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| Portable op's QTH |
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| VE3WDM portable in action |
It was and still is a beautiful day here at VE3WDM there is a nice cool breeze, the sun is shining with a great temp of 17C. I have been itching to get the K2 operating mobile as I have been working most of the winter getting the K2, antenna and mount ready to go. I spent the morning and early afternoon spring cleaning the shack and found some
stuff I really don't use anymore thus it will be sold for "ham bucks". Cleaning up the shack gave me the warm fuzzes once is was all done and long over due for sure. I just hate looking for
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| all packed away in trunk |
something knowing I have it but not really sure where it is!! Julie was involved with her photography getting some details together for some up coming weddings she is photographing. It was the perfect time for me to jump in the mobile and give the K2 setup a test run. Before I hit the open road I always like to go online to
WA7BNM contest site and find out what contests are on for the weekend. It's a great way to make contacts if the QRP fishing holes are fish-less. There were some local QSO parties and the ARI international CW contest. I found a nice quiet place to operate which is real close to home. Setup was a snap but Murphy did play games with me. I had forgotten my binder at home which contained my paper pencil as well as a cheat sheet for the K2 just in case I forget how to do something. I was able to find some scrap paper and pen in my carry bag....so it was off to the races. I set the K2 for 5 watts all my operating would be 20m's as I only have mobile whips for 20m and 40m's at this time (something the ham bucks may help me with) I operated for about 35 minutes in total as dinner had still had to be shopped for and it was BBQ night!!
Contacts made
- NN7ZZ Mendon UT 14.047
- K7EAR Solomon AZ 14.040
- IQ0PG Italy ARI contest 14.031 880 miles per watt.
- IZ1A Italy ARI contest 14.022 QRZ.COM can't find maybe incorrect copying
- DL5AXX Germany ARI contest 14.010 810 miles per watt.
- IK2HDF Italy ARI contest 14.011 834 miles per watt. I was very happy with the how the antenna and rig worked and was surprised at the distance I was able to get. I know for sure next time I am going to lower the output and start making some 1,000 miles per watt potable contacts. Some things that have to be worked on before next time......remember all the items to bring, some bottled water, longer cable for Palm paddle key and some adjustments to the Palm paddle key are needed. Well it's time to spark up the BBQ and get some dinner...cheers!!!
5 comments:
Sounds like a good day Michael & from the photos it certainly looks very dry even by this time of year. I went out for an hour to join the Polar Bear Summer Picnic Event (PBSPE) and the weather lived up to it, cold and windy. No luck with the bands either, I thought I'd start on 17m to avoid any contests only to have a pileup spreading several KHz across the QRP centre of activity, it was wall to wall S9 noise so I never did hear the DX. I moved to 15m which was certainly open, there was a contest lower down the band in full swing, but after repeated CQs on 21.060 there were no takers so I packed up and went home with no QSOs in the log.
Charles GW0LVH
Good afternoon Charles, yes it is very very dry here so far this spring the rain has not come our way. My wife's mom is in England and she has told us last weekend they have had lots of rain and cool weather. I have to get some WARC band whips so I can jump on those bands when the staple bands are taken up with contesting. I was out again today in the mobile but 20m's was dead really not much to speak of. Well Charles have a good weekend what's left anyway.
Mike
Yeah, brings back memories of when I used to operate CW mobile, a LOT. FISTS had/has a Century award just for mobile and I managed to snap #6. HI. Looking forward to reading about what you'll do for antenna improvements.
Good evening Casey, well operating mobile sure is nice it's kinda out and about but at the same time the weather really does not affect me as much as being out doors. The only antenna changes that will happen is other mono band whips that I purchase. I am not a moving mobile just stationary but I am having a blast with the K2 in the car.
Mike
Complete each level of difficulty to get very good troops.
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