Back in the Groove - CQWW - Gray Hamfest

Well it's been just over 2 weeks since we returned from vacation. Since then we have been busy with work, homeschooling, and a bit of radio activities. As everyone knows, the K4M crew activated Midway Island from Oct. 11 - Oct. 19. I was really looking forward to putting Midway in the log, but due to propagation, it just never worked out. I heard them the first day on 80 meters. That was the best and one of the only few times I heard them. Unfortunately it was in the morning and I could only give 30 minutes worth of trying until I had to get ready for work. Other than that I heard them one other time on 40 and gave it a go but no success. There's always next time. I did manage to get a few DX contacts in during that time, Belize (20m SSB), Australia (30m PSk31), and Virgin Islands(40m SSB). Other than that I've been a bit active on 2 meters as time permits. As I've said I've gotten back into the groove of work, home, and also the business.

This past weekend we put playing on the radio and everything else on hold to head up to Gray, TN for the Gray Hamfest. Grey is in Upper East Tennessee, close to Johnson City. Robin (AJ4IJ) and I, got up early this Saturday morning and headed out on our way to see if we could find a good deal, and/or win a prize. Of course as my luck has it, there were no prizes in store for us, but we did pick up some PL-259s and 200' of ladder line from The Wire Man for dad (KU4ME). We seen a handful of hams from our local area and talked at length with Danny (KI4YCJ) one our local buds on the 145.470 repeater.

It was cold and dreary with a little bit of sprinkles here and there and by 9:30 we were ready to head back towards the QTH. On our way we stopped and had breakfast at Shoneys. By the time we got back home, we were ready for a much needed nap.

Oh I almost forgot. I guess now would be a good time for a shameless plug. Another activity I've been participating in when I'm home and not too busy has been joining in on the Outhouse net. Some of the local Extra class hams have started meeting down 3.660Mhz on 80m on most nights around 8 or 9pm EST for a good roundtable. It's not an official net or anything but we call it the Outhouse net and the only qualifications you need to participate is that you're an extra class and that you have used an outhouse. It's okay if you haven't used and outhouse because you can still be grandfathered in if your grandfather used an outhouse or your great grandfather. As a matter of fact, as of yesterday, I no longer have to be grandfathered in hi hi.

So this upcoming weekend looks to be a great chance to work some DX. That's right folks, it's that time again. The CQ World Wide DX SSB contest is this coming weekend. I plan on working most of the contest but we will see how that pans out. I hope to put some good DX in the log that's for sure. I will likely call CQ mostly and of course hunt and pounce on multipliers as I hear them on the bands. I think I have the VOX set up so I hope to improve the QSO rate by going hands free. I'll be working in the SOLP category with the trusty 756 Pro into the homebrewed OCF Windom. I've worked all over the world with that thing and finally got Asia confirmed via LOTW giving me WAC. Too bad I can't use LOTW for that award.

Anyway, look for me on the air this weekend between Oct 24 0000UTC - Oct. 25 2359UTC and give a call. I would love to put you in the log and see what kind of points I can run up on my first time in the CQWW contest. Until then here's a little treat.

I know, I've been promising a look at the shack so here it is.

Our shack complete with ICOM 756 Pro, LDG AT200 Pro autotuner,
Signalink USB, Yaesu FT-1802, Alinco DR430, and Jetstream JTPS28 powersupply
and a Lenovo S10 Netbook.
Also pictured on the top shelf are our HT's
Yaesu VX170, Alinco DJ-V17, and Kenwood TH-22AT

73 es God Bless de AJ4JD,
Tim

Doing the Asiatic Russia Dance

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

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