New Call Sign

The FCC issued a new 2x1 call sign - this was after several attempts. 2x1 and 1x2 call signs in Region 4 are really hard to get. So many folks compete for the few that is very much like a lottery.

Great Video About Engineers and Amateur Radio

WAS Update - Down to 5

40 meters offerred the opportunity for 4 more states but I was only able to get 2. K7QHU - Steve in Idaho and KB9AIT - Gary in Wisconsin

This leaves only VA, WY, AK, OR, and SD

WAS Update

Got two more hard states. Jay W9JAY/M is mobile in North Dakota and KE8UN/QRP was operating a QRP station in West Virginia and he was surprisingly strong. I gave him a 55 and he gave me a 57. Jay in ND was only 22 both ways but a QSO nonetheless.

Remaining states are just AK, ID, OR, SD, VA, WI, WY. I see a WI and a VA station checking in to the 3905CC net so these two states should be doable. The last 5 will be hard.

WAS Update

Picked Up a few more states tonight: W1ZQ in New Hampshire on the 3905 SSB net on 75m. Also K14DFS in Georgia - also on the 3905 SSB Net on 75m. Also picked up Arizona station KW7E Mel from Phoenix on PSK on 20m.

Missing states left are only AK, ID, ND, OR, SD, VA WV, WI and WY

Finally Got Hawaii - KH7S

I was listening into another Hawaii station KH7DX waiting for an opportunity to make a contact after his other contacts, and then Russ darling (KH7S) came booming in at just a few minutes before 4:00Zulu. I immediately replied - exchanged pleasantries quickly as we knew the band conditions were starting to breakdown. We exchanged reports and called it a QSO. Thanks Russ for one of the more difficult contacts for "Worked All States"

Worked All States Update

There are only about a few states remaining. Yesterday was a good evening in that I was able to get 3 relatively hard states to get ARKANSAS (N0AXZ operating portable), MONTANA (KE7EYN) and UTAH (N6RSH). The Utah station can barely hear me and me him with 2-2 reports both ways. The Montana station however was quite loud with 5-5 reports both ways.

This just leaves me with the following missing states:
NH, WV, AK, ID, ND, SD, HI, AZ, NE, GA, NV

I will try Hawaii tonight - I had almost a contact with KH7S one early morning on PSK31 for a few seconds - not long enough to exchange reports and log.

Alaska and the other mountain states will be hard

Vanity Call Signs

Applications are in for a 1x2 and 2x1 vanity call. KD4Q is the first one - my chance for this one is 1 in 4. The second one is W4DX which proved to be quite popular and my chance for this one is 1 in 75. The next one coming up is AK4T on May 14. We'll see what happens in about three weeks.

New Call From the FCC

The FCC issued a new sequential call sign (system generated) not a vanity call as a result of my passing the Extra Class exam this past week.

Central Carolina Emergency Net

Found the CCEN net on 75m on 3907 Kilohertz. The net controller tonight was Aubrey K4ATH.

Spirit Net on 3.905 MHz

Great study tonight moderated by Phil WA3MNS - as we finished Matthew 22 and started Matthew 23. Phil has such a humble spirit.

Built A Copper J-Pole

I recently completed the construction of a copper J-pole antenna for 2 m and 70 cm. The construction is from 3/4 copper pipe. The connection is via an SO239 mounted on a plexiglass plate. The center conductor is connected to the stub witha 16 gage copper wire via 3/4 pipe clamps mounted to the plexiglass S)239 holder. The shield is mounted to the radiating element

The SWR is optimized for 146.610 which is the BRARS repeater. The SWR stays quite low - 1.0 to 1.1 between 144 and 146.8 MHz with a minimum at 146.6 MHz and does not exceed 1.5 at the end of the 2m band at 148 MHz.

Range of the FT897 at 50W

On the J-Pole I was able to have a conversation into Powdersville and I was S3 on the receiving end - communicating Simplex without the repeater.

How Small Is Earth

Another CME Video