next Sunday's 90 F (and possibly higher) temps for FOBB. I'm not going to have the advantage of having that mister at Cotton Street Park. And even though it's pretty shady there, if there's no breeze and the air is still, it can get downright uncomfortable.
So once again, I whipped out the cell phone and ordered one of these portable neck fans.
It was only $12 on eBay and should be at my house either Friday or Saturday in time for next Sunday's event. When I was a kid, the extreme heat or cold didn't bother me so much. I grew up in a house with no air conditioning, and it was only later at my time at home that my parents put window air conditioners in a couple of rooms. As one grows older, let's just say we grow more appreciative of the more temperate range of climes. I doubt I could live in a house without A/C again.
Earlier in the day, before I left for the CERT event, I spent some time down in the shack and worked four POTA stations. Signals on 20 Meters were really down and in the mud. The only signal louder than 559 was K8ARE at US-4239 in Ohio. He was 599, everyone else I worked was either 559 or even fainter. I hope propagation is better next Sunday, and again on August 18th!
During the middle of the night on Saturday/Sunday, I got a low battery voltage warning on the KX3. That struck me as odd, as I had recently charged up my 12V 10 Ah battery. I was expecting it to last the entirety of Field Day. But in the heat of battle you really don't think twice about it, so I took it off line and hastily replaced with a recently purchased 12v 5 Ah battery that I had gotten about two weeks ago. THAT battery lasted the second half of Field Day without a whimper.
When I got home from work on Monday, I put the 10 Ah battery on my charger and was getting a battery failure indication. It was reading at a level of 10V and 0% capacity and would not accept a charge, I was wondering how can this be? It was purchased new and I haven't put it through nearly enough cycles to have exhausted it. I figured it must be a battery charger fault, so I hooked up the 5 Ah battery to the charger to see what it said. The 5 Ah (which was in use for roughly the same amount of time, if not more) was down to only 11.8 Volts and had 89% capacity left in it! And the charger's fan started running as soon as I hooked it up.
No charger fault - I got a bad 12V 10 Ah battery. Dang!
I don't remember where I purchased it, whether it was from eBay or Amazon, but it doesn't matter. Its not like you can return a battery some 11 months after you've bought it online. I had purchased it after the 2023 Skeeter Hunt when my last deep cycle battery gave up the ghost. I don't want to be scrambling for electrons during the Hunt this year, so I went on eBay and found an economically (cheaply) priced 12V 10 Ah Deep Cycle Gel Cell battery.
I know, you guys are probably thinking, why didn't he go lithium? Price mainly, but also because I don't feel like purchasing a dedicated lithium battery charger. I once ruined a small lithium battery by not using the correct charger on it and I don't want to relive that escapade. I learned that lesson well. However, should this battery not last longer than a cycle or two, I guess I'll bite the bullet. Maybe spending a little more right now would be the right thing to do in the long run, but I guess I'm too frugal to have reached that point yet.
It should be at my house in about a week - long before it's needed for the Skeeter Hunt on August 18th - which, by the way, we've had 93 sign ups so far and the 1st Day of Summer was only 6 days ago!
And looky see what came in the mail yesterday!
Not an ATNO, but an ATNC - All Time New Confirmation. I've worked Easter Island before, but never got a QSL card.
This weekend in the USA, we celebrate Father's Day on Sunday. I've had the honor and privilege to fulfill that duty for 24 years now. I wouldn't trade a second of it for anything.
Before I get into the on-the-air happenings for the weekend - the big announcement:
Next Thursday, June 20th marks the First Day of Summer! That means that sign ups for the 2024 NJQRP Skeeter Hunt will formally commence! To sign up for a Skeeter Number youMUST send an e-mail to w2ljqrp@gmail.com. Number requests by any other means, social media, Facebook, etc will NOT be honored. You will receive a reply from me with your Skeeter number - most likely the same day or within a day or two if things are hectic for W2LJ. E-mail requests as of 0400 UTC on June 20th, midnight here in EDT will be honored. Please don't jump the gun to get to the head of the line - as always, requests will be honored in the order that they are received.
For all the rules and particulars, you can visit the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt page up above, or go to https://www.qsl.net/w2lj
06/01/2024 | Fox River Radio League 100th Anniversary
Jun 1-Jun 15, 0000Z-2359Z, W9CEQ, Batavia, IL. Fox River Radio League. 14.260 14.035 7.260 7.035. Certificate & QSL. FRRL - K9MMS, PO Box 673, Batavia, IL 60510. www.frrl.org
Jun 15-Jun 23, 0000Z-2359Z, W5M, Greenville, TX. Sabine Valley Amateur Radio Association. 7.235 14.280 21.400 28.450. QSL. K5GVL Sabine Valley Amateur Radio Association, PO Box 843, Greenville, TX 75403-0843. Celebrating the life of Audie Murphy, Hunt County Texas' war hero and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. We will be operating CW, FT8, SSB from locations around the county and from the Audie Murphy American Cotton Museum grounds. https://k5gvl.com/audie-murphy
06/15/2024 | Streets of Coal
Jun 15, 1400Z-2100Z, W8MOP, Bluefield, WV. East River Amateur Radio Club. 14.250 7.220. QSL. East River Amateur Radio Club, PO Box 1362, Bluefield, WV 24701. www.erarc.com
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