So this evening I just happened to have turned on the ICOM 756 Pro and put it on 20 meters and later tuned the Windom. Low and behold there was no noise. Of course I still had a couple of chores to complete to help out the XYL when I was passing by and happened to hear RZ9uUI beaming North Pole on 14.205. I heard him work a few stations and I figured I'd bring up the log book and get everything ready and see if I could work him. Once I had everything ready he finished with on station stateside and hollered QRZed. I quickly keyed up the mike and threw out my call and right then and there he came right back with my call and a BIG 5-9. Alex was his name and I returned with my name and gave him a 5-9 as well here in Tennessee.
I hope he QSL's direct as well as LoTW and eQSL. That if I can confirm that contact that would make worked all continents FTW. How awesome would it be to get WAC under my belt and out of the way?
Anyway, that's all I've got for now. So until next time 73, Good DX, and God Bless,
Tim - AJ4JD
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Florida/Nebraska QSO Parties
So this weekend we decided we would go camping and enjoy the great outdoors. Now I know what you are thinking, this is a HAM radio blog not an outdoors blog. And you are thinking correct. If you want more on our camping trip you can check our Robin and Tim's Grand Adventures. Once you get back to here then you will see why it was worth going over there. Anyway, we did go camping but cut the trip short and came home.
So yesterday I decided to turn the HF on and see what the bands were doing and how bad our AC noise problem was. Surprisingly the power line noise was not affecting 20 meters at all. So I scrolled up and down the band and heard several Florida stations working the Florida QSO Party. I figured what the heck, and I worked a few stations before the first period ended within the hour I started. Once that was done I heard one station from Nebraska on 20 working the Nebraska QSO party. Considering I do not have Nebraska confirmed yet I figured what the heck and worked him too. Since that was the only Nebraska QSO party contact I made, hopefully I gave the OM an edge over everyone else and he will reward me by confirming Nebraska Hi Hi. Of course with a call like K0BLT who wouldn't want to confirm that one. That has got to be the tastiest callsign I've heard yet.
So today I thought, before we get into anything major, I would check the bands out again to see how they were doing and whether or not the AC noise was going to be a problem. I turned the rig on and it sounded promising. I to take care of a little business prior to sitting down and by the time I called my first station, the noise was starting to affect things. I made about 3 or 4 more Florida contacts before 20 was taken over completely by the noise. Grrr.
Oh well, it was a good day regardless. I got to make a few contacts and even a PSK-31 contact with Jim (N1BCL) this evening. Thanks for confirming VT so quickly Jim.
To all those I worked this weekend, thanks for the QSO's and 73.
Catch ya on the Bands,
Tim - AJ4JD
So yesterday I decided to turn the HF on and see what the bands were doing and how bad our AC noise problem was. Surprisingly the power line noise was not affecting 20 meters at all. So I scrolled up and down the band and heard several Florida stations working the Florida QSO Party. I figured what the heck, and I worked a few stations before the first period ended within the hour I started. Once that was done I heard one station from Nebraska on 20 working the Nebraska QSO party. Considering I do not have Nebraska confirmed yet I figured what the heck and worked him too. Since that was the only Nebraska QSO party contact I made, hopefully I gave the OM an edge over everyone else and he will reward me by confirming Nebraska Hi Hi. Of course with a call like K0BLT who wouldn't want to confirm that one. That has got to be the tastiest callsign I've heard yet.
So today I thought, before we get into anything major, I would check the bands out again to see how they were doing and whether or not the AC noise was going to be a problem. I turned the rig on and it sounded promising. I to take care of a little business prior to sitting down and by the time I called my first station, the noise was starting to affect things. I made about 3 or 4 more Florida contacts before 20 was taken over completely by the noise. Grrr.
Oh well, it was a good day regardless. I got to make a few contacts and even a PSK-31 contact with Jim (N1BCL) this evening. Thanks for confirming VT so quickly Jim.
To all those I worked this weekend, thanks for the QSO's and 73.
Catch ya on the Bands,
Tim - AJ4JD
Thursday, April 16, 2009
A New Contact with a New General YL
So today I made a contact with a special station today. She just got her general a couple of weeks ago and got on HF today for one of her first times. Her callsign is KF4SSI and I got her on 40 meters about 60db over S-9 from across the street Hi Hi.
I know what you are asking. What's so special about a 40 meter contact with a station from across the street? Well I'll tell you. KF4SSI is my mother in law, Karen, and she's just now starting to get her feet wet in the land of HF. She was in there just calling away CQ so I thought I would jump in there and give her a call.
Anyway, I thought that was pretty cool and just had to let everyone know. So if your up on the low bands and hear "CQ CQ CQ this is KF4SSI calling CQ", jump in there and make her day by giving her a call.
Love ya momma.
73 de AJ4JD,
Catchya on the bands.
I know what you are asking. What's so special about a 40 meter contact with a station from across the street? Well I'll tell you. KF4SSI is my mother in law, Karen, and she's just now starting to get her feet wet in the land of HF. She was in there just calling away CQ so I thought I would jump in there and give her a call.
Anyway, I thought that was pretty cool and just had to let everyone know. So if your up on the low bands and hear "CQ CQ CQ this is KF4SSI calling CQ", jump in there and make her day by giving her a call.
Love ya momma.
73 de AJ4JD,
Catchya on the bands.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
It's the Western Sahara Dance
That's right HAM Fans. I'm stealing one from the XYL's book. I got to do the Western Sahara dance this evening. I just worked the DXpedition S04R on 80 meters. It took me a couple of hours to do it, but I stuck with it and got them in the log. You can check out the DXpeditions website at www.dxfriends.com.
They are only there until the 17th then they go QRT. This is the same group that went to Rwanda in early 2008. Thank you Tifariti Gang.
73 and Good DX,
Tim - AJ4JD
They are only there until the 17th then they go QRT. This is the same group that went to Rwanda in early 2008. Thank you Tifariti Gang.
73 and Good DX,
Tim - AJ4JD
Sunday, April 12, 2009
31 Flavors Failure yet successful.
No thanks to the local AC noise we are plagued with in our little area, I wasn't very successful in the 31 Flavors contest. Not that I'm making excuses or anything, but that noise just wipes out anything and everything that isn't a big power station. Regardless of the fact, I was able to squeak out three good DX contacts during the contest and one of those was with an OM who was making his very first HF contact and to top that off it was via PSK 31. VE2VAG, my hats off to you for taking the wonderful plunge into the world of Digital Modes and HF in one shot. I also got Germany and Belgium.
Later in the evening I made a couple of contacts on 40 meters. It was after the contest period ended in my neck of the woods. W3HF, thanks for another 070 contact. That makes another point towards LONP and my first towards the QCWA endorsement.
You should all have eQSLs waiting for you, I will upload to LOTW shortly.
Well that's all I have for now, so until next time,
73 & Good DX
AJ4JD - Tim
Dit Dit.
Later in the evening I made a couple of contacts on 40 meters. It was after the contest period ended in my neck of the woods. W3HF, thanks for another 070 contact. That makes another point towards LONP and my first towards the QCWA endorsement.
You should all have eQSLs waiting for you, I will upload to LOTW shortly.
Well that's all I have for now, so until next time,
73 & Good DX
AJ4JD - Tim
Dit Dit.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
31 Flavors in 30 minutes
I am sitting here in the shack, getting ready to work the PSK 31 Flavors contest by the PODXS070 club. The noise isn't too bad and I've been able to copy a few stations just fine. I've got my macros set up and the power levels set and I'm ready. If anyone reads this blog of mine, come on down to 14.070 on 20 meters and say hi. I'll put you in my log and hopefully turn out some decent results, and if not, well that's okay too. I will enjoy all the contacts regardless. So with just about 30 minutes till the rolling start hits here...
I'll say best of 73. Good luck fellow contesters and good DX. See you on the waterfall.
Tim - AJ4JD
I'll say best of 73. Good luck fellow contesters and good DX. See you on the waterfall.
Tim - AJ4JD
Thursday, April 9, 2009
PODXS 070 PSK 31 Flavors
That's right YLs and OMs this Saturday from 12pm to 6pm your local time, the PODXS 070 club's 31 Flavors contest will be taking place on 20 meters. I'm planning on working the contest and hope to do well. However, how well I do will be largely dependent upon whether I'm afflicted by our local noise problem. Regardless, I will be in there and will give it the old college try and will hopeful work some of the other PSK variants. That's right this contest is not limited to just PSK 31. In fact, you can use BPSK31, 63, and 125 as well as QPSK 31 and 63.
So if you are into digital modes and contesting, then get those Keyboards into shape and join the fray. You DO NOT have to be a member of the 070 club to participate. I hope to see read your signal from the waterfall. Until Saturday...
73 and Good Contesting,
Tim
AJ4JD
PODXS 070# 865
So if you are into digital modes and contesting, then get those Keyboards into shape and join the fray. You DO NOT have to be a member of the 070 club to participate. I hope to see read your signal from the waterfall. Until Saturday...
73 and Good Contesting,
Tim
AJ4JD
PODXS 070# 865
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Cubs Radio via the HF Rig
Bear with me on this one my fellow Hams. The thought occurred to me this afternoon while I was at work and I looked on the Chicago Cubs website to see if the game was going to be televised this evening on a venue I could watch. Well to my dismay, living here in East Tennessee and only being a basic digital cable subscriber out in the sticks, I do not get Chicago Sports Net, the only channel on TV that was carrying the game this evening. Then I saw, as always, that the game would be aired on Cubs Radio 720 AM. **Insert Lightbulb turning on here**
So this evening upon returning home from our run/walk.. I sat down at the ICOM 756 Pro and was tuning around to see what the bands were like (not that great by the way due to local noise that is best left as a story for another time) when I remembered oh yeah the Cubs game. (They just won YAY Cubs Win!!! Cubs Win!!!). So I got to turning that dial when at last I came across 0.720.00 on the display and turned the mode to AM. Sure enough, there it was the AM broadcast of the loveable Cubs. Several summers have past and I've wished I could get the, untelevised to me, games on the radio. Well thanks to the HAM Radio and the big homebrewed Windom in the trees, I can sit in satisfaction and listen to my beloved Cubs on the HF Radio. Hi Hi. I know I could probably pull out the shortwave and pick it up but the thought had never occured to me previously considering it just winded up here at the QTH last summer.
Well that's all I have for now.
Take care, Good DX, and best of 73 de
AJ4JD - Tim
So this evening upon returning home from our run/walk.. I sat down at the ICOM 756 Pro and was tuning around to see what the bands were like (not that great by the way due to local noise that is best left as a story for another time) when I remembered oh yeah the Cubs game. (They just won YAY Cubs Win!!! Cubs Win!!!). So I got to turning that dial when at last I came across 0.720.00 on the display and turned the mode to AM. Sure enough, there it was the AM broadcast of the loveable Cubs. Several summers have past and I've wished I could get the, untelevised to me, games on the radio. Well thanks to the HAM Radio and the big homebrewed Windom in the trees, I can sit in satisfaction and listen to my beloved Cubs on the HF Radio. Hi Hi. I know I could probably pull out the shortwave and pick it up but the thought had never occured to me previously considering it just winded up here at the QTH last summer.
Well that's all I have for now.
Take care, Good DX, and best of 73 de
AJ4JD - Tim
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
eQSL and LOTW is now
Just thought I would let everyone know that I am now confirming QSO's via Log Book of The World (LOTW) and eQSL. So everyone check their accounts and make sure you received my confirmation and if you haven't already, please send return confirmation. Thanks to LOTW, I only lack 5 states for the basic WAS award. Woohoo. Don't forget, I also QSL direct and love to collect QSL cards. If you want one in return I will be more than happy to send out. Just in case you are wondering what my QSL card looks like check out this old post. Anyway, that's really all I have for the time being. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and if I don't post prior to... Everyone have a Happy Easter.
73 and good DX,
Tim - AJ4JD
73 and good DX,
Tim - AJ4JD
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